omacht

I agree, having experinced the transition from 16" to 18" wheels recently (my choice) they are a firmer ride but nicer if coupled with improved suspension...there is less rubber and air going from 40-50's to 20's so less springy-ness and speed-bumpiness. To be honest, I would embrace the new 18 inchers myself as a much cooler choice but rather than torch nice wheels, you might look at changing out the springs to Eibach pro-kit (my choice for a slightly firmer ride but probably not best for you) or something softer. Or possibly you can add some rubber and height to your existing wheels by adding bigger rubber (see your tire dealer). Either get used to it or buy OEM on Craigslist and list yours (probably a wash) ...

I think 92blubyU can get a good kit that's non-coilover for pretty cheap (posting was a while ago but issue still relevant). I was all hot-to-bother about a deluxe version of the Megan coilover (33 settings!!) but got to talking to my local alignment shop (who do lots of race and street mods) who said Megan was poor quality and they had breakage problems with several 'brandings' labelled onto one main China manufacturer (incl Megan, Skunk 2, and 2 others) . I've seen this written in several places on-line as well... Dont shoot me, I am just the messenger, god knows I wanted the convenience of an adjustable device that could let me tune my ride but they basically told me this: If I wasnt going to spend at least $2500-3000, the best solution was KYB GR-2 (341161 and 341162) shocks (and Eibach pro-Kit p/n 8230-140 to get a nice even 1" all-round drop. My cost: $616.00 total plus tax. I installed myself and saved a bundle. Lower Control Arms: As for the driveability, I want to re-iterate again what others have said about making the SC400 a better driver : if you need front lower control arms (ball joints are not possible incredibly ) , DO NOT buy the 48068-29165 and 48069-29165 from Lexus, instead buy the same gen-u-ine Toyota parts for the Supra using 48068-14080 and 48069-14080 part numbers. 2 x $1209 OR 2 x $250...you decide. Check out Titus Will Toyota on-line in Tacoma. 1sttoyotaparts.com. I dont work there, just passing it along. I own a 1992 SC400 and am putting a few bucks into a classic because it presents a great performance to dollar ratio for me. Cars are not an 'investment', they simply depreciate at different rates..and I got my Lexus for 5% of it's purchase price, so it's time to invest a little...and pay-forward any info that will help...all the best! Owen.

I just sent my recently acquired Sc400 into my local car stereo shop (after 2 weeks of unbearable silence) and it was determined the 'hell-o-copter' sound was the Amp (in the trunk under the CD changer) had packed it in. Now I am a thrifty, if not cheap, guy. I just bought this bad-boy car off Craigslist on a whim for $2500 from a 70ish granny who paid $60k almost 20 years ago. I could not believe my luck; my budget was for a beater car and I end up with crazy luxury granny/muscle ride. That's not the sick part. I plop on MP3 Kenwood unit and 100W amp using 4 x 6 1/2" 2-ways plus crossovers to utilize the door tweeters...pulling the Nakamichi was the best thing I did and it added MP3-iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, a USB port as iphone charger and more, there's such superior sonic horesepower out there you have to get over pulling out the Nak. It hurts but there it is. Plus you will drop weight; no need to drag that 12 lb trunk sloth of a CD player around any more so ditch it. Basically, I love the Nakamichi (and Marantz) legacy but it was pooped. I did what I could to salvage anything and only the door tweeters and rear sub could be used. I channelled the 4 channel Amp to the 2 x fronts and Sub, then I bridged the deck to power the rears. It sounds nuts but it was the best config. I am very glad I went with a new $1200 complete Kenwood Excelon kit, it is fabulous!. I hope this helps motivate you to gut the deadness and drop in some boom-boom. I want to add that phase 1 was a deck + 6" rears and 4" fronts. Through trial and error I came to understand the importance of the front speakers and had to get my car stereo guy to (phase 2) custom mod 6" into the doors and I am sooo happy I did that. If your stereo guy says 4" is max, i say BS, push the thing and splurge on the fronts with 6-6 1/2", it CAN be done. Then for gods sakes add a beefy amp, my Kenwood 4 channel 100W was something like $120-140 plus cables and cheap-cheap but the amp makes all the difference. You will never pick up chix with stock un-amped tunes, plus your carrot will grow an inch when cruzin', this I swear. All the best...O