What's The Better Engine?

[Hudders]

Looking to buy my first Soarer and i was wondering what engine is the better of the two.

The 1UZ-FE thats in a 4.0 L V8 that I'm interested in or the 2JZ engine thats in the 3.0 L.

Do they both use coil packs for instance? Forgive my ignorance but i've had Skylines for the last 6 years and know bugger all about these beasts.

Any advise would be welcome. I posted a link up in the General Questions along with 3 links to cars that i'm interested in. Any advise on those as well would be great.

Thanks :D

[Hudders]

Really ?? No-one ??

[noby76]

the 4 litre is of course more powerful than the 3 litre from factory if you dont have plans of turbo charging then go for the 1UZ if you have plans of turbo charging then 2jz thats not saying the 1UZ cannot be boosted but the 2jz block is known to be quite bullet proof in terms of boosting. so all boils down to what plans you have for the car.

[PCM]

I owned a Soarer. Happy times.

Mine was a V8 and I loved it.

The 2.5 is fast too, bit possibly thrashed?

Search for a loved and un-moded example...

[Neil E]

Oh my which is the best engine has been debated to death and then some. Unfortunately the Soarer enthusiasts are rarely found on here.

Yes they use coil packs and they have been known to fail but it's a 20 minute task on the V8. There's so much knowledge on these cars that anything can be investigated and resolved in no time at all.

The 1UZFE V8 is one of the best and most reliable engines in the world, the 1JZ 2.5 TT is a little quicker, slightly more fun but the V8 has more toys. The later single turbo 2.5 VVTI is perhaps the most desirable now and so commands a premium. I personally would avoid the slow and least popular 3 litres unless you have grand plans to build a big single turbo monster.

Most of the real expertise can be found in a few different UK Lexus / Soarer clubs and also where the SC400 / SC300 is most talked about on the other side of the Atlantic. Not forgetting a healthy following down under.

In the past I owned a V8 Ltd and a 2.5 TT at the same time because they are quite different and a sensible GS430 for when 4 doors were required. The V8 Soarer was my favourite. Both were heavily modified in different ways but still retained their Soarer identity.

A stock Soarer can provide a nice starting point but most of the well cared for Soarers have been modified to some degree. Avoid those set up for drifting and perhaps those that have fallen into the test pilot mitts of folk without the funds to maintain them properly.

Search Soarer SC400 images or faults and you will very quickly pick up all of the links you need.

If you are looking for a nice Soarer try the Lexusman as he frequently acquires good examples from club members so the car's history is often well known and documented in the archives.

[PCM]

The previous post says it all really.

Profound words!

I would suggest 'Lexusman' too... and 'Smiffies Soarer Sanctuary'.

( Gentlemen drive V8's )

[PCM]

PS. My V8 had air suspension...

[Yoda]

Both engines are fairly insanely brilliant to be honest with you. I don't think you can answer which is better. They're both legends. The 2JZ has more off the shelf tuning parts available. A bigger industry behind it if you will. Therefore more directions you can go in. Much like the Chevy LS1. There's a thousand ways to build a big power motor. The 1UZ is a famed for its reliability. Not quite the variety of tuning parts the 2JZ has. But still everything you would want to do is there for it. Also the 1UZ is a V8. For me that wins hands down. I don't know soarers very well but one downside of the 1UZ is that it was never produced with a factory manual gearbox. So if manual is what you want the solutions are more limited than the 2JZ.

[Neil E]

The previous post says it all really.

Profound words!

I would suggest 'Lexusman' too... and 'Smiffies Soarer Sanctuary'.

( Gentlemen drive V8's )

You're too kind Piers and after all the thousands of posts I've read on the merits of each if ever a one liner could sum up the difference, that was it.

I drive a 'slightly' modified SC and an RX SEL these days. They are both great in their own way but in my book if you haven't owned a properly sorted Soarer you haven't yet entered the Lexus Toyota inner circle. They were way ahead of their time and the rest of the elite pack.

I had the non emv UZZ31 on air too and it was really quick, smooth and comfortable. More stable than my SC430 at autobahn speeds. My 2,5 was the GTT with TEMS I don't want to think about how much I spent modifying and maintaining them. I always wanted to have a go at a 4 litre TT but the cost and pain would be eye watering.

A few pics for old times sake including a rare one of the Pearl white supercharged 5.0 V8 cabriolet.

[PCM]

My (ex) beloved Soarer V8

[Hudders]

Thanks for the great advise and information.

I've have 2 Skyline R33 GTST's and an R33 GTR over the last 6 years. The turbos can be a little flaky if your example has been thrashed and to be honest I fancy a change. The V8 was the way I was looking at going tbh but as I don't know anything about them I thought I'd better ask.

Thanks again guys.