all this talk about best engine and the money and blah blah blah comeon ppl seriously if your going to put an LSx into an SC forget about driving it daily it will be a stickly a solid engine mount track car that you bring out to prove a point to someone but for that why put it in an sc if your going to put in an LSx for the power why pick a 3k+ lb car. And this talk about staying loyal to the badge on the fornt of the car thats just crap it just really means swaping in something that will increase power and yet remain a daily driver or atleast a car you can drive 3-4 days out of the week and abvously that can only be accomplished by staying with oem parts. Yes the LSx is a superior engine than most toyota oem engines but still you bought a Lexus SC for a reason and that reason not being an LS1/2/3/4/5/6/7 swap...... its kinda dumb that the LS engine is basically the same exact engine and every year chevy feels that hey need to put a new number behind it just cuz they twek it a bit pretty soon were gonna be talkin about the LS22 swap

How about an inline-4 Flat Head from a '32 Ford?

if we are still saying "lsx" here rather than ls1, i'd definately take an ls9 swapped sc, ha.

What's a $30,000 motor, right?

Some of you guys are being stupid. Quit trying to act like snobby elitists. You drive a 15 year old Toyota with a current market value of probably less than your dream build list would entail. Seriously, get over yourselves.

The LSX motors are excellent. They're reliable, powerful, and even fuel efficient. I'd stick one in my car over a 1J or 2J as well. If I can make the same amount of power with a stock LS1 as I could a lightly modded 1J, without the head ache of boost tuning, it makes more sense to me.

Uh oh... I see the hate coming your way now, man haha... I must say though, I do agree.

Wack..... But you guys are still driving a lexus with a Toyota motor so lets get over it then

I'm pretty sure the point you're making is the exact same thing I was trying to get across...

And if you want to get technical... The engine in my SC400 was designed for the LS400 (correct me if I'm wrong), which was designed as a Lexus first, and a Toyota second. So, the engine in my Lexus is a Lexus engine. But like I said, I don't really care. I'm not a wannabe baller like half of the people in the SC forum.

I am kind of split on this issue. If you want to do it, go for it, but there is a ton of fabrication and custom work that is involved with a swap like this (my roommate is in the process of an ls1 240 swap). I think starting with a heavy car like the SC for a swap like this isn't the best idea. IMO the whole point of doing an ls1 is to have a crazy power/weight ratio (see ls1 240, ls1 miata, etc). It defeats the purpose to put it in such a hog (the SC).

Also, one main reason that the ls1 swap is so appealing to a lot of rx7 and 240 guys is that there are companies that make the kits to do it. Although it costs more than diy, it is MUCH easier. If you were going to do it on the SC you would have to make all of those parts from scratch and go through a TON of trial and error getting the parts to work correctly, not to mention the headache from the wiring.

I guess my point is...
Would I drive an SC with an ls1, hell yea! Would I want to build one? No way!


for the price that the swap would cost you (including engine), I would much rather buy a used c5 and keep my SC the way it is!

+1 a used C5 would probably cost the same as this swap and not be slowed down by 600 extra lbs

i would have to disagree just a bit , i think the LS(1-2-6-7) based engines are way more expensive than a 2jzgte swap . But it would be a sick drag car .

i can find an ls1 and trans for 1500

then you are a gifted fellow .but i was leaning towards more of a full swap like ECU , acessories , Harness , 6 speed Ect .

not including fabrication work that will be absolutely necessary...and time/labor costs

The only way I'd ever do an LSx swap into an SC is if it were a total beater/restoration project. I would NEVER put an LSx into my current SC400 because I just love how it is right now and that would take away the comfortable daily driver feel to it. However I do agree on buying a '97+ C5 before going completely hog wild on an SC.