coineron

Hey veterans - thanks for all the great advice on these forums. I just purchased a 2002 SC430 for 20K w/ very low mileage and I absolutely love the car. I have a MKS and I love all the luxury items on it, but I've been putting so many miles on it, that I wanted to get a second vehicle. I previously had a '05 Crossfire SRT and although the exhaust sounded awesome and the car was like lightening there was no trunk space, back seat, or any features that would want to make you drive it for pleasure. Additionally, although the engineering was all mercedes, the interior was all Chrysler and the worst I've ever seen.

So, a few observations on the SC430 and a few questions. I invite any comments and again want to thank everyone for the great information.

1. Trunk is still humble but significantly larger than the crossfire and having a back seat is just great! My 4 yr old just loves it.

2. Its my first lexus and wow no leaks in the carwash, almost no cabin noise and so easy to talk with the top down.

3. The look of the car is very impressive in my humble opinion. I love the body style, the gas mileage is very good relatively speaking (compared to my MKS)

So, on to complaints about the car:

1. The gentleman that sold me the car didn't drive it much. Something happened to the paint and I had it clayed and polished and although they missed a few spots it really does look so much better. Black is a bad color for a car though - esp an older car too many imperfections stand out. I need to think about some budget of how much I want to spend to get it looking better without wishing I just bought a later model.

2. The NAV is version 1. Anyone selling a newer version DVD for $50 or cheaper? Preferbly V7 or V8 or even later?

3. The radio is PAINFUL! Mark Levinson - sorry but I don't really care I just don't like it (ok I hate it!) and I'm stuck with it because what else can you do? Spend thousands to put something else in that looks good? I bought the JABRA visor bluetooth thing - I hope that will work well. I think that will make it much more fun to drive - no FOX new or CNBC to listen to, but I can at least stream my IPHONE through it.

4. Why can't they have made a manual transmission?!

5. The gas tank push button thing is awesome - I don't like how the cap turns though and the wrong side sits on the paint when you refuel.

6. I miss having my backup camera. I would like to have that Parrot 9100 installed but it looks like a major ordeal and I don't know if you could have the camera connected to it visible through the NAV - that would be great if you could. But, how many people could do it and the cost....?

7. Complaints aside, for a 2002 wow - it has xenon lights, radio controls on the steering wheel, cabin filter, lavish trimmings, and smooth smooth ride.

Part III questions and comments needed.

1. Ok, I don't know where this OBDC thing is but my VCS and VCS OFF light turn on after driving the car - I can get the light to turn off but it goes back on. What do I need to do and how much will that cost?

2. I bought cross-drilled slotted rotors w/ ceramic pads off ebay and will have them on this week. $200 included shipping - brakemotive anyone know anything about that or if I will be satisfied? I bought engine paint w/ ceramic good to 500 F to paint the calipers with.

3. K&N filter on the way - noticeable difference?

4. What is with all the turbo business on ebay for these cars? Is that possible? No one says anything about it here that I've seen.

5. Anyone live near NC that does electronics upgrades? I really like the ideas I've seen from some of the forum members here.


Thanks!

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Hi and welcome! Post some pics!!!

Most of all your questions can be answered with the "search" feature on the forum. We have exhausted many of these topics for years!

I have a 5 1/2 year old and he loves to ride in the back too. Perfect car for smaller children and doesn't make you feel too guilty you have a sports car. About the only two cars I'd rather have are the 911 997 Carrera or the Aston Martin...maybe the new Gran Turismo Cambrioso Maserati too. All 3-5x the cost of a used SC (even used themselves!)

I'll weigh in on some of your comments-

The gas cap sits in the little holder on the inside of the door. No resting on paint. Check it out again...maybe your cars broke off???? It's a nice feature too, actually. We take it for granted.

Personally I'd sell the cross drilled rotors or return them and just bleed the system, flush and fill, get new pads, turn your rotors and paint your calipers. A lot of people go with the caliper covers too. I believe our consensus on the cross drilled rotors (and the expert consensus too) is that they are purely cosmetic and don't really (especially at your price point) add any additional performance and perhaps may even lower performance. Here are the covers a few folks have found to be great (in lieu of painting): http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-...Q5fAccessories

K&N-good choice. I noticed a little difference, not much. Not 5-10% for sure. Blitz also makes a drop in. Many SC'ers have the Injen short ram intake charger here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/INJEN...Q5fAccessories

I believe I read only one post about the Jabra BT thing you mention and it was a while ago. Most SCers have the Vais Tech Unit SLU for the digital AUX cable running through the middle console. You can also add the Vias Tech SL2S for XM radio. Several posts on this and where to mount the antenna. You can piggyback the two systems together to have it all. If you are handy you can probably do both installs easily. I opted to have dealer do mine. Here are the two units:

Vais SLU Aux Cable:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VAIS-TECH-Toyota...item2eaaacc2c8

Vais SL2S XM Radio:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lexus...fAudioQ5fVideo

I have a black car also that is six years old and recently had a very thorough posts with lots of comments about a professional expensive detail job done.

Zaino, Mothers, Meguires are most popular probably in that order. Leatherique on the leather. ****I personally love Gloss-It and Zaino products as they are very easy to use and truly shine above and beyond others and I was a die-hard Meguires guy for 20 years.

http://www.zainostore.com/
http://www.glossitonline.com/

A couple of us in Dallas (sorry no Gloss-It guys in NC) have used the new Gloss-It Products via a high end super-professional detailer named DETAIL WERKZ www.detailwerkz.com Do a search...amazing results.

Not sure if you are close to Charlotte, but I'd call these guys to have them detail your car-they use Zaino products.

You probably need a deep paint correction to remove swirls, which clay barring won't really do. It also probably needs to be stripped (using Dawn twice) and dried professionally. Probably needs different layers of pads on the machine and different layers of polishes and waxes that the average Joe detailer would mess up. I was happy with my results as I consider myself a pretty solid detailer, but I was BLOWN AWAY with my $$$$ professional detail. In short-spend the money and get it professionally done.

Look at these pics on an older SC430 in black that looks amazing. I spent a little more to get an hour of paint correction and mine shined even deeper, but then again mine has a pearl in it and was not in as bad of shape:

http://www.detailwerkz.com/clientcar...and/index.html

*****Here is the Zaino detailer in NC: http://www.zainocharlotte.com/index.html

Manual Transmission? Good news-you have it already. Try c-gate shifting!!! Do a search. It's awesome. I have had an 02 and now 05 and I prefer it to a manumatic or a manual period. It's great!!!!

On the VDC light you may have to take to dealer. I heard that Autozone can check codes for free, usually check engine light though. Do a search, there has been several VDC light issues identified on this forum. I'm assuming you found where the button is and you have played with it already...RIGHT?

There are some superchargers for the SC. Tom's comes to mind. Very expensive...http://l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=338

My recommendation: Do intake, exhaust, headers, plugs, full tune up, carbon removal, try manually shifting, get the Blitz Throttle Controller http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLITZ...Q5fAccessories

And then see how you like the SC then!!! If you are thinking about spending $17k for the turbocharger, I can find you a bad boy RX-7 Twin Turbo, Vette Z06, Supra or 300ZX that you can really rock out for that price and keep your SC as a nice cruiser un-modded!

Hope this helps fill in some blanks. Do some searches...and plz post pics!

76210Guy

Your depth of insight and detail never cease to amaze me. Kudos for that great post.

mandyfig

scdroptop, you are the man! I feel like a new owner all over again.

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

SLU & NAVTOOL will make your life so much better.

So basically SLU will give you two audio inputs that will show up as AUX 1 and 2 on your stereo and they plug and play with the factory harness.

The Navtool allows you to hook up a back up camera and a video source. The back up camera kicks on when you go into reverse. For my video source I went with the WD TV which is a media player you can hook up an external hard drive to.

I have a protable 1TB Passport by WD hooked up to it and I can play movies and mp3s with ease. Even DVD image files. It is mounted in the glove and I have a remote so its very convienent.

The audio from the WD TV goes hooked into the SLU AUX 2 and for AUX 1 i have the headphone sized jack that I use for my Ipod when im lazy and I dont want to hook it up to the media player (for short drives) (and yes the media player also allows you to plug your ipod into it).

That will solve the technology gap. Sound wise I added 1 10 inch sub in the back with an Apline Mono Amp. Fits perfectly in the trunk without stopping the top to drop and sounds awesome with the Mark Levingson speakers. If your speakers sound really bad check your EQ settings, these were not made for bass so thats why I added my sub and keep the Head unit bass at Negative 5. Make sure none of your speakers are blown.

As for Nav update do yourself a favor and buy a Gen 4 computer off ebay for around 400 bucks and swap out your gen 2/3. It will usually come with a updated disc mine came with a 7.1 disc. If you dont want to go this route Sewell has discs on close out 8.1 and 9.1 for around 75 dollars.

Paint wise I would repaint the pannels that are really bad like the front bumper and hood or roof (the ones that get bug/sun damage) and then just claybar and wax.

Make sure you switch your run flat tires to Hankook Ventus V12s or other summer tires (or all season) and your get much improved ride/performance.

redliner8

iTrader: (1)

I never heard of this before. Sounds like something worth investing in. Just put the files on the hard drive and it plays using the remote? I see it plays .vob files too, pretty incredible. I'm going to look more into that, thanks for sharing!

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

+1 the TWO aux jacks is a HUGE selling point. Forgot to mention that! Thanks Robert for keeping me in line!

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Thanks...just trying to help. Folks like PearlPower Johnnycake Tromly Romini Talwang were some of my mentors when I first joined years ago. Just trying to pay it forward

redliner8

iTrader: (1)

How do you toggle between video sources with the NavTool?

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

comes with a little switch you can pretty much put anywhere mine is tucked temporarily near the shifter but im considering moving it into the arm rest of maybe finding some OEM switches from a IS250 or other lexus cars and adding it to the bottom of the steering wheel somwhere. Ill post pics of my WD TV set up...if anyone has a DVD running now I would do the swap the old models are like 50 on ebay and will wire to 12 volts without any moding just like a car dvd player.

redliner8

iTrader: (1)

thats great. id definitely consider buyin the vaitech and navtool now that you mentioned the wd tv. There's a lot of options with that thing. this is the one I was looking at http://store.westerndigital.com/stor...catid.13742300

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

oh yea? I have one of those I got as a give brand new un opened if your interested I was about to list on ebay "buy it now" for 190 w/free shipping which would save someone 10 bucks + tax which in FL would be another 15 bucks almost so about 25 bucks off.

If anyone has def. interest in this let me know before I list it! Ill hold it for another day or so.

redliner8

iTrader: (1)

How would I power the unit?

sabyrzhan

wow!! another great source of new knowledge for upgrading the SC

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

The thing runs at 12 volts which is what a car puts out, you can simply splice the DC adapter (the thing you hook up to your house outlet with the box...kinda like for routers) and then wire it to the cig lighter or tap into basically any 12v wire in the car that switches on when the car is on and then ground. Same way you would wire anything in a car basically...nothing different or special. That being said if your takin this to a shop its a non issue as they know this already and where to tap.