Cost of a super charger for a 98 Ls 400
01-31-05, 06:33 AM
#1
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Cost of a super charger for a 98 Ls 400
I was considering doing that to my car. I know it would make the lexus a lot faster. any experiences??? Please let me know. Oh and what would the hp be a lexus ls 400 with that super charger??
DJ
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01-31-05, 01:52 PM
#2
Some of my thoughts:
The suspension on the LS is lacking for high performance driving. While it can be modded, it will come at some expense and we still do not have sway bars or chassis support braces. Tein CS will get you about $1,800 installed with the EDFC controller.
As nice as the brakes are, upping the HP you will hopefully want to improve the ability of the car to stop efficiently. Stop Tech has a 4 piston or possibly a 6 piston adaptable kit that will begin at $1,700 and whatever install may cost. A 6 piston will probably be $2K+.
Wheels tires to get all that HP to the road...a good set of wheels tires will easily be $3K. Maybe less when buying used.
The super charger, I would take a guess that to buy it if available will be about $3-4K and the install will probably add another $1K easily. RMM no longer has the kit available from what I read on the GS forum and that may leave importing one from Japan. The other is proper exhaust manifolds. The stock ones don't cut it so you'll want to have these babies fabbed up, maybe $1,500+. The manifolds back, add another $1,200 for modest piping. If you want some fancy stainless, may be more. A turbo set-up may be another consideration.
No doubt that with the fun factor added the motor will be pushed harder and the car will have many fun moments. Now I dunno how reliable it will be after this because while Toyota builds well, certain demands are not designed into the components. The tranny, rear end, half-shafts...these will likely experience greater wear.
If you are willing to turn it into a project car and have the resources,
In a practical sense, I'd buy a sports car for carving up the turns and nimble handling. YMMV as they say.
The suspension on the LS is lacking for high performance driving. While it can be modded, it will come at some expense and we still do not have sway bars or chassis support braces. Tein CS will get you about $1,800 installed with the EDFC controller.
As nice as the brakes are, upping the HP you will hopefully want to improve the ability of the car to stop efficiently. Stop Tech has a 4 piston or possibly a 6 piston adaptable kit that will begin at $1,700 and whatever install may cost. A 6 piston will probably be $2K+.
Wheels tires to get all that HP to the road...a good set of wheels tires will easily be $3K. Maybe less when buying used.
The super charger, I would take a guess that to buy it if available will be about $3-4K and the install will probably add another $1K easily. RMM no longer has the kit available from what I read on the GS forum and that may leave importing one from Japan. The other is proper exhaust manifolds. The stock ones don't cut it so you'll want to have these babies fabbed up, maybe $1,500+. The manifolds back, add another $1,200 for modest piping. If you want some fancy stainless, may be more. A turbo set-up may be another consideration.
No doubt that with the fun factor added the motor will be pushed harder and the car will have many fun moments. Now I dunno how reliable it will be after this because while Toyota builds well, certain demands are not designed into the components. The tranny, rear end, half-shafts...these will likely experience greater wear.
If you are willing to turn it into a project car and have the resources,
In a practical sense, I'd buy a sports car for carving up the turns and nimble handling. YMMV as they say.
Last edited by RA40; 01-31-05 at 10:14 PM.
01-31-05, 04:41 PM
#3
Would a stock 98 engine even be able to take a supercharger? My take is that, if you want to spend about 5 grand on a supercharger, and only get maybe 50-75 horsepower out of it (correct me if I'm wrong), then you are crazy in not getting a nice Wald Body Kit with rims instead. Thats just my take on it.
01-31-05, 10:26 PM
#5
Originally Posted by GRAND_LS 4
I’m guessing that pic is PS’ed, can someone else notice what’s not right about it? (hint: Breaks)
But anyhow, just as a suggestion, I would take off that pinstripe for a cleaner look.
But anyhow, just as a suggestion, I would take off that pinstripe for a cleaner look.
02-01-05, 03:25 AM
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If you want to do it right and durable you must lower the compression ratio.
The explanation for this will be way too long for this forum, there are books written about this subject. Maybe go to your local public library and get one to have a look at.
The engine itself will easily take the load if you swap pistons and all bearings. However a lot of other small issues will creep up. Just to tell that you need improved cooling as more power means more heat. You need different intake, different fuel timing which means swapping/reprograming ECU. You need different exhaust with headers, other cats, improved trans cooling and so on. And I don't know if this swap will be street legal where you live. It will definitely increase polution figures as well.
All in all I'd stay away from such a unique swap if you have no special reasons AND money to burn. Optimistically I'd figure also between 7000 and 10.000 only for the mechanical side of this, still ignoring wheels, brakes etc. If you can get some really impressive performance out of cars you can buy (and trash) for less than 10 grands I 'd keep my luxury car as it is.
Hope this helps.
The explanation for this will be way too long for this forum, there are books written about this subject. Maybe go to your local public library and get one to have a look at.
The engine itself will easily take the load if you swap pistons and all bearings. However a lot of other small issues will creep up. Just to tell that you need improved cooling as more power means more heat. You need different intake, different fuel timing which means swapping/reprograming ECU. You need different exhaust with headers, other cats, improved trans cooling and so on. And I don't know if this swap will be street legal where you live. It will definitely increase polution figures as well.
All in all I'd stay away from such a unique swap if you have no special reasons AND money to burn. Optimistically I'd figure also between 7000 and 10.000 only for the mechanical side of this, still ignoring wheels, brakes etc. If you can get some really impressive performance out of cars you can buy (and trash) for less than 10 grands I 'd keep my luxury car as it is.
Hope this helps.
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02-01-05, 06:48 AM
#8
Originally Posted by Lvangundy
Suspension braces do exist for the 1998-2000 models, in fact more suspension 'mods' I believe exist for that generation than the previous.
very true, there are a number of companies making strut and schassis braces for this gen LS, can get a bit pricey tho...http://www.l-tunedparts.com/model/st...id=15&cat_id=7
02-02-05, 12:19 AM
#10
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by GRAND_LS 4
I’m guessing that pic is PS’ed, can someone else notice what’s not right about it? (hint: Breaks)
Those wheels & tires are PS'ed if you ask me.
02-02-05, 04:01 AM
#11
The photo does look "enhanced", Installing the four pots in the rear...interesting. The normal rear rotor thickness is .63", the front is 1.1" so using the 4 pots in the rear may have the pistons out pretty far and is likely not acceptable. That also puts a lot of unsprug weight back there and would alter ride qualities. Could be done if willing.
Are those the RX wheels?
Are those the RX wheels?
02-17-05, 06:08 PM
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Bout the wheels lol
Ya it is a photo shop. I would like to have wheels like those. They do look like the Rx but i don't think that that is the car they come from. I took them off of a 98 i saw. The tires in the pic are the tires from my Ls. the rims are over the rims i have. i cut off the rubber. That is my ls current with up graded factory wheels. in the picture. sorry about that. i am waiting to put the wheels until may so that my insurance will go down. and then i will put them on so that they won't know about it.
DJ
DJ