Lexus SC430 Rebuild - Part 02 - The good, bad, ugly
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2021
- See part 1 here: • Video
(NOTE: I didn't put enough time into editting on the original, so re-uploaded this version to save 5+ minutes of your time. If you already watched the original Part 2, then you can skip this)
The morning after purchase hangover... I take a deep look at what I bought to see what I am in for. Hopefully, we can learn from some of the mistakes I made.
This is part 2 of the series where I purchase a wrecked Lexus SC430 from a Copart auction and attempt to fix it myself for personal use. There will be joy, there will be tears, and in the end, much will be learned. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Keep your mind in the positive side of the vehicle primarily because you intend to keep it for a long time. The main positive to smile is the low mileage. I have a 2006 sc430 with 199800 miles that continues to run like new.
One word of advice is, flush the transmission oil not just change it.
Yes, you will enjoy working on it. I have enjoyed getting to know each bolt of my car. When you get done, you will not remember that perhaps you paid a little too much. Good luck
I've heard that these engines are incredibly durable. Many go over 300k miles without failing. Good call about the transmission fluid. I usually avoid flushing on higher mileage cars due to risk of dislodging debris and jamming valves. However, mileage on this one is not too high and the previous owner is not likely to have pushed the system any where near it's limits (thus causing clutch wear sludge). Flushing could being the internals to like new status.
I had a 2009 that got totaled and its my parts car.. I have a 2006 (2006-2010 look the same) which is my toy, and is modified. I am currently building a 5.2 out of the extra 4.3 V8 engine I have, and many other power/speed mods including extensive suspension modifications, which will turn this into a true Japanese Porsche.
2006 and up is a sealed transmission with no dipstick, being the 6 speed. I am at 107k miles and about to have my transmission pulled to install a 2800 stall torque converter, along with pressure modification for nice firm shifts and to get the transmission to perform sporty so the car does not try to hide that its a V8. I am going to install an external B&M trans cooler to bypass the radiator, and it will have its trans service at the same time. The only way I would flush these transmissions is at the Lexus dealer which charges $549. Otherwise, should do a regular service every 50k miles or so. I do not trust lifetime transmission fluid which these cars apparently have.
There is an SC430 on scotty kilmers channel with about 700k miles on it with original engine and transmission, though that was the older one with the 5 speed. Many of the LS400 and LS430 models hitting a million miles.
The trick is to keep on top of maintenance, especially timing belt and doing it properly, and make sure you change the radiator at the same time even if its not leaking. These cars are great with keeping their cool even in the hottest of weather with the AC blowing cold, but the design of the radiator is bad and many people have destroyed engines by the top tank of the radiator blowing, the car overheats while on the freeway, and causes the timing belt to snap. I have been through the fiasco with the stock radiators, so only by Denso or something of very high quality, or you can do what I do and have a custom one made that is twice as thick, and all aluminum though it costs over $800.
I will never forget cutting the frame up on my totaled 2009 - its solid as fuck and my buddy went through more cutting blades on that car than anything else.. it was even the same silver color as yours but the front was hit very hard - someone hit me head on while I was going 50 and they were going likely 35-40.
Body damage is not cheap to fix on these cars. Make sure you examine the frame and other affected areas carefully if you plan on keeping the car. You definitely got the more desirable SC being 2006 and up and this will be a nice project for you. Personally in my older age I have less time to blow, so I ended up purchasing my blue 2006 in mint condition (not easiest to find in that color) back in 2015 with close to 60k miles for around $22k talked down from $27k. There is a 2010 on Carvana going for a little over 40k with low miles, though they did not make many of them. I always think that 2006 and up however are the best models. and look better to me.
You can find them for 5k and up though many of them for some reason are salvage titles. Most of the cheaper ones are beat to shit on top of that. But for around 10k to 15k you can get something in pretty decent condition with higher miles but in good driving condition.
@@SpiderCollector000 You have some great mods planned! I would really like to get a transmission valve body kit to firm up the shifts. That's at the top of my list. I like your plan for a transmission fluid cooler. I have monitored transmission temps in my past Toyotas using OBD2 and they always seem to get too hot for my liking. Not enough to damage the transmission, but enough to slowly degrade the fluid. For maintenance, I'm doing a timing belt cooling overhaul in the next few weeks. Includes new radiator, hoses, thermostat, pump, etc. I'm also changing the low pressure power steering hoses which are starting to weep. I just bought a box of Toyota WS transmission fluid today, so plan to swap out a few quarts tomorrow to freshen up the fluid. It's a big task list, but I will get some good enjoyment out of it.
@@aromaticpillow Be careful on the radiators you use.. There seems to be a bad batch of them the past year. I picked up a Denso, and found it leaking 9 months and 500 miles later. Picked up a Cryomax, which is built in the same factory as Denso and that fucking thing was leaking the next day I was so pissed. Turns out the crimps holding the top tank down are where it usually fails, and the gasket inside must be shitty that they use. I squeezed the crimps down tighter on the tank, and after driving it a bit the gasket inside must have seated because it stopped. The other option is to get an LS430 radiator where there was an optional tow package model where its thicker, and then take it to a radiator shop and have the SC430 bottom and top tanks attached. I was going to do that, but decided I am having custom one made for the car. These cars like to blow through radiators every 4-5 years, and usually they fail dramatically, and the engine overheats, the water pump locks up, the timing belt snaps, and the engine is absolutely trashed. I think it was a dumb move for them to use a timing belt on these cars, and when I build my extra engine up I may switch from the aluminum 3UZ block to the iron 2UZ block used in the 4.7 Tundra which has a timing chain, and then sleeve the block and then enlarge it, and then throw the rest of the 3UZ shit on top of that. The ported heads, and cam set is very expensive which I am considering from the Supra store.
I agree - knock out the power steering while its apart to do the timing belt. Also, if you need to work on the AC, its a perfect time for that as well. Its also a good time to do the headlights if the car needs them. When my torque converter gets installed, I am doing the power steering hoses and the pump and I recommend you do the same thing because the seal goes and it weeps as well, and takes out the alternator! I got some Lexus 6000k lights used on the Prius models (Philips OEM brand) and I am happy with them - they look much better, and also changed out all the bulbs in the fixture including daytime running lights/high beams, turn signals, and also installed 6k Hella fog light bulbs which I am not thrilled about and likely going to install LED's instead. I will likely find a way to take the headlight fixtures apart and install an LED strip in each fixture in the same shape as the ones in the new Lexus models, where its shaped almost like a Nike logo.
Recently, my starter started acting up.. its in a bad spot. Its intermittent, and sometimes no issues. I have to check if its the solenoid, or the starter. But now I have that on my list to do, and then the suspension needs to be rebuilt with coil overs, polygraphite bushings from Daiso and Figs engineering to make it handle like a beast, but it will cost easily $2500 - $3k. I have LS430 4 piston calipers, stainless steel brake lines I bought separately along with a bracket sold at the Supra store which allows them to bolt on the front of our cars, along with 14" ISF rotors so I am going to do that at the same time as the suspension. Thankfully, we have 4 cars so its no sweat having the SC down - I dont even drive it much anyway since its basically a toy.
Oh man that’s waaay too much for this car. I purchased one in 2020 with 218k miles for $750 US ($1,000 Canadian) no body damage, needed an abs control ecu ($265 US), rehupholstered seats ($500 US), radiator, thermostat, and I did a timing belt / water pump change for $500 US (did the labour myself) so for $2265 got a full functioning sc430 (2002)
Also if you look hard enough you can find a decent example for around $4000-5000 on Facebook marketplace
Wow! You got that car for a steal. The seller could have made more than $750 just selling the hood! I definitely over-payed for the car, which seems to be a common theme for people new to auto auctions. I knew I was paying a bit too much when I hit the BID button, but I really wanted the car and was running out of warm weather. My priorities were a 2006+ to get the 6 speed transmission and a southern car so I wouldn't be miserable dealing with rusty bolts. Except for the damage, the car looked MINT in the auction photos, inside and out. I had been looking for 2 months and this was, by far, the best 2006+ SC 430 I could find in a southern state where you could bid without a dealer license. There tends to be a big premium on the price for 2006+ SC430s. Of course, when the car arrived, I had a large new dent on the hood, old timing belt, rock chips and curb damage to the front bumper, and entire trunk interior missing. If you take away the unexpected issues and the $1300 shipping (since a southern car was a requirement for me), it wouldn't have been too bad. Since I plan on keeping the car until the wheels fall off, the lost money will be spread over several years and make it easier to swallow.
I feel your frustration and disappointment of paying too much for it. I recently purchased a 2006 for $10K flat. The car has 135K mi, Red Metador color, 1 owner with pertinent records, timing belt, water pump, radiator have been replaced. New tires, new batt, and registration was paid in Mar 2021. This is a California car so no rust, just typical dings and curb rashes on wheels, wear on leather. Good luck with the project. I like the color and cosmetic condition of your car.
@@andrewnguyen7737 I paid 22k for my 2006, with under 60k miles and it had a squeaky clean history. The person who owned the car loved it, but he passed away 3 months after taking it to the dealer and they screwed him, but he spent 10k on service, and the car had a lot of shit done to it. His son then sold the car to me months after that. 2006 and up is much more expensive.. now with used car prices through the roof, I am seeing 2002's go for 18k with close to 100k miles. I now have 107k miles on mine, but mine is meticulous, and is modified. I had a 2009 that was totaled, and I have the power train. I have the extra engine taken apart, and building a 5.2 engine out of it.
Be aware.. there are brake failures suddenly popping up on these cars.. read about them at clublexus.com in the SC430 forums. Imagine driving along and you suddenly hear alarms, and all the lights flash on your dash, and you step on the brakes and the car isnt stopping. You basically lose the power assist, and on any other car, you can still stop by pressing hard on the brakes, but its much harder on these cars. Look under the hood, and you will see the power booster/master cylinder/ABS assembly. There is a pump that is failing but its not fully known why. Another person on the forum has a wife and her's failed recently as she was pulling into a grocery store and she was able to stop. The Lexus dealer replaced the entire assembly for just under $1300. I am likely going to have my extra one rebuilt.. there is an idea that the seals are degrading in the assembly causing this, so its VERY important to flush the brake fluid often to make sure there is no moisture in the system. Stay safe everyone!