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New to the SC forum. Just purchased a 1993 manual Sc300 with 86k from Seattle Lexus. I paid $5,800 which seemed really fair since the car was very well taken care of with perfect history.
Last edited by BRENTW; 03-23-15 at 08:17 AM.
Reason: Didn't mean to submit yet
I am new to SC ownership but couldn't believe how much car for the money this was so I had to buy it. If anyone has any simple mods to suggest please do so; I would prefer to stick as close to OEM as possible.
wow thats clean, any plans yet? Ive always dug the simple wheel change to the IS300 wheel, it adds to the look of the car without chopping it up. it will also protect your stock wheels for a future buyer or what-not. I also have a 93 5spd but it is a complete laundry list of modifications. do as you wish, just take it slow, and plan ahead.
Very clean car to start with and mileage....let the mods begin.....
What are the top 5 mods for the money to start with? I don't want to reinvent the wheel here when everyone has already perfected it. I don't want to spend thousands and thousands but would be interested in some simple affordable things to start with. I am already thinking some upgraded lexus wheels and tires..
What are the top 5 mods for the money to start with? I don't want to reinvent the wheel here when everyone has already perfected it. I don't want to spend thousands and thousands but would be interested in some simple affordable things to start with. I am already thinking some upgraded lexus wheels and tires..
Well it depends on what your expectations are for the car.....
Tanabe springs will set the car to a modern ride height without slamming the car, I think a set is roughly 250 something and work with stock shocks. lowers the car about 1.5 inches if i'm not mistaken. It just makes the car sit right.
BBK, BFI, window tint, Roof spoiler, the list goes on and on. Those are the cheaper ones.
I like the idea of tanabe springs...which ones and where is best to buy them? Also I was thinking maybe Supra Oem wheels and tires. What would be a good exhaust for the money that is not over the top but sounds good?
Potential list
Springs
Supra wheels?
Exhaust?
HID headlights
I am interested in any oem bolt on options that are affordable and worth a little money. I understand a turbo is going to be a lot more than I want to to spend on this.
NF210 springs, id just google shopping search, that would get you there.
Exhaust, I got the M2 motorsports ones that seem to be the same stainless ones from Tanabe see pic above, i think they were 260 a pair somthing like that on the ebays. They arent loud they are a warm growl without sounding cheezy. direct bolt on.
HID kits are getting cheaper and so is the quality, so try to go with a good company. the ones i have are ehh. so i will not comment on that.
NF210 springs, id just google shopping search, that would get you there.
Exhaust, I got the M2 motorsports ones that seem to be the same stainless ones from Tanabe see pic above, i think they were 260 a pair somthing like that on the ebays. They arent loud they are a warm growl without sounding cheezy. direct bolt on.
HID kits are getting cheaper and so is the quality, so try to go with a good company. the ones i have are ehh. so i will not comment on that.
What are your thoughts on making adjustments to the clutch? What are my affordable options so it shifts shorter and grabs better..?
As far as HID's go, if you're willing to wait 10-18 days for shipping I get all my HID's from ddmtuning. I've been using them in this car and my last car over the past 6 years. My current set in this car has been in since last august, which is when I did my retrofit, before that I had DDM's in this car for two years with no problems. Been running the 35w HID's in my fogs for 3 years now with no problems as well.
They're extremely cheap but have lasted, and they have a 1 year replacement warranty, which I've never had to use. I understand the phillips, and denso HID's can last a decade or so, but I really don't see the need to drop additional cash when these work fine.
However if you're looking for a middle ground I've heard great things about Morimoto lately, and they have a full set of ballasts and bulbs on TheRetrofitSource for $150 which isn't terribly expensive. But DDMtuning is still cheaper, they just sometimes ship from China which is why it can be two weeks sometimes, but they have a warehouse in California, if you're lucky they ship from there, but it just depends.
Last edited by eknine9; 03-23-15 at 01:37 PM.
Reason: Removed outside links
Im looking at upgrading my pressure plate, but will wait until drive my car into turbo city. I simply bled mine and it locks up pretty solid. enough to turn my massive tires.
there is also some diy short shifter stuff out there but I have yet to chop that thing down. I did replace that ring-cup on the top of the shift housing and that made the stick feel firm. Got it from Driftmotion.
Congratulations, OP! That's a really beautiful 5-speed and with so few miles on it! I think you got a great deal for the price!
I hear you about wishing to stay close to factory stock. That's a difficult one, depending on what you want. I consider my own 5-speed to be as close to stock in appearance while still improving it drastically. Personally I agree with the notion of staying with a factory-like OEM (mostly) look.
A few things that I think help as important first modifications, possibly even stopping entirely after they are done:
1.) HID headlight plug-and-play kit. I highly recommend a Phillips 4200K HID kit made specifically for the SC300/400. You want "9006 single beam" style and the resistor harness option. Excellent quality and very reliable. The safety added over the extremely dim factory halogen bulbs is worth it. About $300-$350 I think?
2.) LS400 front brake caliper upgrade. The factory brakes aren't very confidence inspiring especially on 92-97 SC300's. You will need either Supra Twin Turbo rims or any 17" rim with the correct offset. But this is such an improvement to the basic function and safety of the car I can't recommend it enough.
3.) OEM Supra TT shocks and springs or... take your pick from the many coilover setups available for this car. The 500/250 Gixxer-Drew coilover suspension is very good too but there are several options to take advantage of the well designed double wishbone suspension.
4.) Polyuretheane steering rack bushing from Daizen or another manufacturer. Excellent replacement to tighten steering feel back to what it was when new.
5.) (IF NEEDED) New front lower control arms but from a 1993-96 Toyota Supra MKIV rather than the SC versions.
6.) Good tires. You have no traction control so on that basis alone you should look into a good performance compound with good rain traction. Excellent simple investment.
7.) The DIY aux-jack modification to your stock stereo. Keep the dash totally factory and be able to plug in your phone for some music! Also, a great subtle extension of this can be a bluetooth module plugged into the new aux jack. I use an iSimple Transit Blu-HF which is tucked away in the dash and only has a simple round button affixed to the factory stereo face that nearly looks like a factory option. Also, it comes with a dash microphone so you have handsfree calling capability.
8.) I agree with EMS about the steering wheel. Switching to an IS300 5-speed steering wheel (or near identical MR2 Spyder / Matrix XRS / Corolla XRS wheel) is a great upgrade. It can be made to look "factory" on Tan interior cars by locating a factory black steering column cover. Also, you swap over your SC300 cruise control module and measure and Dremel out a new hole for it on the back plastic of the new steering wheel (unless you luckily found a cruise equipped wheel-- which already has a pre-made hole for the cruise stalk. You still need to swap over your factory stalk). An IS300 2001-2005 driver airbag is a little pricey but adds a finishing touch. An inexpensive SPX airbag adaptor is required for this.
9.) I'm not sure how well a new OEM W58 clutch disc and pressure plate last with spirited driving. I replaced mine when new with an ACT Stage 2 and I think I'd have preferred a lighter pedal action than it provided me. Still, that's not a bad option. Other members might have a better recommendation on a better clutch for when the time comes. You won't want a puck clutch if you're looking at keeping it near stock or non-turbo.
10.) Later model auto-dim rear view mirror is a bolt-in swap. Be careful if the screw on the wish shield mount is torqued too tight to remove.
11.) LS430 style three-nozzle windshield washers for the hood are a bolt-in affair and provide a far better spray area than the factory nozzles. Order them according to your car's paint code of course.
I wouldn't bother with aftermarket engine intakes, headers or other things. Leave the engine as is unless you want to get into turbocharging or a GTE engine swap later.
There are more pricey things you can get into such as locating an LSD and swapping that in, swapping in an MKIV Supra rear sway bar and subframe mounts, beefier transmission, MKIV Supra seats which have better side bolstering than the SC300/400 seats to hold you in during mountain road driving.... but I'd focus on those things later if you want to try a bit more.
You've got a great classic there! Congratulations! Take your time and address what you want to be happy.
03-23-15, 08:14 AM
New SC300 Manual owner
