Neil E

How is the LW and MW reception?

The suspension set up makes it remarkably agile for a luxury limo and the 1UZ is so strong.

Ah okay that's a shame. Is the aerial on the rear wing working okay? I think I get all of my FM signal through that one and only DAB from an aftermarket front element. I may be wrong but I think the windscreen element provides FM signal diversity to the oem head unit.

Hi Nigel, in truth I think Top Gear did understand. It can of course be turned into a race car with a fixed roof but my issue with the design and placement in the Lexus range was the departure from the previous Soarer which was, in its day, superb as a sports grand tourer at LS level in V8 form and an executive Supra as the 2.5TT. Top Gear had to play to their audience, it was a poor review but if you understand that they were familiar with the earlier import Soarer (an LS400 coupe) they were right to expect something world beating in all departments. Like a broken record, I've said this a hundred times and as an old Soarer nut that's why my SC has received so much 'abuse.' 🤣

Malc they were lost with the demise of another forum.

Hi Stephen, yes it just wasn't designed to be that sharp or precise. You already have the coilovers so stiffer sway bars (ARBs) would be the next thing to consider upgrading to improve the handling without the loss of that relaxed, laid back, SC character. The front strut bar will make just a very small difference. When I added the ISF rear sway bar, that was a great improvement.

Can't you refer it back to the windscreen fitters and get them to fix it?

I can confirm that if you polish it, the strut brace is indeed very shiny and probably adds 10 bhp despite the increase in weight.🙂 The short serious summary answer is, I don't think there's any significant handling advantage in having a front strut brace for normal or even fairly spirited driving. On the track, on the limit or in a smash where it should add a bit more rigidity perhaps it's worth having. To improve the handling without compromising the ride, fit good tyres, coilovers and better ARBs. When I first fitted it I would say I was 'in tune' with the car and was convinced the front top strut brace would make no difference at all but in practice I felt it did make it feel a fraction more stable. It's a shame the old forum notes are gone as I remember doing a very brief review. The SC is good fun and more capable than most realise considering it's a flexible cabriolet but If you want the car to handle and go fast the first thing to do is to leave the roof on, the windows up and think about fitting a roll cage. They are strong, well built cars but you really don't want to be upside down on the tarmac or in a ditch in one of these. Coilovers, wide wheels, wide sticky, tyres, uprated front anti-roll bar (Aristo/GS TTE) and an ISF rear anti-roll bar all definitely make a noticeable difference. Adding the underbody brace also stiffened it. Having a proper leather steering wheel to grip helps too. Mine isn't a posh Cusco brace but it has the optional authentic Lexus sticker to impress Uncle Bob the race scrutineer.

I wouldn't risk anything that doesn't have a chin strap. 🎩

Yes it's a 1UZ-FE LS coupe - almost bullet-proof. Yes the coils can fail and the leads can arc out with age but that's more obvious and it probably wouldn't be revving well at all. The fuel pump ecu is a known common failure.

This could be many things but I would start with the very common fuel pump ecu fault. It has a 9V mode and also 12V mode when it needs to deliver more fuel. I recall this can also prevent the car from starting when hot. There is a bypass that you can do with a bridging wire on the diagnostic port on top of the engine to test it. Bridge FP and B+ to put it into 12V mode. If that fixes the problem it's a faulty fuel pump ecu in the nearside rear passenger side panel. In my experience, it can be run in 12V mode without issue and replace the ECU as soon as you can. Just for you Malc, here is a pic of one of my old Soarers (SC400 in the US) They look a bit like this.

They are 8 ohm speakers in the front. Some owners have fitted 4 ohm units and had no problems. I would try to find some newer ones that are a direct replacement unless the intention is to invest in an aftermarket amplifier too.

Leaving a phone in the car can sometimes activate the car alarm.

If you're in Normandy I think you may have missed the turning🤣 The usual.....front and rear bumpers. Dreaming of retirement as I don't have any time to play in the garage or drive for pleasure lately.

Great work Bob - when can I drop mine off to you? It came back from its bi-annual trip to the spray booth last week.

Good choice Bob they look very smart but won't you lose a half mark for the non-original metallic blue? 😁

Is the spare wheel in one of the suitcases?

If it helps stop the bolts from rusting then the plastic caps are well worth it Bob. I've snapped and extracted a few rusty 10mm bolts on the GS and RX, oddly not so much the SC.

Same here, second airbag recall done at Lexus Gatwick November 2019.

For the record, it was a good meet but it soon became very clear that it was all about self promotion of the individual and less about the SC430 and I understand that was also the reason for the exclusion from the fb group and nothing to do with Juan not winning prizes.

Yes I agree the black on black Balfour SC might be worth a look....if you like black.🙂 It was the most desired colour combination for the Mk2 Soarer.

If it's an O2 sensor it needs sorting but it's usually fine to drive, sometimes it will reset. As the traction control warning light is on I would guess it is more likely a reluctor ring/ABS sensor but some of the warning lights seem to come on in sympathy. 🙃 The AFS light is another that might appear to confirm the beams wont move with the steering wheel. I had a single speed sensor wire break on the GS in the snow a few weeks ago and the dash lit up reporting multiple systems disabled so sometimes it can look like a far more serious failure than it actually is. Code reader said 'debris on the front left sensor' but it was a simple wire break. Not welcome in -5 degrees and 6 inches of snow but fixable. It needs investigating but if it's an O2 sensor, disconnecting the negative lead on the battery for a short while may reset it. The downside is that it will reset other things too.

Nice work. That looks very neat indeed.

It may be too wet but it's rarely too cold. With the windows up, the climate control does a really good job of keeping you warm. This afternoon in tropical Sussex 120 C. Top down as per club rules. 😉

😮Quite an admission. I drove to Somerset and back yesterday looking at new wheels and saw several cabriolets (no SC430s) with the top down. This is sunny Sussex. The Lexus police will be along shortly.