Has the SC 430( that girl) aged well after 16 years ?
 

SC Fans

I just realized the SC has now been around for 16 years!

When it first came out, many of the car critics were harshwith the design calling it a “ Jelly Bean” etc. The quality
as graded was of course superb as it was a Toyota/Lexus
from all reviews. But the shape, design were not universally
accepted.

Now that the SC430 has been around for 16 years, what is your
opinion on the design, shape of this unique convertible?

I am beginning to see many recent critics today revising their
opinion and warming up with very positive praise of the car.

Personally, I think the SC is the most unique and one of the
most iconic cars made by Lexus.

I have owned many cars and the SC 430 is one I will always
have in my gargage.

what do you think? Has our SC aged well? What do
they say about aged wine....

VVTBOB

yea, the only other car I would consider buying is an LC
when I retire.

However I think The shape of the LC is not going to look
right as a convertible..

Back to the SC.. I agree parts, gaskets, suspension will
need replacing but Toyota is know for reliable and solid
parts.

I currently also own a 96 Mercedes and although I take really good
care of the Benz, parts that normally should not wear out are falling
apart. The headliner has disintegrated, the seats , corner lamp parts
etc. Now keep in mind it is an older car but compare to my friends Lexus
of the same year, it has many more parts falling apart.

As for the shape of the SC, I think after 16 years, it is still quite unique
and will stand the test of time like some of the vintage Pontiacs and Cadillacs

I am a new Lexus owner and have had my SC430 since January of this year.
I am quite seasoned in luxury cars (mostly German) and the maintenance that goes with them when out of warranty.

I always bought new to have the warranty and then traded out before it was up. That was until I bought my wife a used Z3 Roadster which
I enjoyed driving but the repairs and upkeep left a bad taste. Not to mention I was a little large for the car but it was still fun.

I went though 2 other BMW ragtops and was amazed with complexities and the little stuff always going wrong and the ridiculous prices for dealer repairs.
I let them go and did the motorcycle thing for my open-air kick for the last few years.

Last fall my wife and I discussed looking for a hardtop convertible for spring. Nothing too expensive but just something fun and classy. My research kept pointing me
back to the SC430. My buddy owned one and loved everything about it and always complained about trading it in for a Benz.

The lower maintenance and repair cost was a big thing just because I feel the need to fix everything and a hobby car can quickly become a money pit that you will never get out of.
I had never even driven a Lexus when they dropped it off. When I did get out in it I was amazed. I had no clue the Lexus had such great road feel like the German cars (at least the SC430 does), I just never looked.

So ended up with a beautiful classy car that feels good and looks good and no one knows it is not 2 years old (except for you guys) and I didn't spend a ton of money.
I can honestly say with all the choices out there the SC430 got my attention and has given me a whole new respect for Lexus.

Mrdefense

yea, I know all about BMW

Back in my days during the “ Yuppie “ era
I loved the BMW and owned 2 6 Series (635CSI)
and 2 3 Series. When both of my BMW went out
of Warrenty, every time I went in for service, it was
$500 each time. Translate to today dollars, it would probably
be $800. It was crazy. The car would disintegrate as soon
as it hit 50K Miles . The subframe would crack, the shocks,
the electronics would go and don’t even get me started with
electronics. The German cars were over engineered and
parts and Labor were 5X more than the Japanese cars.

I never thought I would ever own a Japanese car and now
I have 3 Lexus and just 1 Older Mercedes .

jonas's RX

You made me laugh, Mercedes is almost as bad but I have owned more BMWs
so maybe they are close in cost but both bad. Both extremely over engineered for sure
and that crazy stuff cost the most to fix.

In the late 80's I was still driving Trans Am and Mustang but my family always had the
the big Mercedes and little BMW, so I grew up loving them. I remember when Lexus and Infinity came out,
in fact I sold Nissan across the street from a new Infinity dealer in 88 and thought what a bad idea, these guys will never compete
with the German big dogs. Well I was young and did not see it coming but the market kept growing
driving these guys into more diverse markets.

Its funny the stereotypes we had. I guess real growth is taking a non-bias approach when looking at something new,
but car brands run deep, just like motorcycles.

My wife now has a Volvo S90 Sedan with Polestar. Never thought I would drive one of those either but they have come a long way as well.

The SC is certainly an iconic design. And in its day had supporters and detractors who were disappointed it was not a luxury 911. The guys at one of my favorite car TV shows (Top Gear) even rated it one of the ten worst cars of all time. I got one anyway and I love it.

Being a life long car guy I have had many nice cars over the years and have always kept them in pristine condition. Of any car I have ever owned, the SC430 consistently gets the most (by far) second looks and verbal compliments from passersby and complete strangers. Many have no idea what it is or how old it is and most are amazed when I say mine is a 2004. I personally would prefer not being noticed for my car but at least it's all positive so far with the SC.

Mrdefense

oh yea I also had a 77 Transam ( Bandit) Pontiac
those were the days.. My father wanted a Porsche
and as soon as he saw the Black TranAM that was it
my father gave me the car and yea, it was nice but the TTOP
leaked and the quality was not good

Jabberwock

I really don’t know what got me into the SC430 but
I didn’t like them when they first came out to be honest
but as I got older, I never was able to get into the Spundle grill
and the SC430 became like the old girlfriend you missed :)

I plan on having my 2006 SC430 the rest of my life, and I do think the look has aged very well. I've loved the look since I first laid eyes on the car back in 2002, but I do realize there are some that think the car is butt-ugly. I only drive my car 3k miles per year, and it now has 21k miles, so I have a LONG time before I'll have to deal with any major repairs, I think. I keep it meticulously clean and serviced and tucked away in my garage most of the time, but try to get it out to stretch its legs once a week.

I sat in an LC at my Lexus dealer, and the car does have some advantages, but I definitely prefer a convertible, and our SC is just so sweet!

...I also think this car has aged very well & because it's not made anymore, I think it's uniqueness is starting to be appreciated more. I think the ones that have been taken care of really get attention/noticed on the streets these days. I think there are just enough Sc's on the street to keep the car revelant, without it being just another old car that flooded the market. Just think about it guys, we have cars that are 8-16 yrs old and people will ask what is it, then not believe how old the car is....lol.....I love seeing a Sc coming down the street, they just stand out in the crowd. Mine Sc is a 2002, with 241k.....it was a daily until about 3.5 yrs ago. Outside of the regular maintenance, I've had to replace an alternator, a radiator, a compressor (a/c).....anything else, is stuff I would expect from a car that is 16yrs old & over 200k miles. I've modded mine some, but don't think it's overboard, just enough to be noticed a little more. A few months ago, I was at a gas station down in Houston and was approach by a female driving an Sc, that was the same color combo as mine. I waved at her and said "nice car", she then came over and said "I was checking out your car, but wasn't sure if it was an Sc also"...lol...let's just keep appreciating the looks,thumbs up & "what kind of car is this"..

Showing its age: one of the few repairs I will be doing on the SC is upcoming. Right door speaker is finally busted. Left was replaced under extended warranty when the car was much younger. Going for the Rockford Fosgates that people have written about here. Beyond that, I still get many compliments on the SC at gas stations. When I was at the nearby Lexus dealer test driving an RXL, they were practically begging me to sell them my SC. Said I may actually give it to my kid when he gets old enough to drive.

I sometimes wonder whether it makes sense to give the old girl a full repaint. 13 years and 93k miles. I spent last weekend touching up tiny rock chips in the paint on the left side and I have not started on the right yet. I am told a good professional full body paint job will run about $5500-$6500 …. I am not keen to have anyone taking off the top just in case they do not put it back together again properly. So everytime I think about this I pull back from the brink. She still looks really good and only I know where all the blemishes are. Maybe I will leave things this way.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...e336009a4.jpeg

Here is my “02” after the SC got a bath. I am glad to see there are still so many SC fans Out there looking after “ that girl” after all these years Debating on getting the windows tinted this weekend :)

As a relatively new owner of my '02 SC430 I appreciate it more every day. It's not very often I can go out and not get stopped and someone say "nice car". While many comment on the looks to me one of the most amazing things is the interior. The way every button is at your fingertips. Everything slides open even the glove box. And how about the light on the seat buckle slot to help you find it in the dark?? I have sat in much newer cars and thought "the interior on my SC is better than this". Like many on this board I will always own an SC430, it's just which color combination and year.

The irony is the SC “ 400” was the SC all the critics universally loved during
Its production.

On the other hand, the SC 430 was the opposite at launch as the Car experts didn’t
really cared for the shape, the design and of course the “ Pie Shaped Rims”.
I just happened to look today on a review of the SC430.
I guess Perception is sometimes not the same as reality.

I would not be surprise as the SC ages a few more years, this model
will start becoming more of a “ collectors car” like the older Porsche
and Ferrari GT. Check this review out guys on the SC :)