LEXUS SC300 ULTIMATE BUYERS GUIDE (I NEED THIS NOW!) 

Some notes: In 1998, Toyota added VVTi to both the 1UZ and 2JZ which is where the torque bump comes from. 92-94 1UZ are thick-rod (overbuilt) non-VVT, 95-97 are standard con-rod sized, then 98+ are VVTi. This is also when the facelift front, rear, and side skirts came in. These cars also only came with open diffs until 97+, and Torsen diffs were a dealer option so they're rare. 1JZ was an option but only outside the US :( ironically would have made the car an "SC250". SC400s *only* came in automatic, SC300s come with a W58. If you have the auto trans, flush the fluid at ~125k. The W58 is glass, so the popular swap is a CD009 and Collins adapter. And yeah, the *one* manual SC400 does exist, it's in a garage in the states somewhere at one of the Toyota factories. Team 92 taillights gang.

Got a Red 1995 Sc300 auto with 206k miles on it for $3500 a week ago. Exterior and Interior is nearly conditionally mint, drove it home man it was so f*ckn smooth. Inline sixes sound so great dude! Got many plans for it next couple years

I just paid $7000 for a 97 Soarer shipped to the US. Was Grade 4 in auction. 1jz-vvti 80k miles

I’ve owned a 97 factory 5spd for almost a year now, and I’m only the second owner. Honestly feel super lucky and I’ve loved every single minute of driving it

I just bought a '96 SC300 for $1500 last night. it runs perfect, drove it an hour and a half home.

“This is the color if you were racing down the street” I know the feeling

1998 SC300 black/black 138k miles. I bought it in 2002 and is my daily driver. I work remote which is why the miles are low :)

got a 97 sc300 in diamond pearl white with gold badges and 120k for $2800 a little over a year ago, i’m forever grateful to have it as my first car

I owned 3 ae86 an mr2 turbo and a Celica GT.. i sold the em all.. now i have a 97 sc300 5speed factory and a 92 sc400 v8.. these two are the ones i kept and enjoy the most.. a legit full size Grand Touring coupe.. Class and sporty at the same time.. I always tought i only wanted an sc just because I couldn’t afford an mk4 supra at that time.. I probably would still get an MK4 supra one day but im definitely keeping my SC’s too❤

I own a 1996 SC400 Diamond Pearl white, when in the sun🤤. My favorite color!! Surprised not to see on your list. Maybe it’s not the rarest? Great vid btw. And cool to see you respond to all the comments👍🏻

this video is a huge help, im looking to get a well maintained 92 SC400 at a dealer. looks very good condition but still want to inspect it to be safe

Just some extra insight... if your door stops opening, it's most likely a little cheap plastic door handle piece, the replacement takes like 20 min tops. If the door doesn't open don't use that window as the regulator can bend and destroy the metal rod that operates the door handle. Then you have another more expensive issue. Also if you want a 400 to swap a manual into, reconsider a lot because in a lot of places you can't legally put a manual in with smog as the 1uz wasn't offered manual in the US.

To comment on what you said about "if the fuel pump is not running, run a wire from the battery to the pump" no, you can bypass the fuel pump ecu which is located behind the arm panel of the driverside back seat. Simply un plug the fuel pump ecu and run a small wire from 1 prong to the other and your good. There are videos that show you which prongs to run the wire from.

Thank you so much for making this

Had a gold 93sc300,my favorite car of all time,love the teal color and that blue at the end ,takes me back to 2005)))

The best part is most of the Supra parts swap right in. I was able to put an NA Supra LSD into my 97 5speed. The whole diff just bolted right in when you swapped out the driveshaft flange. Also the Supra turbo brakes plug right in with a minor adjustment

W vid helped a lot im looking to buy one so this info was very good to know

Great review! The first gen SC was my gateway drug into the Lexus family. I came out of the club, saw it, and was like...."What. Is. This?!" Couldn't afford one, so I started with the ES just to be in the family. 🙂 Five Lexus' later and I'm still all-in. Thanks for posting!

Great video, but, i have to call you out on that last point with the rsp being the rarest color. I have a 2000 sc400 which i believe is the only year this color was featured, along with cinnabar red and five others. So the previous owner who i bought my sc from told me about how he contacted lexus usa about the production numbers as far as colors go, and what he said was there were 100 in cinnabar red, 100 in rsp, 100 in a greenish color, but… thats all i really took from it. The car i bought has original paint and the color is pearl white/gold. When i bought the car the license plate read “1 OF 18”. This is how i learned everything i know about the colors for that year at least for the 400. Now this is all from what i heard the previous owner tell me about it, so take it with a grain of salt i guess. But hes a pretty stand up guy, a fellow car enthusiast himself and i would believe him. 324 400s were made that year, so that leaves 6 other cars with different original paint. The numbers may have been smushed somewhere along the way, but im pretty sure that (at least as far as sc400s go) Royal Sapphire Pearl is tied as the third, fourth, or maybe fifth rarest color. Thank you for listening to my ted talk

I’ve got a 5 speed SC in teal mist that I swapped the interior out to a black one for. You’ve got everything on point. I actually think the rarest factory color for this car was Baltic Blue. It was only available in 95 as a special option or something.

Saw a 1996 sc300 auto for 5k about 40 miles from me. It has 159,000 miles but it looks like a grandma was driving the car. Completely stock and the interior is mint.

just picked up a bone stock unmolested 82k mile 99 black on black 99’ SC400. For 4 grand. It smells and looks brand new

If your alternator stops working because oil leaked on it just open it & change the copper brush inside. I did it twice because I didn’t fix the leak lol. I think you can get from other car’s alternators,(not only SC400)

So glad I got my factory 5 speed in 2011. These current prices are crazy to me

So few 98-2000 models were made with the VVT-i and the 5 speed automatic!! Would love to find a low mileage version!

97 SC300 auto. Best first car you could ever have. In the far future, I plan to mod it into the ultimate daily. Absolutely get one, its worth it.

I have a 92 SC400 with 87k miles and my fuel pump ECU stopped functioning correctly bought a used one and it’s back to normal. Also Lexus doesn’t manufacture new parts so one con of owning one it’s when things break your only option may be used or junkyard finds. Also if you lower your car, 1 the wiring harness relocate and 2 aftermarket suspension parts are slim. And unless you adjust your alignment, lowering might lose you grip and handling stability. I love the car tho I got it from my grandpa, the original owner.

Baroque is when you own 3 project cars but no house.

This car is so sweet

Proud owner of an all orig sc300 97 5 speed’ and a 92 sc400 v8

Make a playlist on ur channel for the buyers guides you have done

I got a 95 sc I am building right now, full black interior new suspension and oem renaissance red paint. Get a 300 if you want manual turbod car and get a 400 for daily driver.

didn't read the comments to see if someone mentioned this but the factory manual transmission and clutch master cylinder are weak. if a current SC owner or potential buyer plans to make more than 300-400 HP they will want to swap the transmission anyway so there is no point in paying the premium to get the manual. To make one of these fast whether its a 300 or 400 you're looking at roughly $6k for a trans swap and another $6k-$8k for a turbo setup. Superchargers and NA builds are cool but sadly will cost more to build than the return in HP that you'll get. Performance wise, a turbo build with ARP head studs and sturdy head gaskets is the way to go. Trust me, I own one. If nothing else, Sikky sells a LS/T56 swap kit, and we all know you can get LS parts anywhere.

2000, white, tan, had to roll with the MK4 control arms, hella cheaper, a little stiffer.....I got the SC madness....Driving is my therapy..

I just saw my car on this video red one at 5:33-5:49. Got different wheels on it and paint is really bad but it drives just as good, steering is butter thanks to my mechanic in Las Vegas. I bought in 2015 in north port Florida thats how old that video is, from Tampa to Vegas to San Jose and now in LA. The clip on here is from a video review the dude in blue made right before I bought it in 2015. Got it with like 140k now it has 248k.

Man I miss my 1uz SC400

Sheeshh 🔥🔥

Got my 95 SC400 2weeks ago … I Fuckin love this car

I have the rarest color of sc300 you can get. I have a 95 sc300 in Baltic Blue paint code 752. Doesn't even show it as an option anywhere except for the toyota supra and even then it was rare. I got it confirmed by the vin at the dealer plus it has the gold badges.

Never run wires too ur fuel pump straight from the battery always add a switch or relay otherwise you run the risk of burning out ur pump or catching ur car on fire

Mine is the royal sapphire peral. Only one i saw in nz and bought it real quick

I think Sc300 is kinda underrated, but I'm absolutely in love with it. When I have an opportunity to buy one I'm definitely going to

Luckily I picked up an OEM 5 spd 3 years ago and built it

Don't run a cable straight from the battery to the fuel pump. That's not safe, The actual way to do it is jump the two wires where the fuel pump ECU connects to and then you bypass the fuel pump ECU

Just picked up an sc400 for 650. Crank but no start, can smell fuel but doesnt want to run. Windows dont roll up, doors are not opening lol alll the common issuies. But for that price its worth every penny

Yes leather cracks if you don't take care of it... And I don't know many people who actually takes care of them. Its literally as simple as a quick wipe down and applying conditioner like Leather Honey. Leather will last hundreds of years if you take care of it, i.e. hydrate it. Go to a museum and you'll see samurai armors made of leather...

Do these make good track cars or are they too heavy and more of a gt?

Great guide. I would never part with NA-T SC proud owner since 2013.

I have a oem manual is300 with an Altezza front end conversion and trunk. My dream car is a Supra and I know the sc300’s are closer then is300 for being built like a Supra so I’m tossing back and forth for selling for an sc300 oem manual or not or building the is300. tough decisions

I got a Lexus automatic sc400 all white, with 69k miles. What should I do first ?

I have a 96 classic green pearl, im pretty sure it was late 96-97 a bummer I couldn’t get the facelifted body lol

Good car hard to find part or they are very expensive!!!!

🔥🔥

Are the manuals any good in these?

It's like 5 connectors you have to unplug for the harness in the wheel well. Just did this a few days ago lol.

Alright guys, can someone give me some input on these. I came across a guy selling his 97’ SC 300, he posted it for $15k but said he’s willing to negotiate, it has 300k miles on the motor! So what all should I be looking for when I go and check it out?

Baltic blue is a special because its a Toyota color not a Lexus color. Theyre very rare. Mine is midnight indigo which seems to be rare even though they painted them from 92-96 i have not seen another in person and only talked to 1 other indigo owner on the other side of the world. Its fair to say that the rare sc ever is the 97 green w/ 5speed, probably less than 10 made. (Besides the one off manual 400 that was given to the ceo of trd American)

anyone know what body kit is on the first one??

What’s obd1 and 2? What’s the difference

Just bought a 1995 sc400 with 170000km costed 5 gs in Canada and the radio was broken

you shouldve also mentioned the rare factory interior colors, from least rare to rarest it goes: tan, black, light gray, gray, and tan and black combo

7:14 what wheels are those?

About to pick up a teal misc metallic with 68k miles tmr wish me luck

Would you guys say 3K for a 191K mile 2jz sc300 is a good price?

Baltic blue and shadow rose quartz are rare af also

just got a 1993 sc300 only 106,000 on the dash

Mine is in great shape 97 sc400 black on black with 350,000

you forgot ab shadow quartz

Where da 🔥 are all the mechanics who work on these cars? I have a ‘97 SC300 that I need a repair guy to work on!!!

97 sc300 2jz ge for 1500$ bought today!

i’ve got a bordeuax red 97 with the gold badges 😏

Gettin mine Memorial Day for 1k 95 SC400 mint black interior and black paint job

Mines a 95 300 5 speed in the teal mist

i have both 300 and 400 and the 400 is better in my opinion

I owned a 93 sc300 for 7 years I brought for $1,500 with 90k miles

I have a sc 300 lexus silver blue with 14500 miles...and I need a kidney...what blood type are you?

grandma just gave us a 79k miles 1993 SC300 pearl white, stick shift, leather, sunroof ^__^

is 190k and well kept good if i want to heavily mod the car, or should i look for something with less mileage?

Idk about giving up a kidney but these cars can be built up pretty nice just gotta do tons of maintenance because their old but once you get that right these are great daily drivers.

Is this a good first car

HELP!! I just bought a 1993 Lexus sc300 manual transmission with 35k miles. The car drove fine for a few hours but after letting it sit after turning it off and trying to start it back on it immediately turns off even if I give it gas. After a few tries of turning it back on after it keeps dying it manages to stay on. Any idea what this could be? Alternator was replaced already. It does not stall once it turns on and running nor does it hiccup or surge. Could it be that fuel pump isn’t receiving the 12volts ?

Just bought a 1992 sc400 for $1500 282k miles and needed an ecu that’s it

And if you own Bank you may be able to keep up with the $C300 havye to put 25 Grand i and V8 car at least. Thvejnse 300 onlyiii needs a big turbo and can wax them all 800 horsepower will wax them all your friends anyway.

I have a 1996 5 speed SC300 and the only thing I found wrong about your video is that they are slow as shit stock lmao

I got parts hit me up half the price

i want one but cant find bro

I own a 98 & 95 mostly stock, not boosted.

Sc400= 1st Japanese V8 product coupe. Why does no one ever mention this???

So if you are buying the the SC300 aka the poorman's supra instead of the real supra? You have good taste my friend and definitely not 10 years old....

With all due respect to Toyota's reliability and possible appreciative value but the SC series is Cheryl Tiegs and my 98 Jaguar XK8 is Christy Brinkley visually of course beauty can be subjective .

ud sell a kidney for 5-10k?

I bought a 1999 sc300 for $1900

Excellent vehicles, too bad most owners have such shit taste and modify them soo poorly. The red one you showed in this video is a perfect example of that.

I’m selling a SC 300 auto for $600 today

don't own/have nor hidden an ashtray of this model vehicle so take it upon yourself to create a holocaust remembrance insult

If you buy a Lexus sc300/400 dont be a cheap ass. Send the ecu out to relentless motor sports he gets them working very good!

I have 2 sc300's (one is a 5spd), and 3 sc400's... none of them have door sag, it doesn't happen...ever. You didn't mention the ONE thing they all suffer from and turns them into a death traps: Front Lower Control Arm Bushings!!!!! All my cars suffered from that. Slick tips are IMPOSSIBLE to find and the IS300 5spd trans is the weaker w55 not the supra and sc300 w58 5spd manual... The inner door handles are very fragile and the upper door card is usually cracked just under the window.