BLK ISF

Is it just me or does everyone else with an exhaust find themselves driving in manual mode all the time. Going through the gears just sounds so much better. Stock, i couldnt be bothered and left in auto mode most of the time but now, im always using the paddles lol. It was harder to hear as well but so much easier to hear the bleep on down shifts as well. Cant see myself ever getting bored of the noise :-) As others have suggested i can only imagine how much better it sounds with an intake as well but ill just get used to the exhaust for now :-)

I believe so. I only got the car recently myself so the letter made reference to trying to make contact before so i suspect the previous owner filled out the section for change of ownership. For me it was only minor, just cooling fan screws and a gasket changed. On the flip side though i got a decent loan car for the day, they washed my car, polished the interior, even vacuumed the baby car seat as it had a few crumbs and i even got a box of Lexus tissues so it is exciting to blow my nose lol

Unfortunately our situations arent the same. When i met the Mrs i already had the WRX and it was modified plenty. It took her a good 5 yrs but i eventually caved in and sold it for a more friendly car but that got boring very quick so i got the ISF. She doesnt even know ive swapped the exhaust yet (thank you Varex lol). One day ill forget the button and she'll realise its louder than normal. My wife much prefers her 7 seater SUV over my ISF. So you think the K&N adds power. I know there are so many references on the net that will prove an argument for and against. i.e. Heat soak, boxed vs open, reoiling, cold air duct and air flow etc etc. Maybe im tone deaf but i can never tell the difference based on youtube clips. Im sure its one of those that in person will be more noticeable. So it really sounds that much better does it??? I swore id keep this ride standard, especially after exhaust. You guys are a bad influence haha :-)

To be honest i think the non varex would suffice if you didnt have a genuine need to drive the car silently. Every neighbourhood has that 1 person who is seen to be the hoon. I have a 2 young kids leave for work about 5am so i know id wake up half my neighbourhood and be labelled as that hoon haha. Besides that my car will be 90% open all the time. Otherwise save youself about $350-400 from memory with the non varex.

Just curious if anyone else had to take their ISF into a Lexus dealer to address a safety reacall. Last few days i just received a letter (previous owner updated the details so i eventually got the letter) 2 things needs fixing 1. Fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment manufactured with Nickel Phosphate plating to protect against corrosion. To minimise the risk of vehicle fire, they need to address the sealing property of the gasket seated in between the pressure sensor and the pipe 2. Screws holding the engine cooling fan could become loose and interfere with the fans. If the fans become damaged, engine coolant temps could increase So they may need to clean the fuel pressure sensor gasket and maybe replace cooling fan assembly. I still think the ISF are reliable and better to be safe than sorry :-) Ps Just secretly hoping someone stuffs up and they give me an RCF as a loaner for the day :-)

Well it took longer than expected but got the modified IS350 Varex system finally installed on my ISF today at the XForce head office. Damn their warehouse is massive, its not far off the same size as Costco lol just filled with boxes of exhausts. There was quiet moments but whilst waiting in their office on and off, their phones kept ringing. I was surprised how many people were calling enquiring about the Varex exhausts, more popular than i thought. Anyway was really pleasantly surprised with the overall result. I opted for the stock look so with the quad standard tips remaining, its hard to tell at a glance there is an aftermarket exhaust. When closed id say its close to stock if not a touch quieter (idle and when in motion). When you rev though, it still has that engine snarl When button B is pressed and the valve opens, on idle its subtle but you can definitely hear the heavier lumpy idle. Subtle but nice. Out in the open not that noticeable but im sure in a block of flats, garage etc you can definitely hear the heavier idle. I asked them to do a dB reading as i was curious. I knew it would be over 90dB but was shocked that after testing it, it came in at 91dB. My WRX was about 98dB, and from within the cabin, my ISF now sounds about the same in loudness compared to my WRX so i was shocked as its definitely the loudest 91dB exhaust ive ever heard. I mean it almost passes the legal limit. Even the installer was surprised and he did carry out the test at the correct RPM, angle, distance to muffler etc In side when driving it sounds great, well to me. No boom, nice note when cruising and on WOT, my jaw hurts from smiling too much :-) Definitely got more stares in traffic today so that itself tells me it can be easily heard outside. Overall im a happy customer. Havent put it on a dyno but based on my seats of the pants dyno, it definitely feels snappier to me and more pull on WOT. Of course trying not be biased in that louder does not mean faster lol Just need to return to pick up the stock exhaust as it wouldnt fit in my boot without cutting it up which neither of us thought wise in case i sell the car in the near future so ill return with a bigger car for that. My only gripe is that the module needs to be plugged in the cig lighter. Ill address this later when i get time to wire it too ignition or something like that. Now i just need to decide where to mount the remote for quick easy access vs having the remote loose lying around in the car.

Lol i like that. Next time someone asks im saying its a IS 500. The "F" has been overused. Must admit sometimes even at the lights when a IS250 or 350 pulls up next to me, at a glance it can be hard to tell as some have the F badging. Im still a newish owner only having the ISF for a few months so i cant tell easily sometimes besides the obvious quad tips. I know the bonet has the bulge but i cant tell easily for oncoming IS cars. The quad tips is my only reference point how i can tell lol

Agreed, rather it be on the rare side than common side but still the confusion makes me laugh. Female colleague at work just got a is250 F Sport, the smaller V6 i think, about 150kw or near enough. She knew i had a Lexus so asked me what one i had. Told her the ISF and she said how cool, i got one too. I was explaining to her its a different F and that went back and forth for a few minutes until she realised it was a V8 even though i told her. The look on her face was that she thought i was confused lol. Its all good but yeah wish Lexus didnt overuse "F" in all their lineup, would simplify things :-) Once the GS F and RC F become more common, that will just make it more fun tryng to explain what type of F we have lol

Old thread i know but had to laugh when i saw your plate ISF 50L. Actually makes sense given whenever i tell someone i have an ISF, they all get confused with the IS250, 350, F Sport etc. I dont know why Lexus had to overuse F and sport and make it confusing. C63 = 6.3 (well at one point) so that makes sense. Maybe it should have been the IS 4, IS 6 and ISF 8 so everyone would know how many cylinders it had lol.

Vaku, Xforce told me some of the delay was due to chinese new yr. I was initially told a small batch was being made to be shipped out but a few days ago led to believe they hadnt even started manufacturing of new systems. I havent seen a comparison of both systems up close so thanks for the heads up about the changes. They assured me no compromise in performance etc otherwise i would of waited as i have been for the last few months. I know in the states there are other butterfly valve type setups but just couldnt justify the extra $$. I mean upto 4k+ for an exhaust. similar lengths, s/steel etc. I cant fathom why it should cost so much more vs other performance cars which are close to the 2k mark for full turbo back/cat back systems besides the Lexus brand of course lol. I had been through many systems with the WRX, all varying quality of welds, flow, mufflers etc but in the end of the day, they are were similar. Im not surprised the states etc get first dibs, when i first researched the ISF online before buying one, most of the search results was from the states whether that be the forums, youtube clips etc. So common over there unlike here. All i see here are C63's but ive heard horror stories regarding snapping head bolts or something along those lines. Either way im getting it fitted tomorrow so fingers crossed im happy with it. Ive read the mixed results regarding the quality. Most seem positive regarding the sound etc. Im sure it will all be good :-)

Hi all, just registered, first post :-) Was glad to discover this forum, some great reading on here after coming from a WRX and Rexnet. Im happy with the performance of my stock ISF but miss the rumble of a boxer motor, nothing a V8 cant match though so i too have a Varex system on order as i leave the house 5am and can see the appeal in keeping it quiet whilst i leave the neighbourhood. Xforce actually contacted me today and advised it could be a few further months away so they want me to bring my car in to install a 350 exhaust. Apparently minor modifications to make it fit the ISF but it wont compromise anything regarding sound, performance etc. I think its more to do with the fittment. So for anyone who is after a varex one could be waiting a while. Anyway getting it installed this Friday so hoping it sounds good, raw, not over the top and there is minor to good power gains although im really doing it for the sound. After coming from a highly modified Rex, a close to stock performance besides an exhaust of course appeals to me.