Neil E

Welcome to the LOC Sly, good to see you here. 👍

Yes I love the sales hype.🤣 The engineers do the best they can with the budget and it sounds pretty good. In some models the system sounds very good. The question was about the value of the system in the GS450. Examining the components will reveal that the budget provided doesn't quite match the advertising hype but the sum of the parts would be worth something to a GS owner wishing to upgrade. I recall being quoted over £800 for an amp and £300 for an LS430 sub many years ago.

Mark Levinson in the car is Harman. Home ML is something different. Manufacturers including Lexus don't usually spend very much on the individual audio components so it probably isn't worth a lot but Lexus do much better than most of the competition. ML in the RCF is a bit of a joke when the car is sending 'tuned' induction/exhaust noise at you.

Yes JC loved it as much as TG hated the SC430.🤣 I always wanted the 32 but probably saved myself some grief as too many people had issues with it that proved difficult to resolve and it was the heaviest which made it feel a little sluggish. 4 wheel steering, active suspension and a list of extras that I've long forgotten. I looked for a while and got really lucky finding the blue V8. It was the best sounding smoothest 1UZ-FE I've known and I've been around a few. I wish I had put it on the dyno just to check that it was indeed standard before doing the de-cat. It just seemed to have so much effortless torque.

I can understand that Phil, the Soarers certainly got the treatment and there's a long list of crimes against various Lexus and others that came before and after. 😏 However....strangely, the RX daily drive is completely stock standard apart from winter tyres and the private number plate, I don't think those count. 🙂 It has just about every option Lexus had to offer, including headrest monitors but unless I'm mistaken, it's otherwise all factory standard. I'm doubting myself as I type as I've had it for several years and about 90,000 miles. Unless there's a lot of deep snow or some difficult terrain to play with, it's pretty boring to drive but brilliant at the same time. It's a 4x4, a van or an elevated limo and has air-sus for more clearance when the ground requires it. It's difficult to think of any major flaw with it. Getting back on track, here is some evidence of past crimes against the Soarer. No doubt posted previously on here in the dark and distant past. Note the wheel choice Phil 👍

Thanks Phil, Hillsons Ltd - Roundstone Van Centre - I was close.🙃🤣 They used to be Swift Imports and had a few Soarers at their old premises. Until I found John I went far and wide for Soarer parts and did most of the work myself. There's a lot to be said for keeping things stock but I had bigger TT brakes on the V8 and leather seats from a V8 Limited in the TT. Not as easy to swap the seats as you might think but well worth doing.

Good work. ! So they do appear to be sealed units. I'm sure the electrical engineer has done this but have you located the plug connector in the boot and do you have access to a multimeter to test for power and earth to confirm their findings? I just wonder why both lamps have failed. On the US site it seemed that with some effort, it might be possible to fit new lamps without removing the bumper.

Rich Walker Lexusman in Gloucester, you already know and Hillsons, (Worthing Van Centre) in Littlehampton, I've used for more than 20 years. The older I get, the cleaner my hands stay. 🤣 John in Littlehampton has greater facility with full garage workshops and a small team. Rich still has spares, can do most jobs and trace/fix faults with a wealth of experience. He would use others nearby for work best done on ramps, etc. There may still be others and people closer to you who can do routine stuff if you already know what the problem is. What are your aims and how would you intend to use the Soarer?

Odd if both LEDs have failed. The connector is behind the trim inside the boot Can you gently pry one of the lamps from out of the bumper and take a picture of the sealed unit? There's not much wire to allow it to move until it is disconnected within the car. I remember swapping the assembly into my custom rear bumper and cutting the holes left and right for them but I don't have any pics of the lights themselves close up. I'm not sure that it does need to be removed but the bumper has fixings behind the wheel arches, at the back, on the corners within the boot and on the sides in the form of a plastic strip. It's not too difficult but takes time and best done with help to avoid scratching the paintwork. Actually if I get time tomorrow I will remove the spare wheel and take a look myself.

Always happy to help and advise. The good thing is the amount of searchable info available. If you hit a major problem there are still some people on hand with the knowledge and skill but you may need to take the car to Worthing or Gloucester for any major surgery.

I had no trouble obtaining parts through Toyota within a couple of days for most things and had a good source through a South Coast breaker/importer but that business has moved on. They would still be an excellent resource for repair and maintenance but not for spares.

The V8 Soarer UZZ (30, 31, 32 Active) is really a coupe version of the LS400. The 3.0 NA and 2.5 TT or VVTi single T in the same chassis has some common ground with the Supra too. In the US they were LHD SC300/400 models with some conventional dashboards and a lesser tech level. 1991 - 1997 so the car is at least 23 years old. There's a small following in the UK, a lot in the US on clublexus, a wealth of knowledge in Aus on Soarer Central (Planet Soarer) and Lextreme is also a place that 1UZ owners visit, particularly if they want to go faster. Some people still seem to be able to get parts but I am aware that it's becoming harder. I'm sure if you acquired a Soarer and set up a build thread on here there would be a good deal of interest and help.

So good I had to play it twice.👍🤣 Original looks very good, I love it but I wonder if down the line you will need some wider rubber and hence some subtle 'arch-work' to get the power down.

The power steering pump is known to fail and leak onto the alternator which in turn fails. I doubt you will find a good V8 that hasn't already been attended to. I would guess £5-6k for a decent UZZ31 and then (if it was me) I would be allowing £4k (doing some work myself) to deal with any wear and tear that hasn't already been addressed. The fuel ECU is quite a small item that lives behind the trim in the near side rear passenger panel. Back in the day I bought 2 used spares for about £60 each and carried one in each car just in case. There is also a temporary fuel ECU bypass that can be done with a jumper wire. I would need to check the facts as I'm a bit hazy on it but I think the ECU switches between a 9V and 12V mode. When it fails it defaults to 9V and you lose power but can get home in slow mode. The air struts should only change when you adjust the ride height in the car. They sit at normal level except for when some extra ground clearance is required. The pump kicks in as required and raises the car gradually. I can't remember how quickly but would guess it takes about 20 secs to raise it. Running them any lower than the normal setting risks damaging the units. If you want to go 'low' then go for aftermarket units designed for the task. If the car is in an excellent state suspension wise and it's on standard wheels and tyres, it will be the smoothest ride you ever took. On a par with any LS I've driven, in fact, as much as I like them, better and quieter than the 3 LS600s I've driven. BUT remember that most Soarers are very tired old buses now. It costs a lot of money to keep them in good order.

I had 2 Soarers but I think you already know about them. One was a UZZ31 V8 Limited on air, a rare version without the navi screen which is the best one to have in my view. Awesome car, very comfortable, composed and fast but it isn't cheap to keep in very good condition. Most decent examples will have had regular maintenance and all of the usual faults attended to by now but few will have been kept in 'tip top' condition. Because they didn't receive the attention the lesser Supra did, they fell prey to those who couldn't afford to either restore them or maintain them for very long and so only the fortunate few survive. I would try to find a nice one and then budget perhaps £4k to get it just right. I've been tempted to take on one more Soarer as a project but it would have to be a V8TT or something equally 'wild' when really more effort should be made to restore and preserve them. Check the AC, power steering pump, alternator and door hinges, door cards, all suspension arms. bushes, air suspension if it still has it. Fuel pump ecu is a common failure, coil packs too but don't let my knowledge deter you as these things are easily fixed if you can find the parts. I sold mine with way over 200k miles on it and it was still in good order with no loss of power or poise. De-cat it to release a little extra power. The key to the full V8 Soarer grand tourer experience is to glide in one at high speed with all of the suspension in a perfect state. It's a coupe LS400 afterall.

There's a 1JZ (mostly Soarer including 1UZ) facebook club that a few owners are still active on and occasionally on one of the other sites already known to you. There was due to be a meet late September but it had to be cancelled as the rule of 6 applied.

After all of the mission impossible stuff was done by MIJ, I used Grove Garage, Powerflow in Brighton to later delete my centre resonators and add some bigger oval twin tails on each side. I think they would do a good job on a cat back system but looking closer to home so should Powerflow in Portsmouth or Southampton. People value their time and expertise at different rates but a third cat delete and system similar to the way mine is set up now, should be around £600 and perhaps £800 allowing for centre resonators to make it a little quieter. There are plenty of sound clips on You Tube of the various systems, including mine. If you use a big rear silencer and a merge or X pipe, there shouldn't be any of the dreaded drone that everyone refers to.

I like your thinking. The GS430 is indeed a very good, overlooked Q car, though it might be difficult to find a really good one. It makes more of a blip on the radar but if you're thinking of a 'laid back' classic, the LS430 might be worth a look too. Having driven them all, I would say a well kept example wafts more elegantly than the later LS460/600. Both GS430 models served me well. The earlier model (2001) was more comfortable and better built than the more fun, sporty 2006.

Recently in the Highlands but sadly not in the SC430 this time. Just watched your latest vid. Very good but you need to try the 'go faster' button and if your lights are poor the bulbs may need replacing and or they may be set too low.

Ah, nice one Mike, glad you got it sorted. I mentioned it because I've seen it happen before after a caliper rebuild. (not on an SC). 🙂

Hi Davey, assuming this is for an SC430. There are different ways to do it. I would suggest from the front moving back from the cats.... Optional 3rd cat delete, (most of us do) new flanges to downpipes, X pipe to 2 centre resonators (for subdued sporty sound) or 2 straight pipes (for a little more noise) those 2 pipes go into a large centre rear box and out to 2 tail pipes. There are other ways to go with silencers or resonators after a Y or merge pipe and then curved pipes straight out to the tails. Rich, The Lexusman does them through a local company in the West Country for a good price. MIJ in Walsall are good, Tony Banks in Leeds is another that people have used but anyone who can build a decent system should be able to do it. There are some pics of mine in the SC Project build thread.

To answer the question, yes it's possible to retro-fit the ML system but may be quite expensive and a lot of work for a relatively small gain. For a better sound it would be worth comparing the costs of other options. Some of what has been said above is true and some of it is.....opinion.🙂 Joining the resulting debate. For all the hype, the gimmicks and ridiculous badge snobbery, car manufacturers tend to skimp on the components that make up the audio system. For standard equipment, Lexus and Harman do a reasonable job dependent on what you pay but if you spend lots of time in a car and care enough about the quality of the audio then look to the high end aftermarket suppliers for worthwhile solutions. It isn't possible to replicate the sound achievable in a purpose built room using the best equipment but with time, expense and effort, it is possible to reproduce SQ in a car that is very good and significantly better than the best ML offering in the most expensive Lexus. A big advantage with some Lexus models is that they are quiet in the first place, the disadvantage is that the manufacturer makes it difficult for the DIY enthusiast to perform simple upgrades easily. However you like your music, it's a good idea to look after your ears so that you can keep enjoying it.

Hi Mike welcome to LOC. Normal bleed methods should work fine but just a thought, check the calipers are on the correct sides.

No, the SC is terrible car don't buy one! They don't even have that piece of fabric between the seats and the centre armrest.😉

Hi Manuel, When it's fixed, you should find the standard SC430 audio to be superior in quality to the GS. I owned a later GS430 and whilst it was good, it didn't match the SC430. I should say mine is a 2006 but I don't think that makes any difference to the audio quality. If for any reason Peter Huet can't help with something new, let me know and I will look to see if I have anything in my stores that might do the trick.