This Lexus SC300 Has Supra DNA And 672whp For The Price Of A Hatchback
So, you want a boosted 2JZ making over 600bhp to the wheels, mated to a five-speed manual that turns the rear tyres? Sounds like you want an A80 Toyota Supra turbo with some mad mods, but unless you’ve $50,000 or the ability to turn a burnt-out shell into a blazing orange 10-second car, you’ve got nothing but pipe dreams. Or do you?
Enter the Lexus SC300. No, it’s not a Supra. But it’s pretty damn close. The SC is bigger and heavier, but underneath you’ll find most of the same components. More importantly, under the bonnet you’ll find the same 2JZ engine in non-turbo guise, connected to the same five-speed manual transmission. The potential for something wickedly awesome is there, and for many reasons that don’t really matter, as SC300s sell for cheap - usually well under $10,000 in good condition with no mods.
This 1997 SC300 currently selling in Florida for $16,000 has mods. Lots of mods. And by lots, I mean 672 horsepower to the rear wheels. That translates to roughly 800 horsepower at the crank for the deliciously low price of $16,000.
Explain to me again why anyone would chuck $50,000 for a Supra when you can build a Godzilla-killing SC300 for less than a third of the cost? That’s a loaded question obviously - as capable as the SC300s are, there’s still the aura of having a bona-fide Supra turbo. But I’ll be honest in saying that, if my goal was to build a bonkers Supra, I’d have a very hard time convincing myself to not go with a much cheaper SC300.
That being said, there are some notable hiccups with this SC that might turn you away despite having more horsepower than a new Hellcat. For starters, that monster motor isn’t a 2JZ - it’s a 1JZ-GTE with a single Borg Warner turbo and a host of other upgrades. The source of this specific engine isn’t listed, but 1JZs did duty in a range of Toyotas including the A70 Supra and JDM Soarer, for which the SC300 is clone close. And the transmission isn’t the familiar five-speed, but rather a six-speed ripped from a Nissan 370Z. Yes folks, the swaps are running aplenty with this FrankenLexus.
Other mods include a one-piece driveshaft, Tein coilovers with electronic control, TT brakes, 15-inch (yes, 15-inch) Race Star drag wheels in the back with 17s up front. It also has a welded 3.26 rear differential, with another 3.26 diff (presumably not welded) included with the sale.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this SC300 was designed to live life a quarter-mile at a time, but I see no reason why you couldn’t ditch the drag radials for something a bit more laterally savvy and go Tokyo drifting. Before doing that however, spend a couple hundred bucks on some new front seats. I guess with all the cash spent on engines and custom tranny swaps there wasn’t enough left over to mend some torn leather.
There’s just a few hours left on this buy-it-now eBay auction, and as I’ve watched it the last couple days the seller’s lowered the price $1000 dollars to its current $16,000 figure. Yes, it isn’t quite as true to the A80 Supra as it used to be, but the heartbeat is still Toyota. And in case you forgot, it makes 672 horsepower to the wheels, which is enough to topple the vast majority of cars you’ll encounter in your daily travels. And you can have it now for the price of a new entry-level hatchback.
Comments
You are the classifieds guru here lol
Wait, why not the 1UZ?
Probably because the 1J is a lighter engine. Might also be because the 1UZ doesn’t have forced induction.
As a owner 1/2jz swaps are very common and you could pick up a decent one for 5,000$ not including 97+ tax
SC’s have always been good drifting boats. I see potential here.
are the sc 400 and the sc 300 the same?
If i recall correctly, the number referres to the litres of the engine, the sc300 having the 3 litre 2jz and the sc400 having some 4 litre v8
Same car, but go with a sc300 if you want to swap in a turbo JZ engine (came with a naturally aspirated 2JZ). You can still do it with the sc400, but they had to change things to allow the v8 to sit in the car properly (ie. front subframe). With the sc300 a JZ is almost a direct bolt in, especially if you can find the 1jz from a soarer which was the japanese equivalent of the sc300. With the 400 there is a little more work involved but still possible. The 1UZ isn the SC400 is still a good engine that responds to forced induction well. The non VVTI versions are known to be able to handle close to 500hp on the stock shortblock.
If you spend $16,000 on someones heavily modded car like that … then you have more money than brains.
That interior should give you a biiiiiiiiiiig clue as to what’s going on.
Could you please elaborate on that?
Most Lexuss of this era already deteriorated to that point…
That interior looks spotless besides the seats, even has a steering wheel from a newer lexus. You should see what a bad interior looks like in these cars after 24 years.
Stopped reading after the first sentence. You won’t find a jza80 turbo with a 5 speed unless it’s NA-T or an R154 swap. Na-t with a w58 is a waste of time because the gearbox will soil itself with a grabby clutch and only 400hp, and r154 swaps are almost exclusively seen in auto conversions or 2jzge to 2jzgte swaps as a cheaper alternative to the six speed getrag v160/161 boxes.
Tl;dr: Factory twin turbo RZ jza80s NEVER came with a 5 speed box.
…which is why you shouldn’t have stopped reading after the first sentence ;)
STAHP sharing all the cheap secrets, prices keep shooting up on what I want just before I can buy them.
Yup yup yup. Too true. People sharing articles about best kept secrets and all of a sudden a couple of thousand added on to the price tag. Volvo 240/340s, Foxbody Stangs, These SC300s/Soarers.
I’m the owner and the car comes with cleaner seats ..I just purchased a pair ….and price is 16k obo
Dat view tho!