My Blue SC430

[Glyn Jennings]

My car history. 
I have owned some 27 cars over a period of 52 years including a TVR 390SE and a BMW Z3M Coupe. My last 4 cars have been quick BMW’s. I now own a 2016 Lexus RX450h and a 2004 SC430 in blue. Of all the cars I have owned the Lexus’ are my favourite cars and at this time I don’t intend to sell either of them.

So on to my SC which I bought in October 2021. I saw it advertised on eBay being sold by a small motor dealer for £12600. The reason for the price was because it only had one lady owner from new and had just under 7500 miles on the clock. It had only just come on to eBay and the dealer opened the next day Sunday at 10.00am. I managed to get in first before many other callers who even offered the dealer £1000 more for it. He happened to be a friend of the family selling it and was selling it on their behalf. It has just been in Norwich Lexus to have the timing belt changed, new tyres, Battery and radiator. The car ahead a private plate on it which you may see in a couple of photos which was kept by the original owner.
I was over the moon buying it and I felt like it was one of those things in life that always happens to someone else.
After driving it back to my home I found one of 6 x 9 door speakers was in need of a refoam. The only other thing was it had about 3 small car door dents. 







So this is a list of what I have done to the car so far with the view I need to be able to restore it to OEM to keep it’s value.

Refoamed both front door speakers using kit bought from US via eBay

Fitted SC430Mods.com Bluetooth module which works really well to stream music from Iphone and make/take calls. Using SIrI makes for a completely hand free set up.

Purchased phone holder that fits to air vent from amazon.

Fitted new boot struts bought from eBay 

Fitted Wolfbox 12” rear view mirror front & Rear dash cam with rear camera for reversing. Bought from amazon. However I would say it is highly reflective in strong sunlight so not very effective with the top down but the dash cams work well


Machined polished paintwork and applied Gtechniq Ceramic coating. 


Treated all other parts of the car using Gtechniq products

Wrapped all the wood trim & steering wheel with 3M Carbon Fibre Vinyl.  Wrapping the trim was not to hard but the steering wheel was very difficult taking about 4 hours.


 Purchased new carbon fibre gear knob from eBay. Had to wrap that as well because the lines were diagonally opposite to what I had already done. 


Fitted new black OEM carpets The ecru ones where in good condition but not practical plus I felt the black complemented the newly wrapped black trim. Bought from Lexus online parts shop
  
  
Fitted new correct size Numberplate’s. Rear numberplate is now 20” x 6”

Fitted Dolphin Flush fit front & rear parking sensors. I wanted them to look like they had been fitted by Lexus as the raised surface wart type ruin the clean lines of the bumper in my opinion.  Much harder to fit though and both bumpers hat to come off as they fit from the back. Also the sticky rubber fixing pads are useless so I used a good quality building adhesive. I selected the blue paint finish and it is a perfect match for my colour paintwork.





Fitted SC430Mods.com LED Reversing light bulbs


Fitted SC430Mods.com LED Indicator bulbs


Fitted LED Sidelight bulbs Halfords 501


Repaired Audio door caused by me having had the centre console out on numerous occasions.

Had door dings removed professionally. The guy I used was amazing resulting in a perfect finish

Purchased Hamilton Classic Moltex Outdoor Car Cover as the car is kept on the road in a quiet cul de sac. I previous purchased from eBay a windscreen sun shied that was a perfect size for the SC and I used put two beach towels over the front and rear seats to protect from the sun.




Fitted SC430Mods.com Throttle controller a fantastic mod that makes the SC seem so much quicker that you you can easily spin the wheels even in the
dry on the highest setting.


Fitted SC430mods.com LED Door projector lights


Had Exhaust resonators deleted with a new Longlife exhaust section made by FastFit in Basingstoke who are part of the TopGear Group


Fitted refurbished standard wheels fitted with Twist Centre caps in lieu of Pie Plates which I bought from another SC owner. I will keep these to put back on the car if I ever sell it.

Ctek charger wiring fitted so I can now connect charger without lifting the bonnet or removing the car cover

While doing the charger wiring I noticed a 14mm x 65mm bolt lying in the engine under tray. After trying to find where it was from I found one of the 3 bolts holding the A/C compressor completed unfastened and only stopped from falling out but an adjacent hose. I refitted the bolt and hoped the other one had been dropped and it was probably easier to replace it rather than find it. How wrong I was, this had played on my mind for some time so I removed the under tray a few weeks later to check, only to find out another bolt missing attaching the A/C compressor to the engine which was the one I originally found. So all all bolts are now fitted but I find it a bit worrying a mechanic would forget to tighten 2 of the 3 bolts but I guess these things happen.

Fitted Basic Aldi tracker recommended to me by another SC owner at the SC Car Club event in Coventry this year

Purchased NOCO jump Battery starter from amazon stored in boot so I never get caught out with a flat Battery

Purchased Fire Extinguisher from Aldi stored in boot. Hopefully will never be used

Purchased Rear seats protective cover from eBay for use when using back seat for storage. It is meant  for dogs and acts like a hammock so just right to protect the seats

Things left to do

Refit straight pipes replacing rear muffler depending on it having no drone after now having had the mufflers deleted. Some one made this for me at the beginning of the year and it does sound great but the drone is dreadful. If this doesn’t work I probably will have to go for a new rear sports box when funds permit as I have already spent £800 so far trying to get the right sound.


I may decide To colour code the grille

Not sure about tinting the window

Fit New 19” Work Emitz wheels & tyres which are already on order from Japan via Driftworks UK. Ordered them March 2022 but currently now the end of July and they have only just been manufactured so hopefully I should get them by the end of September which is a lot longer than I was expecting. I am just hoping they are worth the wait and expense and that they suit the SC. I will post some pictures when they on the car.


My favourite wheels are the Leon Hardritt Orden but their is no UK importer so you normally only see secondhand ones for sale at a premium that normally need refurbishing. If I find I am not as keen on the Emitz wheels in the flesh on the SC I may sell them on and try and source the Orden’s in the future. 


So far I have spent over £5000 but most of that has been on the exhaust and Work wheels. That will be probably about as far as I will go on changes as I don’t want to fit bigger brakes or lower the car.

It is currently booked in for it’s MOT in August and I am getting the oil + filter and brake fluid changed as although they look clean I don’t  know when they were done as the last official service done by Lexus was 2005. The last owner had many expensive cars including Jaguars, Range Rovers and an Aston Martin so I assume they went somewhere else independently.

I hope I haven’t bored you by now.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Glyn Jennings
Deleted extra photos at end of post

[J Henderson]

Fantastic looking car! 👍

[Lexiguy]

Hi Glynn

I remember seeing your car at Coventry meet and it is a beautiful example! That blue looks fabulous, especially with the sun on it!

I was never bored, enjoyed every word and picture, thanks for sharing.....well done!!!

[Malc]

4 hours ago, Glyn Jennings said:

I hope I haven’t bored you by now.

certainly not, excellent write-up 

hope you stocked up with Aldi gingernut bikkies too 

Malc

[2ddesign]

Hi Glyn, I also met you at the meet in Coventry, as Anthony says"it is a beautiful example! " showing much hard work and quality improvements.

I also will follow up our discussion on the throttle controller, from SC430Mods.com and order one for my SC430 after your high praise for its usefulness!

[Lexiguy]

Hi jack

Good to hear from you, I have been investigating the throttle controller but they are currently out of stock. There is the facility online to be notified when new stock arrives.

Anthony

 

[Lexiguy]

For all insomniacs out there, this throttle controller has just popped up online, has anyone experience of it?

 

[Glyn Jennings]

5 hours ago, Lexiguy said:

Hi Jack

Good to hear from you, I have been investigating the throttle controller but they are currently out of stock. There is the facility online to be notified when new stock arrives.

Anthony

 

I do have a spare throttle controller which I have on eBay.  I had already bought the SC430mods one but ended up with two. A certain person I fell out with fitted it when they said they could fit a ECU mod saying I would love it and it would transform the car to which I said is it a throttle controller as I already had one and the answer was no.  When I picked up the car. the throttle controller had been fitted because he the ECU mod was only for the later cars apparently. I was not happy but let it go as the exhaust mod I had done was the bigger issue. I fitted the SC430mods one in it's place as I preferred the aesthetics of it although they both perform exactly the same.  I am also selling an Cold Air intake which is a made up version like an Injen plus a set of 4 wheels that need refubishing,  if anyone is interested let me know.

[Neil E]

I use a Sprint-Booster V3 throttle controller. I wouldn't recommend anything that says it's a chip tuner. The only ECU tuning is that done by one of the 3 or 4 associated with All4swap. They can dial out the a lag and offer an enhanced map but unless the car has other physical mods I doubt it will make much difference. 

[GMG]

...each to their own , but to these eyes what a shame you took a mint,low mileage classic and opted to butcher it...

[Glyn Jennings]

4 hours ago, GMG said:

...each to their own , but to these eyes what a shame you took a mint,low mileage classic and opted to butcher it...

I appreciate where you are coming from but we are all different. My aim was to preserve it and improve it as much as possible without going to the point of altering bodywork, suspension or brakes, etc.  I think the SC is a fantastic car but I don't like the yellowy wood interior on mine nor the wheels.  At the end of the day I bought the car to enjoy owning it and not to keep it as a museum piece.  I didn't set out to buy a low mileage one but this came up so I bought it. It's always going to be low mileage as I have had it 10 months now and it is still only 9400 miles.  it's value is difficult to assess as it was bought in 2004 and serviced by Lexus in 2005. Although it had an MOT every year it never went back to Lexus for any work until 2021.   The reality is I have kept every thing I have changed on the car and within a day I could restore it back to exactly how it was the day I bought it apart from the parking sensors which I made sure they look like they are OEM fitment.  The vinyl wrap of the wood trim is also very easy to remove with just a heat gun. I purposely had new sections of the exhaust made so I still have the existing resonator section and rear muffler section so they can be refitted at any time. I am at an age now where I have no desire to sell it at any time and am hoping one or both of my two son's will enjoy it when I no longer can. I personally don't think I have spoilt the car as it will be cherished and kept pristine as much by me as much as I can.  I do appreciate however the purists out there will not agree with me. Rather than butcher the car I would say have improved it with care and made it to my taste while preserving the essence of the car.

[Neil E]

10 hours ago, GMG said:

...each to their own , but to these eyes what a shame you took a mint,low mileage classic and opted to butcher it...

I think 'butcher' was a poor choice of words. 

[Lexiguy]

11 hours ago, GMG said:

...each to their own , but to these eyes what a shame you took a mint,low mileage classic and opted to butcher it...

I agree wholeheartedly with Glyn's take on modifications.

I agree with Neil that butcher is a bad choice of words but I think you probably wanted to provoke a reaction by using it and we obliged you!

[Mr Vlad]

To be honest up until seeing your SC Glynn I've thought it was an awful looking car. Your simple mods have transformed its looks and your car looks bang on. Lexus should have built the car just how you have it. Well done 👍 

[Neil E]

1 hour ago, Mr Vlad said:

To be honest up until seeing your SC Glynn I've thought it was an awful looking car. Your simple mods have transformed its looks and your car looks bang on. Lexus should have built the car just how you have it. Well done 👍 

That's why so many owners enhance and re-style the car. There are some very good examples of subtle changes transforming the look. It may be becoming a classic but the driving experience and overall enjoyment can be greatly improved by fixing some of the original flaws that Lexus either chose not to address at all or improved in the facelift model. 

[Ken Timbers]

On 7/30/2022 at 10:20 PM, Neil E said:

That's why so many owners enhance and re-style the car. There are some very good examples of subtle changes transforming the look. It may be becoming a classic but the driving experience and overall enjoyment can be greatly improved by fixing some of the original flaws that Lexus either chose not to address at all or improved in the facelift model. 

As a newcomer to the SC430, I can't comment knowledgeably about Glyn's build story, but I certainly enjoyed reading about it. I'm very impressed by his ability to do so many different types of work on the car, and by the standards he is achieving. I like the wood features in my car and prefer them to his 'wrap', but each to his own. As for the string of modifications and purchases he has made, it's food for thought and I've learned a lot! 

 

[Neil E]

10 hours ago, Ken Timbers said:

As a newcomer to the SC430, I can't comment knowledgeably about Glyn's build story, but I certainly enjoyed reading about it. I'm very impressed by his ability to do so many different types of work on the car, and by the standards he is achieving. I like the wood features in my car and prefer them to his 'wrap', but each to his own. As for the string of modifications and purchases he has made, it's food for thought and I've learned a lot! 

 

👍 Precisely, the commentary provides the insight into the owner's view, choices and rationale. Perhaps we should start a thread with a list of popular/common upgrades/modifications.

[Glyn Jennings]

I went out for a drive today and took some more pictures.with a better background than in the road outside my house

 

 

 

[Las Palmas]

The car is really a beauty. Seats look brand new. You have been lucky to find such a well kept car.

Was the wood panels not in good condition?  Not that carbon look is bad, but wood is also good (better for me). Have had 2 MB's with Würzelholz interior; 40 years is a long time and cannot find any pictures of them, but still remember how smooth and shiny the wood with the most fantastic patterns in it was.

[Glyn Jennings]

2 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

The car is really a beauty. Seats look brand new. You have been lucky to find such a well kept car.

Was the wood panels not in good condition?  Not that carbon look is bad, but wood is also good (better for me). Have had 2 MB's with Würzelholz interior; 40 years is a long time and cannot find any pictures of them, but still remember how smooth and shiny the wood with the most fantastic patterns in it was.

Thanks for you kind comments. The wood was mint but it was a yellowish colour which was not to my taste so I wrapped the wood and it is perfect underneath if ever I want to remove the wrap. The people who have seen the wrap have said how good it looks. It’s all down to personal taste and if it had been the darker wood colour I would have left it as I think that looks OK. Some people also think the original Lexus wood looks a bit plasticly because it is so smooth and shiny even though it is actually wood. I think wood finishes 40 years ago did look better but they do seem to deteriorate with age and dampness.

[Malc]

just take care no errant branches and twigs drop from above eh !  😉

Malc

[Glyn Jennings]

I played around with a photo editor and put the wheels I am waiting for on a blue SC. I ordered them in March this year and they are now made but not even on the boat yet from Japan. I hope they are worth the wait.

 

[scudney]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,not for me though 

[Glyn Jennings]

On 8/27/2022 at 11:13 PM, scudney said:

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,not for me though 

To be honest I spend weeks looking at wheels and really struggled to find something that I liked and was in stock and gave up. These wheels are a bit of a gamble for me as to how they look on the car which I won’t really know until I get them. I am hoping they look good but if I don’t like them I will sell them on. They are extremely rare, expensive and difficult to get hold of so they should keep their value hopefully. The trouble is most of the wheels I really like are mostly on cars outside the UK and very difficult to find in this country.

[scudney]

Very nice car,personally I prefer the wheels on the car at the very top of the thread, alternatively it would be the leon hardirttt ones 👍