Glyn Jennings

Hi Ken, in your photo the single black lead on the right of the picture with the black and silver plug on it is the power connector to the camera connector which in my case is a red connector as in the photo below. In the middle of your picture the single black cable tied up with a yellow plug on the end is the video connector to the camera which is also yellow as in the photo below Below is a picture of both connected to the camera before it passes through the rubber grommet in the boot floor to the camera. I hope this helps.

The service book only goes up to 10 years or 150,000 miles saying to inspect only. If it had extended past this I am sure it would suggest changing the diff and transmission oil at some point. I think from seeing various posts on other forums the important bit is all the old oil and any residue is flushed out properly.

Update to my build project. Work Emitz 19” wheels which are Front 9.5J et35 and Rear 10.5J et35 are now fitted. Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S 255/35 R19 and 275/30 R19. They fill the arch’s well and I have no rubbing issues. I am surprised how much gap there is vertically between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch. It would look better lower but I am not going down that route because the value in a low mileage car being stock. My wife also has mobility issues. Having now driven the car I am happy how it drives and comfort level with the new setup. So that’s it for now as I have now done everything I wanted to do to the car. The only issue I am still not sure about is the exhaust in that I don’t mind it being loud outside the car I still find it a bit louder than I would inside the car. I will think about it next summer as to whether I spend more money trying to get it right.

Today was the big day after waiting for 6 months for these wheels. I went down to Kwik-fit in the RX to get the Michelin 4 S tyres fitted. When I opened the rear tailgate the guy went Wow they are sic wheels. Then all the other tyre fitters came over to admire them. The Kwik-fit guys were great despite the reputation the company seems to have. I had put tape around the rims to protect them and they put even more on as they were as nervous as I was about fitting. An older more experienced guy came out of the the office to fit them while the others watched. Even he said he was nervous about fitting the tyres and put the tyres on from the inside rim of the wheel rather than outside. So I came back home fitted them on the car straight from the RX and finishing them off went to get the centre caps from the garage only to find the spigot rings I hadn’t fitted so they all had to come off again. Anyway all done now and I am pleased with result. The styling I know won’t be to everyone’s taste, my wife even said they look a bit bling. They fill the arch’s out nicely and I am sure if I was prepared to lower the car they would look even better. I just have hope they don’t get stolen. I have fitted two types of locking wheel nuts one set from the US which were expensive however I can’t believe that anyone can purchase something readily available from Halfords that will remove any locking wheel nut with ease. Doesn’t seem right to me. I went out for a drive and I was pleasantly surprised how good the ride is still. Definitely a little bit firmer but still a comfortable ride. Far and away better than my previous last 4 BMW’s with M Sport suspension and run flat tyres I owned.

Nice car but seems like a lot money but then again they always are at main dealers.

If you are talking about the GS in the list then that is a lovely car. I bet it drives like a dream. My RX is silver with black interior so that is great for looking clean as a every day use car. I think I could quite easily own about half a dozen Lexus cars. They are all so nice.

Hi Anthony. I will post some pictures when on the car. New locking wheel nuts arriving Monday from US as well. Still waiting for new wheel nuts as the standard Lexus wheel nuts are different to what you need for new Alloy wheels. I have already got some spigot rings. This has been a very expensive exercise but she's worth it to me although the other she is not of the same opinion.

Thanks Roy. I love it too. However for everyday use the light colour would easily get grubby but that’s not an issue for me as it only gets used occasionally.

Hi Paul, mine is 2004 and was original supplied with the wheels you have described commonly called ‘Pie Plates’

It is a step into the dark but hopefully it ends well. I won’t be getting rid of the OEM wheels so if I don’t like the new set up I can always put them back on. The new wheels are very rare and the wait for a new set is at least six months so if it comes down to it they should be quite sellable but let’s hope that isn’t necessary.

The Michelin tyres have rim protectors so that should help against kerbing but I will need to be careful. They are also supposed to be a fairly quiet tyre. I have done lots of research and the 35 front 30 back is what most people go for to maintain as near as possible the right diameter for speedometer accuracy and rim width when aftermarket wheels are fitted. Obviously 19” wheels will never be as nice a ride as stock but that is the compromise. The new side wall height will be 82.5mm on the rear and 89.5mm on the front as opposed to the original 98mm stock wheels. One thing I hadn’t realised is that the J measurement on a wheel is the gap between the inner edge of the rim so the overall width of my rims are 10.5” and 11.5” so they look huge with no tyres on them.

I have found Kwik Fit can fit Michelin Sport 4 S 255/35 R19 and 275/30 R19 on Monday so I have gone with them. There only seems to be 3mm in side wall height difference between the 275/30 and 285/30 tyre. If I hadn't been able to get the Michelins then I would have gone for the HanKook's although they don't seem to be that easy to get hold of either.

Hi Ken, I have checked my car and the revering lights only come on when I put the car in reverse gear so I have no issues. I do find it odd that the SC430 mods kit is causing the problem with the reversing lights as it I assume it is taking it the power supply for the camera from a feed to the sat nav unit. If you refix the SC430MODS kit again you could ask them to just connect up the wiring connections to the SC430mods camera without physically fitting it to the car rather than the existing camera to see if that cures the problem. If not I am sure Calvin will come up with a solution.

Hi Ken, sorry you are having a problem with your car. To be honest I have only driven my car once since I fitted the camera. I didn’t have the horn or alarm going off but I don’t know if my reversing lights are affected like yours after after the mod. I will have look tomorrow and get back to you. I maybe completely of the mark and it’s a long shot but something does spring to mind in that you said when they fitted your SC430mods one they used the previous camera they fitted rather than the one supplied in the SC430Mods kit. There are two connections to the camera one for the video from the camera and one to power the camera. On a lot of rear view camera setups as in my separate rear view dash camera the power is taken from the wiring to the reversing camera whereas in the SC430mods case the power is taken from the new wiring harness provided so it is different. Is it possible they have left the power supply to the camera taken from the reverse light wiring as it probably would have been rather than from the SC430mods wiring harness? I am no expert but I hope this makes sense and hope you get it sorted. Just had another thought the original camera power plug connection may have been different to the new one as my two camera connections are not the same which is another reason they may not have changed it over to the SC430mods wiring harness which if the case could possible upset the SC430 mods set up.

So having got my new alloys for the SC430 I now need to get some tyres. The wheels are Front 19” 9.5J et35 and Rear 19” 10.5J et35. The recommended size according to an online fitment guide is front 255/35 and 285/30 on the rear. These sizes maintain the same overall diameter as stock. I was going to get some Michelin Sport 4 tyres but they don’t do a 285/30 only a 275/30 and even those are not estimated to be available for at least a month. So the Michelins are now out of the equation. Any recommendations for a different brand of tyre especially in relation to road noise or one’s to avoid? Also any comments on the wheel and tyre sizes in relation to rubbing bearing in mind I don’t intend to lower the car or change the suspension. Neither am I a fan of stretched tyres or negative camber. Finally do you think I would be better off to to any Alloy wheel shop or a regular tyre place for fitting? Elite wheels are in the town where I live. Thanks in advance. Glyn

Does JayEmm remind you of Jeremy Beadle? I’ve watched about 3 of his video’s now and find his voice and opinions irritating. He really seems to have tickets on himself.

Never a good watch when someone slates your pride and joy. Boy can that man talk. Most reviews will at least show more of the car rather than all driving. I do think it was unfair bearing in mind the SC was designed over 20 year ago and was also made to be a luxury tourer which nearly every reviewer discards. The pie plate wheels to many eyes are ugly and painted black and silver in this case is even worse. Replace them with some nice aftermarket wheels and it totally transforms the look of the car. As already mentioned the suspension is not OEM so how you can comment negatively when your not driving a Lexus setup I don’t know. When the SC came out if I am honest I also thought it was ugly as I did the original Boxster. Twenty years on I really like the stying. It’s so rare and different to everything else on the road now. It’s not perfect but it’s got a lot going for it for the money I think if you own one you suddenly feel you found something special. It will never be jaw dropping or coveted by many but like most of us I am OK with that and just enjoy the car for what it is.

This seems very similar to the Smart Water marking system. Lexus we’re offering to mark the catalyst converter for free and pay the registration for 2 years. I took up their offer and had my 2016 RX450h done. You have stickers for window to say it has been done but no window etching.

My granddad was the conductor for the Ashington Colliery Band long before the advert. He died in 1951.

Added to my build thread my latest exhaust experience.

Yesterday I thought I would have another go with the exhaust set up. So I put the old resonator section back on with the straight through back section. Hard work when you are doing it out in the road. I have to say I am not very impressed with the new fabrication of the resonator delete section I had made. For one thing it is not level and I think the alignment is slightly out. There is also a plate below the cat exhaust joint that you have to remove to get to the joint. This is held on by 4 bolts one of which I found not tightened at all and would have fallen out at some point. So overall I am not impressed with quality of work carried out. It seems so many times it is down to “oh well that will do”. Anyway I took the car out for a drive today and it is a tad quieter to a point where it is still loud but not so obnoxious in my opinion. It also doesn’t drone now like it did initially. I had a feeling it wouldn’t after some weeks back I discovered only one of three bolts securing the air conditioning pump to the engine which obviously was causing a vibration transmitting to the exhaust. I have to say the throttle mod and exhaust has really transformed the car. It sounds and accelerates like a animal now. On another note two weeks away from a year of purchasing the car it has now covered 9000 miles. That means I have done more in a year that the previous owner did in any four years of their 17 years of ownership.

Boxes arrived today after a 6 month wait

Yes they do move with the steering but not proportional to the amount of turn ie straight, full left or full right. I am not sure of if it makes much difference to just straight. I have the option If I cut a wire they are just straight.

Saw this on Face book today and thought what a bargain until I checked the MOT history. 96000 miles!

Hi Anthony, Unfortunately not as I returned the old one to Calvin so he can do the same. It is not just wiring there is a box with an electronic circuit board in it although it probably is a wiring fault as it does work but not quite right. I did ask him if I could add a front camera into his set up. This is possible but he is planning to do an add on accessory which will add front and side cameras so that's exciting so I will wait for that. I can't seem to stop spending money on the SC intentionally. Glyn