don_1991 Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I am glad I have found this board and I do hope to hear from the pros about my questions. I have an 1995 ES300; however, I am considering an SC300 5-speed with under 60k miles and the price is 10k. There is only one owner and the vehicle is in excellent condition with all service records from dealership. My question is about the performance of an SC300. Since this is a 5-speed, will there be a lot of difference in pick-up compared to a V-8? I hear that the V-8 is the way to go, but is there any advantage to owning a V-6 5 speed? Reason being, I have never been in SC400. Also, will the handling be any different (turning corners, comfort, etc). Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am seriously leaning towards, the SC300 5speed because it it would definitely keep me out of tranny problems, unless the clutch goes... I am trying to post a pic for the car, but I don't think it is working properly Thanks in advance for your help! Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernsc300 Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 howdy. are you wanting to upgrade your car? you want a good drag time? you want a good stock car? what are you looking for in the car? both SC's are awsome, the SC400 is faster stock but seeing as the SC300 shares the same engine as a N/A supra (along with your ES) it can be mucho faster. the Dave H turbo kit will make your car nice and fast. stock the v-8 will own on the highway. but compared to a 5spd I-6 off the line i believe they are the same. I think i speak for most people when i say you should go with the 300 5-spd, they are rare, fun, and theres lots of things you can do to it. the down side is that its a money pit if your like to MOD your engine cause there is so much you can do to it. on a good note both engines are long lasting and very reliable, the automatic and standard are equally very strong and well crafted as the engines. oh yah and the car looks good. just get new rims Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_1991 Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 howdy. are you wanting to upgrade your car? you want a good drag time? you want a good stock car? what are you looking for in the car? both SC's are awsome, the SC400 is faster stock but seeing as the SC300 shares the same engine as a N/A supra (along with your ES) it can be mucho faster. the Dave H turbo kit will make your car nice and fast. stock the v-8 will own on the highway. but compared to a 5spd I-6 off the line i believe they are the same. I think i speak for most people when i say you should go with the 300 5-spd, they are rare, fun, and theres lots of things you can do to it. the down side is that its a money pit if your like to MOD your engine cause there is so much you can do to it. on a good note both engines are long lasting and very reliable, the automatic and standard are equally very strong and well crafted as the engines. oh yah and the car looks good. just get new rims Thanks for responding so quickly. I am going to use this car just for driving to and from work. I won't be doing any mods. Just normal, easy driving. Any idea on how long the clutch will last with normal use? I know this could vary. FYI- My office is 50 miles from my house, so I spend a lot of time on the road. Thank goodness I don't have a lot of traffic. Again, I appreciate the help and nice to hear about the 5-speed and how they are so rare. I learn something new everyday. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on_chrome Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Get the 300. The maintinance costs are a lot less on the 300 than the 400. I love mine. Wouldn't get anything else, except a Ferrari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny3 Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Get the 300, lots simpler maintenance---mine's never needed anything except oil changes, 1 battery, 2 air filters, wiper blades, now at 53k. I doubt that the 400 rarely needs anything either tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sightdev Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Performance between 300 5sp and 400 is marginal. 400 have the added advantage of the smooth and consistent torque curve which gives good thrust at any speed but 300 has more aftermarket support. I have 400 but I drove 300 auto in the past but the difference is not very noticeable in casual driving. There will be ton of differences between ES300 to SC300 because of the structural differences. SC300 gives much more stiffer ride (typical cruiser ride) compare to the ES (family car) but more enjoyable ride IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sadistic Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Personally, I'd rather have the 300 over the 400. That's why I bought mine. As for clutch length? Mine has 170k miles, and the factory clutch had to be replaced at 151k. I have all the service records, and no where else is a clutch replacement. The car was owned by a Lexus dealership owner for most of it's life. I would assume that's why. Compression is near perfect in every cylinder, and leak down is the same. In my opinion you can't buy a better engine than a 2JZ. It's superior craftmanship that make the car what it is. And I wouldn't trade my car for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPORTcoupe300 Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I changed the clutch out a while ago at 107K. It was the stock clutch. In my opinion that's a pretty good run time for a clutch. Get the 5-spd. It's just more fun to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_1991 Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 I changed the clutch out a while ago at 107K.It was the stock clutch. In my opinion that's a pretty good run time for a clutch. Get the 5-spd. It's just more fun to drive. Thanks guys for all of the help! It has all been very, very useful. Thanks, Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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