Anyone else have a rough sc?
10-05-11, 04:18 PM
#46
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Rough Enough
My second 1998 SC400 was purchased for the engine had 175k miles.
Paid $3500 sight unseen.
It has hail damage all over except the passenger side. That entire side had been rebuilt from a side swipe or something after the hail. The clear coat started peeling the week after i got it.
Now has 215k miles and runs very strong. Well 'broken in' so to speak.
Looks OK at 55 mph. Better at 70 mph. haha
Paid $3500 sight unseen.
It has hail damage all over except the passenger side. That entire side had been rebuilt from a side swipe or something after the hail. The clear coat started peeling the week after i got it.
Now has 215k miles and runs very strong. Well 'broken in' so to speak.
Looks OK at 55 mph. Better at 70 mph. haha
10-05-11, 05:44 PM
#47
>>> My $800 SC Thread <<<
I'm almost ready to post new pics of the latest repairs. It's got black front seats and a custom (read: AutoZone fake leather seat cover spray glued in place) rear seat covering. I'm waiting to get a radio before re-assembling the center console, and I need a exterior door rod assembly before installing the new door panels. I have removed the headlights, baked & disassembled them, and polished till they look like new -- plus they have DDM HIDs for a whopping $35 investment.
The car drives amazingly well for 20 years and 190k miles. You can tell the engineering that went into it even now, and it won't take much to make it a very nice car. I still need to replace radiator hoses and one day hope to get the AC working (no freon) but that's not a big deal since I have another vehicle to drive. Then there's a newer steering wheel, more audio, maybe some performance mods...
I'm almost ready to post new pics of the latest repairs. It's got black front seats and a custom (read: AutoZone fake leather seat cover spray glued in place) rear seat covering. I'm waiting to get a radio before re-assembling the center console, and I need a exterior door rod assembly before installing the new door panels. I have removed the headlights, baked & disassembled them, and polished till they look like new -- plus they have DDM HIDs for a whopping $35 investment.
The car drives amazingly well for 20 years and 190k miles. You can tell the engineering that went into it even now, and it won't take much to make it a very nice car. I still need to replace radiator hoses and one day hope to get the AC working (no freon) but that's not a big deal since I have another vehicle to drive. Then there's a newer steering wheel, more audio, maybe some performance mods...
10-05-11, 07:11 PM
#48
Mine was rough when I bought it for $800. I have an additional $1k in her including the rims and all possible material that I spent on her like sandpaper and paint and whatnot. I keep a detailed account on an excel spreadsheet. I do this because in the past I 've spent tens of thousands of dollars on project cars without ever realizing I had spent so much. The goal of my SC is to make it look and run as good as possible with the least possible money.
10-05-11, 11:29 PM
#49
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I picked up this for $1200. Sat for a while, Swap was in a running but not finished. Bypassed coolant, new fluids in everything, needs interior, radio, brakes, tires, rims, struts are blown, paint is junk, heater core cracked, no ac, busted power steering line, broken windshield, mirrors missing, locks dont work.... But it runs Perfect. Its slowly coming along.
10-06-11, 06:13 AM
#51
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Dezamn this thread makes my car look good!! My car is rough to me and not as rough as some of these cars.
92 SC400, I over paid for it, but wanted to get into an SC real bad so I bought it quick. It has been running fine, but recently the fuel pump died and the rack and pinion went bad. Fixed the rack already, doing fuel pump this weekend. Other than that, needs paint, dent in the passenger front fender, needs drivers side leather seat repaired and has the typical bad cluster needles and climate control.
I'm beginning the process of fixing all these small issues here pretty soon and will probably have it painted early next year. I thought about selling it several times but just can't get myself to list it for sale, always think I'll miss it too much.
EDIT - Took this pic - makes me sad to see her that dirty.
92 SC400, I over paid for it, but wanted to get into an SC real bad so I bought it quick. It has been running fine, but recently the fuel pump died and the rack and pinion went bad. Fixed the rack already, doing fuel pump this weekend. Other than that, needs paint, dent in the passenger front fender, needs drivers side leather seat repaired and has the typical bad cluster needles and climate control.
I'm beginning the process of fixing all these small issues here pretty soon and will probably have it painted early next year. I thought about selling it several times but just can't get myself to list it for sale, always think I'll miss it too much.
EDIT - Took this pic - makes me sad to see her that dirty.
Last edited by V8KLLA; 10-07-11 at 01:54 PM.
08-24-12, 07:29 AM
#52
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Bought my SC400 for 1200, came with broken head light dented fenders.... Engine miss firing and interior needs help. Got it running decent now, and need to save up money to make it look at least par. I still love it though 
08-24-12, 10:03 AM
#53
After all said and done, I think you'll love your car more after doing a lot of work to it. For one, you'll know every inch of the car and trust that something wont just snap from the previous owner neglecting it or something. If its a hobby than who cares, we as humans pay for the things we enjoy. I love my car, regardless if the hood could use aligning, or if the passenger seat wont lean back more, or the tear in the tint or etc etc etc..
08-24-12, 01:53 PM
#54
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After all said and done, I think you'll love your car more after doing a lot of work to it. For one, you'll know every inch of the car and trust that something wont just snap from the previous owner neglecting it or something. If its a hobby than who cares, we as humans pay for the things we enjoy. I love my car, regardless...
Seems like every car I've purchased in the past few years is like this. I see the potential where others don't and enjoy wrenching on them & knowing that they look and run the way they do because "I" put in the hours, blood, sweat and beer to get it that way. Wouldn't have it any other way, even on those weeks when I'm walking miles to the train because I'm in the middle of an engine swap/rebuild or rebuilding the suspension, or have the interior stripped...
08-24-12, 04:46 PM
#56
1JZ Single SC400
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Here is my work in the beginning, now its my oldest step son's first car... ONLY paid 500, now have 810 in it, and been driving it for a year and a half now. AC blows ice cold.
Here it is.....
Here it is.....
