Two-owner SC400 Becomes New Daily, Project for YouTube
After going through 20 other cars and losing one to theft, YouTube channel TORqueTV acquires SC400 for daily needs, future project.
On June 1, 2021, it will have been 30 years since the SC joined the burgeoning Lexus brand. Complementing the entry-level ES and flagship LS sedans, the SC300 and SC400 gave fans of luxury performance coupes a reason to consider Lexus over other competitors. After all, why suffer with whatever the Germans or Americans dribbled out when you could have luxury and reliability in a fun package?
YouTube channel TORqueTV is about to experience this first-hand. The host decided he needed a new daily and project after his previous daily was stolen. After going through 20 other cars before, this ’97 SC400 may be the ticket to settling down with the one.
Settling Down with a Lexus
“The car once known as ‘The Green Teggy’ was stolen from me,” our host says, “and was involved in an accident […] I need a daily; that was my daily.”
The SC400 he’s about to pick up should serve as “a great gateway to get back into the car community,” he notes. His first taste of luxury performance was an Infiniti G35, which he sold during a dark time in his life. Twenty cars later, the Lexus should provide him the reliability and security he needs in his life right now.
Reliable, But Needs Help
“This is the infamous 1UZ-FE,” he said, “made by Lexus […] I’m sure this thing can hold 500 horsepower easily if I put a turbo in it.”
The 4.0-liter V8 needs a few things before receiving a turbo, of course. The biggest thing happens to be a serpentine belt, as the current one squeals upon engine start. The windshield and driver’s side door need new weather stripping, and the whole car needs a fresh coat of paint after sitting in the sun for about five years.
A Barn Find SC400, But in the Neighborhood
“He is the second owner,” he said. “He’s owned this car for 11 years. This is like a barnyard find, in the neighborhood. Literally in the neighborhood […] It doesn’t necessarily need to be ‘restored,’ but it needs to be restored, if that makes sense. After four or five years, everything tends to deteriorate on a car. We gotta get it right.”
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