white_is - IS300 never ending build thread.

[white_is]

As posted in my introduction thread, my name is Corey. I'm in the United States and have a 2005 Lexus IS300.

There is going to be a TON of pictures, I've been through a few stages with the car so far


Here is my current mod list, pictures will follow!

Exterior
15% Tint
DIY Satin Black Fog Lights
DIY Satin Black Head Lights
DressUpBolts.com Titanium Engine Bay Dress Up Kit
Figs Hood Prop Kit
Ganador Super Mirrors Carbon Fiber with Blue Glass
JDM Altezza Antenna
JDM Altezza Rear Emblem
JDM Altezza Window Visors
JDM Modellista Qualitat Front Bumper
JDM Modellista Qualitat Side Skirts
JDM Modellista Qualitat Rear Bumper
Red Out Third Brake Light (Trunk Spoiler)
Replica UGO Roof Spoiler
Satin Black Tail Lights with Chrome Rings (Done by MMSport)
TRD Oil Cap

Interior
Carbing Shift Knob
Grom Audio iPod Adapter
JDM Altezza RS200 Digital Gauge Cluster
JDM Non Smokers Box
Led Dome Light
Led Door Lights
Led Map Light
Led Trunk Lights
TRD Leather Shift Knob
*All-Weather Floor Mats (For Bad Weather/Winter)

Lighting
3000k HIDextra Fog Lights
Halo LED License Plate Lights
Nokya Hyper Yellow Bulbs DRL/High beams
Polarg Hybrid Red Bulbs Tail Lights

Performance
Carbing Cooling Plate
Figs Clutch Dampener Device Delete
Karl-Sport Short Shifter
Kimura Engineering Axle Back Exhaust
Koyo Aluminum Radiator
TRD Type S 1.3kg/m^2 Radiator Cap
Samco Coolant Hoses and Clamp Kit

Suspension and Brakes
5 Speed LSD
BC Racing Coilovers (12k/10k)
BC Racing Damping Adjustment Extenders
Cusco Trunk Bar
Cusco Upper A Arms
Figs Caliper Adapters
Figs Front End Links
Figs Mega Arms (Rear Lower Control Arms)
Figs Rear End Links
Figs Rear Toe Links
Figs Roll Center Adjusters
Figs Sway Bar Relocation Brackets
IS300 EBC 3GD Sport Rotors (Rear)
IS300 EBC RedStuff Pads (Rear)
LS400 EBC 3GD Sport Rotors (Front)
LS400 EBC RedStuff Pads (Front)
LS400 Front Calipers
Tanabe Sustec Front Sway Bar
Tanabe Sustec Rear Sway Bar
Techna-Fit SS Brake Lines (Black Coated)
Tuned Parts Rigid Bars

Wheels and Tires
10mm Ichiba V1 Spacers (Rear)
15mm Ichiba V1 Spacers (Front)
Blitz Type 03 18x9 +41 18x10 +45
Falken Ziex ZE-912 215/45/17 (Stock wheels)
General G-Max 03 225/40/18 (Front) 255/35/18 (Rear
Stock 11-Spoke wheels


And the car as it currently sits.

[white_is]

Picked up the car bone stock with 28,000 miles on it!



Then went to this, TRD replica lip kit, coilovers, Work Emotion XD9's.





Sold the XD9's.



Got my new wheels, SSR Professor MS1



Picked up painted tail lights!



LSD install

[white_is]

Just another picture



Sold my old coilovers, put stock suspension on.



Ran my Grom Audio Iphone player under the center console and out the armrest.



Installing BC racing coilovers, Cusco Upper A arms, Figs Mega arms, spacers.





Figs Hysteer RCA with spacer





Karl Sport short shifter



Sold my lip kit!

[white_is]

Picked up a JDM front bumper with Elegant lip and Altezza mesh grille.



Sold that, picked up a Vertex front bumper



Picked up some new wheels... SSR Koenig/Koenig WRV



Full Vertex kit with JDM rear bumper, Ugo roof spoiler, 3 bar Altezza grille.









Bunch of maintenance stuff! Figs toe links, Koyo radiator, TRD radiator and oil cap

[white_is]

Refinished my Koenigs!







Figs Poly bushings





How I should have left the car...









Carbing shift knob and extender



Engine bay



"Sold" my Vertex kit and Koenigs

[white_is]

"Carbon fiber" Ganadors with blue glass



New wheels



Wald Flares and Vertex bonnet spoiler



Clean trunk + Cusco trunk brace



Cleaned my interior



Oh and Altezza digital cluster



Picked up a full Modellista Qualitat kit











Tried on the Wald flares but did NOT like it...







Picked up a set of Rect Japan (?) Quarter window ducts



Some more pictures

[white_is]

And this is where the car sits RIGHT now

[white_is]

Again, the last post is how the car currently sits.

I have a pair of fog lights waiting for me, but I'll still need an HID kit and figure out a way to make them work since they are H1 (I think) and my stock fog lights are H3.

Trying to sell the Wald fender flares currently.

Looking for Vertex fenders, some sort of vented hood. Once I have both of those I will have them painted, along with the Vertex bonnet spoiler, Ganadors, and window ducts. I'd like to get a new trunk spoiler as well if I can find one.

And I need to have the Modellista Qualitat kit painted.

Plan to widen/refinish my Blitz wheels to 18x10 and 18x11.

Have some cloth rear seats/door panels on the way for an eventual set of Recaro's/Bride's. Plan to have a cage, seats, harnesses, steering wheel setup. (long term)

Still have a BUNCH of suspension work I want to do. Front bushings have priority, then rear. All of Figs parts he offers, strut bars, and under braces are on the list.

And eventually MORE POWER.


Lots of stuff to do, little time/money One day it'll be close to done.

[white_is]

And if any of you have access to a Qualitat badge/emblem from the front bumper/grille I want to buy one! I need it to finish my kit off.

[mlcoolj]

waow, just waow.. great build man.. love the forelast set of wheels but you current set is very nice also! How'd you get the Altezza cluster to work in the 300?? I think a lot of people are jealous at you for that one...

[banan1984]

That car is sick!! So many transformations!! Good work

[donut46]

That is one sweet car buddy, you did well to get a qualitat kit in the states they are hard to find here in Ireland. As I said in the badge thread you put up I will keep a eye out for a qualitat badge for you

[poTTa]

I have that same problem...don't get the H3 HID kit...it's not worth the hassle...I've been there.
Some fog light kits come with an H3 to 9006 adapter, get that.
Very nice build btw...although you seem to be confused/miserable with the aesthetics department...

[AgtX]

nice, but the wheel arches are a bit dodgy looking

[white_is]

waow, just waow.. great build man.. love the forelast set of wheels but you current set is very nice also! How'd you get the Altezza cluster to work in the 300?? I think a lot of people are jealous at you for that one...

I loved the Koenig's, but it bothered me that I had to run a spacer to clear my LS400 calipers. The Blitz wheels clear with no spacer (though I am running one), so when I widen them they will fit perfect!

Altezza cluster is "plug and play" for 2002+ IS300. Everything "works" minus the oil pressure. Reads in KM/H and the RPM's are off but it works. I have everything necessary to get the oil pressure gauge working, RPM's reading correctly, and to convert to MPH, just haven't installed wired things up The ABS light is the only thing I don't know/understand why it is on, it shouldn't be. I assume it's a difference in ABS/speed sensors.

That car is sick!! So many transformations!! Good work

That is one sweet car buddy, you did well to get a qualitat kit in the states they are hard to find here in Ireland. As I said in the badge thread you put up I will keep a eye out for a qualitat badge for you

Thanks guys! And donut that would be greatly appreciated. I've been looking but as hard as it is to find the front bumper I've had no luck lol.

I have that same problem...don't get the H3 HID kit...it's not worth the hassle...I've been there.
Some fog light kits come with an H3 to 9006 adapter, get that.
Very nice build btw...although you seem to be confused/miserable with the aesthetics department...

I plan to just get some extra H3/H1 plugs and make a jumper harness. I could just cut the H3 plugs off and get an H1 HID kit but I want to be able to switch back to my OEM bumper if ever needed. I like to keep things factory if possible.

And I'm taking this from my intro thread in regards to changing the look so often:

"I have come to not like replica parts. The first lip kit I had was replica pieces that did not fit well.

So I decided to go OEM Elegant lips, bought the front bumper with lip and then a Vertex bumper popped up for sale. I thought, "hey not many people have this kit why not". Plus, I got killer deals on the front bumper and side skirts. I was in the full kit including JDM rear bumper for 2/3 what the kit would have cost me new.

After having the Vertex kit for less than a year, TONS of IS300 in the states popped up with them. VIS started producing replica kits (along with Version Select, and a few other eBay/replica places) so EVERYONE was jumping the band wagon. It got to a point where people were asking if I was running replica Vertex.

I "traded" the Vertex kit to a guy in Florida. I was going to get an Elixir kit in return. Shipping company (Greyhound) lost the entire kit. Luckily I was compensated some, but not in full value of either kit so I lost money AND had no kit.

I was planning Elixir, Ganadors, Wald flares, Blitz 03's. Was going to be similar style to the Altezza Drift Club cars. That was the "look" I wanted.

Since Elixir was no longer an option I was looking elsewhere. I was a day late buying a BN Sports kit which would have been the same plan as the Elixir kit.

Same day I went to buy BN Sports the Modellista kit popped up. I bought it basically just incase. I wasn't sure if I would like it but I knew it wouldn't be up for sale long. I figured it would be easier to sell if I didn't like it than try to find another. I got the kit, installed it, and it has continued to grow on me.

My biggest thing, is I want to build a car that isn't easily replicated. Something different than what everyone is doing in the states. Half the new IS300 owners don't even know what Modellista is here "

nice, but the wheel arches are a bit dodgy looking

Hence the reason for wanting Vertex arches like I mentioned.
Not to mention the Wald flares that I have would take care of any fender issues. Which I intended to use for exactly that reason until the areo kit situation worked out like it did.

I just purchased the Modellista kit less than a month ago, wasn't sure I was even going to keep it, so I haven't had a chance to pick up new fenders.