Neil E

Amazing.....yes, we are privileged to know what it's like to drive a GS460. If the right one appears at the right time, I shall probably move on to the LS600hL. Yes fair comment, I have been quiet on the GS460 because I've done almost nothing with it but drive it. 20k miles 3 services and one MOT later it's a pleasure and has been a real joy to own. It's been to most corners of the UK in a year for work and pleasure. My only serious complaint is the really poor throttle response but that was cured by fitting a controller and the thing now takes off with no delay and changes down as soon as asked. In the wet it's too responsive so I dial in a bit more lag. Despite having the other 2 cars, I drive this one a lot. If I'm being picky, it would benefit from a little more sound insulation/better seals around the doors and I do still sometimes miss the high quality audio system in the SC430. I did receive the headers and parts from PPE after a couple of months, eventually found one specialist in Cheshire willing to take on the header/exhaust project at around £4k but work and life got in the way at just the wrong time so prevented progress. I also have a bigger F sport rear sway bar to put on but most of my 'car play' has been on the SC lately and that has been very infrequent such is the pace of work. Below, a couple of pics of the Sprint-Booster install with the control switch tucked away in the drop-down coin tray. Simple but effective, on the most aggressive settings it does feel a bit too 'on-off' twitchy in the cold and wet but when road conditions are good, it's a very welcome improvement over the terrible lag.

The paint can peel a little on the roof over time. It's just a case of giving it to a body shop to clean up and repaint.

Classic signs of rear reluctor ring wear. Cleaning the iron filing type debris off the sensor may provide a temporary fix but the ring and often the cover shroud that it sits within needs to be replaced. Sometimes it's just one defective side, sometimes both need to be done. If the garage had to clean the sensor of debris then I suspect the reluctor ring itself is badly worn. It's easy to see with the sensor removed.

Hi Ant, Yes there are savings to be made by knowing the original part number/manufacturer and shopping around for genuine items. Sometimes Lexus are cheaper, sometimes I go to the dealer and pay slightly more to be sure I'm getting the genuine items. Occasionally aftermarket items are an improvement on the standard part too.

The pictures don't always represent the items accurately but those parts look just like the ones on my 2006. The rears are shared with other models too.

Yes deleting a key is a bit scary, 4 registered keys does seem to be the maximum. Using Toyota Techstream may be an easier option.

It can be copied, I've done a few on different models with similar 3 button remotes. A search brings up this procedure from the US site clublexus. Key Programming 1. Close all doors. 2. Insert an already programmed master key into the ignition. 3. Turn the key from the OFF to On and back OFF FIVE (5) times. 4. Open and close the drivers door SIX (6) times. 5. Remove the key from the ignition. 6. Insert the new key you want to program into the ignition. 7. Wait 1 minute. The security light will be blinking for this one minute. When it stops blinking your key is programmed. To end programming step on brake one time. Timing may be important. I did the key on and off to the count of 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi said in regular speech -- or just about on the second. Then switched keys in 3-5 seconds. Then opened the door to the same beat. Remote Programming 1. Close and lock all doors. Unlock and open drivers door. 2. Put key into ignition and remove TWO TIMES. 3. Close and open the drivers door TWO TIMES. 4. Put key into the ignition and remove. 5. Close and open the drivers door two times. 6. Put key into the ignition. Close the drivers door. 7. Turn ignition ON then OFF ONE TIME- this will put the car in ADD mode for your remote. (Turning the ignition ON then OFF TWO TIMES will ADD the remote but will erase all existing remotes.) 8. Remove the key from the ignition. The door locks will cycle one time (or two if you are erasing) . On the REMOTE press and hold the LOCK and the UNLOCK button for 2 seconds. On the REMOTE press the LOCK button for one second. AT THIS POINT, the locks should cycle by themselves ONE time. This means the procedure was accepted. IF the locks cycle twice it has failed. IF this happens you must start over. Hold the remotes higher up for better reception 9. Open and close the drivers door. Put key in ignition and pull out. This will end programming.

Looks fantastic Anthony and in very good company.👍 Shame there's not a Christmas show/meet to take it to.

None, it's a 3UZ....it will be spot on at 279bhp or 282 peak power @ 5600rpm depending on how they measure it.🤣 In (almost) stock set up, mine was 281.5 bhp around 110k miles) Yes 445/7 is the measurement from that dyno on the day with the parameters set. Unlikely a rwhp figure unless the GSF is tweaked but if standard, in good tune, it is probably close to 471 at the crank. If the print-out shows the rwhp figures someone knowledgeable may be able to confirm an approximate correct adjustment for it and confirm the curve through the rev range in the gear selected is as you might expect it. As said by others above there are so many variables to set. I've only done 2 sessions on a dyno-jet so far but I understand the tester is key in the setting up of the run. Both of the testers who measured mine said they had never seen a SC430 tested and both needed a couple of test runs first and warned it would likely be under the quoted figure. After the modifications, the second guy said the last Lexus on the rollers was some months earlier and it measured 20 bhp under the manufacturer's quoted figure. It was an LFA! I was relieved when the SC recorded a healthy improvement over the standard set up. If you could get a group of 2UR powered Fs to do a club dyno day then it should be possible to get some useful comparative numbers.

Yeah simple. 🤣 Sign me up for a long course of headache pills and I'll give it some thought. Possible in theory but it would probably result in a 30 page build thread on the SC conversion. A 2UR swap would be the more exciting option, though perhaps that would be easier to do to the IS250 but I will stop there to avoid straying too far off topic and onto creating a hardtop SC500. Might need some insurance help with that one. The SC is a great car but not the easiest to enhance and modify.

I like the sound of an SC460. That would be nice👍

Yes a good facelift with around a 100k miles with a good service record and no notable issues, ought to be worth around £8-9K but these are strange times. Dealers are trying for silly money and some lower mileage examples that have been mostly sat idle for years are way overpriced......and some have been selling.🙃

Try searching in the GS section and you should find some examples of what others have done. I haven't addressed the audio in my GS yet despite how much the sound quality annoys me. Grom, GTA car kits, Vaistech, Metra and Beat-Sonic are some of the suppliers that may be able to help depending on what you want to achieve altogether. If it's just the Android/ iphone interface, that should be easy enough with a simple plug and play adaptor and harness solution. It is also possible to swap the console for a complete Tesla style large screen interface. There are a number of threads on this type of upgrade too.

Yes the 3UZ should be whisper quiet Barry. Completely disregard the limelight chasing youtubers and TG, they can't see past the obvious quirky bits to find a laugh or two. Try a decent 6-speed facelift model and make up your own mind. I would let you try mine but it's not very standard or frequently near Newcastle. Maybe there's a friendly owner in the North East. If you read the various SC430 boards here and in the US it will give you a sense of what aspects of the car people address. Coil-overs or new standard struts will improve a tired ride and a throttle controller will cure the lag. The old tech that Linas rightly refers to, like that in the ISF, is a bit of a pain and expensive to upgrade if you really need to. The standard ML audio, though dated is very good, better than the newer IS/GS offering, as is the cabin quality fit and finish. They were really good value a year or so ago but finding a good one at a sensible price is becoming tricky.

The IS250C is a fine car but it's not really in the same class for drivetrain or cabin quality. A well maintained SC430 is about as bulletproof a car as you're likely to find. The 3UZ-FE needs a timing belt service and waterpump change every 100k miles. The normal service parts will wear like any other car but they are fairly easy to work on and they do share a few parts with the IS and GS. Go for the 6-speed facelift if you can, expect to replace the odd headlamp bulb / light ballast, radiator and a couple of reluctor rings at somewhere close to 15 years or 130k miles and make sure it hasn't been sat neglected rusting in some damp recess for a few years and you should be fine. If by chance you pick one that does actually go wrong, you will take centre stage on the SC forum as a serious failure is a very rare event.

Of the two the SC430 is the one to choose. Plenty of thoughts and info on it in the SC430 section and further afield. Marmite styling, it's really only a 2 seater, other than that, it's a great piece of kit.

Hi Anthony, there's also a general 'Was it you?' thread - it might be worth posting there. Every time I see an SC430 on the road, I'm in the RX or the GS.

It's worth having the facelift for the 6 speed box and all of the other improvements.

£8-10K should get you a decent facelift SC430. They are very reliable, running costs will be dependent on annual mileage but it's not an expensive car to maintain.

Usually they will only charge a premium if the modification enhances the performance in some way so I would say it's best to let them know and hope there's no extra charge. Some insurers will refuse cover if the car has mods as they just aren't able to cover the risk on some policies. The brakes ought to be okay as they are the same size and designed to be direct replacements for the car.

Yes indeed, one my previous insurers ran out of room on their mod list form for the SC430.🤣

I haven't looked into spacers for the SC as I have wide wheels that fill out the slightly wider arches on my non-standard car but would say it's best to go to a trusted supplier for the spacers. (I think the GS has Japspeed hub-centric spacers) The size should be fairly easy to determine with a little careful measuring of the distance between your tyres and the wheel arches as they are now. This calculator helps with after market rims and different offsets.

There are spacers on the GS - fitted by the previous owner and they seem to work fine.

245 40 18 on standard rims is best. Michelin Pilot Sport is a very good if not the best choice. 👍 .....except for snow.🙂 In the snow the SC is going to need winter tyres of course. Front 245 35 19 on 8.5" and rear 285 30 19 on 10" or 10.5" rims would be my ideal set up. The handling is transformed but the ride comfort is compromised, even with the best aftermarket suspension set up.

Looks really cool, just like the beige leather.😎 We know you like it really.🤣