SC- 1st Gen (1992-2000)

Body Kit or Good Drop???

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 01-21-07 | 10:31 PM
  #1  
Lucky SC's Avatar
Lucky SC
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Default Body Kit or Good Drop???

okay guys i have a problem here...

this isn't really an issue for most people but i live in Georgia where it is very hilly and i have to deal with Speed bumps every day i go to school.

i want to know if i should get the either Auto Couture or Vertex kits i was thinking about and probably not drop it but half an inch bc otherwise it'll be too low and scrape or just lower the car 2" or so and get rid of all wheel well gap but probably not have room for a body kit and have to do 97+ conversion instead...

so basically in short, should i prioritize the body kit and see how much i can drop or do the drop first...

if anyone has both a body kit and dropped their SC and succesivly go over speed bumps every day without ever scratching please let me know what solution you found, i would hate to spend all this money and **** it all up on a speed bump.

heres the picture of the car now with its gaps...



heres what the car would look like with all of the gap gone, courtesy of Black_SC, this is the part in question if i would have enough clearance of speed bumps...



any pictures, advice, or personal stories would be helpful in anyway, i just need a game plan before i start throwing money around, thankyou
Old 01-21-07 | 10:53 PM
  #2  
Hai_Nguyen's Avatar
Hai_Nguyen
Pole Position
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
From: Ohio/Colorado
Default

My best advice would be to get a 97+ conversion. The OEM material will be much more durable in case you do scrape. If you do get a kit, get airbags.
Old 01-21-07 | 10:55 PM
  #3  
TheMole's Avatar
TheMole
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (13)
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,487
Likes: 5
From: SoCal
Default

Well if you get a bodykit you have to drop it. Maybe you should drop it first and see how it goes. Then decide if you want a bodykit which decreases ground clearance.
Old 01-21-07 | 10:55 PM
  #4  
jimmyXthai's Avatar
jimmyXthai
Lead Lap
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
From: Nor Cal
Default

get coilovers and adjust it
Old 01-21-07 | 11:00 PM
  #5  
HmoobSC300's Avatar
HmoobSC300
Driver
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: MI
Default

from the pic it looks like your sc has the same stance as mine after the gaps are gone (can't fit my pinky into gaps). I scrape all the time with speedbumps and what not (I'm on 19 inch volks with no bodykit). previous owner screwed me over and never sent the adjustment keys to the coilovers, so i'm pretty much stuck until I can get a set.
Old 01-21-07 | 11:12 PM
  #6  
hass's Avatar
hass
Lexus Champion
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
Default

Originally Posted by jimmyXthai
get coilovers and adjust it
Yes, what he says
-hass
Old 01-21-07 | 11:33 PM
  #7  
yelloa3gti's Avatar
yelloa3gti
Lead Lap
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: NOVA-MD
Default

do both.. and drive carefully.. of your only doing one.. then lower it.. body kit and not lowered is just weird
Old 01-21-07 | 11:37 PM
  #8  
Lucky SC's Avatar
Lucky SC
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Default

so if i install the coilovers at a shop would it be easy to adjust the coilovers by myself? as in under an hour or so?

bc if ur scraping with no body kit then this could be a real problem i dont want my daily and only car to not be able to go over speed bumps...

i think im gonna put on some HKS RS Coilovers, they look like the best option as of now. i guess from there i can see how much room i have to work with right? just want to know with those coilovers will it be easy to move them up and down to see if i can fit a kit afterwards?

even after my senior year is over in may im either going to Alabama, Clemson, or Florida State i haven't decided yet, and for all i kno it could be a speed bump minefield at any of them lol
Old 01-22-07 | 12:13 AM
  #9  
daSC4's Avatar
daSC4
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 10
From: SoCal
Default

I have the same body style as you w/Tein SS and I'm dropped to where I have about a 1cm gap between the wheel and fender(probably less). Everytime I go over a speed bump I slow down a lot and i mean A LOT to where I'm going like 1mph. I do this because If i go over the bump too fast like an idiot I might scrape. When I go out of steep driveways sometimes I scrape the bottom part of my front bumper, even if I do angle out. My suggestion to you is do a 97+ body upgrade because it looks so much better than the pre-97 body. Don't slam the car like I did and leave 1.5 finger gap in front and 1 finger gap in the rear.

Good Luck with your decision!
Old 01-22-07 | 12:40 AM
  #10  
Black_SC's Avatar
Black_SC
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 12
From: Oklahoma City
Default

lower it first.....wheel gap = horrible.
Old 01-22-07 | 12:57 AM
  #11  
vince1128's Avatar
vince1128
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 0
From: NC- charlotte
Default

i personally think the 97+ looks better then the body kits, so i say do that and lower it some and it'd look awesome...
Old 01-22-07 | 01:33 AM
  #12  
SUPRMSC's Avatar
SUPRMSC
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 0
From: Classified
Default

Drop the car, and get an OEM kit.

Dropped + vertex = Death

I repainted my front bumper 4 times so far.
Old 01-22-07 | 09:01 PM
  #13  
Hil's Avatar
Hil
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (61)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,046
Likes: 2
From: UCLA
Default

i say get adjustable coilovers too
Old 01-22-07 | 09:27 PM
  #14  
Lucky SC's Avatar
Lucky SC
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Default

k i think i'll go with the coilovers first then...

has anyone heard any good things about the HKS RS Coilovers?
they retail at like 1900$, i think i could get them at around 1k or so...

i've heard they are a lot better then tein
Old 01-22-07 | 10:25 PM
  #15  
HmoobSC300's Avatar
HmoobSC300
Driver
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: MI
Default

Originally Posted by Lucky SC
k i think i'll go with the coilovers first then...

has anyone heard any good things about the HKS RS Coilovers?
they retail at like 1900$, i think i could get them at around 1k or so...

i've heard they are a lot better then tein
I have teins. I recommend staying away from them.

Last edited by HmoobSC300; 01-22-07 at 10:29 PM.



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:16 AM.