gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Before I start posting pictures and info or documenting the other original 1997 SC300 5speed which is now making tons of power , I will continue documenting first what I have been doing for this low mileage red 1997 SC300 5 speed I got from my buddy Brandon and am restoring back to all stock configuration. I want everything documented about this car so when I am ready to auction it when it is 30 years old , in which 25 years was literally not registered, insured and not used on public roads, the new owner knows every detail of what I did with it since my ownership. I have added some documentation on the previous pages which Brandon provided me so we have everything covered.

It will probably be on BaT that I will auction it . These SC300 5speed or even auto that are clean and have low mileage had been recently selling really good on that site. Like 1992-1997 clean / low mileage 5 speeds were selling $10-22k . Well hopefully by that time am ready to let go , with this car being garaged since 2002 till I am ready to let go (with weekly startup on my end to get every fluid going and will be driven around my lot / barn down south ), it will fetch a pretty penny. At this point , I have sold a few goodies like 2jzgte / v160 that came with it and so I literally have no cost on this car so I can afford to let it sit for quite a while. Got what I paid for it on the sale of that swap plus a bit more . Those darn swaps are now selling at $18k . Check Ebay and you will find ridiculous prices on 2jzgte swaps now. And I still have a few goodies like HKS stuff , turbo and others to sell for profit from this deal with Brandon. Thanks buddy !

Two things I have in mind for this red SC300 5 speed :

a) It is definitely being restored to its original configuration. Even if I just purchased another SC300 just to get the engine with a lower mileage and install it on this car , before installation , will clean up that engine and reseal everything. The W58 transmission will also be cleaned.

b) My final goal for this car is , while it is on a lock down in my barn for the next 7 years , I will build a short block and cylinder head . So once I auction it , it will come with an EXTRA long block or probably even a complete engine that is newly built, thus ZERO mileage literally from rebuild that the new owner can have. A good insurance for the new owner and a come on for potential bidders / buyers once it is auctioned or sold.



The engine from the SC300 I bought as an engine donor is out. Even if it is relatively clean , decided that it needs more cleanup and will reseal what ever I can while it is out . It is a lot better and easier to do things while engine is not in the bay.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Clean up of stock engine I am installing on this red SC300 is getting along well.

Resealed the oil pans and I have even drilled the oil return hole so if someone wants to boost this GE long block it is ready. It is a very healthy engine so I won't hesitate to boost it, if it was me. Installed a new oil filter while I am at it.







cleaned up bolt on parts



replaced the old 5 speed harness with a newer one that has no broken connector locks .





Engine is ready



Today , I will clean one of the W58 I will mate with the engine for this car plus another one. I have decided that not only I will provide an EXTRA newly built engine but also an EXTRA W58 transmission that will come with this car when I am ready to let go of it. So truly who ever gets it in the future will have peace of mind .

joewitafro

I see you're thinking about the future me with that turbo drain in the pan. Thanks! haha. But legit I really wish I could find a really clean 97+ to DD and build my baltic all out.

RudysSC

Cool project Gerry - I'm enjoying following this!

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

I'm enjoying the thoroughness I also smiled like joe did when I saw you properly drill, clean and re-seal the upper and lower oil pans. Removing a little block-off plate to allow for boost in the future saves a future owner SO much trouble and time!

All in all this is moving along quickly!

Will you even add in a few factory interior options like manual heated seat switches on the shifter bezel to give this mint 1997 5-speed a "fully loaded" spec sheet?

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

hahaha .. well who knows , it might end up with you. I will sell / auction this car with an extra newly built engine , so whoever gets it , can boost the engine that will be in there since it is a very healthy engine knowing that he has an extra engine that comes with it.

Thanks Rudy ! I am just documenting what I am doing on this stock 1997 SC300 5speed since it will come handy for the new owner in a couple of years down the road when I am ready to let go of it. I would at least like to get it to 30 years old. That means past 25 years it was never on public roads .. just driving it around my place to get all the fluids going.

Well my friend ,you should know me by now. The itch of boosting every SC that I get is always there. So, I am getting this thing ready too by drilling the oil return hole in the upper oil pan.

manual heated seats ?

it actually has heated seats



What it doesn't have is the original CD changer if you observe the radio player . They have installed an aftermarket remote CD player in the trunk . Since I have a complete original 1997 Lexus SC300 radio setup with CD changer and the corresponding wiring / harnesses , once I get the urge to remove part of the interior to install the setup , I will replace the complete radio setup. I initially thought of , since I have another one , installing the huge screen android radio just like the other SC I have but I guess it will be better that everything on this car should be Lexus made for originality points . Hopefully I get a pretty penny once it is sold down the road after years of being locked up in a garage to preserve it.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

I definitely know you by now and I'd expect no less than for you to thoroughly prep it for boost especially with the install of a new (to the SC) engine

And "manual" heated seats was mis-stated by me. What I meant was the factory heated seat switches for the factory manual shift bezel... which this car already came with apparently

I have another take on this. An SC with a factory Pioneer head unit that did not come with the trunk mounted CD player/changer option is actually pretty rare. Especially if the trunk liner has no cutout for the normal location of the CD changer I think you should leave it that way.

However if you want to add all the factory changer hardware to give it that 100% OEM option, let me know. I'll buy the liner from you that has no cutout for the changer, haha I'm going to remove mine in the near future (the CD changer) since I will not go back to the OEM Pioneer head unit with my car even though I still have it.

But given how clean and rare this car is it's food for thought to consider whether or not the rare non-CD factory stereo should be changed or not. It's a rare original configuration on an already rare 97 5-speed.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Craig - I know what you meant . I guess I mis-stated too. I meant , a manual 5 speed car having heated seats thus with the heater switches on the bezel ? Keeping it original without the CD changer was what I originally thought of and will continue to consider as you suggested. At the same time they already did cut a hole on that no changer trunk piece to have access on the aftermarket Pioneer CD changer they have installed. So I will need to look for another one without the cutout they did if ever if I don't install a stock CD changer in there.

This car came with two keys that had the remote control, a wallet key and a valet key that cannot open the trunk , glove box or enable trunk switch inside.






btw ,engine and transmission is in . Ordered all the Redline fluids for the transmission and differential plus the engine oils so I can wrap it up this week and get it running soon. Then tear apart an odb2 engine I have around so I can bring things to the auto machine shop and i can build on a new engine for this car as a backup for whoever will own it in the future. But selling it will be down the road .. at least a couple of years from now. Unless circumstances forces me to sell it , it will stay with me till it is at least 30 years old. You know how it goes , plans do always change cause we have no idea what the future holds.

One thing sure for now , in a couple of days ,it will be a good running car and thus giving me more time I can divert on the other 1997 SC300 original 5 speed with a fully built 2jzgte making well over +1200rwhp right now and still with all the Lexus luxurious amenities it came with. In short still a street car even with its huge turbo. To combat lag , it has direct port nitrous and a quick spool valve to spool the turbo and even a darn intercooler spray . I am trying to get it past the 1400rwhp mark so am looking for a Sportsman Gen 2 Precision PT-7685 turbo . Then I will document it here from the time I bought it to where it is right now. You know that car , I bought it wrecked 4 years ago and resurrected it or saved it from everyone's guess that it wasn't worth saving and was heading to the junk yard .

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Getting nearer to firing up this 97 SC300 5speed. Then I can devote my time building a new engine for it and documenting the other 97 SC300 5speed that now has a fully built drive / power train (2jzgte / 6 speed) .

installed the turbo return fitting so one day it is ready for boost if ever.






filled it up with the necessary fluids , transmission (Redline MT-90) and diff oil (Redline Gear Oil) , power steering (Toyota Type IV ATF) and engine oil (Mobil 1)




I even installed all the engine bay under trays . Amazing how they were all intact after 23 years.




Did any of you see the 48k miles 2000 Lexus SC400 whose auction ended yesterday for +$20k ? Looks like low mileage and clean SCs are fetching good prices at the BaT website . Older model SC300 5 speeds that are clean are doing good too once auctioned there . I wonder how much will this 57k miles 1997 SC300 original 5 speed that will come with an extra newly built engine and extra newly refreshed W58 transmission fetch ? Well too early to think about that now. I would use and keep / store it for a while. Maybe when it is 30 years old , I can let go .


Once am done with this car , everything working the way it should be , I will see if I can get everything cleaned up under the carriage / chassis and painted.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

since I will eventually clean up / paint everything under the carriage / chassis , decided to paint the differential after replacing its fluid and also cleaned up the driveshaft before I got them in there.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Just took out the 1997-1998 Supra MKIV TT Auto 3.76 differential that was on this SC which they have installed so I can install the 5speed 4.08 differential and driveshaft . The 3.76 differential will be good for those who want to have an aftermarket lsd like TRD, OS Giken ,KAAZ and others and would like to take advantage of the 3.76 gearing and the cooling fins that a MKIV diff casing provides and which the Lexus differentials do not have . So it will be for sale one of these days.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

I was about to install the 4.10 differential then I realized that they did shut the fuel openings under the trunk of this car . I guess since they were boosting it with a 2jzgte / v160 they planned on going aftermarket fuel system . Glad , they didn't cut or remove the stock fuel lines. Got no choice but to replace the tank.



They did weld a plate on them to cover the wholes



Glad I have an extra tank laying around



This car is relatively clean on its under carriage / chassis. Well I guess having been only on the road for 5 years and 18 years locked up inside the garage , it is expected . The pictures show that it is clean down there and no stubborn rusts even if it was an upper midwest car.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

got the spare tank with stock fuel lines in





and the 4.10 differential in there

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Now that drive shaft is bolted in , just need to bolt in the mid pipe and the dual exhaust and this SC should purr like a kitten and then on to the build for the extra engine .

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

This red SC will never see wet roads while it is with me to keep it clean down there . Decided to paint the exhaust with high temp paint before installing it.