When it comes down to SC400 or P71?

Appleseed wrote: You have two daughters, Nothing scares away potential boy friends like a cop car. Just sayin'.

I also have two daughters and so far I've found nothing scares away potential boyfriends, and I mean nothing!!!!

As a father of an as of yet unborn daughter all of this talk is making my stomach queasy, thanks.

A few years back, when it was around 50 degrees on Christmas in our neck of the woods, Clem, I borrowed an Aprilia Falco from my shop for the weekend. That's a Rotax v-twin, making around 120 hp with the pipe and chip this particular bike had. As I was strafing the gloriously empty back roads out by my folks' house, I spotted something in my mirrors: an SC400, and it was closing on me. I was moving at this point, but neither pushing myself or the bike. Since this was a fast section of wide sweepers with great sightlines, I wicked it up a bit. When I hit around 130 and the Lexus was still hanging with me, I backed off, right about the time he turned onto a side road with a little flash of the headlights.

That was the day I found new respect for the SC400.

Just sayin'.

for some odd reason, I like this guy...

a quick ebay search shows they are under $15k. So who knows about them?

short and sweet post... I vote for a nice P71

What's that car, Ignorant?

Looks good for a modern car. I like the thin pillars.

Infiniti M45 of either the '03 or '04 variety, the only two years that body style was sold in the US.
Shares the same drivetrain as the Q45 but in a "racier" body.
They look fantasticly sinister in black on black.

M45 infiniti. 300 hp v8 and rear wheel drive + super nice interior and a sweet smooth ride.

Seem like a hell of a value for the money.

so who has info on them....

I always figured i might own a M45 once they got old enough. About 10 years old would be about right so that means just a few more years to go. They seem to be price around $15k-$10k now so just a few more years and they will hit my sweet spot price wise.
I consider the M45 to be the most un-recognized vehicle sold in the US in the last 10 years. On top of that, I think it is one of the best looking as well.

Could a Mark VIII be considered the American equivilent to a SC400?
Is a MarkVIII to the Crown Vic what the SC400 is to the LS400?

Pricing is right.
Sample: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=271335683&dealer_id=57912627&car_year=1997&rdm=1261231832788&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&model=MARK8&systime=&make2=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=both&distance=300&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=y&first_record=26&make=LINC&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=44870&advanced=&end_year=2003&pager.offset=25&transmission=&doors=&max_price=&cardist=50&standard=false&rdpage=thumb

alex wrote: A few years back, when it was around 50 degrees on Christmas in our neck of the woods, Clem, I borrowed an Aprilia Falco from my shop for the weekend. That's a Rotax v-twin, making around 120 hp with the pipe and chip this particular bike had. As I was strafing the gloriously empty back roads out by my folks' house, I spotted something in my mirrors: an SC400, and it was closing on me. I was moving at this point, but neither pushing myself or the bike. Since this was a fast section of wide sweepers with great sightlines, I wicked it up a bit. When I hit around 130 and the Lexus was still hanging with me, I backed off, right about the time he turned onto a side road with a little flash of the headlights. That was the day I found new respect for the SC400. Just sayin'.

They handle so much better than they have any right to. Think about it... you're basically driving a V8 MKiv Supra with not a whole lot more weight on it.

Buddy of mine had an SC300, he threw on MKiv TT struts, some Tein springs, new bushings, put on some Mustang Bullit wheels (seriously) with some RE01Rs, and installed MKiv TT seats. That thing flat out HUSTLED around the Dragon, and still felt unflappable. I could have matched the speed fairly easily in my car, but be assured it wouldn't have felt near as stable, and would have been a rough queasy ride.

I'm going to see if he can give me some pictures, it was a badass car. Had a little under 200k on it, and it drove like new, pulled like crazy, smooth, and sounded great.

Mark VIII shares nothing with the Crown Vic. It's an MN12 platform (89-97 Thunderbird/Cougar plus the Mark VIII). Heavy but with IRS, disc brakes, and a DOHC 4.6. The LSC version has an 8.8 center section in the IRS (which means easy gear/LSD swapping) and some other goodies. They are very interesting cars and totally worth a shot.

That M45 is freaking sinister looking too! Hmmmmm....

i got bored with my P71 after a few months. then it gets fun again when the snow is on the roads, then i get bored again when it is warm out.

the biggest thing is value for price. you can get a 90-100k mile 4-5 year old car for the same price as a 150k mile 15 year old lexus.

P71 wrote: Mark VIII shares nothing with the Crown Vic. It's an MN12 platform (89-97 Thunderbird/Cougar plus the Mark VIII). Heavy but with IRS, disc brakes, and a DOHC 4.6. The LSC version has an 8.8 center section in the IRS (which means easy gear/LSD swapping) and some other goodies. They are very interesting cars and totally worth a shot.

Yep.

And I still have that T45 swap in my garage... I have been thinking about an LSC for a while now. I'm thinking black with Volvo Pegasus wheels (taking advantage of the 5x108 bolt pattern). Yum.

P71

Q45

Lexus

, in that order. Any one of them would be fine. I shopped a long time for a Q45 before I bought my P71. It came down to the fact that they were all haggard and twice as old in any dollar for dollar comparison. I've had my ford a year and a half, no regrets.

I only have two kids and I'd never consider a two door for DD duty, but that's just me. I had a mustang SVO when my second boy was born, it got real old real fast loading them in and out. maybe it's not so bad if they're older.

Having owned a sc400 for awhile I can add, if something breaks and you don't have a lexus dealer in your town, you are likely screwed, parts ALWAYS have to be ordered, ALWAYS, brake pads, yup, water pump, yup, not to mention it's a BITCH to change, you have to disassemble the front 5inches of the motor, that being said, now that I've done it once, I could do it again, in an afternoon, timing belt, you had better goto Toyota for that one, for some reason the parts store ones don't get the job done, tough motor though, I enjoyed driving ours alot, my wife did to even though she complained about a white lexus with beige interior being a "grandma" car. They lie to you, you can be running 85-90 down the interstate and you don't feel like it.

Haven't driven the P71, so I can't compare the two, but I will say this, you can probably walk into the parts store and buy brake pads, water pump, etc for it.

Oh yeah, remember, you're buying lexus parts, so expect a lexus price tag. I think the cheapest I found front pads for was 50-60 bucks locally.

p-71 all the way

ignorant wrote: M45 infiniti. 300 hp v8 and rear wheel drive + super nice interior and a sweet smooth ride. Seem like a hell of a value for the money. so who has info on them....

+1 Those things are mean lookin'. I believe that they did not sell well because most people though they were to bland. I think they are sharp.

I did front and rear brakes on the LS400. It wasn't that bad at all. Put new rotors on the front too, as the OEM ones were starting to warp. Lifetime warranty from O'Reilley's on their "best" pads. Biggest PITA was the "Your brake pads are almost getting ready to wear out" indicator, which is a wire that runs through the pad. It, of course, wore through. I just pulled it through a little more and connected it up.

I think they did not sell well because they were $45k Infinitis; similar to how, in those years Q45's did not sell well along with FX45's at the time.

At under $15K, they are a smoking good deal; as are depreciated Q45's and FX45's

Proof!

Robo-Cop started the whole murdred out thing

Fit_Is_Slo posted a photo of: something not rear wheel drive, not standard transmission, and not V8 powered

I don't get it.

I'm still torn on this theoretical choice.

On one hand I want the fun of the SC400.

On the other hand, I want the cheap of the P71 (buy-in and maintenance).

There's a real conflict between fun and money here...

Clem

Lugnut wrote: And I still have that T45 swap in my garage... I have been thinking about an LSC for a while now. I'm thinking black with Volvo Pegasus wheels (taking advantage of the 5x108 bolt pattern). Yum.

If you go T45, make damn sure to put an aftermarket shifter on it - T45s don't have internal shift stops, and I've bent a shift fork because of it.

And I don't think that's the right bolt pattern. The Lincoln should use the same 5x4.5 that Mustangs do (5x114.3 for you metric types). The only 4.25 inch bolt pattern I'm aware of Ford using is the 4x4.25 used by the Foxbody chassis (the Probe may use a 4.25 pattern, too, but that's a Mazda and therefore doesn't count )

ClemSparks wrote: I'm still torn on this theoretical choice. On one hand I want the fun of the SC400. On the other hand, I want the cheap of the P71 (buy-in and maintenance). There's a real conflict between fun and money here... Clem

You only live once. I refuse to buy a car unless it makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.

And yes, the EGT did that. Deal with it everybody.