When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I don't think it ever saw sun in 18 years being inside the garage. The pictures do not do justice to the car cause even the pictures and videos sent to me before our deal was finalized showed a different picture of the car that is why I said I will just boost it just like all the other SCs of mine. But the moment I saw this original 5 speed 1997 SC300 in person , I said I never saw an SC this clean , all original , so I might as well put it all back to 97 stock / factory configuration after all I have another 97 5speed am working on that will go to the moon , lmaol. This red SC being in factory configuration , low mileage , very clean and all original will eventually be more valuable and hopefully someone will be willing to pay a premium in the future at BAT. I will keep it for another 10 years maybe in my barn down south.. hahaha. The previous owner before Halon had it from 1999 to August of 2020.
original 23 year old paint ... this car was sitting for years , Halon never washed it when He got it early this month and I never washed it either. Damn dust just falls off with the slippery paint. So if it will be cleaned in and out then waxed, you are right , this will really look so good.
especial ordered wheels I was told being 18" in size... and never was on the ground till now it was delivered to me
So the wheels / tires which are NITTO NT555 have been sitting on a climate control room all these years since they are not dry rotted .
^^^ Rudy - my plans on this one is to bring it all back to factory condition being a low mileage (57k) 97 5speed . If I wanted to keep it boosted , I could just leave the 2jzgte / V160 6speed that the car came with but this one , with its pristine condition , deserve to be back to all factory in my opinion. I am currently searching for a 1997 SC300 2jzGE engine with 57k or less verifiable miles.
Actually started removing what wasn't lexus or toyota factory ...
removed the aftermarket antenna and aftermarket cd changer that they installed and put in the original Lexus SC300 stuff from a 1997.
Decided to remove the brand new Lexus 18x9 wheels and tires , that were just installed when it was delivered to me , so I can store them in my basement so they will not dry rot . I will install these back when I am ready to sell the car on BaT . But that will be years from now. I will restore it all to factory configuration then store it for a couple of years with some use here and there just to get fluid running . When I get tired of seeing it , it will be on BaT and see how it goes. Meanwhile I will put some old lexus roller wheels with tires.
Can you link me when you sell this car in a few years?
It will probably first be known on this forum specifically on this thread , when the time comes, so you will know. I am planning to post every thing I do on this car on this thread so it is well documented. I was thinking, get it up to when it is 30 years old before I let it go. Right now it is 23 years old. only 5 years on the road (1997-2002) . It won't be used much while with me. Probably 200 miles in my ownership just to get things going but will get the engine running every week while in the barn. Thus spending most of my ownership time in my barn down south GA where the weather is good for storing stuff , waiting for the right time for it to go on BaT or be sold wherever it will be .
I don't think it ever saw sun in 18 years being inside the garage. The pictures do not do justice to the car cause even the pictures and videos sent to me before our deal was finalized showed a different picture of the car that is why I said I will just boost it just like all the other SCs of mine. But the moment I saw this original 5 speed 1997 SC300 in person , I said I never saw an SC this clean , all original , so I might as well put it all back to 97 stock / factory configuration after all I have another 97 5speed am working on that will go to the moon , lmaol. This red SC being in factory configuration , low mileage , very clean and all original will eventually be more valuable and hopefully someone will be willing to pay a premium in the future at BAT. I will keep it for another 10 years maybe in my barn down south.. hahaha. The previous owner before Halon had it from 1999 to August of 2020.
original 23 year old paint ... this car was sitting for years , Halon never washed it when He got it early this month and I never washed it either. Damn dust just falls off with the slippery paint. So if it will be cleaned in and out then waxed, you are right , this will really look so good.
If you weren't 32 hours away, I would want to do a paint correction and full detail on this car.
Been impatient looking for a low mileage ODB2 USDM 2jzGE engine ...talking to friends and people I know in this 2JZ field all over the country, asking for such engine to no luck . I was already tempted to build and install a 3.4 stroker setup and just build this red car with the best aftermarket setup.
I have tons of 2jzGTE parts laying around like 2jzGTE blocks. heads , 3.4 crank and so on for which I can complete a stroker setup. Also have 3 x 2jzge VVTi , 1 x odb1 2jzge non vvti and 1 x odb2 2jzge non vvti but with a higher mileage . I was really hoping to return this red car back to fully stock configuration , keep it for a while and maybe after 25 or 30 years from 1997 ... can get it sold or auctioned.
THEN YESTERDAY , I got so excited when a friend told me about an SC300 with ODB2 setup that is sitting in a backyard for a while and had a lower mileage than the 2jzge engines I currently have. The owner was not far away from him . Drove to the place right away and after hearing the engine fired up right away and purred like a kitten , paid for it and got it driven to my place by the owner. Now I can put a lower mileage stock setup on this 97 SC300 5speed .
Good stuff here Gerry! Seems like a cool contrast to your usual goals/builds. I'd love to have a nice, perfect, and stock one on the side to Sunday cruise. Hope you're enjoying it!
Good stuff here Gerry! Seems like a cool contrast to your usual goals/builds. I'd love to have a nice, perfect, and stock one on the side to Sunday cruise. Hope you're enjoying it!
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
That’s a great find, buddy! Seems you’ll be able to make your goal after all to keep that low mileage ‘97 stock
....but of course it will be boosted a little before long
Thank you guys .. yeah , the red car being in excellent shape and having spent its past 18 years locked up in a garage should be restored to its original stock configuration. Been itching to give it a boosted life but have been refraining . Am glad I still have the other 1997 SC300 original 5 speed where I can throw in all the go-fast goodies and keep this red low mileage 97 5 speed all stock.
Very nice find. Love your builds. Gerry restoring an SC instead of a complete makeover with "go-fast goodies" will definitely be a different tune, but never any disappointment in this thread! Just 303 pages of awesome. Looking forward to seeing what comes of it.
Very nice find. Love your builds. Gerry restoring an SC instead of a complete makeover with "go-fast goodies" will definitely be a different tune, but never any disappointment in this thread! Just 303 pages of awesome. Looking forward to seeing what comes of it.
Thank you my friend . I always wanted my SCs to be sleepers , exactly why I loved them. With the built SCs , am able to fool a lot of new and expensive car owners. They put a big smile on my face when these newer and expensive cars can't catch up with an old car .
But this red car , I have never seen an SC in this condition ... all from factory including paint . Was on the road for only 5 years having spent the last 18 years locked up in a garage so when my friend Halon offered it to me , my initial thought was it has to go back to all factory configuration. Keep it for a couple of years , preserving it . I will just keep running it around the neighborhood just to get fluids going and won't probably even register it .
Indeed it will be different from all my other SCs which are highly modified / boosted. But this SC is worth putting it all back to stock . Let time be the judge when it is ready to be put to an auction block or be sold to someone who loves these cars. But that won't be in the immediate future unless circumstances forces me to sell it . The plan is it will have to stay with me at least till it is 30 years old. By that time , it will have been 25 years since it's last registration which was in 2002 . Seeing a 23 year old car in such immaculate condition is for me so gratifying having played with these cars for so long.
08-29-20, 01:30 PM
!
Looking forward to seeing what comes of it.
. Let time be the judge when it is ready to be put to an auction block or be sold to someone who loves these cars. But that won't be in the immediate future unless circumstances forces me to sell it . The plan is it will have to stay with me at least till it is 30 years old. By that time , it will have been 25 years since it's last registration which was in 2002 . Seeing a 23 year old car in such immaculate condition is for me so gratifying having played with these cars for so long.