breakilla

Sorry to hear (and see) your car was hit, but a set back only opens the door to opportunity. I want to paint mine the same color if I stay white, but I've been throwing around titanium as an option as well. How much i steh paint job going to set you back? I'm going to get the Executive Aero Kit (http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=1600) then get it painted...I have all the same little flaws as you. Can't wait to see it when its done. The paint job is going to cost me $3000 but we are going to milk the insurance company as much as possible for that rear end hit. The paint shop is a very good shop and does high quality work. I will definitly post up pictures when i get it back. I hope im making the right choice by painting it starfire pearl instead of diamond pearl. They are not going place the order until this tuesday so there is still time to change.

As far as the bushings i think im going to get the lower control arms. theres a guy on ebay his id name is lexmaniac and store name is original lexus part store. he has the oem set(right & left side) for $725 the rubber busshing from planet soarer are over $300 might as well spend another $300 and get the brand new control are with brand new bushings. lexus dont sell the bushings on its own. Pair that along with some new shocks and the ride should be like new. I was going to upgrade the bumper to the one with the grill but this bumper looks crazy im staying with it. The body shop is going to take out the headlights and give them to me for i can try the oven trick.

Well he has done it again! Andrew Vlamos (email vlamos@bigpond.net.au or phone mobile 0411 227 007) Mr Perfectionist, has gone and manufactured upper control arm bushes for the front and rear wheels of the Toyota Soarer and Lexus SC Coupes. Now we can get superb quality bushes to match the Lower Bushes he is already famous for. When mine arrived in the mail again I had to admire them for the works of art that they are. So much cheaper to replace the bushes like this rather than buy a new control arm from Toyota. These are the only bushes that will give your Soarer that brand new feeling again. I copied and pasted this from www.planetsoarer.com check out the lower and upper control are bushing that they have to offer. They are made from spun steel and rubber and are suppose to be very good. The price is in the $300 range.. Jibbby someone hit my SC in the back. 2 days ago, I was not *BLEEP*ed off doe because im going to take advantage of the situation. My SC is in the shop now. i ordered the 97+ bumber and tail lights, and Im getting the car painted in the color starfire pearl thats the new white from the 2007 sc. looks very nice. I dont know but side by side the older SC i think kicks the new SC !Removed!. what ya think? Im still going forward with the other mods doe. check out the picture of my car and the new sc with the starfire pearl color. You might say hey why would i paint a perfectly looking car, but my car had alot of little imperfections, rust spots, the bumpers where painted with a flat white and one door was repainted, thats how i bought it. so im just going to do the whole car over with starfire pear white. pictures can really be decieving because my car looks perfect from the picture. what do you think about that new pearl color?

I was going to leave the intake for last since i remember that you had mention that the lexus intake is not that restrictive, but if its almost free ill check it out. where would i find the SAFC piggy back ECU. and for the one wheel spinning i think that would be a problem with uneven tire wear. where can i find the trd lsd or torsen. Thanks for your suggestions. My best friends has a clk 55 2002 convertible. I was just driving it today it has 340 hp but the wheels dont peel off. it does have alot of power doe. I unofficially raced him with my gs300 AWD it was close for like 2 seconds then he left me behind. I want to be able to keep up or even beat him of the take off with my sc400. All my past cars were leases so i dont really have experience with mods. Besides this SC the only other lexus i had owned was my first car the GS300 1994 now that car was a true slug. only mod i did was very loud music system with tv's etc and rims. Im actually looking for a good GS300 1996 or 1997 to buy for my collection.

Yea thats true i think ill go with the ektuning headers instead of the s&s headers. I rather keep it simple. The only thing i have to do now is find a good muffler shop in the bronx to install them. so many options so many things that i want to do. i will be doing the following upgrades in the next couple of days. 1. ektuning.com headers. $999.00 2. dragon torque converter. $750.00 3. blitz nur rear mufflers. $600.00 4. kyb or tokico gas shocks. not sure which one to pick. They both cost around $300. 5. lower control arm bushings. 6. brand new headlights. once i replace my headlights with the new ones ill do the oven trick method that you mentioned clean them and put them on ebay to get my money back. cant wait to see what the torque converter will do. will i have to get that lsd that you was talking about to make my wheels spin? or will they spin just with the torque converter?

Whats up Jibbby. Im ready to purchase my exhaust system now. Im not sure which headers im going to go with. You said that you were extremely happy with your s&s headers but they are not true bolt on. I was looking at the ektuning headers they are priced at $999, but they have a disclaimer stating that they are not legal for road use. I dont know but i think ill go with the S&S headers what do you think about that? Im also going with the blitz nur rear exhaust system and the dragon torque converter. I saw the n 1 circular megan racing mufflers on ebay for $25.00 I dont know what to think about a muffler that sells for so cheap. The blitz are selling for $600 so i hope they turn out good. This thread has kept going strong because it has good information and most readers use it as a guideline to modify thier sc's. I know i do.

I read that you were dissapointed with the daizen brand lower control arm bushings. Should i consider oem bushings? How will brand new bushings affect my ride?

I actually read all 11 pages, good information on this thread. How about the Rod Millen motorsports rear end exhaust mufflers? They are priced at $550 in luxurymods.com. Are they worth the price or would the magna flow or megan circular racing would be just fine?

Though I understand your frustration geoffreymg, your post could have been worded a bit more diplomatically. No need lashing out the insults. Just start a new post bringing the topic to light, that's all. Then you won't be asked to take the stick out your !Removed!. I'm usually one of the last to throw stones (playa' hate), but I have to second the general observation. I've also got a membership over at bimmerforums.com where there certainly is not only much more action, but more intelligible action per-capita. And yes, there are quite a few younger owners (25 & below) here - which contributes to the likelyhood of posts with bad grammar and/or text-message ease. Mainly because the SC is a car that many (like myself) fell in love with as a youth and now the 1st generation SCs no longer require a $60,000 job in order to purchase. Furthermore, short of me laying down an Oprah Winfrey-esk slam on the quality of public schooling here in the U.S., I must say that perhaps we all need to elevate our communication skills - some more than others. For the sake of those reading your posts, but moreso for the sake of your own advancement in your profession/occupation and in society in general. Let's take the time to check what we write before we post, people. Its funny geoffrey talks about getto but he comes in here insulting people acting like a fool. I type 80 words a minute, and sometimes i do not proof read. Also english is my second language, so thanks to everyone who had something positive to say. We can all make this site better.

How is the sound level inside the sc400 cabin? Mines has this vrooom type of noise, not from the engine, it seems like its coming from the transmission. I just found out i need a transmission mount and 2 engine mounts. I will post the results once i have changed the mounts.

Today i went and got my car lifted to check out my exhaust system because im going to upgrade it. to my suprise the oil pan from the tranny and engine were both leaking. keep in mind that i just did a major tune-up with lexus. and they also found all 3 mounts to be broken. the 2 motor mounts and the transmission mount. any ideas on the repairs that should be charge to replace transmission mounts.

THEM LIPS ON THE WHEELS ARE CRAZY. CHECK OUT THE LIPS ON MINES.

THEM LIPS ON THE WHEELS ARE CRAZY. CHECK OUT THE LIPS ON MINES.

Whats going on Jibby, whats up SK P. As you guys problably read i just did my wheels. 19inch and they ride great for anyone who is looking to upgrade wheels. Anyway im looking to do my exhaust system next as i mentioned before. your list of mods was a great help i actually printed that out and im using it as my blueprint. :) The Presicion Dragon Torque Converter: I will be ordering this in about a week. They mention that you can adjust the stall speed. How will i know what speed to adjust the Stall. Do they recommend a setting? or what is the proper stall that i should have for maximum ofline wheel spinning action? :) Mufflers: I see that you have the megan N1 circular mufflers. I was thinking about the rod millen mufflers. I dont see to many people with them on this forums. Is it becuase they are more expensive? I really want the Rod Millen Mufflers, unless anyone has anything negative to say about them from experience. :( S&S Headers: I understand that they are not bolt on and require some modification, Do you think they are worth spending extra to modify them? I know you also mentioned the www.ektunning.com for some headers. I tried to visit the site and it was down ill try again later. Apexi piggy-back ECU: you put a sad face on this mod. What brand would you recommend for this mod? As far as the catalyc converter i will go with the magna flow 2 into 1 like you did. unless they are any better choices out there. This lexus sc 400 was bought as a second lexus. my primary car is a gs300 awd 2006 in matador red, stock and is going to stay stock. only mods i have are chrome pillars and wood kit plus is fully loaded with navigation, mark levingston, blue tooth etc. anyway back to the SC400. I purchased my SC on August 22nd and have only put less than 200 miles on it. I Want to make this an exclusive car since i only drive on sat and sundays. I plan to do all the mods possible. Money is not an object when it comes to my SC, since i am a Proffesional REALTOR. Well the point is that you can give me advice on the best items to buy, im not looking to buy cheap stuff. i dont want to get ripped of neither. But i trully believe that you get what you pay for. Thats why my fee for service to sell a house is 6% lol. Thanks for reading my post and i will start ordering parts after i read some replies. :) PS. I KNOW THAT GETTING WHEELS AS MY FIRST MOD ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NY WINTER IS COMING, WAS NOT THE BEST CHOICE, BUT I COULD NOT RESIST THE LOOKS OF CHROME WHEELS I WAS THIRSTY.

THE 19" WHEELS DO LOOK GOOD AND DOES NOT CHANGE THE RIDE TO MUCH. I WOULD DEFENITLY RECOMMEND 19 INCH WHEELS. THAT RED SC LOOKS GOOD WITH THEM WHEELS ON.

I just recently put on some 19 inch wheels and i think thats the perfect size for the SC. check out my thread on wheels and tire section i have more info.

New Mod: wheels upgrade from 16 inches to 19 inches. 245/35/19 in the front. 275/30/19 in the rear. offset: +38 i believe. tires: toyo proxes T1R. Wheels: HP Design *Lightning* :) no problems with high speeds. wheels do not shake the steering wheels. Suprisingly the ride did not change to much. No Rubing or No turning problems. The only thing i might need to do is drop it 1 inch. The Toyo tires are very quiet and responsive. I Did loose a little bit of power of lunges. Will do the Torque Convertere next. followed by headers and mufflers. The suspension system is still stock. Over all I think 19 inches are the perfect fit for the SC400.

O.....Yu dont Know O.....Yu dont Know

this car was cleaned with a clay making the surface smooth like a babys !Removed!. then was glazed.

i have not seen a hotter looking sc here in the bronx ny. most of the sc around here look beat up.

Try and do the exhaust - mufflers and cats especially, magnaflow is a good brand to consider...The noise is not too bad but if you like your luxury sc to sould like stock high flowing resonators should be installed too...I have headers, Magnaflow catalytic converter, Highflowing Y's and straight thru Megan N1 mufflers...With that setup you can rattle the neighbor hood from the noise.....However adding two sets of 1" round high flowing resonators you can get the car sounding like stock again without sacrificing too much performance....Complete Exhaust mods can literally give you 50-75hp on the older SC's.. The older SC400 exhaust systems are one of the most restrictive systems out there, really bad and litterally choke the engine....Ebay has good deals on Lexus exhaust stuff.... The mufflers and cats get clogged up over the years so get big gains with each change... The Apexi piggy-back ECU is good cheap mod that opens up the full air/fuel mix delivery to the motor that is restrictive too at stock form...Fuel economy will not suffer that much either as you tune for a increased lean mix..... Headers are tricky and expensive but EKtuning.com just came out with the only true bolt on headers for the SC400 in the entire United States.....They bolt up perfectly but are $1000 per set..Not cheap.....For more header and exhaust performance info. check out Lextreme forums.com and under the exhaust section you will find much info on the different headers and exhaust systems that are available.. The Precision dragon torque converter is one of the most impressive mods and doesn't effect the driveablilty of the car...As you know now the stock SC are painfully sluggish off the line and from a dead stop...That completely changes with an upgraded torque converter...You can spin the tires from a dead stop with a new torque converter and your 0-30mph times are dramatically improved....Hope this helps... These mods will not effect the reliablity of the car either... yes you are right jibby. i have a 95 sc 400. and it feels like something is clogged right before i accelerate. i just did a major tune up in lexus. new timing belt the works. and it still has that cloged feel at first. but when the car gets moving it feels alot better. I just purchased some 19 inch wheels. the next upgrade that im going to do is the exhaust to help it breath like you mentioned. quick question doe. are headers diffrent than the piggy back that you mentioned. i want to get the whole system from front to back. i was thinking the s&s headers and rod millen mufflers. what do you think about that? The S&S Headers are not the best choice in headers....THey are not true bolt on headers...Some custom fitting and exhaust work needs to be done...However there are other brands to consider...Look at my thread "Result of Mods" on this forum... I list all the mods and effects of the mods, headers and exhaust chioces to choose from, and also the piggy back ECU and what it does,,.....Just use the search function you can't miss it.... The piggy-back ECU will give you maybe 10hp while the entire exhaust can bring you back as much as 50hp....So I tell everyone to go for the exhaust changes first...The blitz nur exhaust system is reall nice...there are many others aswell....Rod Millen has quality products too... The sluggish starts can be corrected by an upgraded "torque converter".....Lextreme.com and Precision Industries (Dragon Torque Converters) are the two companies that have the upgraded torque converrter for you... no doubt i will look into those mods. the sc definitly needs the torque converter and exhaust system. But im a bit worried. when i bought the car it had a funny noise that it made coming from the shifter like a jet plane noise and when i decelerate also. now its making a clunk noise when i accelerate and let go of the accelerator pedal aswell. it got worste ever since i put on my new wheels. im taking it back to lexus because they were suppose to do a whole diagnosis they told me they did and that everything was okay. but theres nothing okay about that noise. im scared that its the transmission. i hope its just the exhaust system, becuase it sounds like its coming from under the car. any ideas.

Try and do the exhaust - mufflers and cats especially, magnaflow is a good brand to consider...The noise is not too bad but if you like your luxury sc to sould like stock high flowing resonators should be installed too...I have headers, Magnaflow catalytic converter, Highflowing Y's and straight thru Megan N1 mufflers...With that setup you can rattle the neighbor hood from the noise.....However adding two sets of 1" round high flowing resonators you can get the car sounding like stock again without sacrificing too much performance....Complete Exhaust mods can literally give you 50-75hp on the older SC's.. The older SC400 exhaust systems are one of the most restrictive systems out there, really bad and litterally choke the engine....Ebay has good deals on Lexus exhaust stuff.... The mufflers and cats get clogged up over the years so get big gains with each change... The Apexi piggy-back ECU is good cheap mod that opens up the full air/fuel mix delivery to the motor that is restrictive too at stock form...Fuel economy will not suffer that much either as you tune for a increased lean mix..... Headers are tricky and expensive but EKtuning.com just came out with the only true bolt on headers for the SC400 in the entire United States.....They bolt up perfectly but are $1000 per set..Not cheap.....For more header and exhaust performance info. check out Lextreme forums.com and under the exhaust section you will find much info on the different headers and exhaust systems that are available.. The Precision dragon torque converter is one of the most impressive mods and doesn't effect the driveablilty of the car...As you know now the stock SC are painfully sluggish off the line and from a dead stop...That completely changes with an upgraded torque converter...You can spin the tires from a dead stop with a new torque converter and your 0-30mph times are dramatically improved....Hope this helps... These mods will not effect the reliablity of the car either... yes you are right jibby. i have a 95 sc 400. and it feels like something is clogged right before i accelerate. i just did a major tune up in lexus. new timing belt the works. and it still has that cloged feel at first. but when the car gets moving it feels alot better. I just purchased some 19 inch wheels. the next upgrade that im going to do is the exhaust to help it breath like you mentioned. quick question doe. are headers diffrent than the piggy back that you mentioned. i want to get the whole system from front to back. i was thinking the s&s headers and rod millen mufflers. what do you think about that?

ready to feel my new chrome wheels out. ill let ya know how they ride.