JIBBBY

I have a 1992 sc400 and I lowered it one inch with Eibachs Springs and by doing so I fall just short of rear wheel allignment. This will cause the inner part of the rear tires to wear faster then the outer part. I love the look and handling of the 1" drop and am not ready to drop $1000 on coilovers to fix just yet. Any quick fixes? I was thinking maybe changing out the rear control arm bushings to daisens may help any thoughts on that? This is a pic of the car with the 1" drop.....

This 460 Lex rates at 380 HORSE POWER!!!!!! Man these newer cars are being built to move, the IS350 3.5L V6 has 306 HORSEPOWER, this just isn't fair. This LS460 will probably give my car a good race and I have been hotroding it for a over a year now .....Oh but wait I wonder what the sticker price will be for that beauty??? Last time I checked I did not hit the lotto..........See ya Before I sign off I must say that is a dream of a ride on the inside, wow......the only problem I have with lexus is they continue to mount skinny tires 8.5" on there new production cars. I think it really hinders the exterior look, if you look the AMG's, the M3, or any other newer sporty luxury ride you find fatter looking tires which I think makes those cars look great... Does anyone agree with me on this? I would still love to have that car even with the stock tires don't get me wrong........

That definetely sounds like motor or and transmission mounts. Check it, good luck.....

I would guess I am currently running at or even a little over 400hp on a good nos day..... I have never timed my quarter mile 0-60 second times, however I have had many street races with this car over the past year. I have raced and beat cars such as the new BMW M3, New Mustang GT, Turbo'd honda civic, older cobra mustangs, new 330zx, 745 BMW, what else ahhh, Is430, sc430, A8 Audi, and I recently lost a race but not by much to a stock brand new corvette, although I got used off the line, once my rear tires gripped I stayed right behind the vette 15-80mph but could not take it or catch it. The traction is sick off the line with those new vette's. You tell me how fast my car is based on all those races? I am just out their having fun not really concerned about times just victories and no tickets......See ya

Quick race story from last night - I was cruising home late last night from a friends house In LA, California when I noticed a car was tailing me very close for a while, and realised he probably wanted to race. We get to the next red light and he pulls up next to me. I look the car over and realised it was the newest IS430 with the box back end look, I had not see one before this.. Note: In my opinion I think these new Is430's look like a giant oversized Camry, what was Lexus thinking on this design? Anyway, I can tell the guy is checking and trying to figure out my restored and modified 1992 SC400 running nos, etc... Anyway, I then said to myself let's see if these new IS430's can hang with me. The light turns green and we are off, I purposely do not hit the nos but I do hit the gas full throttle, my rear wheels are spinning out just a bit off the line and I am out in front (due to my supra LSD, and Dragon Torque Converter) anyway, the 430 starts catchiing me once it got going and I then had to quickly hit the nos. The additional 100hp+ hp immediately kicks the my rears again start spinnig out again slightly in the second gear. Well let's just say I pulled away and the race was over just like that. At the next red light he did not pull up next to me this time, but stayed behind me, however, I would say this about the new IS430's even though I think they are kinda ugly I would say they are pretty quick once they get going for a stock Lex ride, I did not completely blow it away by any means. End of story. I hope I did not bore you too much I just wanted to share the story......

Check you engine and transmission mounts. How many miles does your car have?

Received and understood!!!!!!! The only comparisions I have made to your statements was in regards to my 1992 sc400 exhaust first hand adventures. So to answer your question I did have the stock exhaust piping running with a high flow cat and high flow mufflers, then I only changed the rear section of exhaust piping to the 2 1/2 inch piping from the cat to the mufflers, and I noticed very little change in performance with lowend torque and just noticed a little more highend that is why I have been suggesting the larger piping along. I can say I have researched alot on the exhaust setups, read many of your posts over the past year and others, and actually purchased a set of your designed S$S Headers and completely respect your knowledge and understanding of exhaust flow, however I know what worked best on my 1992 sc400, and keeping in mind your talking about newer sc cars and my old car is a 1992 sc400 and is also not stock - with an ecu piggyback, LSD dif, Intake, runs rich with nos, and perhaps runs different then others sc's. So John, I will assume you are right and I am wrong for suggesting the larger piping in the rear sections. I would love to link this stuff I talked about prior to this post but I have not yet figured out how. I will work on that to validate my claims in the future, but as you can see I can provide pictures and am running the larger pipes.. I also suggested in prior posts that changing out the Cat converters on pre 96 lexus's is a good idea, as I have witnessed first hand the stock cats truley clog and become very restrictive over time. I changed my original stock cat converter to a magnaflow highflow cat which is fitted and designed just like the stock and wow did I notice a difference at top end, suprised the heck out of me I was expecting nothing big. My car had 105,000 miles on it when I did that change out.. Anyway that is all, you are the man on exhaust.... I am just trying to offer my 100% honest opinion to help others that is it.

I read on the Lextreme forum one guy is running headers with three inch straight pipes all the way back to the highflow mufflers with no X or Y's needed, he said no loss at lowend just roaring power which I argued about based on the former posts.. I agree you definetly will lose low end with larger tailend exhaust pipes but you will also gain top end torque and allow the engine to breathe better at higher rpm's. The larger exhaust pipes being used will cause torque loss at lowend but that can be countered with a stronger torque converter. Engine will perform better with faster running times. JBrady, I hope I am not irritating you with my come back posts that is not my intention but I tell you my 1992 sc400 flows better with the larger tailend pipes and I would not go back to the smaller stock piping just to gain back a little lowend which I don't need and lose my top end. My car still bolts off the line with rude lowend torque and even with the Supra LSD my rear wheels still spinout in first gear at full throttle without the use of my nos system.. With nos a traction nightmare. See ya, this just my show of events that happen from hands on experience with my car.

I almost lost to a Honda once with a big turbo but I was way too fast off the start for him. He was right with me though the whole way after but could not find the power to pass, and I am running 400hp+ with my 1992 Sc400 with a Dragon Torque Converter. Those honda's are super light and can move with a turbo and a few other mods trust me. I can't stand losing races. Haven't lost too many in the last year, but I just backed out of a race recently with an E55 AMG, thought I might lose on the back end of that race, did not want to lose $400 (cost of 2 Laker tickets). A friends brother of mine was goating me a couple of weeks ago for race and tickets to winner, I had too chicken out, although I think it would have been a close race. Save your pride and until you do some mods I wouldn't challenge a new four cylinder turbo golf with a stock sc....I believe you will lose......

Could be an out of balance drive shaft but not likely, does it only rattle at higher rpms? What else, maybe a bad shock can you locate where the noise is coming from? Could be alot of things. but check your wheels first and make sure they are all balanced. Check all shocks see if any are loose. Check all exhaust, shake eveything and see if anything is loose and rattles. I need to know when the rattle occures at what speeds and rpms, does it rattle when you brake? If it is a vibration at higher rpms check driveshaft balancing, motor and transmittion mounts. That is what I would do.

You will lose probably because these stock sc400 cars are complete slugs off the line, and unless you quickly upgrade your torque converter I think you will come up short. The manual transmittion has the clear advantage off the line and the turbo will keep it going. I think you will probably lose but not by much.

Save the money and get some brighter blue headlights if anything. That's my opinion.

Wow, I posted this thread months ago, I got it covered thanks, I changed out the stock sub and installed a 10" kicker sub, two sony x-plod speakers rear speakers with built in tweeters and a Kicker KX250 amp, removed the stock amp. Total cost $300 installed. Sounds better and louder then stock, very happy with the upgrades but I am upgrading again and currently bidding on a KX500 Kicker amp to upgrade from the KX250 Kicker amp just incase I ever want to blow the windows out. That is the story, and yes I am spending too much money on this car. This is a picture of the amp.

OK the choice is mine, thanks. I feel like I am in court on trial, I am talking about how great the Lexus engine is on a Lexus Forum, and you are pulling a few morally questionable sentences out of context on many of my posts and saying I am fueling a fires, etc..and you say I caused "Army of One" to post that angry post at me in your defense, I thought Army of One posted that because he had one too many drinks? No? Listen SW - I understand everything you are telling me and you have a job to do and yes I will do my best to stay peaceful and be respectful to others on this forum if allowed to stay, but you must ask others to do the same just as you have informed me, I can read a few negative posts on this thread and many other threads where members or guests get hostile and say alot of worse stuff then mine. However, being that I insulted you and you are the forum administrator I understand you are upset and ready to give me the boot and singling me out. However, as you know discussions on these threads turn into differences which then can get heated at times out of frustration on both ends just as you have displayed and admitted from remarks by me and monarch's. To say I may never fire back is to say I can not defend myself. Did you not fire back when I insulted you just a little bit? Hey, I did not get a great thrill out of calling you 14, but I said that because I was defending myself because you be-littled me by your spelling comment. Your appology is excepted and I appologise to you for saying what I said. It is over let's move on or if you feel you need too give me the boot, you obviosely are knowledgeable about cars or you would not be the administrator and I am sure you are not 14, and that is fact. I will also do my best in the future to abide by the set rules of this sensitive forum. You must also lead by example when you preach and not entirely put the blame on one person and one person only that is not fair and just either. Just for the record I posted on this thread because I wanted to talk about how fantastic early model Lex engines are and to share that with others whom may not be aware of what they have and own. Also to get their thoughts and opinions aswell, my intentions were not to start verbal wars, fires, heated responses and or insult others. So I will leave it at that. See ya-

Yeah Chill Army of One, and save a drink for me. That sounds like a bad !Removed! old Charger that you have, and no I do not think I would consider racing a monster like that, but I wouldn't mind a test run in it. ;) Hell, I recently backed out of a race with a E55 AMG in fear I might of lost that race and $400. Although, I think it would have been close 0-80, but a full blown charger no thanks. I already have shown everyone I can't spell do you think I am about to show everyone I stupid too. No thanks..... I need to borrow my bro's blown 454 Big Block Chevy in his SS Nova to consider hanging with your beast, not my current 1992 sc400. See ya!!!!

SW- You are picking on me and that is not cool. I said many nice things on this thread as well and all of those negative quotes were responses to negative remarks that were said to me first, including yours to me. Check out your third to last thread, you put down Monarch, and one other guy and then me "And Lastly Transmission is spelled...."remember?) it sounds to me like you are all knowing and wise and I am just stupid. Sorry bro, I got to and will fire back every time, administrator or not. Bud, maybe I am out of line but you are too then. I am cool and have no hard feelings from this point forward and I hope you the administrator feel the same. Finally for the record I back up all of my statements I said from knowledge and hands on experience, so I call it fact, because that is what it is to me until proven different. In closing, I do not think I am all knowing and don't claim to be better then anyone else on this forum but I do know a few things about Lexus and one of them is the 1st generation lexus 4.0 liter V8 rocks and is one of the best motors ever made from production. That is all I am saying- Late- and Happy News Year to everyone just in case I get the boot!!!!! ALL IS POSITIVE!!!!! For me the glass is always half full and not half empty!!!!

Thanks DCFISH!!!!!!!!!!!! JIBBY, If you're going to be a member of this board, you will address the other members with respect in every post. If you're not willing to do that then we will show you the door. You've consistently tried to insult and undermine the position of everyone who has disagreed with you here by insinuating that we have no right to discuss this with you because of your "experience". I've tried to be respectful to you at every turn and have politely attempted to discuss your experience with you as have others and its been met with snide remarks, eye rolling, and groans. Thats your only warning. As far as age is concerned, did I direct any discussion or comments about age towards you? No. I directed them at Monarch. If the spelling correction insulted you I apologize, but I think it was more than just payback for the snide comments from you the rest of us have endured throughout this discussion. If you think I'm too book smart to know anything about cars simply because I can properly spell "transmission", I think I can probably live with that. Jibby, I'm with you, Some threads are just too damn sensitive, Give it up, It's not worth it. We know what's best, And you know what I mean. Better threads coming. ;)

I don't recall insulting anyone? Maybe showing frustration at times but I do not enjoy insulting people or putting people down, but I do get defensive when someone gets on my case for no reason. I believe I am the main person contributing to this tread with true facts and pictures as well. I believe I have expressed my honest opinion of the greatness of the early model lexus motors that is it. If you are the forum administrator and have the power to give me the boot then go ahead if you must, it will be this forums loss, not mine. However, I prefer that would not as I enjoy letting fellow lexus owners the true worth of their engine in case they did not already know, which it appears to me many do not. If that is going to get me kicked off this forum then you guys need to lighten up a little, if you insult you must know you may be insulted back. If you were correcting my spelling in all goodness then I appologize for firing back and I thank you for the correct spelling of "transmission" See ya!!! JIBBY, If you're going to be a member of this board, you will address the other members with respect in every post. If you're not willing to do that then we will show you the door. You've consistently tried to insult and undermine the position of everyone who has disagreed with you here by insinuating that we have no right to discuss this with you because of your "experience". I've tried to be respectful to you at every turn and have politely attempted to discuss your experience with you as have others and its been met with snide remarks, eye rolling, and groans. Thats your only warning. As far as age is concerned, did I direct any discussion or comments about age towards you? No. I directed them at Monarch. If the spelling correction insulted you I apologize, but I think it was more than just payback for the snide comments from you the rest of us have endured throughout this discussion. If you think I'm too book smart to know anything about cars simply because I can properly spell "transmission", I think I can probably live with that.

SWO3ES- Thanks for spelling "transmittion" for me, I work on engines and not on English majors, and usually my mispellings are typo's as I struggle to type at times. Your comment on age has nothing to do with any of these discussions. As for someone who is so critical on mispellings, all that tells me is that you probably spend more time in books then in engines, so I must question your car IQ? Also- for your information this forum started on "10 best engines" so maybe you should read before writting and also try to be a little less critical of others, all that does is show your age which sounds to me like about 14. Now go take a hike and go tune up your oil burning Ford and also go put some weight in your trunk to keep down that light back end of yours before you wrap it around a pole!!! I was always a Chevy man anyway!!!

I have read it all and posted alot on this thread, and what I haven't mentioned is I am comparing a 1992 sc400 4.0Liter motor with over 100,000+ to newer motors like the lincoln, and many others and this old lexus motor is just an good or better then any brand new American, English, German, production motor made today. Bottom line is my 4.0L Lex motor can be purchased on Ebay, junk yards, etc... for around $1000.00. So pound for pound and price for price I still think the 4.0Liter lexus motor is the best motor to own on the planet with all considered. A bold but accurate statement. Needless to say the transmittions on these Lexus cars aren't too bad either, give me the 1st generation Lexus/Soarer motor and tranny ALL DAY LONG, I drive my car with the knowledge and confidence that it is one of if not the best motor on the road today, and my Modified Lexus motor will out last and out perform most!!!!!! IN CONCLUSION- My take on todays production engines - Americans engines have the muscle at production, German motors are the same but at a higher price with more problems likely to happen then most, English motors are still and probably always be crap, Jap motors are solid underpowered but well engineered, that is my take in general with the newest production made cars. Keep them all, I will stick and enjoy my 1st gen lex, as I know it is just as good and reliable as all the above mentioned at a fraction of the cost. I believe I have made my point and expressed my opinion!!!!! This has been fun but frusterating at the same time!!!

Now that is what I am talking about!!!!!! I like you monach!!! Well said!!!!!! Toysrme- Finally a man that speaks with substance and knowlege about time!!!!! Where were you guys when I needed you early on in this thread. Again, 1st generation Lexus v8 motors are as solid as they come. Upgrade the rods and pistons and you have a tank!!!!!!!! That is all!!!!!

De-railing is common on threads, so don't sweat it. Feel flattered it lasted this long that ususlly means it was an interesting thread. With all that said, I agree nos is not used or is practical on most vehicles, but the good old sc400 can easily handle nos with no problem. It's nice to be able to hit a button and get an instant 100-150hp, that will get the job done and enable you stay with the fastest of sports cars, and is just a fraction of the cost of airforced induction, such as a turbo or supercharger setup. I am trying to justify my nos how am I doing so far? OK check this - Imagine your in your lincoln cruising and falling asleep in the comfort of a towncar and all of the sudden your wife is pregnant and her water burst and ruins your leather and the hospital is miles away what do you do? YOU HIT THE NOS!!!!!!!!!! Or if your to old and scared to hit the nos give the towncar to your youngest son and tell him I'm too old and scared to hit the nos, so son it is up to you to hit the nos and blow away the neighbors Porshce. You never know, it is a nice rush to get thrust back in your seat, try it you might like it!!! Fun time is over now, Happy New Years everyone!!!!!

Ok a 100,000 miles is chump change if you maintain and change that oil in a newer engine. Four cylinder engines are good for saving gas that is it!! For the other guy, I can speak intellegently about these topics because I know and understand engines, and yes I agree just that about any newer engine that you properly maintain should last a very long time. The point I was trying to make is simply that I believe the Lexus V8 motor can handle more wear, tear and stress then most if all other American v8 engines. That is it. Lincoln and others such as Hemi's, Trintons, Vortec's, etc... cannot handle the stress of nos and wear and tear as well and the 4.0L V8 lexus, that is my opinion and the opinion of other professional mechanics whom have seen and worked on all the above engines including your Lincolns. To handle more strength and stress usually means it is a stronger engine, so nos example does apply. So again, I know what I am saying and it is fact... I can't believe this thread is still going, time for a new subject. How about transmittions? Would you agree most American transmittions fail before 200,000 miles especially if you tow, I am familiar with the th400, the beefed up Ford transmittions on Taxi's and Police vehicles and they can go 300,000 easy, I think it is safe to say the Lexus transmittion is a pretty good one compared to most, but I will not go out and say it is better then the lincoln with 700,000 miles or maybe a few others. What do you guys think of the Tranny's out there today?

The nos application is merely an illustration of the durability of the Lex V8 motor, I know you guys are not going to run nos on your cars, and also cannot speak intellegently about this subject as shown above. Ignorance is not bliss!!!. I read up on the lincoln motor in which you folks are all talking about and yes it is a good and solid motor but not an equal, and there are several reasons why. Which I care not to go into detail about, because I will be typing all day. Heat factors, block thickness, blueprinting, cams etc... Try again please!!!!! Is there a Lexus mechanic in the house?? No insults intended, just getting a little frusterated. Until anyone of you have stripped down and rebuilt the engines and know exactly the content of the internal parts you people are just speculating and that is it. That is all for me!!!!

I've road with Daisens and I think they are crap, go with a good poly bushing on Ebay you will save money and enjoy them more. The daisens are to soft, and spungy feeling, and can cause steering drift. I've got a set of Daisen lower control arm bushing sitting in my back yard collecting dust. I removed them for a reason. Just my opinion.