meanboy

I think you should look at the supra cause it has everything you want. You'll need more then 5k to get the SC3 as competitve as a supra. Think brakes, suspension, wheels, etc. And with the supra, you can have a buddy film your races and put it on the net! Plus, most of the guys that are autophiles will salivate at the sight/thought of the supra. Pull the trigger!

Plus, if you ever decide to sell the supra, you'll probably receive more back for it. I don't know what the market would be like for a modded out non smoggable Lexus SC3.

But I think you should drive each and see which you like. That should your deciding factor.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

if you price your options right it will cost 5k to get the SC3 performing BETTER than a Supra... at least in straight line...
remember an SC300 only weighs about 50lbs more than a SupraTT

as far as the 300zx goes; what year is that? not many Zs are worth that much.... don't get a 96 Z do NOT get a 96 Z... they only have 280hp and a ODBII ECU which no one makes aftermarket replacements for... they no longer have any variable valve timing, etc...

best year to get is a 93-95

i'm selling my 90 for $8500 and its in damn good condition...

The Ikon

Bean, how many miles on the Z? what's the vin # so I can check it out? What mods, rims, auto or 5spd?

SC300TURBO

iTrader: (2)

sc300....more relaible..more rare.....sleeper...i know too many people with blown up 300z's...and too many people with daily driven sc300turbos that cant stop smiling.....if your looking for the style and comfort of a lexus...with speed...get the sc300...you also get a functional back seat and the insurance rates of a non turbo car.......i know a guy with a 300zx in jaxonville whois on his 3rd motor in 3months.....they can be made fast but they dont get good traction.....short wheel base.....engine compartment is TOOOO tight...for me there is no comparison...and with 440 rwhp i havent lost to any 300zx on the street..and i have raced several with high hp upgrades....just my opinion...Jeff

MadMaxSC400

3 motors in 3 months? what's he running, nitro methane? How's he pay for the motor changes? I hear all sorts of different things from different people about those cars. You also have to remember that I need to consider if it's really worth it for me to get a car that will be rendered un-smoggable. There's a good reason my profile name says "People's Republic of California". Given that, is the 300ZX really that bad, or is your friend using dynamite for gasoline? The most I'd do is run it with a chip and a boost controller.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

I think his friend doesn't know what he's doing actually... 300zx motors are quite strong... the cooling system sucks MAJOR *** and if the auto trannies aren't rebuilt stronger they just keep breaking... other than that (and the short wheelbase) they are good cars...
they will outhandle the SC300 mod for mod

stock they are 1.5" lower than a Supra and without the ****ty tires they came with stock they pull .96g and 69mph slaloms

Ikon, 100000 right at on the body of my Z... the engine with only 75000, I bought the car with a blown up motor... before you laugh let me explain

the chick that had it before me did not take care of it and drove it for 2 MONTHS with the temp needle in the redzone... like i said; its a STRONG motor...

but the engine block got ****ED as did the turbos... so i bought EVERYTHING for the car excluding the tranny, etc... paid someone to put it in... car ran great for about 6 months; then the tranny went... i had it rebuilt with stronger parts by a expert-Z32 mechanic and it has been running perfectly fine... I just have too many tickets and my insurance on it is crazy high; like $250/month under my parent's name... and its taking up space in the car port

stock rims dude, i couldn't bring myself to buy new rims for the Z since I liked them so much...
right now it has a JWT intake and a 1pc aluminum driveshaft worth about $650... weighs 12lbs as opposed to 26lbs for a stock two piece...
the car had an JWT exhaust and ECU and 13.5-14psi of boost...
I didn't run it much but I could beat C5s and Z28s all day long from a roll

automatic engines have smaller turbos and a different cam profile and only make 280hp as opposed to the 300hp from a 5-speed... lucky for me though, the engine i bought was out of a 5-speed car

just let me know if you have any more questions... my parents are *****in about this car and I have to get it out of here before i can start modding my Lexus

MadMaxSC400

One of my major concerns is safety, and I was looking at Autotrader saying that there was a difference between the '93 and '94+ 300ZX's in safety rating. Are they right, or no?
Also, one thing I'm not clear on is why wheelbase seems to be important... what's the difference?

meanboy

Will $5k in a SC beat a BPU modded Supra straight line? I understand the BPU is a pretty cheap setup. And being that we are in CA, it's gonna be rather expensive to legally mod the SC. One thing to think about is that the Supra is setup for speed...big brakes, 6 speed, etc.

If it sounds like I am stickler for smog legal parts, you would be correct. And I am not alone in that regard. The reason mustang mods are so popular in CA is that many of the parts are CARB cert.

I understand your point of view if you live in a state that does not have the same stringent smog regulations as CA or if you a workaround to legalize the mods.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

$5k properly spent will beat BPU as long as its a manual SC300

$5k is enough to piece together your own turbokit using the Toyomoto manifold, a spacer, a T60-1 turbo from turbonetics, a custom FMIC of the same sizes as the Toyomoto one; and then intercooler piping, downpipe and an AIC and a SupraTT fuelpump; and a custom 3" single N1 exhaust or something... with the AIC and two 550 additionals you can run the boost to 15psi i'm told; that should be enough for 450rwhp; thats more than a BPU already WITHOUT cams and the other tuning stuff

if you want to spend a little bit more than $5k you can get a VPC instead of the AIC and use 550 injectors with a MKIII Supra 550 VPC chip... then you can run the boost to 18psi and make close to 500rwhp But you prolly wanna get a twin fuel pump setup when you get to that point...
and there's the typical mods that both the supra and sc300 would have to do; like a clutch, etc

We won't even go over the issue that SC300s are WAY cheaper than SupraTTs right off the bat

MadMaxSC400

given that, I'd like to know if the $5500 quoted me by toyomoto is reasonable. Should I be getting their "kit" or should I be buying a few parts then going elsewhere for the rest? I don't fancy replacing the head gasket, because the change in compression will really make the car weird when I pull the turbo for smog, and I don't fancy 7500 dollars, either.

meanboy

Sounds great in a dream. We all know it costs more then 5k to get it right. Not only do you have to pay some dollars to have it installed, you will still have to tweak the sc to get it. The supra is already halfway there. The supra has the hp from the start. I don't really think a supra will need bigger brakes and I bet a stock clutch could handle the mild mods. Don't forget the 6 speed in the supra. The supra store claim a bpu kit they sell for $1400 and they claim some folks have gottan 433hp and 450 hp rwhp with there kit. No camshaft changes anywhere as you have stated. Changes are very mild.

My guess is that the performance dollar will go farther in a supra then a sc. The supra is prime for tuning. Just the cost of entry is higher.

Use some $$ in your decision too. What's the chances of selling a modded out SC versus a mildly modded supra. Put in a couple of grand in a $20k supra or put in $15k(Turbo, turbo install, upgraded brakes, suspension mods, etc.) in a $12k sc. Chances are all of the $$ will come out of the supra, while the sc will be a money pit. My guess is that if the supra is in good/ex condition, the first serious buyer will pay the asking price. The SC? No market for it cause it won't pass smog in CA. Best that one could do is sell the turbo for half price and lose all the labor associated with putting it in AND removing it. Mods like brakes and suspension won't generate a lot of cash either. Most any other mod will count for little on the used market. Believe me, things can change for a person, and the car might have to be sold for whatever reason.

No way in hell is a turbo setup for a sc is legal in CA. I'll give it that it's a one off and people have had success with it in other parts of the country. But it's not a no brainer as you want to make it sound like. Believe it or not, a company claims it is it the process of CARB cert for a TT kit for mustangs. They claim 400 plus hp from it in its mild form. They sell a 49 state legal one for $4k. How's that for cheap hp.

There is a reason supras are a hot item. It comes fast and ready to rock while others have to be modded, risking legalities, and reliability.

Like I said before, I think the best thing to do is to drive the cars you desire and compare them. You shouldn't try to determine that from others opinions.

black sc

Turbo, Ikon
You forgot the 300ZXTT.
Makes all the difference.
NSX is another choice if, you have the money.

Lance

Meanboy is right on the money. It's highly doubtful that an investment of $5500 (and under, I presume, as we're on a budget) on an SC will beat a even slightly modded Supra.

Let's not forget that BPU is a just phrase coined by someone on the MKIV list to describe mods on the Supra that could be done for well under $500. Mark Tozer (who runs the Supra Store) and others have included items that don't help performance much but run up the cost of the items they are selling. BPU is not a "setup" or "kit"--rather, it just refers to added boost and some sort of exhaust side mod (be it a downpipe and/or cat-back).

A TT Supra with 2 dollars in mods (yes, that's no typo) WILL run the the 1/4 in the 12's--add another $350 or so and you're in the 11's, AMHIK.

Everything on the Supra is overbuilt--huge injectors, turbos that (for the most part) will reliably hold 18lb of boost, HUGE brakes, a nearly indestructible tranny (the Getrag, anyway) etc. To run an SC nose to nose with the Supra will not only require a MASSIVE investment on performance items, but also in preventative measures and upgrades on parts designed for a luxury car.

I've been running a constant 18lbs of boost on mine for the past 2 years with not so much as a hiccup. The only real cost of owning a (lightly) modded Supra is replacing the rear tires every 6 months.

Lance
98 SC00
95 Supra TT (Hardtop)

The Ikon

Yeah BlackSC is right about one of my all time favorite the 90'- 96' 300ZX...

black sc

I use to run 14-16lbs of boost on my '90 Fairlady. I really miss that car. The only problem was the turbo lag. Dang, tis subject is making me depressed. The 300ZX was designed with the help of Kray computers which had the most current info. at the time.

The Supra is also an excellent car. The previous generation before the last generation was like a record holder for it's generation like, 85-94 or something like that. I waited for that car but, could not wait any longer. I got to drive my friend's Supra. I heard the trans is the same as the Corvette's. Is that true?

The only problem I have for both those cars is the weak lighting. Why didn't they put H-4 lights but, good that they put fogs though. Sorry to babble but, you guys are making me depressed remembering the glory days of Japanese sports cars. Well, maybe the new Subaru WRX will revive a little of that.