Hi guys, I am new to this forum and new to the Lexus crowd. So here's my dilemma, I currently own a 1992 Mustang lx that is my daily driver but after my wedding I am going to buy a new car and make my current car my project. All new interior, suspension, motor, etc. The car I was set on was a SC400. My plan was to just do exterior mods and make it look clean, but then i started reading up on 1jz swaps in SC300s. I looked at some videos and read some foums and I love the sound of that 1jz spool up. I know everyone will say a 2jz is better blah blah blah but my main goal wasnt to make this car my project. i can still do all the exterior mods that i was going to do to the 400. so long story short this is where im stuck, I will have my mustang as my "race car", so should i just buy the 400, make it look good and call it a day or go with the 300 and do a make this this fast also? thanks for the help and look forward the comments

 

I think be it you get the 400 or the 300, once you start modding It's just gonna be an endless cycle of buying this and that, even if you get the 400 and make it look nice you would still want to go out and buy a 1jay, and vice versa if you buy a 300 your gonna start trying to make it look good even after you've swapped it

Honestly I say that you look around the forums a little bit more and just search around and find more info about what you wanna do
Just my .2 cents my man good luck

 

If you have or even think you might have performance aspirations for the sc and you don't crap $100 dollar bills you should get a 300. The stock performance isn't that much different, especially in the pre vvti cars, and the upside power potential of the 2j is remarkable. The horsepower per dollar spent is also much better for the 2j. Even if you decide to 1j swap it there is much less harness butchery with a 300, and you don't have odd 400 only problems like the low speed fuel pump setting going bad.

 

get a 99 or 2000 sc400 and call it a day

 

If you can afford 2 money pits, get a 300 and mod it to the hilt. If you're happy with 1 money pit, get a 400 and just drive it and put your cash into the Mustang.

 

be one of the first few people to do the 98-00 sc400 manual swap in the US. now that'd be a nice car

 

Just buy a SC that already has the swap and other mods.... shipping a car even across country is dirt cheap compared to how much money you save buying a modified car than buying stock and start from scratch maintenance>exterior mods>interior mods> engine mods>drivetrain mods>suspension....etc.

 

If I were you I would find the cleanest one i could that was in my budget. And if it happeneds to be a 400 then add a shot of nitrous and be done. The 300 will always want to take your money some how.

 

hey bro. i know how you feel caz i was going through the same thing. i went with the sc300 mainly caz of the fact that gas sucks here in Canada and the price has just gone through the roof.

my plan is to make a daily drifter and have the VIP Boss look to it. right now i have an origin body kit from japan on it's way here and while i wait im working on the interior.

my engine has 160mile's on it as is, so i don't know how much life it has left. but what i know is this. once that sucker die's on me ima have a new engine waiting for it. if anything i might just grab 1.5jz and then go full on out with the drift mods.

my point is know what you want your final project for your sc is going to look like.
do you want it to be a VIP Boss car, do you want it to be a street drag, daily drifter ...ect

you have the mustang thats already bad *** and i would think sucks gas faster then a hooker sucks ***. so also think about if your gonna keep it or sell it at one point. caz with an sc you only go all out if you really love the car and want to keep it long term, but if not then stick with the exterior mods.

hope that helps!!!

 

I have been reading on other forums and what makes the 1j unreliable? Is it just operator error? If you.take care of your car ot will.last a long time. I know things.go wrong even if you take care of it but what makes this unreliable? I have.heard that from multiple sources. I know once I get the car I will be fine with exterior now but I know that wont last long. I do know that doing a swap is easier in the 300 than the 400 but stock for stock, will I see that big of differance? The only real reason im even considering the 300 is because it is easier to mod from what I have read. I have the .mustang but I really dont like to drive a "slow car" for long. What are some performance.mods that the 400 responds well to if any? Thanks again.

 

A later 400 with the extra power and 5spd auto may be quick enough for you to tolerate stock. If you're gonna swap for sure then a 300 makes it easier.

My last car was a Subaru Legacy GT that could cut an 11-sec run from any given light. It feels like I'm driving a Yugo now but I didn't buy this one for speed.

My brother and I have already done the singled Supra thing and I have to say I think I'd prefer to do it with this platform just because of now nice the rest of the car is.

 

I believe RedPhoenix has his 5spd SC400 for sale. Buy his.

 

The vvti 400 from 98-00 is the most powerful sc in stock form, they also come with a 5spd auto transmission. The only performance mods for the 400 worth the money is a blower and a good exhaust, which will set you back big time dollars. The 1j isn't unreliable, the reason most swapped cars seem to have problems is that most are done by young kids who don't have a firm grasp on what they are doing. The worst thing about a 1j swap is that soon you will toast the stock twins and will most likely end up going single anyway so why not just single the 2j the cars comes with. Drift guys like the 1j because its under square and revs very quickly but the 2j is exactly square so its no slouch either.

 

I'd go either

SC300 1J or 2J swapped or SC400 supercharged