The Heck with Mods - Part 2, Making my SC look like new
12-15-07, 11:47 AM
#106
Ryan that is awesome! Props to you for spending money to make your car look better/perform better than any dealership would have.
I have some questions though.
Why didn't you refresh the look of the car with a front to back 2000 model upgrade, from updated lights, bumpers and moldings, to a 3 spoke steering wheel, updated gauges, gated wood shifter and perforated leather seats?
Just a thought...
I have some questions though.
Why didn't you refresh the look of the car with a front to back 2000 model upgrade, from updated lights, bumpers and moldings, to a 3 spoke steering wheel, updated gauges, gated wood shifter and perforated leather seats?
Just a thought...
02-14-10, 11:52 PM
#108
Pole Position
Thread Starter
6 years later...
Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve been actively posting on CL. Two kids, two vintage British sports cars and 6 years later, it’s time to say goodbye. I bought a 2006 GS430 as my daily driver a few months ago and I just don’t need the SC400 anymore. I thought I’d pass on a few tips of what went well and what didn’t to help anyone who tries something similar.
Overall:
It basically worked according to plan, quite better in fact. When I made the decision to restore my car and drive it for a few more years, the decision was largely economic. I was planning on driving it for another two or three years and it lasted much longer. It has only been in the last year that I had to spend anything significant on the car (water pump, timing belt, etc).
Wheels:
I kept the original wheels and had them re-chromed. Two problems: 1) You can’t get top of the line performance tires in 16in anymore. In this regard I wish I had put on the GS400 17in wheels instead; 2) If you have wheels re-chromed, go with an expert who focuses on wheels. Some of the chrome hasn’t held up as good as I would have hoped.
Steering Wheel:
Redoing the wheel was a great idea and the new wheel felt great. After a few years though, the wood started getting cracks in the varnish finish and it has gotten worse over time. If I had it redone today I would just do it in leather. Perhaps the quality of AS wood finishes has improved over time, but it was far from OEM quality in terms of durability.
Leather:
The leatherseats.com kit was good and the leather has held up well. The one issue I have experienced is that the stitching in the back has come undone in places. Part of the issue is that the kits were very tight on the seats to begin with. This put stress on the stitches and as they were exposed to sun overtime, they became brittle and broke. Fortunately, I bought lots of extra leather so it would be easy for me to repair this if I desired to. Having redone the interior in a 1966 Triumph recently by a local shop, I now see the value in having the job custom done. You might pay a bit more going this route, but a custom shop can make minor adjustments to fit your car perfectly. One thing I could have done a better job at was conditioning my leather more frequently. If I had done this the leather would be more pliable and this would have put less pressure on the stitches. Realistically, I probably didn’t need to go 100% leather either, especially in the rear.
Suspension:
The combination of the poly bushings and stiffer springs is a little too hard for my taste. The car does handle more aggressively than before on corners and this is nice; however, the tradeoff in comfort is there. If I were to redo this today, I would probably go with something a little softer and closer to stock.
Instrument Cluster:
In retrospect, I should have had the needles redone when I did the other work on the car. My needles were only occasionally flickering and of course only got worse over time. Now they hardly illuminate. The climate control LCD was also an issue. I replaced the climate control system about a year after I started this thread, but over time these LCDs seem to always go dark. Maybe someone has found a solution and the new owner can replace the LCD.
Below is a link to the ad on CL. At this time I am only going to offer it for sale to the CL community. Perhaps a new owner can pick up where I left off. If adding a link is in violation of CL policy, it can be removed. I hope this thread is useful for anyone trying to restore their Lexus. I am rarely on CL, so please don’t be frustrated if it takes me a while to get back to you if you post a question. Oh, one last photo to end with, my new car!
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...ml#post5229022
Overall:
It basically worked according to plan, quite better in fact. When I made the decision to restore my car and drive it for a few more years, the decision was largely economic. I was planning on driving it for another two or three years and it lasted much longer. It has only been in the last year that I had to spend anything significant on the car (water pump, timing belt, etc).
Wheels:
I kept the original wheels and had them re-chromed. Two problems: 1) You can’t get top of the line performance tires in 16in anymore. In this regard I wish I had put on the GS400 17in wheels instead; 2) If you have wheels re-chromed, go with an expert who focuses on wheels. Some of the chrome hasn’t held up as good as I would have hoped.
Steering Wheel:
Redoing the wheel was a great idea and the new wheel felt great. After a few years though, the wood started getting cracks in the varnish finish and it has gotten worse over time. If I had it redone today I would just do it in leather. Perhaps the quality of AS wood finishes has improved over time, but it was far from OEM quality in terms of durability.
Leather:
The leatherseats.com kit was good and the leather has held up well. The one issue I have experienced is that the stitching in the back has come undone in places. Part of the issue is that the kits were very tight on the seats to begin with. This put stress on the stitches and as they were exposed to sun overtime, they became brittle and broke. Fortunately, I bought lots of extra leather so it would be easy for me to repair this if I desired to. Having redone the interior in a 1966 Triumph recently by a local shop, I now see the value in having the job custom done. You might pay a bit more going this route, but a custom shop can make minor adjustments to fit your car perfectly. One thing I could have done a better job at was conditioning my leather more frequently. If I had done this the leather would be more pliable and this would have put less pressure on the stitches. Realistically, I probably didn’t need to go 100% leather either, especially in the rear.
Suspension:
The combination of the poly bushings and stiffer springs is a little too hard for my taste. The car does handle more aggressively than before on corners and this is nice; however, the tradeoff in comfort is there. If I were to redo this today, I would probably go with something a little softer and closer to stock.
Instrument Cluster:
In retrospect, I should have had the needles redone when I did the other work on the car. My needles were only occasionally flickering and of course only got worse over time. Now they hardly illuminate. The climate control LCD was also an issue. I replaced the climate control system about a year after I started this thread, but over time these LCDs seem to always go dark. Maybe someone has found a solution and the new owner can replace the LCD.
Below is a link to the ad on CL. At this time I am only going to offer it for sale to the CL community. Perhaps a new owner can pick up where I left off. If adding a link is in violation of CL policy, it can be removed. I hope this thread is useful for anyone trying to restore their Lexus. I am rarely on CL, so please don’t be frustrated if it takes me a while to get back to you if you post a question. Oh, one last photo to end with, my new car!
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...ml#post5229022
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