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In my prior life, I was a S-chassis guy of a different flavor - a 240SX type of S-chassis guy. The culture, the aftermarket support, the roots; it had me hook, line and sinker. I can still remember sitting on my couch watching various OPTION videos and admiring the style not only of the cars but the driving style. I was and still am heavily into the drifting scene. The people you meet and the completely different attitude of the crowd is what drew me in. No bickering, no complaining, no **** talking. Just a group of people meeting up to go sideways and hang out. It's hard even today to find a close knit group like that and I'm proud to call Club Loose: NORTH mine. Although I have my feet in a few other cliques and event circuits, CLN really welcomed me so huge shout out to them.
I've always had a love for Toyota, though. I always contemplated getting out of the 240SX lifestyle and getting into an IS300 or SC. Eventually, I got tired of the same ol' 240SX and I decided to delve into a different chassis. I considered building the Cressida I have sitting in the corner of my place but I wanted to do something that was slightly more wild and different. The Cressida has gained some serious following due to the handful that popped out of no where flashing aggressive aero and a growing aftermarket scene. That leads me to this build thread. Now, most people will be sitting there reading the title with a pretty good understanding of what is about to happen but for the few and far between, it means the 1UZ was coming out and an American Chevy V8 was going in. The exact motor when I started was undecided because I didn't know what my overall goal was at this point. Was I going NA or turbo? Was I going iron block or aluminum? There were still a ton of questions to be answered so the overall decision was to focus on the chassis first and worry about the specifics of the motor afterwards.
So my journey ultimately began on Craigslist. I was looking for a SC300 preferably already manual in good condition for cheap money and possibly even a blown motor so I don't have to spend money on something I don't plan to use. Well, that's a lot of requirements and it yielded zero results unless I wanted to drive a few hundred miles away. I then broadened my search and started looking for a SC300 manual running, SC300, SC400, whatever I could to get my hands on the chassis itself. I ended up finding a SC400 that not only was dirt cheap, it was a perfectly running '98 which means I can sell off the engine pretty easily, I could sell off the tail lights that I'm not fond of [I prefer the '95 lights] and I could unload the OEM aero with no issues at all because I'm going aero.
The only true issues of the chassis were things I were going to replace anyways which was slightly bubbling around the rear fender wells, motor needs an idle pulley, it's automatic and the interior is gross tan. The plan is to cut the existing fender lips off for overfenders, pull the motor for a different V8 of the American variety with a 6-speed attached to it and swap the front half interior for black pieces and possibly a custom dash. The interior portion of the car will be sorted out when I feel like it because a lot of things have to be considered like switch panel placement, gauge assortment, etc. It'll be a game day decision.
Parts started rolling in which means I need to start prepping the chassis to be torn apart. The first slew of parts to arrive were from a company that I highly recommend to anyone. Their product is top shelf, their product is top notch and their owner, Alex Pfeiffer, is a great dude always willing to help the community. If you are ever in the market for parts that will take a beating and still outlast the chassis, check out Battle Version. If you are doing any type of hard driving and they sell parts for your chassis, buy them because you will be extremely impressed. Everything hand made domestically with very high attention to detail. I have used their products in a few of my older S-chassis and they held strong even after multiple wall taps, tandem collisions and more. Very, very good stuff and a huge thanks to Alex.
I went with solid bushings to eliminate any slop and roll that poly gives you. Every bushing out back with be either solid or spherical. This will allow me to dial in the chassis but also be able to feel what's going on against the pavement. I don't claim to be a professional by any means but anything you can gain from feeling it in the wheel, in your seat or in the pedals will help. Now that the solid bushings have come in, everything else started to trickle in. Another shout out to ASD, EBC, ARP and StopTech for also making quality parts.
The original goal was to sort out the rear end first but after talking to a buddy of mine stationed overseas, he told me about some pretty gnarly VERTEX special editions wheels that were released in very, very limited numbers. Seeing as I'm a fan of things that aren't typical, I decided to grab one myself paired with a HKB hub adapter. I'm not really decided on a quick release yet but again, that can wait. I figured why not seeing as these will be all gone sooner or later. I'm not usually one to get excited over something as small as a steering wheel but this thing is built so well. Every stitch and seam is flawless. Kind of impressed, actually. So without further interruption, the VERTEX x HELLS RACING 350mm leather deep dish. And yes, I know SPEED has an extra 'E.' It's done purposely.
Usually when I do things kind of non sequential, it's because there are deals or bargains or it's something that I can't otherwise get. This generally pertains to things that are imported from Japan. I'm still trying to hunt down ganadors but we'll see. That is the case with the lips for the 'street' wheels which are a double staggered set of Cerberus II's. The lips are just for the rears as they were on clearance [not many people buying 7.5" lips for 19" tires] and I had to snag them. If not, I'd pay double later on. For events, I'll be 18's all around most likely on ERM's or Ratzingers as shown below. Just waiting on the 4.5" barrels. And of course, all the lips are freshly polished and the faces/hardware is all refinished when re-assembling. The end results of the rear 19" set will be 19x12 -23. The 18's for events will most likely match the width, just an inch smaller to save on tire costs. I also noticed I have a weird affinity for Weds Kranze series wheels.
That leaves us where we left off - the rear end being pulled. I was surprised how mint the rear end was while pulling it out. I ended up cutting off the sway bar, e-brake wires and a few other things to make the uninstall faster and ultimately easier because it's a bunch of scrap I won't be using anyways. Everything from joints to diff looked perfect. No leaking oil, no blown joints, nothing. I think I have a new love for Toyota that I didn't have for Nissan. Had it been an old S-chassis. I could have assumed bent control arms, bushings that crumbled out, etc. I'm really happy with the quality of product used from the factory.
This is where we leave off. What's left is essentially a pile of crap that I won't be using so far. To be added are factory e-brake lines, all the factory bushings, ABS components, control arms, diff guts and more. When re-assembling, nearly every bolt will be replaced with OEM or stronger hardware. This car will be brand new once pieced. Again, this won't be the worlds fastest build but it will be quality which is what I strive for. The next update will be the process of removing the old bushings, sandblasting the subframe, powdercoat, etc. I hope you stick around!
Thank you! Luckily the car was in great condition when I got it. I actually drove it home an hour after meeting the sketchiest man in the world for it. Literally in the middle of the woods in the back of an old saw mill and I had a pocket filled with cash. Ironically he was a good dude but I still left there pretty quick. Regardless, when I pull the motor, I may save it for my next little project seeing as it runs so damned good.
I finally got back to the garage the other night to further strip the rear subframe. I have a buddy swinging it by a shop to have it sandblasted and coated so I can start the re-assembly process. Needless to say, some of the old bolts did not want to move so I took my lovely sawzall and angle grinder to at least get the control arms, diff and axle setup off. There are two bolts that refused to move and I snapped the only two sawzall blades I had so I left it as is for the night. By the time you read this, the bolts and arms will be completely out. I started buying some replacement bolts at a higher grade so I don't have to worry about removing old, seized bolts anymore. The differential cups came out surprisingly easy. I may do some small reinforcements on the rear end as I see fit but I'm not sure it needs it. All in all, pretty pleased with how the car is disassembling right now. Nearly zero issues which I love.
All the bolts worth saving are in baggies labeled. I'm super OCD with stuff like that. Chances are I'll replace a good portion of them regardless and save these as spares but at least I know where every nut and bolt go. The subframe brackets are pretty crusty so I may make my own with better materials. I have the Battle Version solid bushings ready to rock once the subframe comes back this weekend. I'm in talks with Alex at Battle Version for some rear uppers as well. I'll probably remount the subframe and worry about the differential once the 2-way decides to show up from Japanland.
I had a few friends interested in the motor. I took a picture when I was leaving the garage just to show how clean it is. It's a little dusty because the hood has been open since the car has been moved to the shop. When I got it, you could eat off the thing. Whoever picks up the swap will be very happy. The more I looked at the engine bay, the more weight I can see that can be stripped like the ABS setup, bunch of random brackets and electronics, etc. but all in all, everything should come out pretty easy [in theory].
This is how she was left. As you can tell, It doesn't exactly 'fit in with the crowd.' The people I share with the shop with are VW kids I've known for a good portion of my life. Good dudes, just not my cup of tea. I do however appreciate their builds .That white Rabbit you can barely see if completely custom [as most VW are, but this one actually is] and the Cabby you can barely see is boosted to the moon. Not really sure what's the plan with that GLI in the center but I'm sure it's something insane. Regardless, the rear end is out and ready for a good douching. I'm still in talks with Alex to see if the dual caliper brackets will accommodate dual Supra TT brakes. Still in the R&D phase but there will be a lot of unique things with this car.
Great progress so far! I too was a part of the S chassis world and have switched to the SC platform. VERY happy I did.
I miss the lightweight chassis and the platform but the drift tax and how rare a good, solid S-chassis is now. They're either all rotted, completely bashed up or more expensive than a brand new entry-level vehicle. Hotbois are what had me switch and I'll admit that I'm pleasantly surprised how much I'm enjoying the new chassis. I've always loved the SC but this is actually more fun of a build. It isn't as common both on the streets or in the drift community. I'm sure I'll go Toyota/Lexus for whatever comes next.
I recently placed an order with South Atlanta Lexus to get all new hardware for the rear end. Every nut, bolt, washer, etc. was ordered so once the rear end is put back together, it'll be in better than original OEM specification. I probably could have gotten away with reusing some of it but for about $100, I have everything new. These will be a nice piece of mind in case anything out back needs to be replaced so I know I'm not going to be cranking on 20-year-old bolts hoping they don't strip or snap. South Atlanta Lexus' parts website has been absolutely awesome. If you need any OEM hardware, I highly suggest hitting them up. I'm still not sure if I'll use the black push rivets to hold on the rear bumper yet so those are the only things not ordered. I'm sure I'll do the same with the front end control arms and components so next time I place an order, I'll probably order a box.
I also managed to secure the only SC chassis Broadway Static coils in this spec in existence. For those who don't know much about Broadway Static, they take Fortune Auto 500S skeletons and build them to the customer specifications. Because this car will be drifted, I wanted something more solid up front. All other coilover companies suggest 10K-14K up front depending on application. I'm running 22K Swifts with custom valving up front just to give you an idea. The rears I stayed with 16K as this should be sufficient with what I need. If I ever need to go up, I can send the coils back, throw a stiffer SWIFT spring on it, have them retune the coils and call it a day. Needless to say, I'm VERY happy with how these turned out and can't wait to get these on.
I know this isn't much of an update but I've been settling in to the new garage space so a lot of my tools were all over the place. These past weeks, I've gotten all my stuff in, the motor is there and a slew of other parts are in route. This weekend coming up will be ***** to the wall. I'm hoping to make significant leaps into this build. Hopefully the rear subframe will be blasted, painted and nearly fully reassembled minus a few bits and I can start pulling out the engine. I promise to start posting significant updates here shortly. Just a lot of research and development going on.
I finally had some time to move one of the motors to the new shop. I had a few sitting in the corner of my old shop and to motivate me to start tearing one down, I moved it. I'll probably bring over a second at some point so I have a parts motor or something of that effect but the main focus is to get one built and ready to be swapped. I started tearing off the harness, fuel rails, coil brackets, etc. so I can get a better idea of what needs to be ordered. To be honest, I'm probably going to order new everything as far as acessories brand new. I'm not a fan of used stuff because who knows how the previous owner kept care of them plus, I hate things breaking so if it gives me a little extra time before things start exploding, I'm a happy camper. The plans for said motor is a cam, intake, throttle body, fuel rails, injectors, rods, pistons and probably some head work. I'll most likely build it for big power NA and the spare motor on the side will be built for boost. The internals of the motor are in great shape but the outer dwellings have seen better days. Nothing a good hot tanking and machine shop can't fit. The structural integrity is sound which is my main concern.
Once I got the motor situated [yes, it's on a stand now], I started sandblasting al lthe brackets and pieces I planned to keep. I installed the bushings on these rear diff mounts, taped them off then primed, enameled and then cleared them. I know these will not be visible but I'm a stickler and if I'm going to do it, may as well do it right while it's out of the car. I used whatever I had laying around so excuse the black cherry sparkle end result. Although I wasn't specifically going for any color, it actually came out pretty awesome. All the other small brackets were also blasted and painted as well. I STILL have to get the subrame out to get done. My buddy has been away for a while so it's been tough. I'm planning to try to catch him this week.
I also finally stripped down the rear knuckles so I can get those cleaned off, old bushings removed and blasted so I can paint those and insert new sphericals in. I'm still undecided on the upper and lowers but most likely going with FIGS Engineering lowers and Battle Version uppers. I also removed the rear bumper and extensions because my KBD front and rear +50mm poly overfenders have shipped so I have to prep the chassis for that as well. I still need to make the cuts on both rears and get those bent and sealed.Then I can test fit and tap the panel for rivets. I'll most likely seal the antenna hole so no water gets in even though the overs eliminate the provision for that.
A TON of new stuff has been ordered for both the chassis and the motor so stay tuned for that. It's not going as quick as I'd like but with working 60 hour weeks and having a personal life, time is slightly limited. Now, for quesiton and answer time:
Originally Posted by atoledo
Seriously this is off to an awesome start. Are you near Boston? Would love to see this in person once she's up and running.
I'm right outside of Boston. I'm closer to Providence but Boston is about 30-40 minutes away from me. I venture up that way quite often. Keep checking in! When she's running, you'll know!
Originally Posted by BAD954BOI
Subcribed seems like a nice project
Thank you sir!
Originally Posted by 97-SC300
Nice work. What's up with the TX plates? That's definitely not a Texas car.
You're correct. This car is a New England car. Although it doesn't have a ton of rot, it has it's share of surface rust here and there mainly on the cast parts. Most of that is being replaced anyway so that's no issue for me. The plates are for when I was stationed in Texas. I was in the Army for some time and had a few cars. I drove one of the cars back and flatbedded the others so the plates still remain with me although everything was re-registered.
Figured before my trip to the shop tonight, I may as well make a 'as of right now' parts list and a 'soon to get' list below it. It's more so for me to be able to track the timeline of how things are going to estimate things in the future.
CURRENTLY:
Engine/Fuel
-1998 Silverado 5.3 LSx
-OEM everything from harness to PCM
Interior
-HKB BOSS steering wheel adapter
-VERTEX Hell's Racing 350mm leather steering wheel, deep dish
I'm sure I'm missing a bit but the bulk of it is there. There are still plans for the car as the swap is being built up and the chassis cut up for tubular metal work. With the winter season being the longest at work, now that the spring is here, I'll have more time to get in the garage and really starting to make a dent. I don't think this car will be 'completely done' until next years season but at least I'm not giving myself unrealistic goals of wanting it done in a week. It also gives me time to save for quality parts versus getting whatever I can get the fastest and hoping it works. Some of this is subject to change depending the direction the build goes and power goals and is in no where near to complete but I think it's a solid idea of what the end result will be. Some things I'm undecided on right now like heads, specific cam specifications, etc. too but this will show what I'm at least looking at.
You're definitely moving quicker than I am with my SC ,
But anyways you said you'd like to part with those tail lights? If so how much would you like??
You're definitely moving quicker than I am with my SC ,
But anyways you said you'd like to part with those tail lights? If so how much would you like??
I assume we're talking about the '98 tails? I'd be willing to listen to an offer via PM!
03-06-17, 03:01 PM
The construction and destruction of the LSSC.
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