Hey Guys This Is My Lexus

[4plzu]

hey guys im new here, i recently purchased my first lexus a few months ago. im only 18 i've worked my life away dreaming of the day of owning something nice.

this is my car, i have so far done a few things to it, nothing major yet, but saving up for everything i do is quite hard being young and independant, i hope you guys enjoy anyway.

So far the mods arent major, but what i've done is

New smoked l.e.d tailights, i really didnt like the stock ones, i looked into the is-f ones but they were also sort of common.

black mesh grille

lip spoiler

i just got my new rims in today, they haven't been fitted yet i just hope they do.

they're 19 inch starcorp impuls 19x8.5 front with 235

19x9.5 rear with 265 rubber

HOPE THEY GO OK, anybody use similar width on theyre car without the need to roll guards? or play around with fenders?

i have coilovers next in mind, if there is anything you guys can recommend me it would be appreciated, as i have to have everything legal since im a p plater the police will be pulling me over regularly..

anyway here are some pics xD

it's a 2008 model prestige

future mods will be coilovers, lip kit, navigation upgrade from higher end model if compatible, soon will be a 12 inch jl audio w3 sub and kicker zx400.1 mono.

wheels are the major thing i choose to upgrade after i come across a decent set of japanese light weight 3piece work varianza t1s or some work meisters orrrr bbs mesh wheels.

what do you guys think so far?

i want it to be one of queenslands nicest p plater is250, so far i havent seen any other p plater with one here.

[Natroth]

The wheels are a good look! Lets see them on the car

What did you do to get the LED tails working? Did you put in a load capacitor?

[4plzu]

The wheels are a good look! Lets see them on the car

What did you do to get the LED tails working? Did you put in a load capacitor?

thanks man, i just couldnt justify the stock 16s that were hideous with such huge guards..

i cant wait for them to be fitted!

umm, to be honest, i have no idea lol. my dad installed them for me, i've also removed my reflectors as i want them tinted.

i just hope the wheels dont scrub

[cevu]

looks clean so far! which imho is the way it should be with this car.

where did you get the grill from?

i agree with your thoughts on the 16's! they look terrible and make a nice car ugly! lol.....:-)

i had to play around with mine before i got them flush with the guards, but no mods done to guards at all.

ended up with 18 x 8 45+ front & 18 x 8 35+ rear w/ 15mm spacers front and rear!

i've got the same led tail lights but.

they work fine without any mod required apart from the fact the indicator is now faster than usual! looks like its gone nuts but i've since gotten' used to it!

i've got D2 coilovers on mine and the ride is stiff even on soft settings so you might want to look more into all available coilovers before parting with your hard earned cash :-)

[4plzu]

looks clean so far! which imho is the way it should be with this car.

where did you get the grill from?

i agree with your thoughts on the 16's! they look terrible and make a nice car ugly! lol.....:-)

i had to play around with mine before i got them flush with the guards, but no mods done to guards at all.

ended up with 18 x 8 45+ front & 18 x 8 35+ rear w/ 15mm spacers front and rear!

i've got the same led tail lights but.

they work fine without any mod required apart from the fact the indicator is now faster than usual! looks like its gone nuts but i've since gotten' used to it!

i've got D2 coilovers on mine and the ride is stiff even on soft settings so you might want to look more into all available coilovers before parting with your hard earned cash :-)

hey man, umm i got the grill of ebay LOL.

you'd be surprised how awesome the stuff can be sometimes, you just gotta be careful it all goes well.

heres some more pics, i test fitted the wheels, front just scrubs a tinyyyyy bit when at full lock so might have to do something about it.

hey are the d2 coilovers australian standards and legal?

and how much are they?

[Turbo4]

You are ruining your IS250 matey.

Why buy a 50K car and then go and put povvo-spec rims on it? Starcorp are bottom-of-the-barrel rubbish that will quickly buckle when you hit a decent pothole, and with 19's you WILL find your share of potholes. So eventually you'll have a shake thru the steering wheel and need a new rim, or two.

Same with the suspension. Lexus' stock setup is pin-sharp and brilliant thru a set of twisties, and you're going to ruin that with crap coilovers like D2's. I guarantee you'll regret messing with it, but at 18 there'll be no telling you.

[Bartek]

@4plzu

OK I'm happy that you've got your first Lexus at such a young age AND I do agree stock 16'' are not too good looking wheels (I've got them too) BUT I would never put 19'' wheels on this car. There is a very simple reason to all that - you will loose all your Lexus "quality and comfort" of ride. It will basically be louder, stiffer on your bum so you will feel any possible crack/pothole on the road. I currently drive on 16'' because I enjoy the smoothness of the ride however I do plan on changing the wheels to 17'' as I drove few Prestige models with 17'' and the ride is comfortable enough, not spoiled. 18'' - a bit too much for me unless we're talking a bigger car to house the bigger tyre profile.

I drove the IS-F around Sandown race-track about 2 months ago (Lexus Drive Day) and as much as the big wheels on that rocket do well on the track - I don't find them useful on everyday roads.

Also - that problem with scrubbing - do something about it, otherwise it may cause you headaches with warranty if something goes terribly wrong (touch wood).

If it comes to the mesh grille - that is simply a big no-no if you ask me. Where is the Lexus emblem? Now it looks like one of those WRX/EVOs/Skylines that we see on the road.

Lights - yeah sure why not, these do look a bit better than the stock ones.

Don't get me wrong - I designed a few sports kits, together with wheels in the past and participated in virtual tuning contests and forums AND as much as I would like to tune my IS250, I would simply not damage the original, clean design of the car because it is beautiful enough.

Anyway - it was just my few cents on your modifications. Hope you enjoy the ride!

[DANSLEX]

I agree with the general sentiment of this thread. I'll be honest with you and I don't want to come across as rude, but I just think you are too young for this car hey :) You want to rice up your IS250... I think you got the wrong car, you're just ruining it. You're probably better off getting something that is more suitable to the things you want to do with it. Those rims definately don't suit it. It's not really the size that concerns me, it's more the general cheapness of it. And the bling bling chrome... yeah, nah, do not want. Generally if you want to upgrade your rims, you'd need to spend like around 10% of the value of the car on the rims. Obviously a 60K car = roughly 5K for rims. You'll then know you're getting something decent, quality rims. It's a quality car, don't put 1500 dollar tempe rims on it. You see all sorts of shocking mods on lancers, old skylines and so on. Fair enough with $1500 rims... those car's cost under 15K bucks anyway. And thjose rims would suit them well. But not this car. Don't make it an abortion :)

It's one thing to do mods to your car. Another to do tasteful mods. Number one rule re mods is to spend more up front to start with, get quality mods. If you're chucking on cheap mods on your car, you're making your car look cheap. Simple.

[ProjectIS]

Hi 4plzu,

Mate, first and foremost, welcome!!!!! (Although I must say that it probably doesn't feel that way from your end)!

Congrats on purchasing your ride at 18!! I think that its brilliant and no doubt you have worked hard to put your self in that position!!!

So again, props! You are never too young! Its your priorities at any given time that dictate where you spend your hard earned cash!!

Thanks for sharing and Im sure allot of the guys here............(and I could just start going through the list of names now but I won't at this stage), will only be too happy to throw feedback your way!

As for my thoughts, I think you will read through prior posts on what I think about the suspension setups etc. In short, I went Eibach coils as I wasn't after an aggressive drop and I still wanted to maintain a decent ride. Like you, I wanted to see what others had experienced so that I too could learn the easy way! Allot of the members here are brilliant at helping out so don't get scared off yet! Coilovers are not just for the track as some may suggest. If you want to achieve those aggressive looks, whilst still maintaining an awesome handle, they are the way to go! The classic dollars Vs needs!

Mate again, welcome and I look forward to seeing "YOUR" creation as you go! Its your ride, your flavour, see how you go!

I will add though, like some of the guys did mention, do be mindful of the "cheapening" factor! That being said, I don't think that you can put a dollar value on what is good or rather what is not going to cheapen the car... I have seen huge cash spent on well known brands, and the mods were just tasteless!! Anyway, my advise, choose your look and don't chop and change!

If there is anything I can do mate, let us know!

Later! ;)

[4plzu]

hey guys just replying back to everybodies comments on the one reply..

as to suspension, i just asked about the opinions of the d2, racing logics, all them cheaper, kc, bc racing or whatever.

my initial plan is to go all out and get the best for my car.

as for the wheels, i did state in my first comment that these are just temporary so i can save up for some work varianza t1s, work vs-xx, or some nice bbs rims in a staggered set.

i want to get the tien super street coilovers, im happy to spend around 2k for them.

as you say ride comfort, im not using these wheels for that reason, again i'll state it theyre just temporary so my car looks somewhat complete when i get it lowered, i don't want to have coilovers on a set of 16s, that'll just look wrong in my opinion.

im not to young for this car, what are you kidding me lol. i didn't know theres an age group to this car, i love the lexus and i went for it.

EDIT:for the record these 19s ARENT 1500 dollar wheels new..

thanks for the comments guys, the reason i changed the grill was cause i liked this nice black mesh grill.

i really saw soo many lexus's with the same standard grill either with the chrome on it and without. so i was like you know what its not everyday you see a different lexus, it's also not everyday you see a p plater driving with one, get this it'll look decent, some may think it's cheap but some may like it.

it doesn't need to have the lexus badge on it, any person who has an idea about a car will know what it is without the lexus badge on the grill.

that's the reason i also debadged it because i want it to stand out for it.

as i said, i've owned the car for a month now and have changed it that much so far..

once i get my coilovers, tanabe catback exhaust system and some tint i'll be happy for a short period of time till i decide to think of more stuff to do with it.

[4plzu]

and here is proof i dont ruin a standard looking car, my everyday other car :P

i know it's not a lexus but i have some taste and flavour in cars....

[ilv1004s]

keep up the good work mate

let us know how you go with mods

not feeling the clear taillights though.

[4plzu]

keep up the good work mate

let us know how you go with mods

not feeling the clear taillights though.

i wasn't a fan of the clear ones, the ones i have on for now are smoked clear..

we'll see how it goes down the track, might get them tinted...

[ProjectIS]

Work Varianza's, the guys will know, my all time favourite wheel! Nice choice! Last time I enquired, about $3800 from NZ landed. 19's obviously!

As for the suspension, if you are after the super low drop, have you considered the H&R coils?? You still get the nice drop like you can get from coilovers, but allot easier on the budget! Also still a progressive! Just another option!

[Bartek]

I strongly believe you're going too far now but hey - it is your car and your joy and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do ours ;)

I'm just a bit concerned that in fact - you're too young for it. I know you like it but there are some unwritten rules among tuners - don't touch certain cars, only modify them in a special way that the original image is still there.

I'll shoot with some examples now:

1) Sports exhaust? Hmmm...

2) Those 19'' wheels...

3) The mesh grill...yeahhhhNO.

^

The above set - WRX/EVO looks, cheap, sport, not comfy, not Lexus-worthy image. Young bloke that damaged the look of a very damn good looking car. Just another car owned by a p-plater <- This is what I (and other people) would say. Some females may drop their g-stros when they see your car though LOL.

1) GFX kit - nice soft looking mod

2) 18'' titanium (!) BBS wheels - rich and class

3) Stock grill (the Lexus logo is simply beautiful)

^

This is more like it, it doesn't spoil the looks of the car, it adds more class to it. It looks rich.

So the verdict is: make your Lexus stand out from the crowd rich and classy way, don't make it look cheap and childish.

Again - don't mean to sound too negative and do not take it the wrong way please. This forum can only recommend, can't force you to do things. We share opinions / suggestions, we don't command others.

[4plzu]

i agree with you to some extent, i cant stress it enough to say my wheels are temporary, HEY ITS SCHOOL HOLIDAYS :P

girls love it at the gold coast :P

im seriously keen as to getting decent rims sooner down the track n the near future, just gotta sell alfa to clear some more funds.

Mate grill is a 10 minute job lol.

if i get sick of it bam, it'll come off.

the thing was, i checked out usdm styling and i fell in love with the usdm styles.

that's what i achieve on doing, simply recreating the american trend here.

it's only a month since i've owned it, not months or years like the other tuners in australia/usa. So just lets see what the future has installed and how far deep my pockets can get..

here's some examples of usdm is250s..

[ProjectIS]

look, now im caught up in the debate!!! Ya'll all have valid points and im torn between the two!! (Im loving the debate)!!!

Here is my opinion.........

1.The Work wheels in the 19's (HOT). As long as the car does not look like a boat and is lowered accordingly! The BBS, a nice look for sure, but nicer in the 19's in my opinion. In chatting with 4plzu, ride noise and comfort ain't a huge concern so why not. Personally myself, I prefer 18's with a full faced wheel so to get the appearance of a larger dia! When you go deep dish as with the VIP style, you need 19's otherwise they look too small!!

2.The Tanabe exhaust, not an over board (speed racer) sound that you would expect from an over exhausted Hyundai, but never the less, like Bartek mentioned, not my flavour also. I don't like the constant drone in the cabin. Much prefer my F-Sport intake!!( Thanks Ilv)!! Better sound then the M3 in my opinion!!

3.The Mesh grill, sorry 4plzu! Not feeling it. I do like the prestige of the Lexus Grill. Like you said though, easy changed!

4.Lastly for now, GFX kit rocks!!! If you want a kit that is!!!

As for the pics, the pearl white, second from the top looks HOT!! You can't tell me that those deep dish wheels cheapen the ride! Yeah, as you metioned 4plzu , just heading towards the VIP style! That is still quite rare in Aus when looking at the IS250's. Must admit, the big breaks along with the slotted cross drilled rotors definately helps build the image of a classy sports saloon! IMO! ;)

[ilv1004s]

lol i guess i should start posting my mods :D hahaha

owned it for 2 weeks now and already too much spent lol

[illusivedreams]

In respect to the LED tail lights flashing out of control.

These are a great product

http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/led-electronic

They are digitaly controlled LED indicator flasher relays. No matter what lights (LED,or otherwise) These will give you a nice controlled flash at a normal legal interval.

I have this product on my motorbike and it works great.

As for cars .....Its your money go nuts.

I love the first 3 red,white and gun metal looks great although I would not drop them that much as to keep a nice ride. Just ehough to fill guars but not on ass....

Welcome to the mess enjoy the toy....

[FrankyX]

Great thread, my 2c. I too am torn between the arguments...

Firstly, I feel you can never be too young to own a Lexus. At 18, if it's on your own or with your parents help, all the best to ya. I was driving a 1981 Toyota corona wagon at 18 - ha. I think the statement you made 'im only 18 i've worked my life away dreaming of the day of owning something nice', is hilarious.

Secondly, if you have the cash to spend and want to make a statement by putting your personality into it, go for it. But, I do slightly agree that some mods may be going over board and could cheapen the ride and in the end the resale value. But each to their own.

Good luck and be sure to post updated pics as you go.

[cevu]

wow, there's a lot of opinions out there!

first thread on this forum in a while where i've seen everyone jump on board! nice to see!

anywayz, thoughts on this look? this is the exact look i'm going for including the purple calipers!

As already stated by most on this forum each to their own and what they want to do to their car!

Anyway, the comment regarding lexus stock suspension is good enough for the twisties! I've got D2 coilovers and there is certainly a night and day difference in handling. Although the stock suspension is good it can be improved on! Agreed, that D2 are probably not the greatest to go to with, however at the same time they are not the worse. I picked mine up from a fellow forum member for a bargain so can't complain!

There is also a reason why Lexus released the F-Sport parts! For those who wanted to improve upon the stock vehicle!

Anyway, each to their own but it was a bit disappointing to see everyone take a negative view to the original post! Also, a reason why i've spent most of my time on US forums as they are more open to customizing and enhancing their ride!

4plzu, do what you please mate, at the end of the day its your ride! Even if everyone thinks it looks s**t who cares, if you like it, thats all that counts!

Ilvs1004s...... where are the pics bro?

[Art_76]

wow, there's a lot of opinions out there!

first thread on this forum in a while where i've seen everyone jump on board! nice to see!

anywayz, thoughts on this look? this is the exact look i'm going for including the purple calipers!

As already stated by most on this forum each to their own and what they want to do to their car!

Anyway, the comment regarding lexus stock suspension is good enough for the twisties! I've got D2 coilovers and there is certainly a night and day difference in handling. Although the stock suspension is good it can be improved on! Agreed, that D2 are probably not the greatest to go to with, however at the same time they are not the worse. I picked mine up from a fellow forum member for a bargain so can't complain!

There is also a reason why Lexus released the F-Sport parts! For those who wanted to improve upon the stock vehicle!

Anyway, each to their own but it was a bit disappointing to see everyone take a negative view to the original post! Also, a reason why i've spent most of my time on US forums as they are more open to customizing and enhancing their ride!

4plzu, do what you please mate, at the end of the day its your ride! Even if everyone thinks it looks s**t who cares, if you like it, thats all that counts!

Ilvs1004s...... where are the pics bro?

How about I sell you my car all you have to do is paint the calipers purple.....

Purple? Red, black or even yellow would look nice but purple?

[cevu]

wow, there's a lot of opinions out there!

first thread on this forum in a while where i've seen everyone jump on board! nice to see!

anywayz, thoughts on this look? this is the exact look i'm going for including the purple calipers!

As already stated by most on this forum each to their own and what they want to do to their car!

Anyway, the comment regarding lexus stock suspension is good enough for the twisties! I've got D2 coilovers and there is certainly a night and day difference in handling. Although the stock suspension is good it can be improved on! Agreed, that D2 are probably not the greatest to go to with, however at the same time they are not the worse. I picked mine up from a fellow forum member for a bargain so can't complain!

There is also a reason why Lexus released the F-Sport parts! For those who wanted to improve upon the stock vehicle!

Anyway, each to their own but it was a bit disappointing to see everyone take a negative view to the original post! Also, a reason why i've spent most of my time on US forums as they are more open to customizing and enhancing their ride!

4plzu, do what you please mate, at the end of the day its your ride! Even if everyone thinks it looks s**t who cares, if you like it, thats all that counts!

Ilvs1004s...... where are the pics bro?

How about I sell you my car all you have to do is paint the calipers purple.....

Purple? Red, black or even yellow would look nice but purple?

lol...... yeah i know!

that was the reaction i knew i was going to get but hey, its about personalisation! blue, black, red, yellow, all been done over and over again! might not be to all tastes but at least u know it's my car! lol :-)

buy your car? not enjoying it yourself??? how's that hks exhaust anyway? any drone?

looking at a second hand isf some time next year!

theres one in vic for 97000 which is pretty tempting!

[ProjectIS]

Hey Cevu,

Pretty good thread, hey!!

As for your vision, nice!!!! I have never been a fan of the classic "coloured" wheel, but the Work emotions on that ride look tough! If we are sticking with the 250's though, (for a little while longer anyway),we need to start looking into some local BBK's. Cost a mint to freight in. Especially if you are going to paint the calipers purple, you will need them to be atleast a 12pot! ok, maybe 8 will do! Ha! (The pic has the the IS350 cal's which are bulk bigger then our baby 250's)!!

Upgrade a must!!

The GFX kit completes nice!! I will say though, Im not a big fan of the visors so please don't include them in your vision brother!! ;)

Im feel'n it!! ;)

Hey Art, did you change your wheels???

[Art_76]

Hey Cevu,

Pretty good thread, hey!!

As for your vision, nice!!!! I have never been a fan of the classic "coloured" wheel, but the Work emotions on that ride look tough! If we are sticking with the 250's though, (for a little while longer anyway),we need to start looking into some local BBK's. Cost a mint to freight in. Especially if you are going to paint the calipers purple, you will need them to be atleast a 12pot! ok, maybe 8 will do! Ha! (The pic has the the IS350 cal's which are bulk bigger then our baby 250's)!!

Upgrade a must!!

The GFX kit completes nice!! I will say though, Im not a big fan of the visors so please don't include them in your vision brother!! ;)

Im feel'n it!! ;)

Hey Art, did you change your wheels???

The HKS exhaust is nice especially with the F-Sport intake.

Haven't changed the wheels yet still got the 18"s on it. I was looking at the 19" IS-F wheels but for the price might as well put that money towards a demo or second hand IS-F like Cevu said.

Merging threads a little bit, are we ever going to get this meet up and going? It would be cool to meet before the year is out.