Mike1JZ

4 years on & I have found myself wound up in yet another Soarer.

This is Z30 #3 & 2nd time around with another UZZ31 model.

My intentions were to trade in my previous IS250 for a turbocharged or V8 wagon/estate, something larger & family friendly including room for the dog. Though not having much luck finding something suitable at the time, I decided to check out the Soarer market having been out of it for quite a while. Bad mistake that was! Shortly after I was in contact with an owner of a completely original '93 model.

Call it coincidence or meant to be, it was only a few blocks down the road so I know I would have regretted not checking it out even just for a look. Well worth it, it was. It was a low mileage example & stock as a rock, other than the all-too-typical Lexus badging, nothing else had been touched. Certainly one of the tidier examples in today's market too.

With that said, some much needed TLC was also needed as expected. But with plenty of potential to come from it. Common faults such blinky dash syndrome, temperamental EMV, boot gas struts, power steering pump, cam cover leaks & headlight condensation among them. But at the same time - the door trims were great, centre air vent trim wasn't cracked, upholstery had minimal sun fade, the airbag suspension worked on all 4 corners & the reverse camera still functioned. The positives seemed to outweigh the negatives this far.

It was rather well optioned as well, on top of the standard UZZ31 features it had some additional boxes ticked such as; remote central locking, traction control, reverse camera, rear wiper & front parking sensor to name a few.

It's currently unregistered, however very much all good to go for a "roadworthy" inspection as it stands. With no immediate rush at this point as I continue to lose myself in replacing anything that has been neglected/unchanged over the years for some peace of mind.

Other than some general TLC, I want to maintain what makes this particular model what it is, so retaining the Electro Multivision & the airbag suspension are a must. More along the lines of a mini restoration if anything, with some minor cosmetic upgrades & tweaks while maintaining the core aspects of the UZZ31.

1993 UZZ31 GT-L Toyota Soarer

ODO: 126,225 km

Super Silver III Metallic [176]

Engine Maintenance:
- 100k major service w/ all new OEM parts
- New OEM Oil cap
- New OEM Rad cap + drain plug
- New OEM Fuel cap
- New OEM PCV + grommet & hose
- New OEM Serpentine belt
- New OEM Spark leads
- New OEM Air filter
- New OEM Battery holder clamp
- New OEM Rocker cover gaskets + bolt washers
- New OEM Oil filter + oil pan plug
- New OEM CTS
- New OEM Distributor caps & rotors
- New NGK BKR6EIX-11 plugs + seals
- New OEM Thermostat + custom alloy housing
- New OEM Battery terminals + 720 CCA battery
- New OEM TB gasket + breather hose
- New OEM belt tensioner assy
- New OEM Evaporator pressure regulator
- Full coolant flush w/ Toyota Red

Transmission/Drivetrain:
- New OEM filter
- Trans pan reseal
- Complete flush w/ OEM fluids

Suspension:
- Data Systems R-Spec height controller

Wheels/Tyres:
- Refurbished BBS RG 17" x 8" +35

Brakes:
- Rebuilt & modified nitrogen brake accumulator
- Bendix/DBA rotors & pads

Exterior:
- JZZ30 non-aero front bumper cover
- Front parking pole
- Series 2 glass high beams
- New OEM trunk badges
- Good used winged-lion front badge
- New OEM Lexus IS front wiper blades
- Subaru forester rear wiper arm retrofit
- Custom billet front number plate mount
- "GTLMTD" custom plates
- Series 3 headlights

Interior:
- Air purifier
- Series 3 steering wheel
- Series 3 low mileage floor mats
- Ashtray coin holder
- Flip-out cup holder
- TV tuner AUX mod

Misc:
- Series 3 engine cover
- OEM battery terminal covers
- Dashboard capacitors replaced
- Telescopic steering column repair
- Philips 6000k LED parker lights
- Philips 6000k LED cornering lamp lights

Mike1JZ

The "before" photos taken from the sale ad..

The cars "good side"..

Clear coat peel on the front fender was the only major paint defect. Note, the usual parking sensor cover missing also..

The common Lexus "rebadge" likely done by the import yards etc. back in the day. The wheel centre caps were also replaced with Lexus items as seen in photo 1.

Well looked after interior, other than some bolster wear to the drivers seat.

98% working EMV, displaying the reverse camera function.

Disgustingly unkempt engine bay..

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

That's a beautiful find, Mike! All original and you even scored the airbag suspension, EMV option with original backup camera! Are those parking sensors an original factory option? I'm aware of a lot of high tech for 1991+ options these Soarers got but I never knew factory front parking sensors were among them.

(Side note I recently attempted to acquire parts for that same style factory wing to recreate my own factory style backup camera but alas those little camera windows are discontinued-- very cool yours came with it!)

I am not sure if it is still possible but I think some aftermarket vendor in Australia offers a reprogramming service for the EMV system so that your menus will be converted to English text. I hope that's something you can still have done as you get into this to make it easier to use. The standard def NTSC TV tuner function won't receive signals any longer but perhaps it is possible to hack the EMV to accept auxiliary input from a U.S./Japanese standard definition NTSC input device?

I would consider a plug and play HID headlight conversion... if allowable by your local laws. Some service should be able to re-seal your factory headlight housings, de-oxidize and restore the outer lenses and give them either a clear coat protective layer or a clear film finish.

Do you plan to keep those stock wheels on the Soarer?

You're well into giving this well preserved machine a second lease on life! Can't wait to see more of your progress!

Mike1JZ

I appreciate the kind words, Craig thanks for checking in.

After some research, the sensors appear to be a dealer option, though not an option that I have seen a lot of in my experience. They are more of an eyesore if anything, but they work well. Over the years I have seen the parking poles more frequently as an option, which I think are slightly more aesthetically pleasing!

Yes, back in the day (mid 2000's) there were a few local guys offering all sorts of EMV modifications including; as you said, translations to some menus (audio only, I believe), TV conversions etc. (http://planetsoarer.com/mark/index.htm) but most of them are no longer on the scene to my knowledge. On the odd occasion some of their kits pop up from Soarer's being parted out which get snapped up quick. Personally, my only plan will be to add an AUX input for an MP3 player, which connects via the TV tuner & then activated with a press of the otherwise redundant TV button. I did have some photos of it in my previous build thread, where I ran the input into the centre console, but the photos are no longer. Worked & sounded great through the factory sound system!

I have a lot to update yet on in this thread since bringing the car home, headlights included.. they are currently running a set of semi decent JW Speaker brand LEDs temporarily carried on from the Lexus, but HIDs will always be my preferred choice as well.

Regarding the original wheels, they have since been removed in favour of a set of JZX100 Chaser wheels (equivalent to the late SC 5 spoke wheels..) although I do have a soft spot for the stock wire spoke rim for some unknown reason. Once I source the Soarer centre caps for them, I may even consider having them painted in a different colour, something more complimenting to the design.. I'm envisioning they would make a nice set to fit for car shows with the airbag controller set to SUPER low

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

I asked about the wheels because it just so happens I have a set of OEM Soarer center caps that came with my SC when I bought it

I’ll PM you.

TougeSC3

iTrader: (2)

Definitely a can find. I thought about importing one to the states, but it just isn’t worth it.

Mike1JZ

Sounds good!

I could imagine.. for the time & money, a different Toyota chassis eligible for import would seemingly be more appealing once it all adds up.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

The parking poles are such an odd thing. I have seen them on many Japanese market cars but I still have no idea what they are supposed to do. Do they extend outward and trigger a beeper only when someone is parking the vehicle they are affixed to? I'm just guessing but that's all I can think of.

I have looked into front and rear aftermarket and OEM parking sensors myself and I think you can certainly improve on the aesthetic look of the ones currently installed in your Soarer. Or... just remove them and restore the holes cut into the bumper.

Ahh, all right. I was hoping that wasn't the case but it's understandably such a niche market aftermarket modification the folks offering that service were bound to move on.

The Aux input modification will go a very long way towards modernizing that EMV stereo! I'm glad to hear you can do it to those just as we can to the standard Pioneer OEM head units. I might also recommend that you try looking into iSimple's automobile bluetooth products. They make a very good one which, if available in Australia, can plug into your aux-in DIY jack and give you both bluetooth handsfree phone and bluetooth audio functions.

Here in the U.S. the model number and product name is: iSimple TranzIt BLU HF (Model # ISFM2351).

Looking forward to seeing these updates as you go! Yeah, HID low beams in whatever flavor I think are greatly superior even from a safety standpoint compared to the stock Soarer/SC Halogens. Is JW Speaker a brand that makes LED headlight bulbs in your market? I may have misinterpreted.

Very nice choice! I think I have seen those stock Chaser rims as well. My 1993 SC had OEM gray 1996 SC400 7-spoke 16-inch "blade" wheels on it when I bought the car. I later learned that early model Soarers got these same factory wheels but with the Soarer center caps of course. To be honest I really liked those wheels very much... but I needed 17" diameter rims to fit the Supra brake calipers so Supra MKIV TT rims it was.

Anyway, the Soarer "griffin" center caps have been really nice for many years but I'm good with Lexus OEM center caps now so they need to go to a proper Z30 Soarer

....

As for importing a Z30 Soarer, I would honestly consider it even though I own my SC. Yes it's a hassle but there are a couple of RI companies in the U.S. with whom I'd feel confident doing business. The biggest hurdle would be how to register it in California. There is a way to do this but it's in the ballpark of $10k-$15k extra (modifications for emissions compliance and certified lab testing of the car. Possible to do but very expensive). Everywhere else there should be no issues.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

Mike, these are what I was talking about. To the best of my knowledge they only came in one diameter for the Z30 Soarers.

Mike1JZ

They are certainly a quirky Japanese feature. Exactly as you said though, it's used just as a parking aid to judge the distance of the front/rear of the car. With a flick of the switch it raises when needed. There's also a light in the top of it as well; pretty cool! The parking sensor on the other hand - as you can see in the 2nd photo above, the white outline of the plastic sticks out like no tomorrow. I had initially colour coded it to the colour of the car which has made it easier on the eye, but still looks out of place & incomplete up close.. As I mentioned though I was lucky enough to salvage a set of the original "cosmetic" covers for it, so I'll reattach it to the front of the sensor & see how much more/less it looks out of place..

A scan I found showing a clearer view of the sensors as they should be & the rear parking pole in action.



Thanks for the info on the bluetooth module as well, I'll be sure to check that one out & what's available here. Sounds like a great investment for an audiophile!

Regarding JW Speaker, it's a US made (I believe) lighting company which we have available here now of recent times, but I'm sure what we are sold is just re-branded Chinese junk, not the real deal, for the price. No issues so far despite that & a good improvement over the stock halogen for now anyway (got to love the recycling of parts, from one car to another).

I am a big fan of the OEM 7 spoke wheels myself, they were definitely one of the nicer designs of the time that complimented the car well, especially in the grey finish. The Supra 17's are a very worthy upgrade no doubt about it. Still one of the nicest OEM designs & specs to match. I don't know about you guys in the states, but they are increasingly getting harder & more expensive as time goes on. Just like the Supra itself.. devastated now that I sold my set on with my previous Soarer, they had been refinished too & were purchased while still obtainable at "reasonable" prices! That's hindsight I guess..

Yeah definitely, I think what I should add to my previous comment; for the die hard SC/Soarer enthusiast, there's no doubt the costs involved importing one could be looked past. Unless you are in California.. I sympathise with the car folks there, I remember reading about the strict emission laws. Comparable to vehicle modifications in Oz & some (or most) of the "nanny states" we have here. Personally I would love a late model SC with the VVT-i 1UZ & gated shifter that the Soarer never got, or at least experience the difference.

PM pending

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

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.

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.

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.

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 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

Any time!

Mike1JZ

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..

Before (new battery already fitted at this point)

After some elbow grease..

New oil & some bits & pieces from Toyota

New OEM drain plug & washer

Gone are the days of a "Made in Japan" filter..

While I was under the car I also discovered an oil leak which had made it's way back to the transmission pan, at first I though it could be the rear main seal, but tracing it back it appears to be from the passenger cam cover.. leaking down onto the trans dipstick tube. More on this later...

One last job before hitting the road was removing the headlights to dry out the moisture & a quick hand polish, complimented with some LED parking lights & low beam. Eventually I will go over the light assemblies with some new sealant & replace the rubber bulb gaskets/o-rings where possible.


Already polished at this stage, ready to be removed & aired out

Condensation removed, looking better - machine polish next..

Philips / JW Speaker 6000k LED replacements

With the basics covered, the car was good to go for it's 75 mile trip back to where it will be stored for the majority of the work ahead, until it's ready to be registered again.

I had originally gone out & purchased a GPS HUD unit for speed display since the cluster had completely blacked out the night before (blinky dash), however it decided to display on the drive back.. though I still didn't trust it's temperamental ways & had to put the new HUD to use at least once, to justify what I just paid for it!

The drive itself was a beautiful ride back, no abnormalities & the engine felt strong. Also without doubt thanks to the near-new factory spec tires & working airbag suspension made a world of difference (only ever experienced worn airbags..).

Mike1JZ

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

RudysSC

I love this thing. Keep it up!

Mike1JZ

Fast forward a week & some deliveries arrived. The first was a replacement fender for the passenger side, the original panel had some wild clear coat damage as seen above. This was the biggest let down of the exterior by far, thankfully the only area of the car affected. Unfortunately 176 silver doesn't show up too often in the used market, more so now days than ever, so it took a bit of searching around & a solid couple weeks before I actually found something. The paint has it's fair share of minor defects etc. & needs a dent pulled but it's an acceptable replacement.


Replacement fender, finally..

The next few were some of the first of many more to come from Japan.. prices in the used Soarer market here have shot up over the years, so I opted to import the S2 lights & airbag controller, which can be had locally, but with ridiculous price tags compared to what they can be had for in JP.

And while speaking of stupidly priced parts, the clear side indicators are the epitome of that, still! But, a nice cosmetic improvement as always in cleaning up the front end.

The steering wheel was removed from a Series 3 Soarer & is in beautiful condition for it's age. As it was sent by air, the airbag detonator had to be removed, obviously.. so unfortunately the horn pad will not be used in this application.



The 2nd batch was the OEM parts order, which I'm always stoked about.

I'll start off by saying that Toyota/Lexus AU carry only the bare essentials for the 1UZ (if that!) so waiting a week or two for parts to arrive at heavily discounted prices makes it all worth the wait.

This order included:

Overflow bottle cap (16401-50051)
Oil cap (12180-50010)
Spark plug gasket (11193-15010) x8
PCV valve (12204-50011)
PCV hose (12261-50021)
PCV grommet (90480-18001)
Cam cover gaskets (11213-50021) x2
Bolt washers (for cam cover) (90210-07001) x16
Air filter (17801-46060)
Distributor cap (19101-50020) x2
Rotor button (19102-50020) x2
Spark leads (90919-22262)
Serpentine belt (90916-02361)
Fuel filler cap (77310-12140)
Engine bleeder plug (90341-20011)
Battery clamp (74404-24030)
Battery clamp rod (74451-24010)



Making a start on the aesthetics, the fender was the first to go on & for good reason! No photos, however it lined up reasonably & is looking pretty good until I can get the car under some natural light to make any adjustments. The original "Limited" badge has also been swapped over to it as well.

Again, in no real particular order, I swapped the new steering wheel in & reused the old SRS horn pad. During which time I installed the airbag controller as well, which simply piggy-backs off the suspension ECU, located behind the passenger side quarter window panel.

I haven't decided on a location for the controller yet, but the glove box is looking good.


Old & new comparison

Showing it's condition, barely a mark..


Next was the S2 tail lights, which I'm a big fan of so they were a must.


Before

During

Not forgetting this little guy for the hyper blink..

& after..

During that time I also picked up another set of factory wheels for cheap, which may look familiar. They are from a JZX100 Chaser in the Japan market, a.k.a. late SC wheels. They were missing the centre caps so I have since sourced a set for them. While most would agree that they are a lot easier on the eye over the dated OEM 15's, I still have some plans for them.



With the wheels off, tradition followed & I gave the brakes a quick freshen up. With less than desirable painting weather at the time, I only bothered painting the caliper brackets, so two tone will have to do for now.




So that basically covers the past month of what's been happening with the mini resto so far.

Bringing the progress up to last weeks efforts, which is mostly under the hood, as I make a start to seeing what has & (mostly hasn't) been done in terms of servicing.

The last few cool bits to come in the mail included the optional flip-out cup holder for the upper console, which is basically useless unless stationary.. but just a cool feature to fill the empty void with. Along with that, was a custom billet registration plate mount, which does away with the oversized OEM mount & further cleans up the front end. I had never heard of the business making them before, but fitment & finish was perfect. The design closely resembles the A80 Supra OEM mount.

Finally to arrive, was the custom registration plates. Most if not all, custom combinations are already taken in this state, so the next best combo was "GTLMTD" obviously signifying the trim level - GT Limited. These are actually USA sized plates to fit the bumpers as they should.


Nice condition with mounting tabs still intact

Looking complete now

New plate mount

Factory OEM mount

Fitted.. & with a test fit of the new plates