Performance Enhancements...

[noby76]

Your comments are encouraging, Neil. Thank you very much.

. If these can get my car to 60 mph in about 5 secs, I'll be happy.

fit Nos.. way cheaper than turbo!!

[Neil E]

There are some other nice looking kits out there but those that I like are far more expensive and mostly of equal quality.

Yes I fitted the kit and took time changing all the minor bits I wanted to then gave it to a trusted professional to finish it properly and paint the whole car. Most GRP kits need a lot of work to make them look good and this was no exception. If the kit hasn't been made yet you might ask them to delete the bumper side marker lights if you don't like them. I know a lot of owners don't like them. I didn't like the front fog light arrangement either so changed that too but I had to do all of that myself. Apart from a little modification to the front air ducts I did the kit and all the electrics in such a way that the car can easily be restored to it's original condition.

The little LED reverse lights came from the far east off the usual auction site. They are fairly bright until the LED brake lights go on. I didn't put the Lexus fit reverse sensors back in because they didn't work and the system is poor compared with the ones I'm used to from the GS and LS. It's a dealer fit option and there's evidence the dealers don't make a great job of it.The body shop will have no issue fitting your originals back in but it might be worth thinking about a back up camera too.

The headlamp washers were not as bad as I thought but lining up the front bumper is probably the hardest part of all. If I can do it on my own, a professional installer should be able to make a good job of it. It was a lot of work for me in spare time but they will probably do it in a week or so if you supply everything needed to complete it. Mine's documented elsewhere and I know there was an earlier one in the UK with quite a long build thread. Several with a few variations have been completed in the US. If you search around you may find a few alternative solutions. Some haven't bothered with the headlamp washers but they are an MOT requirement where Xenons are fitted in the UK.

Right, it seems we need Nos next......I might pass on that.

[SteveAvery]

Thanks for this valuable info, Neil.

I'd like the item number of those reversing lights, please, if you still have your eBay purchase details. I couldn't find anything that small, except number plate lights, which, I assume, are not as bright.

I'd also like to read the chronicle of your build, if you can tell me its URL, please.

I'll let you know how I get on with the Poles, and publish "before" and "after" pictures when the job's done.

[Neil E]

Hi Steve

PM sent. They are mini DRLs. You may be able to find some better ones with a nice clear lens but I quite like these.

[SteveAvery]

Regarding the SC430 exhaust system, by an amazing coincidence I trotted along to a local specialist, and guess what he had up on the ramp when I arrived... Only a 2001 Lexus SC430! He had just fitted a custom-made stainless steel system up to the forward cats. The rear cat had been replaced by an X-tube for balance, and the single tail-pipes were larger. Although the car had more of a burble than usual, it didn't make a lot of difference to the sound, even when the engine was revved; so, I couldn't really see the point of the owner spending £700 on it.

The mechanic berated the forward cats as being "ridiculously small", and therefore very restrictive. He quoted £500 each for supplying and fitting sports cats that would make a big difference to the power. That's £1,000! Do you think that this is a reasonable cost?

As for equal-length manifolds, he said that there was not enough room in the engine bay to make them of equal length, but he would get as close as possible. It seems that the steering column goes right through the pipes, and that would be difficult to work around. That, along with a cost of £800 per side, has made the decision for me to leave them alone.

[john leeds]

As it happens most people only change the exhausts when the original one perishes, a lexus one is far more expensive than a normal a custom stainless, and as for noise you get what you get which is what I have and I quite like it, although some people like to either quite it or go for full on supercar sounds,it's there choice. But the lexus cost is ridiculous so it's a no brainer,

[matt-c]

[CraigIson]

Regarding the SC430 exhaust system, by an amazing coincidence I trotted along to a local specialist, and guess what he had up on the ramp when I arrived... Only a 2001 Lexus SC430! He had just fitted a custom-made stainless steel system up to the forward cats. The rear cat had been replaced by an X-tube for balance, and the single tail-pipes were larger. Although the car had more of a burble than usual, it didn't make a lot of difference to the sound, even when the engine was revved; so, I couldn't really see the point of the owner spending £700 on it.

The mechanic berated the forward cats as being "ridiculously small", and therefore very restrictive. He quoted £500 each for supplying and fitting sports cats that would make a big difference to the power. That's £1,000! Do you think that this is a reasonable cost?

As for equal-length manifolds, he said that there was not enough room in the engine bay to make them of equal length, but he would get as close as possible. It seems that the steering column goes right through the pipes, and that would be difficult to work around. That, along with a cost of £800 per side, has made the decision for me to leave them alone.

I thought you had spotted mine ... Till i saw the £700 price tag! Some Lexus owners really need to learn to shop around! Sports cats cost around the £150 mark for a Top quality 400cell Stainless unit. Yes theres a fitting price, But not £350 for each side! I didn't pay Half of £700 to have exactly the same system made up!

Not sure what 430's you've been listening to but every one I've heard (Mine included) had no exhaust tone at all In fact they have been noted as being pretty much silent! Removing the back box and fitting a straight pipe will make the biggest difference to the sound, Removing the rear and front resonators will add more burble (So will the x-pipe). And free up the rev range. (as i have found with mine since having work done) and removing th scats will give a raspy-ness at higher RPM and popping on over run. The 3uz can make a GOD like sound if is straight piped (I can vouch for that!)

If a manifold can be made to convert our 3uz-fe's to run twin turbo's ... which involves flipping the direction of the headers completely so they fire out towards the front of the car, then equal length headers won't be a problem. ... Hear you go ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OBX-Racing-SS-Exhaust-Manifold-Headers-Lexus-SC400-SC430-GS400-GS430-LS430-NEW-/191165131943

Or even ... http://www.ppeengineering.com/products/lexus/gsscandls.php

In all fairness though. SC's get to 60 in 6 seconds (near as dam it!) and thats with 288-300hp/430nm, in a car that weighs nearly 2 ton (Which ain't bloody bad which ever way you look at it) ... A IS-F with a 5L 2UR-GSE puts out 419hp/505nm and gets to 60 in 4.9 seconds and weights just a bit lighter ... In other words ... You need a extra 100HP and to loose some weight.

Just bolting on headers, exhaust and intake mods will give you an extra 25-30hp max. With a remap maybe 40-45hp. With out running boost or Nitrous, you simply won't get that 100Hp extra. (Btw 3uz's don't take boost too kindly!!!)

Im not trying to have a dig, or saying its not possible (In fact i hope you all the best and will help you on your way!) but it is something that will be hard to achieve with out doing supporting modifications to the car. Things like changing the torque converter will be a must to give better control over the launch's, reprogramming the gearbox shifting strategy etc etc. Its not a simple job in other words

:)

[SteveAvery]

I've learned a lot from this, which will help with my research. Thank you. You will certainly save me some money!