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Haha! Yes, I know and I was only kidding with you I know that feeling, although not with 800whp I'll admit. Not yet anyway, lol.
I know you like your E320 Benz also but this one I thought was already a daily driver car also. You've had it well sorted already even before this, I thought. Nice and smooth riding SC that looks mostly stock to the untrained eye
Well , I wan't to reach a point in which I mainly use this car as my daily if it is just me in the car and use the Benz only when I have to. Even if I have been using it for 5 years now , I still find things to do when I realize that something would perform better in another way like those coolers after being stucked in a long summer mid afternoon traffic . Like the other day , I asked a friend to drive and push it while he passes me on an empty road since I wanted to hear how my exhaust sounded . I get some exhaust drone at a certain RPM when I am driving it. I am getting to a point in which exhaust noise is starting to irritate me. I want that exhaust noise only during WOT and not while cruising . The guy told me , the car is so smooth driving and he was thankful that he finally was able to drive a +900rwhp car ! He didn't even think there was any exhaust noise inside the cabin . The car he said pulls like a freight train down low ( that's the quick spool valve at work )and said exhaust noise inside the cabin was not bad. I guess he was more excited driving the car than listening to the exhaust drone .
Yeah , keeping it as sleeper as it can be so it will remain Sandstone Beige . Besides , it is easier to maintain having that color. It hides dirt . I don't have to clean it every week. I am able to get away not washing it every month .. hahaha.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
You do have more room with that bumper but the space constraints still look challenging. I saw your later post further down where you solved the mounting but found that the trans coolers w/filter actually work far too well! The temperature switched sandwich plate is interesting. There is always some specialized aftermarket part to learn about that solves unique problems!
What I don't understand yet is how, after the thermal switch reaches a high enough temperature to allow trans oil to flow through the trans coolers and filter, if that system cools so well that you can't reach 180F without the thermally switched sandwich plate then what is to stop the transmission temps from being lowered too much all over again?
Thinking about this... what I imagine must happen is that your thermally switched sandwich plate must once again close the connection to the coolers and filter once the temps get back down to 150F or so. When you said you drove around a lot and still couldn't get the auto trans up to operating temperature you meant with normal and moderate driving, right? Theoretically if you were to have driven the SC harder to work the transmission more then that temperature would have come up to 150F or higher, correct?
So this thermally switched cooling system you have is to allow you have the extra cooling whenever you DO need it for demanding load on the transmission but to keep it blocked off under normal driving conditions.
It's a really cool setup the more I think about how you've done this.
Yes , the Mocal Sandwhich plate wouldn't now allow the fluid to go through the coolers if the fluid temperature is below 180F thus assuring you that your ATF Fluid is always at the optimum operating temperature that is good for the transmission. The moment it sees the fluid temp at 180F or above , it will divert the fluid to the coolers to cool it down. If gushing air on those 3 trans coolers is not enough to keep the trans fluid temperature below 190F (sensor on the filter monitors temp) then the cooler fans kick in too. These mostly would be needed during long travel and then be stucked in traffic.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
With this additional change I know your A/C will be blowing cold all the time now (as you proved with your update below this post I'm quoting from)!
You're making me wonder two things now:
1) Since I have the 1993-1995 TT single aux fan I and I know that TT engine bays get very hot, especially during heat waves, I wonder if I should also consider sourcing the twin fan shroud and dual OEM TT fans as well. I don't know how many amps the two vs one of those OEM fans draw to work with a controller and relay.
2) Maybe if trying this the 90-amp TT alternator that I have installed in my SC cannot be considered to be sufficient. You have a 250-amp upgraded alt to run everything after all.
The entire cooling system in your daily 940whp GTE Auto is so thorough that I can't imagine you will have any overheat issues now. Not even with your power steering.
Speaking of which, that's on my list to upgrade as well so I am curious to see what PS cooler you end up using and where and how you will mount it. I have two coolers in boxes right now: a small Derale 13212 cooler kit and a Hayden 678 cooler kit. I haven't decided if either one is what I will use as a PS cooler. A mount has to be fabricated and the stock SC metal cooler lines. I saw you looking at the SC400 hydrofan cooler that mounts in the stock location. Are you leaning towards just that for your power steering? It's very convenient but do you think it's enough?
Oh yes ... air from my AC is a lot cooler since the heat from the ATF Fluid cooler is gone plus the three fans that have been added help cool the AC condenser and radiator a lot.
The small oem fans will be in the vicinity of 7 - 8 amp each . You need at least a 40amp relay to run those two fans with your AC Condenser Fan. I would suggest upgrading that 90amp alternator. You don't have an FMIC blocking air going into your AC condenser / radiator so probably you don't need the dual aux fans. Keep that AC Condenser fan so when you are held on the road with traffic something will help the radiator clutch fan.
Right now , am happy with all the cooling systems I have . I ended using the small PS cooler with fins from the SC400, not the tube only cooler since I figured the former will cool better my PS fluid. It will benefit anyway with the air ducting / undercarriage plates I will be making.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
Gerry, how are the Z30 under-covers different from the ones that come on the US/Canadian SC's? Are you talking about the right and left plastic side covers where the fog lamps are or do you mean the big front and center under cover below the radiator?
I just haven't looked closely at how our stock plastic under covers are formed but I just assumed the vents in them are angled to scoop air in as the car moves forward.
If the SC300/400 got a cover that doesn't have that louver scoop angle while the Soarers got a totally different under cover that does have this feature... I'm confused at why Toyota didn't think that both cars could benefit from such a design.... or of the cost benefits of just using one under-cover design for both markets
If you make your own metal louvered under-cover you might as well match it with one of those covers for the under-engine area that is on the JZZ30 website. Unless you make one of those too ;D
The JZZ30 plates seems to be really nice. They are just not exactly what I want. First the front center piece was meant for stock bumpers. I want mine a bit deeper in depth to get all the way to the front / bottom of the Auto Couture Bumper. That in a way will allow me to hear if the bottom of my front bumper is scraping the hump or a dip on the road, a signal that I should slow down. I would also cut the plate holes in a way that it scoops air. Observe the stock plastic undercarriage cover. It is designed in such a way it guides / diverts and scoops air. It is not just a flat plate with holes. Air and water will follow the path of least resistance. If it is just flat with holes , more air IMHO will just slide through the undercarriage plate to the back instead of getting into the holes . Somehow , it has to be guided and scooped for it to go into the AC Condenser / Radiator area. Just my $0.02 .
The JZZ30 heavy duty plates for sale on their site or on Ebay are 0.063" thick . You can get two 36" x 36" x 0.063" aluminum plates for $85 . If you have a jigsaw and drill , it will be easy to make those undercarriage plates. Those $85 plates will be more than enough to do also the side (bottom of fog lights) undercarriage covers .Just get a huge carton for a template / pattern before working on the actual aluminum plates with your jigsaw. That will save me quite a bit of money if I do it myself and I will have them exactly the way I want them.
He definitely does! I haven't been able to do it just yet but a trip up to his place in Atlanta is in order to deliver a GE block and, I hope, to see firsthand all the recent changes and improvements he's made to that 940whp automatic daily SC with all the perfected cooling systems
Decided to create a Facebook account so I can post the 1997 SC300 5 speed for sale . Darn , all I get are broke *** people or tire kickers who have been offering me 2-3k on a running 1997 original 5 speed. Can't believe how bad the market of SCs are. So to say they are going up in price , I have yet to see a good market or a good number of people paying for a premium . Yes I see a lot priced high , but being sold is another question
I am actually not wanting a lot for those running 5 speed and shells I have. I price them high to separate the serious from the window shoppers . I just want people who are seriously interested, will take care of them and not tire kickers . What I was asking or willing to let go of them is actually lower than what I see pre 1997 5 speeds go for. Now am tempted just to part out them all and get better from them.... hahaha ... since as previously mentioned , I have already decided in only keeping well built 2 - 3 SCs.
My daily driver SC is pretty set at this point ... at 940rwhp / 740ft.lbs. , I can't complain. I know I still can push it higher if I have a TH400 on it . I hate to push more the built ATF transmission and damage it. Soon my stroker SC 2jzgte vvti 6 speed will be done. Now am collecting parts for a 2jzGE VVTi build. You don't see a lot of these built GE which I know are capable of +1krwhp too so I will try to build one.
Started collecting parts for a 2jzGE VVTi build. Found a good deal on a set of the best 2jz wrist pins which could be used for boat anchors since they are massive .
laid them side by side with the stock CP Pistons wrist pins and the difference is huge . At high RPMs , wrist pins can snap ...
I did talk to Robert of Real Street Performance . I am sending back these boat anchors to them so they can be DLC coated (Diamond Like Coating) . Such coating will prevent galling and makes them a lot slippery to aid in performance.
Wow! DLC coating those wrist pins also? You aren't messing around pulling out every stop on that VVT-i build
The troubles you have had selling those '97 SC 5-speeds... :/ I am sure you have already tried listing them in AutoTrader. Plus you have listed them here in the CL classifieds.
And your 940whp DD... you want even more power from that car that you drive all the time? I know I am asking a silly question, lol. But you would like a built TH400 3-speed over a 4-speed overdrive auto? I think then you might need to switch to a 3.26 diff to have similar highway cruising RPMs?
well, I will do it right the first time around on that 2jzGE vvti (NA-T) build . You know I am a hard core GTE guy so if I am doing an (NA-T) , it better be good ! So , yes DLCoated boat anchor 0.300" wall wrist pins.. partnered with Carillo pro-H rods with carr bolts / 10:25 CP Pistons on Billet Mains with +625 hardware which would be a formidable bottom end. 272 vvti cams with all Ferrea valve train .. target on this is +1000rwhp / +1000ft.lbs of torque on a2jzGE VVTi (NA-T).... a torque monster 2jz so the internal be better be good. Usually tough to get into the +1000ft.lbs of torque but with the right combination of parts, doable. I don't have any car making that much torque at this point but most of them are in the vicinity of 1000rwhp or more but not their torque. So the hunt for the right parts continues.
I can't believe how bad the market for SCs are. Just observe how long ads stay on FS websites. A lot of people like to have a 5speed SC but will not pay a premium is all I can say so there is really no good paying market for them. The good paying crowd is just not there as I kept saying for a very long time now. The demand for SCs is there but for cheap SCs.
Well, it has to be for the right TH400 setup if ever that DD trans will be replaced. The 3.76 lsd has to be 3.13 or at least 3.26 to compensate for those highway cruising RPMs on a 3 speed TH400. At this point, if ever the trans give up or I blow up the ATF trans by pushing it more for which I am tempted that is why I thought of a TH400, I have a brand new spare ATF trans which I never installed. Remember I got 3 of these trans a couple of years ago.
Got tired of how bad the SC market is . Don't get me wrong . A lot of people want an SC specially the 5 speed but most want a cheap one. A lot of interests on the black 1997 SC300 original 5 speed and can't believe most of the offers where below $3k and the most I got was $5k . All I was asking for was $6k and most pre97 5speed I see are for sale at least $5k with high mileage. So decided to take it out of the market. Started working on it again today, lowered it with lowering springs and new shocks , took out the stock 5 spoke wheels and replaced them with aftermarket wheels , installed aftermarket dual exhausts.....even thinking now of reinstalling the full black interior I have .
I will try to convert it to an 800rwhp NA-T and install back the 6speed and just enjoy it for now . After all , it only has 115k miles and the short block is healthy enough though will install a vvti head on top of it. To be able to handle the 800rwhp all day, it will get arp mains , arp head studs , replace the rods bolts and rods (being the weakest link) with a set of forged eagle rods just laying around from a build 10 years ago. I have seen a lot of 2jzgte with eagle rods that made +900 easily.
So instead of the running 1997 SC300 5speed, I am selling one original 5 speed shell so I can go down on the number of SC toys I have as I originally intended. Either the 1997 sc300 5speed shell or 1993 sc300 5 speed shell converted to 1997 will have to be sold now. I have listed them at the MarketPlace.
Wow it really sucks about all the low ball offers on these cars. I too hate the market for SCs. I definitely know where you are coming from. It seems like there is a huge gap in SC owners as far as I am concerned. There are the type that wouldn't bat an eye spending 6k+ on a clean example and there are the others who either want a dirt cheap RWD car to beat on or a cheap platform to start building from.
I have contemplated selling my original 5 spd Hardtop w/cloth interior, but I feel that I want to hang on to it to see if the market for these ever go up...
^^^ In the past 15 years I have been monitoring these cars and having owned a lot, as in more than 12 , or 14 I believe . I don't even remember anymore , and still own 6 as of today . I have heard only a couple of stock SC sold for a really good price. The rest , even well built and documented on this forum were either parted out or sold at a loss.
At this point, the market for SCs or interests of these cars are from the younger generation as evidenced by the poll in which around 75% are 31 years and below . Majority which is around 55% are 24 years and below. so I would say, no offense meant to anyone, can't really afford to pay for a premium car. That is I believe one reason why I don't see these cars having a good market price or sold at a premium in the near future. Many of these or majority of them (92-93 43k manufactured) are already more than 25 years old . So basically collector item if we are considering their age. But no where they are desirable, meaning one will pay a premium for them.
That is why it baffles me when I hear people saying the prices of SC are going high . Huh .... but where is the demand ? The higher in price you try to sell the car , the longer it will sell. I have seen cars posted just on this forum and after 2 or 3 years still not sold and the same cars have the best specs you can name like with a v160 trans , etc. and yet never sold unless it was given finally at a huge loss to the seller.
All of this makes me sad. There has to be SOME interest given that people want to import the early JZZ30 Soarers now. But again... probably a tiny little bit of the overall market.
Still... I recall when some classic 1965-1973 Mustangs were not very expensive to get into. Buying one that needed a good deal of restoration work was not peanuts but close to it. I bought my '69 (a fastback) for $6k in the mid 90's. Sold it four years later for a mere $6.5k. That's not exactly a market bottom but it didn't sell quickly at the time. Those fastbacks and convertibles were easy to find back then for not much money. A decade later I cannot find any fastback or convertible classic Mustangs for less than mid to high $20k's or higher. Easily in the $35k-$40k range. The notchy coupe models are a bit easier but still out of easy reach now if in really good condition with good specs... or if in good excellent numbers matching condition. A special edition performance model was always much more but is now firmly in "forget it" territory.
I am inclined to reluctantly agree that if there ever will be a market jump for these early SC's (and Z30 Soarers) then it hasn't happened yet. It could... but more than one factor has to come in to play.
^^ And one of those factors must be a general base of people who are actually interested in SC's to be in a better position to actually throw money at them. Otherwise these will continue to be lesser known oddballs that never get beyond their current stage of appreciation. Many people know what they are but as you say are often not willing to pay what they are worth in normal or cleanly spec'd out and restored condition.
The one I have I just want to enjoy. I'll keep restoring the rest of it as I like and keep it set up the way I want to. I could care less what it would sell for apart from ideally a bare minimum insurance appraisal. I got one to enjoy and drive for a long, long time and put many, many more miles on it.
But Gerry, for what you have listed the two 97 5-speeds for to date and that 93 5-speed converted to 97 looks I am surprised and disappointed that by now no one has picked even one of them up from you.
If I could, I would but at a fair price considering what they are. I am just in no position to do so now after having just neared completion on my specially swapped '93 :/ But that is what I knew I would be doing from the start with the one I have.
Craig , us here on this forum and I guess in any forum will put a lot of hype on their own car so to say . Of course love your own. But the reality out there is different based on what I see, read and personally experience. The SC crowd is just ridiculuous out there on how they perceive how low these cars even with 2jzgte should be. Reading comments on ads at the SC300/400 owners page on facebook , you will shake your head in disbelief. People do not grasp the reality of the cost in swapping a 2jzgte in an SC most especially if done right . All they care is , it is an SC , it should be cheap .
Well, the interest is there and a lot of it but most of them are either tire kickers or broke *** people who want a fast car or even just a nice looking car next to nothing. Until the SC crowd changes to "must be a general base of people in a better position to actually throw money at them " as you said , I wouldn't think their values will ever go up. As the poll says , 55% of those who own these SCs are 24 years and below . So you can't really fault them for not being established yet in their careers. It is compounded when many of these owners will use them till they can't run anymore because they never maintain them properly. Remember these are Lexus whose maintenance costs are high. Then, when they stop running they are sold for nothing... all rusted , delapidated or raggedy looking that adds to the bad taste for SCs. I believe many get them for the wrong reason, they are the closest thing to the supra mkiv and could be fast. But once they have them , they realize the costs involve to make them be fast or be as good as TT MKIVs and just give up on their upkeep and just run them to the ground then sold for nothing.
Maybe in another 20 years when there are less SCs available , all these will change . I sure do hope cause it is a car that was always ahead of its time. I will keep at least a 1 of 120 (1997 SC300 5 speed) into oblivion now , the black one that I posted for sale and have pulled it out from our forum ads. Put it into an all stock pristine condition and store it in my barn down south. I won't even register it which means it is not gonna be used as part of my fleet. I will every now and then start and run it though around the neighborhood to keep the fluids going and the battery not dying. Let's see if it will pay dividends in the future . It won't be as good as what my MKIVs are giving me now am sure but just curious how an all stock 1 of 120 1997 Lexus SC300 5 speed will fare in another 15-30 years.
It is not really that bad looking at this point so maybe I won't get it painted for now since am just storing it for a very long time. Everything works and no odb2 codes . I see a lot of pre 97 SCs with standard transmissions and with high mileages listed for over $6k and this one which has 116k miles, I never even received an offer higher than $5k in the past 3 years I have posted it for sale in different places .
09-07-18, 05:19 AM
I know that feeling, although not with 800whp I'll admit. Not yet anyway, lol.
! He didn't even think there was any exhaust noise inside the cabin 
. The car he said pulls like a freight train down low ( that's the quick spool valve at work 
.
.
. After all , it only has 115k miles and the short block is healthy enough though will install a vvti head on top of it. To be able to handle the 800rwhp all day, it will get arp mains , arp head studs , replace the rods bolts and rods (being the weakest link) with a set of forged eagle rods just laying around from a build 10 years ago. I have seen a lot of 2jzgte with eagle rods that made +900 easily.
, and still own 6 as of today . I have heard only a couple of stock SC sold for a really good price. The rest , even well built and documented on this forum were either parted out or sold at a loss.
