Hey guys
sorry if I'm posting this the wrong way or at the wrong place...first time posting
so I was looking for a SC400 and had a few questions
are they tunable? how much power can the engine and the transmission handle without any major upgrades? are they straight liners or handlers? reliable? gas guzzler? what 0-60's can they get?
any other info will be much appreciated
Thanks in advance

 

most of the questions you have depend on the year the sc400 you're looking at.

92-94 have the strongest motors internally, but they're also the weakest hp-wise.
95-96 have better power, weaker internals.
97+ best stock hp, weakest internals.
hp capability depends on year and the quality of maintenance performed in the past
(and by "weak internals", I mean compared to each other, not other cars, like DSM 1g's.)

not sure what you mean by "tunable" you mean upgradable? cheaply, no, but there's definitely support if you know where to look.

handling: let's put it this way: the mk4 supra was based on the same chassis as the soarer/SC.

I get between 15 and 25 mpg, depending on gas quality, and how bad my attitude is.

0-60 is kinda meh, getting about mid-7's in my car. It's also stock, not modified.
edit: from wikipedia

 

as for tunable I meant like can i just put a Garrett gtx3071 on it and get what...400whp without destroying the transmission in the first mile or two?
I currently have a Subaru SVX which is a pain in the A$$ when it comes to tuning...I want to get a car that is easy to tune and is good at everything...

 

A GTX3071 on a 4.0 liter V8 would practically spool at idle and choke the motor in the upper end.
400rwhp is not a lofty goal and you will have no issue hitting it reliably on a fairly stock drivetrain. Minor trans tweaks are recommended.

 

Quick question since you guys said 97's have most hp. I don't think my 97 has VVT, wouldn't it say on the motor somewhere like on a peice of plastic like on the IS300's???

Thought it was 98+ that have VVT. I got a sc400...

 

a gt4088 would work just fine tho...
so for 4whp you need something like 450 crank and i'm not very sure if a transmission made for a 250hp car can handle that much...has any of the people here done that?
also is there an easy manual swap, capable of 400whp, available for them?

 

1998 and up h ad VVT-i. 1997 did not, but they were uprated from 250 HP to 260.

You really should do some searching. These questions have been answered before. The A341E is a stout transmission - the same that's used in the TT MK4 Supras as far as I know. Add a trans-cooler, and it can see 400 HP.

As for manual swaps, there are multiple companies that make adapter kits for the W58 and R154 transmissions. Quantum Auto is the first that comes to mine. 'Easy' is in the eye of the beholder. A few select members on this forum have used the V160 transmission, but this requires a lot of custom work.

You should go to Lextreme and do some digging. Most, if not all of your questions will be answered.

 

well based on my experience people who have done it before are the best source
thanks though...helpful lexus-ers
good luck