If you had $7500 to spend on mods what would you do????

My wife put her foot down and said that is all I have to work with from now on. (We started at $5000 so I had to put it on her to get to $7500

Auto Couture Kit: $1600 (W/Manaray's help!)
Work Rezax II wheels: $3400
Auto lamps HID: $600
Borla Exhaust/Custom Piping: $700
Katzkin Leather Kit/Custom leather shifter: $800
Denzo Iridium Plugs/Mangnecor Wires $400

Chaching: $7500

 

Get a turbo!

 

I would get a turbo too. But the 4.0 are lacking in support there. I would not waste the money on the hid, shift boot, or magnecors - but that is just me. I would get an ecu like weapon R or aem. Do the exhaust. Get the body kit if you like it - spend less on wheels - or just use the wheels you have, they look good. Get a air induction modification - I like the full intake systems - or conical replacement w/ maf adapter. And that leaves lots of money for more like lowering, audio/visual and the like. Or naws(he he). Sounds like you already have a plan though - enjoy.

 

Sorry, I keep on forgetting to look what kinda car you guys have. In that case a torque convertor. It will unlock a lot of your car's power.

 

Oh yea - that would be must have also - then there is the LSD some slicks and a shift kit. Line locks - umm are you draggin this thing?

Hell get a staged 250 shot - and wheelie bars:eek:

 

Turboing the 400 will cost more than $7500. How about a supercharger, aren't there any for the 400 in that price range?

 

Wires won't do a damn thing.
If it were me, I'd do an intake, S-AFC, full exhaust, including mid pipes, etc. High flow cats, Torque convertor, some wheels, Supra brakes, and LSD.

 

Save some money with Magnaflow or Dynomax mufflers. Borlas are expensive and all performance mufflers are pretty much the same (I hear this from a lot of people that know their car ****). I would pass on the Denso plugs and wires. If you really need new spark plugs, then get the plugs, otherwise pass on all of it. The wires are all gimmick. Now you have some money to get that AC kit shipped, painted, and installed with all the extra trim pieces. Otherwise, you are on the right track. $7500 will buy you all the turbo kit pieces if you're lucky. Install will be another $7000.

 

Good choice ..

How fast you think this will do on the 1/4 mile. LSD & Torgue converter should get you at least shed off .5 to sec. S-AFC or ECU, good exhaust, intake should knock of another full seconds. Hmm...? So is it safe to say you can run mid/low 14's ?

 

Sounds good and all, but in the end you only have a 14 second car and $7500 down the toilet. With $7500, style and image enhancements will go a lot farther and probably be more enjoyable. If I were concentrating on performance, I'd save up for a turbo and make the big power first. More economical that way. SC400s are luxo cruisers anyway.

 

I'd do...

1) Body kit (Either AutoCouture or Wald)
2) All the '97 front end parts to complete the kit (fogs/grille/etc.)
3) Wheels...for $3400, I'd look in to some 19" HRE 441R's...
3a) Don't forget tires...they're not free!
4) Supra front brakes w/steel braided lines front/rear
5) HID lighting (PM on this one...I'll save you some money)
6) TRD Supra Sway Bars
7) STB's front and rear (I'm working on 'em!)
8) Fix any problems you might have with the car (engine/tranny mount, front a-arm bushings, interior pieces, etc., etc.
9) Intake with a APEX S-AFC
10) Exhaust of some sort (I'm searching for a good one too...GReddy declined ClubLexus's offer to help out on the project car...so I'll be looking elsewhere...)
11) "White" interior lights...the stock ones blow...
12) Sound system upgrade...unless you have the Nak...even then, maybe...

 

I haven't decided what I will do yet. I am wanting suggestions. I'm not nearly as knowledgable about my car as you guys.

Turbo-No
Slicks-No

I'm looking for performance/style at a ratio of 40/60. The Magnecors are off the list.

Intake-Apex S-AFC Cost and benefits??
"White" Interior Lights- ???
Supra front brakes-Cost??
Torque Converter-Cost/Benefits??

I called on the Magnaflow 14829, but i was told it wouldn't fit without modification??

I have and like the stock Nak sound system. I may change the sub but that would be it.

Manny, you are PM'd on the HID's!

 

i guess it would all depend if you want SHOW or GO. Here is what I would do

1. Full intake $300
2. Racing Hart 35CP 18" with tires $2600(its to you taste though)
3. AC body kit $2400 installed with (manaray's help of course)
4. Torqu converter $1000 installed
5. Rear mufflers (something in the line of dynomax) $400 installed
6. A full and complete detail $200
7. HID $600

Of course all prices are estimated but should be close. Now you have some go and some show.... just my 3 cents... 2 cents for everyone else.

 

Gotta chime in on this one, I say $1000 for NOS direct port fogger with purge, heater, Hobbs, etc, with $6500 left over for lotttsa refills.....


P.S. - Seriously, I personally like to make a car completely factory mint before proceeding, every single little repair and maintenance item, then you feel like you're starting with a clean slate, almost like a new car, and you can concentrate on your cosmetics (which come first, it's a Lexus after all), and your horsies. Like manaray said, i'd also consider the HRE's for that money, nothin' like having a set of wheels custom built for YOU, the webbmeister, makes ya feel like big dawg rollin' thru......

-JonBlaze

 

Hoops, the Magnaflow is a universal muffler, as is Dynomax, Borla, Flowmaster, etc. I think the only custom fitting mufflers are the Blitz Nur-Spec, the RMM (made for the GS400, but should fit the SC400), and maybe, maybe, the Greddy MX(?). All that is required to make a universal work is a custom joint between the muffler inlet and the midpipe. Just a real short piece of piping, if you're lucky you can have it mandrel bent. And remember the sound of a car's exhaust is more heavily weighted on the type and size of the engine you have rather than the brand of muffler you put on it.