[96blksnake]

i was wonding if any of you guys here could give me a run down on the engine in this car for me. does it have the same bottom end as the supra or is the engine totally different internally. my friend just got one and he wants me to help him make it fast and i told him i would find out for him. any suggestions on what i would need to do to the car would be great. i figured if it had the same bottom end i would just have him buy the intake and possibly new heads and then see if i could get a supra kit that would fit under the hood of the lexus. i know there are some really fast lexus' of this type around so if you guys could point me in the right direction that would be sweet.

 

[theman]

It has the same normally aspirated engine as the base model Supra. There are plenty of Supra places that would have turbo kits and such for the N/A that would bolt right on the SC. And actually alot of stuff will swap back and forth on both cars because they are built on the same basic platform. In Japan you can even get them twin turboed from the factory. It's called the Soarer over there and has plenty of aftermarket support.
I believe Toyomoto and Powerhouse and a few others have bolton turbo kits for these. Just remember you'd have to lower the compression though...

 

[96blksnake]

It has the same normally aspirated engine as the base model Supra. There are plenty of Supra places that would have turbo kits and such for the N/A that would bolt right on the SC. And actually alot of stuff will swap back and forth on both cars because they are built on the same basic platform. In Japan you can even get them twin turboed from the factory. It's called the Soarer over there and has plenty of aftermarket support.
I believe Toyomoto and Powerhouse and a few others have bolton turbo kits for these. Just remember you'd have to lower the compression though...

i wonder if that can be done by milling the heads or if you have to swap the pistons to lower the compression, so the bottom end on the NA supras are the same as the bottom end on the turbo cars? what year did they start putting the same 6 that they have in the mkiv in the sc 300?

 

[96blksnake]

ttt, anyone?

 

[theman]

No, milling the head would raise the compression. You can either swap out pistons for something in the 8.5 range or an easier and less costly way is to install a thicker metal head gasket.

hmmm that's a good question. They might've been using the same Supra motor since the SCs came out and then when the Supra was released in 93.5 it just took on the SCs in the N/A version but I'd have to double check for sure...

You know, a cheaper way to go might be to get one of those 1JZ-GTE J-spec drop outs that would bolt right into the SC or a supra. It's a 2.5 litre with the same basic twin turbo setup as the Supra TT and it puts out 280 hp stock. hp gains are easy on them, and I've seen them with ECU and 5 speed or automatic for about $2800...

 

[madman]

The motors are quite different but you could swap enigines from a Supra TT to your 300 quite easily and have the right set up to begin with. The na motor will need alot of work to be turbo friendly. Go find a wrecked Supra and swap the motor over or by a crate motor it will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[greensoup]

I don't think the SupraTT to SC300 engine swap is easy. If you had all the info ahead of time maybe but otherwise it would seem to be pretty expensive difficult and time consuming.

SC300 GS300 IS300 and Supra NA all have the same engine. You might be able to share parts between the cars. With the new IS300 there should be many new performance parts available.

 

[38 Cigarette]

The first year of the SC for Lexus was 1992, and I'm almost positive that the engines are the same, though in 1998 the SC got V.V.T.I. ( variable valve timing with intelligence ) so there is more electronics on those.

I think Sound Performance has done a few single turbo SC300's so you might want to phone them. There are 2 or 3 guys at www.clublexus.com with turbo'd 300's as well.

 

[soarer 300]

Me.

Do the N/A to turbo swap! So much cheaper and so much more fun (bang for the buck)! I have less in my whole motor, turbo, electronics, (even wheels and tires) and install than you'd pay for a GTE swap. I went with the 3mm headgasket to lower the compression to the Supra's 8.5:1. I have the VPC for fuel, the GCC for timing, and a boost gauge (although I recommend a FP and EGT gauge).

I have no boost controller...just manual! I wanted to go cheap and it worked out.

Now I am on my second tranny. The first built tranny I had pooed out on me...this one will hold come hell or high water.

-c