O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

one aust site that this fact can be found on is this one here :
http://users.bigpond.net.au/startrade/FAQ/FAQ.html

(hope i can post this link)

MartelJF

So the whole BFI exercise is effectively valueless?

That seems odd, considering the "17hp" increase that was measured by other parties - and so many people have done it, too.

Lex Luthor

Hmm, don't know about that one, especially in a 3600lb car, still pretty slow, and while I enjoyed reading your little diatribe on Miatas, it's basically got nothing to do with the question at hand, after all, this is club LEXUS, I doubt you'll be converting too many ppl to Miata owners, SC300TURBO owned one, he refers to it as one of the worst decisions he's made. Yes, they do scoot through a slalom like a raped date. Martel, the auto to 6spd conversion isn't a pipe dream at all, i'm weighing whether to build the auto or swap to a Getrag right now, i'll show you the results when it's completed. onelasttry, you won't find much gain from intake mods on the 1UZ, matter of fact the factory headers and exhaust are very decent too. awj, I agree...

- LL

MartelJF

Well let me know how it turns out.

Having a 6-speed Getrag tied to a supercharged 4.0 liter 1UZ would be quite the SC experience.

You doing this on a pre-98 400?

gsshopper

I purchased a '99 SC400 in Jan (on eBay, no less), and am overall very happy with my decision. In my case, the 5 speed auto and more powerful V8 introduced in '98 limited my search to '98 and later.

For what it's worth, I decided in favor of a newer model with high mileage, rather than an older model with low mileage, the theory being that (a) the interior would be in better shape, (b) the excess mileage would be almost all on the highway, and (c) with Lexus quality, the miles wouldn't matter. By doing so, I was able to buy a '99 for under $20K.

Since the only pre-99 SC I've ever driven was a test drive of a '94 in '94, I can't really offer much insight on the differences, but I have driven both late-model GS400s and brand-new GS430s, and my unscientific impression is that my SC is in the same neighborhood, as far as speed is concerned.

Since I live at high altitude (Denver), it would be nice to add a blower or supercharger to my car, as the altitude is probably robbing me of 20% of the factory power. MartelJF, be happy you live below 1000 feet - the Plymouth GTX and V8 Camaro I cruised down Ward Parkway in during my teens wouldn't do nearly as well up here!

One question for you SC4 owners out there: I know that the GS4 auto adjusts to driver behavior ("learns"), but I haven't been able to verify if that is true of the SC4 auto. One thing I've noticed is that I get FAR better acceleration by shifting manually from a dead stop. Can anyone verify whether pulling a fuse or disconnecting the batter in my car would reset the shift pattern? Better yet, is there an ECU somewhere out there that turns off the tranny nanny?

Jim O

Stevenem

I'm not trying to convert people, I just think people should know what they are trying to make their car into when they start. There is no "perfect car" and what some people like others hate. A miata blows chunks for cruising on the freeway, but the SC is one of the finest cars (if not the finest) for flying down the freeway at 80mph. As far as which years to go for? The 1998 gives you the "maintenance free" valves, which is a plus. 290 horsepower is plenty for me up here in seattle, I can bust loose at pretty much any speed if I tromp on it in this nasty rain we've been having. Maybe with some S03's and my supra rear diff things will be better, but 290 is plenty for normal/sane driving. For racing, decide how far you want to go, there will always be a cat that is faster than you, and if you are stuck on straighline racing power, well the person that's gonna tromp you is going to beat your machine with very little skill.

Lex Luthor

That's true, everyone has a different idea of what that is, but to me it's a whip that has Toyota grocery getter reliability, class, safety, and the ability to run 11's on the street and 10's at the track, 175+ mph top end, skidpad in the .9's, brakes to squish your organs, and a ride so smooth it's perfect for a night out to dinner, all without someone trying to steal it or break into it every two minutes. Buuut, that's just me, riiight ?

Don't know 'bout that one either, i'm used to being towards the top of the food chain, but i'm sure not to many ppl can cope with Toyota's 2JZ, capable of well over 1000hp, and you can get most of the way there ordering your parts over the internet, then again there's that place 'Monster' that shoves a Ford 5.0 into your Miatas , I think i'd be more concerned to drive that car on the street than a 750hp JZZ31 or MKIV....

MartelJF

So let me know your impressions of this:

1998 Lexus SC300 - owner wants $20,500
- Most decent options... 62,000 miles
- Was purchased about 32,000 miles ago as a certified pre-owned vehicle; warranty remains and is transferrable
- First owner was a woman, had all services done at the dealer
- Current owner had his "wife's brother, who has an auto shop" do all the work on the car
- I mentioned the ~60k service that is typical of Lexi, and he didn't even know one existed
- They already purchased another vehicle and the SC is sitting in their garage

Now, I have to be honest, this guy sounds like a moron. That has me concerned, because he seems very spacey about the service intervals. Plus, the "wife's brother" thing has me a little skiddish. I need to call back and see if he can tell me how often oil changes were done.

How much damage could be done to the car in 32,000 miles by a brother-in-law and spacey owners?

Thanks.

Stevenem

Call your local dealer w/ the VIN number and ask them/force them to do a service history check. That will help give you a good idea of what the car has been thru

MartelJF

I'm guessing that they don't have genies on staff who can divine what has (or hasn't) been done to the car via the "brother-in-law" mechanic. Who knows what he's been jacking around with.

For the first owner, absolutely, I'll run it through the dealership to get that half of the story. Thanks for the response.

Stevenem

That's the case for a modified SC. Expect to spend 8 grand just to get the braking/handling right

Monster miatas are wicked little beasts... Again something very individualized. Maybe in your area that will make you top dog, but around here I have to deal with prancing ponies and little cars that like it ruf (that's just what's on the streets). Go to a real road course and you will quickly find out how much your car is lacking, and how much your are lacking The idea is before your outlay the cash, decide on what you are going to do with your mods. You could gut your interior, and do a 2jz swap and whatnot, but then you just have a funny looking supra with parts that still won't match up. If you try to bring the SC to the road course, you will be eating saurkraut all day long unleless your roadcourse is an oval.

My idea of first steps on an SC: new wheels/tires (functional wheels), brake upgrade, and limited slip.

One thing to keep in mind, is if your car isn't already in 100% tune, don't even think about mods. How does your TB look? If you don't get a new intake, is your air filter nice and clean? When was the last time you did a total fluid flush? If you can't remember then you should flush every fluid in your car. Water, oil, brakes, transmission, differential?, and whatever other fluids you find.

Stevenem

You can also bring it in to the dealership for a buyer's inspection and if you want to get really deep, ask for compression/leakdown test. If they don't know that the 62k has/hasn't been done, then it probably needs to be done. Get an estimate from the dealer, and take that amount off of the "reasonable" price for the car. When they offer for brother in law Jimbo to do it, politely decline.

MartelJF

Do you suspect that's where the most serious, if any, damage is going to have happened because of abuse/mistreatment? I guess if anything, it's something that I can't eyeball or get from a drive. Tis a good idea, we'll see how it develops.

Stevenem

If it shifts right, and the power steering pump looks clean, then really the only other area that can get screwed up is the engine, which would be the most costly to replace anyways. If your engine/transmission are fine, then everything else is pretty much "cheap" if there is anything wrong with it. The only other area the is expensive is frame/suspension, which you should be able to get the to check. You could ask them to check alignment, but if the tires have a good number of miles on them, they should tell you a story of how the car was driven (if they hit curbs/etc alignment goes out and the tire will wear unevenly, under inflation is a sign of neglect/incompetance on part of the owner). The front tires are the easies to check, just drive the car foward while turning until at full lock, stop at full lock (full lock = turned one direction or the other all the way). You should now be able to take a look at the tire from edge to edge. For the rears you can use a jack or mirrors. Finally (this should be covered in buyer's inspection) brakes should be checked for warpage. They would be the next commond wear item that needs replacing.

at 60k if the timing belt goes (which could be any day now), it's time for a new engine. Get that done ASAP.


Buying a used car involves risk, any part of the car may have been destroyed/repaired incorrectly. Your careful eye/inquisitive mind is the only defense. Ask to talk to the brother in law, feel him out, ask him what he did for each of the services (there are other services than 60k right?? did he do the things he should). Also make sure to read my post to lex luthor in this same thread about fluids. Any car I buy gets all new fluids, I recommend the same to others as it is the cheapest maintenance around that will A: make your car run better B: prevent other problems C: when you do it yourself it is a good "welcome to your car" type of thing. I bought 98 sc4 out of state, it was fun explaining to the Transit Security A****** people why I had stuff in my bag like mirrors, magnets, 100 cutton cloths, protactor, calipers, string, and measuring tape. In the end I came home with a car that I know 100% of everything about. I have a 1 inch thick binder of pictures, measurements, service records, and whatever else about my car that I put together as I investigated it.

SC4Hundred

To answer the original post, they are both good cars and I guess it just depends on what your money takes you.