It's a long involved and expensive process to get to this point for sure but MAN is this thing a blast! Glad you enjoyed it, we've got several videos on here showing it off if you are interested
@@LucoreAuto question! On a 2001 IS300 automatic, is there a possible way that you guys can do a transmission swap without a check engine light so it can still pass smog here in California?
@@jerryespineli1592 you should be able to swap transmissions without any effect you emissions? Admittedly we aren't familiar with the current California legislation but what would be the issue you see? I guess maybe the ECU swap would be more than is currently allowed?
@@LucoreAuto I have ask a shop here and told me that they don’t have any knowledge of that check engine light if if not gonna stay on. That just tells me that I’m not bringing my car to them. I don’t mind taking my car all the way there if you guys can take care of it coming from California, I just want a shop and people that I can trust!
@@jerryespineli1592 Looking at it from a technical perspective there shouldn't be any reason why that would impact emissions control. You'll need an ECU from a manual transmission car or an aftermarket ECU that will allow the car to operate fine without looking for signals from the automatic transmission, beyond that, can't imagine why you wouldn't be allowed to do it. It shouldn't make any more or less emissions regardless of the transmission. Unfortunately we can't say 100% whether or not the California folks will allow it to fly or not, haven't ever had to deal with that honestly.
She'll be out there in the spring again, in the mean time just posted a new video addressing some commonly asked questions... and showing off a little ;)
They are pretty rare to be found done right, seems like the only ways you ever really see these things under boost is either GTE swapped or GE-Prayer! They definitely can be a ton of fun, hopefully your weeks are fast fun and safe!
She's still going strong after 2 years and several thousand miles, new video just went up with some gorgeous driving footage and addressing some common questions/concerns. Let us know what you think!
that's what I love most about my is300s, 800whp with ac and full interior, very nice build, hope my current side project comes out even a smidge as clean as yours, keep up the awesome work
Thanks for watching and the compliment! It's been a process for sure and would have been a whole lot less work if we weren't so picky about keeping the car in such good shape! As old school hotrod folks though... that's the way we do things ;)
👍 I'm running 700whp ac compressor makes funny noises because I forget to turn it off some times but still works im ditching my factory seats they are about 55lbs a piece . What trans are you running? How is your rear diff holding up?
@@speltwrong9009 rear end is holding up just fine, however I am going for the grannas 8.8 bolt in kit for the very next mod, I dont believe my m85 will last very long but I dont do dig launches or any clutch kick power shift too soon jr stuff hahaha so she does the job for now. I didn't realize the seats were that heavy, however my interior is pretty flawless, only way I'm getting some buckets is if my seat adjustment no longer functions hahaha
Thank you, it definitely has aged well and has all kinds of potential! Autocross corner carver, road racing monster, straight line rocket. They can do it all!
Great Build Beautiful 👍👍👍 This is Literally My Goal For My 2003 IS300. Wish y’all were down in South Florida So I could bring my Baby to you guys for guidance and build !!!!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the compliments, we really appreciate it! Took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get this thing just right but it turned out juuuuust about perfect we think :) South Florida is certainly a long drive for us to help but that's part of the beauty of the internet we're just a shiny screen away! ;)
New video just went up about this car and the build process, give it a watch and if you have more questions you would like to see us address drop them there!
Awesome to see a builder in Ohio. Im up in NEO and have litereally only seen a few IS300 or SC3/400 in this area ever. I have a 94 SC3 NA-T that needs a little help. Mine was built with AEM v1, which I know jack about, I may hit yall up sometime. Very nice build, the owner must love it.
Thanks for the watch and comment! We are definitely proud of how it turned out in the end, we just tend to not think about how much time and energy went into getting it right! ;) There aren't many "Speed Shops" out there anymore turning out cars, in all honesty it's not a profitable venture. We just enjoy showing off a little of what we do outside the normal day to day stuff. We can definitely help out if you need a hand, helping people move projects forward and overcoming issues is something fun for us. We're here to help!
Thank you for the compliment and sub! When done right they are really quite an awesome ride, totally daily driveable street monster. Even at 100whp less than this one, they are a blast!
Thank you! Always nice to get love on our projects from elsewhere in the world. Something important to the Caribbean crowd.. it's still got functional A/C!
I just picked up a a 2005 Lexus Is300 that’s in amazing shape from a dealer down in Orlando (I live in Wisconsin) and this video just gave me so much inspiration. You guys KILLED this, it looks amazing! Since you guys seem so responsive and knowledgeable I have a question. I’ve been thinking about boosting mine. I want something super reliable that I can daily, maybe 300-350 hp, just enough to to make her a little more fun while retaining reliability. What would you guys recommend doing to the motor internally (if anything) to handle this power reliably? And would the stock auto transmission handle 300-350hp reliably? My biggest concern is maintaining that Toyota reliability so I’ll do what I need to internally to get as close to that as possible. Thanks in advance for any help!
Well first off, thanks for the appreciation! We worked hard getting this thing just right over the last year and a half or so ... we think it's turned out pretty well! First question that would need answered is what kind of milage is on the motor and transmission? The last thing you want to so is take a reliable fun daily driver and blow it up causing a $8k+ motor build!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing Thanks for the response already! The motor and trans currently have 160,000 on them. This would have been good information to include originally as it probably effects how much engine work is needed for those numbers.
@@danielobrien1587 that's why we ask questions before making suggestions ;) Many shops just throw parts and pray, that's just not our way. The 2JZ-GE is a solid motor with pretty legendary reliability as long as it's been taken care of. Have a compression test done on the motor before starting to move forward on boost. If you are planning to just do a bolt on turbo kit Driftmotion makes one that will be a solid 5-6psi setup that SHOULD be ok on stock internals. But, go into this kind of thing with eyes open, blowing something up will be a huge kick in the pocket. Transmission wise.. hard to say there. They can certainly handle that sort of power level as long as it's in good shape internally. We actually have a top secret project coming up this spring along the lines of what you are thinking ;)
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing I just want to say thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions, you guys are incredibly helpful! That project sounds awesome I’ll be sure to subscribe so I don’t miss it ;) I’ll definitely start with that compression test before moving forward with anything. Is there any pre turbo kit maintenance you guys would suggest, outside of just normal engine maintenance, that would help with long term reliability with a turbo set up?
@@LucoreAuto what would you recommend for a NA build? Turbo is in my future however since it's my only car and I am enrolled in college I don't really want to risk it. Car is an 04 with 95k on the engine. I'm the 2nd owner. It had 73k when I bought it lol
We don't have a spreadsheet of everything, but certainly have a lot of bills :) It's an outstanding car and honestly I don't think if we built it again that we would do anything different
Well we appreciate all the love we are getting after putting in so much hard work! She's not completely perfect, but we think she's damn close :) The video side is still a work in progress for us, we're wrenchers not video production people... but we're learning how to share more of what we do!
Thank you! It's definitely come together nicely, will be making it to a few Midwest events this year to show off and make some passes :) What did YOU build?
Honestly no not really, most people really aren't interested in going this far or anywhere near this. Especially now with the prices of these cars going through the roof. Even if it were something like just do a bolt on turbo on a stock motor with low boost... finding a low mileage manual IS300 that's been well maintained is almost impossible
Yeah Well the used car prices are super inflated right now so that's probably got something to do with it. I was just wondering cause I was looking for a shop potentially to do this build or similar. I plan on doing the engine and transmission myself to save money I'd just have a shop do everything else and you guys ain't that far so. Mines would be an automatic which is the less popular but I'll be trying to aim for a transmission with e-shift capabilities so.
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing imma refresh the motor bc it has 290000miles and I plan to run new oem engine components other than the headstuds, pistons, and rods. Nice and simple with 550cc injectors. I can’t wait
@@tagallstar1801 stock crank can definitely handle what you are going to ask of it, have an idea what you are going to run turbo wise? Keep it something modest and have fun with it... no need to shoot for the moon!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing not really, i was thinking bout getting a new holset turbo from cummins diesel vehicles. I was recommended that from a youtuber named 3motiongarage who has a 1jz swapped is300
@@tagallstar1801 there are all sorts of options out there, just make sure whatever you pick isn't too big to spool up in a reasonable amount of time. Especially if you are sticking with a DD focused car, bigger isn't always better! :)
I've got a 120k Mile 04 GE is300 and was wondering how much I'd need to do to get around 350-400whp daily driver with an automatic transmission. Or if it would even be smart to boost a car with that many miles
Thanks for watching and reaching out! The first thing you would need to do is have the health if your current motor verified. Do a compression and leak down test to make sure the components you have right now are ready to take the extra abuse. If all is well internally, a small turbo kit, intercooler, exhaust, and fuel system is the ticket. If you are DDing this car just realize you are living on borrowed time and eventually SOMETHING will give and you'll have some likely expensive repairs ahead.
The black carbon fiber on the hood actually really works when you see it in person. Sometimes it works in photos, sometimes it doesn't. If you take a look at his Instagram page @Boosted_Lexi you can see some other shots of it
@@AM-wi6zo part of the beauty that comes with customizing cars is putting your own spin on it. Definitely not a look that works for everyone but 98% love it ;)
@@AM-wi6zo oh ok I didnt know you must put IMO at the end, and I never said It doesnt work i like the car its really nice ... I meant no disrespect or anything sorry about that
Tasteful street tune.... I'm wondering the rough cost for the engine build, since GTE's are going for about 3.5k. Trying to determine whether or not to go with a fresh, reliable rebuild or a potentially beat GTE. Thanks.
It's definitely not cheap to build right, in disassembly, cleaning, machining, parts, and reassembling you are easily beyond the cost of the "50k 2JZ-GTE" you can find through importers and all over Ebay. But, we KNOW the guts in this guy is capable of way more than we are asking of it. Which is the way we prefer to build!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :) Turn around time was... quite a while. Start to finish about a year or so? As far as the cost... we'll link you another video on the car to answer that question ;) ua-cam.com/video/xkEt-ZGfpQU/v-deo.html
We decided to make another video showing off the car a little more, as well as addressing some common questions. Give it a watch let us know what you think!
I'm looking to go NA-T on mine but everybody keeps telling me to just ditch the motor and go GTE. Can you provide a mod list for your build? I'm thinking 350 WHP would be ideal.
Those who usually advocate such a swap have almost never actually DONE the swap, one thing you'll get used to in the modified car world regardless of Import or Domestic. The modifications on this car are extremely extensive, most people would never do something this level but for us wanting to build a trustworthy reliable daily driver... doing it right was the only way to do it. We have been getting a lot of questions about the specifics behind this car since the video went live, in the next couple of weeks we'll film a deep dive video on the build so people can really see the costs and parts involved to get to this level. Lots of little hundred dollar here hundred dollar there pieces add up to thousands at the end when the bill comes due! In response to what YOU are looking to do, a 350whp NA-T is certainly doable and would be doable for far less than what we have done in this car. As long as your engine is healthy currently, a smaller turbo kit like something from Driftmotion, new exhaust and intake setup, a bit better fuel setup, an ECU like what we are running here (AEM from Dezod), intercooler setup and oil cooler and you could probably get there without needing much boost. Make sure to have a healthy active knock sensor and a good tuner to watch the AFR while tuning and should be within reach.
@@LucoreAuto Thanks for the info! I've seen a lot of people completely get rid of it and rewire everything. Glad there is an option to keep everything roughly the same.
So you're just telling me that the only thing you need for that set up its low profile tires suspension setup and BC racing coilovers 4 that size tires to fit perfectly under car with no problems are rubbing
Essentially if you are wanting this same look, yes. You also need a shop that knows how to properly set up a coilover suspension with custom specifications to ensure no rubbing or undesirable body roll/weight transfer.
Finally someone with a great setup. Ok so I have a 02 Is300 Manual LSD with 345km/210miles and heavily loved. I want to build the same GE engine and boost like ur setup. What kind of ecu did u use? Stock harness? Head gasket? Can use intercooler with same side inlet and outlet? I mean I could just add a turbo on current engine but she is gonna pop? Maybe. Any advice or direction is appreciated
Well thanks for the love, and we can definitely pour some GE-T knowledge on you! If you haven't yet watched the additional video about costs on this build we DEFINITELY recommend doing so now! Building something like this is NOT cheap or to be taken without being fully prepared. To address your questions first. It's running a AEM V2 ECU and wiring harness from Dezod Motorsports. They setup is perfect, install went smoothly, and it honestly gives us everything we could need. With that said, you need to run it in parallel with your factory ECU otherwise you lose all your body controls like power seats/windows/dash switches all that. The intercooler setup we are running is a cross flow intercooler then bringing the piping back across and up into the factory throttle body in the factory location. Requires a bit of custom piping but generally you can buy a generic kit online and piece something together. CAN you bolt a turbo on your unit as it is now? For sure. BUT, unless it's a VERY well cared for 200k+ motor you're definitely on borrowed time no matter what level of boost you are running. Strong healthy stock motors can usually support somewhere in the 350whp range. How long it can do that... who knows! Another thing to keep in mind, the factory 5 speed in these cars WILL die when you push much past the 350whp mark, so depending on your goals there may be a transmission swap in your future as well! Hopefully this answers some of your questions, give the other video a watch as well! Always here to help and spread some knowledge!
I have a 2001 Lexus is300 about 168k miles car is in good condition tho do you think I should buy the same turbo kit from drift motion and what else should I buy or do to make the car handle the boost?
Whoa there slow down killer! The first thing you ever need to do before turbo'ing would be verify the health of your motor currently. 168k miles one one car can be completely different on another. A few basic things.. Do an oil change, out 1,000 miles on that oil and pull it out to inspect. Is there any glitter in the oil? If there is, what color is it? Secondly, do a compression test snd cylinder leak down test. Verifying the engine is healthy enough for a little boost before spending money or building it up can save you a ton of head ache and pocket pain!
Hey I just got a lexus is300 2002 and got a turbo kit on Amazon called xspower the kit let me down it didnt even included intercooler piping. Anyways I started putting it in but I have been having so many troubles I can't get the oil return or feed line started is there any way you could help me out or let me know of a trick you used to get the oil lines finshed quicker I really dont like seeing my car just sit there not running.
Tough question to give a real good answer to! Rough guess, probably somewhere in the 15-20 hours worth of labor range. Have to switch the peddle box, transmission, ECU, center console.. lots of pieces need to change to make that all work out correctly!
@@LucoreAuto I have a 03 120k w55 factrory lsd is300 and gte prices for both 1 and 2 is just out of the roof cheapest option being a 1jz for 4.5K that is without transmission and any type of work and not knowing what's been through. At this rate I am just considering building my is300 to be NA-T and seeing you guys do this is300 just have put my mind into it even more!
@@Kaandacan well glad to give you some food for thought! When we built this car the GTEs were still pretty reasonably available, we just wanted to see what the GE setup was truly capable of compared to just doing a GTE swap like everyone does. Keep in mind this GE DOES have aftermarket forged rods and pistons so you'll still need to track down some rather expensive parts, and a bit of machine work. All told though, this thing is an absolute blast at these power levels and a constant challenge for traction.
@@LucoreAuto Thank you guys so much! I actually work for MAP so it should not be problem to track down parts and get the machine work done! You guys just inspired me to pull the trigger! Also haha I bet!
@@Kaandacan anything you would like to know about the build or what we used just ask, we're always happy to answer questions and help people's project move forward!
Whats the max do you think stock throttle body and intake manifold can do. I plan on keep mostly everything stock and building out the bottom end Would like to get to 600whp on pump gas but its not a must have number. 550ishwhp I'll be pretty content.
Honestly that's a really great question to ask and I think this car is pretty much that limit. The turbo, fuel system, head, exhaust can all handle more power but the intake charge is heating up. We could change intercoolers and find a bit more power but the next weakest link is the factory throttle body and totally stock intake manifold. With a bigger intercooler and maybe a bit of manifold work it COULD be possible to get close to 550 on pump but can't imagine much past that. We never bothered because let's be honest here, the difference between 500 and 550 on the street on street tires is... basically nothing.
@@LucoreAuto hmmm I got ya worse case scenario I'll take the 500whp if it comes to find out upgrading the throttle body and intake manifold isn't worth the extra money. I mostly want a street car anyways I don't see myself taking this on the track that often. I was thinking about upgrading the throttle body anyways because I'm not sure but the is300s seems to have this weird hesitation problem when you take off from a stop light. You guys may know what I'm talking about. I thought it was just my first 01 is300 but I drove two more is300 the 05 one I have now and my friends 01 they all the do the same thing so its definitely a manufacture problem. I wonder if you guys have that still now with everything done. Could be an computer error idk I don't like it though
Ohh that's a complicated question to answer! First off it will definitely be a different experience and FAR quicker being an auto in between shift. HOWEVER, the Auto transmissions that came in these cars are no where near strong enough to handle 500whp without exploding. IF you are going NA-T with an out, pull the transmission and have a trustworthy shop go through it before you move forward at all. Typically speaking unless you are upgrading considerably we would say stay somewhere in the 350whp range which should be very doable on a smaller turbo and low boost.
Part of the wiring setup we are using and the AEM ECU has thr provision for using MAP instead of MAF. We tapped a hole in the intake pipe just before the throttle body where the sensor is now connected. Obviously all of this needs to be addressed with a custom tune, your car will have absolutely no idea what's going on or where to pull readings from otherwise
We are going to do a "build up" video in the near future that addresses some of the more mechanical parts of this car, BUT we just posted a new video on the car that addresses some common questions we get!
We are actually in the process of making a more technical break down video of what it really takes to build something like this parts and pieces wise. There's SO much that was done to get this car to where it is, some of it necessary some of it not. A lot of it comes down to what condition you are starting with and where you are wanting to go as a finished product. So so SO many variables involved in doing this the right way. Roughly speaking, expect somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000 in parts/engine work and labor. Definitely not a cheap project, but at the end of the day what can you buy for $40k that makes 500whp and turns heads EVERYWHERE it goes.
@@LucoreAuto I'd be ok with that. I really have no interest in a new car or a "exotic" car. I'd rather have a built IS300 (or two) I can take out on the street and/or drag strip. This is the one I currently have: ua-cam.com/video/7p-x4tegIh0/v-deo.html
Just make sure you do your homework on compatibility and wiring so you don't create yourself a nightmare and have access to a tuner that knows what they are doing. If you haven't already reached out to Chris at Dezod he's a great resource!
@@LucoreAuto yes thank you I currently own a 1998 GS 300 and planning to put a 2jz gte in it with the automatic transmission a 340e my power goal is 380 to 400 kw for street sleeper because the vvti 2jz is to much work to turbo the conrods is weak etc and better to buy whole entire setup.
@@user2917 the GTE route is certainly an option and you are correct the GE has much less beefy internal components. However keep in mind there's a WHOLE lot to changing over from a GE to GTE, lots of time and money either way you do it.
I'm glad people are paying attention and catching my slip up on the transmission mention! We knew as soon as we began this build the factory Lexus transmission wouldn't stand a chance, so far the R154 from an '87 MKIII Supra is holding up well!
It really depends on the state of what we are starting with and what direction you are planning to take the car. To build this exact same car you would be in the 30-45k range for parts and labor, again depending on what all we are starting with.
Proper offset for the wheels, a semi low profile tire, and suspension setup dialed in as it should be on the BC Racing Coilovers .. nothing to worry about rubbing wise.
That's a really really tough question to answer honestly, there are so many variables in play. Very roughly speaking for the external parts and pieces Exhaust/Turbo/Fuel/ECU/Suspension/Wheels&Tires/Transmission&Driveshaft you'll have somewhere in the range of $15,000-$17,000 in parts. Motor wise you'll have to a machine shop on hand and your internals. Manley Rods, stock polished crank, and whomever you decide on a good forged piston. Full disassembly, cleaning/machining/assembly with parts will likely be in the $7,000-$9,000 range. With all that then you need a shop capable and willing to take on the challenge. Way under estimating the time involved you'll have 100 hours in it for assembly. So 100 hours times whatever the shops hourly rate is gets you at LEAST $10,000 in labor alone for the build. So... $30,000 - $45,000 to build something like this?
To do it right, its definitely an expensive process! This one wasn't a "no budget just build it" but we used all brand new good parts from front to back, hopefully it shows. If you aren't aiming for quite this level, say 350-375whp there's definitely a huge cost difference. Just trying to be honest here, don't want people jumping into a project and running out of funds halfway through.
Thank you for the sub, the comment, and hopefully the like! ;) We are pretty proud of how this thing turned out though it was one HELL of a process to get it here. It's running a custom wiring harness and an AEM V2 ECU to control the engine, the original body computer is still in place to control the gauges/cabin electronics. This kind of thing is a VERY expensive project to get involved in make sure to watch the follow up video as well on the questions we get about this thing and especially the COSTS involved!
Thank you! The turbo and headers are part of a kit that comes from Driftmotion, it's their 6465 kit. There was definitely some adjustments we had to make to get clearances for our application but overall it was a great setup out of the box.
To run on pump gas, it's a dance of static compression and octane. With these N/A 2J motors they come from factory at around 10.5 : 1 compression which doesn't leave much room for the added dynamic compression of turbo charged air. If we were running a smaller lower boost setup the stock higher compression CAN run with a little boost (5-6psi) as long as it's tuned correctly without creating pre-detonation... which kills motors. This particular motor build was designed to run 15-25psi of boost which would either require running lower static compression, OR running Race gas / e85 at all times. Neither of those options were attractive for what we were looking for. In this case we lowered compression but not to the point where it's a "dog" out of boost. Driving around town below 3500RPM you would hardly notice any power loss, we built it high enough for drivability but low enough to handle the boost we knew we would be using.
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing sounds great. The mental madness to be a beast to life. The compression prolly around 9. With that guess. What is the compression.
@@HitKLHman We are pretty proud of how she turned out all things considered. It definitely wasn't easy! With full boost rolled in it's the 10.5-10.7 : 1 range on pump gas and .... a bit more than that on race gas with boost turned up ;)
That's s very good question, unfortunately you rarely see something this completely done up for sale. Best guess, somewhere in the 40k range? Ask yourself, what can you buy that makes a legitimate 500 rear wheel horsepower, has 4 doors, a stick shift, and turns heads like this thing does?
I've built one twice highly depends on parts only buy name brand all my knockoff parts have had to be replaced not worth it and it coust me a motor in the long run its cheaper to go with name brand from the beginning stay away from driftmotion. Pro tip I have a fully built gte in my car now and another on the stand if you get a aristo gte use the stock pistons and rings leave the oil squrters in use a stock oem headgasket arp head studs rod bolts and main cap bolts and put in acl race bearings gapped to around .0025 on the rods and mains buy aftermarket high hp rods then use vr1 20w50 high zinc oil and you will have a reliable 1000 whp+ budget motor and even more hp if you want to go with aftermarket main caps. I deleted my oil squirters and have a little piston slap when the motor is cold aftermarket pistons expand more and require more cilender wall clearance and mine could not accommodate oil squirters. Ide use realstreet performance for parts and advice ive been dealing with them for a long time and they know whats up. And expect to spend minimum 30k not including the car if you do all the work yourself and buy name brand parts in the beginning ive wasted probably 6k because I tryed to go cheap in the beginning definitely go with name brand parts and good advice call -REALSTREET- (DO NOT USE DRIFTMOTION)
The only way an IS300 can be considered Supra-like is by extending the front end so that the engine can be placed further behind the front wheels (like an rx7 or s2k), until then it really isn't a "4-door supra" further than the drivetrain being compatible.
Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion, just as everyone else who's showered praise on this ride has. While NO ONE would modify these cars to adjust engine placements the weight distribution is extremely close and well balanced, even more so than a stock MKIV Supra. Either way, thanks for the comment and hopefully you enjoyed the video!
@@LucoreAuto It is a nice build. I have experienced it's balanced weight distribution first hand on dry and in rain so can attest. However it is a tad front-heavy in certain situations to the point that it is a bit bothersome, however I'm interested in how much of that can be dialed out. Anyway, I guess I'll only be truely happy with a mid-ship configuration, but a nicely tuned daily never hurts.
*I... FUCKING... **_LOVE_** ... THAT VALVE COVER!!!* dunno if it's for the 300 or not but it was sick.. truly a beautiful car, in every aspect... i would do red lense tail lamps, black housing headlamps, altezza grill... literally the only thing(s) i would change... i love it tho.. the hood, the colors, don't even get me started on the wheels 🤤. can i have it? please? _pleaasee_ 🥺
It absolutely is! This car does daily driver duty through most of the warmer months here in Ohio unless it's at the shop for Pre Race inspection. That was the point of the build, make something you can drive anywhere you want anytime you want.
Just posted a video of this thing, doing some comfortable country road and daily driver duties as well as addressing a lot of commonly asked questions, give it a watch let us know what you think!
New video just went up doing some in camera driving/filming as well as talking through some of the most common questions on the build, go give it a watch for us! (please)
New video just went live that addresses SOME of the questions, feel free to comment there if you have any other specific things you would like to know!
Our new video that JUST went up addresses this question specifically and shows some great rolling shots of it. Go give it a view and let us know what you think, or any other questions you may have!
Gave it a few extra points to make it sound more special, but you are correct it's a W55 not a W58 :) It's amazing how many people go after the "big cam" when building a street car version of these. Not only totally unnecessary but often times ruins the daily driver ability!
The auto to manual swap is definitely a serious project to undertake, not something the casual wrencher wants to get involved in for sure! The fun factor of "rowing your own gears" is definitely a bonus though, sounds like unfortunately you don't have much choice in Europe! The IS200 is a great car by itself and has plenty that can be done to add to the fun factor, also, depending what part of Europe you are in the roads over there are extremely fun for light tossable fun sedans!
This is exactly the way I want to make my 04 is300.
Well one step at a time make it happen! Definitely not cheap, nor quick to do BUT an awesome ride once it's done!
I bought my 2004 Lexus IS300 for only 3 grand
@@austinguenther7193 I got my 01 is300 for 1800
@@920.streetstyle where bruh I paid like 7k Canadian for mine clean with like 90k km
@@samsonsatkunanathan9981 bro I'm in the usa. In Illinois
this is a great video. was a nice watch
Loving this IS 300, I also have an 01 but still planning on what to with mine. But great job and thanks for sharing!
It's a long involved and expensive process to get to this point for sure but MAN is this thing a blast! Glad you enjoyed it, we've got several videos on here showing it off if you are interested
@@LucoreAuto question!
On a 2001 IS300 automatic, is there a possible way that you guys can do a transmission swap without a check engine light so it can still pass smog here in California?
@@jerryespineli1592 you should be able to swap transmissions without any effect you emissions? Admittedly we aren't familiar with the current California legislation but what would be the issue you see? I guess maybe the ECU swap would be more than is currently allowed?
@@LucoreAuto I have ask a shop here and told me that they don’t have any knowledge of that check engine light if if not gonna stay on. That just tells me that I’m not bringing my car to them. I don’t mind taking my car all the way there if you guys can take care of it coming from California, I just want a shop and people that I can trust!
@@jerryespineli1592 Looking at it from a technical perspective there shouldn't be any reason why that would impact emissions control. You'll need an ECU from a manual transmission car or an aftermarket ECU that will allow the car to operate fine without looking for signals from the automatic transmission, beyond that, can't imagine why you wouldn't be allowed to do it. It shouldn't make any more or less emissions regardless of the transmission. Unfortunately we can't say 100% whether or not the California folks will allow it to fly or not, haven't ever had to deal with that honestly.
Just saw this in person at Import Face Off. This is my dream car!
Thanks Brandon, glad you liked it! We are pretty proud of how it turned out, hopefully @Boosted_Lexi gets to enjoy it a lot this year!
She'll be out there in the spring again, in the mean time just posted a new video addressing some commonly asked questions... and showing off a little ;)
nice to see another NA-T build! love it. I have a SC300 NA-T daily driver as well and some weekend highway fun runs
They are pretty rare to be found done right, seems like the only ways you ever really see these things under boost is either GTE swapped or GE-Prayer! They definitely can be a ton of fun, hopefully your weeks are fast fun and safe!
She's still going strong after 2 years and several thousand miles, new video just went up with some gorgeous driving footage and addressing some common questions/concerns. Let us know what you think!
This is absolutely gorgeous! I've always wanted one of these cars. 😍
Thank you we really appreaciate it! It took a LOT of work to get this thing just right... and a lot of money ;)
that's what I love most about my is300s, 800whp with ac and full interior, very nice build, hope my current side project comes out even a smidge as clean as yours, keep up the awesome work
Thanks for watching and the compliment! It's been a process for sure and would have been a whole lot less work if we weren't so picky about keeping the car in such good shape! As old school hotrod folks though... that's the way we do things ;)
Hopefully your project is coming along well, we just posted a new video of this car if you are interested :)
👍 I'm running 700whp ac compressor makes funny noises because I forget to turn it off some times but still works im ditching my factory seats they are about 55lbs a piece . What trans are you running? How is your rear diff holding up?
@@speltwrong9009 rear end is holding up just fine, however I am going for the grannas 8.8 bolt in kit for the very next mod, I dont believe my m85 will last very long but I dont do dig launches or any clutch kick power shift too soon jr stuff hahaha so she does the job for now. I didn't realize the seats were that heavy, however my interior is pretty flawless, only way I'm getting some buckets is if my seat adjustment no longer functions hahaha
@@speltwrong9009 forgot to mention I have a v160
Hahahaha I almost spit my drink when he grabed the diesel pump handle
Ohhhh now I know what you mean, had to rewatch the video again!
Disclaimer : This 2J is NOT diesel powered! ;)
Still running strong on 93 Octane ;) New video just went up if you are interested in seeing more of the build!
Very cool car. The design has aged quite well.
Thank you, it definitely has aged well and has all kinds of potential! Autocross corner carver, road racing monster, straight line rocket. They can do it all!
Can’t wait to see the new changes this year! Great build!
Only minor changes scheduled for 2019, but with the season JUST starting here... who knows what's ahead!
New video just went up showing the car in its current state, give it a watch!
Outstanding build!! This really is an amazing machine
Thank you! We are pretty damn proud of this thing, as is the owner!
New video of this beast just went live!
Great Build Beautiful 👍👍👍 This is Literally My Goal For My 2003 IS300. Wish y’all were down in South Florida So I could bring my Baby to you guys for guidance and build !!!!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the compliments, we really appreciate it! Took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get this thing just right but it turned out juuuuust about perfect we think :) South Florida is certainly a long drive for us to help but that's part of the beauty of the internet we're just a shiny screen away! ;)
New video just went up about this car and the build process, give it a watch and if you have more questions you would like to see us address drop them there!
Awesome to see a builder in Ohio. Im up in NEO and have litereally only seen a few IS300 or SC3/400 in this area ever. I have a 94 SC3 NA-T that needs a little help. Mine was built with AEM v1, which I know jack about, I may hit yall up sometime. Very nice build, the owner must love it.
Thanks for the watch and comment! We are definitely proud of how it turned out in the end, we just tend to not think about how much time and energy went into getting it right! ;)
There aren't many "Speed Shops" out there anymore turning out cars, in all honesty it's not a profitable venture. We just enjoy showing off a little of what we do outside the normal day to day stuff.
We can definitely help out if you need a hand, helping people move projects forward and overcoming issues is something fun for us. We're here to help!
When you put the diesel in, I almost cried. Lol
Love the video, subscribed! Really wanting an is300 to build...
Thank you for the compliment and sub! When done right they are really quite an awesome ride, totally daily driveable street monster. Even at 100whp less than this one, they are a blast!
From The Caribbean and the left hand model which is American only a few here but lots of Japanese and English model sweet machine 👌
Thank you! Always nice to get love on our projects from elsewhere in the world. Something important to the Caribbean crowd.. it's still got functional A/C!
Beautiful job
Thank you!
I just picked up a a 2005 Lexus Is300 that’s in amazing shape from a dealer down in Orlando (I live in Wisconsin) and this video just gave me so much inspiration. You guys KILLED this, it looks amazing!
Since you guys seem so responsive and knowledgeable I have a question. I’ve been thinking about boosting mine. I want something super reliable that I can daily, maybe 300-350 hp, just enough to to make her a little more fun while retaining reliability. What would you guys recommend doing to the motor internally (if anything) to handle this power reliably? And would the stock auto transmission handle 300-350hp reliably? My biggest concern is maintaining that Toyota reliability so I’ll do what I need to internally to get as close to that as possible. Thanks in advance for any help!
Well first off, thanks for the appreciation! We worked hard getting this thing just right over the last year and a half or so ... we think it's turned out pretty well!
First question that would need answered is what kind of milage is on the motor and transmission? The last thing you want to so is take a reliable fun daily driver and blow it up causing a $8k+ motor build!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing Thanks for the response already!
The motor and trans currently have 160,000 on them. This would have been good information to include originally as it probably effects how much engine work is needed for those numbers.
@@danielobrien1587 that's why we ask questions before making suggestions ;) Many shops just throw parts and pray, that's just not our way.
The 2JZ-GE is a solid motor with pretty legendary reliability as long as it's been taken care of. Have a compression test done on the motor before starting to move forward on boost. If you are planning to just do a bolt on turbo kit Driftmotion makes one that will be a solid 5-6psi setup that SHOULD be ok on stock internals. But, go into this kind of thing with eyes open, blowing something up will be a huge kick in the pocket.
Transmission wise.. hard to say there. They can certainly handle that sort of power level as long as it's in good shape internally. We actually have a top secret project coming up this spring along the lines of what you are thinking ;)
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing I just want to say thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions, you guys are incredibly helpful! That project sounds awesome I’ll be sure to subscribe so I don’t miss it ;) I’ll definitely start with that compression test before moving forward with anything. Is there any pre turbo kit maintenance you guys would suggest, outside of just normal engine maintenance, that would help with long term reliability with a turbo set up?
@@LucoreAuto what would you recommend for a NA build? Turbo is in my future however since it's my only car and I am enrolled in college I don't really want to risk it. Car is an 04 with 95k on the engine. I'm the 2nd owner. It had 73k when I bought it lol
Thats a pretty looking IS
Ty! We're pretty proud of how it's turned out!
Do you guys happen to have a spreadsheet of all the parts you had to acquire for this build? Looking to build the exact same thing in the near future!
We don't have a spreadsheet of everything, but certainly have a lot of bills :) It's an outstanding car and honestly I don't think if we built it again that we would do anything different
Amazing car. You should proud! I want to make mine like this. Great video
Well we appreciate all the love we are getting after putting in so much hard work! She's not completely perfect, but we think she's damn close :)
The video side is still a work in progress for us, we're wrenchers not video production people... but we're learning how to share more of what we do!
We just posted an update to this project as well as address some commonly asked questions on the build, give it a watch let us know what you think!
Love this IS bro 🙌🏻 amazing
Thank you! We are pretty damn proud of how it turned out!
@@LucoreAuto it’s amazing buddy awesome job
@@spike46 much appreciated
Looks nasty, man. Just finished up my is300 build recently.
Thank you! It's definitely come together nicely, will be making it to a few Midwest events this year to show off and make some passes :) What did YOU build?
New video up on this build, give it a watch!
Very nice build, Kudos my dude...
Thank you! We appreciate all the love and attention this build has been getting! Plenty more adventures to come for this ride ;)
Just posted an update video and address some questions on the build if you want to see more IS300 goodness ;)
Great job on the car!
Thank you very much! We have a few other videos of it on here as well if you want more!
Looks Good. Done Right💯💯
Thank you glad you like it!
Thank you! New video just went up showing it off a bit more if you are interested :)
Whats the camera used at 2:00 and 2:24 the shots are awesome
Beautiful Car
Thank you!
Man I need you guys to help me finish my car , where’s your shop at ?
Sometimes projects get stalled and it's time to call in reinforcements. We certainly know how thay is!
Our shop located just outside of Columbus Ohio
New video showing the car off just got posted!
Also are there any other customers with is300s that come in asking for a similar set up? not as stock as possible but cost efficient maybe.
Honestly no not really, most people really aren't interested in going this far or anywhere near this. Especially now with the prices of these cars going through the roof.
Even if it were something like just do a bolt on turbo on a stock motor with low boost... finding a low mileage manual IS300 that's been well maintained is almost impossible
Yeah Well the used car prices are super inflated right now so that's probably got something to do with it.
I was just wondering cause I was looking for a shop potentially to do this build or similar. I plan on doing the engine and transmission myself to save money I'd just have a shop do everything else and you guys ain't that far so. Mines would be an automatic which is the less popular but I'll be trying to aim for a transmission with e-shift capabilities so.
Im working on a na-t build on my is300, it will be my ultimate daily
They are outstanding Daily Drivers, you won't be disappointed if you do it right!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing imma refresh the motor bc it has 290000miles and I plan to run new oem engine components other than the headstuds, pistons, and rods. Nice and simple with 550cc injectors. I can’t wait
@@tagallstar1801 stock crank can definitely handle what you are going to ask of it, have an idea what you are going to run turbo wise? Keep it something modest and have fun with it... no need to shoot for the moon!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing not really, i was thinking bout getting a new holset turbo from cummins diesel vehicles. I was recommended that from a youtuber named 3motiongarage who has a 1jz swapped is300
@@tagallstar1801 there are all sorts of options out there, just make sure whatever you pick isn't too big to spool up in a reasonable amount of time. Especially if you are sticking with a DD focused car, bigger isn't always better! :)
i have a 03 is300 2jz ge vvti im new to the car seen first modifications should be?
Hnmmm first modification... wheels/tires probably for a better look and handling. Then probably exhaust to get that sexy 2JZ sound!
I've got a 120k Mile 04 GE is300 and was wondering how much I'd need to do to get around 350-400whp daily driver with an automatic transmission.
Or if it would even be smart to boost a car with that many miles
Thanks for watching and reaching out! The first thing you would need to do is have the health if your current motor verified. Do a compression and leak down test to make sure the components you have right now are ready to take the extra abuse.
If all is well internally, a small turbo kit, intercooler, exhaust, and fuel system is the ticket. If you are DDing this car just realize you are living on borrowed time and eventually SOMETHING will give and you'll have some likely expensive repairs ahead.
The car is mind blowing, but that black hood killed it , I suggest you keep the hood red
The black carbon fiber on the hood actually really works when you see it in person. Sometimes it works in photos, sometimes it doesn't. If you take a look at his Instagram page @Boosted_Lexi you can see some other shots of it
Just because you dont like it doesn't mean it doesn't work. Next time you have an opinion put IMO after.
@@AM-wi6zo part of the beauty that comes with customizing cars is putting your own spin on it. Definitely not a look that works for everyone but 98% love it ;)
@@AM-wi6zo oh ok I didnt know you must put IMO at the end, and I never said It doesnt work i like the car its really nice ... I meant no disrespect or anything sorry about that
Tasteful street tune.... I'm wondering the rough cost for the engine build, since GTE's are going for about 3.5k. Trying to determine whether or not to go with a fresh, reliable rebuild or a potentially beat GTE. Thanks.
It's definitely not cheap to build right, in disassembly, cleaning, machining, parts, and reassembling you are easily beyond the cost of the "50k 2JZ-GTE" you can find through importers and all over Ebay. But, we KNOW the guts in this guy is capable of way more than we are asking of it. Which is the way we prefer to build!
Just posted a deeper dive video answering the most commonly asked questions, also some pretty stunning driving footage. Give it a watch!
Bad ass❤️
Thank you!
Very very nice
What was the total cost and turn around time for the build?
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :) Turn around time was... quite a while. Start to finish about a year or so? As far as the cost... we'll link you another video on the car to answer that question ;)
ua-cam.com/video/xkEt-ZGfpQU/v-deo.html
Well done. Gorgeous car👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍
Thank you very much! We are pretty proud of how it's turned out!
We decided to make another video showing off the car a little more, as well as addressing some common questions. Give it a watch let us know what you think!
I'm looking to go NA-T on mine but everybody keeps telling me to just ditch the motor and go GTE. Can you provide a mod list for your build? I'm thinking 350 WHP would be ideal.
Those who usually advocate such a swap have almost never actually DONE the swap, one thing you'll get used to in the modified car world regardless of Import or Domestic. The modifications on this car are extremely extensive, most people would never do something this level but for us wanting to build a trustworthy reliable daily driver... doing it right was the only way to do it.
We have been getting a lot of questions about the specifics behind this car since the video went live, in the next couple of weeks we'll film a deep dive video on the build so people can really see the costs and parts involved to get to this level. Lots of little hundred dollar here hundred dollar there pieces add up to thousands at the end when the bill comes due!
In response to what YOU are looking to do, a 350whp NA-T is certainly doable and would be doable for far less than what we have done in this car. As long as your engine is healthy currently, a smaller turbo kit like something from Driftmotion, new exhaust and intake setup, a bit better fuel setup, an ECU like what we are running here (AEM from Dezod), intercooler setup and oil cooler and you could probably get there without needing much boost. Make sure to have a healthy active knock sensor and a good tuner to watch the AFR while tuning and should be within reach.
@@LucoreAuto thank you for the advice!
@@AltezzaDCG no problem, happy to help!
What was your solution for the ECU? I see you still have the factory location.
The factory unit us in the car in the stock location controlling everything other than engine management. The AEM V2 is also in that same box.
@@LucoreAuto Thanks for the info! I've seen a lot of people completely get rid of it and rewire everything. Glad there is an option to keep everything roughly the same.
So you're just telling me that the only thing you need for that set up its low profile tires suspension setup and BC racing coilovers 4 that size tires to fit perfectly under car with no problems are rubbing
Essentially if you are wanting this same look, yes. You also need a shop that knows how to properly set up a coilover suspension with custom specifications to ensure no rubbing or undesirable body roll/weight transfer.
Give the new video a watch, we think you'll like it!
Let me sing up, please how much you charge for a simalar built?
Finally someone with a great setup. Ok so I have a 02 Is300 Manual LSD with 345km/210miles and heavily loved. I want to build the same GE engine and boost like ur setup. What kind of ecu did u use? Stock harness? Head gasket? Can use intercooler with same side inlet and outlet?
I mean I could just add a turbo on current engine but she is gonna pop? Maybe. Any advice or direction is appreciated
Well thanks for the love, and we can definitely pour some GE-T knowledge on you! If you haven't yet watched the additional video about costs on this build we DEFINITELY recommend doing so now! Building something like this is NOT cheap or to be taken without being fully prepared.
To address your questions first. It's running a AEM V2 ECU and wiring harness from Dezod Motorsports. They setup is perfect, install went smoothly, and it honestly gives us everything we could need. With that said, you need to run it in parallel with your factory ECU otherwise you lose all your body controls like power seats/windows/dash switches all that.
The intercooler setup we are running is a cross flow intercooler then bringing the piping back across and up into the factory throttle body in the factory location. Requires a bit of custom piping but generally you can buy a generic kit online and piece something together.
CAN you bolt a turbo on your unit as it is now? For sure. BUT, unless it's a VERY well cared for 200k+ motor you're definitely on borrowed time no matter what level of boost you are running. Strong healthy stock motors can usually support somewhere in the 350whp range. How long it can do that... who knows! Another thing to keep in mind, the factory 5 speed in these cars WILL die when you push much past the 350whp mark, so depending on your goals there may be a transmission swap in your future as well!
Hopefully this answers some of your questions, give the other video a watch as well! Always here to help and spread some knowledge!
I have a 2001 Lexus is300 about 168k miles car is in good condition tho do you think I should buy the same turbo kit from drift motion and what else should I buy or do to make the car handle the boost?
Whoa there slow down killer! The first thing you ever need to do before turbo'ing would be verify the health of your motor currently. 168k miles one one car can be completely different on another. A few basic things..
Do an oil change, out 1,000 miles on that oil and pull it out to inspect. Is there any glitter in the oil? If there is, what color is it?
Secondly, do a compression test snd cylinder leak down test. Verifying the engine is healthy enough for a little boost before spending money or building it up can save you a ton of head ache and pocket pain!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing lol ty I’ll let you know atm I got a full catback all the way to the engine and an air intake no tune or anything
@@Tappswrld always here to help and advise! :) These things DEFINITELY sound great with an exhaust so great choice on first mods!
Hey I just got a lexus is300 2002 and got a turbo kit on Amazon called xspower the kit let me down it didnt even included intercooler piping. Anyways I started putting it in but I have been having so many troubles I can't get the oil return or feed line started is there any way you could help me out or let me know of a trick you used to get the oil lines finshed quicker I really dont like seeing my car just sit there not running.
I just picked an is300 with a blown engine as a first car
How much it all cost ?
What wheel size are those I love the setup
I love it
Thank you! We aimed pretty high as a total package for this build and think we scored pretty close to Bullseye!
@@LucoreAuto I wish you all the best and hope to see you again with more videos ....footprints for others to follow
I want bring my 04 is300 to you it’s an automatic I want manual swap how much did cost you to do all that work ?
Tough question to give a real good answer to! Rough guess, probably somewhere in the 15-20 hours worth of labor range. Have to switch the peddle box, transmission, ECU, center console.. lots of pieces need to change to make that all work out correctly!
What is the coilover height and dampening set up?
I know he said the kit is rare but still does anyone know what body kit is on that thing? Looks amazing
Very nice rims i would like to know where u bought them from??? This car look amazing..😎😎
Thank you, we are pretty proud of how it turned out. The wheels are from ESR :)
Will you guys ever do a parts list?
Ohhhh we could probably work something up. What ya looking for?
@@LucoreAuto I have a 03 120k w55 factrory lsd is300 and gte prices for both 1 and 2 is just out of the roof cheapest option being a 1jz for 4.5K that is without transmission and any type of work and not knowing what's been through. At this rate I am just considering building my is300 to be NA-T and seeing you guys do this is300 just have put my mind into it even more!
@@Kaandacan well glad to give you some food for thought! When we built this car the GTEs were still pretty reasonably available, we just wanted to see what the GE setup was truly capable of compared to just doing a GTE swap like everyone does.
Keep in mind this GE DOES have aftermarket forged rods and pistons so you'll still need to track down some rather expensive parts, and a bit of machine work. All told though, this thing is an absolute blast at these power levels and a constant challenge for traction.
@@LucoreAuto Thank you guys so much! I actually work for MAP so it should not be problem to track down parts and get the machine work done! You guys just inspired me to pull the trigger! Also haha I bet!
@@Kaandacan anything you would like to know about the build or what we used just ask, we're always happy to answer questions and help people's project move forward!
Whats the max do you think stock throttle body and intake manifold can do. I plan on keep mostly everything stock and building out the bottom end Would like to get to 600whp on pump gas but its not a must have number. 550ishwhp I'll be pretty content.
Honestly that's a really great question to ask and I think this car is pretty much that limit. The turbo, fuel system, head, exhaust can all handle more power but the intake charge is heating up. We could change intercoolers and find a bit more power but the next weakest link is the factory throttle body and totally stock intake manifold. With a bigger intercooler and maybe a bit of manifold work it COULD be possible to get close to 550 on pump but can't imagine much past that.
We never bothered because let's be honest here, the difference between 500 and 550 on the street on street tires is... basically nothing.
@@LucoreAuto hmmm I got ya worse case scenario I'll take the 500whp if it comes to find out upgrading the throttle body and intake manifold isn't worth the extra money. I mostly want a street car anyways I don't see myself taking this on the track that often.
I was thinking about upgrading the throttle body anyways because I'm not sure but the is300s seems to have this weird hesitation problem when you take off from a stop light. You guys may know what I'm talking about. I thought it was just my first 01 is300 but I drove two more is300 the 05 one I have now and my friends 01 they all the do the same thing so its definitely a manufacture problem. I wonder if you guys have that still now with everything done. Could be an computer error idk I don't like it though
How much whole set up but I want e55 swap maybe right side
How much did everything he do to the car come up to like that turbo and everything under the hood
Meaning how much just for the engine and power mods, not transmission suspension or anything else?
There's a newer video on our channel about this car that may answer some of your questions
You have got to see my Lexus. Same power as you. So cal.
Where can we see it? What route did you go for your build? GTE or GE-T?
Tell me who you build that car I have a Toyota alteeza 1gfe engine but I'm just going to turbo it it a straight 6
Toyota Alteeza should give you plenty to work from! Inline 6 with a turbo is ALWAYS a good idea!
What are the specs on the wheels and tires
What intercooler are you using?
I have an automatic, will the NA-T setup feel the same on a automatic?
Ohh that's a complicated question to answer! First off it will definitely be a different experience and FAR quicker being an auto in between shift. HOWEVER, the Auto transmissions that came in these cars are no where near strong enough to handle 500whp without exploding.
IF you are going NA-T with an out, pull the transmission and have a trustworthy shop go through it before you move forward at all. Typically speaking unless you are upgrading considerably we would say stay somewhere in the 350whp range which should be very doable on a smaller turbo and low boost.
How did you convert it to not run on MAF anymore? I’m having a hard time understanding this part of my build as well
Part of the wiring setup we are using and the AEM ECU has thr provision for using MAP instead of MAF. We tapped a hole in the intake pipe just before the throttle body where the sensor is now connected.
Obviously all of this needs to be addressed with a custom tune, your car will have absolutely no idea what's going on or where to pull readings from otherwise
We are going to do a "build up" video in the near future that addresses some of the more mechanical parts of this car, BUT we just posted a new video on the car that addresses some common questions we get!
Does the 245 35-18 rub in the front of the car are the 275 35 18 rub in the rear
No rubbing anywhere ;) Even going into corners and around roundabouts with extra people in the car there's no rubbing at all.
What was the cost? Ohio is about a 6hr drive from me and I'm probably going to pick up my 5th IS300. Maybe I can drive it there and just drop it off.
We are actually in the process of making a more technical break down video of what it really takes to build something like this parts and pieces wise. There's SO much that was done to get this car to where it is, some of it necessary some of it not.
A lot of it comes down to what condition you are starting with and where you are wanting to go as a finished product. So so SO many variables involved in doing this the right way.
Roughly speaking, expect somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000 in parts/engine work and labor. Definitely not a cheap project, but at the end of the day what can you buy for $40k that makes 500whp and turns heads EVERYWHERE it goes.
@@LucoreAuto I'd be ok with that. I really have no interest in a new car or a "exotic" car. I'd rather have a built IS300 (or two) I can take out on the street and/or drag strip. This is the one I currently have: ua-cam.com/video/7p-x4tegIh0/v-deo.html
This exactly what I'm planning to build except I'm planning to go with a GTE vvti engine.
Just make sure you do your homework on compatibility and wiring so you don't create yourself a nightmare and have access to a tuner that knows what they are doing. If you haven't already reached out to Chris at Dezod he's a great resource!
I'm wondering if it's cheaper to build it like what you guys did or just get the GTE VVTI motor
What rims and tires size are those.
@@TheYaegerPilot 245/35/18 and 275/35/18 Toyo Proxes T1s on ESR wheels 8.5x18 in the front and 9.5x18 in the rear
Thanks for that and again this car is beautifully done. Literally I've seen a lot of IS300/Altezza and this one takes the 🍰.
was it hard to bleed the brakes system? im doing the same build, after relocating it
No Sir pretty simple just take your time. May have to do it, drive it, then bleed again but honestly this one went pretty smoothly
Great car what transmission are you using thank you
Thank you for the watch and comment :) It's a stock R154 from a MKIII Supra turbo
@@LucoreAuto thank you for replying
@@user2917 absolutely, we always try to :) There's quite a bit more of this car on our channel if you're interested in it
@@LucoreAuto yes thank you I currently own a 1998 GS 300 and planning to put a 2jz gte in it with the automatic transmission a 340e my power goal is 380 to 400 kw for street sleeper because the vvti 2jz is to much work to turbo the conrods is weak etc and better to buy whole entire setup.
@@user2917 the GTE route is certainly an option and you are correct the GE has much less beefy internal components. However keep in mind there's a WHOLE lot to changing over from a GE to GTE, lots of time and money either way you do it.
W55 from the factory. SC300 had the W58 (I broke 1 lol). W55 is even weaker. R154 will definitely hold that power!
I'm glad people are paying attention and catching my slip up on the transmission mention! We knew as soon as we began this build the factory Lexus transmission wouldn't stand a chance, so far the R154 from an '87 MKIII Supra is holding up well!
what is a 2jz-ge-t ? I thought it was a 2jz-gte
an srt4 pulled into the gas station when they were filling up. i heard it
Lol!
How much do you guys charge for the same exact build? Let's say I bring the car and you guys do all the work. Thanks in advance
It really depends on the state of what we are starting with and what direction you are planning to take the car. To build this exact same car you would be in the 30-45k range for parts and labor, again depending on what all we are starting with.
Give the new video a watch, it just went live and we cover this question specifically!
What size tires are you using on the front and the rear
The tires are a Toyo Proxes T1 245/35/18 in the front 275/35/18 in the rear
How wide is the rim in the front and rear
Make sure to give the new video a watch where we address the wheels & tires question!
how did you get a 245 to fit on the front and a 275 underwear a lot of people use 215 40-18 on the front and 225 18s on the back
Proper offset for the wheels, a semi low profile tire, and suspension setup dialed in as it should be on the BC Racing Coilovers .. nothing to worry about rubbing wise.
Can you ballpark parts and labor for a build like this? Im thinking of buying one for 3k and starting the process.
That's a really really tough question to answer honestly, there are so many variables in play.
Very roughly speaking for the external parts and pieces Exhaust/Turbo/Fuel/ECU/Suspension/Wheels&Tires/Transmission&Driveshaft you'll have somewhere in the range of $15,000-$17,000 in parts.
Motor wise you'll have to a machine shop on hand and your internals. Manley Rods, stock polished crank, and whomever you decide on a good forged piston. Full disassembly, cleaning/machining/assembly with parts will likely be in the $7,000-$9,000 range.
With all that then you need a shop capable and willing to take on the challenge. Way under estimating the time involved you'll have 100 hours in it for assembly. So 100 hours times whatever the shops hourly rate is gets you at LEAST $10,000 in labor alone for the build.
So...
$30,000 - $45,000 to build something like this?
@@LucoreAuto oh wow okay thanks for the info
To do it right, its definitely an expensive process! This one wasn't a "no budget just build it" but we used all brand new good parts from front to back, hopefully it shows.
If you aren't aiming for quite this level, say 350-375whp there's definitely a huge cost difference. Just trying to be honest here, don't want people jumping into a project and running out of funds halfway through.
Nice nice
Thank you, we are pretty proud of it!
@@LucoreAuto hey guy's how is to do my Toyota altezza like that
@@seanjames5554 We MAY build another one like this sometime down the line... we'll see ;)
How much does it cost roughly to build a similar is300 ?
The car plus $5k-8k for the beginning. But you'll keep spend money to get more and more power.
Lucore automotive how much is the cost ? To boost my lexus is300 same project you have
Really depends on the state of what you are starting with..
Give the new video a watch, we address this question specifically!
Sub'd!!! I love this car, these are my exact goals with my 04. What management/harness are you running? Do they offer military/vet discounts?
Thank you for the sub, the comment, and hopefully the like! ;) We are pretty proud of how this thing turned out though it was one HELL of a process to get it here. It's running a custom wiring harness and an AEM V2 ECU to control the engine, the original body computer is still in place to control the gauges/cabin electronics. This kind of thing is a VERY expensive project to get involved in make sure to watch the follow up video as well on the questions we get about this thing and especially the COSTS involved!
What body kit did you say you have on the car?
We didn't get this addressed in the recent video but will remember to in the next update!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing when is the next update?
@@chrisstorm8092 newest one just got posted this morning, there will be another coming shortly! Look at our newest videos you'll see it :)
Love it man looks amazing. What kind of headers did you guys put on it?
Thank you! The turbo and headers are part of a kit that comes from Driftmotion, it's their 6465 kit. There was definitely some adjustments we had to make to get clearances for our application but overall it was a great setup out of the box.
Umm you want the high compression and less boost. Which makes the car more reliable
To run on pump gas, it's a dance of static compression and octane. With these N/A 2J motors they come from factory at around 10.5 : 1 compression which doesn't leave much room for the added dynamic compression of turbo charged air.
If we were running a smaller lower boost setup the stock higher compression CAN run with a little boost (5-6psi) as long as it's tuned correctly without creating pre-detonation... which kills motors.
This particular motor build was designed to run 15-25psi of boost which would either require running lower static compression, OR running Race gas / e85 at all times. Neither of those options were attractive for what we were looking for.
In this case we lowered compression but not to the point where it's a "dog" out of boost. Driving around town below 3500RPM you would hardly notice any power loss, we built it high enough for drivability but low enough to handle the boost we knew we would be using.
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing sounds great. The mental madness to be a beast to life. The compression prolly around 9. With that guess. What is the compression.
@@HitKLHman We are pretty proud of how she turned out all things considered. It definitely wasn't easy! With full boost rolled in it's the 10.5-10.7 : 1 range on pump gas and .... a bit more than that on race gas with boost turned up ;)
I wonder how much this car would sell for fully built like in the video
That's s very good question, unfortunately you rarely see something this completely done up for sale. Best guess, somewhere in the 40k range?
Ask yourself, what can you buy that makes a legitimate 500 rear wheel horsepower, has 4 doors, a stick shift, and turns heads like this thing does?
I've built one twice highly depends on parts only buy name brand all my knockoff parts have had to be replaced not worth it and it coust me a motor in the long run its cheaper to go with name brand from the beginning stay away from driftmotion. Pro tip I have a fully built gte in my car now and another on the stand if you get a aristo gte use the stock pistons and rings leave the oil squrters in use a stock oem headgasket arp head studs rod bolts and main cap bolts and put in acl race bearings gapped to around .0025 on the rods and mains buy aftermarket high hp rods then use vr1 20w50 high zinc oil and you will have a reliable 1000 whp+ budget motor and even more hp if you want to go with aftermarket main caps. I deleted my oil squirters and have a little piston slap when the motor is cold aftermarket pistons expand more and require more cilender wall clearance and mine could not accommodate oil squirters. Ide use realstreet performance for parts and advice ive been dealing with them for a long time and they know whats up. And expect to spend minimum 30k not including the car if you do all the work yourself and buy name brand parts in the beginning ive wasted probably 6k because I tryed to go cheap in the beginning definitely go with name brand parts and good advice call -REALSTREET- (DO NOT USE DRIFTMOTION)
The only way an IS300 can be considered Supra-like is by extending the front end so that the engine can be placed further behind the front wheels (like an rx7 or s2k), until then it really isn't a "4-door supra" further than the drivetrain being compatible.
Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion, just as everyone else who's showered praise on this ride has. While NO ONE would modify these cars to adjust engine placements the weight distribution is extremely close and well balanced, even more so than a stock MKIV Supra.
Either way, thanks for the comment and hopefully you enjoyed the video!
@@LucoreAuto It is a nice build. I have experienced it's balanced weight distribution first hand on dry and in rain so can attest. However it is a tad front-heavy in certain situations to the point that it is a bit bothersome, however I'm interested in how much of that can be dialed out. Anyway, I guess I'll only be truely happy with a mid-ship configuration, but a nicely tuned daily never hurts.
*I... FUCKING... **_LOVE_** ... THAT VALVE COVER!!!* dunno if it's for the 300 or not but it was sick..
truly a beautiful car, in every aspect... i would do red lense tail lamps, black housing headlamps, altezza grill... literally the only thing(s) i would change... i love it tho.. the hood, the colors, don't even get me started on the wheels 🤤.
can i have it? please? _pleaasee_ 🥺
What bodykit is that?
Do u sell them cars
Is it possible to have this amount of power and keep it a daily driver?
It absolutely is! This car does daily driver duty through most of the warmer months here in Ohio unless it's at the shop for Pre Race inspection. That was the point of the build, make something you can drive anywhere you want anytime you want.
@@LucoreAuto awesome that's what I want to do for my is300
Just posted a video of this thing, doing some comfortable country road and daily driver duties as well as addressing a lot of commonly asked questions, give it a watch let us know what you think!
This lexus has a w58 tranamission or r154 transmission
Originally a stick shit W58, had been swapped to a R154
Wish I would’ve kept my old 5 speed is300 I would’ve love to do a Na-T with a built GE 😞 but nonetheless beautiful creation! Love the color and build
They are getting harder and harder to find, especially in good shape! Thank you, this thing is easily one of the most head turning rides we've made!
We just posted a follow up video with some Q&A about the car, more driving footage and much better audio!
have plenty old people driving around AZ in mint is300’s. I see clean examples atleast once month.
The car is awesome. If yall went that far though I would go ahead and delete that clutch dampener.
Thank you, she's not entirely perfect but as a blend of DD / Racecar / Show car it checks most of the boxes!
New video just went up doing some in camera driving/filming as well as talking through some of the most common questions on the build, go give it a watch for us! (please)
Isn’t that the diesel pump?
Just realized what you were talking about! No diesel pumping happened in the making of this video!
Can you tell me everything you did to the Lexus to go turbo brand names and parts thank you
That Sir, would be one LONG answer!
New video just went live that addresses SOME of the questions, feel free to comment there if you have any other specific things you would like to know!
How wide is the rim on the front and the rear
8.5 inch wide front 9.5 inch wide rear
Our new video that JUST went up addresses this question specifically and shows some great rolling shots of it. Go give it a view and let us know what you think, or any other questions you may have!
Nice. They had w58 from factory? 😂.
And stock cams have always been fine with boost
Gave it a few extra points to make it sound more special, but you are correct it's a W55 not a W58 :)
It's amazing how many people go after the "big cam" when building a street car version of these. Not only totally unnecessary but often times ruins the daily driver ability!
Lucore Auto and LucoreRacing meh not really. I have 272s on my turbo IS and drives perfectly fine
@@BMXAndy1994 that's interesting, will have to go check out your videos to see what all you have done. What were you target numbers for the build?
New video of this thing just posted, give it a view let us know what you think!
Goals!
Thank you! She's a fun little monster! Make sure to subscribe, new content of this thing coming soon as it preps for Street Car Takeover!
Already did.
@@bson1120 Great, thank you! Content coming soon... she just got dropped back at the shop today :)
Great channel. Clean content and workmanship
@@bson1120 thank you! Just an Ohio small business trying to do big things, and share a bit of it with you all out there on the Interwebs
I wanna get a IS200. Would get a IS300, but they're all automatic in Europe, and i really don't feel like doing a manual swap...
The auto to manual swap is definitely a serious project to undertake, not something the casual wrencher wants to get involved in for sure! The fun factor of "rowing your own gears" is definitely a bonus though, sounds like unfortunately you don't have much choice in Europe!
The IS200 is a great car by itself and has plenty that can be done to add to the fun factor, also, depending what part of Europe you are in the roads over there are extremely fun for light tossable fun sedans!
What was the spend all in?
We actually addressed this and other questions in a follow up video, if you haven't seen it yet
ua-cam.com/video/xkEt-ZGfpQU/v-deo.html
What are the wheel specs all around? 😁
8.5x18 front 9.5x18 rear, offset is 30 front 35 rear
Give the new video that just went up a view, we think you'll like it!