Neil E

Checked 2 sources and it appears to be a 382 (P21W)

That is a very good result indeed.

That's a pain and yes I think it could become protracted though it does appear the packaging wasn't very protective so that may prevent the supplier from blaming the shipping company. Quite right to send them back but I probably wouldn't bother and that's how they get away with not doing things properly. Sometimes the cheapest purchases that are unlikely to get damaged arrive in several layers of protective packaging, taped and secured annoyingly well and the higher value stuff gets the least protection. Hope you get it resolved quickly and we soon hear of tales of dramatically improved handling.

The blue would be my first choice. I looked at a few ISFs but never found a good one at a sensible price. They are awesome bits of kit and as a former Soarer fan, I'm drawn to the NA V8 power and rarity/cult status of them.

Well I think you have made some good choices and done a great job. So what's the next step in terms of car ownership, an ISF perhaps or something a bit different?

Good work, looks sharp and love the air-ride. Is it a finished project or do you have more plans?

Depending on the thickness of the bar, you may find that the larger GS bushes will fit.

From the dual cats back with new flanges, optional 3rd cat delete, Y merge pipe, or X pipe, 2 resonators and a rear silencer - budget around £700. To add headers, allow at least another £2000 to supply/fabricate and fit.

You have to find out what's wrong with the amp/wiring to know what to do. If moisture has damaged it, can it be repaired or is it best to replace it with a good one and then find a way to protect it from the elements. Have you removed the amp cover to inspect it properly?

The valet switch is visible when you open the glove box. It's a small push switch on the outer lip of the glove compartment assembly. The emergency loop is hidden beneath the felt base in the arm rest.

If it does just need a replacement Harman/Pioneer amp it appears to be a very easy task to replace it.

It's likely to be the amp but not a certainty. Try pushing the amp connector/wires to see if it's a common connection issue. Search for similar audio issues here and you will get a feel for whether it's likely to be the amp or not. If inspection of the car and its history reveals no other problems then it wouldn't concern me, indeed it might be an opportunity to acquire a good car at a discount.

Why not email PPE, they are very helpful.

To give you some idea of cost. If someone stole the third cat, I think it could be fixed for around £200-£300 with a replacement Y merge pipe and new flanges. A complete cat back stainless steel exhaust would be around £650 and a little more with a third cat delete. It does vary with different suppliers and depend on resonator/muffler choice, etc. I haven't heard of an SC430 cat theft yet.

The SC430 has 3 cats as standard. Two are quite close to the manifolds and would be difficult to reach. The third cat is in the centre but would only be accessible with the car raised quite high and securely. The SC430 is quite low so a difficult target. It's fairly rare and old so probably not that likely to be chosen. Some SC430s (like mine) with aftermarket exhausts also have the third cat deleted. If the third cat was stolen it would be a pain but there is the option to repair the exhaust with a Y merge or X pipe arrangement without adding the third cat back in.

Another option is to find some good 6 x 9 ovals from a scrapped later Lex like an RX with ML equipment.

Nice vid, looking forward to see what you do with it. The 6x9 8 ohm door speakers can usually be repaired. Some owners have replaced them with a standard 4 ohm Alpine set with no adverse impact on the amplifier.

@rob_clio172Boris is happy to authorise crowd control costs for the meet but wants to know which summer month would suit you best?

Thicker anti-roll bars would provide a little less lean and more stiffness in the bends but I think what you're really after as a priority is a suspension set up that soaks up the bumps. Replacing the old with new or slightly uprated gas struts might be all that's required in this case. On standard size tyres, adjustable coilovers would be an improvement over stock with the benefit of having some adjustment to suit the individual. They can be set to the original height of course but a standard style alternative solution to the much favoured coilover may provide a better damping rate for comfort.

Excellent, well done Rob, that must be worth a small celebration. 🥂 Probably qualifies you for promotion in the Lex-celebrity jabbing order too. Session or two on the rollers and then off to the summer meets.

GS430, Mustang and XKR, that's quite a collection. 'Flew' into Exeter by RX300 for a couple of days and just used the airport hotel. PPE have been very helpful. When I asked them about rhd headers for the SC430 they suggested sending one side complete and the components + sufficient pipes with mandrel bends to make a 'near' mirror image of the header for the offside. I must be mad but they are doing the same for the 1UR in the GS460.

The headers were from PPE Engineering in the US. Near side header fabricated and they also shipped the components for the offside header to be fabricated in the UK to avoid the steering column knuckle. There's some info in the SC project thread and a whole lot more elsewhere....only go there when you're having trouble sleeping.🙂 Headers and custom exhaust could be £3-4k. It was an adventure I would only recommend to someone utterly obsessed with needing more power....and I'm not, it just needed to be done.🙃 If you change your mind, I can help with info on headers and a course of counselling. Ah yes, I'm subscribed to the Canadian Speed Academy channel and watching their progress with interest, haven't seen it on the dyno yet. I'll take a look at the other one. I do get your theory on the suspension, that could be it. When I bought the GS460 recently I factored in needing new rear struts as a minimum though was pleasantly surprised at how well the originals (if they are) smoothed out the road. The rear struts were so obviously shot on the last GS430 it was a quick an easy fix. I did smile at your car journey on you-tube as you went by the airport to the A30, it all suddenly looked spookily familiar. I stayed in the hotel there on Wednesday.

I think you're entitled to moan a bit with the bad luck on the engine Mike, great job on sorting it. I would say your comments and assessments seem pretty well balanced and fair. Yes plenty of potential and I feel you know where you want to take it before setting out which is always a good thing. I said I wouldn't do headers as they are too expensive and difficult to do and then later took it on. Have you found anyone who claims to have fully tuned the 3UZ with a blower? I have a shiny blue aftermarket IS F-sport rear ARB in the garage that I couldn't fit around the rear centre bracing support on the SC without a little extra modification so went with the ISF bar and drop links. When I get chance I will offer it up to the GS and let you know. Someone on clublexus will have the answer, I will do some research as the 460 does seem to have some unwanted extra rear sway. Oddly it's more noticeable at low speed.

Excellent, really enjoyed that. The GS430 is a car overlooked by many and it's a real gem. I had one for a short while a few years ago and the previous generation model for a number of years before. Just as you said in the vid, not the easiest to modify for additional thrills but very rewarding to drive once you get in tune with the chassis. I haven't checked but does an ISF rear anti-roll bar fit the GS? That's what I have on the back of the SC and it really made a difference in controlling the rate of lean.

Hi Charlie, I think you may need to trace the cable to see if it goes into an aftermarket kit such as a GTA or Grom. The link below may help a little or if you need more options for higher grade audio I can point you in a more expensive direction. 🙂 https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/112757-how-to-fit-an-auxusb-socket-to-sc430/