Saving a 92 SC400 from the scrapyard
06-04-11, 09:50 PM
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Saving a 92 SC400 from the scrapyard
This car was headed downhill fast. I saw it on a local forum for $800 and couldn't turn it down. Even though it didn't run well enough to drive I took a chance and towed it home.
It sat for around 5 years with a busted rear passenger window. The guy I bought it from replaced the fuel pump (Walbro) and put on new plugs & wires but it still didn't want to run. Compression is around 210 for all cylinders so the engine is healthy even with 188k miles.
So that's the starting point. It didn't want to run at first, idling badly and smoking a lot. Running the plug wires to the right cylinders cleared that right up
It drives like a Lexus now, nice & smooth with good shifts from the tranny. I put in some water remover & 5 gallons of premium to get things started and it's now even happier with a full tank of premium. I don't think I can do the Tbelt myself so it may just have to wait. At least it isn't an interference engine.
Step 1 in the appearance department was to just wash the car. After sitting for years it was rough. Then it was time to do something about the headlights.
Headlight before (about to wet sand with 2000 grit):
Headlight after wet sand & polish with Meguiar's PlastX:
---- continued next post ----
It sat for around 5 years with a busted rear passenger window. The guy I bought it from replaced the fuel pump (Walbro) and put on new plugs & wires but it still didn't want to run. Compression is around 210 for all cylinders so the engine is healthy even with 188k miles.
So that's the starting point. It didn't want to run at first, idling badly and smoking a lot. Running the plug wires to the right cylinders cleared that right up
It drives like a Lexus now, nice & smooth with good shifts from the tranny. I put in some water remover & 5 gallons of premium to get things started and it's now even happier with a full tank of premium. I don't think I can do the Tbelt myself so it may just have to wait. At least it isn't an interference engine. Step 1 in the appearance department was to just wash the car. After sitting for years it was rough. Then it was time to do something about the headlights.
Headlight before (about to wet sand with 2000 grit):
Headlight after wet sand & polish with Meguiar's PlastX:
---- continued next post ----
06-04-11, 09:55 PM
#2
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Then it was on to the back bumper. It was black but had a flat finish, like the clear coat was just gone. Being king of the spray can I decided to rattle can a fix.
Bumper before (best shot I have):
Bumper after a scuff and clear coat:
Not perfect but pretty close. I'll wet sand & hit it with another coat of clear before trying the buffer on it. It's very convincing from even 5ft away.
Next was tires. While 16s were big in 1992, they aren't so massive these days. I want aftermarket wheels later but only had a budget for tires at the moment. Enter my brother's previous car, an 01 LS430 which he sold with aftermarket rims. This left the stockers up for grabs and ready for some new 17 inch Nittos.
Nothing special but not too bad really. It kind of looks like an overgrown 240. Also important is these wheels will clear the LS400 calipers planned for the future.
The finale for now is the tail lights. The passenger side was cracked and I didn't want to spend money for someone else's used ones. $400 for the later style stock tails was out of the question too. I had to go with ebay's finest.
Chrome emblems are on the way to replace the faded gold package. The rear will look much cleaner with chrome next to the new lights. I'll also be polishing the exhaust tips. The mufflers have been sprayed black too.
The broken window has been replaced. The interior has been stripped now. I'm cleaning the carpet and I've bought new door panels (tan) and new front seats (black) from members here. I'm not sure what I'll do for a back seat but $400+ for another one isn't going to happen right now.
The goal here is a decent daily driver on a budget. No performance, no lowering, no nothing -- for now!
Bumper before (best shot I have):
Bumper after a scuff and clear coat:
Not perfect but pretty close. I'll wet sand & hit it with another coat of clear before trying the buffer on it. It's very convincing from even 5ft away.
Next was tires. While 16s were big in 1992, they aren't so massive these days. I want aftermarket wheels later but only had a budget for tires at the moment. Enter my brother's previous car, an 01 LS430 which he sold with aftermarket rims. This left the stockers up for grabs and ready for some new 17 inch Nittos.
Nothing special but not too bad really. It kind of looks like an overgrown 240. Also important is these wheels will clear the LS400 calipers planned for the future.
The finale for now is the tail lights. The passenger side was cracked and I didn't want to spend money for someone else's used ones. $400 for the later style stock tails was out of the question too. I had to go with ebay's finest.
Chrome emblems are on the way to replace the faded gold package. The rear will look much cleaner with chrome next to the new lights. I'll also be polishing the exhaust tips. The mufflers have been sprayed black too.
The broken window has been replaced. The interior has been stripped now. I'm cleaning the carpet and I've bought new door panels (tan) and new front seats (black) from members here. I'm not sure what I'll do for a back seat but $400+ for another one isn't going to happen right now.
The goal here is a decent daily driver on a budget. No performance, no lowering, no nothing -- for now!
06-04-11, 10:07 PM
#3
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Just some background --
My last car: 2005 Subaru Legacy GT
The boring family sedan with a surprise under the surface:
400+ whp, forged internals, sold when it spun a bearing and I can't keep pouring money into it with this economy. I bought it new in late 2004 and it had 22k miles when I sold it earlier this year.
Before that I had two Stealth TTs, with the latter running 12.50s on stock turbos before I sold it for something more invisible to cops. Through the 90s I had almost a dozen DSMs, mostly Eclipses but also an 89 Mirage turbo and a 91 Galant VR4.
My brother is a member here (bluegsx), joining back when he had an 01 LS430. We also built his former 94 Supra with an SP57, built auto, and other goodies. He sold both cars to find something that combined the luxury of the Lexus with the performance of the Supra. Enter his current CL65 AMG (in the background of some of the pics above) which gets the job done nicely. It already traps 121 mph stock but I keep saying to get it tuned now that it's out of warranty!
My last car: 2005 Subaru Legacy GT
The boring family sedan with a surprise under the surface:
400+ whp, forged internals, sold when it spun a bearing and I can't keep pouring money into it with this economy. I bought it new in late 2004 and it had 22k miles when I sold it earlier this year.
Before that I had two Stealth TTs, with the latter running 12.50s on stock turbos before I sold it for something more invisible to cops. Through the 90s I had almost a dozen DSMs, mostly Eclipses but also an 89 Mirage turbo and a 91 Galant VR4.
My brother is a member here (bluegsx), joining back when he had an 01 LS430. We also built his former 94 Supra with an SP57, built auto, and other goodies. He sold both cars to find something that combined the luxury of the Lexus with the performance of the Supra. Enter his current CL65 AMG (in the background of some of the pics above) which gets the job done nicely. It already traps 121 mph stock but I keep saying to get it tuned now that it's out of warranty!
06-04-11, 11:58 PM
#6
Lead Lap
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: I.E Southern California to SA,Texas
Posts: 4,447
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Welcome to Clublexus, congrats on saving another SC and bringing her back to life,
Everything was sounding and looking good untill you mentioned the "SC looks like a overgrown 240" comment and those tails you put on, would be better off with the stock tails cracked then those from ebay...other then that looks like your off to a good start keep it going
Trending Topics
06-05-11, 10:23 AM
#13
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
The paint is really rough but not flaking or missing. I've hit it with Meguiar's cleaner and glaze and will follow up with TechWax. 2 weeks of 100+ degree weather isn't making this part easy.
I've replaced the serpentine belt and have all the parts for the distributor caps & rotors, and I'm replacing the coils just because of their age and one has a loose connector anyway. Of course there's no AC (test shows code for low pressure) but I do have a reman climate control already so the display works. I have sticking tach & speedo needles and I'll try fixing them at some point. Once they work I need all new needle leds too.
Naturally I couldn't be missing just the door panel. Turns out it was removed because the exterior handle rod broke and now it's not there at all. It looks like it'll be another $100ish for the lock assembly just for that freakin rod.
Most options work. Memory seats good, steering wheel adjustment still does its thing, power windows fine, no power mirrors though so I'll have to check into that. My luck means it'll be an ECU and not a fuse.
I know tails are a hot subject around here. I've now read back 280+ pages of this section (to around Nov 2009) so if it's appeared here, I've read it. I can always change the tails later. These were a whopping $115 a pair and I don't think they look too bad. A black car is more forgiving in this area. I tried it because I noticed nearly all upmarket cars use red & clear lenses on the back.
There's no denying the 240 coupe appearance, even though the SC was first so I guess technically the 240 is a 5/8ths scale SC. The wheels I put on only accentuate the similarity.
I've replaced the serpentine belt and have all the parts for the distributor caps & rotors, and I'm replacing the coils just because of their age and one has a loose connector anyway. Of course there's no AC (test shows code for low pressure) but I do have a reman climate control already so the display works. I have sticking tach & speedo needles and I'll try fixing them at some point. Once they work I need all new needle leds too.
Naturally I couldn't be missing just the door panel. Turns out it was removed because the exterior handle rod broke and now it's not there at all. It looks like it'll be another $100ish for the lock assembly just for that freakin rod.
Most options work. Memory seats good, steering wheel adjustment still does its thing, power windows fine, no power mirrors though so I'll have to check into that. My luck means it'll be an ECU and not a fuse.
There's no denying the 240 coupe appearance, even though the SC was first so I guess technically the 240 is a 5/8ths scale SC. The wheels I put on only accentuate the similarity.
06-05-11, 10:02 PM
#14
Nice find and save!
I have a lead on one to save also the owner came to me about it because he see's me messing with mine alot and knows that I would do something to it whether than let pick-a-part come and pick it up. I asked him whats wrong with it, he said it has white smoke at start up and then goes away he thinks the motor is burning oil so its leading him to believe it needs a motor. Sooooo I told him do you mind if I take a look at it he said sure. I took off the intake and low and behold there's power steering fluid in there so I told him let me remove the air idle control valve and replace with a plug, cap off the necessary nipples, clean your intake/throttle body and see if it still does it. Guess what? No more smoke, but here is where it gets weird I thought he would be ecstatic, but it was just the opposite he said to me now what am I going to do with it? And I said uhh be happy that you dont have to get rid of it and drive it. He said I still have to get rid of it because of his wife nagging him about it, so since im the one who fixed it he would give me first dibs. So im taking my time to get back to him hoping he'll keep it and make a project out of it, but if not then i'll buy it. Anyways great find MooJohn and welcome to CL good luck with your project!
I have a lead on one to save also the owner came to me about it because he see's me messing with mine alot and knows that I would do something to it whether than let pick-a-part come and pick it up. I asked him whats wrong with it, he said it has white smoke at start up and then goes away he thinks the motor is burning oil so its leading him to believe it needs a motor. Sooooo I told him do you mind if I take a look at it he said sure. I took off the intake and low and behold there's power steering fluid in there so I told him let me remove the air idle control valve and replace with a plug, cap off the necessary nipples, clean your intake/throttle body and see if it still does it. Guess what? No more smoke, but here is where it gets weird I thought he would be ecstatic, but it was just the opposite he said to me now what am I going to do with it? And I said uhh be happy that you dont have to get rid of it and drive it. He said I still have to get rid of it because of his wife nagging him about it, so since im the one who fixed it he would give me first dibs. So im taking my time to get back to him hoping he'll keep it and make a project out of it, but if not then i'll buy it. Anyways great find MooJohn and welcome to CL good luck with your project!
