Doctor K

I had one experience with Pep Boys and it was good. I had purchased a used mini-truck from a buddy. His genius son "accidentally" put 30 weight motor oil in the brake master cylinder. Firestone quoted me 1200.00 to replace the damaged parts. Pep Boys did the job for 600.00.

I put Pirelli M&S Zero Neros on my 05 SC430. These tires are rated very high by Tire Rack. I think you will like them! Doc

Thanks guys. I took the car to Lexus of Riverside, Ca. this am and they want to keep it a couple of days. My wife has a 2005 MB SLK350 and she followed me to the dealership and I rode the 25 miles home with her. What a totally different car the MB is, in comparison to my Lexus! The differences are numerous but the ride quality of the MB is inferior, and the audio system in the Lexus (Mark Levinson) is a pure joy. I didn't really appreciate the total quality of my SC430 until this morning.

Please post pictures of your wife before I :chairshot make a decision!

I have had my 05 SC430 a little over a month and I love the car. I have about 1800 miles on the car and it is a lot quicker than when it was new. I do have a couple of concerns regarding the front end though, and am taking the car in tomorrow to the selling dealership. The brakes pulsate when moderate braking occurs. You can feel it in the steering wheel. Also the car wanders within its lane at freeway speeds, requring constant attention. I have never abused the brakes, nor had any panic stops! I think a front end alignment will cure the wandering problem, but I'm not certain about the pulsating brakes. Anyone had a similar situation? B) TIA

Supreme 300, Don't sugar coat your feelings about those guys-tell us what you really think!

ALWAYS use at least 91 octane i :chairshot: n your Lexus. Here in California we can only get 91. I remember when Union 76 had 104 octane. Those were the days!

I haven't had my SC painted, but I have had more than a few nice cars repainted over the years. $3500.00 is a good price for a first-rate paint job, but I'm certain you can find a much lower price. The question should be, "what kind of quality do I want?" My Pantera cost $4000.00 to paint and didn't require any bodywork. Porsche paint jobs will cost upward of $6500, easily. You get what you pay for.

I would certainly have a professional tire and wheel shop look at your car before spending a couple thousand on wheels and tires. I just put ASA 18" rims and Pirelli tires on my 2005 SC. The front fit on my car is very close with the factory wheels, especially the width. Good luck with your new car! Doc Lar

I've noticed after putting some 800 miles on my SC430 that it is finally breaking in, and performance is improving. I think we have to remember we are dealing with a 3800 lb car and only 300 horsepower. This SC will never compare with the Corvette, Porsche or MB SLK350 in pure performance, but it has it's own virtues. Anyone driving the car will be impressed after a little seat time.

Am interested in a meet in So Cal too. Hoping for lots of loose women and lovely Lexus SC430s.

You could get a nice later model Porsche for that price, or a Boxster, but you can't get a new 997 without another 20,000. Yes the back seat in my Lexus is a joke. A car you might consider is the MB350 SLK55. I just bought my wife one and she and I love it. For a lesser price the Corvette Z06 is probably the BEST bang for the buck iin the automotive industry. As I have said before the Lexus SC430 is a boulevard cruiser, not a sports car. It is sluggish and doesn't corner well. The build quality is excellent and the Levinson stereo is absolutely first drawer.

DomLee Thanks much for the information. I contacted Carson Toyota and I believe I have found a source for all the parts I need. Doc Lar

Wheels and new tires on yesterday. I changed the run-flats for Pirelli Nero Zero an the ride is much improved, and quieter. Can't find a company that makes lowering springs for this car. Eibachs and H&Rs will not work. Any suggestions?

I just got my 2005 SC430, and it is my first Lexus. I have owned many fine cars in the past-Porsche, Vipers, Corvettes, Mercedes etc. The Lexus seems to be breaking in nicely. By that I mean performance is improving somewhat. I ordered new ASA wheels, and will get the car lowered slightly this week. Pinstriping comes next month. This car is a boulevard cruiser more than a sports car, but I'm starting to like it more and more. The fit and finish is what you would expect from a $67,000 car. 50 more horsepower and a better transmission would improve the car greatly. Comments from fellow owners would be appreciated. Doc Lar <_<

Lexus is almost as pricey as Porsche. They wanted $179.00 for floor mats. Thats BS. Just ordered 1.2" lowering springs for my 05 SC430. I tried to find 2" or 2.5 " but I guess there is little call for them.

I just got on to this web site. I'm surprised at the lack of activity, especially regarding my current auto, a 2005 SC 430. Is there a more active Lexus site I am missing. No disrespect intended.

I just bought a 2005 SC430 and have put 240 miles on it this week. It is amazing how a few break-in miles will increase the performance of this vehicle. Does anyone have experience with an improved exhaust system. More free flowing with more of an exhaust note (noise) and possibly more mid-range torque. The car is growing on me, but after coming from a twin turbo Porsche the acceleration is really a let down. I understand you can't compare apples to bananas, but I would like a little more than I've getting. At freeway speeds of 85-100 mph the car will run with the best of them. But 0-60 is a let down. I noticed the manual talks frequently about down shifting manually for braking purposes, but says nothing of using the 2-3-4 manual for acceleration purposes. Any known problems in using the trans manually for acceleration purposes? I'm not talking red-lining the car in lower gears all the time. Opinions welcomed. Doc

Just bought my first Lexus 3 days ago. I have owned many fine cars in my life and hope this Lexus falls into that category. I am more than a little concerned with the way the transmission shifts, and especially the way the car is so sluggish in pulling away from a stop. It seems like you are in third gear in pulling away. Once underway the shift detents are almost imperceptable. I cannot tell which gear I'm in once moving unless I hand select a lower gear. The car has only 150 miles on it. It sure does not seem like 300 horsepower! Will it get any better once I have accumulated milage? Stereo is outstanding and the car is beautiful. <_<