I am in the market for a SC400. I has been a while since my last one and am wondering about the availability of parts. Am I going to be constantly looking for used parts?

 

yeah, it’s a 30 year old car.

plenty out there though.

 

^^ This. Many service parts and many random specialized parts are still available but there are some parts for these cars that are not available. It's really hard to get more specific without making a huge list of every part for the SC300 snd SC400 so as to note which are still available and which are not. OEM body panels and little cosmetic parts will be the most challenging. Many parts will have some aftermarket or DIY fix if you search for the info on a specific problem. And there is also eBay and the number of these things that were made from 1992-2000.

Keep in mind that maintenance and general service parts are in pretty good supply. Also keep in mind that while not every single part for SC's will have an aftermarket equivalent there is a pretty decent aftermarket parts scene for these models for quite a lot of things beyond just coilovers, wheels, etc. Aftermarket parts companies well known and lesser known make all sorts of parts for the SC's. There is even one specialist company I found just last year that offers a 92-96 SC factory spoiler LED restoration service.

As O.L.T. said it is a 30 year old car design at this point so yes you will have to keep aware of what is available to maintain your classic SC. That being said there is a lot out there to help you do this. Also getting a PDF copy of the factory service TSRM and electrical wiring diagram TSRM will be a big help. And be prepared to do at least some of the less intense maintenance yourself to better afford the long term upkeep. That being said these are pretty easy cars to work on.

Between what OEM new dealer sourced parts are available and the aftermarket, specialists and DIYs and eBay/wrecking yards.... if you are resourceful there are many options out there for long term maintenance. These SC's are very reliable when fully sorted out as with any Lexus or Toyota of its era.

Beyond this there are just far too many specifics but there is a pretty substantial amount of DIY and troubleshooting documentation for the 1992-2000 SC's here on our sub-forum.

 

Yeah for a 30 year old car, the dealer still sells door hinges! so you can get somethings but not alot.

 

In my experience most maintenance and mechanical stuff is still purchasable either new or remanufactured. Anything cosmetic like bumpers or panels or interior pieces as well as electronics, youll have to go used to find.

 

This sums it up pretty well. A lot of the interior pieces are discontinued, but they also cost a fortune to buy new when they were available. Every time I order parts from the dealer, I ask them how many are left in stock. A lot of the times they tell me I'm buying the last one.

 

There has been very little discontinued for my SC. mainly floor mats, but I got door trims, and just about everything else I needed for interior trims.
I don't know what you guys aren't getting but everything I needed they had.

Door trims, clips, yada yada yada.

 

Some vital parts are drying up for these car.

I recently tried to buy a spare key for my 99 SC3 and it is unavailable. The Chinese knockoffs are sketchy at best. Many reviews say the keyless entry works when it feels like it.

On the 98+ SC3 the rubber coupling between the throttle body and intake tube is gone for good. This is not a big deal but you have to do some ghetto engineering to get around it.

About 4 years ago the Bosch ABS modulator/pump was unavailable and no one remanufactured them. I had complete failure of mine where the pump died and leaky solenoids caused brake pressure to bleed off in the wrong direction within the unit and cause total brake failure when I tried to stop the car. I had a minor collision. The Lexus specialist that repaired it had to install a used part. In the past year the online dealers list the part as available for around $1100 so perhaps some regulation twisted Toyota's arm to force parts support for vital stuff like brakes.

The HVAC system mode selector motor and recirculate motor are also gone for good. Ditto on the heater core (I am not aware of anyone who makes this aftermarket).

If you drive one of these cars and plan to keep it 10+ years from now it is a good idea to accumulate a parts collection. If you find a deal on a hard to get part or come across a junked car then buy the hard to get stuff and hold on.

 

Thanks, that is great information. I appreciate it.

 

Following up one point of Texan’s post, while both versions of the SC heater cores are indeed discontinued we can send original units off for re-core service or complete remanufacturing at a place called The Brass Works. Google them.

Some Supra MKIV owners have used them with very good results since their OEM heater core is also discontinued.