3Demon

Hey there everyone

I just cant seem to decide which route to take.
Quick background - I'm coming from a 3 series e36 BMW, but previous cars were all toyotas.
I'm looking for something that has power and torque, a car with great throttle response that will put me in my seat when accelerated. Basically I was also driving an r32 Skyline GTR for a short while and I was amazed at the torque and kick from that car with light mods.
However, I also want to indulge myself with a nicer luxury style car. I simply love the design of the SCs, they are one of my favorite cars. I have the vision of a car that is fast off the line and with great torque down low, but I plan to commute and drive this car often so I dont need a fullblown race machine, and I love my ICE

I have the opportunity to get my hands on an sc400 (92), and have been reading through these forums on the 1UZ motors potential. However, I'm still not too sure what I could expect from it. When I drove this car in person, I was somewhat unimpressed. I felt that there was a huge potential in the motor, but that the tranny and stock set up just wasnt letting it loose. In short- there was work to be done.
Im exploring ideas of rebuilding the engine (its got some high km action) and swapping a 5spd. Wondering what mods I would have to do on top of this to get the speed/acceleration i desire. Suggestions?

My other option has come to me recently, a very good deal on a 300zx Twin Turbo, putting down almost 500hp!! It has been modified from head to toe, with a brand new JDM engine/new turbos/tuning/etc. However, as much as I love them its just not quite as practical as I'd like, and doesnt have the style and class of the SCs. But it sure does have the power and the speed, and there is really nothing like it to drive.

Sorry I've rambled on, but in short - suggestions on modding the 1uz for some speed? Its going to have about 100-200lbs in extra stuff im assuming once the stereo and all that is in place :S Is the FI route the only way I'm going to see that kick from the 1uz?
Or should I just get that 300zx?
Thanks for any help/insight!!

lsflame

decisions decisions:

hmm you want luxo and quiet ride and potential for you to mod.......sc400
hmm you want turbo prebuilt gonna blow it soon cuz its a VG..........z32tt

95 Integra

minus the modded part, Id say a 300zx TT. The SC400 isnt going to be nearly as easy to modify and get power from and its still a luxo ride compared to a ZX.

IronCobra

Ok, I have fist hand knowledge of this. I had a 93 300ZXTT 5spd with 30k miles that I traded for a 93 GS300 about 5 years ago.

Beside not having a back seat, my car could fit a person in the hatch (when cruising the beach strip)

I loved the driving experience of my HIGHLY MODIFIED 300ZX, but parts are VERY expensive!

And the car has the following issues (after time)

-60k Service is Grossly expensive. Pretty much the entire front of the engine must be removed to change the timing belt.
-Rear main tends to leak
-Radiator goes out
-Center support berring goes out and will beat against the inside of your center consol
-Shift Linkage goes out
-NO ROOM TO WORK IN ENGINE
-Drive belt and timing belt berrings are are SOOO expensive and tend to go out.
-Tons more that I haven't even mentioned.

All this stuff happens at different times and cuases you to spend BooCoo bucks to repair.

To make it all worse, the car isn't even that fast when midified!

I was making around 380hp to the wheels after spending almost $8 grand on performance parts (and thats not including repairs)

neoprelude

DO A SEARCH (suprisingly) already been posted a long thread about this someone started awhile back deciding on which one...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=300zx

But let me say one thing and any 300zx owner speaking the truth will say, if your able to major work on Cars (especially difficult cars to work on!): Be prepared for alot of work, money for parts (which are normally not cheap and difficult to locate) and generally alot of time dedicated to this car and it's very overcramped engine bay! Now if your not able to do major work on your car: Be prepared to get butt raped without lube for parts and labor charges (i'm not saying something costly will most def. fail, but theres some pretty big odds against you with this car!). Don't get me wrong the zx is a great car and can be made quick, but it's weight and gearing makes it difficult for quick 1/4 mile times without big mods. The 2jz-ge (engine in SC300) is almost always very reliable is extremely reliable and like a tank, working on it is pretty easy only pain in the *** (isn't hard just sort of a pain) taking the part of the intake plenum/throttle body off for plugs/wires. But it'd still only take an avg person an hour tops and is pretty easy and straight forward mostly anyone could do it with instructions. Also the 2jz-ge can be made to hold boost very well and reliable with lowered compression ratio and proper tuning and installation (probably more so then the VG30-DET) It's a TON easier then the VG30 (motor in 300zx) both turbo or non turbo versions... I can't speak for the 1UZ in the SC400 but from what i've heard it's a pretty strong motor and won't let you down reliability wise, dosen't seem too difficult to work on. I believe someone is running around this forum with 600k on their SC400 with original motor .

Either way good luck on your choice, their 2 totally different cars! On one point though; SC300 can be as quick or quicker and handle/brake as good as the 300zx (Stiff chassis shared from the supra with the sc). And it will still be reliable, comfortable (even decent room for 4 avg sized people) and a load of cool luxury gadgets. So you can make the SC as much of a sportscar as the 300zx but you can never make the 300zx a luxury car like the SC (with 4 seats, hardcore reliability,great interior quality thats super comfortable, (which is something to keep in mind). SC is more of a reliable daily driver, but it can also be a super quick daily driver even without a reliability sacrifice. In every car theres 2 things you can pick out of these 3 options (this saying is sooo right on, the one you don't pick is the one your gunna sacrifice for the zx it'd be pretty cheap IMO and fast but there goes reliability.

Pick 2 out of 3:
Cheap
Fast
Reliable

IronCobra

I recommend you get a:

-92-95 SC300 5spd. $5000-$10,000 (the ladder gets you a new lower miles model)
-Boost Logic stage 1 turbo kit (good for 320hp+ to the wheels) $6,000 installed
-18" or 19" rims/tires ($2500) Installed
-Suspension/lowering ($1800) Installed

Then do everything else on a "as needed" basis.

$20,000 you will have a BAD *** SC300 TT that looks hot and is reliable.

DryBlaze

I had a 300zx TT before my SC300 and they are two different cars. You can't really compare the two.

sc.Fred

on top of everything this is a Lexus forum so people will tend to be biased.

however, i have buddies that have Z's and they like it and all but as IronCobra mentioned all of the above, there is NO ROOM to work on your car.. have you seen the engine bay? it's crazy to even mod it with the limited space.

i'd say if you want a car with even a little bit of luxury.. SC hands down

TRD_Power

Yeah man ride in style Lexus is an all around more reliable car and as far as mods go, the sky is the limmit! not many cars have a bottom end as strong as a 2JZ I like the 300ZX tt but not nearly as much as an SC

lexsc492

get both.. i was actually thinkin about either gettin another sc (300)or a 300zx... i got my 400 for luxury and get another in stick to tear up

3Demon

wow that thread posted before was very helpful
I am concerned about the handling though- how does the sc4 feel with a nice set of Teins? Still very light on the steering with a boat-like reponse, or pretty sharp?
And on the 1uz, would a 5spd swap release some power?
thanks again

lfrers

iTrader: (9)

Take your time and look for a good low mileage SC300. I had a SC 400 and a 300TTz. I had the Z less than a month before it broke down. The dealer took it back. The SC300 is a far better car than the Z, generally speaking. Someone else I knew had the TT300Z and he had to get a second car to drive while his Z was in the shop. It had a lot of electrical problems. The SC400 was OK but more difficult to mod. At least I had a much more difficult time finding many options for the SC400. Although there are diffrent types of forced induction out there for the SC400.

vdog

3demon......

I am new to this site....I have been researching.....for a better driver also.....

I've owned 1990 535i BMW, 2000 SAAB 9.3 SE w/ H.O.T....various mustangs[no thanks] ...etc...

What Im finding out thru my research..... LEXUS is it......

you can get the lux'ry of euro cars, dependability of toyota...and lots of h/p if needed.....

parts/after market mods are not hard to find and are not unreasonable in price...

good luck.....

ajayR

I have

91 silver 300zx TT stage IV 348 rwhp / 380rwtq 13.01 @ 111
91 red 300zx TT stage VII
95 5 spd sc300
00 sc300 auto

the 300zx's are awesome cars. I will never get over the T tops.. it is a great experience stomping on the throttle with those off, the silver car makes 350rwtq at 2800 rpm, so the response is very much like a v8..

The Z's have had no major problems and i boost 21psi on pump gas in the red car.

I have a 2JZ going in the 00 sc300 so ill let you know what I think of it. often times when it was cold outside, i was scared in the red Z.. almost too squirly at times..
its not a drag car, and working on it is painful, but overall, owning the car is a great experience. The community is very helpful www.twinturbo.net and its a timeless look.

I found the Z's to actually be more comfortable than my 5 spd lexus.. the luxury is downplayed in those cars. the ergonomics is excellent and sound quality because of the hatch design is superb.

needless to say, if you have an option for a $10k lexus or $10k 300ztt , you get a hell of a lot more nissan..
at 25k + its a much different story.

PM me if you want to know more

King7Two

LOL.....right on