topsecret Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 hey guys i am new to this forum. i am planning on getting a 2000 gs400 in january and i was wondering what kind of performance mods are out there for this car. i did see a supercharger kit that looked interesting. any turbo set-ups? link me a few websites that i could find my potential mods at. also i was wondering has anyone done a manual transmission swap on their GS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_McNally Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 I had my eye on this SRT Intake. decent gains, for not too much money. unfortunately, the piggback ECU is not compatable with the UK systems, so I couldn't get it :cries: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinBarber Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 I think SRT also do a SC or Turbo. Rod Millen also do a SC for the GS400 http://www.rodmillenstore.com/gs_400/supercharger.htm# Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsecret Posted November 11, 2004 Author Share Posted November 11, 2004 I think SRT also do a SC or Turbo. Rod Millen also do a SC for the GS400http://www.rodmillenstore.com/gs_400/supercharger.htm# ← great links fellas! 30hp out of a shortram intake? i must laugh to myself, im still used to thinking in a 4-cylinder perspective. you see right now i am driving a 2003 corolla S and i have alot of mods done to it, but no matter what i do with it i just cant break past mid-14's :chairshot: and to be honest im just throwing my money away, there is nothing you can do to make a 4-cylinder really fast with out spending having to spend a lot of money. having that said i have come to the decision that it is yet again time to upgrade my car. i had a subaru Legacy GT limited before got the S, which was also heavily modded. that was a nice car if the engine had not failed me i would probably still have that car today. well, i have always been a fan of V-8's, and japanese automobiles, especially toyota. i mean i could never see myself driving a cheesy domestic car like everyone else. so anyway i was thinking i wanna go back to luxuary, and what better car to do that with than the GS400. :D i really look forward to being a member on your forum, and i hope you will appreciate my presence. having introduced myself, i have another question, dose anyone have a custom turbo set up? do you know of any places to get it done? are there any pre-fabricated kits? are they just as good as a custom set up's? i also want to revert back to one of my original questions, has anyone been able to do a manual transmission swap? or is it just not possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 11, 2004 Share Posted November 11, 2004 I think SRT also do a SC or Turbo. Rod Millen also do a SC for the GS400http://www.rodmillenstore.com/gs_400/supercharger.htm# ← anyone do any custom turbo set up's? do you know of any places to get it done? i also want to revert back to one of my original questions, has anyone been able to do a manual transmission swap? or is it just not possible ← If you're going turbo, the best bet is to use a tuner close to where you live. Even though some kits are shippable, there's lots of things that need to be done right to make it work. There are several good units available, but it all depends on where you live as to going straight to the source for install and tuning. As for the SRT intake, it works well, if you are confident in splicing and soldering wires into your ECU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted November 11, 2004 Share Posted November 11, 2004 Many of the turbos for the GS400 are custom. SRT used to have an SC for the 400s but discontinued them. There are talks/rumors of it coming back but that is yet to be seen. SRT is focusing mainly on their TT setup now (20-30k range). RMM had an SC but also discontinued it. I agree with bartkat. If you plan on going FI, find a good local tuner and see what they can do to help you get to your goals. Speaking of goals, it depends on what you want to do. The GS is a HEAVY car but with the right bolt on mods, you can get it in the low 14s but I have not seen anyone break 14. Maybe with NOS but I don't usually count that. If you just want to make full use of that V8, you can spend about 5k on bolt ons and have a very fast responsive street car. This would include a torque converter, LSD, valve body upgrade, and throw in exhaust and intake. You will be in the low 14s with this (and good techique at the drags ;)) and still be NA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsecret Posted November 11, 2004 Author Share Posted November 11, 2004 Many of the turbos for the GS400 are custom.SRT used to have an SC for the 400s but discontinued them. There are talks/rumors of it coming back but that is yet to be seen. SRT is focusing mainly on their TT setup now (20-30k range). RMM had an SC but also discontinued it. I agree with bartkat. If you plan on going FI, find a good local tuner and see what they can do to help you get to your goals. Speaking of goals, it depends on what you want to do. The GS is a HEAVY car but with the right bolt on mods, you can get it in the low 14s but I have not seen anyone break 14. Maybe with NOS but I don't usually count that. If you just want to make full use of that V8, you can spend about 5k on bolt ons and have a very fast responsive street car. This would include a torque converter, LSD, valve body upgrade, and throw in exhaust and intake. You will be in the low 14s with this (and good techique at the drags ;)) and still be NA. ← that is something to think about, but with forced induction couldnt i see the same results if not better, for the same amout as keeping it N/A? again im not familiar with V8's im assuming that FI would cost a hell of a lot more than what it would cost for a 4-cylinder. how much would it be for a supercharger kit? i saw that RMM makes one for the new bodystyle G400, but it didn't give a price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinBarber Posted November 11, 2004 Share Posted November 11, 2004 RMM still list it on their web site at $4500. Don't know if you can still get hold of any. http://www.rodmillenstore.com/gs_400/price_engine.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new big400 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I dont think these times mentioned are quite right.When I bought my 98 gs4 it was running a 14.6 stock. After adding the SRT intake,Borlas,and better tires Im running 14.1-14.2 consistantly.Im currently adding a Trd carrier,3;76supra ring and pinion,TC,and a valve body upgrade and Im confident when its done it will be a mid 13 sec car easily.It doesnt take a supercharger or turbo necessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I dont think these times mentioned are quite right.When I bought my 98 gs4 it was running a 14.6 stock. After adding the SRT intake,Borlas,and better tires Im running 14.1-14.2 consistantly.Im currently adding a Trd carrier,3;76supra ring and pinion,TC,and a valve body upgrade and Im confident when its done it will be a mid 13 sec car easily.It doesnt take a supercharger or turbo necessarily. ← Well, it could also be track and weather conditions and maybe weight. The guys I know have systems in their car too but they all have TC, LSD, intake, exhaust. One even have a valve body upgrade. These guys don't go to the track regularly but do go at least once a year and before the GS did more track time. So they do know how to stage and launch. The one time I went with them, I did not see anything lower than 14.3. It was a pretty humid evening though. Still, 14.1 is one of the best numbers I've seen from the GS. I have yet to see a 13 NA GS but maybe you'll be the first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 RMM still list it on their web site at $4500. Don't know if you can still get hold of any.http://www.rodmillenstore.com/gs_400/price_engine.htm ← They are gone. I know who bought the last one in stock. He still has not received it though. RMM is delaying because of a few parts. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Many of the turbos for the GS400 are custom.SRT used to have an SC for the 400s but discontinued them. There are talks/rumors of it coming back but that is yet to be seen. SRT is focusing mainly on their TT setup now (20-30k range). RMM had an SC but also discontinued it. I agree with bartkat. If you plan on going FI, find a good local tuner and see what they can do to help you get to your goals. Speaking of goals, it depends on what you want to do. The GS is a HEAVY car but with the right bolt on mods, you can get it in the low 14s but I have not seen anyone break 14. Maybe with NOS but I don't usually count that. If you just want to make full use of that V8, you can spend about 5k on bolt ons and have a very fast responsive street car. This would include a torque converter, LSD, valve body upgrade, and throw in exhaust and intake. You will be in the low 14s with this (and good techique at the drags ;)) and still be NA. ← that is something to think about, but with forced induction couldnt i see the same results if not better, for the same amout as keeping it N/A? again im not familiar with V8's im assuming that FI would cost a hell of a lot more than what it would cost for a 4-cylinder. how much would it be for a supercharger kit? i saw that RMM makes one for the new bodystyle G400, but it didn't give a price ← The parts I listed have proven results and pretty much all owners I know that did them were happy with the results. This includes people I meet on forums so it is not just my circle of GS friends. (I forgot the Tranny Cooler if you are going to do the Torque Converter. I always found it funny that these two really should be put in at the same time and they both start with TC. :)) For 5k, I think you would be hard pressed to be able to build a single Turbo. I guess it all depends on how far you want to take it. The FI route has higher potential but also some risk. Since it is custom, it is pretty much a one off. The 300 crank HP that the V8 has is decent. The bolt ons will allow you to use it to its potential. If you want more, you have to go FI. But with the parts, install, and tuning, you will easily be over that 5k mark. The optimal thing to do is to find someone in your area that has at least the TC and LSD installed and get their feedback. If you are lucky, they may let you take it for a spin. If this feel is not enough, then FI is your only choice. Finding this person would be that hardest part. Unless you like the mystique of having an FI car and/or are accustomed to 400+HP cars, you may be surprised at what these bolt ons will give you. Remember that feel and response of the V8 don't necessarly show up on dyno numbers. The guys I know with these parts dyno their cars at about 245rwhp which translates to about 326HP (factoring in 25% tranny loss) so the results do show up but the drive feedback feels like a lot more than a 26HP gain. There is also a torque comparison but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Lexus GS 400 14.3 http://www.pr.streetracing.org/whats_new.html http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/ge...tml#comparison4 http://metawire.org/~nomel/car_times_quartermile.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsecret Posted November 12, 2004 Author Share Posted November 12, 2004 Lexus GS 400 14.3 http://www.pr.streetracing.org/whats_new.html ← wow i had no idea this car was that fast??? in fact i have a funny story... one of my friends is trying to convice me to buy a type II acura legend from him. its a 95 6speed sedan but im willing to sacrifice the 6speed for something that is faster, better looking, lower milage...well i could go on...ill just say that this car is defiantly in my heart right now :) and thank you for the helpful links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Lexus GS 400 14.3 http://www.pr.streetracing.org/whats_new.html ← wow i had no idea this car was that fast??? in fact i have a funny story... one of my friends is trying to convice me to buy a type II acura legend from him. its a 95 6speed sedan but im willing to sacrifice the 6speed for something that is faster, better looking, lower milage...well i could go on...ill just say that this car is defiantly in my heart right now :) and thank you for the helpful links ← From reading up on this, it does seem the GS400 is pretty quick in stock form. I added a couple more links above. I have a 2002 IS300. Now I want a GS400 too. Here's an interesting review. http://www.mtdemocrat.com/auto/lexus111998.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA_GS400 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 I had a 91 Legend coupe just before this GS400 I have now. There is no comparison. Seriously. Maybe with the GS300 as far as power is concerned, but, after that the Lex is simply more comfortable, quieter, etc. I drag race every car I've owned pretty much, and bikes too. (for fun) My GS4 did a 14.5 at 96mph with only HKS mufflers on it. I might have gotten a tenth or so at MOST with some better weather, but the weather wasn't too bad. The shifting on the GS is less than optimum no matter what you do. (undershifts a lot....slushy when manually doing 1 to 2) Anyway, my first pass with an aftermarket Precision Industries torque converter netted me a 14.1x at almost 98mph. I fully expect a 13.9 with the Supra 3.76 gears and posi unit. Maybe that cold air intake or SRT w/ECU will be another tenth or two. Then there is the Cat-back possibility, aftermarket catalytic convertors and if you have money, you can spend about 600-900 and have the stock exhaust manifolds extrude honed. Good luck and have fun man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_McNally Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Lexus GS 400 14.3 http://www.pr.streetracing.org/whats_new.html http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/ge...tml#comparison4 http://metawire.org/~nomel/car_times_quartermile.htm ← nice links ;) they don't show the GS 430 times though :( - don't suppose anyone has similar links with the GS430 times? :whistles: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 I fully expect a 13.9 with the Supra 3.76 gears and posi unit. Maybe that cold air intake or SRT w/ECU will be another tenth or two. ← Cool. :D Please post back if you made this happen. I love seeing low numbers on the GS. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Lexus GS 400 14.3 http://www.pr.streetracing.org/whats_new.html http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/ge...tml#comparison4 http://metawire.org/~nomel/car_times_quartermile.htm ← nice links ;) they don't show the GS 430 times though :( - don't suppose anyone has similar links with the GS430 times?:whistles: ← Here's one article, Matthew. Good Points:300 Horsepower V8 is a screamer, 0-60 times have been documented as low as 5.7 seconds with quarter mile times of 14.2 at almost 100 mph. The true performance of this car really starts to show at 100+ mph. The breaks rival 911's and Corvette's. http://www.reviewcentre.com/review11812.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_McNally Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 looks like I need to test the 100+ performance then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Go for it. I dunno about the V-8's but my IS300 comes on prety strong above 80 mPH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinBarber Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 they don't show the GS 430 times though :( - don't suppose anyone has similar links with the GS430 times?:whistles: ← Not much difference between the 400 and 430, same bhp but 430 has more torque. Shame the UK versions are 20bhp down on the US models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new big400 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Having the exhaust manifolds extrude honed I never thought of that.You relly think it would be woth it on a naturally aspirated?And also does anyone know who is doing this kind of work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA_GS400 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Having the exhaust manifolds extrude honed I never thought of that.You relly think it would be woth it on a naturally aspirated?And also does anyone know who is doing this kind of work? ← I definitely could be wrong on this, but, I thought the only place doing the extrude honing here in the US was in North Carolina, but after a quick check it looks like I'm wrong! http://www.extrudehone.com/worldwide/index.html I can only guess at the expected increase as much as any other knowledgeable guy. ie. referencing gains from similar displacement engines of other manufacturers, etc. I saw some pics of the inside of our manifolds on another site once and it sure ain't pretty. Actually, it was really bad and made me wonder how the heck we're getting 300hp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 One of the more recent changes was to have the upper intake of the Lightning Extrude Honed. After the EXTRUDE HONE modification, I noticed an improvement of 11 RWHP and 10 RWTQ (SAE) on a dyno. More importantly, I went from a best ET of 12.46 down to 12.36 http://www.extrudehone.com/news/powerflow_success.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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