Sparky

That's how I got mine, we tried and tried but we could only rustle up two of us who wanted to get the group buy haha! 

20 hours ago, Peterkay said:

Hey guy,s

Check out this place in the U.S

http://www.japanpartsmaster.com/IS_F_s/1850.htm

 

Hooooooly crap look at the prices.. Could buy another bloody ISF for some of the complete body kits?!

I took the bushes through a particularly punishing windy track on the weekend, and also a 2 hr drive up the coast. I can confirm they make a huge difference.

Funnily enough, the car is now a lot more stable at higher speeds (freeway). I find it doesn't bump steer or tramline over road imperfections anymore, and you dont have to add any corrections to the steering anymore. Not that it was bad before, its just noticeably better now.

Then on the real twistys on the brakes and accelerator, its much more confidence inspiring.

I am very happy!

So i was browsing some YouTube track day footage, getting all fired up, when i stumbled across a few vids of people who had some small bingles on their track day.. Then some big crashes.. Then i was watching people having full on crashes on the Nurburgring in their street cars..

I had this horrible premonition, this bloody disastrous thought, "I cant afford to replace my car if Im not covered by insurance?!"

A quick call to my insurer "Lexus", and they confirmed that im not covered for a track day, even though organised by Lexus. WTF?!?! Who does everyone use for insurance, and how do i get cover? I dont think Im game to run the day without insurance..

Thanks in advance!

I forgot to add as well, that i also got the techs to perform a transmission flush while I was having the bushes installed. I was noticing that the gears would sometimes flare on cold  mornings soon after the car starts, and around corners. It was intermittent, but there was a definite pattern to it.

I also had noticed a "clunk" when the car was shifting back to first in low speeds, in manual mode whether shifting full manual or changing by itself as you come to a rest, again in manual mode. I always thought it was odd. But then i read here:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/684878-mother-of-all-changing-atf-in-tranny-threads-see-99-for-level-set-instructions.html

Basically after the flush and a transmission "ECU reset", all of these issues are gone. There is no easy way of flushing the transmission, and we got around it my just draining and refilling. This means there is some residue left each time because its not an entire flush. But we are getting around this by doing it a total of three times. Labor is minimal this method, and the oil is only $50 per 4 litres. Each flush takes roughly half of a oil tin, so i will do it once now, once pre track day check in Nov, then the final at the scheduled service in Feb.

At this stage it appears to be a very worthwhile preventative measure, and the car now is behaving the way it would have off the show room floor. At minimum cost. 

Haha, if only i made commissions! 

I would love to get it supercharged, i was contemplating asking Sonny how much such a package would be. Not for me right now, but probably in the future. Would be interesting..

Yes a catch can, that is very high quality and very easy to empty / service. I agree, i look to hold the car for another few years at least and give it a bit of a hard time, so worth the investment i think.

I dint notice anything harsher in the ride at all, i was slightly worried. I have an 09 that i have upgraded to Bilstein shocks (same bloody price as coilovers retail) and its much more comfortable day to day. I didnt want to detract from ride and am very happy, i dont notice any difference and am in the car a lot.

There was a group buy recently and i got them in there, with the A/O separator. for a slight discount on all.

Haha, yeah the hoses, i opened the packet and said the same thig "aahhhh the hoses.." forgot to ask for black! It actually looks fine though, dont mind the blue at all. The separator itself stands out like dogs balls so its ok haha!

Pretty happy where i am now, all i want for xmas is an LSD centre for the diff and then im happy haha! Very hard to find second had, and for $5k part cost from Lexus im happy to wait. Or supercharge. HA! 

So i have installed the parts now and wanted to give some feedback:

Air / Oil separator - I installed this myself, and anyone who can turn a wrench will have no issues, I did it in 20 mins with the suit on at work!! I felt that the car was sometimes unresponsive and not making full power on the hot days, and i couldnt figure out why. Then I found this thread:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/788176-anyone-have-experience-with-the-rr-racing-air-oil-separator.html

Long story short, its made a huge difference. There is small buildup of oil in the separator now from just driving around Sydney, and power is ALWAYS on tap now, behaves how it should at all times. I have a track day coming up in Nov and will be interesting to see how much residue is in the canister after the day!

USRS Bushes - Chatswood Lexus popped these in for me last week, and i wanted to give it a few days before commenting, and wow what a difference.. A lot more info can be found here:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/789959-just-installed-the-ultimate-steering-response-system-usrs-from-rr-racing.html

It has turned the car into a go cart, what the hell? All the steering inputs are so enhanced, and there is no squirming either under brakes or on turn in. There is absolutely no noise, and being an 09 ISF the ride was pretty damn harsh already so i dont notice any extra chatter / noise from the road. I personally dont think it detracts from the ride at all. And even if it did, this mod has such huge impact on the handling you wouldnt care. Its as much of a must have as the tune in my opinion.

Let me know any questions.. Im just quietly frothing on the ISF here haha!! Cant wait for the track day!!

Thats great footage.. Cant believe how hard those tyres are working!!!!!!

Haha, great footage!

2 hours ago, plankton007 said:

I've got a few burnt copies of v20 if you need. Just pm me and I'll sort you out.

PM Sent bro!!!

Now this would be exxy no doubt, but faaaark it sounds good..

Would love that for the ISF!!

Yeah Ive had a VX SS and a VZ Maloo, great cars, awesome bang for your buck i reckon..

I still think the VF GTS is a crazy bargain, can get a low KM car now for low - mid $60. Thats a 2013-2014 bloody 430kw (standard) monster for that money?! Crazy..

The ISF is miles ahead in refinement and image, but there is a big part of me (BIG!!) that would love to trade the ISF for one of them.

Awesome cars.

15 minutes ago, plankton007 said:

Getting mine installed today with my coils and a wheel alignment. Apparently a wheels alignment and toe adjustment is something that needs done as the bushings make obvious any previous imperfections the car might have had.

Yeah i was definitely going to get that done at the same time!

The ISF has a horrible tendency to chew out the inside of the tyres, resulting in having to replace the tyres far earlier than necessary. From all reports, these make that issue disappear. So if you keep the car for a few tyre changes, then the mod pays for itself.

Im getting mine installed this Friday at Lexus Chatswood, very excited..

8 hours ago, BLK ISF said:

Managed to get a pack from Peps Auto.  Here i was thinking it would be a great "Bang for your bucks" mod as you said it was $2.  It set me back $6 so now i have to wait till next pay day for more mods haha, kidding.  If anyone else wants to do it, its a 1/8 vacuum cap (block off plug), anything larger just slides off.

I must admit, for the price and literally 10 seconds to perform it, i was skeptical.  As for power, well louder always seems faster lol.  Im sure a few kw gain or loss wouldnt be noticeable on a 300kw+ motor but as for sound. Well yep, especially with my exhaust, i can hear more of a growl from about 2k.  Only had it on for about a 15 min drive home but im sure i wasted plenty of fuel flooring it just to hear that sound come on earlier.  Thanks for the tip with this one :-)

Think i may lean towards just a HPS vs complete intake with filter.  I would get black too, my bling days are over so no flame red for me lol.

Haha, bloody hell its rice and beans until next pay check! They let me buy one buy itself, so luckily my budget wasn't as shattered 

Yeah my fuel bill has suffered, instead of flicking down gears and redlining the engine for a grin, i get my jollys pulling through higher gears now with the glorious sound!!!

Me too, much prefer to fly under the radar these days haha!

4 hours ago, ich1ban said:

Newb questions, i was initially looking at getting an I/H/E for my 2013 ISF, although what are some of the things that you must consider?

e.g. 

- Warranty void? Mine runs out in a few months. 

- Legal? Emission regulations etc - Notify VicRoads?

- Insurance - You must notify them and they may not cover it? 

Cheers and thanks in advance. 

 

 

You should be able to do the full exhaust and intake through Lexus, you can in NSW, and they honour the warranty still. It wont be emissions legal, technically you arent allowed to change the exhaust system. 

Wouldn't worry about Insurance, but thats just me.

5 hours ago, BLK ISF said:

Went local Autobarn today, smallest they had slid right off, too big.  Didnt actually realise how small that nipple is.  Ah well will try local Peps tomorrow.  Not sure how it will sound given ive got an exhaust.  I do hear the intake open up as is but the dramatic sound difference was more noticeable to me with a stock setup.  Im sure if there was any decrease in performance, your tune would have definitely addressed that.

I know an aftermarket filter might be debatable for power but everyone practically says its a bit to much louder.  Do you notice any increase in sound with the HPS intake tube or not really given the filter remains as is?  Just curious.

Did you get your HPS from Ebay, seemed to be the cheapest when ive looked around?

Yeah I was surprised how small it was too! AutoOne in Willoughby had them, pretty sure all of their shops will. It makes the whole exhaust sound deeper from earlier in the rev range. I think it's one of my favorite mods, and it's so easy, and easily reversible to put to stock if needed.

The tube was def louder than stock, the ridges in the stock item reduce intake noise, so the HPS tube being bigger and smooth was louder, and the filter made it a bit louder too. Combines with the removal of the two stage and its really nice, sounds like a muscle car now. Can hear it when driving by etc from outside the car as the V8 winds up.

i actually got mine from this forum, someone was selling it, actually two people were, one blue and one black. I got the black because it looks more stock and less noticeable.

The part i got was from Auto One, and i dont know what size vacuum cap it was.. It was bloody tiny though, and cost stuff all. Its so cool the sound, coming from old school V8's and other muscle cars, i felt like the car "felt" no fun until high in the rev range when the other intake came into play. But now you can lock it into 3rd gear, rip it through from 2000rpm and get a big grin the whole time. There is NOTHING like a V8 working through the rev range under load.. DROOOOOL! I swear there is a power kick as well, massive tyre spin off the line etc. Maybe the tune takes away the negatives of this mod? I dont know.

Yeah thats why i just got the HPS intake tube and drop in filter and kept the stock airbox. It seemed like everyone was getting different results and some were negative. The stock setup flows really, especially well with a drop in filter and tube. And importantly if any fuzz ever get you to pop the bonnet, looks pretty well stock except for the tube.

I checked yesterday, sits at 500rpm at normal idle, and 600rpm with aircon on. So you are all sweet!!

Unless we both are faulty haha!

On 09/09/2016 at 6:27 AM, BLK ISF said:

I find normal mode very sedate and i need to drive a bit more agressive to get that smile on my face so if your normal is like sports, that really makes me want to get the tune now lol.  This forum is a bad influence haha.

I know what you mean though, i think regardless of what mods we have, we always get used to the car and after more.  Well i am but as you said, i think after a filter and tune, ill be content and just enjoy it.  I just dont think ill twin turbo it or supercharge it like some of the more enthusiasts in the states althgough i can only imagine the drive in those cars :-)

Ps A watch is good for a proven 5kw atleast.  My LED gear knob is good for atleast 3kw lol

Do the tune, or drive one thats tuned. You will be blown away.. Its how the car should have always behaved, much more enjoyable to drive!

On 10/09/2016 at 11:12 AM, Monyx said:

Awesome collection to make a great video - I'm surprised you'd be in for all this for just 2x trackdays a year - but TBO I'm tempted too and I've done 1 day in the Lexus in nearly 3 years LOL. Like you have an old GoPro Hero2 but my Iphone6 or wife's S6 even does 4K recording are better.

For the track timing to be accurate it needs good GPS reception - would the moonroof opening be large enough? IN the sense that the signal isn't blocked by the surrounding metal roof? Probably be fine. 

Yeah i think it should be fine.. I think.. haha! Im sure the bug will bite, but lets see how expensive this day is in parts though, im due for new brakes and rotors so could be good timing to finish them off! 

23 hours ago, LTuned said:

Yes videoing your track day is a great idea, you can relive the day.   videoing from the sun roof will give you a good view of yourself driving, and some outside footage.  but unless it is mounted around shoulder level, you don’t see much out the front as the camera is blocked by the rear view mirror.  The longer the mount for the camera is, you get more flex and vibration, and the camera moves around with the G forces.  a light camera helps, try and keep the mount as short as possible.  Also videoing from the middle of the vehicle the camera adjust the light for inside, and the outside bits are over exposed.  Just try lots of different spots, and see which one you like. 

“Harry lap timer” says it will work with the OBD and the 20 Hz GPS receiver, which will give better accuracy, and can be mounted outside your ISF or on the inside of the sun roof for stealth,  for a better GPS signal.   it is great having the taco and GPS speed on the video.

You will have a fun day.

Yes im going to get the holder with the extended arm, i was worried about the amount of movement / vibration the longer arm will cause but it should all be fine.

Im thinking about getting a wide angle lens to use with the iPhone too, which should look reaaaaally cool! Cant wait!

I have a HPS tube, with a drop in K&N filter, and to me its pretty great. No heat soak, can retain dual stage intake (i have mine currently disconnected though, sounds EPIC!).

Read here,very simple $2 mod :http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/383384-diy-stock-intake-mod.html

My car has a tune, and it feels stronger now in the lower end than when untuned. I dont know if it makes any more or less power with the 2 stage disconnected, but for that sound in the low revs of the V8 loading up  WHO CARES!

If i was going to get an after market intake , i would only get the Takeda, can retain 2 stage if you want, heaps less heat soak because of the intake tube used, and is a sealed system so draws in cold air still.

I think mine sits around 600 with no air con on.. Does it sound rough / rough idle at all? Any shaking through the car?

Lucky man / lady by the way, 2014 model 

So i have committed to the track day on the 22nd Nov (quietly frothing out!) and wanted to get the most from my time on the track. I dont intend to track the car often, maybe 1-2 times a year, and after the tune etc i can see me driving the ISF for a few years to come. Until i can afford a GSF that is!

I was thinking about getting a few toys for recording the day. I have an older go-Pro, but my iPhone 6 actually has a better camera and interface etc than that now.. I was after some feedback and ideas to be thrown around So here is what i was thinking:

http://www.gps-laptimer.de/products

Get the Grand Prix version of the lap timer, so i can overlay the all information from this below.

http://www.autoinstruct.com.au/product/kiwi-3/

This will pull all information from the car including throttle inputs, speed etc etc and overlay it over the video from above. Looks mental from what i have seen.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RAM-Mount-Windcreen-Suction-Cup-Universal-Large-X-Grip-Kit-RAM-B-166-UN10U-/112067407544?var=&hash=item1a17bceeb8:m:mf3WMtN8cfnwEYQkV-0zSOw

Use this mount to sucker the iPhone onto the sunroof, hanging down like a bat, so i can get a slightly behind shoulder view of the hands / action, whilst getting a great view out of the windscreen. It has some good grip on the phone, and the rubber grips should take some of the vibration out of the playback.

With all this combined it would be pretty cool i reckon, and then its straight onto the YouTube!!

What do you think? I know a lot of people use the iPhone app and have seen some use the OBD, but do you think the camera position could be cool? No big deal if that doesnt work, i can just face it forward out the windscreen closer up.

Ill be heading along to the 22nd Nov at Eastern Creek, will reply with a big YES tomorrow 

So pumped, my first time on the track in the ISF, and fingers crossed for a BLAST in the GSF, my dream car..

1 hour ago, JVCROCOP said:

Gents, How does one get an invite ? depending on timings could do a drive north 

You need to hit up the dealer and get on their mail list for these events