SC- 1st Gen (1992-2000)

SC400 under 3000 lbs.

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Old 11-21-12, 03:03 PM
  #76  
SEXC
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markstoys--- that is one sweet looking corolla. Would love to take a look at it in person. I used to have a TE27 but got rid of it since I lost interest.
Old 11-22-12, 11:34 AM
  #77  
megamax
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well people. i have some numbers!!!


tipped the scale last week with my

-1jz single swapped w58 5spd

-no back seats

-supra mk4 seats

-no spare tire

-ls400 front caps and brand new rotors

-full ac lines and condensor

-me and half a tank full

1994 sc400 weighed...........................................................................................................


3,780LBS!! and take away about 150-180 worth of items i had with me from that(on a good day)


so this 3,100 wet dream some of you were talking about on here isn't fesable. these cars are serious business.. (weight wise)

now id like some comparisons to other curb weights?? like vipers, corv ettes and gtr??/
Old 11-22-12, 01:04 PM
  #78  
BigSticks
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Mine weighted 2946 with 55% front and l/r was 822/820F and 655/649R at the tech day for the last drift event and I have event started trying to shave weight out yet, its a 5spd 1j car also

Last edited by BigSticks; 11-22-12 at 01:09 PM. Reason: Details
Old 11-22-12, 04:09 PM
  #79  
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^^did you have the full interior still?? and you say drift, iam guessing your ac components were deleted??
Old 11-23-12, 11:42 PM
  #80  
Keoni
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Mine is a Corolla, but an MR2 would be cool--although difficult if staying mid-engined.
Attachment 264099
Mark[/QUOTE]
WOW! I think that's one of the coolest cars I've ever seen. Oh and (no stile) sticker lol bull s$&t. It's bad a$$.
That's really given me some inspiration to get started on this build. The more I think about what It is I'm envisioning, the more I realize there's going to have to be alot of planning before i start constructing anything. I want to stay with my original plan of using a mr2 base body, but I'd like to make it front engine like yours. The first measurements I did was to see if the motor would fit under the hood. Even if I set the motor several inches through the firewall in to the cab it's still going to stick out of the hood by at least 5". If it was a cool supercharger no problem, but the entire motor is no good. Since it's going to be a Frankenstein car anyway mite as well not hold back. I remembered seeing a cupel of ae86 corolla's sporting the 1uz, and it fits prefect. So I'm thinking use the front clip of a ae86, mid and back of an mr2, and the hart and soul of the SC400. This is all going to take a long time and the way my finances are at the moment. It's definitely going to be an off and on kind of project. When I get a ways through it I'll start posting some pics and stuff, but that may be a while. I'll be using 1.5"X.095" round tubing. If caterham can make a 150lbs chassis work, I hope I can get it close to 200lbs. P.S. Mark how long did it take you to build your car? And you should post some more pics Oh and how is the handling? If were using the stock suspension then the wheelbase gets shortened does that mess with the suspension geometry real bad or is there a way of compensating by shortening or lengthening bits of the rear multilink setup? Sorry for the million questions
Old 11-24-12, 01:04 AM
  #81  
Keoni
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Originally Posted by BigSticks
Mine weighted 2946 with 55% front and l/r was 822/820F and 655/649R at the tech day for the last drift event and I have event started trying to shave weight out yet, its a 5spd 1j car also
Hay Bigsticks, I'm guessing you'd have to of gutted the poo out of it? From megamax weight to yours is 834lbs thats alot for not starting to try to shave weight? I don't doubt the possibility of it cause I got 400lbs out of a little mr2, but that car was even without a dash and just a bent sheet of aluminum in place insted. What the stock F R % by the way?
Old 11-24-12, 12:32 PM
  #82  
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Yes car is gutted skinned doors and hood but rest of the stock sheet metal is there along with the stock tank, I just dropped the car off at the shop that helps me out we gonna start actually shaving weight from the car more, looking to be ~2800 with fuel and me in it while keeping the f/r weight how it is now.

I still have the stock dash it has been trimmed up a bit but mainly for looks, an I am still running stock glass in the car aside from driver and pass and sunroof glass windows (helps get the smoke out).

Another big thing that helps is getting rid of unused wires, my harness f/r is less than 60 wires and that's chassis and motor, I still have lights and wipers btw.

Check my build thread and sub to it I'll be updating the weight progress in the coming weeks.
Old 11-24-12, 12:34 PM
  #83  
markstoys
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Originally Posted by Keoni
That's really given me some inspiration to get started on this build. The more I think about what It is I'm envisioning, the more I realize there's going to have to be alot of planning before i start constructing anything.

Since it's going to be a Frankenstein car anyway mite as well not hold back. I remembered seeing a cupel of ae86 corolla's sporting the 1uz, and it fits prefect. So I'm thinking use the front clip of a ae86, mid and back of an mr2, and the hart and soul of the SC400.

If caterham can make a 150lbs chassis work, I hope I can get it close to 200lbs.

P.S. Mark how long did it take you to build your car? And you should post some more pics Oh and how is the handling? If were using the stock suspension then the wheelbase gets shortened does that mess with the suspension geometry real bad or is there a way of compensating by shortening or lengthening bits of the rear multilink setup? Sorry for the million questions
I'm glad you are inspired. Planning is very important--and the crazier you get with your project, the more important it becomes. When you plan, you find out what can/cannot be done an what will/will not work. This will ensure that you end up with something good at the end--not some abomination that is not even fast.

A 200 lb chassis is totally doable.

It's been six years to get this far. Click here for a build log with lots of pics.

I'm not sure if you mean wheel base or track width. I think you mean track. Trying to narrow the Lexus track width will be very difficult, especially at the rear. Changing the length of the links will mess with the geometry--which is why I left it alone and went twith the big flares.

It's funny you ask about the handling, because I just now got back from a canyon run. I spent a couple of especially spirited miles behind a Lotus Elise and a BMW M3 They were actually going quite a bit faster than I would have gone on my own--but was still able to keep up easily. Very fun.

Mark
Old 11-24-12, 12:36 PM
  #84  
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Sorry just seen the comment about why is the stock f/r etc. next weekend I'll drive my stock sc3 up to the shop and put it on the scales, it's. '93 factory 5spd car also like my '94 race car, cept it's still all stock a/c p/s etc.
Old 12-11-14, 04:24 PM
  #85  
jeffreyjje
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Default Weight Reduction...lol

I get a kick outta this discussion because it should definitely be broken up into two separate posts. This way, the average tuner doesnt **** off the guy tracking/drifting his SC, and vice versa. For my part of the discussion, I will be the average tuner.

So as the average tuner, I tend to lean towards performance. Ideally, Im looking for a 60/40 performance to luxury split (Stock balance is 40/60 i.m.o.). What I mean by that, is that, there is a reason Im rockin an SC400, and not a Supra (70/30) or other comparable vehicles. I have to believe that anyone who would bastardize an SC to the lengths some say here, do so because they either got the car thru inheritance or as a cheap junker. To them I say chase the Gran Turismo dream and strip & turbo/meth the ***** outta it. In fact, might as well turn it into a rat-rod if the condition is nothing to brag about, and it has high mileage.

Most people that actually bought the car in good condition appreciate this work of art & its potential wayyy too much to do half the things suggested here, even if they are after an insane street machine. For us people that were driving actual cars before playing Gran Turismo on playstation, we take a more realistic approach...HORSEPOWER. We do what we can (see weight reduction for normal people below) to save weight here & add upgrades there, but ultimately, its still a Lexus. This car was the luxury import car of the year in it's debut for good reason, and was over-engineered by Lexus to ridiculous standards..hence the weight. Trust me I know, i used to work for Lexus for 10 years and the SC's are universally considered one of the best cars ever produced. Sometimes I dont think people realize what they actually have with their SC.
Anyway be a man, try and resist the urge to "clown tune" ur car, and do it right...just add some horsepower and enjoy !!! Leave the silly ***** for the people who's one rim cost more than everything else they own, and think local streets & the track are the same thing. Correction...or to the professionals who actually have a reason to cut weight.


Weight Reduction for Normal Folks starting w/ most basic:

-Remove manuals, loose change, & ur girlfriend. Overall sheds about 115-125lbs... unless ur into fat chicks. I say girlfriend because ur wife probably divorced you after ya dropped the first 10k into ur SC. Dont worry though, after ur SC is hooked up, you should be able to get another...unless you had kids, then ur F'd and most likely broke.

-Remove spare tire & tools. Replace w/ can of insta-flat. -60lbs

-Replace ur heavy battery w/ a lighter one and/or better yet, relocate to the right side trunk area for better weight distribution. -15lbs give or take.

-General upgrades that help reduce weight: Coilovers, Rims, & Brakes. -20 to -40lbs depending

-Exhaust Upgrade/Cat Delete (up to 3). -7 to 21lbs

-Remove Front Metal Bumper Reinforcement Bar. -9lbs

-Swap heavy heated/leather seats w/ Recaro Race Seats or something out of a Supra, Honda S2000, or Celica. -40lbs *Only weight reduction here that truly sacrifices luxury.

-Remove Cruise Control & ABS system. -16lbs

-Remove/reduce Wiper Fluid Reservoir. -10 to 15lbs



Unless its a track car or beater, anything else is either silly or will take deep pockets. You can drop $5k on titanium this, aluminum that, or race-spec whatever...I'll spend the $5k on a supercharger & drop around 225lbs of actual weight at no cost this way. REGOGNIZE !!!


*Of coarse if ur like me, and added a factory spoiler, heavier sway & strut braces, customized the heck out of the interior, and put an insane system in it...all that goes out the window. Again...horsepower, horsepower, horsepower !!

Last edited by jeffreyjje; 12-11-14 at 05:01 PM.
Old 12-11-14, 06:11 PM
  #86  
bigwhite
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Have you guys already thought about the rear spoiler, cd changer and subwoofer.
Old 12-12-14, 02:31 PM
  #87  
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the CD changer is probably like 15-20 lbs, and the rear sub can be replaced with a shallow one as well and cut a few lbs. also the ABS block can be removed, and the ABS ECU, that's about 40lbs as well. the rear seats can be removed and just some padding or wrapped in some cloth/vinyl or something so it's not bare metal.
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