Project nextlevelcoupe 95 to 98 v8 transformation/restoration!!
01-26-09, 10:47 PM
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Project nextlevelcoupe 95 to 98 v8 transformation/restoration!!
And they say it cannot be done 
..... Hey clublexus family, i know i have been extremely quiet through the course of the year (with occasional posts here and there) but i have been very busy caught up in everything except my favorite hobby:rebuilding my lex. I had transmission problems early last year (March) and needed a replacement. I decided instead to take my car under the knife and undertake an extremely involved project, swapping the 98 drivetrain (v8 vvti engine,5 speed tranny, differential) and All it's components from a scrapped 98 sc400 and swap into my 95(non vvti,non vsc traction,4 speed tranny)sc400. I have gutted all stock wiring, removed all that horrible aftermarket wiring and replaced all wire harnesses and ecu's to 98 spec. After the engine/drivetrain conversion is done and all systems are tested,grounded properly and approved by me, i will do a full restore with bodywork/paint(poss aerokit),black interior conversion with custom color seats(poss sueded & perforated), custom dedicated wireharness for new alarm/audio(to minimize wiring),custom appointments, rim change(poss 20")with future engine performance mods(turbo/supercharge).
Let me be very clear in stating that I was not at all interested in any 6 cylinder swap of any kind!! My intensions were to upgrade to v8 from 98sc400 (+40hp &+50TQ+vvti)and build on performance later on. Please refrain from making comments related to other engine swap options, this is the one I carefully considered and decided on. Now that i have gotten my plans out there, let me get to the meat and potatoes....here are some old before pics: (** mods please note that this thread is about an overall restoration project,not just engine/drivetrain changes..thx)
if you guys are interested in more pics and a full write up in the clublexus featured cars of 04' mine was november https://www.clublexus.com/index.php?...161&Itemid=170
..... Hey clublexus family, i know i have been extremely quiet through the course of the year (with occasional posts here and there) but i have been very busy caught up in everything except my favorite hobby:rebuilding my lex. I had transmission problems early last year (March) and needed a replacement. I decided instead to take my car under the knife and undertake an extremely involved project, swapping the 98 drivetrain (v8 vvti engine,5 speed tranny, differential) and All it's components from a scrapped 98 sc400 and swap into my 95(non vvti,non vsc traction,4 speed tranny)sc400. I have gutted all stock wiring, removed all that horrible aftermarket wiring and replaced all wire harnesses and ecu's to 98 spec. After the engine/drivetrain conversion is done and all systems are tested,grounded properly and approved by me, i will do a full restore with bodywork/paint(poss aerokit),black interior conversion with custom color seats(poss sueded & perforated), custom dedicated wireharness for new alarm/audio(to minimize wiring),custom appointments, rim change(poss 20")with future engine performance mods(turbo/supercharge). Let me be very clear in stating that I was not at all interested in any 6 cylinder swap of any kind!! My intensions were to upgrade to v8 from 98sc400 (+40hp &+50TQ+vvti)and build on performance later on. Please refrain from making comments related to other engine swap options, this is the one I carefully considered and decided on. Now that i have gotten my plans out there, let me get to the meat and potatoes....here are some old before pics: (** mods please note that this thread is about an overall restoration project,not just engine/drivetrain changes..thx)
if you guys are interested in more pics and a full write up in the clublexus featured cars of 04' mine was november https://www.clublexus.com/index.php?...161&Itemid=170
I randomly was looking through a thread and saw you said you were doing this in late 2007. Long road ahead
01-26-09, 11:03 PM
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here are some current pics:
dash and all interior components removed:
old engine removed:
old nasty aftermarket wiring removed!!(this was just one side of the car)
new black dashboard placed
New engine/drivetrain has been placed!!
dash and all interior components removed:
old engine removed:
old nasty aftermarket wiring removed!!(this was just one side of the car)
new black dashboard placed
New engine/drivetrain has been placed!!
Last edited by nextlevelcoupe; 01-26-09 at 11:08 PM. Reason: pic addition
01-26-09, 11:11 PM
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yup, i started in march 08 and have now started to button everything up...car started up,engine running and the next step for me right now is to tighten up and strap all wiring, check all grounds and make sure all systems are go!!
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01-26-09, 11:17 PM
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Hey buddy, you're one post a day azz isn't showing up here much yourself
It's good to see the old school all coming around here and there, but we really need to get them all in one pile in a thread one night and tell some stories about the early days of CL.
It's good to see the old school all coming around here and there, but we really need to get them all in one pile in a thread one night and tell some stories about the early days of CL.
01-26-09, 11:18 PM
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i pm'ed you about pricing but let me assure you that this project should not be considered unless you plan on totally gutting the car and rebuilding it from front to back!
01-26-09, 11:28 PM
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01-26-09, 11:33 PM
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good to hear from you to Dennis! im so glad your still involved with that new and improved beauty you have there!...i cant wait till this project is complete so i can open her up!
