ELIMINATE REAR HEADRESTS

tprjim · December 1, 2020

Has anyone eliminated the rear headrests? Completely cut off the roll bars and fill in the open area with an upholstered filler. (Safety naziis need not respond)

1990LS400 · December 1, 2020

The SC430 does not have roll bars. The covers behind the rear headrests are only that - cosmetic covers. Looking at the parts diagrams, it appears that the covers behind the headrests are held in place by screws or bolts.

tprjim · December 1, 2020

Sorry; there are 'roll bars', tubing loops. Nice solid tubing. Might not have been the intent but...

1990LS400 · December 1, 2020

Just now, tprjim said:

Sorry; there are 'roll bars', tubing loops. Nice solid tubing. Might not have been the intent but...

Here is a link to a old thread on the Club Lexus forum about it: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc430-2nd-gen-2001-2010/133149-roll-over-protection.html

There seems to be a dispute in the thread about whether or not these things are roll bars. One person said that Lexus corporate said they weren't and another quoted a brochure that says they are. Roll bars are not shown in the parts diagram for the 2002 SC430 - at least in the rear seat diagram. Were they available in a later model year? If so, could a prior owner have adapted them from a newer model?

Could your roll bars be aftermarket? I've seen a bunch of nice looking roll bar kits over the years.

Got a photo of them?

I'll continue to look through the parts diagrams. The diagrams that show the rear seat headrests don't show them but maybe someplace in a structural diagram shows them.

1990LS400 · December 1, 2020

YO! I found them in the roof panel / back glass diagram!

They aren't shown as a separate replaceable part which probably means that they are welded in place.

You must really hate those suckers to want to remove them. There aren't many SC430's left on the road. I doubt if I see one a year and it's probably the same one I sometimes see at the Costco gas pump.