New Member SC430 2004 Noble Edition

[Pete Taylor]

So a few months back I bought a Lexus 2005 SC430 which was a UK model, nice but wanted to add my touches to it. The cost of what I wanted to do to upgrade the most desirable items soon grew with a cost, rear LED lights etc not only proved hard to get but really outstripped the benefit and cost. Having drove the car for several months I had that itch to look of what else was available.

I was fortunate enough to win this Jap Import SC430 on eBay that was 1st registered this year, it had all the items I wanted and the car cost exactly the same as my UK model. It was a win win situation and the car is just amazing, right colour, certainly the right wheels and quite a few items of electronics fitted. So the first thing I did on day one of receiving this car was to fit wheel spacers front and rear, the difference to the stance is just night and day and without doubt so very worth it. Whilst having the wheels off I have taking a few pictures, its just so clean and almost as good as a car a few years old. The road tax is just £266 for 12 months. My old SC achieved 32MPG and more on a good run with an OBD chip fitted so it will be interesting to see what this present one will do, I would much rather better MPG over any marginal performance gains so I have a choice of two OBD chips now to see which one suits my driving style. I did have red original front mats fitted but it was just too red so I swapped out to black which breaks it up and not so Red!

• Stainless Cat back exhaust.
• Engine Strut Brace.
• Induction air filter.
• Rear widened 30mm, Front 20mm
• Strengthened rear cross members.
• OBD engine tuning.
• Additional Engine earthing.
• Hi- Vision HIT770 tv tuner
• Reverse sensors
• Rear LED Lights and ECU

So now the important thing is to make the radio and Sat Nav to UK standards, a few buttons are in Japanese so I need advice on whether simply swapping out the Jap Nav screen controls to a UK unit and whether installing a UK sat nav DVD will be all I need to do. I can live with a few buttons in Japanese as long as I know what they are for! Not even sure if the car as it is can be selected to English but not worked that one out yet as its a different setup to my old SC and everything on the nav screen is in Japanese..

Because this has fitted a Hi-Vision tv tuner to display on the upper screen, I want to know if I can also patch in a rear reversing camera input that will come on automatically when in reverse without selected the tv button on the control panel. Have searched for an English translation of what the HIT7700 can do but that's proving hard, help needed there. To be honest I would prefer camera over tv but still nice to retain both if I can.

I am tempted to install a double din radio/DVD unit as I already have the conversion kit and the cost of buying a UK SC radio unit really would sway me to just but a double din and have DVD, Nav and camera etc.

Last few pics of the car with spacers fitted, first dew are without.

[Vlady]

Well done Peter, I like your thread here. I like these wheel spacers too.

Tell me more about Induction air filter, does it make a difference to performance?

Also, lets see your LED rear lights. 🙂

[Pete Taylor]

I have not had the car on the road yet to try out the induction filter but to be honest the gains will not be noticeable, what you will have however is a bit more of a growl from the engine when you put that pedal down, coupled with the exhaust it does sound really good. 

The LED lights are standard on the 2006 upwards models, they are in the 2nd pic. 

The wheel spacers are 30mm rear and 20mm fronts, just about the right width when running any of the 8J standard wheels. 

One of the reversing lights has been converted to a fog light, back end is so much cleaner looking than a UK model with those built in fog lights. 

[Pete Taylor]

Induction filter is K&N.

Bodykit turned up today..........😁😁😁😁