t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Gotcha.

It's possible there are factory striped and dealer striped variations.

I've actually been keeping an eye on that thread, but that's a somewhat expensive alternative to a factory fender, and I'm thinking metal would be better for massaging into place with the damage I'll be trying to mate it to.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I finally had enough of the way-too-dark window tint after driving at dusk in cold/humid weather that kept the film fogged up even with the AC running. (Hint: If you're behind or to the side of someone with very dark tint in low light conditions, assume they cannot see you!) I'm guessing it's in the 15-20% range, and the legal limit here is 35%. I figured it was only a matter of time until I got a fix-it ticket for it.

I've got the rear fully removed now, but have a lot of glue residue to clean up still. The rear tint put up a lot more of a fight than the side, wanting to tear constantly. It had that telltale purple quality that indicates it probably was close to shot, anyway. Good thing I did it now before it became way tougher to remove. The downside is, the gutted interior looks so incomplete now that it's visible from outside.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I hit the truck scales today to see how reasonable my 3075 lb rough estimate is, having only done the math in my head on this "build." With the needle at exactly half a tank and the washer bottle fairly empty, it read 3200 lbs. Subtract 190 lbs for my weight and a few things in the trunk, and that makes it just a whisker over 3000!

However...

A) I don't know how precise the scales are for a vehicle that small. This indicates they should be good within 10-20 lbs: http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gener...aller-trailers

B) It was my first time using the truck scales and I wasn't sure what to expect. I waited for a few semis to go through so I wouldn't be holding anyone up doing their job, which meant I was going through blind behind a big vehicle. I didn't know where exactly the scale was or where the readout would be. The sign said 3 mph but the truck ahead of me was going closer to 10... I think the scale was just the small part by the booth, and the readout turned out to be in front and overhead (blocked by the semi until the last second), so I had to take in the numbers flashing across it real quick. I'll go through again at some point when there's no traffic and I can try it stationary.

The scales here are open to the public 24/7, even when the signs say they're closed. I had to look it up to be sure, and was still a bit nervous about being so out of place with enforcement there.

Edit: I swung by the same weigh station and got the 3200 lb reading again, despite being lower on gas and making a couple small changes. I should have been 20 lbs lighter. I'm guessing that particular scale rounds off to the nearest 100 lbs. I'll need to try out another one to be confident in the current status.

Stereorob

personally, I think taking a well preserved unmolested car and altering it is a cardinal sin.

however,

this really is the perfect test bed / experiment / lets try something different kind of car. you took a rolling pile of garbage doomed for the crusher and gave it a new, customized, fun, and interesting life! this borderlines on "rat rod" which is something ive always wanted to do to an Ls400 that runs good but is absolutely trashed cosmetically. keep up the good work! looking forward to seeing the final result.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

^ Thanks. You've got quite the LS400 history in your sig there, so this in a LS would be the perfect direction for you!

I don't know that it'll ever truly be at a "final result" sort of place, given that part of the appeal is I can experiment on it for ideas for the nice car without fear of messing something up. (Example: I was thinking this week of using the windshield vents from a spare dash to try and build ducting on the rear window. I've got the unused ports for the rear seat ducts that could lead to it; maybe routed up the a-pillar with flex duct.) But, I'm already starting to look at it as a better N/A Supra. Same engine and transmission, nearly the same chassis, and significantly lighter. Plus, sketchy enough condition to start with that there's no harm in doing stuff that no one would be stupid enough to to do a Supra.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

Awesome man, how does this lighter car feel compared to the stock weight of the other SC you own(ed)?

I imagine there should definitely be a noticeable difference correct?

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

The old cliche is true: It's a night and day difference. When I first got the car, it sort of reinforced my opinion that the SC is too big and heavy to truly benefit from a manual transmission, going back to some earlier discussions where I expressed concern about the benefits of the swap, e.g. cost and complications.

However, being down close to 3000 lbs now, it has that toss-able feel you want from a M/T. The closest comparison I could make is stock feels like a luxury cruiser, while stripped down feels like a big Miata. It winds up quick and turns with ease.

We had a bit of a miscommunication when discussing Toyota and Mazda previously. What I meant then is what I'm getting at now... The SC borders on being the perfect car, if only it had been pared down by a team that truly understands weight reduction. Obviously, a stripped interior wouldn't sell on a luxury car, but it could have been 3200 lbs stock with some discretion, which would have shocked the motoring world in the early '90s.

As far as comparing to my other SCs, it's a lot more fun to drive than the '94 SC400. The '98 SC400 has so much more power and torque to go along with a pretty good A/T, making it tough to give the edge to the lighter SC300. It's the Yin & Yang thing mentioned in the first post... The two compliment each other perfectly but can't really be separated, like two sides of the same coin.

Aron9000

I found the best tool for removing window tint and that gunk left on is a clothes steamer and a razor blade. You can of course rent a professional steam cleaner that will work a lot better than a clothes steamer, but then again, that's $$$$$. I'm sure you have a clothes iron, set that baby on high and steam away at that gunk.

Aron9000

I found the best tool for removing window tint and that gunk left on is a clothes steamer and a razor blade. You can of course rent a professional steam cleaner that will work a lot better than a clothes steamer that you probably don't own, but then again, that's $$$$$. I'm sure you have a clothes iron, set that baby on high and steam away at that gunk. I worked retail at a department store so I was able to borrow a steamer for a bit, maybe you have a friend who works retail and can lend you one.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I had read that steaming is the best way to do it, but hadn't thought to try a clothes iron for that. I think I have one around the house somewhere... Do you just hold it near the glass?

I tried the heat gun to soften the glue a bit, but that didn't really seem to speed up the process any versus just spraying on degreaser (which works better than Goo Gone). I've got a lot of it off now, but going slow and doing just a bit at a time so I don't get sloppy in that uncomfortable position and hit the defroster lines in my haste. Plus, with mid-20 degree temp's and the car covered in snow, making the glue awfully tough to see (white on white), a couple days away from it seemed prudent.

Aron9000

Yeah you are fighting a losing battle with the glue if its 20 degrees outside. Maybe run the heater on full blast for a while to warm up the interior, while on a warm day. As for the iron, yeah hold it like 1/2" from the glass and press the steam button. Heat is the key to removing tint and the adhesive. Just be careful where you set the iron down at, you don't want it melting something important.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Cool, thanks for the tips.

I can't imagine I'd be better off handling the hot iron than I am a soldering gun. All thumbs this guy.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

Awesome man, I would love to drive/get a ride in a stripped SC one day just to see how it is.

The stock SC300 is extremely slow and 3400-3500 curb weight doesn't help, not with ~200bhp (still think a 1JZGTE should've come standard on these). Nowadays, that weight number is actually considered very light with all the big power performance cars weighting just shy of 4000lbs or in some cases much more than 4000lbs (All the M5, E63, Hellcats, etc.) But they have the big power and sport suspension to compensate for it. For instance, the current M4 is the same weight as a stock SC300. I had a chance to drive one out in the country and really beat on it, it felt extremely similar to my car when I was on the stock USDM TT 2JZGTE motor, similar weight, similar power (400-425 rwhp). I know on the Supraforums, lots of guys are claiming the same thing, saying the M4 is a close resemblance to the stock MKIV TT with how it feels, power, etc. A car that weights around 3500lbs need a good chunk of power, otherwise it will feel slow, sloppy, etc.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

If you ever make a trip out west, you're more than welcome to some seat time. Much better to try someone else's hack job than to ruin your own car to find out! Performance-wise, the only area where it's lacking is 1st gear clutch judder (another Miata comparison, oddly). The seller said it needs a new clutch, but I haven't detected any slippage. I haven't decided yet if I'll just put in a new one or try the high-gear stationary burnout to de-glaze the surface.

5-wk update: Almost immediately after posting that, the clutch judder went away. I thought it might have been the cold weather, as many people report judder being affected by temperature, but it hasn't come back with +30 degree spikes. Maybe it de-glazed itself through normal usage. That would be nice if I don't have to deal with the clutch any time soon.

Yeah, I'm always paying attention to weights in car reviews these days. It's usually along the lines of, "it handles surprisingly well for a 4,000+ lb car." Modern engines and transmissions have sure improved, getting similar or better efficiency to '90s cars but with two to three times the power. That does a lot to offset the weight, but you're probably right about the improved sport suspensions being a key ingredient in keeping them from feeling sloppy.

My neighbor has a supercharged M5. If my cars belong anywhere in the general vicinity of that conversation, it's okay by me!

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Small but significant item checked off the to-do list: I swapped out the non-spoiler lamp failure module for a '95 SC400 (w/ spoiler) one, so no more dash warning light when I first tap the brake pedal due to having the parcel shelf center brake light removed.

Now I just need to figure out which bulb doesn't satisfy the resistance expectations and is also triggering the dash warning light when turning on the city/head lights. I'll probably have to go through those one by one until finding the culprit.