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Greetings all... my name is Ty and I'm in Orange County, California. I have a totally stock 1995 SC300. I've been reading here off and on for years but decided to join today because I wanted to see if anybody can help me out with a really perplexing problem. I'm not much of an auto mechanic really - can handle simple stuff but probably not engine swaps, etc. - but I'm good with electrical troubleshooting and mods so perhaps I can contribute something here.
new here. My name is Gabby, I live in orlando FL. bit of a gear head, this is my first toyota and have owned more than a dozen nissans. I'm currently in the process of importing a Soarer JZZ30 with 136k (KM) on it in pearl white. It is 1JZ GTE. It is auto, but looking at a CD009 swap. for a while it will be my daily so I haven't decided yet if I really want to swap it. 40+ miles a day maybe a bit much with traffic on the interstate right now.
I will share pictures in a bit once it is in the hands of the guys importing it for me. It is an Oct car so I have a couple of months to stock up parts.
This will be my second imported car. had my skyline for 3 years already and love it to death. Insuring it and risking it getting bumped or scratched is just too much for me so it will stay in the garage safe from idiots. I painted it LP2 Midnight purple and it has a few mods on it (mostly blitz and greddy parts, some arch and HKS mixed in), and expect to do the same to the soarer. Real street is less than a mile from my house and Titan is only a few miles from my new job so I'm pretty covered on spare parts should I need them. My husband is going to daily the Q as I got a new job and no longer carpool (was $15/day to park at my old job).
Anyways, I have been on Nico for over a decade and zilvia for about the same. On several of the skyline and imported car pages so hello to those I know and have yet to met. I hope my "toyota" is okay on here.
My name is Aaron, and I just recently purchased a Green SC300, it has 248,000 on the chassis and 90,000 on the engine ( I'll take this lightly as it was from the original owner and there's no paperwork to prove this). I'm from South Florida and I plan on building this into a true Poor Man's Supra... With that being said this is my first project build and I'm excited to be learning while doing work on this car. I have absolutely no idea where to start, but hopefully I'll figure everything out... I'm still debating whether I should do NA-T or GTE swap, I have to weigh out pro's and cons, but I'm willing to take opinions into consideration... A little background on me, prior to buying the SC300 as my project I dailyed a 2015 WRX and did some light work to it, full bolt-ons and an accessport. I really want to get into this hardcore so this is my project. Well enough rambling... haha
(I'll bet there are a whole bunch out there who know exactly what I'm talking about )
Hi all. My name is Ken. Long time lurker (researcher, really), first time poster. Started a membership here a couple years ago IIRC to learn as much as I could while looking for the car that's been on the bucket list for a lot of years. 25, in fact.
It started in 1990 or 1991 at a collision shop in Wisconsin. I went to work one Monday morn to find 2 new projects sitting out front; a Lexus (LS I think-been a while) that was creamed behind the right rear wheel and a BMW deer strike. The Lexus got a used (I know, but that's what the insurance insisted on) quarter and the BMW got a new radiator support after it came back from the frame shop and a new front clip. It gave me a chance to compare the two with a critical eye to see which one I'd own if I had the money for one, and the Lexus won. The clincher was the carpet. The BMW had that patchwork style carpet preferred by German engineers and of course, the Lexus carpet was molded. I thought if Lexus ever came out with a performance two door car I'd love to have one some day. And they did, didn't they.
But they were expensive, and I was but a lowly body man. I have a '72 Plymouth Duster 340 that's been my perpetual project since my sister bought the shell for me for my 21st birthday back in 1984 (there's a different thread on that car on a different site, of course) and other cars have come and gone but every now and then, I would take a peek to see what is happening with the SC400 market. Around Christmas 2014, I was surfing craigslist when I found one in Billings-black/black 1998 for $1000. The ad said it burned oil but it ran well and the pic showed a car that looked like something landed on the upper bumper cover and hood, as well as having quite the trashed interior. I contacted him in time to learn he sold it and later found out he wrecked it delivering the car ("wasnt my fault LOL!!!"), but the time was right to start looking. I started saving all my disposable income from the three jobs I work and started searching for the right one. Had to be a 1998-2000 SC400, black/black and hopefully with relatively few miles. I even started watching the builder sites and yes, found a couple but was outbid on. One of the first ones I found was the '98 at Jordan. It fit the bill, but while they posted a pic of the odometer they didn't list the mileage in the description. That raised a red flag with me so I did the research and learned the dealership didn't have the best of reputations. I assumed they were driving the car while it was for sale so they didn't list current mileage so I saved it and continued to save money and search. Out of curiosity, I got the carfax on the car last summer and had a friend out there test drive the car. He reported back that it seemed a solid car but had the issues that could be expected from a 20 year old car. He also told me the odometer read 141,600 and I knew from another website the car was posted on that the mileage stated (and photographed) was 159,000. I black flagged the car-I'm not getting involved with odometer tampering. Found a few on craigslist as well but the only one worth owning was a 2000 with 102,000 miles on it and by the pics, was meticulously cared for. But when I got serious about buying it he changed his mind about selling. Bid on a few on ebay as well, but was always outbid.
I bid on the last one on ebay back in April, and it seemed after that the availability of SC400s started to dry up. But the savings account continued to grow so I knew when I found one I would be prepared to act. But need creates demand. My daily driver is a 1996 Grand Prix that I've had for 12 years now and while it's been a solid car, it also turned over 343,000 miles a few weeks ago. My commute is through a mountain pass and a week after it hit 343,000 I was going up the big hill on the pass when the car faded. The cruise control has been pretty good about maintaining speed regardless of the conditions but this time it fell from 80 MPH down to 60 by time I got to the top. It was time, and my search began in earnest. I dug through the web searches as deep as I could but the only one that consistently came up was the Jordan car. But. In the process of searching I found the car listed on Car Gurus for $1000 less than anywhere else. I took a chance and made my first contact with them, asking if the price listed was correct. I was assured it was.
I pounced. One grueling 40 hour bus ride later found me at Jordan Auto Sales in Cincinnati last Sunday night. My friend was mistaken about the odometer, which read 161,400. The salesman did indeed drive the car, but he bought it for that purpose. He had a SC300 and wanted the upgrade, so he bought this one on ebay for "over $6000" back in 2010 and it was his personal car. Said he loved the car but when the odometer broke 150,000 he had to make the decision to either commit to it or sell it before it accumulated more. He also said the Car Gurus ad was a mistake, but he honored it quite frankly to get the car off the lot and into the hands of someone who would take care of it. It had been sitting for 3 years.
And for all the concerns I had about a car that had been for sale since 2010, and all I've read and been told about the dealership, the car turned out to be a doll! The only issue I had driving it home was a loose positive battery cable clamp. I wanted a car that would get any trouble I found on the highway behind me as quickly as possible, and this car does exactly that. I flew home. It has it's issues, however. The plan is to drive it until the snow flies here and park it while I burn up the last of the Grand Prix since it's front wheel drive. And while the SC is parked I'll work out the bugs.
The left foglight is totally hazed out. Looks like it's on the inside so rather than mess with trying to clean it I think I'll just replace it. There's a perceptible shiver in the right front. Not serious, but there. The short term plan is to rebuild the suspension front & rear so when spring comes it'll handle like a new car. The dealer put a new set of Eagle GTs on the front thinking that'll fix it and of course the rear tires need replacing. Soon. They're dry rotted from sitting. The center 2 A/C vents are broken, probably from a Sirius/XM radio mount.The lighter seems to be worn out and should be replaced (why is there only one in this car?). The left seat doesn't move forward when the back is flipped forward. The right seat back won't come up to level-it's in a state of permanent recline. The outside front mount for the right door glass sticks and has already pulled the window channel out of the regulator once. It was easy enough to put back together but I have to watch the front of the glass when I lower it. The trunk lid doesn't stay up (of course). The CEL is on (of course). Code P1354. The TRAC OFF light flashes intermittently but consistently. I didn't know this car even had traction control. The CD changer doesn't work (of course). The left door window frame trim on the inside is broken (of course-having done my research here for as long as I had, I knew a lot of this was to be expected). And since the car sat so long, the back seat back has started to dry rot. But there are heaps of leather shops around here so I should be able to get that fixed. The brake pedal nose dives to the floor but they pump up, so I'll get the vacuum pump on it this weekend and bleed out the air in the lines.
Still, the car is solid. It's a terror on the interstate on-ramps. There isn't anything wrong with the car that isn't insurmountable for me. And after 25 years, I have my SC
I'm in my mid 20's, Washington State born and raised, took a 2 year automotive program, worked in a full service shop for 4 years, been a 'shade tree' mechanic since I discovered I don't like working on cars full time and developing chemical sensitivities really didn't help... I developed a chemical induced allergy to the sun on my arms and hands. After quitting my job at the shop I developed a green thumb and have been gardening/landscaping ever since, and only working on friend's, family's and my personal vehicles. Currently residing in Seattle but escaping to rural Kitsap County soon. Get at me with your local SCs for sale!
I'm seriously thinking about joining the club and purchasing my first Lexus, a newer 1st gen SC400.
I had my eyes on the SCs since last year but I made the mistake of buying a twin turbo Volvo from a bad dealership and I got totally skunked. I won't make the same mistake again!
I am currently stashing cash away for a well maintained SC400 (or 300 if anyone can convince me why, I know it is much easier to mod).
I have owned a 1994 Toyota Pickup V6 4x4 Manual 5SPD Ext. Cab for about 5 years that was seriously wheeled then flipped and not maintained by previous owners. It is like a tank... I love it and can't seem to part with it. It is 99% stock. Besides replacing some annihilated suspension parts from the rollover and minor repairs over the years (general maintenance) it has been my most reliable vehicle yet, pretty easy to work on and I am hoping that the Toyota reliability I have experienced with my truck will carry over into the Lexus brand with the SC line. On the same note, I have been reading up on the recommended maintenance schedule as well as common issues and have been compiling a list of what to expect but if anyone wants to pitch in their 2 cents on common issues and what I should expect and more so, what to watch out for when buying a SC, please share your thoughts with me.
Sup fam! I just got my 92 sc400 about 3 months ago. I always wanted one. I got her from the original owner. It had 167,497 miles on her, some minor scraps and dings. New tires and fresh smog. She wanted $2,200 for it, I drove home for $1,500.
I rode in a 92 SC400 in 1996. Wanted one ever since. I'm finally at a spot on the Stealth TT's and 3000gt VR-4's that I could stretch out and get the one that I wanted. So I got a low mile one owner 98 SC400. I just bought it 2 days ago.
I rode in a 92 SC400 in 1996. Wanted one ever since. I'm finally at a spot on the Stealth TT's and 3000gt VR-4's that I could stretch out and get the one that I wanted. So I got a low mile one owner 98 SC400. I just bought it 2 days ago.
nice come up! How many miles? I always really liked white paint. It looks so presidential..
113k miles, one owner, all service done at the dealer and up to date. I'm excited to get to work on it. I started a high end detailing company a few years ago. This car has some paint damage that I'm going to do some craziness to, and the rest of the paint is going to get a 7 stage job on it and then a 3 stage coating like I do the exotics. The car will get the full treatment. It goes in Saturday for a touchscreen nav / apple command center, back up cam, speakers and all. As soon as it comes back I'll be pulling out my gear and the Rupes and making magic happen.
113k miles, one owner, all service done at the dealer and up to date. I'm excited to get to work on it. I started a high end detailing company a few years ago. This car has some paint damage that I'm going to do some craziness to, and the rest of the paint is going to get a 7 stage job on it and then a 3 stage coating like I do the exotics. The car will get the full treatment. It goes in Saturday for a touchscreen nav / apple command center, back up cam, speakers and all. As soon as it comes back I'll be pulling out my gear and the Rupes and making magic happen.
Shut up! Mann..... sounds good. You really came up! I want to put a touch screen in mine also. Im still doing maintenance on her fluids, valve cover gaskets and tune up. I have a foxbody 1991 mustang Im working on too. Ive been busy all summer.
Nothing like working on cars. I love it. I've spent years on this one and I'm honestly so happy to have a luxury GT car that SOOOO much more simple that my Stealth.
Nothing like working on cars. I love it. I've spent years on this one and I'm honestly so happy to have a luxury GT car that SOOOO much more simple that my Stealth.
Hey I'm Damian from Miami, I just joined today, and as far as Lexus goes I own a '93 SC400(Stella) & '98 GS300(Estelle) I just bought not too long ago. Both are projects/daily's and pretty much stock for now, aside from the SC having a Walbro 255 I just put on. I've been lurking in and out for a while now and decided I might as well join!
07-12-17, 07:36 AM
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Howdy All!
