"Raine's SC300 (KEIRA 2.0) From the Beginning to End."
07-18-12, 07:43 AM
#47
Damn, those headlights looked amazing. I wish they made better clear lenses than the crap ones I've heard about on eBay and such. I love all of the details in this, seriously a clean SC, and I can't wait to see what else you do!
07-30-12, 04:07 AM
#49
05.18.09
Double DIN
- I had finally decided to upgrade my factory cassette/cd changer combo to a new double-DIN in dash head unit. At the time I had a budget of $500 to spend, so I couldn’t do a full nav unit. I searched around for something that could (obviously) play DVDs, was iPod/iPhone connectivity, and had add-on navigation for the future. I narrowed it down to the Kenwood DDX-714, which had everything I was looking for – including an optional add-on navigation module that used mapping software by Garmin (perfect since I was already using a Garmin standalone navigation and I liked the interface).
Yes, I used to have a camera mounted up front for fun.
Girl and another girl. Don’t worry, it’s SFW – it’s a music video.
Double DIN
- I had finally decided to upgrade my factory cassette/cd changer combo to a new double-DIN in dash head unit. At the time I had a budget of $500 to spend, so I couldn’t do a full nav unit. I searched around for something that could (obviously) play DVDs, was iPod/iPhone connectivity, and had add-on navigation for the future. I narrowed it down to the Kenwood DDX-714, which had everything I was looking for – including an optional add-on navigation module that used mapping software by Garmin (perfect since I was already using a Garmin standalone navigation and I liked the interface).
Yes, I used to have a camera mounted up front for fun.
Girl and another girl. Don’t worry, it’s SFW – it’s a music video.
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:34 PM.
07-30-12, 04:09 AM
#50
06.02.09
Working Out
- I had been eyeballing a set of wheels for over 2 weeks, and when my tax refund finally arrived I bought myself a set of used Work Meister S1 3-Piece wheels. 19x9.5 front and 19x10.5 rear, standard silver finish with polished lips. I wrapped them with a set of Toyo Proxes T1R’s in 235/35 and 275/30 for a slight stretch. Once these were mounted to the car I sold the Luff’s.
Working Out
- I had been eyeballing a set of wheels for over 2 weeks, and when my tax refund finally arrived I bought myself a set of used Work Meister S1 3-Piece wheels. 19x9.5 front and 19x10.5 rear, standard silver finish with polished lips. I wrapped them with a set of Toyo Proxes T1R’s in 235/35 and 275/30 for a slight stretch. Once these were mounted to the car I sold the Luff’s.
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:34 PM.
07-30-12, 04:10 AM
#51
06.14.09
Go Cyrus
- Anyone in SoCal who is in the scene knows of Cyrus. Working out of JC Autohouse in Temple City, CA, Cyrus is the man to go to when you need an alignment. It doesn’t matter if your car is lowered, cambered, or whatever – Cyrus will align it. He’s a cool guy too, and he doesn’t B.S. – he’ll show you the alignment computer as he’s working, he’ll explain to you what/why/how he did what he did, and he has a soft spot for clean SC’s. He works on all kinds of cars, and a majority of the lowered contingent heads to Cyrus when it’s time to get the angles right. You want a cheapo alignment for $60? Don’t go to Cyrus, you’ll just waste his time. You want a PERFECT alignment? Call him up and make an appointment, you won’t be disappointed.
Go Cyrus
- Anyone in SoCal who is in the scene knows of Cyrus. Working out of JC Autohouse in Temple City, CA, Cyrus is the man to go to when you need an alignment. It doesn’t matter if your car is lowered, cambered, or whatever – Cyrus will align it. He’s a cool guy too, and he doesn’t B.S. – he’ll show you the alignment computer as he’s working, he’ll explain to you what/why/how he did what he did, and he has a soft spot for clean SC’s. He works on all kinds of cars, and a majority of the lowered contingent heads to Cyrus when it’s time to get the angles right. You want a cheapo alignment for $60? Don’t go to Cyrus, you’ll just waste his time. You want a PERFECT alignment? Call him up and make an appointment, you won’t be disappointed.
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:34 PM.
07-30-12, 04:13 AM
#52
06.21.09
CL / HT
- This is the day I compiled all the photos in Adobe Photoshop, created all of the diagrams in Adobe Illustrator, and wrote the sorta-famous “Aftermarket Head Unit with OEM speakers” How-To for the peeps on Club Lexus. 73,000+ views later, I still get a steady stream of questions and try as much as I can to help everyone in the thread. By the way, that same day I also wrote the not-as-famous “Metra Double-DIN Install” How-To alongside this article.
The 3 hours it took me to compile all of the information (after how many hours in the garage working on it) was well worth it.
CL / HT
- This is the day I compiled all the photos in Adobe Photoshop, created all of the diagrams in Adobe Illustrator, and wrote the sorta-famous “Aftermarket Head Unit with OEM speakers” How-To for the peeps on Club Lexus. 73,000+ views later, I still get a steady stream of questions and try as much as I can to help everyone in the thread. By the way, that same day I also wrote the not-as-famous “Metra Double-DIN Install” How-To alongside this article.
The 3 hours it took me to compile all of the information (after how many hours in the garage working on it) was well worth it.
07-30-12, 04:15 AM
#53
09.14.09
Light Floor
- I randomed a couple pairs of 8” LED floor lamps and installed them in about 10 minutes. I can’t remember why I chose blue though... and later on when I realized I should have bought red I thought that if I had spent the extra $5 for the “multicolor” version I could have just hit a button for red lighting.
One pair of 8” blue LED lamps per side, with the control box in the center console.
Light Floor
- I randomed a couple pairs of 8” LED floor lamps and installed them in about 10 minutes. I can’t remember why I chose blue though... and later on when I realized I should have bought red I thought that if I had spent the extra $5 for the “multicolor” version I could have just hit a button for red lighting.
One pair of 8” blue LED lamps per side, with the control box in the center console.
07-30-12, 04:17 AM
#54
11.21.09
Tire Flip
- Whenever I need to mount, flip, or balance my wheels and tires, I head out to my close friend Edgar’s workplace (Velocity Motorsports) in Anaheim, CA. He knows how to work the tire mounting machine, and has tons of experience with everything from stock 15” wheels and tires to 19” super stretched low-profiles. We have spent a lot of time after hours working on not just my SC but his numerous 300ZX’s, as well as our old S14’s and S13’s from years ago. He’s one of the few people I trust that I allow to work on my car. Good times there, and more to come.
This is the usual scene when we get together to work on our cars.
Tire Flip
- Whenever I need to mount, flip, or balance my wheels and tires, I head out to my close friend Edgar’s workplace (Velocity Motorsports) in Anaheim, CA. He knows how to work the tire mounting machine, and has tons of experience with everything from stock 15” wheels and tires to 19” super stretched low-profiles. We have spent a lot of time after hours working on not just my SC but his numerous 300ZX’s, as well as our old S14’s and S13’s from years ago. He’s one of the few people I trust that I allow to work on my car. Good times there, and more to come.
This is the usual scene when we get together to work on our cars.
07-30-12, 04:19 AM
#55
12.02.09
Not Foggy
- Sometimes it takes awhile before you get around to fixing the little stuff. You know, stuff that you can normally ignore for a few years, simply because you don’t use it or it doesn’t bother you that it’s broken. My factory fog lamps fell into that category. The right side lamp was alright, but the left side lamp had some internal burn marks that couldn’t be repaired. I finally got around to ordering up a clean set of OEM 1995 fog lamps, and before I installed them I modified the rear to accept 3000k HID bulb harnesses.
These are the original fog lamps that came with the car. Note the internal burn mark and yellowing of the lens.
Newer, clean OEM 1995 fog lamps after a fresh polish with the buffing machine.
(continued on post #57)
Not Foggy
- Sometimes it takes awhile before you get around to fixing the little stuff. You know, stuff that you can normally ignore for a few years, simply because you don’t use it or it doesn’t bother you that it’s broken. My factory fog lamps fell into that category. The right side lamp was alright, but the left side lamp had some internal burn marks that couldn’t be repaired. I finally got around to ordering up a clean set of OEM 1995 fog lamps, and before I installed them I modified the rear to accept 3000k HID bulb harnesses.
These are the original fog lamps that came with the car. Note the internal burn mark and yellowing of the lens.
Newer, clean OEM 1995 fog lamps after a fresh polish with the buffing machine.
(continued on post #57)
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:35 PM.
07-31-12, 04:10 AM
#57
01.24.10
Cat Back
- This was another one of those random moments. I was browsing eBay and I came across the Top Speed cat back muffler set. Bolt-on installation and a decent price, I hit the “buy it now” button and within a couple days, I bolted them up to the car. The quality is pretty good, the exhaust tips are on the thin side (meaning they bend easily), and the sound is aggressive. In fact, with my OEM resonators removed, the Top Speed mufflers are pretty loud, and have that drone on the freeway. I’m pretty sure I’ll get sick of the noise within a year. LOL
Fresh out of the packaging, the Top Speed mufflers are less than half the size of the OEM cans.
Installed (didn’t even need to jack the car up); nice looks, just don’t hit anything.
Cat Back
- This was another one of those random moments. I was browsing eBay and I came across the Top Speed cat back muffler set. Bolt-on installation and a decent price, I hit the “buy it now” button and within a couple days, I bolted them up to the car. The quality is pretty good, the exhaust tips are on the thin side (meaning they bend easily), and the sound is aggressive. In fact, with my OEM resonators removed, the Top Speed mufflers are pretty loud, and have that drone on the freeway. I’m pretty sure I’ll get sick of the noise within a year. LOL
Fresh out of the packaging, the Top Speed mufflers are less than half the size of the OEM cans.
Installed (didn’t even need to jack the car up); nice looks, just don’t hit anything.
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:35 PM.
07-31-12, 04:12 AM
#59
07.13.10
Stand Down
- A month later at the Stance Nation meet in Los Angeles, CA my car got photographed again. Apparently a stock bodied SC300 on 19’s is good enough for some of these photographers LOL
Stand Down
- A month later at the Stance Nation meet in Los Angeles, CA my car got photographed again. Apparently a stock bodied SC300 on 19’s is good enough for some of these photographers LOL
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:35 PM.
07-31-12, 04:14 AM
#60
07.17.10
Steam Engine
- During one of the hottest summers ever, and a few days after the Stance Nation meet, disaster #1 struck: driving home I noticed an unusual amount of steam coming from the front of the car. I pulled over, popped the hood, and saw that there was a nice 4” crack along the leading edge of the upper radiator end. Luckily the SC300 has a long hood and long engine bay, which meant removing and installing a radiator was pretty easy and quick.
Steam Engine
- During one of the hottest summers ever, and a few days after the Stance Nation meet, disaster #1 struck: driving home I noticed an unusual amount of steam coming from the front of the car. I pulled over, popped the hood, and saw that there was a nice 4” crack along the leading edge of the upper radiator end. Luckily the SC300 has a long hood and long engine bay, which meant removing and installing a radiator was pretty easy and quick.
Last edited by raine; 08-01-12 at 01:35 PM.