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Last year I bought this 2005 SC430 (salvage title) up in Cleveland and drove it back home to DFW, it's been in the making ever since, and it's finally worthy of the Lexus title again. It was babied all its life in West Palm Beach Florida, until it was wrecked and auctioned off after being deemed a salvage car. The guy who won the auction took it to Cleveland where it sat for a year, got some new tourmaline alloy wheels, and then was sold to me on craigslist. This is what it looked like before I got a hold of it.
The passenger side rocker was smashed in, you could see daylight through the doorjam and there was lots of noise on the way home!
This is how it looked when I got it. There were no door gaps on the passenger side, the door itself was overlapping the rear quarter panel due to the A pillar being pushed back from the wreck. After being sat up in Cleveland for roughly a year with exposure to the elements (due to no seal in the doorjam) the center console leather was all deteriorated, so I replaced it. The old center console Old vs new arm rest Everything all buttoned up (aside from the passenger door panel.) I replaced the driver's side rear speaker, it definitely needed it. The previous owner was not gentle on these wheels, lots of curb rash on all four. The tires were also lumpy and old, a sure safety hazard and in need of replacement.
Brand new Michelin pilot sport 4S's, I highly recommend them to any SC owner! New silver center caps. I forgot to mention, I removed the wheel locks and installed genuine Lexus/Toyota lug nuts all around. In order to get the door gap just right, we cut out a large piece and freed up the structure where the hinges mount, after lots of adjustments, we welded it in place. All primed up.
We cut out the thickest layer of the rocker, as well as two thin layers of quarter panel in the corner to prepare the same piece from a donor car.
Primer and bondo go a long way. Here we used scotchbrite on the white door (only the inside, not the exterior) and painted (base and clear of course) the lower priority area. It turned out great! We had some rain clouds overhead, so I quickly protected the speakers and electrical components as best I could. Nothing was rained on anyway. Working late into the night I reassembled the interior, which included the rear seatbacks, the rear seats, the wind deflector, the rear headrests, the front seat, and the glovebox. It took awhile, but I just had to keep going. I went to my local Lexus dealer and had them recondition all four wheels, inside and out. However, they found that one of the wheels was cracked, and had a scrap of steel welded on the inside to keep it 'drivable'. They couldn't repair it for liability reasons, but the dealership just so happened to have a brand new in box wheel of the exact same model laying in their warehouse! They didn't even know how it got there, and agreed to sell it to me for $250!!! That's cheaper than ebay, folks.
After lots of prepwork, we painted. This is how it looks now. Lots of work went into this, and it's NOT perfect. The top must be closed delicately, the hood's gap with the passenger fender is a little wide, the CD changer doesn't work with CD's, there's a dent on the roof from the last owner who closed it with something in the trunk, and there are some scuffs and scrapes all around from the last owner. The dealership also noted a few issues, but they're minor.
It's been fun getting her roadworthy again, I hope you enjoy the progress that's been made. Let me know what you think!
Last edited by Foxfire413; Aug 5, 2021 at 10:04 AM.
How does the top open and close. You said “delicately”. What does it mean?
When closing the top, you have release the button just before the roof latches down, let the weight of the roof guide the pins into their sockets, then resume pushing once they're seated. Otherwise, if you just keep pushing, the passenger side pin will not align with it's socket, and will make an awful noise. It's very livable, but a little annoying. I may or may not get it fixed.
That is scary. You did a great job,but I kept thinking that if that had been me I would have died of a heart attack before it was finished. It looks great but I am glad I bought mine more or less ready to go.
Your work looks great, I know you'll enjoy the fruits of you labor. I have the same color 2002 with the Ecru interior. I may eventually get different wheels, but already have the same tires. Thanks for sharing your progress.
Last year I bought this 2005 SC430 (salvage title) up in Cleveland and drove it back home to DFW, it's been in the making ever since, and it's finally worthy of the Lexus title again. It was babied all its life in West Palm Beach Florida, until it was wrecked and auctioned off after being deemed a salvage car. The guy who won the auction took it to Cleveland where it sat for a year, got some new tourmaline alloy wheels, and then was sold to me on craigslist. This is what it looked like before I got a hold of it.
The passenger side rocker was smashed in, you could see daylight through the doorjam and there was lots of noise on the way home!
This is how it looked when I got it. There were no door gaps on the passenger side, the door itself was overlapping the rear quarter panel due to the A pillar being pushed back from the wreck. After being sat up in Cleveland for roughly a year with exposure to the elements (due to no seal in the doorjam) the center console leather was all deteriorated, so I replaced it. The old center console Old vs new arm rest Everything all buttoned up (aside from the passenger door panel.) I replaced the driver's side rear speaker, it definitely needed it. The previous owner was not gentle on these wheels, lots of curb rash on all four. The tires were also lumpy and old, a sure safety hazard and in need of replacement.
Brand new Michelin pilot sport 4S's, I highly recommend them to any SC owner! New silver center caps. I forgot to mention, I removed the wheel locks and installed genuine Lexus/Toyota lug nuts all around. In order to get the door gap just right, we cut out a large piece and freed up the structure where the hinges mount, after lots of adjustments, we welded it in place. All primed up.
We cut out the thickest layer of the rocker, as well as two thin layers of quarter panel in the corner to prepare the same piece from a donor car.
Primer and bondo go a long way. Here we used scotchbrite on the white door (only the inside, not the exterior) and painted (base and clear of course) the lower priority area. It turned out great! We had some rain clouds overhead, so I quickly protected the speakers and electrical components as best I could. Nothing was rained on anyway. Working late into the night I reassembled the interior, which included the rear seatbacks, the rear seats, the wind deflector, the rear headrests, the front seat, and the glovebox. It took awhile, but I just had to keep going. I went to my local Lexus dealer and had them recondition all four wheels, inside and out. However, they found that one of the wheels was cracked, and had a scrap of steel welded on the inside to keep it 'drivable'. They couldn't repair it for liability reasons, but the dealership just so happened to have a brand new in box wheel of the exact same model laying in their warehouse! They didn't even know how it got there, and agreed to sell it to me for $250!!! That's cheaper than ebay, folks.
After lots of prepwork, we painted. This is how it looks now. Lots of work went into this, and it's NOT perfect. The top must be closed delicately, the hood's gap with the passenger fender is a little wide, the CD changer doesn't work with CD's, there's a dent on the roof from the last owner who closed it with something in the trunk, and there are some scuffs and scrapes all around from the last owner. The dealership also noted a few issues, but they're minor.
It's been fun getting her roadworthy again, I hope you enjoy the progress that's been made. Let me know what you think!
Wow, you are like one of those car enthusiasts & professionals on YouTube. I am enjoying mine a 2001. You deserve to enjoy yours too. Well done. Keep it up
Back from the grave!!!
