When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi to you all, older and newer members. After 13 years owning an SC400 and about the same time in this forum, some may remember a thing or two, but I think a proper introduction will be appropiate.
I´m from Argentina and in all these years I did some changes on my car: Started with a not-so-noticeable BFI to a transgo shiftkit and a F/IC and turbo install, reupholstered interior, +97 front and sides, 370z anniversary wheels, rear wide fenders and a color change to black are some if not most of them.
I personally became an industrial designer and about 6 years ago I started working with composites and car body parts.
Now in my shop I have a quite large CNC (200x200x70cm of work area) that I made myself which I use to carve most of my creations to then make them in epoxy/glass composite or carbon fiber.
I also have FDM and Resin printers to help on little things.
Well, now onto the good stuff
I started developing a kit for my SC400 based on the LC500 design. It´ll have different stages as I work, which will be from not-so-minor changes in the front to a full re-body of the car.
I hope you enjoy it and join me in this journey.
Wow! Very cool work to take some aspects of both factory designs and blend them as your design evolves! I like it that you retained the frontal curve on the bumper design and the tiny little aesthetic mini grille below the Lexus emblem. Below that and to the sides however everything changes! I am curious to see what you design with the side sills and rear bumper height in relation to the front bumper. That front and rear balance (or in some cases a preferable front-to-rear imbalance) aspect IMO is always the trickiest when it comes to SC body kit styling.
Wow! Very cool work to take some aspects of both factory designs and blend them as your design evolves! I like it that you retained the frontal curve on the bumper design and the tiny little aesthetic mini grille below the Lexus emblem. Below that and to the sides however everything changes! I am curious to see what you design with the side sills and rear bumper height in relation to the front bumper. That front and rear balance (or in some cases a preferable front-to-rear imbalance) aspect IMO is always the trickiest when it comes to SC body kit styling.
I'm looking forward to seeing your progress!
Thanks for your feedback!
Yes, the rear end is a tough one. Bumper will be completely replaced and I may have to change the trunk opening a little.
Luckily led lights don´t need too much space as the old ones so I can install them higher than stock without cutting too much.
Wow that looks super cool. But the bumper mounting positions are totally different as they’re on the fender and the fender of course is about half its stock size. I wonder how that will come together, practically speaking.
What headlights are you planning to use? If I could make a suggestion, IS250/350 etc from the 3rd generation IS are plentiful and modern in appearance. RC headlights likewise. If you attempt to transfer LC headlights, you’ll be asking people to purchase probably a couple grand worth of headlights to pull off the look. Might be a back breaker for many.
I wonder if you had any thoughts on the redundant highbeams? I also feel that deleting them is problematic because it kind of ruins the lines from the hood into the bumper, so I agree they have to stay. What do you think of a small carbon fiber bellmouth with a slightly aggressive ridge, as opposed to a rounded edge, to make the holes more aggressive and match the other LC aesthetics? Either that, or perhaps enlarge the grille to encompass the headlight holes, but there again I feel like this disrupts the hood lines.
Lastly, how do you feel about an RC-F style power bulge in the hood (also delete the washer nozzles and install them on the underside of the hood instead) with a vent that flows with the lines already in the hood?
I love these types of projects and really appreciate what you’re doing here. Very, very cool kit! I will leave you with a couple photos to show visually:
Latest RC-F hood design. Can make the vent slightly larger to span the lines already in the SC hood so the vent flows with the lines, like seen here:
This is just to provide some ideas for your rear designs. This is apparently called an Aeromotive rear bumper. My personal opinion is that this is nearly flawless. Remove the redundant reflectors and switch LC or perhaps RC-F style exhaust tips and this is good to go!
Hi Nick, thanks for your input.
Yes, bumper mounting on the sides will be different but not problematic as it will be replaced with the fenders altogether; even thoe I may have to make some internal adaptor to fit it or change the cutting line between them.
As for the headlights, they´ll be custom made in composites with the clear pyramidal lense by thermoforming plexiglass. Here I can´t harvest any Lexus as they are scarse, so no options available. This design is adapted to the SC dimensions, so the original LC headlights wont work either.
I´ll take a look on the ridge but I´ll be keeping the headlights as they worked very well for me on dark roads.
The power bulge in the hood is nice and I didn´t even think about the noozles relocation, which will be definitely a plus
Hi Nick, thanks for your input.
Yes, bumper mounting on the sides will be different but not problematic as it will be replaced with the fenders altogether; even thoe I may have to make some internal adaptor to fit it or change the cutting line between them.
As for the headlights, they´ll be custom made in composites with the clear pyramidal lense by thermoforming plexiglass. Here I can´t harvest any Lexus as they are scarse, so no options available. This design is adapted to the SC dimensions, so the original LC headlights wont work either.
I´ll take a look on the ridge but I´ll be keeping the headlights as they worked very well for me on dark roads.
The power bulge in the hood is nice and I didn´t even think about the noozles relocation, which will be definitely a plus
I didn’t realize you’d be having bespoke headlights made! Very cool. Might I suggest an integrated high beam into those headlights, if at all possible? Having perfectly round high beams like that just seem to me to be really out of place with the rest of the design. Everything flows so nicely, save for those two holes.
Any thoughts on that rear bumper I shared? Seems like a nice piece, but it’s made of fiberglass which completely eliminates it for me. No shattering parts on my car!
I didn’t realize you’d be having bespoke headlights made! Very cool. Might I suggest an integrated high beam into those headlights, if at all possible? Having perfectly round high beams like that just seem to me to be really out of place with the rest of the design. Everything flows so nicely, save for those two holes.
Any thoughts on that rear bumper I shared? Seems like a nice piece, but it’s made of fiberglass which completely eliminates it for me. No shattering parts on my car!
Nick
Yes, it is possible to include the highbeams on a bigger headlight and remove the circular ones.
As for the rear bumper my plan is to change the rear lights also to leave the bumper lines higher than stock and more LC´esque.
Soon I´ll be updating the thread showing that.
I share your thoughts on fiberglass. Is a way cheaper material and it shows.
02-02-22, 05:00 PM
SC400T LC inspired bodykit
