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Both cars sound beautiful! The first one does have a nice bassy sound though! Much as I love my inline-six there is still nothing quite like the sound of a 90-degree V8!
I like the 2J sound, but LOVE the 1U sound. Just watched Doug Demuro's review of the 2022 IS500. That V8 sound is awesome. This is a straight-pipe so somewhat louder than my SC.
Originally Posted by RudysSC
Glad to see you enjoying the new SC you picked up! She's a beauty. I understand the dilemma with your son's car... I'm sure you're quite attached to it and I would be too. These cars are tough because they can get to a certain point where they get awfully expensive to get dialed in. However, perhaps a future track toy may be a great purpose for it and would probably require a lot less to get it to that point as opposed to getting it ready to daily drive.
I've been talking to some friends who are also Lexus enthusiasts. This is definitely not going to be a daily driver. More like a weekend time attack car. In fact, that's what Daniel was attempting by getting an early block engine and stripping the interior.
He had already taken out the heavy Lexus seats, the entire back seat, and most insulation. Here's a picture with the eBay special racing seats he jimmied into the car. Note the gun back in the area where the passenger seat is supposed to go.
Sorry for the long delay on replying. This may be intermittent.
I now have the title and registration in my name. The California DMV was actually very helpful.
So, here's what I'm currently thinking. I haven't run this by my beautiful young bride yet, but I will soon. I'll finish the body kit and the upgrades needed. It will be a five-speed 400 with minimal upgrades (for now). This includes whatever components are needed for suspension, wiring harness, wheels, and engine mods such as forced induction and fuel.
I know Daniel loved taking his '95 SC to the track. Here's his '95 SC at Willow Springs last year. So, I'm going to look into a memorial race for Lexus / Toyota cars. Not sure how to do this yet. I know Willow Springs is nearby so maybe that's a place to look.
Here's a video from his dash cam of him overtaking a WRX on that track.
Minor update. Just talked to my 19-year-old son about this. He loves the SC also. He had a LS430 until he rear-ended a truck a few months ago. Since then, he's been driving my '16 Malibu hybrid (a.k.a. the Glorified Golf Cart).
I told him i was thinking of tracking the car like Daniel wanted. But, I told him I'd probably not be driving it, as I am just too old and not really into fast driving. He replied that he's not into it either. So, neither of us would be driving the SC on the track.
He did indicate he'd love to have the SC as a street car, and that he loves the SC. So, now I need to figure out whether this car is worth resurrecting or if it should be parted out.
It would be a great project for a 19 year old to get that thing road worthy... If that's what you guys are interested in, I'd recommend having a local shop inspect it and help you guys prioritize safety items such as brakes, suspension, etc. At that point you can order parts, install yourself, and begin to make it street worthy without necessarily having to fix every little issue with the car. I've grown up driving "beaters" by a lot of peoples standards but they were always meticulously cared for mechanically. If he's just driving it around town, to school, friend's houses, etc, and doesn't necessarily need to rely on it 100% of the time I think it would be an awesome project for him and a great reminder to keep in your family.
Yeah, my son is not terribly interested in cars. Definitely not like his brother. So, I spoke to my beautiful young bride. She's of the opinion this would be a better project for a show car. Essentially, finish the body kit (or put another one on) add some cool paint, do the interior, and drive it to local Lexus meets. I like that idea also.
Here's a car I found on the internet that uses a similar body kit and wheels to what he had. It may be the vision he had.
Quick update - or rather lack of one. With me focusing on my '99 SC400, I spoke with the friend who's babysitting the '93. He's fine with me keeping it on ice until the spring or so, after which I'll get started.
Had to drive out to the desert this week for work, and I chose to make it a day with my '99. Love this car for road trips. So comfy and smooth.
Just wanted a quick update on this. The car has been towed from the desert to closer to home. A So Cal Lexus Meets club member has a shop and took a look. It can be drivable but needs work. The crappy duraflex body kit will need to be junked and a new kit put on. My plan now is to give this to a friend so she can drive it and enjoy it. We'll start working on it soon.
As you can see in the image below, the front part of the body kit has been removed and put aside.
09-14-21, 12:24 PM
