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I went with same as stock tire sizes for my winters. I know they say same front and back is best but I am with you. I couldn't go 225 on the rear for that much power. That being said I had no issues and the ISF with snow tires was better than my CL with all seasons. I know of course it should be but it was also my first RWD car in the snow. I had Blizzaks and took the car skiing in West Virginia. Drove through a snow storm up the mountain passing SUVs all the time because they were having traction issues. I bought a seperate set of Linea Corsea 818 wheels to put my snow tires on. The rears were stretched since they were 10in wide rears and the fronts were 8.5.
I did go the same all around though for my V wagon and question whether it was the right choice. 255 is awful narro for 650hp. Haven't gotten a change to test them yet though.
Thank you for the advice on that one I'm thinking I'll go for a dedicated set of 19's for winter since I plan on keeping the car for a long time. The initial buy in is steeper, especially on the tires. I know the Blizzaks are a great set of tires. I'm waiting to see the final price on Michelin options before I make a final decision on which set I want to go with, but definitely a staggered set! 255s with 650hp would make me REALLY nervous...
So an update to the car. It's been picked up from the detailer today. Tints got put on, and I went with LLumar FormulaOne Pinnacle 15% and Air 80 on the windshield. I've loved how this combination has performed on my RL and decided to go with the same look and performance on the IS-F
They applied Modesta BC-08. I did a 2-3 year coating with the idea that this car will be daily driven in mind. I wanted the looks and easy of cleaning of ceramic coating. I also had in mind that I want to do paint correction in 2-3 years, and would elect to have the ceramic reapplied then. I'm given to understand that's the expected lifespan on Modesta BC-08. They coated the entire car, the wheels and calipers. I'm REALLY hoping this helps with cleaning the wheels as brake dust caking up is a serious problem on this car... Pictured is the rear wheel with less than 60 miles of light driving with mostly highway. Prior to ceramic coating. Thing generates brake dust like no other, which is not abnormal given the aggressive brake setup on the car lol. The astute eye will also notice the missing front license plate bracket
I've also been trying to find a viable solution to integrate my iPod without loosing XM, which as I learned is next to impossible... I'm thinking of just mirroring the iPod onto a thumbdrive and using the USB port for that, or uploading it all to my phone and calling it a day.
Not many pictures with this update because I've been stretched for time lately! But I'll take a few pics as soon as I have a window!
So 1000 mile into my ownership status update (yes, I put 1000 miles on this thing in a month, despite having a second car and not having this car or 1 of 4 weeks ). Finally got my plate in, with about 4 days to spare before my 30 day temp tag expired... The state took their time to send me the plate, which came in almost two weeks after the title did!! I'm trying to think of creative vanity plate ideas for this car. I'm open to suggestions. I'll also switch to the "Spectacular Peninsula" plate. I took it on a 300 mile roadtrip and if you're tame, you really can hit high MPGs on this car, I'm honestly shocked at how good it is!
Got to wash the car for the first time after Modesta BC-08. As far as water beading, I feel the Opti-coat Pro seems better on the RL, but I'm still happy with the beading on the Modesta. I've been told Modesta is a little "harder" than the Opti-coat, but only time will tell!
Finally got the dash cam installed I did the install on the Camry, but I outsourced the install on this one. Everything is really tight and with the rear camera wiring, I just didn't feel comfortable with side airbags.
I'm honestly shocked how many "nice car" statements I get considering it's a stock IS-F lol. But as one guy told me in Michigan "This is the first one I see in the flesh". The amount of people who look at the car crooked when they hear the car is kind of funny to be honest.
On another note, it's a very strange feeling going being two cars I enjoy driving... As much as I loved my Camry, it was always a shock going between my RL and the Camry. With the F, the difference is much less jarring! Yes, the RL is slower, but I love the smoothness and handling. It's two different experience, both of which I enjoy
If only your photo taking was half as good as your detailing ability
I’ll blame the iPhail on this one. I won’t focus on my lack of photographic talent: haha: I’m tilting towards the replicas too because I know it will bug me that it’s not OE style....
On the other hand, look at what I found on eBay today:
Its ‘08 style wheels, but they are genuine Lexus. For those wondering why I’m sticking with OEM style, I have a theory with this car: all I have to do is not hit it nor modify it and I’m banking that even if I drive it, it will hold a decent chunk of it's value. Yes, wheels aren’t a mod, but still lol
Last edited by projektvertx; 06-06-2018 at 03:18 PM.
So in my quest for finding OEM wheels, I stumbled on a set from a gentlemen in Queens... Initially, they were listed as "Local Pickup Only" on Ebay, but after contacting him, he agreed to ship them to me if I paid for it. Totally reasonable! I scored a set of OEM wheels for 600$ delivered! They aren't in perfect shape, but then again, I don't expect them to be! Darn good shape, enough that I'm just going to use them as is. Also purchased some TPMS sensors. After exploring winter tire options, it looked like the only two sets of tires that met the speed rating for the car were the Pirelli Sottozero's and the Bridgestone Blizzaks. The Blizzaks just got discontinued in that size and speed rating, so I ordered a set of Pirellis. I know a few Porsche guys that are very happy running those in the winter, so they can't be that bad
I also found out the IPod was just a matter of plugging in the 30 pin connection in the USB cable in the center console and voila, it's that simple! That's the one plus side of getting the first year of upgraded infotainment. I've heard some people complain that with larger media volume, the headunit doesn't upload some songs. I have yet to suffer that issue.
On another note, I realized I can't use my regular jack to work on this car. I had to spring for a new low profile jack and a piece of wood to lift the car. Low car problems Also took the car to Detroit and back. I found out it actually gets IMPRESSIVE fuel economy once you don't delve novelty of hearing the V8 roar... It's surprisingly isn't that bad on smooth roads. Still not RL comfortable, but I don't expect it to be either! I also got my green license plate. I opted against doing a vanity plate. I figured that if you know what this car is, you know. If you don't, a plate won't matter My parents had a chance to drive the car too and experience it. My dad said it well, to quote him: "You really have to look down a lot at the speedo in this car... There is two speeds if you're not looking, 0 and oh sh*t!! I never thought Lexus could make a car like this."
$600 is a really good deal for what you got. I'll have to check with a friend at work on the exact price, but he told me back then, they were worth a pretty penny to order through the dealership.
Thank you for the advice on that one I'm thinking I'll go for a dedicated set of 19's for winter since I plan on keeping the car for a long time. The initial buy in is steeper, especially on the tires. I know the Blizzaks are a great set of tires. I'm waiting to see the final price on Michelin options before I make a final decision on which set I want to go with, but definitely a staggered set! 255s with 650hp would make me REALLY nervous...
So an update to the car. It's been picked up from the detailer today. Tints got put on, and I went with LLumar FormulaOne Pinnacle 15% and Air 80 on the windshield. I've loved how this combination has performed on my RL and decided to go with the same look and performance on the IS-F
They applied Modesta BC-08. I did a 2-3 year coating with the idea that this car will be daily driven in mind. I wanted the looks and easy of cleaning of ceramic coating. I also had in mind that I want to do paint correction in 2-3 years, and would elect to have the ceramic reapplied then. I'm given to understand that's the expected lifespan on Modesta BC-08. They coated the entire car, the wheels and calipers. I'm REALLY hoping this helps with cleaning the wheels as brake dust caking up is a serious problem on this car... Pictured is the rear wheel with less than 60 miles of light driving with mostly highway. Prior to ceramic coating. Thing generates brake dust like no other, which is not abnormal given the aggressive brake setup on the car lol. The astute eye will also notice the missing front license plate bracket
I've also been trying to find a viable solution to integrate my iPod without loosing XM, which as I learned is next to impossible... I'm thinking of just mirroring the iPod onto a thumbdrive and using the USB port for that, or uploading it all to my phone and calling it a day.
Not many pictures with this update because I've been stretched for time lately! But I'll take a few pics as soon as I have a window!
Missed your last update. From what I understand if you ceramic coat brakes and wheels just using a pressure washer is all you should need. Not even the need for soap anymore which would be amazing for brake dust. If it works that well for you I might finally give in.
As far as iPod connectivity goes I had a unit from VAIStech in mine. I loved the unit. It worked with both my old standard ipod and my ipod touch. That was until one day Apple released a software update that changed how data came out of the connector and it broke the entire system. That issue turned out to just needing to buy a Apple made cable luckily. The unit was really cool, it would display the album art and track info on the screen. It used an ipod video out component cable to do this connector to their controller box which I mounted under the passenger seat and ran the cable under the carpet and drilled a small hole in the armest compartment for the cable to come out. I can see if I have pictures of the install. I don't know if they even still make or sell the kits though. It did give me iPod while retaining XM as well.
Its ‘08 style wheels, but they are genuine Lexus. For those wondering why I’m sticking with OEM style, I have a theory with this car: all I have to do is not hit it nor modify it and I’m banking that even if I drive it, it will hold a decent chunk of it's value. Yes, wheels aren’t a mod, but still lol
Don't know if you meant 08 style as just a wheel from an 08 Lexus or the 08 ISF wheels. Those are not 08 ISF wheels so don't want you to buy them thinking they are.
$600 is a really good deal for what you got. I'll have to check with a friend at work on the exact price, but he told me back then, they were worth a pretty penny to order through the dealership.
Glad you're enjoying her.
Definitely! I'd venture to say at least 1K a pop! I'll take some scuff marks for a winter set
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
Missed your last update. From what I understand if you ceramic coat brakes and wheels just using a pressure washer is all you should need. Not even the need for soap anymore which would be amazing for brake dust. If it works that well for you I might finally give in.
As far as iPod connectivity goes I had a unit from VAIStech in mine. I loved the unit. It worked with both my old standard ipod and my ipod touch. That was until one day Apple released a software update that changed how data came out of the connector and it broke the entire system. That issue turned out to just needing to buy a Apple made cable luckily. The unit was really cool, it would display the album art and track info on the screen. It used an ipod video out component cable to do this connector to their controller box which I mounted under the passenger seat and ran the cable under the carpet and drilled a small hole in the armest compartment for the cable to come out. I can see if I have pictures of the install. I don't know if they even still make or sell the kits though. It did give me iPod while retaining XM as well.
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
This is why in my opinion it is one of the best performance daily drives you can find. Mileage is insane when you are just cruising.
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
Well thats is what I get for not reading the thread the entire way through before posting. Replied to somethings you already figured out in the end.
It's all good! I might give VAIStech a shot if this doesn't work out long term for me
As far as the ceramic coating, I do have a video from my last wash! This is just a spray with water, no soap or any detergent of sorts. I would put it this way, and keep in perspective that these are dark wheels: I went from having to wash them every wash to every other wash. In retrospect, I'd give it a shot! I'd say it takes off about 60-70% of dirt on the wheels:
Also got my weathertech mats in today. Seems like they are fairly good quality, I do wish they were a little thicker though. Fitment isn't 100% in only the driver seat, which was a bit of a shock. Every other seat fit perfectly, even though I left the original carpet underneath. The driver carpet is removed and still the gap
So I replaced the headlights. Surprisingly, the low beams are very easy to access and change on this car. The CBIs are a vast improvement over what I suspect are the factory delivered Osram XenEcos I pulled out of there.
Also did oil change #1 3200 miles in with Mobil 1 Synthetic. The reason I did it so soon is I'm not sure what the dealer put in when they did the oil change before delivery. I figured I'd do my oil change ~3000 miles into ownership. And it timed right that the RL also needed an oil change. This sucker takes almost 10 qts of oil It was also my first time dealing with any cartridge type oil filter. I also bought a really neat tool to open the cartridge housing from eBay. Tool works like a charm!! It feels way more durable that the fluted type filter tool.
So if everyone remembers, the car needed a 60K when I bought it, which includes a spark plug change. I had the dealer do everything except for that since I felt the plugs were way to expensive. Fast forward, I bought them from an online Lexus dealer and decided to make it a DIY project. Mannnnnn, this engine bay is C-R-A-M-P-E-D!!! I get it, shove a V8 in a car this size and it happens.... What I anticipated would take a few hours after work ended up taking two evenings Thank god for having two cars at my disposal for alternate transportation.
So I made another small purchase/mod/upgrade/manufacturer design flaw fix. The 2IS chassis as a whole (IS250/IS350/IS-F) has a dynamic toe issue. Essentially, the toe spec doesn't hold due during loads like acceleration and braking due to an overly compliant Front LCA rear mount bushing. The fix is to order a polyurethane version of this. I had two options, FIGS or RR Racing.
When I was doing my research, most users seemed to report back that the FIGS version had a better ride quality. It was noted that the FIGS version came in an 80 or 90 durometer rating for their poly bushing, and the RR racing was initially advertised as a 95 durometer rating. I later read that their adjusted their marketing material to reflect a 90 durometer rating, but nevertheless the reviews from users pointed to me to the FIGS bushings being more comfortable in terms of ride quality. I reached out to Mike at FIGS, and he told me to go with the higher 90 durometer rating on the F, which makes sense. Went ahead with the order, and received the parts today! So far, my initial impression is that the mount seems to be fairly high quality. The bracket appears to be VERY solid. The bushing material appears to be good and it appears to be great workmanship!!
On another note, I've really been curious about the F's drag capabilities and quarter mile times. I found a local track that hosts open strip Wednesdays, where 30$ allows you to line up from 5:30 to 10 I've decided I want to give it a run with the F once I have the bushings installed I'm going to need to invest in a good helmet too, since I think this won't be my last time on a drag strip or track with this car Any recommendations on a good helmet that won't break the bank?
So I got around to putting on the FIGS bushings today. Surprisingly, the install went VERY smoothly... The FIGS hardware lines up perfectly with the factory slots. Everything came off the way it should with, I honestly didn't have to use much pressure using the breaker bar. Having recently done the lower control arms on my RL, I was terrified that this would turn into an ordeal. From end to end it took me 2 hours!! One piece of advice, you're working right by the exhaust and I did have to lean on it more than a few times during the job, so wait until it cools down if it hasn't already!! (I worked on the car while cold)
Just needs to go in for an alignment tomorrow and all will good! I will report back with my impressions once I've driven the car more. Some pictures
So my initial impression of the FIGS lower control arm is pretty good. After putting a couple hundred miles on it, it didn't alter ride quality in any noticeable fashion. Having seen how much polyurethane bushings affected the ride quality on my Camry, I was a little worried... The car feels better on hard cornering. The steering also doesn't feel as "light" under acceleration, which I'm pretty happy about. The MOST noticeable impact, and I didn't think it would be drastic, was under braking, both moderate and heavy. The car feels MUCH better planted under those loads... Just that was worth the money in my eyes, in addition to saving my tires from premature wear FIGS has a really nice video contrasting the stock bushing to theirs 3:23 is where the FIGS bushing comes up.
Also, I decided to have a little fun with the car, and took it to the drag strip Yes, that is Gateway Motorsports Park in Southern Illinois I did a total of 6 passes. Gateway allows you to ride without a helmet if your car runs over 14s. When I was asked at the gate how quick the car was, I honestly couldn't answer. I legit answered "I'm honestly not even sure, that's why I'm here to find out!!" My first run in sport mode, I let the car do the shifting on it's own and I didn't go WOT. I also opted against burning out before the start and found out my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's suck regardless of what I do with them. As you guys can see, my reaction time was GARBAGEEEEE. So plus side, I qualified for a helmet and it could only go up from there.
This being my first ever experience at the drag strip, I can say it was a blast and I'll definitely be doing this again I'm definitely wanted to improve my times! The part that really made me laugh, and really captures this car very well was this: I pulled up the Gateway driving the car with the A/C on, did 6 pulls, left Gateway, turned the A/C on and drove home
Dang you did those bushings already. Good work. That is the one item I regret never getting around to do on mine based on how much people said they helped the car with stability and handling. Your report was the same as everything I had ever read reported back. Great choice on parts. Figs owner is a super stand up guy.
Wow, that's a pretty good road trip for 6 pulls. But looks like a lot of fun! Nice work!
Thanks!!! I was a GREAT time!!
I was already in the area It was kind of planned! It was literally on my way back, and was just so easy to do That was why I didn't want to burnout at all, I realized I needed the tires to take me home
I know I'll be trying to find somewhere I can take the car closer to home and doing this again, it was a great experience!
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
Dang you did those bushings already. Good work. That is the one item I regret never getting around to do on mine based on how much people said they helped the car with stability and handling. Your report was the same as everything I had ever read reported back. Great choice on parts. Figs owner is a super stand up guy.
I figured I would try and save my tires LOLLLL But I don't regret putting them on. From the moment I unboxed them, you could tell they were well made quality parts. Honestly, Mike from FIGS is great!! I reached out to him before purchasing since they have three options for the IS chassis, and he was really good about answering all my questions. I even reached out to him after I installed them and dragged the car, and he wanted to hear about my experience with the new parts. Like you said, super stand up guy!!
I know I'm way late to the thread but I have to say that the condition of that car is fantastic! Looks like it was very well taken care of and garage kept (duh). I had a 2006 IS350 several years back and it was an awesome and very fast car so I can only imagine how much more mental the "F" is! In fact until the LFA came out I considered the second gen IS to be the best looking Lexus ever made and it still looks like a car they could release in 2018 (well the interior is obviously a bit dated now but you know what I mean)! I guess you can tell that I really love that generation of the IS (I hate that they ruined the car with the current generation) and I still consider it to be one of the very best cars I've ever owned. Mine was the starfire pearl white with black interior and it was fully loaded including even the fairly rare upgraded ML sound system which is still among the top sounding stock systems I've ever heard. I'm very jealous of your new car and hope you enjoy the heck out of that thing!
Lol, Sarlacc "kindly" informed me that I posted this in the wrong thread due to the infinite scroll so I wanted to put it where I actually meant to the other day!
So I went to the Chicago F meet Got some pro shot in of my car as I was leaving haha, my car also makes a brief appearance at 11:25 between the RC-F and the "Track Ready" F. The Supra in the video makes about 600WHP according to the owner Woodfield Lexus was kind enough to host us and I thought it was a great event! Never seen so many Fs in one place!!
glad that you enjoy the F that much, you got the 2010 so the suspension had been soften compare to previous year and it come standard with a LSD. I drove a 09 model before and it bounce as much as my TL-S, between the RL and the F which car you drive more? I drive my RL most of the time lol.
glad that you enjoy the F that much, you got the 2010 so the suspension had been soften compare to previous year and it come standard with a LSD. I drove a 09 model before and it bounce as much as my TL-S, between the RL and the F which car you drive more? I drive my RL most of the time lol.
The '11 got the revised struts, but luckily I still have the LSD and upgraded infotainment that came with the '10 model, which is a huge improvement over the E-LSD! Unfortunately, it's still Tokico struts in the '10, but it's a simple drop in from the '11+ F's The plan is once the car hits about 100-120K, I'll purchase the OEM replacements from an '11 plus and just drop those in.
Like you said the F bounces like a TL-S! Each car has it's pros and cons, and each one has their unique joy for me. I always joke with people that which car I drive depends on which side of the bed I wake up on in the morning So far, the pendulum has been tilting towards the F. I find the transition between the two cars to be fairly simple and painless.
When I look back at the Camry days, it was always a tough adjustment jumping from the RL to the Camry, and such a relief to go the other way around. But that was outweighed by the fact that the Camry was paying me back in terms of reliable, dirt cheap transportation! It just never made sense for me to get rid of the car, since I knew I couldn't get the money it was worth to me,and I knew more about the car's history than I ever wanted to know. To me, it didn't make financial sense to get rid of it since it wasn't throwing major repairs at me. In a lot of ways, looking back on it, the accident that totaled it was a blessing in disguise. I ended up with much more money than I think I could have gotten on the private market for the car. And I ended up with a great car as a replacement I always joke with people, and with much truth behind the joke, that I'm the kind of person that drives my car into the ground. My cars will die one of two ways: either they get totalled, or the motor/trans blows up on me :lol:
Last edited by projektvertx; 07-31-2018 at 11:18 PM.
The neat part about having the brake and wheel setup the way it is, is that you can easily see remaining pad life. I took a peak at the pads last weekend, and I could tell I was coming up on a replacement. When I bought the car, the inspection report reflected pads were at 6mm the prior owner had replaced pads at 30K so I knew I would be replacing these sooner rather than later with the car being at 63k. For some reason, with 6mm remaining, I thought I'd have more time.
I could tell the metal shim/wear indicator was coming close to the rotor, and I decided to get ahead of it before it started scratching the rotor, in an attempt to save the rotor if it met thickness spec. I measured rotor thickness at it came in at 29.4 mm, with new spec being 30.0 mm and minimum thickness being 28.0 mm. More than enough life left! I opted to go with OE Spec replacement on the pads. With the car being equipped with Brembos, I knew I could secure them from a third party without having the pay the dealer premium on it. Got Brembo pads for 95$, tax included from good ol' Autozone! I did have to wait two days for the pads to be shipped in to my local store, but life is easy when you have two cars, you can just park one and drive the other
Finally got to it last night! Everything is copacetic now!! I'm holding on to the old pads since I have the space and you never know
I was literally joking with a friend about this the other day: I think my cars are more interesting than me
I think it's just because it's been a lot of work, rest, rinse, repeat for the last year or two, but I know that'll get better soon.
Originally Posted by truonghthe
Nice save on the Brembo pads.
Indeed! What really made me laugh is that OEM pads cost about 200$ online, literally have the Lexus stamp right below the Brembo stamp on the shim (and OE shims are black instead of red), and you get charged twice as much for it!
its alright, I would rather have scratch on my rotor than having to replace a burn sensor which cost $40 from online dealer lmao. I learn that lesson the hard way from a 01 LS430, for every Lexus from that point on ward we just remove the sensor from the pad slot and put zip tie them up lol.
its alright, I would rather have scratch on my rotor than having to replace a burn sensor which cost $40 from online dealer lmao. I learn that lesson the hard way from a 01 LS430, for every Lexus from that point on ward we just remove the sensor from the pad slot and put zip tie them up lol.
My dad got frustrated with those sensors on his car too lmao
Originally Posted by rockstar143
but how will they wear down that way?
And how will the parts man charge you extra for it then
05-10-2018, 09:26 PM
I'm thinking I'll go for a dedicated set of 19's for winter since I plan on keeping the car for a long time. The initial buy in is steeper, especially on the tires. I know the Blizzaks are a great set of tires. I'm waiting to see the final price on Michelin options before I make a final decision on which set I want to go with, but definitely a staggered set! 255s with 650hp would make me REALLY nervous...
). Finally got my plate in, with about 4 days to spare before my 30 day temp tag expired... The state took their time to send me the plate, which came in almost two weeks after the title did!! I'm trying to think of creative vanity plate ideas for this car. I'm open to suggestions. I'll also switch to the "Spectacular Peninsula" plate. I took it on a 300 mile roadtrip and if you're tame, you really can hit high MPGs on this car, I'm honestly shocked at how good it is!
