Nightlight | The High Road

Night Import: Photography and Words by Jim Davis

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In my eyes, all cars have a soul. They all have certain quirks and defects that tell a story. If all cars could talk, I am sure they would have interesting stories to tell us - how they got their first dent, where they have been, what they've seen, and who has owned and driven them. As gear-heads we all love what we drive in some way, we all have that passion that connects us to our inanimate objects with wheels.




This 1997 Lexus SC400 owned by Ron LaDue of New York is no different. What he has done to it over the past years has added a chapter in its history. Each year the car receives a different set of wheels, which right now are Boss 338 in 18X9.5 with a -4 offset at all four corners, not a normal choice of wheels but thats what makes it different. Tires are 225/40-18 Nankang Ultra Sport NS-II and 215/45-18 Dunlop Zeon ZPT. Camber specs ring in at negative 5 for the front and negative 7 for the rear.

Keeping the car suspended are MKVI Supra TT Tokico OEM shocks and MKVI Supra TT Sprint lowering springs which make the Diamond White Pearl Lexus sit nicely. PBM rear subframe collars and rear solid differential bushings also find their way on the car. To keep the rear wheels moving the rear end has been welded and has 4.27 ratio gears.

Spent exhaust gases from the 1UZ-FE V8 power plant are passed through a 2.5-inch single exit exhaust with a 3-inch ISIS rear tip. No mufflers or resonators can be found on the car, only if it was high enough to look under.

Things are kept simple on the inside with a harness and floor bar as well as a white wood steering wheel with an NRG 2.5 quick release and works bell short hub with air bag delete.




Located in the middle of the hood is a Uras style hood vent pop-riveted in place. Ron is on his third Vertex style front bumper that has been repaired 3 times. Side skirts are also Vertex style that have been mounted backwards for a different look.


 Out back a hole-less, wingless OEM trunk lid can be found along with a BN Type I knockoff rear lip.




The passion and love for this car can be seen earlier when Ron had the car sold - at the last minute the buyer was called and told to turn around, the Lexus love was too strong. While the car isn't a drift car, it's used and driven a lot, each one of its chips, cracks, or zip ties holding a part of the body kit together is part of a story - a story which only the car can partially tell.