Is My Cheap Lexus SC400 Trash Or Treasure?

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My Cheap 1999 Lexus SC400 was a project I never started, so I think I might need to get rid of it.
Apologies for the microphone squeaking. I'll have it fixed by next video. Also I am aware that it's a UZZ31 platform, not a JZZ30 specifically.
Questions? Comments? Business inquiries? Email me at [e-mail]
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[@ezale08]

One of the best v8 built, these things last forever. On my second ls400

[@MrCarGuy]

Ezale THE best Toyota V8 for sure.

[@bmos02]

clearly it didn't last forever then LOL

[@d1sturb3d119]

Lasted forever for someone else.

[@ezale08]

My first ls was rear ended. But the engine still ran strong and smooth with 256k

[@kgisabeast]

Usually these go for 300k + quite easily

[@SunnyV-0]

Clean it, do the required maintenance on it and give it your wife. I'm sure she'd rather be in a Lexus than a Hyundai Elantra.

[@bradleycase4129]

I know it's kinda randomly asking but does anyone know a good website to watch newly released series online ?

[@abovenbeyondlimits81]

Lolzz facts

[@tiyastincher7653]

Bruhhh i had an elantra when i was looking for one these😭😭😭😭

[@Freedonone]

In '92 I bought new. 2018, 76k miles. It is the finest car I've ever owned. People smile at my car. 😊

[@bbyfpk]

big facts, im just a little disrespectful 😈♥️

[@andresubri]

I don´t see any reason to swap that beautiful engine.

[@andrewgonzalo2608]

Same

[@user2917]

So true can make a lot of hp

[@dannynitro78]

Seems a shame to rip the engine out when it sounds like it's running so nicely.

[@thiccricc5964]

Keep it make it clean af

[@MrCarGuy]

TheHumanOfEric Agreed!

[@danielfl.9347]

TheHumanOfEric But those rims need to go

[@thiccricc5964]

Yep absolutely. ASAP lol

[@m3chan1zr]

I'll buy those rims if they're not faded or anything lol.

[@reesebobby99]

Tavarish and Hoovie need to battle to see who can collect the most beaters.

[@tavarish]

I'm down like a clown.

[@randolphcirilo4800]

Tavarish .. if it didn't have so much rust. I'm actually looking for one now, always wanted one

[@randolphcirilo4800]

Tavarish Hey Tavarish.. I've got a 1992 w140 that I need to do something with.. it needs a main harness so it's not drivable currently.. I want to get this car running and driving, but as much as I want to keep the car whole.. I've been thinking about swapping the drive train for something more conventional.. Do you now of anyone doing swaps like that or a company that sells kits for an American v8 drive train??

[@joeyscleaninglady2877]

Tavarish needs to collect all of the cars from the Car and Driver comparo 300zx

[@nickwood8694]

Hoovie doesnt fix cars himself

[@RA-oy6bg]

the SC is becoming hard to come by much less an 1999 and up.. they're all being turned into drift machines. I would buy that car so fast

[@243wayne1]

I agree Ricardo- I am the proud owner of a Silver on Black 1998 Lexus SC400 with Nakamichi and factory chrome 5 spokes. All books and manuals plus window sticker. Sales brochure and press kit. 45,000 Miles. By FAR the cleanest in the country. It belongs in the Lexus museum.

[@hispanosaurusrex]

I'm picking up a Lexus 96 sc400 today yay!!

[@demonfireomegamu2374]

Ricardo Acevedo i have a 97 sc400

[@xCkillaxC]

243wayne1 how much you want for it

[@xCkillaxC]

243wayne1 Id give you 10K cash

[@powerbookkid]

OMG those are SO RARE, late model, silver on black, with nak?! super rare UGH i wantttssss it! My vote: clean it up. exhaust, mild drop, nice 18'' wheels (ISP Mode's would look AWESOME!).

[@okinawanah3463]

SC400 is a classic. Love the lines.

[@mousiee7]

These were great cars. I believe 99-00 got all the goodies (3-spoke steering wheel, 5-speed gated shifter auto, upgraded vvti engine, perforated leather seats, and some other things). I had a '95 SC400, that I gave to my daughter. This video makes me want another one.

[@MShort0]

Might be tough getting rid of a northern car in Florida. The exact opposite of what most people want.

[@tavarish]

Yeah, it's a concern, but it's not like I'll want top dollar for it.

[@MShort0]

Tavarish best of luck. Keep up the great content.

[@josiahbrooks1748]

Tavarish in Jacksonville. I'll get it from you if you want to sell it.

[@tavarish]

[e-mail] if you want to send me an offer.

[@MrCarGuy]

Tavarish Fix it! Save the glorious 1UZ-FE! Btw, I own a 2000 GS400 Platinum with the VVTi. 300hp rated.

[@typo148]

I had a 1992 version sc400 and really liked it. Basically drove it into the ground, 350,000 km plus when I gave up on it finally. That engine was amazing.

[@phillipmitchell5879]

Beautiful car! A true GT, albeit a bit more luxury than sport. The SC300's have a marvelous inline-6 - amazing engine. The SC400's have an equally wonderful V8 - so well-built that it's approved for aviation use. There are aftermarket superchargers & turbos available for these gems, I'd only want to increase the power in a modest way. The 'unmolested' or minimally modified samples are the most desirable for collectors. '98-2000 models are very much sought after. You've got a gem worth restoring, etc.!

[@AndreBraham]

Lexus: I wanna see you set it up although that's the least practical advice given how my projects you have. Outro: I f**king love your outro, man. Very unique, very trollish (in a good way). To help with non-subs getting confused, include links/previews of other videos overlaying the outro.

[@superstrongchedder]

i think you should definitely keep it! its such a clear example and if the rust in the back isn't to challenging to fix then i think its worth holding onto until your other projects are done.

[@stvkomer]

no keep it its a beautiful car honestly. even in stock form.

[@meowdalachow7932]

gascanEXPLODE put some rims

[@miniman203]

These were great cars for sure Tavarish, yours is salvageable especially with your skills and resources, it'd be badass daily or project car

[@alexmoran731]

I'd say keep the Lexus and get rid of the other two.

[@alexmoran731]

Do you watch Harry's Garage by chance? :)

[@tavarish]

I do!

[@ssaxmanful]

Please for the love of god finish the graffiti Lexus. I love that car and it just sits there. I would rather see videos on that car than your Aston and Mercedes

[@manred6253]

That steering wheel tough! Looks better than most steering wheels of this time

[@Zooooooooooom16]

I'd like to see a video where you fully clean it inside and out. it will. look sick. I say keep it.

[@Swordie100]

This, seems like a good daily..

[@firstname1lastname127]

Are you sure that's not Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus?

[@tavarish]

OH CRAP IT MIGHT BE

[@DaTwistedOne1]

Not even the same model..lol Farahs Million Mile Lexus is an LS400 not an SC, they look nothing alike.

[@firstname1lastname127]

XfiRated Relax, its a meme, and you didnt get the reference.

[@eman0828]

Doesn't matter of the model since they are all Toyota's. Toyota is known for its legendary benchmark reliability as they pioneered Lean Manufacturing. Can't say the same for all those German money pits. ha

[@colormesarge]

@@tavarish 2 year old comment hits you right in the YOU OWN IT NOW

[@alpha7ization]

Dash lights are in good shape, those needles usually are burnt out in those 90s lexus. I would gladly take it off your hands

[@JustAnotherHo]

legit i was amazed that quarter even balanced for that amount of time.

[@Random12231]

Love the SCs, 400s specifically. Another vote for keeping it

[@zangovu]

ISF! 2ur-gse with 8 speed. You'll be the first to do it on the this car that's my dream build. And if you get a salvage ISF it'll have all the parts for the swap. You'll have enough content and videos if you take on a big project and trust me I'll be watching every single one and the whole SC community back you up and watch you. I think that's how you win subscribers especially with car videos. You tap into each brand and their followers with a car specifically from that company and earn the audience in each one. I think you can earn a lot of more followers especially on something that hasn't been done yet. Anyway you go, Good Luck!

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Black interior is tough to find as clean as this one’s is. I would keep the car and good luck with whatever you did.

[@mkt3000]

With how many of these I've seen that are trashed, or have been questionably modified, I'd say bring it back to stock/stock-ish, and keep it around as a spare car. Should be easy, and somewhat cheap to do, you'd get a good series of more advanced maintenance videos (changing exhaust, etc), and you'd have a fairly reliable spare car.

[@HunterDugasVideos]

"Temperature is at, uh, COLD" 😂 idk why I thought that was so funny lol

[@BrysonChyoChing]

Crazy that these 1997-2000 SC's are going for a lot, especially with the black interior in 2023.

[@m3chan1zr]

Keep it and finish one of your ideas on it. I have a 1997 SC 400, no mods or anything (I just wanted a good cruiser for daily driving), and I get compliments on it on a regular basis. Including whenever I stop by the Lexus dealership to get some parts. All the service people there tell me I should put my car in a museum and others ask if it's for sale. So in short, fix it up, drive it. You won't regret it.

[@Devastator0]

Dude, you should totally keep it, clean it right up, modify it and have it as a nice, super clean ride!!

[@AntiqueAcceleration]

Keep it and build it! I vote for the IS-F motor swap option.

[@francobnyc]

KEEP IT!! I've got a Red 1998 SC300 in really great condition so i'm biased though. LOL! Love the SC300/400's!

[@ryfel99]

Use it to revive the Art of the Flip! Start a video version in the same style you do the other videos, I think it would be an awesome way to get rid of it but still use it for video content AND bring back what I know a lot of your readers including myself had as an entry to the tavarish brand!

[@raywright2401]

my 97 Sc400 is awesome. Every option AND 188K miles on v8. I drive a truck for work now but this car is the epitome of silk muscle.

[@337speed]

I'm a simple man. I see a Tavarish video, I hit Like!

[@ThePropGuy]

I have a 93 SC400. 286,400 miles. Never had to do any real maintenance. These things are built like tanks. Keep the SC and built it. I really think once the supra prices get super insane these will start to go up in value as well.

[@meeee500]

Man what a beautiful machine I hope you decided to keep it what a treasure you have man

[@Spartan536]

Tavarish, If you want to sell the car, make it a RESTORATION PROJECT, get it back to stock, little to no rust, and polish up the interior, engine bay, and exterior as best you can. This will allow you to sell the car back at a decent price, and there are quite a few people that would be interested in it.

[@kaibaumgartner7721]

Body and Interior are pretty damn good. Plus it's a VVTI 1UZ in an SC. Just get a new subframe and you'll be set.

[@eastside722]

Any series you put out is interesting.

[@tavarish]

Thanks!

[@HellBaron-rb4vu]

Tavarish please continue working on the Mercedes s600 i want to see that car with the amg kit. thanks

[@barneyr1294]

Tavarish trash,too hard to work on for too little payoff.pick and pull.

[@spakentruth]

Bro that car is a gem. I'm not a car expert but these are the pre cursors to the famous supras. Built on the same platform and pretty much use all the same parts. The only real issue with it is it's heavy because of all the luxury features but no that car is severely underrated because car Bros hype the hell out of Subarus, supras

[@camtheham13]

I am not particularly into the project but will watch the vids, in the meantime I am looking forward to the car Tetris game that is taking shape in your driveway

[@Neil4Speed]

I had a 98 and it was fantastic. Yours is a great color combo and in overall great condition, I would keep it!

[@Neil4Speed]

The nakamichi is fantastic too! a true reference system

[@MrSneakA]

The endings were entertaining. Always made me chuckle. The new one is good though. I think I would keep the car. It's pretty clean. If you are getting rid of it then do art or flip. Keep on wrenching.

[@BhupinderSSingh]

Keep it, the engines on these never die. I have a 98 Lexus LX470 and it still runs like a dream. And for a 99 these cars are really nice. Car these days still dont come with leather or high end premium sound system while yours does, same goes with my LX. Use it as a daily driver, cause your S class still needs work, the ford is a gas guzzler and the aston shouldnt be driven everyday

[@karlschroen392]

I would love to see the 1UZ supercharged and the car kept as a clean cruiser.

[@OlympicGaming]

i would LUV to see this get a make over. specially that rush part. luv seeing the transformation of almost dead cars. there's always one more chance! btw, i thought you sold this :/

[@illwill311]

i like the original endings. at first I was would go back to make sure I didn't do something and then I caught on. It was different. Maybe just not every time, just don't stop it cold.

[@bluebearbank247]

Keep it, I want to see the rust repair on rear subframe.

[@SFitz35]

Keep it bro SC400 Clean as fuck has so much potential. Coupe V8, lightweight. Keep it.

[@andressein2011]

All for watching a fix up series, but in the end its your decision man.

[@slegendary6003]

Thanks for considering changing the outros. Was giving me the shits lol.

[@freak5837]

I had to skip ahead to this video where he finally stopped with that stupid shit.

[@pingasuncion5054]

I'd keep it stock... I had a 97 it was perfect I chose it over Mercedes and BMW...

[@gardenoftruth8265]

98 and up are even better with the vvt-i and 5-speed automatic not to mention the interior upgrades in the 99 and 2000 models

[@kayagocebe315]

@@gardenoftruth8265 I also much prefer the ls400 style shifter and 3 spoke wheel that the 98-00 sc's had.

[@gardenoftruth8265]

@@kayagocebe315 my 98 didn't come with three spoke wheels

[@kayagocebe315]

@@gardenoftruth8265 Maybe someone swapped it?

[@gardenoftruth8265]

@@kayagocebe315 no it's original one owner car

[@VintageRKO]

Dont know what happened to this car since its an old video but if it was up to me, I'd Keep it stock, keep maintaining it and this car WILL appreciate in value in the next few years

[@rhettgalloway3199]

I have a 1995 SC400 Red with Black interior. It's stock but I love it. A build of this thing would be really cool.

[@tavarish]

Well, I already have a '92 SC300 that's also getting a build.

[@rhettgalloway3199]

My fuel needle is out and it is a pain!

[@rhettgalloway3199]

It would be great as you said for someone who wants a good starting platform.

[@tabuksh]

IMO u have enough projects to keep you busy for quite a while... so let this one go to another home that can give it the loving it needs. But that said, all ur projects are interesting so I'm looking forward to a good year! Love that balancing trick tho!

[@TheBrownGarage]

i got a 97 sc300, none of the cluster back lighting works but the needles all illuminate. i say keep it but you have twice the amount of project cars i do and 2 of them are SCs, i can see why it be easy to let it go. wrench everyday

[@GoldenRetrieverEnergy]

Build it into an ultimate cruiser! You do a ton of NJ-Florida trips so it would be awesome to drive.

[@vj5225]

I hope you kept this vehicle or at least the engine. These cars are now becoming a classic and limited gem as this is the last model year. These generally are trashed horribly, but in this case yours has minimum damage and all original equipment. Great find!

[@dougauzene8389]

Miss my Dad's immaculate emerald green 92 SC400...Hope you kept it!

[@lunaticcycle1300]

You make me miss Florida, keep it up dude

[@jaypatricksei8428]

I say flip it & keep looking if you still want one get it then. In the meantime use the money for one of your next project & get into that you will forget all about it! Hopefully something with more potential than the Lexus had...

[@paulmayou370]

Keep it i`m a big fan of yours from the UK love to see it all sorted keep up the great work

[@Shadowdancer777]

Sold my sc300 years ago. I miss it. I want to get my sc back.

[@CloudyB_MT]

The million mile car overshadowed by the Supra. Keep it clean, maintain it, and love it. It's an amazing sleeper.

[@annieworroll4373]

A tape deck! Even my car doesn't have that. I wish it did, though, because I wouldn't be considering replacing the stereo to let me hook up my phone for Pandora. Hopefully I can find something affordable with line in, so I don't have to mess with casette adapters.

[@pufflelover1]

treasure by simple virtue of not having been turned into a "MLJEE HOONAGIN DRIFT MACHINE" but abandoned halfway through as with most SC's on craigslist

[@tristanblock]

I love those cars. I'll gladly take it off your hands! Would it make a road trip to California? :D

[@DestDroid]

I'll admit the outro did take me a couple of times to realize you were doing it on purpose lol.

[@twiggy5843]

Well my friend, I hate to say this but it's exactly the car I'm looking for. Post 1997 Silver with black interior..... Though I must say, my never-ever winter driven 1996 SC400 has no, repeat NO rust anywhere and no aluminium oxidation either which is a bit surprising for a Montreal car. So I wish I had the last version of the engine and tranny that your car has but it needs some work to get it to be as clean as mine....which has 120k miles BTW. Ahh! C'est la vie ! like we say here. I think you should clean it up a bit, you can easily do that kind of thing with the ambitious projects you have. I'd be happy with a perfectly stock, nice '98 through 2000 SC400 if I can find one.... If it's not sold yet .... I'm sure you'd have a few buyers... Hint!! Do what Zach suggests and I'll buy it ....or maybe 243wayne1 will sell me his at its market value... Who knows..... ...Still love my '96 though.... been driving it for 10 years -Pretty fun to see what you do... Guy the guy!

[@LeoNardo-be6yh]

Take a couple hours to detail the interior and if after that your desire to drive it increases, hammer on with the build. I'd probably like to see this more than any of your other cars and I'm a Mercedes fan.

[@LeoNardo-be6yh]

The cliffhanger endings are funny. Keep them.

[@user-yr3kt5ei5d]

I like the cut off endings. Maybe if you really don't like dealing with confused idiots, stay on a freeze frame for a second and put 'to be continued' or... something more creative.

[@aquibhanif4706]

Keep it ,being a jzz30 lover they are hard to find in this spec as u would know ,fix it put some nice wheels lower it keep it as a nice cruiser rather than selling it , u could build it up but that would cost a lot of money Great car love to see it get the attention it deserves

[@chrisantonello6831]

Put a spoiler on the back. Makes it look so much better

[@greenman8]

A new set of wheels&tires, and a set of Coil-overs. Fix the exhaust and do the car a decent once over, detail it, and sell it at cost/break even. Even if you don't keep it, use your skills and resources. Pass it on, without greed, only to know you helped a person get a solid ride, and one less car filling landfills.

[@fernandom5150]

Man this shit is rare. The rest of the 400s only have 250 horse and this one had 290. They only had 290 for a couple of years, maybe 2 years

[@LukeTheJoker]

Keep it, clean it, supercharge it, ultimate sleeper...

[@TheArchbishop53]

Hi, I ran across the video you had about the 1999 Lexus SC400, and I was wondering, what did you decided to do with it, if you kept it, or got rid of it?

[@Yachtwhisperer]

Do it man. That would be an awesome sleeper. Get a JDM package with a turbo and manual transmission.

[@Fall3n13]

Would love to see a V12 in that thing! it would def be a fun project to watch.

[@tavarish]

I don't think I'm going to do the V12 in this, just because I have some other projects I haven't announced yet that would basically make this thing look tame in comparison.

[@buckykattnj]

I think your outro is the best part of the

[@louiscaraballo7354]

The 302 V-8 is from Ford. It was sold to Toyota and then developed the V-8 that is in the Tundra's

[@sirdavester]

Keep it and fix up into something spectacular man, could totally see that with a Mercedes-Benz V12 engine

[@Dizzy206]

So my dad wants me to just outright have his SC400. The only thing that throws me off is that it's an automatic. But hey, i still plan on building it to some extent.

[@scottray2314]

VERY good motor, treasure! Restore it.

[@aa2398a]

dude i laughed when i saw the dead lizard....i like the car, just needs a good wash and some TLC...keep the car and drop a 2JZGTE in there, run a big ass turbo call it a day

[@Capt.Starion]

Tavarish Love your vids so simple but so entertaining to watch

[@FreddyOakes]

If you can get the rust sorted, I'd love to see some videos documenting a Mercedes V12 swap.

[@CrowdControl123]

ChrisFix it and flip it! There's a pretty big enthusiast crowd for those cars! Make some quick, fairly easy money and put it into one of your other builds. Hate to see that 400 hacked up.

[@troy9er]

A nickel works much better. It has a flat smooth edge. I use to stand a nickel on the valve cover of my Valkyre and bet Harley guys it wouldn’t fall over even twisting it to redline!!! It was truly amazing!!

[@marcogallo2811]

this should be a car you focus on... it would be super interesting to watch

[@Marchewa5674]

I think you should keep the lexus, I just want to see it being super clean :P

[@joi2326]

Honestly I say keep it and make it very clean and original. A 'restoration' if you will. These might be worth something in a few years in original condition.

[@Ratcher.]

the merc v12 swap sounds like a amazing idea. but if its something that you think would never get done then thats all you.

[@suprattguy07]

Why not boost the 1UZ? I am very aware that there are very few manifolds made and they are expesive but to watch how to go about boosting it would be awesome. I have a 92 Sc400 which is the non VVTI and i have read that you can flip the exhaust manifolds and use them to boost the 1UZ but they stock manifolds are kinda trash when it comes to flow LoL. I digress, there is also a company that makes an adapter to mount a M112 supercharger to it, I have been curious to see if you could get an upgraded direct replacement supercharger for the M112, like an eaton TVS2300. Just a few ideas. I'd like to see you do something with it sleeper :)

[@cindywyattrailey8391]

The beauty of this car is keeping it original ( tough to top Toyota's highly trained engineers ). yes you can patch a bunch of engine and transmissions...but it will never run right and it will always just be a money pit after that...after all it must be very easy to install a merceds v12 engine and all it's associated harness and couple it with a completely electronically controlled transmission from BMW...go ahead if your budget is open and have a few friends in NASA.MUMBO JUMBO maybe ? Or maybe you can put a Jet engine and a transmission from a hovercraft ?