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You know now that I get a good look at the "parking pole" (though I'm more familiar with the front bumper type pole) I'm actually curious about getting one of those setups for my SC, haha. It would probably be an import-only kit as I have never seen parking poles on U.S. market cars.
I will be sure to keep an eye out on my end, as they still show up from time to time & the same goes for the reversing camera. If you are considering importing either one day, I'd be happy to help out with it.
Just a random thought on the parking pole - I'm imagining it would be a good match with the stock SC antenna too.. seeing they are both on the same side of the car, it wouldn't look as out of place as it may on the Soarer.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
You're welcome! If it can be made to work it would modernize the vintage EMV head unit *just* enough without taking away any of its classic appeal.
Absolutely, my thoughts also. I'm still a big CD user these days at my household, so designating the car to "MP3 only" takes the hassle out of constantly emptying the CD stacker every trip!
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
Noted, thank you! It's hard to keep a handle on what the current best aftermarket lighting brands are. I'll have to see if their products are available over here. I at first thought they might be an audio company just by their name.
With a brand name like that, it's easily mistaken, haha.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
I LOVED those 7-spoke OEM blade wheels. They're my second favorite. The MKIV TT 5-spokes just have the classic appeal that factory five spoke wheels do from other notable 80's-90's cars like the 959, F40, RX-7 FD, etc. But if the 7-spoke blade rims ever came in 17" and would clear the LS or Supra calipers I'd have sought out such a hypothetical set.
It seems to be getting harder to find not just the MKIV rims but many OEM cosmetic parts that were very commonplace a mere ten years ago. Although maybe that's just for the Supra MKIV.
I'd love to see some reproductions of the OEM wheels in different specs one day. Both the 7-spoke & 10-spoke wheels among them would be very cool to see.. one can dream anyway! I recall there was a company in either the US or UK who actually did a reproduction of the classic Starion/Conquest 5-spoke wheel some years ago, in different sizes & widths which was awesome to see come to light. If anything though, I think we'd have more chance of seeing the Supra wheels being reproduced..
Nevertheless, the LS/Supra caliper upgrade is a worthy sacrifice
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
I think importing the right JDM 25+ year old car (for us in the U.S. it's only 25 years old or older to the month and day that are allowed) is worth it. There are so many even beyond the pure high performance models. In California it is very difficult. With enough money, time and patience there is a route to legalizing them even there today but it will be only for those with very deep pockets and the additional cost and modification involved will probably only make sense for Supra MKIV's, Skyline GT-R's, etc.
The U.S. 1998-2000 SC400 VVT-i is very nice. For those who are fine with automatics and who love a V8 it's one of the best variants produced. The same exact driveline is also in our heavier and larger 1998-2000 LS400 VVT-i's. I drive one of those semi-regularly and even in that heavy chassis it's a drivetrain that really moves and is powerful. However it is still very much a cruiser driveline rather than a high performance driver's ideal engine and transmission setup. That is to say it's great all around town and slays on highways but is not what I'd consider a track-worthy engine, transmission, gearing and shift logic combination.
Excellent for cruising and definitely has power and torque when you need it. I can only imagine how much faster it would feel in a lighter SC400 chassis especially with suspension improvements and the LS400 brake calipers swapped in (those brake calipers are really great on the LS400.... it's mind boggling why the late model VVT-i SC400's never got them as stock equipment given the jump in horsepower and torque).
However I never got the feeling that I wanted to push the A650E 5-speed automatic TOO hard. Maybe it's the LS400's weight vs the SC's. There is a lot of power but it's not a drive setup (1UZ-FE VVT-i 290hp & A650E 5-speed automatic & 3.26 diff) that I would want to drift for instance. Although I don't even drift my GTE swapped SC, so...
Still, given that the Soarer 1JZ and Soarer 1UZ are two very different expressions of the same car, the 1UZ VVT-i engine and 5-speed automatic would probably only take the full-on luxury feel further. Especially if you combined it with the Soarer's airbag suspension and other nice options we never got *here*
Personally if I were going to import a Soarer I'd go for a late model 2.5L VVT-i Manual hardtop LSD spec but I'd take a clean early model with the same options minus VVT-i also
It's funny you say that, as I remember distinctly making the decision if I was ever to own a Soarer again it would be exactly in those specs, but with sunroof. Yet, here we are with a Series 1 UZ..
Definitely the pick of the lot, for an outright performer! Who needs to spend unbelievable amounts of money on a Supra when a Series 3 Soarer can be had for so much less.. still a hidden gem I guess, which is only a good thing.
That's some great insight on the VVT-i 1UZ too. Very interesting to hear your thoughts on the A650E!
I will be sure to keep an eye out on my end, as they still show up from time to time & the same goes for the reversing camera. If you are considering importing either one day, I'd be happy to help out with it.
Just a random thought on the parking pole - I'm imagining it would be a good match with the stock SC antenna too.. seeing they are both on the same side of the car, it wouldn't look as out of place as it may on the Soarer.
I appreciate it, thank you! I've so far been focused on getting an OEM wing mounted clean backup camera solution of some kind. I think the Soarer OEM backup camera and little wing window and brackets for mounting would be what I'd look for honestly. However in my case I would not be using an EMV unit for the camera itself nor a 2-DIN head unit in the dash but rather an aftermarket Gentex rear view mirror that has a small 4:3 screen built into it.
At the moment I've picked up a $30 USD Coolint nearly flush little camera that I figure I could drill into the SC400 OEM wing on my car (I also have a spare OEM wing prepped for paint that I figured would be what I would modify). However given that it's a cheap Chinese brand camera that may not even be available later on I'd probably still trust the old Toyota SD 480i NTSC rear camera and hardware.
I know there is a "brain" module for that camera and I think the rear trunk area where the Lexus/Soarer factory phone system usually goes is a good spot for all that. Assuming I can get it all to trigger the camera when my R154 transmission's reverse switch triggers the reverse lights and assuming I can get a standard RCA video out signal from the Soarer backup camera brain then I think it can work with a modern viewing screen.
I have only seen a few pictures of a complete Soarer backup camera system for sale though to gauge how to wire it up. But I hear those cameras last for years!
Since I have two factory wings already I would probably just want the camera hardware, mounting brackets, brain module and whatever goes with it and the wing window itself so that I could measure and mount it all onto one of the OEM SC400 wings I have. UNLESS.... unless the Soarer backup camera factory wing has different cast-in mounting points in the fiberglass compared to the USDM wings. I don't know if all those wings were cast the same or if one like yours with the camera is different from one of ours without.
Anyway, yes I'm interested in one of those vintage wing camera setups if it ever shows up.
As for the parking pole system, I think it's awesome that Soarers got these as factory options in the front and rear! You make a good point about the antennas on our SC's. I keep forgetting that JDM Soarers only had the windscreen integrated AM/FM antenna! We got that as well as a classic aerial for a diversity setup. I think the reasoning was that in the U.S. with such wide open roads in some areas between cities and major cities a classic tall aerial antenna provided the best radio reception.
But as to the location I think for the intended purpose of the parking pole in the rear you actually do want it in the factory bumper location for it to help you gauge parking distance well.
Tthe general theory of how a parking pole can help to judge distance is interesting too and it might be a nice feature. Have you ever used any JDM car equipped with a pole system? I get the impression that bumper parking sensors have taken their place today and that they are considered antiquated technology now. I'm just wondering if modern parking sensors make more sense today.
On that note however I just found this very informative video breaking down how a factory UZZ30 parking pole system works. The video poster replied to a comment only two months ago about the wiring pinouts he figured out himself-- essential to getting it to work in another Soarer or any other vehicle.
Absolutely, my thoughts also. I'm still a big CD user these days at my household, so designating the car to "MP3 only" takes the hassle out of constantly emptying the CD stacker every trip!
I certainly agree! I use a mix of iTunes, Apple Airplay, youtube, CDs and occasionally an LP or two at home. In my SC I installed a VDO aftermarket radio that has CD player function but 95% of the time I'll either use its Bluetooth streaming audio or aux-in functions whenever not listening to the radio. I did the same thing with my factory Lexus Pioneer stereo hooked up to that iSimple box I mentioned to you earlier (via the do it yourself aux-in jack modification) but I do like having a CD player when I want it. Unfortunately my factory trunk CD changer never worked as long as I have had the car.
Originally Posted by Mike1JZ
I'd love to see some reproductions of the OEM wheels in different specs one day. Both the 7-spoke & 10-spoke wheels among them would be very cool to see.. one can dream anyway! I recall there was a company in either the US or UK who actually did a reproduction of the classic Starion/Conquest 5-spoke wheel some years ago, in different sizes & widths which was awesome to see come to light. If anything though, I think we'd have more chance of seeing the Supra wheels being reproduced..
Nevertheless, the LS/Supra caliper upgrade is a worthy sacrifice
I did hear about those reproduction Starion GSR / ESI-R wide spec wheels! I love those Mitsubishis (sadly we never got the RWD-spec 4G63 models here, just the G54B engines). Very cool! It's a rare thing to see outside of classic 1960's-1970's muscle cars here such as with reproduction '74-'81 Firebird Trans Am factory wheels that area redesigned to be wide and larger diameter with the exact same original style.
I would like to see the MKIV TT factory wheels reproduced by a good company that uses good casting or forging techniques. That would be very special!
Originally Posted by Mike1JZ
It's funny you say that, as I remember distinctly making the decision if I was ever to own a Soarer again it would be exactly in those specs, but with sunroof. Yet, here we are with a Series 1 UZ..
Definitely the pick of the lot, for an outright performer! Who needs to spend unbelievable amounts of money on a Supra when a Series 3 Soarer can be had for so much less.. still a hidden gem I guess, which is only a good thing.
That's some great insight on the VVT-i 1UZ too. Very interesting to hear your thoughts on the A650E!
There will undoubtedly be other opportunities to find one of those unicorns I do agree with you though! You made an excellent purchase with your UZZ30 however! Have no regrets as you'd bought yourself a true time capsule classic!
.....
They actually made fewer 1998-2000 SC400 VVT-i's here than they did SC300 5-speed manual cars so those SC400 VVT-i coupes are fairly rare. Their drivelines are excellent and reliable just like the earlier 1UZ automatic drivelines in the Soarer UZZ's. When I said I consider not pushing the A650E too hard what I mean is that I won't drive a car so equipped with an A650E exactly the way I will drive my SC with the GTE engine and R154 manual gearbox (and I don't slam gears or anything like that). The transmission shift logic and its ability to respond to VERY sudden driver input is a bit lacking. It also doesn't always understand that sometimes I want mid-throttle power and not 85% throttle power. It's very much programmed to be a smooth shifting automatic for cruising. It will deliver gobs of power when you ask it to and gleefully get the Lexus out of its own way but it's like those moments are the exception rather than the norm. The A650E generally likes to cruise along in the lower RPMs otherwise.
That being said though it's a great V8 and automatic transmission combination and the 3.26 final drive suits it well.
I think the "beefy" spec A650E's in the 1UZ-FE VVT-i Lexus models area rated by Toyota/Aisin at 325hp (they can probably take just a bit more though). But as with all automatics used in a performance application I think an additional aftermarket transmission cooler and fluid temperature activated cooling fan might be in order. It doesn't make sense to do all of that with an LS400 VVT-i though since it's just a big luxury cruiser sedan. But it might make sense on a 1998-2000 SC400 1UZ-VVT-i. I don't know if owners of those SC's do things like that though. And they're so rare too.
I've never driven an SC400 with that same engine and transmission but the feel and overall acceleration will be very different from the much bigger, heavier and very body-roll prone LS400 (or Celsior).
Now what really got my attention a couple of days ago in your thread was the mention that you'd had a chance to see a friend's UZZ32 Active Gen2 (?) with a supercharger fitted to it. That takes the cake for me
At present I've just finished up changing the cam cover gaskets & have replaced most of the ignition components. Didn't take long to see that most, if not anything has ever been changed.. the original Sumitomo spark wires (dated 1993) & the OE spec PK20R11 spark plugs still had the old school Nippon Denso look, among them. I think the rotor buttons condition can speak for themselves too..
The cam cover gaskets along with the PCV were long overdue & have been leaking for quite some time by the look of it.. just seeping on the drivers side & leaking substantially on the passenger side (after the trip back), which I'm confident would have been the leak I discovered at the time of the oil change. At this stage I need to get under the car again & clean up the rest of the old caked-on oil & go from there.
I'll let the photos do the talking
True to the maintenance record, the timing belt looked "of recent times" (2018) Original wires, distributor caps etc. Some time was spent cleaning the mess from the leak.. Cam cover removed & ready for a clean up & a refresh Well overdue for replacement parts.. Stripped & cleaned.. Cover gasket ready to go on Replacement spark plugs gasket/seals.. don't fail me "Chyna".. Fresh cam cover bolt washers PCV, grommet & new hose Back in one piece again Gasket surface prepped & surrounding areas free from old oil Old faithful black goo LHS cover done RHS before.. ..RHS after Old plugs removed New BKR6EIX-11 replacements Good comparison of old & new, a nice big split in the original rotor.. same on both sides Looked forward to getting these in! Good time to replace the CTS as well.. Original copper washer swapped over & installed The OEM preassembled advantage Current state..
Right now, I'm waiting on a new OEM throttle body gasket & breather hose (forgot to add them in the last order..) due to arrive early next week with some other goodies.
Once the TB goes back on, my next move will be to replace the current EMV unit which is suffering from a common issue whereas it loses the climate control & audio features. "Usually" it's caused by leaking capacitors in the EMV ECU, however after testing various known working computers, still no luck..
As I am needing to flush & bleed the coolant system, I'm unable to open the heater to properly flush out the remainder of the green coolant which unfortunately the previous owner or mechanic who did the timing belt has mistakenly used.. so I'm very keen to get to that, hopefully by that stage she'll be all good for a test drive.
Few more pics from the rest of the parts order which I replaced as I went along
No AU stock apparently.. I have not yet found a suitable aftermarket cap that fits correctly.. the previous ill-fitting cap needed pliers to be removed.. For the small cost, it's a tradition of mine now to replace the oil caps! Can't forget about the fuel cap.. It's the little things sometimes, just need the OEM Supra fuel door cap holder now.. Nice bit of corrosion.. would have been a different story with correct coolant / maintenance! Custom alloy thermostat housing also added, very happy with it's quality & fitment. Another more than likely original filter! The most commonly missing part on a Toyota Soarer - the battery clamp. Surprisingly still available new.. Finally secured, just need to source the OEM battery cover now..
I appreciate it, thank you! I've so far been focused on getting an OEM wing mounted clean backup camera solution of some kind. I think the Soarer OEM backup camera and little wing window and brackets for mounting would be what I'd look for honestly. However in my case I would not be using an EMV unit for the camera itself nor a 2-DIN head unit in the dash but rather an aftermarket Gentex rear view mirror that has a small 4:3 screen built into it.
At the moment I've picked up a $30 USD Coolint nearly flush little camera that I figure I could drill into the SC400 OEM wing on my car (I also have a spare OEM wing prepped for paint that I figured would be what I would modify). However given that it's a cheap Chinese brand camera that may not even be available later on I'd probably still trust the old Toyota SD 480i NTSC rear camera and hardware.
I know there is a "brain" module for that camera and I think the rear trunk area where the Lexus/Soarer factory phone system usually goes is a good spot for all that. Assuming I can get it all to trigger the camera when my R154 transmission's reverse switch triggers the reverse lights and assuming I can get a standard RCA video out signal from the Soarer backup camera brain then I think it can work with a modern viewing screen.
I have only seen a few pictures of a complete Soarer backup camera system for sale though to gauge how to wire it up. But I hear those cameras last for years!
Since I have two factory wings already I would probably just want the camera hardware, mounting brackets, brain module and whatever goes with it and the wing window itself so that I could measure and mount it all onto one of the OEM SC400 wings I have. UNLESS.... unless the Soarer backup camera factory wing has different cast-in mounting points in the fiberglass compared to the USDM wings. I don't know if all those wings were cast the same or if one like yours with the camera is different from one of ours without.
Anyway, yes I'm interested in one of those vintage wing camera setups if it ever shows up.
No problem! I've only just came across your build thread also & still have yet to have a proper read of it, but I do remember you making mention of what you have/had planned for your camera setup. Great idea of using a rear view mirror setup too, that would be interesting to see. It sounds reminiscent of what some newer Toyota's use.
Which reminds me, when I added the back up camera to my previous Soarer, I ended up using an aftermarket camera myself, as by that stage I had already converted to a non-EMV setup with aftermarket stereo. I'm sure I took photos of the process, including rear spoiler comparisons. I'll have to have a good look where they could be but I'll be sure to send them your way if I have any luck.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
As for the parking pole system, I think it's awesome that Soarers got these as factory options in the front and rear! You make a good point about the antennas on our SC's. I keep forgetting that JDM Soarers only had the windscreen integrated AM/FM antenna! We got that as well as a classic aerial for a diversity setup. I think the reasoning was that in the U.S. with such wide open roads in some areas between cities and major cities a classic tall aerial antenna provided the best radio reception.
But as to the location I think for the intended purpose of the parking pole in the rear you actually do want it in the factory bumper location for it to help you gauge parking distance well.
Tthe general theory of how a parking pole can help to judge distance is interesting too and it might be a nice feature. Have you ever used any JDM car equipped with a pole system? I get the impression that bumper parking sensors have taken their place today and that they are considered antiquated technology now. I'm just wondering if modern parking sensors make more sense today.
On that note however I just found this very informative video breaking down how a factory UZZ30 parking pole system works. The video poster replied to a comment only two months ago about the wiring pinouts he figured out himself-- essential to getting it to work in another Soarer or any other vehicle.
I actually had forgotten that the rear parking pole was an option for the rear until posting the accessories catalogue, quite cool indeed, even as an option on the late models! Which you think one would opt for the sensors by the mid to late 90's, cosmetically speaking.. though obviously a very handy thing to have in Japan, from what I hear anyway. I did not know that the SC got both types of antenna either, makes perfect sense though, as you mentioned.
Which reminds me, a previous owner of my very first JZZ30 actually went to the effort of installing the classic aerial from an SC, which I haven't seen done before to a Soarer.
Great video on the parking pole too. I'm not sure I have ever come across anyone go into detail on the parking poles especially retrofitting one, so this made a good watch! Useful future reference.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
I certainly agree! I use a mix of iTunes, Apple Airplay, youtube, CDs and occasionally an LP or two at home. In my SC I installed a VDO aftermarket radio that has CD player function but 95% of the time I'll either use its Bluetooth streaming audio or aux-in functions whenever not listening to the radio. I did the same thing with my factory Lexus Pioneer stereo hooked up to that iSimple box I mentioned to you earlier (via the do it yourself aux-in jack modification) but I do like having a CD player when I want it. Unfortunately my factory trunk CD changer never worked as long as I have had the car.
Great to always have options when it comes to in-car audio! The DIY aux-in mod for both types of the factory units especially. The OEM sound system still holds up very well in my opinion, which makes that modification even more appealing.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
I did hear about those reproduction Starion GSR / ESI-R wide spec wheels! I love those Mitsubishis (sadly we never got the RWD-spec 4G63 models here, just the G54B engines). Very cool! It's a rare thing to see outside of classic 1960's-1970's muscle cars here such as with reproduction '74-'81 Firebird Trans Am factory wheels that area redesigned to be wide and larger diameter with the exact same original style.
I would like to see the MKIV TT factory wheels reproduced by a good company that uses good casting or forging techniques. That would be very special!
There will undoubtedly be other opportunities to find one of those unicorns I do agree with you though! You made an excellent purchase with your UZZ30 however! Have no regrets as you'd bought yourself a true time capsule classic!
Ah, the old forklift engine.. I owned an import GSR-VR Starion (which also had the G54B) once upon a time, though it spent more time off the road than on.. as it goes!
Absolutely agreed, the classic cars of that era are treated with some great reproduction parts.. maybe Japan will catch on one day? With announcement of Toyota GR reproduction parts as of recent times for the A70 & A80 Supra, we may see some opportunities arise in the near future one could hope.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
They actually made fewer 1998-2000 SC400 VVT-i's here than they did SC300 5-speed manual cars so those SC400 VVT-i coupes are fairly rare. Their drivelines are excellent and reliable just like the earlier 1UZ automatic drivelines in the Soarer UZZ's. When I said I consider not pushing the A650E too hard what I mean is that I won't drive a car so equipped with an A650E exactly the way I will drive my SC with the GTE engine and R154 manual gearbox (and I don't slam gears or anything like that). The transmission shift logic and its ability to respond to VERY sudden driver input is a bit lacking. It also doesn't always understand that sometimes I want mid-throttle power and not 85% throttle power. It's very much programmed to be a smooth shifting automatic for cruising. It will deliver gobs of power when you ask it to and gleefully get the Lexus out of its own way but it's like those moments are the exception rather than the norm. The A650E generally likes to cruise along in the lower RPMs otherwise.
That being said though it's a great V8 and automatic transmission combination and the 3.26 final drive suits it well.
I think the "beefy" spec A650E's in the 1UZ-FE VVT-i Lexus models area rated by Toyota/Aisin at 325hp (they can probably take just a bit more though). But as with all automatics used in a performance application I think an additional aftermarket transmission cooler and fluid temperature activated cooling fan might be in order. It doesn't make sense to do all of that with an LS400 VVT-i though since it's just a big luxury cruiser sedan. But it might make sense on a 1998-2000 SC400 1UZ-VVT-i. I don't know if owners of those SC's do things like that though. And they're so rare too.
I've never driven an SC400 with that same engine and transmission but the feel and overall acceleration will be very different from the much bigger, heavier and very body-roll prone LS400 (or Celsior).
I didn't realise the rarity of the SC400 VVT-i, to be honest. Which makes it even more mystifying to me now, haha. I'd be keen to hear how the A650E responds to a shift-kit, I could only imagine it would make for a great combo.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
Now what really got my attention a couple of days ago in your thread was the mention that you'd had a chance to see a friend's UZZ32 Active Gen2 (?) with a supercharger fitted to it. That takes the cake for me
Watch out for a video in time to come.. the owner of it seemed more than happy to take it out of hibernation for a spin next available chance! I even offered to wash it just for a better look & some time with it
The next batch of OEM parts had arrived including the much needed TB gasket & breather hose + a bunch of other bits & pieces to make the shipping cost worthwhile.
As well as some bargain priced glass high beams & a couple of nice condition model-specific user manuals from the auctions thrown in.
The throttle body & mounting surfaces were given a quick clean up before re-installation, they weren't too bad to begin with.
Seeing I still had the new serpentine belt to go on, the idler & tensioner pulley bearings were also replaced.
The ol' vice, block of wood & socket press did the trick.
The new battery terminals also fitted, for the small cost it sure beats the old mangled originals.
Just need to source myself the OE terminal covers & battery insulation cover now..
As mentioned earlier, the original EMV was playing up & suffering from the the typical loss of climate control & audio screens as well as no info display when on the home screen for either of those functions. Despite testing multiple working EMV ECU's, the problem still persisted, so another working EMV was sourced for a meantime replacement.
Eventually I will have the original completely recapped as it's otherwise in beautiful working condition (perfect non-pixelated screen) aside from the above mentioned; seen below.
The fully functional replacement EMV, now installed.
There is some pixelation more apparent on certain display screens, but otherwise in great working order.
I also picked up a replacement expansion tank for the (then) upcoming flush(es), which was as clear as day compared to my rust stained original. This one had the elusive mounting bracket with it also, which always seem to grow legs & go missing? The instruction decal still intact was a bonus.
Bringing things up to early last week - after the 5-6 complete coolant flushes, the water pump has made itself known.
I will assume for now that the seal has gone, as it's leaking from the timing case & not from out the weep hole.
I've mentioned before that a previous owner had replaced the timing belt, which according to the service sticker was only done roughly 38,000 km ago with 88,000 on the clock. I'm 99% certain at this point that the water pump was either left unchanged (as the hydraulic tensioner was), or simply due to the horribly neglected state that which the coolant system was in, it was only a matter of time. During the flushes there was quite a bit of rust that came out with it, at a guess possibly disrupting the seal of the pump.
I'll begin the tear down shortly after I confirm the parts order from JP in the next coming weeks. Financially, it's come at a good time of year meaning I can tackle it sometime later this month.
Staying busy during the wait, the plan is:
- New brake pads, brake lines & machined rotors
- BBS RG Series &/or OEM ISX50 wheels
- Power steering flush
Elaborating on the above, I discovered a damaged brake line last time I had the wheels off, so I have a new set of HEL braided lines now on the way. Seemed like a good excuse to upgrade.
For brake pads, I settled on Bendix. Plentiful stock & fine for daily driving with the occasional spirited drive.
As for wheels, my plans for a set of TT 17's are now abandoned, after their unsurprising hike in price.. so at the moment it's a pick between a set of conservative spec 17" BBS RG (reminiscent of the optional BBS) or OEM IS250/350 Sport / F Sport wheels.
Should have some results to show on the above by next week.
Few more odd jobs done over the weekend to wind the updates up for now.
Revisiting the parking sensor - their cosmetic fascias are 99% always missing whenever you see a Soarer equipped with them, including mine. I had colour-coded the plastic housing seen below for a temporary fix of the eye sore..
Until I found a complete optional front/rear parking sensor kit on fleebay, which to my luck included the seemingly rare exterior covers
The rear of the cover cleaned up of all the old silicone, plus a view of the part number
Reinstalled with a generous amount of Sikaflex for a good hold. I also gave the sensor a quick lick of body coloured paint, as it had been scratched up. I still think the sensor is an eye sore, but it's at least a complete eye sore now.
Diff oil was also replaced as well as new OEM fill & drain plugs.
I've had a hard time finding a set of the original Griffin wheel centre caps on the local market since purchasing the car, they are usually sold with the wheels themselves & not so much individually. So I was lucky enough to have initiated a trade with Craig (KahnBB6) in return for my OEM Lexus centre caps. It was a win-win there for both.
They turned up the other day, so I'll refurbish them this week if the weather is any good & maybe refit the 15's again after I do the brakes.
It really is a love-hate thing with these wheels. Though with the correct original Soarer centre caps, meaty tyres & a substantial suspension drop I can't seem to resist.
I'm still picturing them painted a gunmetal or charcoal grey with the Griffin painted a lighter contrasting grey; against the silver paintwork I think it could do them some justice.
After bringing the car back I started with a thorough clean on the inside & in the engine bay. The interior didn't need much work & presented nicely after some time on it, most scuffs & marks to the leather & trim came out with little effort. The original floor mats were also included but will need a good steam clean to bring up to scratch again, so in the meantime I opted to put in some spare IS250 mats that I had laying around to get me by. They fit surprisingly well.
I also had the steering column adjustment quit on me while I was in there (I anticipated it..) so out came the washers to pack the gear back into alignment again & with a quick skim of the plastic it was back to normal operation. Good easy fix to get reacquainted with the car.. if only they were all like that!
Now I was keen on making a start on the engine bay next more than anything to see what I was working with under all the grime. So I spent a good part of the day going over the top half even though it doesn't look like much in the photos. Once it was looking somewhat acceptable, it was up on the ramps ready for a long overdue oil change.
While I was out & about I also picked up a new battery for it as the old one had let go overnight..
Interior feeling & looking fresh again, still need to condition the leather seats..
As someone stateside, I swear it always throws me for a loop when I see RHD because of the ignition on the right side.
You're doing such thorough work, Mike! I always enjoy your updates! And look at my old Griffin caps, going to restore those factory Soarer rims! They were the center caps that came with my SC300 when I bought it and they stayed on the car for many years and I liked them a lot but now I'm happy to see them finally aiding in this restoration where they rightly belong... on a real Soarer Z30
And yes, those Lexus caps you sent me will be put to good use as well. I may have that same company Hubcaps dot com restore them for me if they will do customer requests.
Can't wait to see the Griffins and your wheels brought back to their original glory again! Gunmetal or charcoal gray both sound good. Maybe get some sample test strips to test out the shades you want to go with? To the best of my recollection as faded and in need of TLC as those center caps may be now they have not faded from their original color much if at all. They were somewhat close to that condition when I first saw them on the SC at the time of purchase. It's just time and wear from over thirty years that has worn them down but not so much the color in the best spots. I mean there will always be some fading after that much time but I think for reference it's close-ish.
And if it helps I have a Soarer Z10-Z40 history book on my shelf that I can reference original Toyota pictures of for color from but you probably have something with the same pictures with what appear to be original manuals for your car.
The prices of stock MKIV TT rims today... it is amazing how high those have jumped. I say never stop looking as you may get lucky and be able to jump on a good deal at just the right time. And I can confirm that your Griffin center caps WILL fit factory Supra TT rims should you find a set in the future
Once getting the car back to it's 2nd home, an absolute priority was to have the brake accumulator looked at to have it's internal seals replaced, high pressure valve fitted & re-gassed. A ticking time bomb otherwise..
I was put onto another local Soarer owner for the job, under the recommendation of the previous owner. He was able to provide me with an exchange accumulator which had already been rebuilt & get me on my way.
Also worth mentioning (as the excitement still hasn't quite worn off..) I was extremely fortunate to have checked out the owners "rare as rocking horse ****" Series 2 UZZ32 (active suspension) Soarer while I was there.. was not expecting that, nor did I expect the thing to be supercharged as well! What an incredible machine is all I can say..!
Pressure released from the old accumulator & removed.. New rebuilt exchange accumulator ready to go in & fitted.. notice the new high pressure valve fitted for future recharges
The following day I then bled the master cylinder as per the manual to complete the process which is done via 3 separate bleeder plugs. With new Castrol brake fluid used.
Over the course of that week while I waited for a rather substantial OEM part order from Toyota Japan, I focused on some odd jobs which first & foremost, was to badge the car as it should be, not the fake it was ha..
NOS OEM badges w/ locating mounts shaved off.. Fake.. ..SC! A sense of familiarity returned
The winged lion or griffin badge, has since been sourced & fitted to it's rightful position up front also.
Next odd job needing attention was replacing the boot gas struts for a pair of aftermarket replacements..
The replacements.. to save my head.. Good fitment & work as they should, lets see how long they last..
Along my travels, I managed to pick up what I think is an essential mod to making the rear window cleaner & more sightly with the optional rear wiper - that is to fit a wiper arm from a Subaru Forester to replace the otherwise haggard looking factory wiper in comparison
Comparison shot.. substantially shorter, but rarely used if ever The sun fade to be refinished.. Much cleaner!
I then decided to tackle the capacitor change in the cluster, I didn't get any photos of that process, nothing exciting there..
With the cluster apart it was a good time to remove the reverse beeper as well, which is attached to the circuit board & simply clips off. 2 capacitors & 1 transistor later & the digital cluster is back to it's old self & looking crystal clear after a wipe down of the internals. Next capacitor replacement job is the EMV.. which will be left to a pro!
Another small yet satisfying improvement was putting to use an old Soarer key which I imported some years ago & swapping over it's better condition key case to mine, which had the loop hole snapped off, as seen. Luckily enough the replacement was also a remote key fob too..
New(er) & old key covers
Hi.
I see you did accumulator recharged. I have problem with it *** well. Can you tell my where you did re gased it and how much you paid. This valve fitted its good idea for the future Thanks
As someone stateside, I swear it always throws me for a loop when I see RHD because of the ignition on the right side.
Always the way isn't it, haha.
Originally Posted by KahnBB6
You're doing such thorough work, Mike! I always enjoy your updates! And look at my old Griffin caps, going to restore those factory Soarer rims! They were the center caps that came with my SC300 when I bought it and they stayed on the car for many years and I liked them a lot but now I'm happy to see them finally aiding in this restoration where they rightly belong... on a real Soarer Z30
And yes, those Lexus caps you sent me will be put to good use as well. I may have that same company Hubcaps dot com restore them for me if they will do customer requests.
Can't wait to see the Griffins and your wheels brought back to their original glory again! Gunmetal or charcoal gray both sound good. Maybe get some sample test strips to test out the shades you want to go with? To the best of my recollection as faded and in need of TLC as those center caps may be now they have not faded from their original color much if at all. They were somewhat close to that condition when I first saw them on the SC at the time of purchase. It's just time and wear from over thirty years that has worn them down but not so much the color in the best spots. I mean there will always be some fading after that much time but I think for reference it's close-ish.
And if it helps I have a Soarer Z10-Z40 history book on my shelf that I can reference original Toyota pictures of for color from but you probably have something with the same pictures with what appear to be original manuals for your car.
The prices of stock MKIV TT rims today... it is amazing how high those have jumped. I say never stop looking as you may get lucky and be able to jump on a good deal at just the right time. And I can confirm that your Griffin center caps WILL fit factory Supra TT rims should you find a set in the future
The kind words & feedback are always appreciated Craig, helps keep the motivation in motion
I plan to get the ball rolling on the original wheels sometime in the new year, not yet decided if I will have them powder coated or professionally spray painted. But some test strips on the colour will definitely be on the cards to help narrow down the best suited gray. Too dark & they will disappear into the arches, too light & it'll play against the silver paintwork.. so I've got some deciding to do.
I don't believe I've come across a dedicated history book on the Soarer before either, that sounds like a great read. I'll be sure to take you up on that offer if I ever need some colour referencing!
Between the original Z30 wheels & the new set of BBS RG now, I'm pretty content I think. If ever there was a good deal again on a set of A80 TT wheels, it would sure make a wise investment with the seemingly daily price increases to anything Supra related. Though I would still like to see what the Griffin caps would look like on them, uniquely cool I would imagine.
Originally Posted by RudysSC
I'm really enjoying this, and love seeing how thorough you've been thus far. Stunning car - keep it up!
Thanks a lot! Really appreciate it I feel it's in an acceptable state cosmetically now, not great, but I'll challenge myself to get it somewhere close!
Originally Posted by seba81
Hi.,
I see you did accumulator recharged. I have problem with it *** well. Can you tell my where you did re gased it and how much you paid. This valve fitted its good idea for the future Thanks
Luckily enough I was able to have the rebuild done locally (in AU), as there are still some owners out there who offer to refurbish them. They work on exchange service, for your old accumulator. From memory it was a couple of hundred dollars. I can pass on their contact details to see if they can help assist you internationally? On a separate note, I have a Polish background also interestingly enough
Quite a bit to update on since last, to kick it off - brakes, wheels & tyres were sorted late July, early August.
Pads & rotors are just some run-of-the-mill local brand Bendix & RDA replacements, though completely adequate for a daily driver. The Hel braided lines added in should be more than sufficient.
Calipers were also repainted again & hardware cleaned up during the process.
Still the original OEM Toyota rear pads, that came out.. however the fronts had been replaced at some point.
Hel braided brake lines to go on, not yet fitted.
Sourced a refurbished set of BBS RG wheels, freshly in from Japan through a local importer. Whilst gold wasn't my first choice, I couldn't say no, considering the refurb job.
They're a square set of 17" x 8" +35, fitted with Bridgestone RE003 in 235 / 45 / 17.
The centres were finished in a satin gold & semi polished lips.
Completed & fitted with a set of appropriate BBS wheels nuts.
Task complete, just need to drop the airbags out of 4x4 mode to fully appreciate.
The inevitable water pump replacement was next after a big box of OEM parts landed in from JP early August.
This consisted of (from what I remember..):
16100-50023 - Water Pump
13540-50030 - Hydraulic Tensioner
13503-50011 - Idler No.2
13505-50022 - Idler No.1
90311-43006 - Front seal
90466-41008 - Radiator clamps x4
96761-35035 - Water inlet O-ring
96711-19010 - Dipstick O-ring
16341-50010 - Water By-pass Gaskets x2
90109-18003 - Crankshaft Pulley Bolt
13568-59045 - Timing Belt
11302-50020 - Lower Timing Belt Cover Gasket
90919-02197 - Ignition Coil x2
04446-24012 - P/S Pump Gasket kit
The tear-down, early stages.
Ready for a major clean-up. The previous LHS cam cover leak wreaked havoc! This is where most of my time went during the service, including under the engine & surrounding areas also.
I wasn't planning on removing the water by-pass, until the water inlet pipe needed to be removed with the help of a vice & hammer. Plenty of crust as seen, well overdue for a clean & gasket change anyhow.
Pre-clean of the water pipes.
And after some elbow grease.
New & much needed replacement water by-pass gaskets.
Both surfaces prepped for the new gaskets. The neglected coolant system didn't help with the rust & muck build-up..
Quick clean of either mating surfaces of the IACV, before applying a new gasket. Rebuild to come soon enough, ain't broken just yet..
05-26-20, 11:53 PM
