Neil E

Rust underneath, neglected but very few miles in the last 10 years.

The body-shop did a very neat job on that red one. I'm fully in favour but your reputation will be in tatters parked next to me in the modified 'no taste' section. 🤣

I have experience of using the latest Michelin Cross Climate 2 on the GS and they do work well enough in snow to cope and they still perform very well in Summer. They are a good alternative to 2 sets of tyres if you don't live on a hill farm in the Cairngorms.🙂 I read the reviews, trusted the advice and it proved to be sound. I have V rated Hankook Winters on the RX at present, I would recommend them. Yokohama and Continental were excellent Winter tyres too. Going back to the original question, Summer or All season? I would say a UK RX should not have Summer only tyres as that limits its capability. I know it doesn't come equipped with diff locks but with sensible footwear, there's not much to stop the RX from making progress no matter the weather or terrain.

Hi Mark. That's very low mileage compared to most in the US. Try clublexus for more local help and expertise. Most of the knowledge on here comes from owners with right hand drive UK spec cars.

It does seem to chip back to white or grey mostly but black and red colour primers are available.

Thanks Ant, just getting some practice in for the Summer meet car park.🤣

I find Lexus headlamps are pretty good at lighting the way ahead and narrow lanes are easier in the dark as you can see the headlights of the oncoming vehicles when approaching bends. You do have to be careful of the odd stray sheep or pedestrian staggering home from the village pub.

Nice to have a good neighbour and friend Ant.👍 You're not alone Malc, the portrait filming caught me out too......at first.😊 Sussex is just a big flood plain at the moment. I took my SC out of hibernation and into the pouring rain for its MOT and service just before Christmas. A lowered SC is not the best vehicle for deep puddles and fords but it copes well enough in the rain. I have some winters for it but can't be bothered to swap them over. 161k miles and no advisories but it does need a little more minor cosmetic surgery so it's gone back to the garage for more paint. I really don't need it, I'm ashamed to say the SC has only done 5k miles in the last 2 years.

That's a strange one. Are there any fault lights on? I would suggest the first thing is to do a diagnostic check to see if there are any fault codes that point the way. If the car doesn't shake when the stability control is not active then that suggests there's something wrong with the VSC or one of the many sensors that provide it with information. If you turn the VSC off, drive the car and then turn the VSC on again, does it always shake when the VSC is on? Does it pull to one side? Is it speed related? If you brake gently when the shaking occurs, can you feel if it is brake related and can you identify roughly where the loud noise comes from?

To add to the replies above, I would say, do the water-pump and the tensioner + pullies at the same time, use Lexus/Toyota original parts only (I'm not sure if they still do it as a kit) the local Lexus dealer should be a safe affordable solution if they offer the fixed price servicing for older cars or use a trusted independent if you know one.

Hi Ant, just catching up, that was quite a shock! Take it easy and let's hope these are Cat 'N' injuries and you're on the road to full recovery. It seems they have assigned the NHS master techs to the project but do keep us posted on the re-build progress. All the best.

Thanks Glyn. Steve was posting on clublexus before LW existed. I followed and took inspiration from his pioneering SC430 mods. I still had 2 Soarers when he was leading the way with the SC. When I met him for the first time at Bluewater I was like a starstruck autograph-hunting fan. 🤣 On the subject of the pillarless look with the rear quarter windows down, as stylish as it may appear, it always focuses my mind on just how important it is to keep the car the right way up.

This has all been done before with Luxlink and other modules. The info should be on the US site. Steve (Wil44) has done the switched rear quarter window mod to his car and produced an excellent 'how to' write up for it but alas the detail is no longer available.

There is a small group of specialists who collaborate on repairs, enhancements and conversions for UZ related projects (All4swap(RU), Phoenix (UK), CartuneCo (NZ) and Quantum-Auto (USA) and it seems they (led by Yuri in Russia) have cracked the ECU and with other mods, offer various services and upgrades for UZ owners. Phoenix Engine Management in Shepton Mallet are primarily wiring specialists but they offer the remap via their contacts. I agree, I can't see how there would be any significant gains without other mods but for those of us with a few physical mods it might actually be beneficial. Without any measured evidence, I suspect that the improvements seen by owners of non-modified cars is mostly the reduced throttle lag included in the map offered but I could be wrong. Stewart, the 300 hp is likely to be the earlier quoted US power figure. They also reduced it to 290 bhp and 285 bhp and 282 bhp. the 2006 6-speed model is quoted at 279 bhp, I don't know if there were any subtle differences in the 3UZ over the years but I believe the difference in quoted power is everything to do with by what means and standards it was measured over time.

Hi Stewart, a throttle controller eliminates or reduces the throttle lag, it makes a significant difference to how the car feels, how it pulls away and upshifts but doesn't increase power. What did Tunit claim their product actually did to improve performance? Similar to All4swap but without re-mapping the ecu? Alter fuel/air ratio map to improve torque/bhp, change shift points, increase rev limit, etc? As discussed on the other forum, I doubt there are any real gains to be made without some physical engine changes. Cams, forced/improved induction or exhaust. If you are convinced performance has been improved, why not prove it to the doubters?🙂

The ISF rear anti-roll bar is what you need for the SC430.

It fits the older SC300/400 Soarer. Examining the clock spring pin-out would be the first place to start. I looked into converting it to the IS250 paddle shift wheel but bailed out in the end. I don't like the slippery wooden wheel so opted for the custom version Ant describes above. It may not be a lot of help but there's a few pics of the steering wheel here in the short version of the build thread

Common knowledge for those of us with sets of Winter tyres 🤣

It's a radio aerial, the car has two for improved reception.

Yes Ken it's the ultra rare GS460. If I could just find time to reverse the previous owner's visible exhaust antics it would be a perfect Q car. The car park at Kylesku Bridge is a well used spot......better weather different Lex.

Similar weather in Sussex but after a long search - eventually found a free car wash. The SC is hibernating.

14.5 mpg is a pretty impressive average Ant, I don't think I've ever managed to get mine as low as that. 👍 I'm going to disagree a little with some of this as I think Lexus put so much effort into the hard top folding roof they compromised on the tech, the ride/handling characteristics and the fit and finish of the SC430. The earlier V8 UZZ31 Soarer was pitched a level above the SC430. How many more might they have sold with a bit more testing, market research followed by a few styling tweaks?

On a different platform (dis) there was a register of sorts with an approximate location pin for each owner. You do the SC430s and I'll volunteer to do the GS460s.😊 It would probably be easier to start a campaign (starting with FB) to get all SC owners to register with LOC and then the important info is captured in one place without any GDPR issues.

Take care Ant. A few years back I arranged to meet one other SC owner to chew the fat and compare notes on SC430 audio upgrades. It spiralled out of control into a car park meet of no less than a magnificent seven SC430.

There should be extra club credit for a workshop mini-meet. It will require pics of course.🙂