Modifying The Is 300

[mikesis300]

i must say this is the best thread i have ever read!!! hands down. it is now 1:30 in the morning and i just can't stop reading it. i read 22 of tthe 25 pages in 3 days. i started rreading it before work and i was almost late becasue i wanted to keep reading. i just got my lexus last july and i can't wait to start working on it. it has a body kit and aftermarket intake but thats it. i am tring to decide if i want to go turbo or super charger, this tread makes me lean more towards the turbo. but i have time to decide i have to save some money first!!! i will work on cf hood and painting the calibers and some small stuff first. now that i joinded i have to go back and look at all the pics. but thanks again this tread gives a lot of great info and ideas. GREAT JOB!!!!!! :D :D

[smooth1]

Thanks mikeis300. I really appreciate the feedback. And welcome to the LOC!!

I did alot of supercharger research, and while there are some supercharged IS 300's out there that are really nice, just go turbo. 10 psi supercharged is not as much as 10 psi turbocharged, and if you stay with a T60 to a T67, lag is really not an issue at all. Traction and drivetrain limits will be!

[mikesis300]

i don't want to run much more boost than that, how will the tranny (AT...sadly...should of got manual but decided that living in the city AT was a better choice) hold up? all i want is between 300-350 HP. anf the internals of the engine it has 73,000 miles on it and runs great. i think it should hold up. the main reason i was thinking SC is then i can't turn up the boost and it is usually easier on the motor and drivetrain. also with your turbo kit did your check engine light come on? i can't have that here with emisions.

thanks for any info.

[smooth1]

If you go over I would say 300 hp, your gonna need to do atleast a valvebody upgrade. If you go over 350, then you might wanna consider talking to Level 10, or PFS about a race built tranny. And as far as it goes, the autos are stronger than the manuals anyway. But once you decide you want more than I would say 500 rwhp, than aftermarket custom is the only real option other than the Getrag V160. I'm getting ready to build a full race car, so at first I was thinking V160, but if I go 1/4 mile drag build, then I'm just gonna put a powerglide on it and run it like that. We are mapping out a semi tube frame, with a locked in roll cage that connects directly to the rearend. So when we finish, it will have a Toyota 2JZ, and "look " like an IS 300, but behind the motor and under the shell will be a completely different story.

[smooth1]

BTW, something to think about, with a turbo, you can get a digital boost controller and have one setting for like 6-8 psi and about 360 hp, and then have a high setting for about 10-12 psi and about 400-425 hp. So you can cruise around in low boost, and if you line up to a big dog, or need alittle more, then o button and you got it, whereas with the supercharger you can only have what you have that is determined by the size of the pulley. I'm not trying to change your mind, but Turbo's just seem to have alot more options than the superchargers do.

[mikesis300]

i do like the digital boost option of having 2 settings. i saw that in one of your earlier posts. that would be really really nice. but what about the check engine light i heard that the turbo usually makes that come on. is this true or can it be avoided? what do u think are the better turbo kits out there for these cars...you now a LOT more than i do about this stuff. also how much can my stock engine hold and be reliable with 73k miles?

[smooth1]

I had mine on, but because I wanted it on, not because it had to be there. I was running with no cats. So my sensor 2 bank 2 would fire up. I liked it on so I wouldn't have to remember to turn the traction control off all the time. When I first put the turbo in, I forgot once or twice, and man, not a good thing. LOL!!!

It's not true that a turbo means a cel. And if it did, it would mean the same for the supecharger as well anyway. the timing and a/f mixes aren't any different. The fundamentals of both the turbo and supercharger goals are the same.

[Hckplyr]

Smooth1, I am very jealous of your lexus toys. Although I have an 01' 300 I have no money to anything to it. I gotta pay for this college thing Im doing which is supposed to pay off in the future I guess. BTW whereabouts do you live in florida, I only ask since I'll be in orlando over spring break and I look forward to seeing some nicer vehicles vs. the dirty snowy ones up here in minnesota.

[mikesis300]

i know it doesn't have to be on, but if i run a standalone won't that make it come on. i wouldn't mind it being on but here in PIttsburgh i have to get an emissions test every year and with out my ecu i couldn't do that. thats my big problem!! so i think i will have to run a piggy back system

[smooth1]

Then just leave it on the rest of the year. When you go in for inspection, then unplug your battery and reset the ECU. Drive there in vacuume mode and let them do the ODB scan. It comes back clean, you pass, and get your sticker, then stomp on the gas pedal, the cel goes back up and your ready for the rest of the year again. Remember, your not really throwing a cel like a knock or detonation issue, your just kicking up the heater wire.

And it doesn't matter if you run a stand alone or a piggyback system. The stand alone has benefits over the piggyback in performance, but costs alot more. Which is really the trade off. Tuning is the key. A stand alone will let you tune alot more and run better overall. But it takes alot of tuning and knowledge and time to get all the maps right. Wheras a piggyback only takes over in wot. So you only have to tune that map, as the ECU still operates all other conditions. And then you will need the sensors and the MAF. It is very possible to run a turbo with either a standalone or a piggyback and not have any cels.

[smooth1]

Smooth1, I am very jealous of your lexus toys. Although I have an 01' 300 I have no money to anything to it. I gotta pay for this college thing Im doing which is supposed to pay off in the future I guess. BTW whereabouts do you live in florida, I only ask since I'll be in orlando over spring break and I look forward to seeing some nicer vehicles vs. the dirty snowy ones up here in minnesota.

thanks Hckplyr. Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I have been attending some family issues lately.

Take your time. The car will wait. YOur on the right track by going to school and getting that out of the way first. I had to sell Kirby vacuume cleaners to get thru college!! I went to the University of Wisconsin. (Go Badgers !!)

[Hckplyr]

I go to the U of M and I cant really smack talk since all our sports are terrible.

[smooth1]

Well, I'm just posting this to let everyone know that this thread isn't dead. I have been attending to some family matters I am needed for now in other areas. Once things settle back down, I will probably start working on the IS again shortly after.

[flop170]

take your time man... we'll be waiting here in suspense :D

[dcfish]

Patiently waiting.........................

[bartkat]

391 posts. Not bad.

[smooth1]

That's easy with all the very cool people I have met along the way here. :)

[dcfish]

Not to mention the smooth one

[isgt35r]

Car is washed. It's so shiny, that in some pics, you can see me as a reflection. Enjoy.

Parking17 wanted to ask what brand is that trunk spoiler you have there and from where did you get it? it looks neat! links would be nice too!

nice car by the way ;)

[larful]

I have had the car now for 2 weeks. I've added 18x9 einki's ( only 18 lbs. each!), tinted the windows and put on the mini mast for the antenna.

Not the best rim choice Im more into the offset rims with deep lip but I cant say much Im still rolling stockies on my is300

[smooth1]

I changed the rims out again later. Post number 334 has pics of the car with the new rims on it.

[dcfish]

Hey Smooth, How is the project IS coming along ? I beleive we need an update here B)

[smooth1]

I haven't really done any more work to it. I have some pics of it on my other computer I can put up later. I have been just too busy running 2 companies right now. I have also been debating on just putting the 300 on the shelf and doing some cosmetic mods to the IS 350 in the mean time. I am going to lower it, get new rims, put a lip and or splitter on the front, and a lip on the rear, do the exhaust, and so on, but I haven't even had time for that yet! for the last few months, I wake up, it's dark outside, I go to the office, then to the shop, and when I get home, it's dark. I forget what my house looks like sometimes!!

[dcfish]

I haven't really done any more work to it. I have some pics of it on my other computer I can put up later. I have been just too busy running 2 companies right now. I have also been debating on just putting the 300 on the shelf and doing some cosmetic mods to the IS 350 in the mean time. I am going to lower it, get new rims, put a lip and or splitter on the front, and a lip on the rear, do the exhaust, and so on, but I haven't even had time for that yet! for the last few months, I wake up, it's dark outside, I go to the office, then to the shop, and when I get home, it's dark. I forget what my house looks like sometimes!!

Priorities, Do post pic's, Don't work too hard. Life is way too short. Thanks for the update B)

[smooth1]

To update everyone here are a few pics:

The day the car came in:

2002 IS 300