Dear Liquid SC,

You're a star and I appreciate all the input shared, very much!

First, I love the looks of this car : https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...-pictures.html . Mine looks identical to http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...xus_SC_430.jpg with exception mine is a 2008/9 model. The rims is somewhat the same. What is coilovers btw? I would like to go with the exact RIMS as in the pic of the link you sent me. What is it called?

The situation is as follows:

- I have a 18inc tires right now with stock rims. It's time to change tires. Shall I take big size (20 inch) instead? If so, will this not make my car heavy, unstable and also not smooth on the road compared to 18inch? Please let me know what makes smooth as opposed looks (despite the later is what I wish for). What brand of tires shall I get (yokohoma, bridgeston, falcon, etc)?

- I would like the RIMS as in the pic. Where can i get them from and at what price? Please note I'm from the middle-east so would need to have it shipped I guess.

- I can't seem to see difference that wald is making to a car - can you show me what exactly does it improve in terms of the looks? Secondly, how much would that mean for me if I were to go for a Wald change?

With reference to injen technology cold air intake, is there a video showing the car sound on the outside when someone throttle it? Secondly, how different is it compared to an exhaust system both in terms performance and sound player. Third, where can I purchase from my region, and lastly what is normal condition driving did you mean (is it anything less then 100 to 120 k/hr mileage speed). How often is the air intake needs to be changed after I install it, and does this mean the current setup in the car needs to be replaced/changed, or is it an addition ?

Thank you

 

I have the Megan Racing exhaust. It goes together like factory, polished chrome stainless steel and about $600 on ebay. As long as I ease away from stop lights you can't tell I have exhaust. In other words you have plenty of power to get the car moving without making your family freak. That said, hit wide open throttle and you will make people take notice and it sounds awesome. There is no drone at highway speed so you can talk on your phone or to your co-pilot just like you do now.

 

His wheels are Aicona ALC 35. The sizes are 20x9 front 20x10.5 rear. He didn't post his offsets, but if you send him a private message, I'm sure he'll tell you. Also ask what sizes of tires he's running. My wheels are slightly different sizes from his so my offsets and tire sizes aren't the same.

Also, he has a big break kit on his car. You'll want to know if you're going to add one before you order your wheels. Like the name says, they're big so they need more clearance than normal brakes. They use different disc sizes when making your wheels depending on how much clearance you need.

Coilovers replace the stock struts and springs. That's your car's suspension. They are adjustable so you can set the height individually for each wheel. That way you can get a nice stance and even out the distance between your wheels and the wheel wells. If you look at your car now, you'll notice that the rear of the car is a few inches higher than the front. Which will be much more noticeable with aftermarket wheels.

High quality wheels will be much lighter than your stock wheels. They're aluminum, stock wheels are steel. Mine ride perfectly smooth with no vibrations whatsoever. I'm not familiar with Alsona wheels, but from what I know they are a high-quality wheel, so you shouldn't have any problems.

My tires are Nitto NT555, which are a nice summer tire. Since you're in the Middle East, I'm guessing you don't need an all season tire. There are other good tires out there. A lot will be dictated by the sizes you need as not every manufacturer makes every size.

I'm not sure where to buy them. If you google "Aicona ALC 35" you'll find several websites. These types of wheels are custom made to your specifications, so no one keeps them in stock. It generally takes 2-3 months to have them made and shipped. I can give you the contact information from the shop I ordered mine through. He might be able to have them drop shipped to the middle east. I'm not sure what the price would be, but if I had to guess I'd say about $4,000.

It's fairly subtle. The kit attaches to your front and year bumpers, extending them a couple inches to the ground. It also replaces your stock side skirts and lower those to the ground. It balances out the proportions of the car when you switch to 20" wheels. The larger wheels look slightly too large without a kit. It's something that most people will notice your car looks better but they won't know why. If that makes sense.

The kit runs about $2,200 plus shipping. Install is about another $1,000 in the states. I don't know anything about body shops in the Middle East, so I don't know how much they would charge.

A cold air intake doesn't really make noise if you sit and rev the engine. It only roars under a load when the car is in gear. Both exhaust systems and cold air intakes claim to give you a performance gain, but I think that's BS. Unless you also do headers, I don't think you'll see a performance gain. I did it purely for the sound, which is pretty impressive.

You won't hear the difference cruising at any speed. It only roars during hard acceleration. The biggest advantage over an aftermarket exhaust in my opinion is that you don't get highway drone. With most exhaust systems, you'll hear a droning sound while driving at highway speeds.

The filter should be cleaned and oiled about once a year. You can buy a kit for about $30 to do it yourself. You may need to do it more often in the Middle East with all the sand. You can also buy an extra filter so that you don't have to wait for it to dry after cleaning it before you drive.

By the way, the first couple pictures in the link I posted show a cold air intake. It's the long metal tube coming out of the engine with the filter on the end. It replaces the stock air intake box, which is a pretty straightforward job. If I can do it, just about anyone can.