SC430 project

[Neil E]

23 hours ago, rob_clio172 said:

Ah yeh you checked him out? Top man he is, that is sound out of this world. Thing i love about his channel is his videos from the 1st one he did are very indepth and show you so much, where as some people try to hide things or just not speak about them

Yes, that's it exactly, it was very easy to become absorbed in the videos. No ego trip, just proper enthusiasm, great explanation and very well crafted. Thanks for sharing. It takes me back to Soarer days and weighing up the idea of a 2JZ-GTE conversion. I wanted an Aristo to tweak too but settled for a GS430 whilst owning 2 Soarers and the itch for massive power faded. I think I'm completely over the need for speed now, the last car I looked at to replace the SC was a plain old RCF.

[Neil E]

Time for an update.

After setting up the bass drivers in the rear, the music system is beginning to sound pretty good so it's time to take it up a level with some Focal 3 way door speakers that I've had laying about for far too long. I did think about creating some door builds but instead will try to use the original positions and hide the focal mids and mid bass drivers behind the original ML covers. 

 

Examining the speaker positions within the door. The mid bass is an oval 6 x 9.

The tweeters and mids are attached to the door by metal brackets

Gathering together a few mounting brackets and spare tweeter housings. Prepping for a weekend install.

The 6.5 mid bass need an mdf baffle fitment and will no doubt shake the door so requiring some sound deadening.

First job complete, with a bit of a hack, the tweeters fit into the original pods.

 

 

[Neil E]

ICE forming.....the mids were going to sit behind the ML grills but they were recessed too far back so I'm now in the process of trimming the door panel to accept them.

 

Getting them in at the right angle, tilted slightly in and slightly up in equal measure, left and right 

[rob_clio172]

You have done a great job of that it looks spot on!

[Neil E]

Thanks Rob, it's almost there. Took a quick look at the inside of the door this afternoon to see how much more sound deadening is required and also how much clearance there is for the mid bass magnet at the bottom of the door with the window down. I don't think there's quite enough to allow an enclosure to be built whilst retaining the original door trim speaker grill but it's close so I may try. A well secured and isolated mini bass box within the door might make a significant difference to the levels of unwanted door vibration.

Turning attention away for the ICE, I'm itching to add an X pipe into the exhaust system to help with the scavenging and flow and remove the last remaining restriction in the system. Science suggests a slightly bigger bore X may increase the power but there's no evidence of that for the SC that I can find, even in the states where a few owners are running PPE headers. My original target was anything over 300 bhp but having reached 307 I'll try for 315 bhp,  Low numbers compared to where you're heading but quite exciting for an SC430 with a 3UZ.

[Neil E]

In the course of rapidly re-assembling the car in time to attend the Kemble Grand Tour - RAF Cosford meet yesterday, I didn't record the process but here are a couple pics.

Building MDF speaker pods for the mid bass drivers and trial fitting them to check for clearance to the door glass in its lowest position. Re 

Refitting the door cards. The tweeters were a very tight fit but they are in, secure and working, without the need to add any further fixing. Not the most subtle of installs but when I have time to set it up properly, I think it's going to sound okay.

 

[Neil E]

Just a little update.

I've started rebuilding the sub and amp rear seat arrangement and in the process trying to better match the leather colour.

Cutting a sizable piece of vinyl and dying it to dry overnight. Wet it looks a very close match. 

Dry, it looks quite close to the arm rest colour on the door card and on the centre armrest but not close to the darker shade of the seats and the main pad on the door card. The light plays its part but it's difficult to find a good compromise ivory shade.

Recovering the newer sub enclosures. 

Reassembly commenced.

More to do to finish it off but the top cover hides the ICE beneath it.

Looking at the side profile. I must try to find a better looking side skirt. 

[Neil E]

Just a small ICE update.

I finally found time to make another cover for the subs

I don't think I will ever be an upholsterer but it makes it look a bit neater on the rare occasions that the front seats are moved forward.🙂

[The-Acre]

Looks the biz Neil. I passed a bright red SC near Chichester today, it really stood out in that colour, not so common in red I don't think.

[Neil E]

10 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Looks the biz Neil. I passed a bright red SC near Chichester today, it really stood out in that colour, not so common in red I don't think.

Hi Phil, that is a rare sight. One of our number sold a stunning metallic red one this weekend and replaced it with a silver ISF. 

[The-Acre]

7 hours ago, Neil E said:

Hi Phil, that is a rare sight. One of our number sold a stunning metallic red one this weekend and replaced it with a silver ISF. 

I really must confess to getting that V8 itch again in increasing measure! I need to either see sense and be happy with what I have or.......😬😵

[Guest]

I don't think the itch for other cars ever really stops does it,even though you enjoy what you've got theres always something else you fancy trying.

Its usually common sense or the(other half) that stops you.

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I really must confess to getting that V8 itch again in increasing measure! I need to either see sense and be happy with what I have or.......😬😵

Life is a one way ticket Phil. No return trip. :):):)

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, Eame64 said:

I don't think the itch for other cars ever really stops does it,even though you enjoy what you've got theres always something else you fancy trying.

Its usually common sense or the(other half) that stops you.

My wife refers to it as a disease, and she may be right.  Sadly research into a cure is still ongoing! 

[mr2lad]

28 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

My wife refers to it as a disease, and she may be right.  Sadly research into a cure is still ongoing! 

My itch is well and truly scratched (2 V8s) 👍🏻

[Spacewagon52]

5 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Life is a one way ticket Phil. No return trip. :):):)

Very true, live now as long as you don't have to pay later!

[Spacewagon52]

Just taken my LS400 on a 60 mile round trip ............... what a wonderful journey. Comfort and power on tap when needed. It was so quiet I left the radio off to hear no noise!

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Just taken my LS400 on a 60 mile round trip ............... what a wonderful journey. Comfort and power on tap when needed. It was so quiet I left the radio off to hear no noise!

Physics is so strange. In the vacuum of space, there is no noise and in the vastness of the interior of the LS400, there is no noise either!!

[Spacewagon52]

3 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Physics is so strange. In the vacuum of space, there is no noise and in the vastness of the interior of the LS400, there is no noise either!!

Love that John!

[Neil E]

6 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Physics is so strange. In the vacuum of space, there is no noise and in the vastness of the interior of the LS400, there is no noise either!!

@royoftherovers John, Poetic.....I think you just put yourself forward to write the new Lexus strap-line.

@mr2lad  Graham, you're far too smug and you're in the best place on the island to enjoy them. I wonder if there's another black SC further North? Have you taken it out West on the A835 yet?

The LS400 was ever so quiet so my question is do the electric motors in the LS600 whirr louder than the purr of the LS400? Has anyone measured the sound level in the both? My money is on the LS400 being quieter but was the LS430 quieter still?

[The-Acre]

15 minutes ago, Neil E said:

@royoftherovers John, Poetic.....I think you just put yourself forward to write the new Lexus strap-line.

@mr2lad  Graham, you're far too smug and you're in the best place on the island to enjoy them. I wonder if there's another black SC further North? Have you taken it out West on the A835 yet?

The LS400 was ever so quiet so my question is do the electric motors in the LS600 whirr louder than the purr of the LS400? Has anyone measured the sound level in the both? My money is on the LS400 being quieter but was the LS430 quieter still?

Hmmm, interesting thoughts.  When I took a friend out in my LS430 he said "it sounds like one of those electric cars" because pulling away gently you couldn't really hear anything. In my GS last week another friend said "you don't hear it do you" so who's the winner?

[Neil E]

2 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Hmmm, interesting thoughts.  When I took a friend out in my LS430 he said "it sounds like one of those electric cars" because pulling away gently you couldn't really hear anything. In my GS last week another friend said "you don't hear it do you" so who's the winner?

My 2004 3UZ LS430 was certainly quiet, you can easily hear the cars in front above any noise the LS makes at sensible braking distances. It was quieter than all 3 LS460 models I drove and both of my old GS430s but going back a few years the 1UZ LS400 was whisper quiet too and now I think about it, the 1UZ Soarer engine was near silent and super smooth.....until I let it 'breathe.' 

[mr2lad]

I dont get any noise when in full electric mode in LS, full stealth creeping Jesus mode 😂 if thes a noise coming off electric id say thes a problem somewhere... my Gs was the same..quiet as a mouse with slippers on tip toeing across kitchen floor

only seen 1 other SC up my way and only seen it once.. rarer than my LS up this way, 

to many deer up that a835 for my liking to hoof it up there in any of my cars do it all the time in lorry tho up to Ullapool or lochinver,

been many a road kill by our lorrys going up there

ps just coz im extra smug here’s a pic of my two with matching regs 

Next jobs on my to do list are dechrome front of SC and possibly rear badges unsure on them at mo as being black they might fade into body work and basically disappear if i went full black on rear badges also change tint colour on headlights

currently sourcing out parts to two tone interior leathers and going to change wood trim to carbon and change steering wheel to all leather 

 

[Neil E]

I often stay in a house on the opposite side of the Loch from Ullapool, I know what you mean about the road hazards, even some of the long straights on A832  can suddenly have several sets of antlers failing the use the green cross code.

The LS looks pure class. Silver with black leather is the best colour combination too but I don't think the awesome 2UR is quite as quiet as the 3UZ in an LS.

We need some pictures of the black beast on the A939, another road I know very well.........when it's black and when it's white.

[Neil E]

Small update. 

Thanks to the excellent design of the ISF rear suspension, I was recently able to swap the oh so thin rear anti-roll bar on the SC430 for a much thicker American ISF sway bar. With new ISF drop links and brackets for the larger bushes it's a simple swap. The back end now feels so much better through the twisty bits. It's just a shame that the UK ISF owners are so careful with their prized machines that I had to resort to importing the part from the US.