Hey group, I currently have a 99 SC300, but I found a 97 SC300 Automatic with 29,000 miles on it and a clean title for $14,000.00 so I bought it.

I was wondering what it would take (outside of purchasing a Turbo kit or Compressor kit) to make it as fast as a stock 98-2000 SC400.....

If its possible that is.

Any ideas?

 

upgraded ecu (lexuspros.com or weapon-r), some kind of intake, exhaust, headers, and a dragon torque converter ought to make you at least as fast if not a little quicker.

 

What made you decide to go with an automatic 300, vs. an SC400- especially if you are concerned about power?

You could drop thousands of Dollars trying to get your 300 to compete with a 400, and you still won't have one of the major things that makes the SC400 so much fun to drive: The throaty sounding V8. The exhaust note on this machine is beautiful. I can't imagine downgrading to a quiet 6 cylinder engine. Nevermind the fact that the 300's are less likely to have all the goodies, such as wide wheels, sunroof, spoiler, etc. You're also more likely to get a 300 with pinstripes. Yuck..

 

I don't disagree with people here often but I couldn't disagree with you more. Sure, V8's are throaty but hardly the type that's loud and fun. If anything, it's a quiet V8 compared to most others - heck it was made for the LS400!
If you drop thousands of $ trying to get the 300 to compete with a 400, you'd get MORE of a fun car to drive in a turbo. SC3's are a bit lighter, better weight distribution and in general more fun to drive (not neccessarily saying it's faster). You make the 3's I6 sound as if it's camry V6 quiet when it's really the happy fun free-reving supra N/A engine.
As for the options, my SC3 came with every option on a SC4. Sunroofs are almost always on SC3's, wider wheels are not that much wider in a SC4 and most people would upgrade the wheels anyways if you care about width. Spoiler is almost just as likely on a SC3 than on a SC4 and you can always added it as an option. As for the pinstripes, more likely ? probably? but if that's what's keeping you from buying a car, then

 

So, because the SC400 V8 doesn't wake the neighbors, it isn't "fun"??? Get real. That's the beauty of the 400. Loud enough, fast enough, and sporty enough- yet still sleek and luxurious. If your dream car is an '84 Camaro with Bondo on the fenders, then you are on the wrong forum.

The logic of spending thousands to basically turn an automatic 300 into a 400 baffles me. You may as well buy the 400 to begin with, and then you'll have the throaty, reliable V8.

I take it, your ride has those God awful pinstripes? Poor guy...

 

The SC400 is not as quiet as the LS400..

In one instance, I was at a CL meeting couple of months ago, when I had my stock exhaust and air intake..A CL member with a LS400 asked "What kinda exhaust do you have?" I replied, "Nothing really, Its stock"...He said "Isn't it the same engine, how come my car is so quiet?" I explained, "It's a family car, suppose to be quiet."

 

Nope, my black '97 SC3 5spd does NOT have pinstripes.

All of those things that you listed is the beauty of the SC as a whole and not just limited to the 400.
BTW, my SC3 has every single option that your '93 SC4 has if not more. The only difference is the engine, and the 2JZ-GE is just as a reliable bullet proof engine but with much more potential. Since yours is a '93, mine 5spd (stock) drives just as fast if not faster than your auto (assuming its stock).
So WHO's the "Poor Guy" ??

blacksc4
Rookie

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Utah
Posts: 55

^^enuff said^^

 

One HoT SC400,

Come on now, read this sentence again:

If anything, it's a quiet V8 compared to most others - heck it was made for the LS400!

No where does it mean the same thing as:

The SC400 is not as quiet as the LS400..

I said it's a quiet V8 compared to most others - others being other V8 sports coupes/cars. And saying that it was made for the LS400 does not mean it's AS QUIET as a LS400.

 

Okay, there's no need for this to turn into an all out SC300 vs. SC400 thread.

Thanks.