AWJ

You'll have to research the converters. A stall converter engages in a certain manner that for normal driving wouldn't be a problem depending on how it is set up. You may get some punchier shifts - so you'd want to consider that. I'm not too keen on stall converters due to my limited drag experience and no V8 experience like some others. Though I have my eyes on a track only Monte. You can't go wrong with the SC400 - it is a great car in it's own right. Especially in good shape. Take car of it and it will take care of you for a long time. Feel free to post up some pics in the gallery and link them to the threads or attatch them. People will always mistake a good looking lexus for new. No matter what model or year. I get that all the time. I love the - "I see who makes all the money" comments at work and stuff. I counter with - I'm just smarter than you. I bought a better car than yours and paid less and you're jealous becuase you had to have a new chevy. Sorry buddy. of course that was with the old ride - the current one is in hiding. No daily driving for this one. Good luck and enjoy.

Wow - old thread. Lots has happened since then. Anyways - to answer your question I can give you this advice. 1. If you absolutely love your 400 and will not part with it then check out a torque converter with a stall in it at least 2500 up to whatever range you want to launch at. Precision Industries has been well spoken of by other auto Lexus guys. You have an intake, companies like weapon R make an ecu upgrade that can take advantage of modifications. You could run a shot of nitrous maybe up to 100hp or more on stock components if installed correctly with all the safegaurds. Also, the 4.7 tundra crank can be installed for a 4.3 stroker motor from your 4.0. If you go this far you can research cam regrinds - some other guys have had luck with Crane doing custom regrinds. Port and polish - milling, compression increase.... you can get creative. But now this is getting into money and still how much power for the $ will justify this work? You could do a one off turbo set-up for the 1UZ. There is a LS400 running around in the west with a tt set-up. Also, someone has a supercharger somewhere. Check out Peter Scott's site in the faq. Planet Soarer - has info. Not sure if it is commercially available. 2. Sell your SC400 and get a SC300 and go nuts on it.

Tein makes good stuff. So does JIC. If I was not looking to spend much money and I wanted a fixed drop with decent performance, I would buy 4 supra TT kyb agx shocks with an Eibach pro-kit also TT spec. That can be had relatively cheaply - at least much cheaper than the coil over. If adjustability is key - then save up. ;)

The 1999 model parts and up should work. Probably some ecu issue or something. VVT-i items? I'm speculating. But you could just modify your stock airbox for more flow if that is your goal. Unless you are looking for a pretty shiny pipe. Then you need a short stack.

Hey, Lexo - glad to see it worked out. It sounded like it was running a little too wet. ;) Congratulations! There are lots of options. You can do it yourself. I was going to on my old ride. I started piecing a kit together with parts I found used and researching new components to set it up. Then I had a set-back. I sold all the parts. Then I came across a car already set-up and snapped it up. It is a toyomoto version single turbo GE - the NA-T in every aspect. It is freakin sweet. I think naturalatlas82 you are asking two different questions - a single turbo on top of a 2jz-gte swap and a single turbo on a 2jz-ge swap. A turbo on a GE can be very powerful. Dollar for dollar it can be just as satisfying to turbo the GE as it is to swap and deal with the GTE. Keep in mind, after swapping the motor - you are still only at stock power on the gte unless you invest more money into making it more powerful by whatever means. So the 10k figure for powerhouse I think being referred to is for the swap. The motor and labor. When for 7k you can be turning 400+ horsepower at the wheels. It's all a matter of personal preference and pocketbook size. As far as doing it yourself, it is very possible to strap up a single turbo to the ge. Just go slow, pay attention, and do a lot of research. F-max makes a kit that is complete. As well as Toyomoto. All items can be specified according to application. One rule of thumb. If you can't afford to break it - don't do it. Good luck.

Yes, the 97+ models got a grill and more body molding - side skirts and rounder fogs. Should be a parts list in the FAQ - there was another thread a few weeks ago as well. I'll see if I can dig it up.

430 is a whole different beast to me. Sorry. I think you're the first one with one of those here. IMO, balck leather might actually be easier to keep up than saddle. But I could be wrong. My first SC was saddle and showed any little smudge. The current one is black and shows little - but it has not been used very much either. There are some leather maintenance links I had but that is on the other computer. The FAQ might have something in it. Welcome to the club.

Meddle is right. That page there has several pictures of just about every kit available and probably no longer available. I don't know for sure. There was also an erebruni kit for sale in our classifieds. I was going to get it but priorities took over.

There are ways to modify them yourself. But only for the 95+ models. the 92 - 94 models have colored lense that can not be modified in stock form - but there was some company doing it for an outrageous price.

I converted the last model I had. Just changed the old type out for the new type in the same old system. 92SC400man was the one with the weak AC. In fact I have not run the ac in the current ride. It is always cheaper to just do a release of the old refrigerant and refill the new kind. If the AC still performs poorly, then other things can be done from there. But $1200 is still to high of a price for AC compressor/clutch. Find a good independant mechanic and they will do it for much less and still make their money and do a good job. A good general purpose shop will be able to tell you what refrigerant is supposed to be used - the goodyear guy is most probably right.

Okay, most probably the kit you saw was for the 2JZ-GTE engine. That is the motor for the supra tt and that kit is a single turbo conversion. Our motor is a 2JZ-GE - same motor (basically) with no turbos. The head is different with different intake and exhaust ports. This makes that kit not work with our motor among a few other things. That kit would work with our motor if a GTE head was bought and installed on the GE block. Then the TT upgrades will work - but a ecu will be needed and the money can climb quickly. To turbo the GE motor, Sound Performance does offer a custom manifold that is tubular and equal length based off of the HKS deal. They can hook you up with a turn key est-up. I had an estimate from them when I visited their shop for $7,500 drive in and drive out. That is a rough estimate and may be a little less or a little more depending on what you ask for. Other companies offering the NA-T (normally aspirated to turbo) conversion are F-max, Performance Factory/Rollhard, Toyomoto, PHR, DE, and I'm sure there are many more that could get the job done.

Speakers

Or a bad amp. You have to check.

The clutch from or for a non turbo mkiv will work or any similar upgrade - it is the same. The 6 speed will not work because I beleive they are designed differently.

If you need to do research or learn about turbos there is an excellent book by Corky Bell by the title of Maximum Boost. It has the information and calculations necessary for turbo sizing. Research is key. I've got the smallest turbo I've yet heard of with a T3/T04B but it is running specs of a large T04E or B as the case may be (still need to tear into it and work it over a little). I've heard of SP57's, SP63 - (those are Sound Performance brand turbo's popular with supra motors and thus work with ours) all the way up to SP88 and 1,000hp with spool up kits and expensive engine management systems with 10,000 rpm limits on worked over motors. It is all in the set up. The more power, flow, boost - the more money. Almost any turbo can be trimmed, sized and tweaked to do the same as any other similar turbo within reason. It is my honest opinion that a nice single turbo is better than any twin set-up. It just has to be sized correctly for the application or goal. There are all kinds of turbos. The key is compressor maps and efficiency. The book will help anyone understand these items. I'll post some maps I have come across in the gallery. If you are serious about forced induction via turbo you should have a real good understanding of them before going to any tuner or installer. I learn more every day and have been reading up for a few years.

No, not really any odd angles. Flex-a-lite dual 210's. They work well for the most part. I was going to upgrade the stuff to run on a temp sensor and redo the wiring but never got a chance. No contradiction taken, some people have them and like them - others don't. Personally, it's hard for me to buy a real gain because I have not seen any dyno numbers with just the fans.

The gains may not be worth the risk. I can prove nothing about gains. People say it is better but I really doubt in the end it matters. The fans worked. But on hot days in traffic - if they were not on or they failed, temps rise and boilovers happen. They do work - if you wire them to be on all the time - or sucessfully wire in a t-stat. It does make room in the engine bay as well. But after seeing spikes in temperature a few times, I decided it not worth it. Unless you don't have to stop in traffic. Then it's fine. Really, the only time cooling fan is needed is when it is stopped - during movement, the air flow does a great job of keeping the temps down. So the only time parasitic drag would be noticed is when the car is at idle in traffic. With the clutch disengaged, there is no drag - there might be some weight removal benefits but minimal - unless looking for that elusive .05 seconds on the 1/4. Others have claimed success but I've read more accounts of people installing them and then going back to stock fans on road cars.

TRD bushings and sway bars from a mkiv will work. There are two mounts that need to be removed from the SC and replaced with mkiv style mounts to accomodate them so that is your additional component above the normal parts. People have claimed great benefits. I have not done this yet but I will. I can get more details. Good luck. daizen parts Soarer bushing replacement (same as SC) Daizen parts are built to fit the SC but are a great improvement. To swap to mkiv TT bars - the subframe mounts and swap bar mounts from the mkiv are needed - kind of expensive.

What year lenses do you have?

About price that depends on year as well. It's ultimately up to the seller what the car will go for. You can negotiate and make lower offers. Traction control is not mandatory and is only available on automatic models. 13.5K is realistic. You could find one for less if you're lucky. Nak is the high end audio.

YES Definitely. T04E series have approached 500 ponies, a T60-1 has shown to be a little more flow. Flow is key. The more flow the more power if the fuel is there. A big turbo like a t78 is gonna flow high with big numbers but you will wait longer. It's all based on what you want.

Get another sub. There is a free air replacement that escapes my mind at this time. Maybe someone else knows.

You may have a warped rotor. I'd get another opinion. The brake pads should have more than 3mm of material on them - if not they should be replaced and the rotors should be inspected. They may be turned - the specifications are on the rotor itself. You may need to remove some rust to read it though. Without seeing it, it is hard to say though.

Not too much performance gain there. Try the BFI intake. Follow the link in the faq: I will post here as well - make your own BFI Cat back exhaust set-ups from JIC, Greddy, Pheonix and the like as well as some custom piping are all possible. Keep in mind, it is hard to improve on the engineered systems in you're automobile. Any boasted improvements from any one modification are usually exagerated as it takes several modifications as part of a tuned system to really give a sizeable amount of power. Just intake - expect to lose power in low range. You might gain something at 6,000rpm. Exhaust - 2hp. Intake and exhaust - it will sound good. You might make a few more ponies at some point in the band with a sacrifice elsewhere. It can be worthwhile but check out the link for some good write ups. In another respect, fancy intakes and shiny exhausts do look good when done tastefully and if that is the goal, there is nothing wrong with that. Before turbo, I had a cone intake adapter mounted to the stock MAF with a home made box and cowl. I kept the stock exhaust. Also some electric fans replaced the stock parasitic cooling fan (something that may not be a good idea), as well as an APEXi SAFC air/fuel ratio controller. An upgraded clutch and big wheels. If you want measureable power gains then turbo or nitrous is your best option. Currently this one is running 3.5 dp to the split with 2.5 out to some high flow cans. Completely custom. That is running forced induction though. NA - I would recommend 2.5 pipe possibly omitting cats depending on state regulation and personal preference.

If you have that cash on hand then ok. But for a college student it will be hard to finance something like this in a timely manner. That is what I was getting at. I have heard good things about Phil's book. There is information in the faq as well. But for the price of the swap a comparable na-t job can be done that yeilds much more power. That would be the goal of the swap right? The SC is a great car alone with out boost, but with boost it becomes a super car of sorts. I couldn't imaging maintaining a vehicle like that while trying to go through college. If you can then great. There is 1 engine that would be worth dropping. The 2JZ-GTE the 3.0 MKIV supra TT motor. The japanes soarer 2.5gt has a 1jz-gte 2.5L TT. The supra motor is sequential operation on the turbos while the soarer is parallel. A usdm 2jz-gte is going to be easier to source parts and upgrade components for. The JDM counterpart is going to be more difficult. What engine codes are you referring to specifically? With enough know how you could put a leigenfelter motor in there if you wanted. The best model is the 1995 model year 5 speed SC. It has a tranny tunnel that will accomodate the getrag 6 speed. Custom shafts and the like are involved. Manual trannies were available from 92 to 97 in the SC300. There is not point to buy a SC400 if you are going to pull it. the 300 is the 3.0 inline 6 and the 400 is a 4.0 V8. Standard rules for buying a used car apply. Look for a SC300 in good condition. A higher mileage one is going to have more wear - bushings, mounts, hinges, paint, undercarriage, etc. If you are pulling the GE motor out then miles may not be as critical, but you still need to consider the rolling frame. A good shape 92 might be had for 6.000$ as some claim but it's unlikely IMO. Find your SC on autotrader, forums classifieds - etc. Of course - help is good - and if you know what you're doing then you got it in the bag. Previous experience is going to help the most. You will need a lot of stuff that is not planned on. A little write from the experienced A GTE swap into an SC is a sweet idea. I'm not trying to rain on a parade - but this is no picinic for the wrench or pocketbook. Best of luck.