Intellexual.Net: Lexus SC300/400 FAQ
Comprehensive Lexus SC300/400 FAQ
 

  Last updated on October 27, 2004

 

The Soarer Heritage

What you consider to be the iconic Toyota designs?

" The original Lexus SC was quite an iconic design. That was a very advanced product in its own right. It did all sorts of things that we don’t even do now, not just in terms of proportion but also the design of the vehicle. It didn’t have a grille on it and it was a luxury car. And the interior as well—it was an absolutely stunning interior, I think. Even by today’s standards, that interior is unmatched. "

- Simon Humphries, Toyota's Chief Global Designer, AutoWeek 01/04

The Lexus SC Coupe debuted in the United States in May 1991 as a 1992 model car. Lexus as you know started out in 1989 from it's Newport Beach, California headquarters as the Ultra Luxury Division of Toyota Motor Corp USA. The Toyota and Lexus nameplates have recently been distancing themselves more, even in Japan, for marketing purposes. In the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM), the Lexus SC coupe was sold as the Toyota Soarer. The 1992 Toyota Soarer was a third generation model of the Soarer (MKIII).

The original MKI Toyota Soarer debuted in 1981 as a rear-wheel drivetrain and either a 2.0-liter twin turbo DOHC I-6, or a naturally aspirated 2.8-liter DOHC I-6. The MKI started production from February 1981 to December 1985. The MKII Soarer offered the a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter DOHC I-6, a 2.0-liter twin turbo DOHC I-6, and a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter DOHC I-6 with optional air suspension. The MKII was in production from January 1986 to April 1991. In 1989, Lexus began sales in the United States. In May 1991, the MKIII Toyota Soarer and the Lexus SC coupe debuted in Japan and the United States, respectively.

The Lexus SC coupe is a rear-wheel drive, front-engine mid-sized coupe availaible in the United States with a 3.0-liter Inline-6 (SC300) or a 4.0-liter V-8 (SC400), and in Japan also available with a 2.5-liter twin turbo Inline-6 (Soarer 2.5GT-T/TL). The MKIII Soarer/SC began production in January 1991 and continued production until June 2000. In April 2001 the MKIV Soarer/Lexus SC430 took over. The Toyota Soarer/Lexus SC coupe has always been assembled exclusively in Toyota's Higashifuji Technical Center in Japan.

The Lexus 1UZ-FE V-8 motor--used in the SC400 & LS400 models--was reported to cost over $400 million in research and development (1990 dollars). And it has paid off for Toyota Motor Corp. too. Today the engine is in its 16th year of production as a 3UZ-FE, and since then it has been race-proven as a 500-hp champion Fabcar placing first in its debut season at the 2004 Rolex 400 series, and if that wasn't impressive enough: there has yet to be an engine-related recall or a reported case of premature engine failure. Some 1989 LS400s have eclipsed 480,000 miles without needing any drivetrain rebuilds. As far as we know, every Lexus V-8 ever made, that hasn't been destroyed by abuse, is still in running condition today.

A lot of advanced and luxurious treatments to the Japanese Soarer models were not brought over to their Lexus counterparts. This included mainly: TEMS active adjustable air suspension, four-wheel steering, in-dash navigation with EMV screen, rear window wiper, reversing camera linked to the EMV screen, and an optional 2.5-liter twin turbo I-6 motor (1JZ-GTE).

In spite of the protectionist regulations placed on US-market Lexus cars, the JZZ-UZZ coupes were still one of the first cars of the time to offer standard: onboard navigation, lumbar-supported power seats, power telescoping/tilting steering wheel, four-wheel steering, back-up/reverse camera, in-dash TV screen, automated LCD climate control, multidisc CD changer, 8-inch powered woofer, wheel wells able to accomdate 20x10.5-inch wheel sizes, standard 16-inch alloy wheels (considered huge in 1991), projector headlights, four-wheel independent suspension, active air suspension, revolutionary contour styling (deleted front grill), and luxury touring at a fraction of the price. When it debuted in 1991, it matched up with the German touring coupes BMW 840iL and Mercedes 300CE.

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SOARER LINEAGE
Model Chassis Production
Soarer MZ10 2/81 - 1/86
Soarer 2.8GT MZ11 2/81 - 1/85
Soarer 2.0GT-T MZ12 2/81 - 1/86
Soarer 2.0GT-LTD/EXT GZ10 2/81 - 1/86
Soarer 2.0GT-LTD/EXT GZ10 2/81 - 1/86
Soarer 2.0GT/TL/VX/VZ MZ20 1/86 - 1/88
Soarer 3.0GT-T MZ21 1/86 - 5/91
Soarer 3.0LTD GZ20 1/86 - 5/91
Soarer 3.0GT GZ21 1/86 - 5/91
Soarer 2.5GT-T/L JZZ30 1/91 - 6/00
Soarer 4.0GT UZZ32 1/91 - 7/96
Soarer 4.0GT UZZ31 1/91 - 9/97
SC400 UZZ30 5/91 - 6/00
SC300 JZZ31 5/91 - 6/00
SC430 UZZ40 4/01 - Present

Chronology of the SC

MILESTONES

* May 1991 - Lexus expands its product line to three models with the addition of the SC 400 sport coupe. Designed at Calty Design in Newport Beach, Calif., the stunning coupe shares the tradition of Lexus luxury and adds a healthy dose of sport.

* June 1991 - The SC 400 goes on sale.

* Aug. 1991 - The SC 300 sport coupe, which features a 3.0-liter inline-six engine, joins the Lexus family.

* Sept. 1997 - The classic SC 400/300 sport coupes receive improved performance for the 1998 model year with the addition of Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) in both six and eight-cylinder engines and a five-speed automatic transmission in the SC 400.

* Oct. 1999 - Lexus unveils the Lexus Sport Coupe concept vehicle at the Tokyo International Motor Show.

* April 2000 - Lexus announces plans for the SC 430 convertible at the New York Auto Show.

* Jan. 2001 - Lexus unveils the second-generation SC, the SC 430, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

* March 2001 - The all-new SC 430 hardtop convertible goes on sale with a bank of sold orders through the end of the year.

* Oct. 2001 - A special edition SC 430 "Silver Belle" is offered through the 2001 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. All 99 vehicles are sold within 14 hours. One vehicle is auctioned via the Internet with the proceeds going to the American Red Cross in honor of the September 11 terrorist attack victims.

* October 2001 - The SC 430 CART/Fed Ex Championship Series Pace Car debuts at the Texaco-Havoline Grand Prix in Houston.

* June 2003 - "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" opens in movie theaters and the SC 430 hardtop convertible is driven by the villainous "Terminatrix," played by Kristanna Loken.

* August 2003 - To commemorate the Lexus' partnership with the Pebble Beach Resorts, an SC 430 Pebble Beach Special Edition of the retractable hard-top convertible is introduced with a limited run of 400 units. The special edition features exclusive Azure Metallic paint, Azure painted aluminum whells, Ecru leather interior with black walnut wood trim, special badging and blue illuminated doorsill scuff plates.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

* Nov. 1991 - The SC 400 makes the honor rolls of Car and Driver, Automobile, Popular Science and Playboy magazines.

* Feb. 1992 - The SC 400 is named "Import Car of the Year" by Motor Trend and by the Motoring Press Association.

* Dec. 1992 - SC 300 is named to the Car and Driver "10 Best" list and Automobile's "All-Star" list.

* Dec. 1992 - SC 400 named one of Motor Trend's "Best Buys."

* March 1993 - American Automobile Association (AAA) names the SC 300 as the best 1993 model in its price range.

* Dec. 1993 - SC 300 is named to the Car and Driver "10 Best" list and Automobile's "All-Star" list for the second year in a row.

* May 1994 - The SC coupes finish third (behind the LS and GS) in J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study (IQS).

* Jan. 1995 - Car and Driver names SC 300 one of 1995's "10 Best" cars.

* Feb. 1995 - SC 300 is designated one of Automobile magazine's "All-Stars."

* June 1996 - Lexus again tops the J.D. Power and Associates IQS. The SC 400/300 Coupes scored a noteworthy 45 problems per 100 cars, the best single vehicle model in the study.

* May 2002 - SC 430 ranks second, after the Lexus LS 430, in the premium luxury car category of the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.

* November 2002 - SC 300/400 takes third place in the premium luxury car segment of J.D. Power and Associates' Vehicle Dependability Study.

* February 2003 - The SC 430 wins the Automotive Market Environmental Superiority (AMES) Award in the sport car category. The AMES awards were created to help encourage customers to purchase AMES awarded vehicles to assist in the reduction of fuel consumption and emission of greenhouse gases.

* May 2003 - SC 430 ranks second, after the LS 430, in the premium luxury cars category of the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study

- (info provided by 1SICKLEX)

Differences between the SC300 & SC400

The SC300 comes with a 3.0-liter 182 ci cast iron inline-6 motor with aluminum heads (engine designation: 2JZ-GE) and a choice between a Toyota A343E 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive or a Toyota W58 5-speed manual transmission (available from 1992-1997).

From 1992-1997, the power was rated as 225 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 210 ft/lb torque @ 4800 rpm. From 1998-2000, the power was rated as 225 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 220 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm. Curb weight ranges from 3494 lbs. in 1992 to 3560 lbs. in 2000.

The SC400 comes with a 4.0-liter 242 ci cast aluminum V-8 motor with aluminum heads (engine designation: 1UZ-FE) and a standard equipped Toyota A343E 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive (from 1992-1997). No manual transmission was ever offered for the SC400.

From 1992-1995, the power was rated as 250 horsepower @ 5600 rpm and 260 ft/lb torque @ 4400 rpm. From 1996-1997, the power was rated as 260 horsepower @ 5600 rpm and 270 ft/lb torque @ 4400 rpm. From 1998-2000, the power was rated as 290 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 300 ft/lb torque @ 4000 rpm. Curb weight ranges from 3575 lbs. in 1992 to 3655 lbs. in 2000.

Manual transmissions were never offered for the SC400 and were discontinued after 1997 on the SC300. The SC300s that came with optional Toyota W58 5-speed manual transmissions do not come equipped with traction control.

In 1998 the SC400 received a Toyota A650E 5-speed automatic transmission with advanced ECT-i and a burl-wood gated shifter (from 1998-2000), while the 1998 SC300 received a Toyota A343E 4-speed automatic transmission with burl-wood gated shifter (from 1998-2000).

In 1998, both the SC300 and SC400 received VVT-i (intelligent variable valve timing) engine technology. These motors have completely redesigned heads, which boast variable valve timing on their intake camshafts via an oil-driven helical gear-drive. 1998 and newer Lexus models with 4.0L V-8s are capable of low to high 14-second quarter miles. - (info provided by gs400998)

The SC400 came stock with 16x7.5-inch alloy wheels and the SC300 came stock with 15x6.5-inch turbine-cut alloy wheels.

The SC400 came with power automated telescoping/tilting steering wheel, and the third brake light was mounted inside the spoiler as opposed to on the rear dash behind the windshield in the SC300. The SC400 has larger disc brakes (11.7-inch front & 12.1-inch rear) compared to the SC300 (10.8-inch front & 11.4-inch rear). The SC300 had an optional but very rare velour (gray or tan) interior and optional but very rare hard top (no moonroof).

There are no substantial body differences between the SC300 and SC400. Models that did not include a spoiler with LED-third brake light, standard on the SC400 and optional on the SC300, were fitted with a third brake light on the rear deck behind the rear windshield.

ACCELERATION
Year, Model, & Drivetrain 0 - 60 mph Quarter mile
1992 SC300 4-speed auto 7.2 sec 15.8 sec at 89 mph
1992 SC300 5-speed manual 6.8 sec 15.4 sec at 90 mph
1993 SC400 4-speed auto 6.9 sec 15.3 sec
1995 SC400 4-speed auto 6.7 sec 15.2 sec at 93 mph
1998 SC400 5-speed auto 6.3 sec 14.7 sec at 97 mph


GEAR RATIOS
Gearbox Getrag 6M (V160) Getrag 6M (V161) Toyota 5M (W58) Toyota 5A (A650E) Toyota 4A (A343E)
First 3.827 3.724 3.285 3.357 2.804
Second 2.360 2.246 1.894 2.180 1.531
Third 1.685 1.541 1.275 1.424 1.000
Forth 1.312 1.205 1.000 1.000 0.705
Fifth 1.000 1.000 0.783 0.753 n/a
Sixth 0.793 0.818 n/a n/a n/a
Reverse 3.280 3.192 3.768 3.431 2.393
Final Drive 3.266 (LSD) 3.266 (LSD) 4.083 3.266 3.92

Aftermarket potential & options:

SC300: The SC300's major power upgrades lie in turbo kits. As of now, there are two production turbo kits that are direct bolt-ons for the SC300. One is offered by Toyomoto and the other is offered by F-Max/(2). The Toyomoto is generally regarded as the better turbo kit because of its higher quality parts and reliability, however the F-Max kit is a few thousand dollars less in price.

The SC300 shares the same engine (2JZ-GE) as the Naturally Aspirated (NA) JZA80/MKIV Supra (1993-2000), therefore engine build kits and aftermarket parts for the Supra NA are interchangeable with the SC300. The Supra Twin Turbo's (TT) Getrag V160 6-speed manual transmission is also capable of being transplanted into the SC300 for improved drivetrain efficiency.

For more detailed information on how to turbocharge the 2JZ-GE, please refer to Angel's SC300 NA-T FAQ.

For performance goals above 500rwph, it is suggested that you opt for a third turbo option, which is a 2JZ-GTE (JZA80 Supra TT) engine swap with the Getrag V160/V161 6-speed manual transmission, and build up the 320bhp 2JZ-GTE motor from there. You can also piecemake a high-output single-turbo setup (from HKS or SP) for the 2JZ-GE motor for high power. In fact Ethan Banks has managed to squeeze an impressive +1000bhp from a built 2JZ-GE NA-T conversion, and David Henry was able to break a 9.71-second quarter mile on a 2JZ-GE NA-T with a completely stock bottom end and a 3mm head gasket w/ studs! Suffice to say the GE motor is just about as strong as the GTE motor.

Lexus SC Turbo Registry: click here!

SC400: The major power gains on the SC400 lie in supercharger kits:

The first option is a direct bolt-on blower kit developed by Forced Air Technologies (FAT) in Australia. FAT offers two blower kits: the first uses a Terra Charger YT 1500 hi helix charger (good for 400 hp), and the second uses an Opcon MX420 twin screw charger (good up to 500 hp). The kits come with some sort of universal manifold top -plate adaptor for tuners who wish to use their own roots-style blowers. Both these kits clear the stock hood without any modification. Click here for a video of Andy's YT 1500-blown SC400 on the dyno. More info on supercharging the Lexus V8, including Andy's FAT SC400 s/c, are available on the Peter Scott's Planet Soarer website.

Another option is a twin turbo kit developed by Lextreme for the LS400. The LS400 shares the same drivetrain as the SC400 so cross applications are possible. The turbo kit provides a twin T3 ball-bearing setup featuring Walbro 255 L/H fuel pump, water injection, 440cc Supra MKIII top-feed injectors, and stock fuel pressure. Fuel management is controlled piggy-back style by an Apex'i SAF-C, and the kit yields an overall 324.5rwhp and 324.7rwtq at 8-psi. This kit was installed and tested on a 1990 LS400 as a custom one-off project. A production kit has not been assembled yet; However, comprehensive data on this turbo kit, including pictures and video, can be found at the owner's website: Lextreme.

One more source to look into is Mech Tech, a California-based performance shop, who created a one-off intercooled Aerodyne twin-turbo SC400 project car for a customer in Washington. The kit boasts gains of 277 rwhp and 319 rwtq at 6.5 psi from a baseline dyno of 180 rwhp. The kit is available for sale, but is impractically priced due to all the R&D that went into it. Their model, however, is a good one that others can use as a primer for turbocharging the 1UZ-FE motor themselves.

INTAKES: The intake manifolds for the SC400 were completely revised in 1998. Therefore 1998-2000 model intake aftermarket is distinct from the 1992-1997 models. All gas vehicles of the 1996 production year and later are considered OBD-II in the United States. They are equipped with highly computerized diagnostics, and are subject to much stricter smog standards. Because of that, many manufacturers will not advertise their 1992-1995 products for 1996 and 1997 models also. Whether or not they will still work on these later models is not yet verified.

Injen makes a cold-air intake system for the 1992-1995 SC300 and the SC400. Import Toys and Lexus Pros both sell universal MAF/VAF adaptor plates that allow you to remove the stock air box and use high-flow conical air filters in place. Overboost.com also sells an HKS MAF for the MKIII Supra that works with the SC coupe just the same (Call Jerry at (877)442-6678 x212 for special FAQ pricing). - (info provided by boredguy77)

Swift Racing Technology makes a cold-air intake with piggyback ECU for the 1998-2000 SC400s. These are marketed for the 1998-2000 GS400, but will work with the SC as well.

For any of the above intake systems, it is highly recommended that you fabricate or purchase a sealed air box enclosure for the pod filter. Open-ended heat shields alone will not suffice. Initial performance may be improved without one, but as the atmospheric engine air heats up, your intake performance will steadily decline without a sealed airbox.

Peter Scott's BFI intake is a cheap, highly effective alternative to packaged name-brand intakes. This is a DIY intake procedure that utilizes the stock Yamaha airbox with a user enlarged opening, sealed vacuum pressure chamber, and ram air intake scoop. Using the BFI in conjunction with a TRD performance panel filter (Part # 00602-17801-002) yields impressive mid-band to top-end gains while retaining a stock appearance.

EXHAUST: The standard exhaust systems for the SC300 and SC400 are similar, but not identical. The centered third catalytic convertor is slightly more recessed on the SC300 than the SC400, which provides an incongruency in aftermarket catback exhausts - (info provided by Manaray). The third metal capsule centered on the exhaust system is a catalytic convertor, it is not a resonator. On the SC300, the inlet diameter to stock muffler is 45 mm or 1.75 inches. Each muffler weighs about 15 pounds - - (info provided by Buttercup). The JDM Toyota Soarers have more substantial variations from the Lexus models in the mid-resonators and piping bends.

Some of the universal mufflers, axle-back exhausts, and cat-back systems that have been used on the SC300 and SC400 include: Tanabe Hyper Medallion, Veilside Titanium mufflers, Greddy MX axle-back, Blitz Nur-Spec axle-back, JIC Twin Spartan axle-back, Phoenix Target mufflers, Magnaflow Race Series mufflers, Magnaflow Street Series mufflers, Do-Luck mufflers, Weapon-R mufflers, Rod Millen Motorsports cat-back, G-tech mufflers, Borla mufflers, Lukey Ultraflow mufflers, and Dynomax Ultraflow mufflers.

The stock piping on the SC300 and SC400 is 2.25-inches from the third catalyic convertor on back. With any brand new muffler, it will take a few months before the mufflers "break-in" and achieve their signature throatiness. The Magnaflows are no exception, mine took about six months to attain its current tone! Even today they continue to get deeper sounding at idle.

HEADERS: There are two aftermarket V8 header options for the SC400: Tex headers and HFVS shorty headers. The Tex headers are the well-known ones in the community. They are fabricated out of mild steel by a gentleman in Australia by the name of Terry. The dyno gains are about 8% horsepower increase at the wheels. The price starts at $750AUD which is roughly $400 USD depending on the exchange rate, plus $100-150 shipping from Australia to the United States. Tex headers come with optional ceramic jet-hot coating. For inquiries or to place an order, pleace email to terryd@marcusevansau.com

The second option for V8 headers is HFVS Shorty headers sourced by Jbrady of ClubLexus. These are also made of mild steel and also offer ceramic coating. They cost $400 without ceramic, and under $600 with. Estimated gains are +20 rwhp and rwtq. These were offered domestically in a special group buy, so I am unaware of the current availability with the fabricator. More details from the group buy can be found here: HFVS Group Buy

DRIVETRAIN: The drivetrain encompasses all mechanical pieces from the engine crank to the rear wheels. Upgrading these pieces, since they are mostly gears and moving pieces has the great advantage of increasing the efficiency of your engine power (putting more to the wheels).

Torque converters are fluid coupling turbines that suspend or couple the engine crank and the auto transmission. They are essentially the clutches of automatic transmissions. Like the clutch, the torque converter is the device that engages and disengages the engine from the transmission. The Lexus torque converter is designed to make smooth shifts, which translates to lossy performance.

Precision Industries is the leader in performance-racing torque converters. The Precision Industries "Dragon" torque converter is internally much stonger than the stock converter and better multiplies torque for more solid acceleration. These fit all year models from 1992-2000 and are badged by Swift Racing and Rod Millen (they are all the same product regardless of where you buy it). The Dragon torque converter is reported to knock off between 0.5 - 0.75 seconds from the standing quarter mile times and yield similar 0-60 mph track numbers out of the 92-97 SC400s as the 98+ GS400s. The Dragon torque converter is tuneable to various stall speeds customized to your application. They retail for around $900, but Steve Ganz once ran a group buy for $750, so the possibility is out there!

The cheaper alternative is to send your stock torque converter out for a performance rebuild. These cost about $400, but most places are just pushing up your stall and not building up the cover, clutch, lining, and hub---so you're getting what you pay for. Either way, a PI Dragon torque converter combined with a TRD LSD is arguably the best off-the-line performance modification on the SC coupe for the money.

Differentials are gearboxes that transmit power from the driveshaft to the rear axles in a way that allows each wheel to spin independently of the other. The SC coupes came with open differentials, which do not transfer torque between wheels when one is losing traction (slipping). In fact, under most circumstances, the open diff. only gives one wheel all the power. Thus the great need for limited-slip differentials (aka: Positrac).

Limited-slip differentials (LSD) transfer power to the wheel with the most traction, which allows you to deliver more power to the ground. The SCx00 can use the JZA80 Supra's TorSen (torque-sensing) LSD, or the TRD full-time limited-slip differential. The TorSen LSD was offered on the Supra TT 6-speed, automatic, and Supra NA automatics. Each has a different final drive ratio. The Supra NA automatic LSDs are rare since most NA automatics came with open differentials, but if you can find one, it's the only LSD that matches the final drivetrain ratio as the pre-98 SC400 and SC300's 4-speed autos. If you have an Getrag 6-speed transmission and want the TRD LSD, buy TRD# 41301-JA800 to match your final drive ratio. All other tranny types buy TRD# 41301-JS401. Be aware that mix matching the 6-speed LSD with non-6-speed drivetrains will alter your final drive ratio which will affect your speedometer accuracy.

LSDs are categorized as 1.0 limited-slip, 1.5 limited-slip, and 2.0 limited-slip. Here are the distinctions:

  • Open differential - will power only one wheel at almost all times. Some open differentials will give the appearance of being limited slip when (1) power brake launching, (2) when good traction is avalable, and (3) when the car is pointed forward and not turning.
  • 1-way Limited-slip - provides power to both wheels when the car is traveling straight and no other time. The weakest linking differential of all LSDs.
  • 1.5-way Limited-slip - provides power to both wheels when the car is traveling straight and turning. Moderate grip while engaged.
  • 2-way Limited-slip - provides power to both wheels when the car is traveling straight, while turning, and while braking. Fully engaged limited-slip at all times.


    • - (info provided by VSsc400)

AIR/FUEL MANAGEMENT: Apex'i's SAF-C will work to optimize the air-fuel mixture on both SC300 and SC400. The SAF-C is good for up to 350cc injectors, although it has been used with 440cc injectors. The improved Apex'i SAF-C II will be available in June 2003. Lexus Pros offers two different computer chip upgrades that make the SC fuel mapping the most aggressive.

ELECTRIC FAN CONVERSION: Summit Racing catalog sells a bolt-on Flex-a-lite 210 dual electric engine fan kit for ~$190, which replaces the stock belt-driven engine fan. This modification gives you an extra two inches of clearance in front of the engine block (good for forced induction setups), and relieves the engine of about 10-20 horsepower. - (info provided by Hermosa). This mod has been shown to work on the SC300; However, the SC400 fan mounts are slightly different. This modification is currently untested in the SC400.

SUSPENSION: The Lexus SC300/400 uses a strut-spring suspension assembly. Any time you purchase suspension lowering parts such as lowering springs or coilovers, you are in effect reducing the suspension travel. The positive effects of this are a lower center of gravity, more even weight distribution in the tires, stiffer handling, improved stability at speed, reduce wheel gap, and sportier look. The negative effects may include a rougher ride quality, eccentric camber, increased wear on other suspension parts, and reduced ground clearance, which effects your approach to some types of terrain you drive over (steep driveways, high speed bumps).

Lowering Springs are aftermarket springs that lower the car's profile and stiffen the ride quality slightly. Eibach makes Prokit springs for the SC300 and SC400 that will drop the ride height about 1 inch all the way around. These are the only springs that function within manufacturer's alignment specifications. The 1-inch drop is, in my opinion, what the stock ride height should be. If you want a sportier, modified look, you should lower the car a bit more. However all springs that lower over 1 inch will operate slightly outside of manufacturer's camber specifications (by one degree negative camber or less), which creates a negligible inside tire wear. This gives you use of about 90 - 95% of the tire's total lifespan.

The following springs fall into that category: Espelir makes springs that drop the ride height 1.5 inches in the front and rear. Intrax makes springs that drop the ride height 1.5 inches in the front and 1.3 inches in the rear. Tanabe makes various springs that drop the ride height about 2-2.5 inches all the way around. Eibach Prokits designed for the JZA80/MKIV Toyota Supra are also compatible with the SC300 and SC400. The Eibach Supra NA Prokits drop the ride height 1.5 inches in the front and 1-inch in the rear. The Eibach Supra TT Prokits drop the ride height 1.3 inches in the front and 1 inch in the rear. OEM Supra NA and Supra TT springs lower the SC about 0.5 inch but require Supra strut shocks. See more details on Supra suspension here.

Shocks (Struts) help stiffen the strut spring assembly by reducing bounce and recoil from a compressed spring. Tokico makes a variety of gas shocks for the SC300 and SC400. KYB makes the AGX stiffness adjustable shocks for the SC300 and SC400. Bilstein makes gas shocks for the SC as well. OEM Supra shocks, also made by Tokico, work as well. OEM Supra shocks made for the Supra NA are slightly stiffer than OEM shocks made for the Supra TT. Note that the rear perch heights on both Supra NA and TT shocks are higher than the OEM Lexus SC shocks'. You are required to buy OEM or aftermarket springs designed for the JZA80/MKIV Supra when using these. OEM Lexus SC shocks, made by KYB, also function well with moderately lowered (1-1.5-inch) springs.

Coilover Suspension replaces the strut-spring suspension with added flexibility of ride height and stiffness control. They are considerably more expensive than the strut-spring alternative, but quality, lifespan, and control are substantially greater. Tein makes 4-way adjustable coilovers for the SC300 and SC400. Tein coilovers are optionally controlled by the Tein EDFC controller. The Tein HA is the stiffest coilover, the Tein CS is the softest coilover, and the Tein FLEX is a middle ground between the two. JIC makes two coilover systems for the SC coupe. The JIC SF-1 coilovers are the entry level coilovers, more street-friendly ride quality. The JIC FLT-A2 coilovers are their high end coilovers, more suitable for track and auto-crossing. Both JIC coilovers compliment the JIC strut tower bars because of their lengthened strut studs. HKS makes the DRAG and Hipermax Damper II coilovers that also work with the SC coupe. AB Flug makes ECS-I Scoot Tune coilovers designed for the SC coupe. Kei-Office makes the Type-XR coilover for the SC. Additionally, any coilover system made for the JZA80/MKIV/1993+ Supra will work well with the Lexus SC coupe.

Air Ride Suspension uses individual air cans in place of the strut-springs and two larger air tanks to control suspension properties. This system offers active control over ride height in a similar nature to hydrolic suspension. Canover makes an air can suspenion for the SC300 and SC400. This system is similar to the air ride suspension offered in the Toyota Soarer GT.

Sway Bars act to reduce body roll and improve the handling capabilities of the SC. If you want to retain the OEM Lexus sway bar and increase stiffness, Daizen offers high performance bushings that replace the rubber ones with polyurethane. If you want to increase stiffness, Toyota Supra sway bars can be used, but only in conjunction with the Toyota Supra sub-frame mounts. TRD Supra sway bars further increase stiffness from the stock Supra bars, but again require the Supra sub-frame mounts. Daizen sway bars made for the Lexus SC are the stiffest replacement option offering the thickest bar and polyurethane bushings.

Strut Tower Bars increase the stiffness of the chassis and improves the car's handling properties. Any front strut tower bar made for the Supra with a flattened cross bar (non-tubular) will physically fit the Lexus SC300/400s with safe engine clearance and safe hood clearance. In order for the strut tower bar to clear the top of the motor's intake manifold, you must purchase and install four additional strut brace reinforcements (OEM spacers) (part no: 53723-24010). Another condition necessary for safety is to replace the strut-springs with suspension components that offer longer strut studs (such as the JIC SF-1 coilover). This requirement is due to the added space the strut brace reinforcements create and the need to fully thread the strut brace nuts. It is highly recommended that you do not attempt to install strut tower bars without using lengthened screw studs. With that said, Cusco and JIC both make polished and carbon fiber front strut tower bars for the SC300/400.

Control Arms are located at the ends of each axle behind each wheel and are responsible for isolating and cushioning the car's chassis. Daizen Sport Tuning makes polyurethane control arm bushings and sway bar bushings that replace the stock rubber bushings. This eliminates squeaks and roughness you may have in an older, worn suspension system and tightens road feel and response by abosorbing higher torsional loads. The control arm bushings also have a longer lifespan and help combat negative camber (tire wear) issues. Todd Matsubara at TM Engineering is the premiere dealer and installer for Daizen products and is able to answer any more specific questions about them. Polyurethane does not deteriorate like rubber; However, it does require regreasing approximately every four years or as needed.

Camber Correction Kits remedy otherwise unfixable negative wheel camber associated with suspension lowering. Anytime you lower the SC suspension beyond one-inch, the factory alignment bolts are unable to fully compensate and you are left with negative camber. Negative camber causes uneven inner-outer tire wear, reduced braking response, and reduced handling performance. Daizen Sport Tuning has developed a camber kit for the SC300/400, which corrects for up to 1.5-degrees of negative camber by using an offset polyurethane bushing design. Todd Matsubara at TM Engineering is the premiere dealer and installer for Daizen products and is able to answer any more specific questions about them.

BRAKING: Big brake upgrades will fit the SC300 and SC400 based on wheel size and offsets. For anything larger than stock, you will need at least a 17-inch wheel, but without proper offsets, not even 18-inch wheels can clear the most basic Supra TT rotor upgrade. Here are some specs for the most popular big brake upgrade kits...

BIG BRAKE UPGRADES
OEM Lexus SC400 Brake Specifications
caliper 2 piston 17.5 lbs.
rotor 11.65 inch 20 lbs.
rotor thickness 1.26 inch
OEM 95-00 LS400 Brake Upgrade ($300 to $500)
caliper 4 piston 9 lbs.
rotor 12.4 inch ~ lbs.
rotor thickness 1.26 inch
OEM 93-98 Supra Turbo Brake Upgrade ($500 to $1000)
caliper 4 piston 15 lbs.
rotor 12.72 inch 20 lbs.
rotor thickness 1.26 inch
Rotora Big Brake Upgrade ($1,550.00)
caliper 4 piston 9.7 lbs.
rotor 12.99 inch 18.6 lbs.
rotor thickness 1.26 inch
Brembo GT Big Brake Upgrade ($2800 to $3000)
caliper 4 piston 7 lbs.
rotor 13.1 inch ???
piston area 2x 1.5 inch, 2x 1.73 inch
pad area 9.6 sq. in.
rotor thickness 1.26 inch
AP Racing Big Brake Upgrade ($3200)
caliper 6 piston 6 lbs.
rotor 13.5 inch ???
piston area 2x 1.1 inch, 2x 1.6 inch, 2x 1.5 inch
pad area 11.8 sq. in.
rotor thickness 1.4 inch
Stoptech Big Brake Upgrade ($1800 to $2000)
caliper 4 piston ???
rotor 13.1 inch ???
Wilwood Big Brake Upgrade (more info soon)
caliper 4 piston ???
rotor ??? ???

WHEELS & TIRES: When shopping for new wheels, take note of the wheel diameter, wheel width, bolt pattern, and wheel offset. Both SC coupes' bolt patterns are 114.3 x 5, stud design, with 12 x 1.5 threading and 60.1 bore. The stock offsets are +50mm. With larger and wider wheels some rubbing may occur on the fender lip or wheel well covers. This rubbing usually occurs when turning the front wheels all the way out or when the suspension bottoms out. Rubbing is attributed to several factors including: the drop height of the suspension, size of the tire sidewall, tire & wheel widths, and the wheel offset. The simple way of resolving a rubbing issue is by softly rolling the fender lip into a sharp wedge or shaving/lifting the wheel well covers where the rubbing occurs.

The largest wheel size that fits the SC wheel wells are 20"x9" in the front and 20"x10" in the rear. 19" wheels and below will fit the SC without rubbing issues in any assortment of wheel widths under 10 inches given the proper offset and tires. The widest tires ever attempted on the SC coupe are 275/30-ZR20 on a 20"x10" rim, 295/30ZR19 on a 19x11" rim, 295/35-ZR18 on an 18"x11" rim, and 315/35-ZR17 on a 17"x9.5" rim. All fitments were reported to work on the rear axles with no rubbing issues.

Below is a chart of tire sizes that are compatible with the SC and offer the similar outside diameters. Outside diameter is critial to maintain for the proper functioning of the anti-lock brakes, speedometer, and odometer instruments. These are just some of the tire sizes that fellow ClubLexus members are using on their cars. Some values are expressed as ranges of sizes. No size advertised below guarantees a perfect outside diameter match, it is recommended that you perform outside diameter calculations to ensure the tire is a good match. See more details below the chart...

LEXUS
TIRE
GUIDE		 WHEEL WIDTH
7.0 inch 7.5 inch 8.0 inch 8.5 inch 9.0 inch 9.5 inch 10.0 inch
D
I
A
M
E
T
E
R		 16 inch 215-225 225-235 235-245 245-255 255-265 265-275 275-285
17 inch 215-225 225-235 235-245 245-255 255-265 265-275 275-285
18 inch 215-225 225-235 235-245 245-255 255-265 265-275 275-285
19 inch 215-225 225-235 235-245 245-255 255-265 265-275 275-285
20 inch 215-225 225-235 235-245 245-255 255-265 265-275 275-285

So let's shop for new tires for our new 17x9.5" Supra TT wheels. To calculate the outside diameter of a potential tire, 255/45ZR17 for example, you take the tire width (ie: 255mm), multiplied by the sidewall series given in a percentage (ie: 45% or 0.45), multiplied by two sidewalls per wheel, plus the diameter of the wheel in a common length (ie: 17-inches or 431.8mm). So you get [ 2 × (255mm × 0.45) ] + 431.8mm = 661.3mm outside diameter. Doing the same calculations for the stock 225/55ZR16 tires, we find that the stock outside is 653.9mm. 653.9mm is the value by which all the components operate. We can find the deviation from stock of our new Supra tires by dividing the new outside diameter by the old outside diameter. 661.3mm ÷ 653.9mm = 1.0113% or 1.13% deviation. Thus when your speedometer reads 60.0mph, you are actually travelling at a speed of 60.7mph. A better tire fitment would be 245/45ZR17 which, using the same formula, yields an outside diameter of 652.3mm. 652.3 ÷ 653.9 = 0.9975%, which is about 0.2% deviation. When your speedometer reads 60.0mph, you are now actually travelling 59.99mph, which is an acceptable difference. Now that you understand the principles, click here for a quick tool that calculates it for you!

Spacers: Another available mod for your wheels are wheel spacers. These are used to compensate for negative wheel offset. For instance, the SC coupe's stock offset is +50mm; However, Supra TT wheels have +38mm offset. Therefore you can use 5mm - 15mm spacers to correct the difference and line up your wheels better. It is strongly recommend you avoid 'universal spacers' in larger sizes than 5mm; However, there are some larger aftermarket spacers that are tested to work well with the SC300 and SC400.

H&R Springs makes wheel spacers designed for the SC coupe, which come with longer replacement wheel studs. H&R spacers come in the following thicknesses: 5mm, 15mm, 20mm, and 25mm. H&R 5mm spacers to not included lengthened studs because they are not necessary. With any spacer wider than 5mm, it is recommended that you use lengthened wheel studs.

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR LIGHTING: This section covers various lighting upgrades from headlamps to tail lights, console to dash lighting, and everything in-between. There is much room for improvement from stock lighting to aftermarket. Many of these mods help refresh the look of your coupe to late-model standards.

Halogen Upgrade: The stock headlights on any given SC are comparably pretty dim. The cheapest effective upgrade is to replace the stock bulbs with higher output bulbs. The best halogen bulbs out there are Sylvania Silverstars. The SC lowbeam uses the 9006/HB4 socket, which is 55 watts. The Lexus 9006 OEM bulbs operate at a mere 51 watts. The simple upgrade is to buy a pair of plug-and-play 55 w 9006/HB4 Sylvania Silverstars. You will see a significant increase in whitness and brightness in the light.

The next upgrade is to complete a 9005 "hack". This entails using a pair of 65 w 9005/HB3 Sylvania Silverstar bulbs. This is a different, but similar bulb socket---which is used in the SC's high beam assembly---but which works safely in the low beam assembly as well. They are priced the same as the 55 w 9006 bulbs, so it is technically a better value to just buy the 9005 version. The main difference between the 9006 and 9005 is 10 watts more power and the 9005 does not have a painted glare cap on the tip of the bulb, which works to reduce output. The two differences together create a visibly brighter output. The only compatibility issue between the two is a pair of fiberglass tabs located inside the bulb's socket. In order to plug a 9005 bulb into a 9006 socket, you must clip, sand, or cut the incompatible tabs. It is very self-explanitory once you see them in person. The mod itself takes no more than two minutes. The halogen Silverstar upgrade works well with the high beam lights as well, only without the option of hacking for a more powerful bulb. Sylvania Silverstars can be found off the shelf at most auto parts stores for around $25/ea.

When handling any halogen light bulb, be sure that you minimize bare-hand contact with the quartz glass. Skin oils left on the bulb can cause premature failure or explosion. It is not recommended that you use any bluish no-named ultra-high wattage ricer bulbs that are commonly false-advertised as "xenon" and "h.i.d". They have a high failure rate and the possibility of heat damage to wiring or explosion inside headlamp.

HID Kit Upgrade: The SC coupe comes with halogen projector headlights. In my opinion, they are quite dim, even when you upgrade to ultra-bright Sylvania Silverstar bulbs. The best alternative to halogen is to upgrade to high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting. HID is a completely different technology than halogen. Do not be duped into scams that offer HID with a simple bulb replacement. HID requires an electronic ballast/ignitor and a gas-discharge bulb. So real HID conversions are sold in kits which include two rebased gas-discharge bulbs, two ballasts/ignitors, and a battery relay/wiring harness. Before you pull the trigger on any HID upgrade, please read through my HID Lighting Tutorial and educate yourselves on the proper HID purchases... HIDo's & HIDon'ts - The HID Lighting Tutorial.

My personal recommendation is to get a genuine Philips D2S bulb and a genuine Philips, Hella, Bosch ballast. AutoLamps Online offers the highest quality HID lighting kits around. The owner is a veteran Philips employee and his current company is the only HID kit producer around endorsed by Philips Lighting themselves. The kit comes with all-Philips genuine equipment and heavy duty wiring harnesses to ensure safety and longevity. Prices start at around $450-550 for parts.

HID Retrofit Upgrade: Illusion-Lighting.com has custom fabricated the world's first HID retrofit for the SC300 and SC400. An HID retrofit differs from an HID kit in that it includes high output OEM HID optics (projector lenses) that have upwards of a 200% increase in light transmittance compared to stock projectors. In essence, an HID retrofit will yield you the best and brightest lighting performance possible. The standard retrofits include parts from a BMW E39 (5-series or X5) headlight, which are transplanted directly into the SC headlight housing with a very OEM appearance. Other custom options are available including other BMW and Audi (bi-xenon) applications. Prices start at around $700-750 for parts and labor.

Interior Lighting and Customization: Lex Tech Lighting has faithfully served hundreds in the Lexus community by specializing in restoring Lexus gauge clusters and console (climate control & stereo) displays. Lex Tech has since expanded its services to include full customization of Lexus instrumentation. Lex Tech can add extra flair and personalization to your Lexus interior by replacing OEM backlighting with an assortment of custom color combos and brightnesses as well as alternative lighting technologies (LED, SMD, etc).

LED Taillights & Sidemarkers: ClearCorners.com has designed a custom one-of-a-kind tail light for the SC using the orginal housing. They've created LED lights with clear-lens coverings. They also offer LED clear sidemarker modification for the SC.

JDM Clear Sidemarkers: Taka Kaira sells D-Speed JDM clear sidemarkers for $127, fits all SCx00 models. Carmake T&E makes JDM clear sidemarkers under the brand Gratte Ciel for ¥14,440 (~$94USD). These are available through your Vertex dealer.

Other available modifications for the SC300/400

Steering Wheels: American Stitches offers a wood-leather steering wheel restoration kit for the SC300 and SC400. The wood is a graphic, but matches the factory wood trim nicely. This is a send-in modification so if your SC is your daily driver, you'll need to arrange a loaner steering wheel while yours is away.

You can also replace your current steering wheel with any 1992-2001 Lexus steering wheel and any pre-2001 Lexus air bag. The advantage of this mod is that newer Lexus steering wheels come in three-spoke designs and wood-grain inserts. Finding the wheel is easy enough, but matching airbags are harder to come by and much pricier. Note that all 2001+ air bags are dual-stage deployment, which will not work with the SC's single stage system. The exception to the rule is the 2001 RX air bag, which is still a single-stage. Since the wiring harnesses are different on newer air bags, some basic wire splicing is required. Also note that four-spoke wheels between different models of Lexus do vary in size so fitting, for example, an LS400 four-spoke air bag on an ES300 four-spoke wheel will not match up perfectly, or at all. The same goes for three-spoke wheels and air bags. Also note that the gray leather on newer steering wheels looks a lot like the brownish leather on tan interior SCs, but they are not the same color! It's hard to notice by itself, but apparent once installed.

Another steering wheel option is the TRD three-spoke wheel for the Supra. This is a direct bolt on also, however they only come in black leather with black or colored inserts. No tan or gray is offered.

Front Seats: Along with leather kits for the stock SC seats, the JZA80 Supra seats will bolt in directly to the stock seat mounts. Supra seats are bucketed for the track-car feel. The driver side is powered with fewer adjustments than the Lexus seats and the passenger side is all-mechanical adjustment. Since the wiring harnesses are different for the seat motors, some basic wire splicing is required. The headsets are not adjustable. The seats position you slightly lower than stock seating and the Supra's seat designs to vary by year.

The Honda S2000 seats will also bolt down directly to the SC. Some washers are needed for the install, but the seats themselves fit well and are powered. Since the wiring harnesses are different for the seat motors, some basic wire splicing is required. The look is very sporty and modern but do note that the Honda tan leather is slightly darker than the Lexus tan.

Updated Washer Nozzles: The factory washer nozzles feature "dual-beam" sprayers. These nozzles are pretty poor at distributing wiper fluid across the windshield, in my opinion. For under $30, you can purchase washer nozzles for newer Lexus models that are more effective at spraying fluid across the windshield.

All Lexus washer nozzles for all Lexus models are interchangeable, therefore I recommend you purchase new nozzles from a 2003 model. Most colors for 2003 models can be matched to older SC colors, but if not, the black nozzles work and look just fine.

The 2003 ES300's washer nozzles are unique in that they feature a "fanning" spray. Because the ES300 does have a more "cab-forward" (borrowing Dodge terminology) design, the washer nozzles will spray slightly lower on the mark when transplanted to the SC. They are still more effective at evenly distributing wiper fluid across the windshield though.

The 2003 GS, RX, LX, IS, and LS washer nozzles all feature triple-beam nozzles. It is unclear at the time if all of these washer nozzles spray at the same height; However, the GS nozzles do spray lower like the ES nozzles, but are still more effective than the stock SC300/400 nozzles.

Installation is cake. Take two business cards and slide them simultaneously under the front and back of each washer nozzle to compress the plastic clips underneath. Once you feel you've compressed the clips enough, pull the nozzle up. It is attached to a plastic hose. Pull it from the hose from the nozzle and insert the new washer nozzle in place.

Washer nozzles are a special order item at most Lexus dealerships and require a one to three week turnaround.

Updated Sun Visor: The 2000 SC400 driver side sun visor is identical to older models except that it features a built-in HomeLink system. HomeLink is a built-in garage door opener with three programmable buttons. HomeLink taps power off the vanity mirror lamp, so install is simple plug and play. List price for the HomeLink sun visor is $214.

Available aero body kits

Please note: I do not know the distributors, suppliers, or resellers for all body kits listed here. If you have a question regarding "where to buy?", I suggest you locate the 'Dealer Section' listed on the specific manufacturer's website, or ask those in the Club Lexus community who have already made the purchase. Thanks!

All of the body kits listed below are made of high quality fiberglass. None are offered in polyurethane or carbon fiber, yet (*hint*). The VIS Vortex is a knock-off of T&E's Vertex and is constructed of a thinner, lower-grade fiberglass material. VIS is currently juggling a half a dozen complaints about poor fitment of their kits and poor customer service regarding refunds. In spite of VIS's lower initial price, you will probably be spending more money making the kit fit your car than if you just bought the T&E original.

Some makers have two or more varieties of their aero kit available for the SC. Some of these I have noted as "92-96" or "97-00". These are just remarks as to which style of front facade the kit mimics. You are still able to use a "97-00" body kit on a 92-96 model SC although some additional accessories may be required or optional (foglights, upper grille insert, etc).

Certain body kits are full bumper replacements, and certain other kits are clip on attachments (such as the JIC Magic rear and Aero Palace 92-96 front). As such, the kits that are clip on attachments will only work with specific year model rear bumpers. The JIC Magic, for example, only clips onto pre-'97 rear bumpers due to the lower perch on 97+ factory bumpers. Make sure your factory rear bumper is compatible with the kit you are considering before you buy it. It is also recommended that you buy the 97+ 'rocker body panels', which are sideskirt extensions that improve on the stylistic quality of a body kit. - (info provided by Manaray)

AB Flug Type 1 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6]

AB Flug Type 2 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6] [pic 7] [pic 8]

AB Flug Type MV: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

AB Flug Spoiler 1: [pic 1]

AB Flug Spoiler 2: [pic 1]

AB Flug Eyelids: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Barramundy: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Aero Palace 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]

Aero Palace 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

BN Sports Type-I 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2]

BN Sports Type-II 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2]

BN Sports Hood: [pic 1]

BN Sports CF-Al Wing: [pic 1]

Bomex Aero: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6] [pic 7] [pic 8]

Bomex Rear Under Center: [pic 1]

Bomex Mirrors: [pic 1]

C-One Type-I 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2]

C-One Type-II 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Classy Sport Design: [pics soon]

Diana Godfather: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Do-Luck: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

Do-Luck DK400: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5]

Erebuni Shogun Style 752 : [pic 1] [pic 2]

Erebuni Style 451 : [pic 1] [pic 2]

Evolution Auto Couture: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6]

Evolution Exclusive: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Evolution Explosion: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

Hiro Super Silhouette: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Inspection Soarer: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]

Include: [pic 1]

JIC Magic: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]¹ [pic 4]¹ [pic 5]¹ [pic 6]¹ [pic 7] [pic 8] [pic 9]

Kaminari Aero: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Mythos: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6]

Phenix Target Street Attacker: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5]

Phoenix Power: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6] [pic 7] [pic 8] [pic 9] [pic 10]

Runner SP Air Spec (widebody): [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

Sard: [pic 1]

Sankou Omega: [pics soon]

Shot: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]

Skipper SKP Dezign: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Stage Jack 97-00: [pic 1]

Stage Jack 92-96: [pic 1]

T&E Vertex 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2]

T&E Vertex 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6]

T&E Vertex 2 97-00: [pic 1]

Varis Extremor Arising 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Varis Extremor Arising 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]

Veilside CI Model: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4] [pic 5] [pic 6]

Veilside Executive: [pic 1]

VIS Vortex: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Wilder: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Wise Sport Mid MC: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Wise Sport Lip: [pic 1] [pic 2]

Wald Executive 92-96: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3] [pic 4]

Wald Executive 97-00: [pic 1] [pic 2] [pic 3]

¹ - side skirts were installed backwards on this car

info and pictures gathered with help from do-luck sc, Lvangundy, tggoodrich, .star., Lex Luthor, howiedoit, TurboSC, AzLex, Dewsc300, Manaray, Emerald, Soarer_25GTT, sc400texas, Skulinex, & Vegassc400

1997-2000 Full body conversion parts manifest - info provided by Din, sportythief79, Lex Luthor, & SDSC300:

Below is the complete listing for all parts required to perform an exterior body conversion for 92-96 models to the 97-00 style SC300/400. Prices provided are Lexus list price and can be found elsewhere for cheaper.

97-00 FULL BODY UPDATE LIST
Description Part Number List Price
front bumper cover 52119-24914 315.64
front grill insert 53114-24020 104.33
front absorber 52611-24030 48.57
front-left foglight 81220-24040 143.07
front-right foglight 81210-24040 143.07
left body rocker panel 75851-24900 236.37
right body rocker panel 75852-24900 236.37
rocker panel clips 75868-24020 1.82
rear bumper cover 52159-24905 324.82
rear-left quarter panel 76973-24902 88.72
rear-right quarter panel 76974-24902 88.72
rear-left retainer 52587-24010 13.45
rear-right retainer 52586-24010 13.45
left tail light 81560-24070 204.20
right tail light 81550-24070 204.20
rear spoiler 76871-24904 433.88

Recommended vendors and retailers

I have no affliation or financial interests with any of the companies below. These are recommendations based on highly competitive market pricing, outstanding customer serivce, and/or a widely respected professional reputation (based on the collective experiences of ClubLexus SC Forum members). To ensure the continued quality of these recommendations, please do send any feedback you may have, good or bad, concerning these companies to: CONTACT HAS BEEN REMOVED!

TM Engineering - This is a Lexus performance shop in Carson, CA owned and operated by the legendary competition audio god Todd Matsubara himself along with Chris Yato of Alpine Electronics. Suffice to say, the technical staff here is over-qualified. TM Engineering specializes in Lexus performance tuning, world-class car audio and multimedia, and car security applications. TM Engineering has particular technical and mechanical expertise in the Lexus SC coupe with Todd owning a project SC himself. Very competitive rates, very competitive pricing, friendly service, extensive product lines, and meticulous workmanship all make TM Engineering the go-to shop for all your Lexus needs.

Elmhurst Toyota - Located in Chicago, Illinois, Elmhurst Toyota is amongst the cheapest source of Toyota/Lexus parts in the nation. Through SupraForums.com, Elmhurst is offering all parts at cost+. The best way to order or inquire is by phone or email: 1.800.266.3000 or trd@elmhursttoyota.com. Ask for Curt Aigner (parts manager) or Dan.

L-Tuned Parts - Carson Toyota - This is the performance-aftermarket website for Carson Toyota's Parts Department in Carson, California. Carson Toyota's Parts Center is headed by Steve Ganz, a fellow Supra TT & SC300 owner & enthusiest. He is very knowledgeable about Toyota performance and an all around nice guy. Carson Toyota draws business from the entire North American continent because of their incredibly competitive prices in all OEM and aftermarket products. Before you buy anywhere else, make sure you get a quote from these guys first! Phone is the best way to reach them: 1-800-90-TOYOTA. Ask for Gordon, Miguel, or Steve, they are all very friendly and helpful people.

Parts.Com's OEM Resellers - In the market for some Genuine Toyota or Lexus OEM parts? Aren't we all? At Parts.com, you will be linked to often times some of the cheapest sources for these parts in the nation. Tried and tested, Parts.com sources like Spartan MotorMall offer legitmate parts for liquidated prices.

TAP Recycling - Toyota Auto Parts Recycling is the largest Toyota-Lexus specialty salvage yard in California. They sell parts cars and working assemblies from parts cars. If you are tight on budget and looking to buy used OEM parts, TAP is the place to look. Availability for anything you're looking for will usually turn up within a few weeks time. They are always getting in new cars so check back frequently. Your best bet is to call them at 1-800-765-7100 between the hours of 8AM - 5PM PST.

Lex Tech Lighting - Lex Tech has faithfully served hundreds in the Lexus community by specializing in restoring Lexus gauge clusters and console (climate control & stereo) displays. Lex Tech can restore dim, flickering, and burnt out dash needles, bulbs, and backlights with better and brighter replacements. Today Lex Tech has since expanded its services to include full customization of Lexus instrumentation. Lex Tech can add extra flair and personalization to your Lexus interior by replacing OEM backlighting with an assortment of custom color combos as well as alternative lighting technologies.

Overboost.com - Dubbed "the high performance dot-com depot", Overboost.com sells high quality JDM performance parts for your Lexus needs. They carry a multitude of popular brand names that make aftermarket for the Lexus SC coupe, from turbo parts to aero kits, suspension to mufflers, and everything in between. Overboost Store Ops Manager Arin Baharian has extended a very generous 'special FAQ viewership pricing' for us all and asks that you call Jerry at (877)442-6678 x212 for price quotes.

Wheel Experts - Looking for some high quality wheels for your Lexus coupe? Maybe some ground effects? Performance suspension? High performance brakes? Wheel Experts is a dealer of such high end items and has become very highly recommended amongst the Lexus community. Wheel Experts is known for their high level of service, expert industry knowledge, competitive pricing, and quality-only brand selections.

Club Lexus Vendors - Here you will find some trustworthy vendors approved by ClubLexus for your Lexus needs.

DIY modifications for the SC300/400

Converting cornering lights into fog lights

This modification is specifically for the 1992-1994 SC coupes, which came with cornering lamps instead of foglamps. Foglamps were introduced on 1995 production cars. Since it is an installation procedure for a basic automotive relay, you can use the same instruction applied to other electrical circuits on the car (DRLs, extra foglights, etc).

Please do note that the 92-94 cornering lamp assembly is different from the 95-96 and 97-00 fog lamp assemblies. Though the 92-94 looks a lot like the 95-96, you can not interchange them between bumpers because of subtle shape and dimensional differences. The 92-94 lamps run on 15w bulbs whereas the 95+ run on 55w H3 bulbs so the illumination on the road is not the same. The 95+ fog lights are brighter, but the beam pattern is a bit wider on the 92-94 conversion.

First you'll need to buy a few items: a 4 or 5-pin 30-amp automotive relay, an inline fuse holder, a 30-amp fuse, about 20-ft 12-awg wire, a box of t-taps (5 is all you'll need if you don't mess up), roll of electrical tape, and good solid connectors: either use solder or buy male-female disconnects. All of this stuff is available at Radio Shack and should cost you no more than $10-15.

Now you need to get to know the relay. A relay is essentially a mechanical switching device that is activated by a low voltage input to activate a high voltage switch. In this application, your low current trigger will be tapped off the parking lights. Your high current output will be the power supplied to the auxiliary lights by the battery via the relay. The relay itself should be a 1-inch black plastic cube with 5 spades on one face, and some sort of mounting tab on another. The 5 spades are labelled something like 30, 85, 86, 87, 87a (at least these are Bosch's labelling).

- 30 is your input voltage for the switched device.
- 87a is an open circuit (no power).
- 87 is a closed circuit that supplies the high current to your auxiliary lights.
- 85 and 86 can be interchangeable, but they are the low voltage leads from your parking lights.

You can choose either headlights, city/parking lights, or sidemarker lights as your signal trigger. I used the city lights because they were easiest to access, the relay can be switched with an input signal as low as 150mV, and in case anything went wrong, no big deal.

Hopefully everyone here already knows that every DC electrical device requires two connections: a postive (live) and negative (ground). The darker/colored wire is always live (yes black is a color) and the lighter/white is always the ground wire. (in AC it's slightly different). I believe on our cars, the live is an off-red and the ground is white.

STEP 1
Basically, your first connection is going to be two t-taps off the both cornering lights' positive wires. Now connect the two t-taps you just made with two runs of 12-awg wire, and lead both wires back to the battery pan. Twist the two wires together into one single wire and connect them to the 87 spade.

The 87a spade will have no connection because it is the open switch.

STEP 2
Lexus uses a switched ground system which presents a problem because your cornering lights aren't always grounded. So to resolve this issue, go back to the cornering lights and t-tap both of the negative (ground) wires. Run two lengths of 12-awg wire from these t-taps---the same way you just did with the positive wire---to the negative post on the car battery. Your circuit is now properly grounded.

STEP 3
Next send a wire from the battery's negative post to the 85 spade.

STEP 4
Now make another t-tap off of the positive wire from your chosen signal trigger (in my case the city light), usually the closest one is the best. Once you've established this t-tap, run another piece of 12-awg wire from the t-tap to 86 spade.

STEP 5
Last is to establish the big power! You will connect the battery's 12v positive post to the 30 spade. BUT before you do that, use that inline fuse holder you bought. It will be a black, plastic, well... "fuse holder", with a looped wire running from one end to the other. Cut the loop into two bare ends. Connect one end to the 12v positive battery post, and connect the other end to the 30 spade on the relay. You may need to splice or crimp extra wire to make the run to the 30 space. It is critical that the fuse holder is very close to the battery. Like less than 12-inches of wire between them both. Make sure you weren't eager and stuck a fuse in that fuse-holder yet, because that would create a live circuit.

STEP 6
Right now the relay system is completely wired up, but there is no fuse in the holder. Therefore no current is running through it so it is still safe. At this point, you'll want to check all connections from and to the relay and once you've determined all is secured and well, insulate it! You want to make the relay water and weatherproof. I did so by wrapping the entire thing in 6 layers of electrical tape. Feel free to use more if you want. Then tuck or mount the relay somewhere safe (IE somwhere away from water exposure and engine heat). I put mine next to the battery pan which remains relatively dry and cool.

STEP 7
Now you can insert the 30-amp fuse you bought and test out the relay circuit. Turn the light wand in your car to activate the parking lights. Your cornering lights should turn on as well.

Standard bulb, tire, wheel, and speaker sizes

The SC300 stock wheels are 15x6.5 inches (all four), and the stock tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE940 215/60ZR15

The SC400 stock wheels are 16x7.5 inches (all four), and the stock tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE940 225/55ZR16

Both SC300 and SC400 bolt patterns are 114.3x5, stud design, with 12x1.5 threading and 60.1 bore. The stock offsets are +50mm.

The speakers on the stock Pioneer system and on the Nakamichi premium sound system are 4-inch midranges front and back, 1-inch tweeters in the front, and 10-inch free-air subwoofer in the rear deck. The stereo control unit occupies 2.5 DIN slots in the center console. The stereo unit's shape is parallelogram.

The low beam bulb is a 55-watt 9006/HB4. The high beam bulb is a 65-watt 9005/HB3. The 1992-1994 cornering light bulb is a 15-watt 1156. The 1995-2000 fog light bulb is 55-watt H3. The city/parking light, front/rear sidemarker, step/courtesy light, license plate light, and trunk light all use 5-watt 168 and 194 wedge bulbs. All bulbs run on 12 volts. The Lexus OEM-issued bulbs are underpowered for longevity. For instance a dealership replacement of the 55-watt low beam bulb is a 51-watt bulb.

Compatible Supra parts for the SC300/400

Supra wheels will fit the SC coupe perfectly; However, the offset is slightly less in Supra wheels (Lexus +50mm, Supra +38mm). This is not a substantial enough difference to create steering issues, but the wheels will look like they are tucked in by a little under an inch. This difference can be remedied with H&R 15mm spacers. Supra TT wheels are 17x8F and 17x9.5R, while the Supra NA wheels are 16x7.5. Both sizes are offered in chrome, polished aluminum, and silver finishes.

Any OEM and aftermarket suspension designed for the MKIV Toyota Supra will also work with the SC coupe. This includes all Supra coilover packages. Ony thing you must consider when shopping for Supra lowering spring packages: you must swap the entire strut-spring assembly from the Supra rear end, not just the springs. Meaning if you purchase Eibach Supra Prokits, you must also purchase Supra-compatible strut shocks, because the rear strut perch on the Supra sets lower than the rear strut perch on the SC. If you attempt a Lexus shock with a Supra spring, you will actually lift the rear end of the car higher than stock. The front struts are the same on both cars however. You have the option of buying the OEM Supra shocks (cheapest), or aftermarket Tokico, KYB, etc shocks. It is recommended that you replace all four shocks together for uniformity, instead of just the rears if you go this route. Supra NA and TT shocks will fit the SC300 and SC400 fine. You do not have to worry about these compatibility issues when you buy Supra coilovers.

Supra OEM front and rear sway bars will fit the SC coupes provided that you use the Supra sub-frame mounts - (info provided by Dave Martel). The stock Lexus sway bars have completely different sub-frames.

Supra OEM control arms can be interchanged with SC control arms.

Supra braking systems will fit the SC coupes as a direct bolt-on provided that you use 17x8-inch wheels or larger with the proper offset. These are very large brake calipers, which require specific offsets to clear. You want at least 2 mm or more clearance between the calipers and the backside of the wheel spokes. It is not recommended that you compensate by shaving the brake caliper, and definitely not the wheel spokes. Supra braking systems will not fit on the SC300 or SC400 with stock Lexus wheels mounted.

The Supra TT Torsen 3.76:1 Limited-slip differential bolts up to the SC300/400 rear axle as well.

The TRD performance panel air filter made for the Toyota 4Runner and Supra (Part #: 00602-17801-002) will work with the SC coupes. These TRD filters nearly double the air flow capabilities of the stock intake system when combined with the Peter Scott BFI intake.

The front seats from a Supra directly bolt-on to the SC although you lose powered lumbar adjustment. 93-95 Supra seats are different from 96-98 Supra seats. Incidentally, you can also use stock Honda S2000 seats in the Supra and SC coupe.

Production year revisions in the SC400

Click here for model year differences and changes for the SC400

Production year revisions in the SC300

The rear shifting assembly on the SC300 was changed in 1995 and is the same as the Supra NA (as far as I know '93-98), but it is unknown if the '93-94 Supra NA uses the same transmission because the TRD quick shift kit is designed for '94.1 and later. The transmission change went along with the changes that were made to the transmission tunnel. The 1995 transmission is longer and taller so you can cut the existing hole where the shifter goes through but you will have to hammer part of the tunnel to make it taller. Basically the '92-94 SC300s have the same W58 manual transmission, but then the '95-97 have an updated version. - info provided by SDSC300

Common problems experienced with the SC300 & SC400

Below is a collaborative list outlining the most common problems experienced with the SC300 and SC400 coupes. Once again, this is just a collective list of some of the most common issues to arise with owners. More than likely no single coupe will experience more than a few of these issues in its lifetime. Be sure to check out the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) fixes available for these problems. With a little time and effort on your part, you can fix these problems yourself and save hundreds!

  • Blacked-out needles: Some of the older coupes report having global/localized black outs in the gauge needles. Most of the time this is caused by old circuitry that has gone faulty (ie: dry caps).

    • Lextech Lighting can restore the affected needles to brighter than new and offers full color-customization of the Lexus gauge lighting.

    Lextech Forum is an discussion forum where you can ask questions and troubleshoot your lighting problems.

  • Blacked-out Displays: Some of the older coupes report having global/localized black outs in the instrument cluster, stereo, and climate control units. This is likely due to burnt-out bulbs.

    • Replacement bulbs are slightly dimmer in brightness in order to increase longevity. Part#: LX 84999-60360 are about $7/ea - (info provided by Ryan)

    Lextech Lighting can restore the affected backlights to brighter than new and offers full color-customization of the Lexus intrumentation lighting.

  • Leaking power steering pump: Some of the older coupes have a faulty seal in the power steering pump, which can leak power steering fluid onto the alternator and destroy both parts if the problem is neglected. If you have an older high mileage coupe, be sure to monitor your pump for signs of seep or leakage. Replace the seal for ~$1 or rebuild the PSP for ~$125.


  • Worn leather seats: Older coupes tend to have cracked and callous leather seats, especially if kept ungaraged in dry/arid climates without window tint. If the sun damage is severe enough to bother you...

    Leatherseats.com offers a complete leather-vinyl combo replacement kit for the SC for ~$600.

    Katzkin.com offers a complete genuine leather replacement kit for the SC for ~$600 also. Custom leather applications are available at both sites.

  • Cracked dash vents: The most common issue with the SC coupe is a crack in plastic trim around the center air vents. The cause is rapid hot-cold air changes expanding and contracting the plastic until it snaps.

    • A replacement center vent costs between $100-700 depending on model year: $100 for 1992 & 1997-2000 models; $700 for 1993-1996 models due to the integrated passenger airbag. - (info provided by SMARK, Hermosa, & jwar)

  • Cracked window sill: The second most common issue with the SC coupe is a small crack in the leather wrapped around the window sills. This is caused by a weak spot in the plastic frame around the window combined with stretching of the leather. The plastic underneath, right by the screw hole, cracks from the pressure of an arm. Leather repair shop quote: $50 - (info provided by joelchicago)


  • Worn front suspension bushings: Some of the older coupes may have squeaky control arm bushings caused by deterioration of the rubber.

    • Daizen polyurethane bushings from TM Engineering are a permanent fix at $100/set. Poly bushings offer enhanced performance over rubber by stiffening the chassis.

    Andrew Vlamos from LSOC has developed a rubber bushing replacement that maintains the "new off the lot" factory ride quality. You can order these rubber bushings by emailing Andrew directly at vlamos@bigpond.com.

    You can also order new control arms with new rubber bushings from Lexus for $1200- (info provided by ztikmedia)

  • Worn door hinges: A few SC coupes have experienced sagging/drooping alignment of the door originating from the double-jointed door hinges. The cause is the weight of the door on the bearings over time. These effects can be magnified by abuse such as leaning or hanging on the door, or opening the door while your coupe is raised on a chassis lift.

    • Lexus dealership replacement: $400/hinge

  • Cloudy headlights: Some SC coupes have cracked headlight housings that allow moisture and condensation to get trapped inside creating a foggy mildew coat. Replacement headlight assemblies are $290/ea.

DIY Fixes for Common Problems

Replacing the Power Steering Pump:
info provided by lexcoupe94, sxylxy, FLex, hyperopt:

The pump brackets are mounted at about a 45 degree angle looking at the pump from the front. The outside bolt is higher.

STEP 1: Disconnect the car battery.

STEP 2: Drain power steering fluid with a turkey baster.

STEP 3: Remove the air intake box, overflow tank, pump reservoir and bracket.

STEP 4: Loosen pump pulley with a 14mm wrench. This will loosen the serpentine belt. Remove both belt and pulley.

STEP 5: Remove vacuum valve on the passenger side of the motor.

STEP 6: Remove side bolts with a 14mm wrench. They are tough to see so you have to feel for them.

STEP 7: Disconnect the high pressure hose and remove the two front bolts with a 10mm wrench. You have to pull the pulley off for access to the front bolts. I carefully pried the pump off with a crowbar by prying one side, then rotating the pulley 180 degrees and prying again. I would recommend using a puller though.

STEP 8: If you did not buy a new power steering fluid reservoir, make sure you thoroughly clean yours out. Flush old power steering fluid too otherwise contaminants may accelerate your new pump's lifespan.

Rebuilt pumps are available from PartsAmerica.com and AutoZone.com for reasonable prices. New alternator and power steering pump together are approximately $400.

Bleeding Air From Power Steering Pump:
info provided by lexcoupe94:

STEP 1: Check power steering fluid level. Fill if necessary.

STEP 2: Warm up the car 5 minutes or so to heat up the power steering fluid.

STEP 3: Jack the front end up and prop up on jackstands so that the wheels turn free.

STEP 4: Take off the power steering fluid reservoir cap and stuff a rag around the reservoir to catch any fluid.

STEP 5: With the car running, turn the wheel full left and right about 10 times, then straighten wheels and check fluid.

STEP 6: If fluid level is down, fill to proper hot level and turn full left and right 10 more times.

STEP 7:Repeat until no more air or fluid burps out.

STEP 8:Lower wheels back down and recheck fluid.

** Fully-illustrated article on Power Steering Pump repair: click here.

Replacing Trunk Lift Supports:
info provided by PERRYinLA:

Here are the instructions - some of it won't make sense until you actually start the process:

Supplimental Installation Pictures - (provided by howiedoit)

Try to enlist a friend to help - to hold up the trunk lid, but you can do it yourself using a sturdy pole to prop it up.

STEP 1: Inside the trunk, peel off, from the top, the interior cloth-like panel that separates the trunk cavity from the back seat/gas tank area. It's held down with little plastic clips. These clips will release if you give them a tug. You should then be able to see the gas tank and the lifts attached to the trunk hinges.

STEP 2: You can't just pop the old lifts off because they are not yet fully extended. There are a pair of little black plastic bumpers that clip onto the tubular metal connecting the trunk to the struts. Pull them out so you can lift the trunk to its full height.

STEP 3: Using a 12mm open end wrench unscrew the ball portion of the ball and socket joint that is on the top part of the lift supports. It may be hard to start because it has Locktite on it.

STEP 4: Using a screwdriver, unclip the metal retainer that secures the bottom part of the lifter cylinder to a stud on the car body. If you won't be re-using your old struts, you can just jam a screwdriver and bend the clips so that they release. (I had to be more careful, since I knew I would be re-using them.)

STEP 5: Now you reverse step 3 for the replacement struts.

STEP 6: Clip the bottom part of your new cylinders onto their round studs.

STEP 7: Put those rubber bumpers back into place, paying attention to the little key piece that fits into a hole on the tubular trunk arm.

STEP 8: Put the interior piece back into place with the clips.

These pneumatic cylinders are under a lot of pressure, even when they're too weak to hold up the lid. Don't cut them or get your finger in the way when they are compressed. Also, take care not to nick or scratch the polished metal rods on the struts.

If you really want to extend the service life of your lift supports, keep in mind there is a slight chance that your trunk currently has only one strut shot, but the other is in good shape. So replace the struts one at a time. If replacing one strut results in a trunk lid that will stay up, you may wish to hold onto the extra strut until the time your other strut gives out.

Rebuilding Door Hinge:
info provided by Ian Miller:

click here

Replacing Burnt Bulbs:
info provided by Ryan:

click here

Restoring Cloudy Headlights:

To eliminate condensation in the headlights, remove the headlight assembly from the car. It is held in place by three 10mm hexnuts. Examine the headlight housing and find the fracture(s) or crack(s), usually in the black plastic backing piece. Thoroughly seal the fractures with a silicone glass sealant or hot glue. The condensation problem should be eliminated.

To remove the cloudy mildew build up on your headlight covers you will need 2000-grit sandpaper, a polishing compound, and water. It is recommended that you wrap the 2000-grit sand paper around a block or something flat and smooth so that your sanding work is clean and even. The mildew is most likely on the outside of the headlight covering so wet down the effected area and gently sand away the grime while flushing liberally with water. Continue sanding as need until the cloudiness is gone. Dry the heeadlight covers, apply a protective coat of polish or wax, and buff out any fine scratches you see. 3M rubbing compound can be used for more severe build-up.

To clean mildew or hard water stains from the inside of the headlight cover, you will need to remove the headlight housing from the car and open it up. The headlight cover, headlight shield, and headlight backing pieces are held together with a very strong, resilient adhesive. In order to break this adhesive bond, you will have to heat the adhesive material to the point where it softens up enough to seperate. Three methods exist to accomplish this: 1) the hot oven trick, (2) the hot water trick, and (3) the heat gun trick. The melting point of the backing piece is a few degrees above the melting point of the adhesive so it is critical that you monitor the process throughout. The safest method is the hot water trick due to its inability to melt the headlight backing piece. It can also be the messiest. The oven trick is probably easiest and quickest, and the risk of damage here is low if you know what you're doing.

The Hot Oven Trick: Preheat oven to 225 degrees Farenheit (107 Celsius). Take this waiting time to remove all loose pieces, such as metal clips, rubber nozzles, and screws, from the headlight housing. Keep oven on at 225 degrees---this temperature is lower than the melting threshold of anything on the headlight housing. Place headlight housing on a baking sheet in center of the oven (or distanced from the heat filaments). Heat for about 10 minutes. Remove and begin prying away at the seals with a flat, non-sharp straight edge such as a butter knife, ruler, or flat-head screwdriver. Work quick as the adhesive is constantly cooling and hardening. Work around the entire housing prying open a wedge between the seal. Repeat this process as many times as it takes for you to get a good gap between the cover and backing pieces. Once the two pieces seperate even slightly, the whole headlight housing will snap open with ease. The adhesive will get stringy like melted cheese off a slice of pizza. Press the stray strands of adhesive back into the seal groove and do not get this adhesive dirty or contaminated.

The Hot Water Trick: Remove all loose pieces, such as metal clips, rubber nozzles, and screws, from the headlight housing. Fill a bucket or tub--large enough to completely submerge the headlight housing--with boiling hot water (212º Farenheit, 100º Celsius). You can wrap the headlight housing in three garbage bags to keep them dry or you can submerge them in the water bare. Hold the headlight housing under water for 15-20 minutes. Remove and begin prying away at the seals with a flat, non-sharp straight edge such as a butter knife, ruler, or flat-head screwdriver. Work quick as the adhesive is constantly cooling and hardening. Work around the entire housing prying open a wedge between the seal. Submerge in a fresh new batch of simmering hot water for another 15-20 minutes. Remove and repeat the prying process. Repeat this process as many times as it takes before you can get a solid finger grip in-between the cover and backing pieces. At this point you want to pry open with as much brute force as you can. Once you find a weak point on the housing, exploit this weak point and continue working a larger wedge in it. Once the two pieces seperate even slightly, the whole headlight housing will snap open with ease. Press the stray strands of adhesive back into the seal groove and do not get this adhesive dirty.

The Heat Gun Trick: I have not tested this method out myself yet so I have no instructions for it :(.

Repairing Blacked-out Needles:
info provided by onelasttry:

click here

Repairing Window Motor Regulator:
info provided by onelasttry:

click here

Tightening Seatback Nets:
info provided by Ryan:

click here

Airbag Warning Light:
info provided by VQT:

WARNING: this manual fix should only be attempted if you are absolutely certain that the airbag warning light was tripped by a code 22 error. A code 22 error occurs when the ignition is powered up without the gauge cluster plugged into the wiring harness (starting the car without the gauge cluster in place). The brain runs a diagnostic check and does not receive feedback from the airbag, causing a fault. If this is not the reason your airbag warning light is on, then it is strongly recommended that you do not perform this fix. Take your car to a dealership or service center to be diagnosed and properly fixed; there could be a real and major problem with your airbag system.

First, you need to know the trouble code. Locate either of the two diagnositic ports in your car. One if attached to the engine block, and the other is underneath the driver dash by the auxiliary fuse box. There should be a black plastic cover labelled 'Diagnostic' or 'DLC2'. The following procedure must be performed perfectly in order to work...

STEP 1: Turn the ignition on for approximately 20 seconds, but do not start the engine.

STEP 2: Stick a wire or paper clip in the Tc & E1 pinholes of the DLC2.

STEP 3: If the light blinks continuosly or code 22 (two fast blinks, a pause, then two more fast blinks), then you can probably manually cancel the warning light. If it is any other code, you need to trouble shoot it and fix the problem.

STEP 4: To clear the code connect two wires to Tc and AB of the DLC2.

STEP 5: Turn the ignition to ACC or ON and wait approximately 6 seconds.

STEP 6: Start with the Tc terminal and apply a wire to body ground alternately to Tc and AB twice each in cycles of 0.5 - 1.0 seconds.

STEP 7: Finally keep Tc to ground. If the clearing is done properly, then the airbag light will blink in 50 msec incriments continously. If it did not, then you didn't ground the Tc and AB properly. Repeat the process. The procedure may take between 3 to 15 attempts to work.

Common parts listing

Did you know? : Lexus dealerships charge full list price for all parts you order from them, but OEM dealers in the Recommended Vendors section will sell you the same original manufacturer parts for significantly reduced prices!

COMMON PARTS REFERENCE
Description Part Number List Price
oil filter, sc400 90915-20004 13.25
oil plug gasket, sc400 90430-12031 1.15
a/c filter 88880-24020 45.00
front brake pad kit, sc400 04465-24021 59.95
rear brake pad kit, sc400 04466-30140 59.95
front shim kit, sc400 04946-24010 47.46
rear shim kit, sc400 04945-14010 42.49
bulb, tail light 00234-01157 1.15
bulb, fog light 90981-13048 20.02
spark plug, sc400 90919-01178 8.32
thermostat, sc400 90916-03084 13.12
water inlet gasket, sc400 16325-62010 4.66
window motor regulator 69802-24033 93.91
lower control arm bushing, front 48654-24040 38.95
lower control arm bushing, rear 48655-24050 38.95
wheel lock set 00276-30930 33.00
key blank 90999-00220 49.00
console cup holder, brown 55604-24030 50.27
touch-up paint, sandstone beige 00258-004K9 6.97
strut reinforcement 53723-24010 unknown
washer nozzle, es300 black (2002) 85381-33060-CO 14.09
washer nozzle, es300 beige (2002) 85381-33060-EO 14.09

Do you have another part number that is not already listed above? If so, please send the Part Number, Description, and List Price to CONTACT HAS BEEN REMOVED!

Toyota oil filters explained:

Many people have stumbled upon deals for the 08922-02011 Toyota oil filter; a couponed filter that is considerably cheaper in price than the regular Toyota 90915-20004 oil filter. I highly recommend you do not short-change your oil filtration and instead stick with the 90915-20004 oil filter whether you own an SC300, SC400, or Soarer.

The 90915-20004 oil filter is Toyota Denso brand, made in Japan. It has a thicker, higher quality filter element than the 08922-02011. The 08922-02011 is a cheaper filter made by Purolator in the United States. It's shorter in length, has a thinner, flimsier filter element, inferior constuction, and filters lower oil volume than the 20004. Steve Ganz at Carson Toyota sells the 20004 for $6.99/ea by the case (case of ten). Lexus dealerships charge $13.25/ea list price for the same filter.

Toyota makes another filter for their V8 motors, the 90915-YZZB5, that is supposed to compete with other low-end filters like Fram. The YZZB5/YZZB9 filters are also smaller than the 20004 and they do not have oil bypass valves like the 20004.

The 90915-20004 is also cross-labelled as the 90915-03005 and 90915-20002 for the SC430. They are all the same filter.

The 90915-20004 has been discontinued since mid-December 2003 and replaced with the Thailand-made 90915-YZZD3. All Toyota and Lexus V8s will be assigned this new filter. It has a slightly thinner filter element. The alternative to this is the TRD filter part# 00602-90915-007. The TRD filter is the essentially the same as the old 20004 and is priced the same also ($7.58).

MKIV Tech Article - Here are comparison pictures of the 90915-20004 & 08922-02011 oil filters. See for yourself!

D1 Oil Filter - Here are pictures of the new 90915-YZZD1

Factory torque settings

Differential drain plug :   36 ft-lb.
Differential fill plug :   36 ft-lb.
Transmission pan :   65 in-lb.
Transmission drain plug :   15 ft-lb.
Oil drain plug :   28 ft-lb.
Oil pan :   80 in-lb.

- (info provided by SRQ400)

Wheel lugs :   76 ft-lb.

Maintanence tips:

Cleaning Interior:

In my experience the best cleaning agent for our cars is Soft Scrub (available at Safeway in the cleaner isle). Soft Scrub Original, Lemon, and Orange are all exceptable. Do not use Soft Scrub with bleach. I use Soft Scrub Orange to clean my leather seats, seat backs, head rests, arm rests, dash, steering wheel, door panels, etc.

Directions: Apply Soft Scrub cleanser evenly to a towel or paper towel and rub into affected spot. If your leather has cracks in it, work the cracks harder to remove deposited dirt. Once you've effectively cleaned the surface, take another towel, soak it in water, squeeze out the excess, and wipe the residual cleaning agent from the surface. Finish off by wiping with a dry towel. You will be quite satisfied with the results of your labor.

Your first time cleaning will be tough and tedious because you will likely have many layers of grease and dirt to cut through. You will have to apply many stages of cleanser to your interior. Routine upkeep is the key to easy cleaning. You should clean your interior with Soft Scrub every one to three months.

You will be amazed and apalled by the amount of dirt and grime you lift from your interior! The steering wheel is especially dirty. After you've cleaned the interior, pronounced cracks in the leather will barely be visible, your steering wheel, seats and arm rests will be smooth to the touch, and your leather, especially if tan-colored, will be bright, shiny, and will look brand new comparatively.

Washing car:

The washing of your car should always be hand-washed by yourself. Do not drive your car through a car wash machine, do not pay to have a car wash shop wash it for you. Both places use dirty recycled water, sometimes even harsh detergents, and the quality of washing is always lower than if you just did it yourself.

The first rule of car washing is: do not use detergents or dish washing soaps unless you intend to strip wax from your car. If you are stripping wax from your car, it should only be because you intend to rewax it that same day. For normal routine car washes, buy a car shampoo specifically forumlated for car washing. When mixing the shampoo with a bucket of water, it is not necessary to oversaturate the water with shampoo until the bucket resembles a soapy, colorful bubble bath. Follow the directions on the bottle, and if your car isn't terribly dirty, use a little bit less shampoo than instructed even. Soapy water works to strip protective car wax from the car. Hardcore detailers recommend you use two wash mits: one for the upper half of your car above the trim line, and one for the lower half of your car below the trim line. This is left up to your discretion depending on how serious you take car washing.

You should wash your car in sections (ie: hood, roof, front right fender, rear bumper, etc), rinsing down the soap after each section so that it does not dry on your paint. Car washes should be a weekly task depending on how often you use your car and how dusty your area is. You should always dry your car down with clean, non-abrasive cotton towels and not let the water evaporate or dry on your car. When you wash your car-drying towels in the laundry, do not use fabric softener as they contain detergents that are harmful to your car's clear coat.

Register your Lexus with Lexus.com!

Some might not be familiar with this fairly new feature of Lexus.com, which is why I mention it here. If you go to LEXUS.COM and register your Lexus ownership with Lexus Corp., you will gain access to their VIN database and be able to see all the features and options your specific car was issued off the lot. This is a very useful tool that offers a wealth of information on your specific car. If you are not the first owner of the car, registering here also updates Lexus' ownership records so that your VIN is now associated with your name. Other benefits include free subscription to Lexus Magazine, online manuals, online garage, online mileage/service tracker, etc. All you are required to give is your email address and VIN number. This service is free, but only available to Lexus owners residing in the United States.

More Frequently Asked Questions?

Looking for more SC300/SC400/Soarer resources? Here are a few more websites with lots more info to offer...

Planet Soarer
A more technical, in depth resource for SC300s and SC400s. This website was written by Peter Scott, a Fluid Mechanics Professor in Australia, therefore it revolves around the Japanese Domestic Market Toyota Soarer, which is very similar to the Lexus SC. The site has more emphasis on mechanics and aftermarket capabilities, many of which are applicable to Lexus SCs. There is more info here than you can read in one sitting, so I recommend you bookmark it.

Startrade FAQ
This FAQ contains 116 common questions for the JDM Toyota Soarer, so many of the topics covered here are not applicable to the Lexus SC; However, there is still some good information here worth looking at.

Lexus Pros
Seven very helpful Do-It-Yourself articles written up by Lexus Pros, complete with step by step instruction and full-sized pictures.

ClubLexus.com
If you found this site via web search, there is a growing online community of Lexus car enthusiests whose resources are a large part of this FAQ. Register membership into the ClubLexus Forums for free and ask thousands of owners for personalized help with your Lexus inquiries.

ALSC - Australian Lexus Soarer Club
Robert Hayden's ALSC hosts Australia's Soarer community, the largest and most dedicated group of Soarer/SC-exclusive owners out there. These guys know how to crank power out of the V8 and the 1JZ, and really push the Soarer to its limits on the track. Along with an active discussion forum, ALSC has a tech tips section and a marketplace for parts.

Lexus Soarer Owners Club of the UK
This is British web forum dedicated to all Lexus SC coupe & Toyota Soarer coupe owners. Many very helpful articles are also available here as well.

Toyota Import Forum - Soarer
This is British web forum dedicated to all Lexus SC coupe & Toyota Soarer coupe owners.

ALSC Soarer FAQ
Here's another Aussie FAQ page for the Soarer compiled by Richard Baird and Harry Lemmens. Many of the tech articles are applicable to the stateside SC.

ALSC Repair Tips and FAQs
A large collection of Soarer/SC info and tech articles courtesy of our Soarer enthusiests down under.

Angel's SC300 NA-T FAQ
Here is a great FAQ by Angel for prospective SC300 turbo owners. This site answers many basic questions regarding the NA-T conversion from the first-hand knowledge of a tuner who's done it himself.

Lextreme
Very thorough site and discussion forum covering performance capabilities for the Lexus V8 as well as the inline-6.

Lextech Forum
This is the technical support branch of Lex Tech Lighting. Here you can discuss any electrical inquiries or issues you're experiencing with your Lexus instrumentation. There is also a gallery of actual customer vehicles for you to get ideas on customizing your own car.

Lexus Gone Wild!
Lexus Gone Wild (- Nor Cal Style) is a grassroots ClubLexus chapter local to Northern California and very active in Lexus community. Last summer LGW held the largest annual Lexus-exclusive meet in the world and has compiled a DVD that sets the bar for all Lexus mods, meets, and videos to come. It is a testament to the meticulous taste in style and efforts of the Lexus crowd. A definite must own for all enthusiests near and far! Also in development at LGW is a Lexus FAQ and DIY section.

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Compiled by:
- Intellexual.Net (aka lex400sc), Webmaster Intellexual.net
  09/20/02
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