2010 SC430 Short Take :thumbup:
04-18-11, 02:29 PM
#1
2010 SC430 Short Take :thumbup:
Hey Guys,
As some of you already know, I have recently purchased a 2010 SC430 after a 10 year wait
I have decided to prepare a short take on the vehicle in order of helping any lurking members take a decision on pulling the trigger on an SC, introducing myself and a little about where I come from, and finally discussing any issues with the SC with real world owners (not like there is anything significant but hey no car's perfect)..
A little about my home Country Qatar, it’s a gulf state situated in the Middle East surrounded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (tallest tower in the world - Burj Khalifa). Qatar is currently the fastest developing Country in the world, we have also recently won the bid for Fifa World Cup 2022 against the US, Germany, and Japan (apologies to any football fans out there who were supporting the US in the bid
, not that i care much about football but it is an event worth bragging about 
)
.
My brothers and I have all studied in CU Boulder in Colorado and we own a family home in Broomfield. My father is a Gastroenterologist and is a member of the ASoG (American Society of Gastroenterology) and the DDW (Digestive Disease Week - The largest Gastroenterology conference in the world). Due to the nature of his job, he flies out pretty frequently to attend meetings and conferences. I tend to tag along whenever possible for pleasure. I studied Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, and work at Shell Oil as a Turbine/Rotating equipment Mechanical Engineer (following the roots of my Education).
My relationship with Toyota started at an early age. I have always admired their perfection and customer care. I have read The Lexus Story (written by executives of TMC), Chester Dawson's 'Lexus, the Relentless Pursuit' and The Toyota Way. Not only have these books proved the quality, care and engineering that goes into their products, they have also given me an insight on handling many factors of life and work.
In my years of driving I have owned a Chevy, a Ford Truck, a BMW, a Mercedes, and an Infiniti. I have had issues with each and every single one of them and swore not to come close. I also bought a Jeep and a Mitsubishi EVO X, I enjoyed them both but they’re not my type of car. Pretty much all other manufacturers purchased by any member of the household caused problems of some sort and had depreciated majorly in comparison to the Toyota vehicles we own. I have managed to convert the house vehicles to Toyota/Lexus giving us quality, trouble free motoring. We currently own a 2006 LX470, a 2008 ES350, a 2011 Land Cruiser, my 2010 Tundra and the SC.
I have wanted an SC ever since they came out in 2001, my brother had two SC400s, back in CO. Both were beautiful cars but when the 430 came out, I was sold. Unfortunately, the car was out of my budget for the longest time because only 9 SC430s were sold in Qatar from 2001 - production end so finding a used example was rare and new ones were expensive. I couldn’t buy one in the US because I had a 2007 Tundra there and CO weather was not fit for a Sports Convertible.
Finally I found this 2010 for sale with 160Kms (100Miles - no thousands; this is not a mistype), the car is practically brand new. It was ordered by someone who decided he wanted an LS460 when he took delivery of the SC. I literally jumped on the opportunity (thankfully no body panels were dented when I jumped on it) and have managed to finally garage a practically new SC, for a little over $52K.
The SC exceeded expectations I have built over the years in every single way possible. The car handles itself really well and is enjoyable to drive and throw around twisties, the steering is stiff with a luxury Lexus feel to it. Suspension is impressive (minus the body roll and stock ride height), quality is superb. Convertible operation is seamless, wind noise is top notch with the top down or up, the car is extremely roomy inside (minus the rear seats if I’m allowed to call them that). I am 6'5 and my dad is 6'7... we both fit comfortably in the SC for extended periods of time. I give it an easy 7/10, very impressive keeping in mind it is a 10 year old model. Comparing the SC to the pre-face lifted Mercedes SL, it wins hands down in every department design included.
Unfortunately, the drawbacks associated with the car are for the most part quality related
My main issue with the car is the center stack; namely the leather wrapped plastic extents of the dash on either side of the HVAC Controls and the Stereo Head unit.. It seems to creak when driving on bumpy roads or over speed bumps. We have that problem in the LX470's door panels when leaning on them; it seems to be a problem in the plastic Lexus used on previous generation models. When they both park in the Sun for an afternoon, the plastic expands and the creak goes away. When the interior is cool, the dash starts creaking. I sent it to the dealership since I had a manufacturing defect in the leather on the center handrest, Lexus replaced the entire console cover. I asked them to look at the creak and they said they checked the clips and reinstalled the dash. the sound went away for two hours and came back. When they did the interior work, they managed to scratch the silver trim surrounding the gear shifter and the cigarette lighter stopped working. I will be sending it back to solve these issues and will ask them once and for all to find a solution because I do not want them taking apart a new Lexus dash several times if a solution is not found.
Another problem which can be easily solved is, when the front seats are in the full back position to accommodate for taller/heavier drivers, the leather tends to rub against the rear seats causing an annoying sound and probably inducing premature wear. I am looking into a solution for this, considering a matching piece of cloth between the two since the rears will probably never be used.
I tried searching for both and funnily enough found no one with those issues. I don’t know if anyone has looked into this but would like a solution. If none exist, I guess I will just learn to live with it since I love the car too much to care about this nonsense.
To take care of the handling issue, I will be purchasing a set of Daizen sways and possibly a Tom's Strut bar. I am not intending on lowering because Qatar is currently going through an extensive infrastructure development process and a lot of roads are under construction and are filled with potholes and imperfections. Lowering would not be a smart move right now; maybe at a later stage with a set of Volk CE28N. I don’t plan on changing the wheels any time soon either because I have decided I like the stock 2010 wheels. I plan on investing in a set of spacers to enhance the stance and leave it at that for now.
I have not modded the car much up until now; I have just blacked out the chrome grille surround and the horrid orange reflectors on all four corners. I wish it came like this from factory; a lot nicer IMO.
Apologies for the long post; Hope this helps or interests anyone out there.
Enjoy the pics, more to come as the mods stack up.
Moe
As some of you already know, I have recently purchased a 2010 SC430 after a 10 year wait
I have decided to prepare a short take on the vehicle in order of helping any lurking members take a decision on pulling the trigger on an SC, introducing myself and a little about where I come from, and finally discussing any issues with the SC with real world owners (not like there is anything significant but hey no car's perfect)..
A little about my home Country Qatar, it’s a gulf state situated in the Middle East surrounded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (tallest tower in the world - Burj Khalifa). Qatar is currently the fastest developing Country in the world, we have also recently won the bid for Fifa World Cup 2022 against the US, Germany, and Japan (apologies to any football fans out there who were supporting the US in the bid
, not that i care much about football but it is an event worth bragging about ).
My brothers and I have all studied in CU Boulder in Colorado and we own a family home in Broomfield. My father is a Gastroenterologist and is a member of the ASoG (American Society of Gastroenterology) and the DDW (Digestive Disease Week - The largest Gastroenterology conference in the world). Due to the nature of his job, he flies out pretty frequently to attend meetings and conferences. I tend to tag along whenever possible for pleasure
. I studied Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, and work at Shell Oil as a Turbine/Rotating equipment Mechanical Engineer (following the roots of my Education).My relationship with Toyota started at an early age. I have always admired their perfection and customer care. I have read The Lexus Story (written by executives of TMC), Chester Dawson's 'Lexus, the Relentless Pursuit' and The Toyota Way. Not only have these books proved the quality, care and engineering that goes into their products, they have also given me an insight on handling many factors of life and work.
In my years of driving I have owned a Chevy, a Ford Truck, a BMW, a Mercedes, and an Infiniti. I have had issues with each and every single one of them and swore not to come close. I also bought a Jeep and a Mitsubishi EVO X, I enjoyed them both but they’re not my type of car. Pretty much all other manufacturers purchased by any member of the household caused problems of some sort and had depreciated majorly in comparison to the Toyota vehicles we own. I have managed to convert the house vehicles to Toyota/Lexus giving us quality, trouble free motoring. We currently own a 2006 LX470, a 2008 ES350, a 2011 Land Cruiser, my 2010 Tundra and the SC.
I have wanted an SC ever since they came out in 2001, my brother had two SC400s, back in CO. Both were beautiful cars but when the 430 came out, I was sold. Unfortunately, the car was out of my budget for the longest time because only 9 SC430s were sold in Qatar from 2001 - production end so finding a used example was rare and new ones were expensive. I couldn’t buy one in the US because I had a 2007 Tundra there and CO weather was not fit for a Sports Convertible.
Finally I found this 2010 for sale with 160Kms (100Miles - no thousands; this is not a mistype), the car is practically brand new. It was ordered by someone who decided he wanted an LS460 when he took delivery of the SC. I literally jumped on the opportunity (thankfully no body panels were dented when I jumped on it
) and have managed to finally garage a practically new SC, for a little over $52K.The SC exceeded expectations I have built over the years in every single way possible. The car handles itself really well and is enjoyable to drive and throw around twisties, the steering is stiff with a luxury Lexus feel to it. Suspension is impressive (minus the body roll and stock ride height), quality is superb. Convertible operation is seamless, wind noise is top notch with the top down or up, the car is extremely roomy inside (minus the rear seats if I’m allowed to call them that). I am 6'5 and my dad is 6'7... we both fit comfortably in the SC for extended periods of time. I give it an easy 7/10, very impressive keeping in mind it is a 10 year old model. Comparing the SC to the pre-face lifted Mercedes SL, it wins hands down in every department design included.
Unfortunately, the drawbacks associated with the car are for the most part quality related
My main issue with the car is the center stack; namely the leather wrapped plastic extents of the dash on either side of the HVAC Controls and the Stereo Head unit.. It seems to creak when driving on bumpy roads or over speed bumps. We have that problem in the LX470's door panels when leaning on them; it seems to be a problem in the plastic Lexus used on previous generation models. When they both park in the Sun for an afternoon, the plastic expands and the creak goes away. When the interior is cool, the dash starts creaking. I sent it to the dealership since I had a manufacturing defect in the leather on the center handrest, Lexus replaced the entire console cover. I asked them to look at the creak and they said they checked the clips and reinstalled the dash. the sound went away for two hours and came back. When they did the interior work, they managed to scratch the silver trim surrounding the gear shifter and the cigarette lighter stopped working. I will be sending it back to solve these issues and will ask them once and for all to find a solution because I do not want them taking apart a new Lexus dash several times if a solution is not found.
Another problem which can be easily solved is, when the front seats are in the full back position to accommodate for taller/heavier drivers, the leather tends to rub against the rear seats causing an annoying sound and probably inducing premature wear. I am looking into a solution for this, considering a matching piece of cloth between the two since the rears will probably never be used.
I tried searching for both and funnily enough found no one with those issues. I don’t know if anyone has looked into this but would like a solution. If none exist, I guess I will just learn to live with it since I love the car too much to care about this nonsense.
To take care of the handling issue, I will be purchasing a set of Daizen sways and possibly a Tom's Strut bar. I am not intending on lowering because Qatar is currently going through an extensive infrastructure development process and a lot of roads are under construction and are filled with potholes and imperfections. Lowering would not be a smart move right now; maybe at a later stage with a set of Volk CE28N. I don’t plan on changing the wheels any time soon either because I have decided I like the stock 2010 wheels. I plan on investing in a set of spacers to enhance the stance and leave it at that for now.
I have not modded the car much up until now; I have just blacked out the chrome grille surround and the horrid orange reflectors on all four corners. I wish it came like this from factory; a lot nicer IMO.
Apologies for the long post; Hope this helps or interests anyone out there.
Enjoy the pics, more to come as the mods stack up.
Moe
Last edited by I-FORCE; 04-19-11 at 08:32 AM.
04-18-11, 03:11 PM
#3
Hope this helps.
Moe
04-18-11, 03:26 PM
#4
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Nice writeup. I noticed the squeaking noise too. I thought it was just from the backseat touching the rear seat. I'm 6' 2" and pretty much have the seat all the way back too. Let us know if you find a solution.
04-18-11, 03:34 PM
#5
Your car is a sweet ride. The only way you will find daizen sway bars is if there used, The company has stopped production for at least the last 3 years maybe more. I was fortunate to find two complete kits on Craigs List. One set I used the other I sold.
04-18-11, 06:09 PM
#6
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I'm tall also and noticed the rubbing noise, this may sound trivial but the easy solution is to simply move the seat fractionally forward so it doesn't touch. I don't notice the difference in leg room and the noise is gone.
04-18-11, 06:24 PM
#7
I'm 6'2" and had the squeak as well. I solved it by moving the seat slightly forward until it doesn't touch. Also, if you lower the height of the rear part of the seat, while raising the front, it angles your legs so you feel like you have a bit more legroom.
As far as the handling goes, coilovers make a huge difference. I was going to get a sway bar, but once I got the coilovers and 20" wheels on, I decided I didn't need it.
As far as the handling goes, coilovers make a huge difference. I was going to get a sway bar, but once I got the coilovers and 20" wheels on, I decided I didn't need it.
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04-18-11, 06:42 PM
#8
Post more pics. Congrats!
04-18-11, 07:46 PM
#9
04-19-11, 01:07 AM
#10
http://www.tmengineering.net/suspens...n/make/sc.html
If not then im in trouble
...The Side markers were also foiled but when i had them done the shop didnt have gloss black in stock so he covered them in matte black.. Ill take some more pics and post em today...
Moe
04-19-11, 07:52 AM
#11
Lead Lap
Actually, there was an earlier thread about the squeak (basically leather rubbing) noise between the front and rear seats. The long and the short of it was that if you must have your seat that far back, get a small hand towel to place between the two seats. (You can always find a towel color that matches the leather color.) You may be able to hang it from the little seat back pocket so that it remains there when you move the seat or release the seat back forward to have access to the rear seat area.
04-19-11, 08:26 AM
#12
Alright guys as promised, pics of the grille and side markers.. hope this helps; let me know if i can get any other angles... As i mentioned earlier the film on the markers is matte black, the shop told me to come back anytime and swap em for glossy black film (like the one on the grille).. Its not perfect but it does the job IMO
Hope you like em.
Moe
Hope you like em.
Moe
04-19-11, 07:36 PM
#13
I would suggest you go with Tom's LCB set instead of the STB only.
The rear 6 links from Tom's LCB set alone will make a noticeable difference.
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/model/st...=7&model_id=27
Btw, I just read your signature section that states you are interested in 3.76 LSD.
Members who have put the supra lsd (torsen type) also like to take the advantage of the higher gear ratio for more torque (3.76 vs 3.26 stock).
Unless you want to get rid of the oem open differential part really bad, the 06+ already comes with 3.76.
The rear 6 links from Tom's LCB set alone will make a noticeable difference.
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/model/st...=7&model_id=27
Btw, I just read your signature section that states you are interested in 3.76 LSD.
Members who have put the supra lsd (torsen type) also like to take the advantage of the higher gear ratio for more torque (3.76 vs 3.26 stock).
Unless you want to get rid of the oem open differential part really bad, the 06+ already comes with 3.76.
Last edited by talwang; 04-19-11 at 11:38 PM. Reason: adding info
04-20-11, 06:26 AM
#14
I would suggest you go with Tom's LCB set instead of the STB only.
The rear 6 links from Tom's LCB set alone will make a noticeable difference.
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/model/st...=7&model_id=27
Btw, I just read your signature section that states you are interested in 3.76 LSD.
Members who have put the supra lsd (torsen type) also like to take the advantage of the higher gear ratio for more torque (3.76 vs 3.26 stock).
Unless you want to get rid of the oem open differential part really bad, the 06+ already comes with 3.76.
The rear 6 links from Tom's LCB set alone will make a noticeable difference.
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/model/st...=7&model_id=27
Btw, I just read your signature section that states you are interested in 3.76 LSD.
Members who have put the supra lsd (torsen type) also like to take the advantage of the higher gear ratio for more torque (3.76 vs 3.26 stock).
Unless you want to get rid of the oem open differential part really bad, the 06+ already comes with 3.76.
Are you sure 2006+ comes with 3.76 open-diff from factory? No one ever mentioned that. Makes my life easier, this way i can just instal an aftermarket LSD from Kaaz or even a TRD unit should i decided i want an LSD
Thank you for that; anyway to send points on this forum??
Are you suggesting the LCB over a sway bar upgrade? (http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=358) My only problem with the SC's handling is the roll.. If i can find a way to improve that characteristic i will be a happy man.
Thanks
Moe
04-20-11, 12:00 PM
#15
Sways and LCB serve different purposes.
I was only saying Tom's LCB would make a more noticeable difference than Tom's STB.
Since I have/had all the parts installed on my SC430, that is from my direct experience, not google or hearsay.
Yup, you definitely hear it first hand from me.
All the 06+ have 3.769 gear ratio for sure.
I used to read the specs sheets all day long while I was shopping for oem/aftermarket parts, so I know a bit more info.
I believe Trd (01-03), Kaaz(03-05), Cusco(03-05), Tomei(01-03) and Tom's (03-05) have LSD application for the 02-05 SC430.
However, only Tom's has the LSD for the 06+ sc430 based on their application tables.
For normal street driving, you probably don't really need it.
I was only saying Tom's LCB would make a more noticeable difference than Tom's STB.
Since I have/had all the parts installed on my SC430, that is from my direct experience, not google or hearsay.
Yup, you definitely hear it first hand from me.
All the 06+ have 3.769 gear ratio for sure.
I used to read the specs sheets all day long while I was shopping for oem/aftermarket parts, so I know a bit more info.
I believe Trd (01-03), Kaaz(03-05), Cusco(03-05), Tomei(01-03) and Tom's (03-05) have LSD application for the 02-05 SC430.
However, only Tom's has the LSD for the 06+ sc430 based on their application tables.
For normal street driving, you probably don't really need it.