LM7 Powered Lexus SC 530 Goes Drifting

Pivot Point

Forum member outlaw0209's background was originally in 240SX Nissans, but upon acquiring his first Lexus SC he "completely fell in love with the chassis." He daily drove and occasionally drifted, that first bone stock SC until it was rear-ended. After that, he bought a 240SX again, built an LS-swapped drift car out of it, but ended up selling it after a couple of years and buying his dream car, a MkIV Toyota Supra. The Supra—a normally-aspirated, lowered, 5-speed car—was an exceptionally clean and well-maintained example. At this point, Outlaw had a decision to make. He could build the Supra or build a drift car. "I decided on the SC since I was going to drive it like I would never drive my Supra," Outlaw said about his decision.

Motivated Buyer

Outlaw liked the SC platform so much that this marked his fourth, but it would be his first dedicated track/drift Lexus. "The Lexus chassis is built tough and can take the power and beating. All components are beefy and of good quality," he said. "Not to mention the interchangeability between the SC and Supra." He also noted, as someone who'd been around the drift scene for a while, that built SCs were not nearly as common as 240s. "It makes it stand out in a crowd," he said.

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The Shell

Outlaw found the perfect starting place for his project in a friend's garage. His buddy bought the SC 300 as an all-original car, then swapped in a 1JZ with a 5-speed conversion. Outlaw's timing was perfect since his friend ended up parting out the car just as Outlaw was looking for an SC base. "I bought the rolling shell with intentions from the beginning to build something to just hammer at the track," he remembers.

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Chassis

Since this wasn't his first build, and since the car was already partially pulled apart, Outlaw decided to strip the SC down the chassis and start from scratch. He built the car back up utilizing Stance coilovers; custom modified steering knuckles for more angle; solid steering rack, subframe, and differential bushing bushings; and a larger-diameter Kazama sway bar.

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Kit

"This is where it got a bit interesting," Outlaw says about dropping the LS into his Lexus. At the time he started the build, in 2014, LS-swapped SCs had been around for a while, but there hadn't been a really well-documented build yet, and the only available kit required modification to fit the Z30 platform. Outlaw was friends with the owner of locally-based Fueled Racing, and after talking it over, they agreed to use Outlaw's car as a prototype for a comprehensive clean-sheet LS-swap kit. That kit went into in production and you can buy it today thanks to their partnership. 

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Drivetrain part 1

Outlaw hadn't originally planned to rebuild the donor LS, or even paint the engine bay, but once he got started he couldn't help himself. "It was not supposed to be clean by any means," he confessed. "I took more pride in my work than expected." He did end up rebuilding the F-body-sourced 2002 5.3-liter LM7, and the build got serious. The engine features a GM ASA cam with GM beehive springs, mild port work on the heads, an LS6 intake manifold, and a ported throttle body. He had the Hastings piston rings suitably end-gapped for eventually going forced induction, had a custom one-way-door-baffled Moroso oil pan uilt, and installed a Supra radiator plumbed with braided-steel AN lines. The Fueled Racing stainless long tube headers feed into a 3-inch exhaust system, the AEM 320LPH fuel pump is fed by -6 AN fuel lines, and the whole mess is fastened using "ARP everything."

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Drivetrain part 2

The resultant set-up makes 338 hp and 318 lb-ft of torque, but the engine was assembled with some future boost in mind, as was the 2002 F-body T56 trans., which has been modified to withstand 800 lb-ft-plus loads. Power goes to a welded differential, then to the ground via 18x10.5 +15 Varrstoen ES2 wheels, and whatever tires he's burning off this week. The SC's ABS has been deleted and stopping power is provided by Supra TT brakes at all four corners.

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Interior

Like the chassis and motor, the interior was also stripped down and built back up to spec. This includes a beautifully-welded 6-point roll cage suitable for tandem drifting and other future competition work, Speedhut gauges set in a custom aluminum gauge cluster panel, racing seats with 5-point harnesses, and a quick-release steering wheel for easier ingress-egress while climbing over the cage.  

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Cost

Outlaw said the work was done on and off over the course of two years, including "Many weekends and late nights, just myself or with some help from friends," and cost him a little under $22K total. He put just as much attention into accounting for monetary outlays as he did into the mechanical aspects of the build, recording everything he bought on a spreadsheet he created for the car. "From the engine to EVERY nut, bolt, bottle of fluid, etc…I wanted to show people that even if you find great deals, which I did, it ALWAYS adds up," he said. "Could have I done this swap for much cheaper? Definitely. But I didn’t cut any corners and re-did the motor with all brand new components to make sure it won’t ever give me any issues. Down to a brand new starter. So far it has paid off. Not one hiccup."

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Plans

Outlaw tells us he has more in store for the SC 530. He mentions the exterior—you may have noticed a few missing body parts—which he said is pretty much untouched. He wants to finish it off with a body kit," nothing crazy" he says, a big Country Labs wing, and a fresh coat of paint—though he hasn't picked out a color yet. And of course turbocharging is also on the horizon, to the tune of between 600-800 hp. For now, the project is on hiatus, "Things got put on hold with buying my first home and allocating money to that, then getting engaged, and now planning for a wedding."

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Parting thoughts

Outlaw summed up the whole process: "The point of the car is to have fun. Nothing too polished, just something that is functional, looks cool, and I can beat the crap out of, on and off the track."  When he's not drifting the A/C-less car, the Arizona resident says that if it's not too hot, "I’ll drive it around the city, cruise with my friends, and go to local car meets with it. It’s a driver’s car and my personal escape."

Huge thanks to outlaw0209 for the photos and for taking the time to talk to us about his Lexus! If you want to read more about the SC 530, Outlaw, true to form, documented the whole thing in a highly-detailed thread here. He didn't divulge where the soon-to-be-married couple is registered, but we'd start by checking all the usual high-performance parts suppliers.

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