At $19,995, Is This 2005 Lexus SC430 'Pebble Beach Edition' A Concours-Level Deal?

Today's Nice Price or No Dice Lexus is notable for being one of the last cars sold new with a cassette player in the dash. This particular car has other aspects that warrant our attention. Let's find out if one of those is its price.

In a world where everyone is increasingly urged to "pick a side," one unifying factor to be found is the near-universal loathing Elon Musk has triggered over his various antics. Whether for his role in making electric cars a viable option, thus upsetting OPEC, or, well, a lot of other things, Musk has engendered a lot of acrimony. Naturally, that has rubbed off on the various enterprises with which he is connected, most notably the car builder, Tesla.

That's a darn shame for everybody else who works at Tesla, and for everyone who bought one of the company's cars before it was discovered that Elon had a OnlyFans of crazy. A prime example of how toxic that relationship is could be found in the comments on the seemingly nice and well-equipped 2017 Tesla Model S 75D we considered on Monday. I guess "considered" is too strong a word, as many of the comments dismissed the car out of hand for being Elon-gated. Even at $22,500, the Model S couldn't catch a break, dropping in the vote with an overwhelming 70% 'No Dice' loss.

One of the main reasons anyone might consider a Tesla or another hybrid or fully electric car is the crazy-high fuel prices currently plaguing drivers around the globe. Toyota has long been an advocate of gas/electric hybrids, and today offers that drivetrain choice on nearly everything it builds. That being said, this 2005 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition convertible offers good old-fashioned V8 power and none of those pesky electrons to worry about. It also has a fancy aluminum hard top that can be raised and lowered at the push of a button, and both a navigation screen and a cassette player in its dash, an incongruous duo.

The SC 430 was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the SC400 and was designed from the get-go as a convertible. The letters in the name—SC—mean "Sport Coupe," but in purpose the car is way more of a grand tourer, and, befitting its pop-top design, is only a sometime coupe. Power for that grand touring comes from Toyota's vaunted UZZ40 DOHC V8, which the model shared with the top-of-the-line sedan. In the SC that made a solid 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, enough to make the standard five-speed automatic feel like it's not getting in the way of things.

One of this car's claims to fame is that it is one of only 600 (out of just under 9,000 total) Pebble Beach editions built for the 2005 model year. The Pebble Beach package was comprised of Black Diamond Pearl exterior paint, pimento-red leather upholstery, black bird's eye maple trim, special badging on the fenders and floor mats, and graphite accents on the chrome five-spoke wheels.

Craigslist

This car appears to still have all those elements, save for the wheels, which have been swapped out for a set of aftermarket alloys. While perhaps not to everyone's taste, those look to be in good condition, as does the rest of the exterior. Things are a little less up to snuff in the cabin, where the leather on the seats looks like it could use a good dose of saddle soap or other restorative. On the plus side, it all looks intact and otherwise in solid shape. Also, red seatbelt latches!

Unlike the wheels, one element of the Pebble Beach package that hasn't gotten lost is the leather tri-fold garment bag by premium luggage designer TUMI. That will come with the car, as will a clean title and a driving history totaling 126,000 miles. Not all of the SC has made it that far. Maintenance on the car has so far included replacement of the alternator and battery, the water pump, and, most importantly, the timing belts. Those alloy wheels are also fitted with new rubber. According to the seller, the car has no dashboard warning lights or other signs of impending doom. It also looks to come with a car cover, as seen in the car's weird bifurcated boot. We don't see the top retracted into that boot, but there's no mention of any issue with its function, so we can assume it works as it should. The double "Beware of Dog" stickers on the side glass are very random and may suggest that those allergic to dog hair should only appreciate this car from a distance.

Of course, we never get to see the dogs we are warned to beware of, but we do see the $19,995 asking price, which we might also wish to be wary of. The seller states that the car is "priced to sell" at that amount, but seeing as the ad has been up for more than three weeks, perhaps that's a bit specious a claim. Maybe prospective buyers are concerned that the car actually comes with aggressive canines, as implied by the window stickers.

What do you think? Is this SC430 a deal at that $19,995 asking price, considering its overall condition and unique Pebble Beach-ness? Or does that amount mean it's more likely priced to "not sell"?

You decide!

Bend, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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