Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 02:39 am, by: Richard Johnson(92soarertt)
Well as you all know, the Lexus SC300 is a stripped down Soarer, with leather seats.
I currently have my car swapped with a 1JZ-GTE and GT4088 turbo, but what factory things am i missing that i can swap onto the car?
First off, this is what i currently "swapped out" 1: Soarer Steering wheel 2: Toyota/Soarer Emblems 3: 1JZ-GTE Soarer OEM Warning decals and information lables all over car
My mirrors are heated to defrost, but do not auto fold. Are the JDM heated or just ultrasonic? Which is better? Would it be worth the effort to install ones with powerfold?
My headlights/highs are plastic, and they fog up from the sun. Is there glass?
No rear wiper. Is that a good thing to have? I can get the glass, motor, etc for $250usd locally.
Rear seats dont have that "cushion" that sticks out.
Analouge display (currently swapping to a pov-pak digital
Front side markers are flat, dont stick out.
Any other cool little things i can swap out to make all the americans envy my SC?
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 03:26 am, by: Richard Johnson(92soarertt)
lol, no i can buy a soarer 2.5 if thats the case. They sell here, legal, for 12-15g.
The RHD fad was over a few years ago. We like to pay our toll roads and get mcdonalds without reaching over
People pay more respect to cars around here with Japanese options on an american car. Its something you have to make, you cant buy it that way... ya know?
Its also a penis size contest to who can have the rarest jdm options. I will win any lexus SC show with the digital dash alone. Ill be one of maybe 3 in the USA with one.
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 01:47 pm, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
Richard Johnson wrote on Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 02:39 am:
What is my SC300 missing?
A couple of cylinders and a litre or two, blower or turbos take your pick.
But then I see that it is a real SC300 with a 1J swap so probably the answer should be "not much"
Digital dash? but that's on the way too...
Hmmm
Rear wiper is handy sometimes but I don't really rely on it and it's another wiper rubber to change or you end up cleaning scratches out of the glass because you forgot last time... The washer water line is responsible for quite a few rather expensive radio unit rebuilds in EMV cars as it runs right past it with a join in the critical place. And a join will always leak eventually. And it's below the level of the washer bottle so when it does leak it doesn't muck about. You could just not use the factory washer system though. The rear window is very thin and expensive to replace and different with the wiper.
How about an EMV? but that will cost. Like one left hand drive console and handbrake lever. Preferably from a late model VVTi with the 5spd auto and with the gated shifter for same and gear surround of course.. And the ECU from a LS400 or 430 with VVTi. I'm sure I can think of more good American Lexus bits I would like!
How bad do you want to be different and show off a bit? I got a set of Airbag lines, sensors, pump and computer and a couple of stuffed airbag struts. Add a new set of struts once it's all sorted and that could turn a few heads maybe.
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 04:26 pm, by: Neil Griffiths(Aussiesc)
Richard, If you some $$ to float, I would get a Canadian mate to Import a 1991 ACTIVE to Canada under the 15 year rule. Then bring it down state and have the ONLY UZZ32 in the US of A
If the idea appeals to you, I will have one available next year, I can make it Manual with a Blower then ship to Vancouver ( Being a Manual / Supercharged ACTIVE, it WILL be the ONLY one in existance ) Until Hayden does his.
Neil Griffiths Trader NSW 212Kw @ 8psi MANUAL Super Charged UZZ31
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 04:41 pm, by: Neil Griffiths(Aussiesc)
Richard, Once your handbrake is on the opposite side,,you can say its JDM..hahahahah
Also, The V8 LTD UZZ31/32 has Vanity mirrors in BOTH sides with lights TT ones have Warnng for cooldown period before turning off car after hard driving.
You can get SOARER rear window shade for the inside.
JDM Wind Deflectors for the side windows ( Check my car in my profile )
JDM Moonroof Visor ( If you had a Moonroof )
Neither of these items were available to the USDM.
Get a JDM rear window with diversity antena for radio ( USDM only got fishing rod ariel )
For the High Beams, get 94 on Glass ones.
For the rear seat headrests, all you need is the brackets from the body and the rests, you would then be able to modify the seat back you already have ( or get the trim section from the seat )
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 07:58 pm, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
Hey, forgot that. If you go for the rear wiper you have to change the window and it will have the two FM antennae in it. Just add the JDM antenna harness from a non-EMV car which is separate and it's all done.
The window shades for the rear window you really want to find new if possible. I have them in both cars and both are getting a bit dilapidated; they scratch easily but they are good when they're not. Keeps the heat in the cabin down and stops the usual fading of the rear seat and belts in the sun. if they were fitted new and left alone they'd last forever but mine have been around a bit.
The wind deflectors are great too but some don't like the look. They're in my profile pic too but are hard to see.
Glass high beams and HIDs are a very good improvement. You won't believe that they're the same basic lights. I used to spend hours trying to figure a way to integrate some extra lighting but now I have adequate lighting with the glass high beams with HIDs in low and high and a set of two more of the same HID bulbs in two miniature spots replacing the turn lights. So 6 HIDs in total which may be a bit extreme but works well and is kind to the alternator.
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 08:13 pm, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
For a small consideration the Active could be the first ever to have variable Active control (dial in or out body roll and/or front dive under brakes and/or rear squat) and a totally variable height control so it can go from sitting on the ground to 4WD mode fairly well instantly. Currently being tested but it won't be staying on that car.
Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 08:29 pm, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
Rear quarter windows with the TV antennae built in for use with an EMV conversion or any aftermarket TV setup.
Oh and I seriously would swap a good EMV and all the bits that go with for a trunkload of selected bits off the USDM cars.
Mind you if you went for the Active it would have it all (but unconverted). The conversions we have would suit for the FM radio and I reckon the AM would be easier for one of the EMV radios. The FM would even be able to be programmed with your local radio station names and/or callsigns for display on the EMV. The TV would probably go close to working anyway but most need repairs by now. And the CD stacker is the same as your USDM one except for a different main circuit board (relatively easily swapped).
The vanity mirrors and light in the visors of the LTD cars are good but can be prone to being floppy. This is because the mouting bracket that they swivel on is hollow plastic rather than the solid steel of the normal visors. This is for the power wiring for the lights to pass through and there is no adjustment to tighten the fit of the visor. Once loose and floppy they will always be that way so be careful getting second hand ones. They can be modified but it's not easy to get them looking good.
Sunday, December 03, 2006 - 02:20 am, by: Richard Johnson(92soarertt)
Hm, well.. My SC has:
Lighted Vanity Mirrors on both sides. Push button dim rear view mirror Auto headlights
I guess its not much then. This car is for drag racing/product show-off so i can't use the Active. My SAFC and Tranny controller screen is where the radio is.
HMMmmm.. So i guess its not much then, becides rear window wiper with built in antenna, glass high beam lights. I'm already working with Neil for the dash and ebrake and other interior bits.
Sunday, December 03, 2006 - 10:30 am, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
Do you get the Auto tilt steering column?
It's shame they held some of the good bits back from the American cars. But you got some good stuff too the Jap cars didn't.
An Active can be made to behave as a drag car but you'd still have the extra weight. Attitude at take off is easy to trim. Easier than a normal car by far. Instead of changing springs and/or shocks to get traction you would simply turn two or three controls on the dash. Four controls or five if you want to adjust the height as well. Spring rate, shock rate, height, front dive, rear squat and left and right body roll can all be separately adjusted if you want with an Active. This can result with the suspension pump being off when you launch making an Active just as quick as any other V8 off the line. Disregarding the extra weight of course.
Sunday, December 03, 2006 - 04:57 pm, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
The easy way is the Silicon Chip speedo converter. $45 for the kit. It fits in the dash so there are no mods at all to external wiring. It can be set to correct the speedo input signal by +/- 0 to 99%. The correction factor for kph to mph is well in that range. So the speedo then displays o to 180 mph (disconnect the kph light in the readout).
You can also switch it from -7% with the light on to -58% with the light off
This just happens to be the correct factors to make a speedo in a car with a 4.083 diff and factory Supra wheels with 265/40's on the back (mine) read kph to 1% accuracy in position one and mph to 1% in position two.
+/- 1 digit in each case.
Very useful if you have a US ECU that doesn't have speed cut or an RSM (or both ). I don't think you'll get one of these cars much above 180mph.
Monday, December 04, 2006 - 09:53 am, by: Mark Paddick(Sparks)
I get a lot of questions about them. Why doesn't it always work properly .....? I don't know. I set mine where I like it about 4 years ago and it hasn't moved since. I'm not a real fat bastard and don't need it to get in or out so I leave it "OFF" and nobody else drives my car anyway. Unless I'm in a real good mood and then if they move or adjust stuff then they can bloody-well put it back before they get out!
Otherwise it's a cute feature but I can live without it. I don't miss it in the car that doesn't have it. I can see where it would be very nice if, say, a husband and wife both drove the same car and one was short or fat and the other tall. I'd probably want it then but it'd be simpler just to divorce a short fat wife (again). Worked last time. Put new seats in the 260z, happy ever since.
If you can't get Jaycar stuff over there I can arrange a speedo corrector kit if you like. You'll need something and that is worked out to fit and work with no pain. BUT I haven't done one in the pov dash yet and the connections will be a little different. If you like I could pick the dash up from Neil next time I'm there and do it here before it goes. Bastard will probably make me pull it out of the car....
Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 04:35 am, by: Richard Johnson(92soarertt)
Neil knows i would like to have the dash before december 14th, but if not its ok.. i might hold out on the jaycar for now, i need to get it working first