Forum member KC95SC400’s 1996 Lexus SC 400 stands out for a few reasons.
First, it’s covered in flat grey. I’m so used to seeing SC builds with candy paint, but KC95SC400 went the stealth bomber route. The scarlet front badge and air intake mesh add a couple of nice bits of color and contrast.
Second, KC95SC400’s SC has a V8 in it. Granted, that’s not a big surprise because the SC 400 came with a 4-liter V8 under its hood from factory. However, most of the cars profiled in this weekly feature usually have their original engines yanked out and replaced with 2JZ power plants running either stock turbos or an aftermarket snail. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
Again, KC95SC400 chose a different path. He strapped a Vortech V-2 SQ Si supercharger onto his 1UZ-FE. He also fitted the V8 with upgraded cams, springs, and injectors. It features water/methanol injection and breathes through an X-pipe exhaust. KC95SC400 thinks he can eventually get as much as 600 rwhp out of his SC and cover a quarter of a mile in the high 10-second range.
Unfortunately, it’s been a while since KC95SC400 updated his build upgrade thread. Please let us know how things are going on your car, man! It’s an interesting machine.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
