96 SC400 v/s 99 Mustang

[miwise]

How should a factory Lexus SC400 fare against a 99 Mustang V8?
I raced a Mustang V8 and the Mustang Whooped my car's tail. Granted the Mustang has a new engine, power programmer, and custom exhaust and intake. I didn't think that it would beat me by so much though. The mustang was about 2 car lengths ahead by about a 1/4 mile. My car is totally factory with 216500 miles, new spark plugs, distributor, wires, timing belt, and transmission fluid. Is my car lacking in power it should still have or is the Mustang just outright faster than a factory sc400? How can I regain some of the power back in my Lexus? I don't normally race, but I just wanted to see how it would do. . .I thought the other car would beat mine, but not by such a margin.

 

[Thermactor]

An SC400 is slow. Don't expect to beat up on anything unless you have forced induction.

 

[mshawari1]

try to change to sport air filter and you will see some power

 

[WDoherty]

those 99's dyno like 220 and we dyno 180 and our cars are way heavier, not even close. There were a few years the 4.slow was really bad, like 96-98 or something, find one of those in auto form and you might hang.

 

[miwise]

Only mod I have is K&N filter installed into the factory air box. I didn't even have much gas in my tank (It was almost to the point where the light kicks on). I put 17 gallons in it this morning. I'm sure these two things probably helped. I plan on gutting the cats (live in a state that doesn't do smog checks) and finding some good extractors or headers and a custom exhaust most likely at the end of this month or next month. This will be my first mod. I would like to go with some type of forced induction, but I really want to try and keep the gas milage as close to what it is now as possible. Trying to decide b/w super- and turbo-charging. If turbo, I'd like twin turbo, but cost is a factor too. I don't want to put more than 3000-4000 dollars into that b/c I have some other things I want to do as well. Is there a problem with turbo or s/cing a 96?

 

[miwise]

Another question about turbo or super charger. Lextreme, you there?

I know where I can get an intake manifold for my sc400 for supercharging, but I really want twin turbo setup. I'm looking to do this b/w now and summertime. The turbo setup seems pretty daunting, though. No bolt on kits seem to be available. Is there anything that can bolt onto my car or at least a template I can go by? I don't think there's anyone around here who can fabricate parts like I need for the twin turbo.

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

forget about killing a modified mustang with a stock SC400

it's already very good that on a 1/4 mile you were only 2 car lenght behind.

on a 80km/h + roll start you might be a better challenge for him. Wdoherty, he's got a '96 SC400 with the "new" 260HP 1UZ so he probably does better than 180WHP on the dyno. but still, same stock HP but add 20-30 for his mods, remove 400 pounds for him and yes, you did very well with only 2 car lenght, expecting our very slow take-off...

 

[WDoherty]

yeah i saw that later it was a 96, so yeah he's closer to 200, but as you said, still way to low.

 

[jibbby]

That's funny 4 years ago I got worked over in my then stock SC400 by a 98 4.6L mustang GT and that was the turning point in starting to modify my SC.. I had seen enough of the tail ends of faster cars...

Now I find it hard pressed to lose a street race in my SC400...

My advise is you can get these SC's moving but it takes alot - Start with an upgraded torque converter and few exhaust mod's and you should be able to hang around that mustang... You need boost to do any real damage in an SC or a good Nitrous system like I have... The SC's are heavy and painfully slow at takeoffs in stock form...

Good luck..

 

[miwise]

That's why I want to modify my car. I say it don't bother me that a mustang beat me, but it does. I just want to at least be able to keep up with a v8 mustang gt. I was estimating the 1/4 mile. It may have been a tad less than and under less than ideal conditions (in front of my house on a us highway in the country). I really want a bolt on intercooled solution b/c I don't know how to get around the fabrication problems. I don't really even know where to start. I've read a lot of the faqs on here and planetsoarer. I think the twin turbo ls400 setup sounds most promising for turbo. I'm of course going to start with the exhaust w/in the next month.

BTW, I had my back seat packed full of stuff (car seat, leather jackets, tools, other odds and ends) plus my trunk was not cleared out. Had a few tools and knickknacks back there. I probably could have cleared 50 lbs out of my car before, but my friend wanted to test his car out against my car. I was curious as well. I just wish there were a track near. Next time I'm going to the old abandoned ww2 airbase near here. good with no traffic.

 

[miwise]

That's funny 4 years ago I got worked over in my then stock SC400 by a 98 4.6L mustang GT and that was the turning point in starting to modify my SC.. I had seen enough of the tail ends of faster cars...

Now I find it hard pressed to lose a street race in my SC400...

My advise is you can get these SC's moving but it takes alot - Start with an upgraded torque converter and few exhaust mod's and you should be able to hang around that mustang... You need boost to do any real damage in an SC or a good Nitrous system like I have... The SC's are heavy and painfully slow at takeoffs in stock form...

Good luck..

Sounds good. I'm going to check into the torque converter. I started to do this a little while back with a rebuilt lextreme converter. How do these stand up to the dragon TC? I'm definitely going to upgrade the exhaust in the near future and eliminate ALL of the cats. Here's what I'm lookin into right now. seems promising. Was considering doing exhaust this month. Here it is: http://rushimports.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=31 I don't want loud, just unrestricted. I read somewhere (I've read SO many things that everything just gets mixed up in my brain and can't remember where I heard it. . .information overload) that I can use magnaflow exhaust w/about 2 resonators to get it back stock sounding. Does the rushimports extractors look promising? Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[jibbby]

Well miwise, the Dragon Torque Converter is probably the best mod you can do besides the turbo, superchargering and or Nos...That will wake your car up 0-40mph big time..You will spin off the line..You will also hang with a GT Mustang with just that mod 0-40mph...Then with all the exhaust mods, like headers, mufflers, cats, pipes, etc.. you will then maybe hang at the back end of the race with that 99 Mustang GT....Drop as much weight as you can and hook up an ECU piggy back and do the BFI intake and you will take that Mustang even without the forced air induction...

Then boost and get an Supra Torsen LSD and some good treads and it's over....

 

[WDoherty]

yes go with the rush headers. Also an x pipe 2.25 mandrel bent custom exhaust with mufflers and resonators of choice and you should gain 20-25rwhp. Add the dragon tc and you should hang with or beat the stang.

 

[miwise]

Well, I'm going to start looking for that dragon TC. I guess I'll try and do that before the exhaust.

 

[jibbby]

Unfortunately the Dragon Torque Converter is like $900 new and then it should cost around $300 for any local tranny shop to install it properly...Remember they have to drop the tranny to install a new TC....

A cheaper alternative is to send in a used Lexus stock torque converter that you can pick up at any wreck yard to match you SC for cheap and then send that into LEXTREME and have it recalibrated for like $400...and then have it installed for $300..Sell your old TC or keep it for back up.

The stall rates are close to the same between LEX's TC's and the Dragon TC's...

Just a few options for you..

 

[miwise]

That's what I was wondering. Is the Lextreme TC going to perform as well as the Dragon? If so, I'd just as soon save the extra 500 dollars.

 

[miwise]

Oh yeah. Does anyone know if there is anything that can trick the o2 sensors behind the cat if I remove all the cats so the check engine light doesn't kick on and the fuel air ratios aren't messed up.

 

[WDoherty]

here is the dragon for $695, i hear its well worth it
http://www.jdsperformance.com/index.asp?fcmd=item&initemuid=452

 

[miwise]

Wow, that's a good price. I'm going to have to get that one. End of month project! How about the O2 sensors. how do I trick them into thinking the cats are still there?

 

[jibbby]

You can relocate/re-position the O2 sensors further on down the exhaust in regards to the down pipe cats and hope the check engine light does not come on...You have 3 total cats on your SC4...The only O2 sensors that will be effected with cat deletion is the ones located on the 2 little cats near your stock headers...The big center cat does not have sensors and that main center cat can be deleted or changed out to the high flow cat with no problems....You may elect not to mess with the two little cats until you try and fit in new headers..Those two exhaust items (headers and small cats) kind of go hand in hand and is easier in my opinion to do both at one time for fitment sakes.. Just a few more pointers for you..

Also $695 is a pretty good deal for the Dragon from the $900, I paid 3 years ago..