jderry

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good shop around this area, performance wise rather than Lexus dealership wise.

I also need a good paint shop to do a custom-matching paint job on a body kit.

I am surprised to find no one has put on a veilside body kit. Has anyone tried it? I would think the Kaminari kit is more subtle for those of you looking at the AC/WALD kit.

I am also looking for a good exhaust shop, someone that could possibly custom-make my exhaust.

I have seen and spent the past hour reading (yes, should have been working) about the different exhaust people have. My understanding is that bigger is not better. I know in my MKIII, having a huge outlet, say 110 mm is not necessarily better because there is not enough back pressure so you lose bottom-end. I mean, it sounds really nice like a rocket ship, but performance wise you lose.

I would like the best of both worlds obviously. I would like something that sounded aggressive, maybe along the lines of a mustang V8 or a good purr. I was looking at magnaflow mufflers, the borla exhaust, RMM exhaust, blitz, the apexi N1 universal mufflers. What have people done to increase the HP/torque but also increase the sound to a more aggressive tone? I was wondering, why not bypass the cats and go from the header straight through with a DP and place a silencer in muffler?

Also, with the intake, I think Ingen, Weapon-R, RMM, Akimoto, and someone else, I forget make intakes for the 92-97 SC400. What has people's experience been with these? I would like a cold air intake, but I am not crazy about doing much more than a bolt-on.

Does anyone have specs on the gear ratio's?? Has anyone tried to fool with this aspect rather than going with an ECU? I mean, wouldn't the S-AFC do the same thing as an ECU upgrade? It would be overkill in my opinion....and why not just rebuild the tranmission versus going with a torque converter. Sorry for all of the questions, but, trying to learn more about my new SC400 and with 66 pages of varying threads, it hurts my mind to read them.

SupraCoup3

check your email... and gear ratios?

4 speed ECT-i automaic with overdrive
Gear Ratios:

1st 2.804
2nd 1.531
3rd 1.000
4th .705
Reverse 2.393
Final Drive 3.916



RMM has an intake... check out www.importtoys.com for a MAF adapter and other intake stuff... Weapon-R does have 1 for the SC4/3 if I remember right. even though old posts hurt the brain, it's better than feeling stupid sometimes ... most of this stuff has been addressed before. You'll find some really great old threads. welcome to the club.


Oh yea... There are a few people who the vielside body kit on their SCs... http://www.teamkoncept.com/nopi/imag...ous_pix_of_sc/

miko400

Did anyone tell you about Swift Racing? Its a cool shop...Let me knoiw if you need more info..

verylost

I too am looking for a good lexus dealership in the MD area.
no mods but just time for check up since im not in NY right now

if u dont have any suggestions as to where i shud go, any where i shudnt go?

methodmf

classic auto body in gaithersburg, md

they are really busy right now with all over paint jobs but they should be able to paint a body kit. my car is going to be in there as soon as the alter atmosphere cars are done. they are backed up about a month right now. what kind of body kit are you getting?

i was going to paint my car the supra rsp color but i saw a sc with that color last week in rockville

rockville lexus have good customer service but they messed with my stero last time i took my car in. when i got my car back nothing was working. when i went in and started complaining the guy gave me the manager's number and told me to called back on monday but i fixed it over the weekend so i never called

miko400

For performance stuff check with Swift Racing Laurel...

verylost

methodmf: what did they mess up with your radio?

methodmf

basically the guy was just playing around with my system. messing around with the tv, blasting the system stuff like that.
not really sure wut he did but when i got my car back the fuse was blown so i had no sound and the motor that makes the tv come in and out was messed up. nothing was seriously broken so i didn't make a really big deal out of it.

but when i put my car in the shop i detach the face of my headunit and put it in my glove compartment.

verylost

metdhod,
im in baltimore right now
prolly going down to NIH to work next year

any suggestions how i can get into the car scene down there?

jderry

I have not worked with Rockville's Lexus shop but with the shop in Alexandria Lindsay. All I know is that I am trying to diagnose a hum problem right now, when I turn on the vehicle I can hear this hum......I think my wires are touching? I am not sure what is causing the hum, but, the hum occurred AFTER I took my car into Lindsay. I KNOW that they messed around with the car. I think it is always a good idea to write down or note the mileage of the car BEFORE driving it in. Also, you should probably take pictures of your car right now, just in case you get into an accident, that way you can show damage.....etc...

But, I have heard of swift racing technology. I also know that altered atmosphere in Gaithersburg primarily does stealth and 2J engines there. I think there are a couple of places by me that I have gone to; but, no one really into Lexus. There is a place I think off of Gallows road that works on BMW, VW, etc...not sure if they do Lexus, but there prices are hella high. They charged this one girl $100 to install two piaa foglights that she bought from them. I guess some people are just blessed with money.

I actually have my SC400 and Maxima up for sale now so that I can try and purchase the MKIV TT, but, we'll see how that goes. IF a turbo kit (exhaust, intake, SAFC, Side mount or FMIC, TC, ECU upgrade, etc...) would cost about $7K installed, I would consider it; but I think the cost would prevent me right now. I have seen someone with a stroker kit, I wonder how much gain that would increase versus supercharging or turboing the engine.