You all know how problematic a build car can be. If one thing isn’t acting up, another one is. Forum member BeaksSC‘s 152,000-mile 1995 Lexus SC 400 has had more than its share of complications. Despite those, visually, it’s very simple: clean and white.
It’s not as if BeaksSC has neglected his car. Last year, he replaced a number of its parts, including its starter, timing belt, water pump, valve cover gaskets, and thermostat. Despite all of that work, he’s had to deal with a misfire issue, a problem with his throttle position sensor, a “bad oil leak,” a shot alternator, and a broken intake manifold bolt.
BeaksSC has done plenty of cosmetic work on his SC, too. Luckily, most of that effort has been put in by choice, not absolute necessity. He filled in the front screw holes and a giant scratch on the front bumper and laid down some fresh paint on it. The front end’s OEM lip is balanced by a rear window spoiler. He wasn’t crazy about the wheels that the previous owner put on the car, but, if you ask me, they look great. BeaksSC also upgraded the interior with a JVC KW-NSX600 DVD receiver unit and custom color-changing lighting. The end result of BeaksSC’s labor is a simply attractive custom Lexus.
It’s been a while since you’ve updated your build thread, BeaksSC. Have you tinted the windows or dropped your SC yet? Please let us know how your mods are going.
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.
