Craigslist Debunking: Lexus IS300 Show/Track car with LS1 Swap and more!

"CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)" (ccpbb)
05/17/2016 at 08:05 • Filed to: None

“Y’know...the camber makes it turn so much faster on the track”

Welcome to a new series, Craigslist Debunking. We will be dissecting peoples’ less than factual Craigslist listings that are chock full of bullshit. Tonight, we investigate this Lexus IS300 Show/Track car with LS1 Swap and more!

Up for sale is my one of kind, multiple show winning, Lexus IS300 or IS570 once you hear what’s inside. Picked this car up a few years ago as a project track car but after a short year it transformed into an awesome looking street/track/show car. (how this can be used on the street as a function level is hilarious) I currently have other projects that I want to dedicate my time and funds towards so it has come time to let someone else enjoy this beast.

Here is a quick run down of the car and well as some photos.

2003 Lexus IS300
Engine: 5.7L LS1 (full rebuild with less then 1000 miles on it)
Transmission: T56 (fully rebuilt with all new synchros (paperwork included)
Modifications:
-Compcams Torquerer V2 cam
-Dual Valve springs
-Compcams push rods
-LS7 valves
-LS7 valve trays
-LS6 intake manifold
-Holley valve covers
-Holley fuel rail
-K&N intake with custom piping (I wonder if this custom piping has been tested on a flowbench)
-Daft Innovations mount kit
-Daft Innovations custom stainless long tube headers
-Custom exhaust with e-cutouts (E-cutouts? Is that Sesame Street’s letter of the day on the bumper?)
-Sokodu Designs custom oil catch can/coolant reservoir (wow does it add 50 hp from a regular diy oil catch can and coolant resevoir?)
-Solid belt tensioner
-ATI crank dampener
-Power steering pulley (we find out this person is not so much JDMdriftbronopowersteeringlyfe, and this is not a modification)
-Canton baffled oil pan (I doubt whatever track or street stuff you do totally requires this, as you are going to be handling some major g forces in the safeway parking lot)
-Power steering cooler (ok. that is not a modification but thanks)
-Mishimoto radiator with electric fans
-Custom engine cover (how original....but it’s still not a 2UZ)

Not a 2UZ.

-Tube front end (I cannot find a “tube” branded front end on the internet...or did you want to fulfill your fantasies of #driftcar? As you totally need a drift car level tube structure in the front)

Body:
-Sokodu designs custom widebody flares (is it really custom? Is it just made for you? Those don’t serve any purpose as your wheels still quite a bit wider than the flare edge...)
-Fineline BN Sports body kit (has that been aero tested for track use in the Retaks air tunnel)
-Authentic Forseight rear wing (this wing was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ...awkward.....)
-Authentic Altezza JDM window visors ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! cost 175 and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is 99. The overpriced company has finally been out-overpriced...woooow”)
-Altezza front grill
-Aerocatch locking hood pins (because the tracking is so hard on the car the hood might fly off because racecar)
-Car wrap by FilmWerkz (car is mainly black underneath besides the body kit)

Interior:
-Sokodu Designs 4-point roll cage (this isn’t no roll cage, this is a half cage. This doesn’t protect you from shit especially if you’re in a rollover. That area above you is still going to collapse and your half cage won’t help you with that whatsoever.)
-Sokodu Designs custom rear trunk X-Bar (stiffness motherfuckers)
-Sparco Corsa bucket seats (sat in about 5 times, basically brand new, FIA approved) (it’s used. You sat in it 5 times. If it’s still got the wrapping paper, that’s new.)
-Sparco 6-Point harness (damn it, I want the newest Retaks harness Ken Gushi is running!)
-Sparco 330mm deep corn steering wheel
-NRG quick release (You spend 800 dollars on a pair of (formerly) FIA certified seats and you buy the cheapest, crappiest eBay steering wheel hub known to man. Shame on you for ruining that Sparco wheel)
-NRG hub (that doesn’t make a difference, what are you going to shove, a momo quick release in a cheap eBay hub?)
-Tanabe VLS Oil pressure gauge (because Safeway parking lot makes my engine flex dem muscles)
-Tanabe VLS Oil temperature gauge (because Safeway parking lot makes my engine very hot with that Misomoto radiator)
-Tanabe VLS Water temp gauge (because my Misomoto radiator works to an extent when I’m tracking this thing on Forza)
-Tanabe VLS Air/Fuel ratio gauge
-Pioneer head unit

Suspension/Brakes:
-Power by Max coilovers (totally useless and a waste of money if you’re just slamming it. Get bags instead, it’s less pointless and actually usable in both show/track/street car situations)
-Sokodu Designs solid subframe bushings (because drift car....not)
-Sokodu Designs solid differential bushings (because track car...not)
-ABS eliminated with stainless lines (this will show your track day worthiness, as Safeway and street driving while slammed really doesn’t require ABS)
-Power by Max Hydraulic E-brake (because this is TOTALLY a drift car and needs that handbrake turn...and it apparently makes the men and women around you wet as a desert storm)
-Megan Racing front camber arms (track camber yo for the Safeway meet expeditions)

I will also include an extra front bumper and some other random stock parts if wanted. (omg does that include like a few ounces of gold to compensate for the overpriced nature of this vehicle)

Looking to get $20,000 OBO without the Work Equips wheels. Will come on another set. (thank god but how is this worth 20k? I remember what Torque Affair said about selling your car: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! SF Bay Area is not a dreamland where this is worth 20k. Hell, rednecks a city away swap LS engines in BMWs for Wednesday drift nights! This isn’t worth 20k in parts not in originality. It’s someone would have done. This follows all the latest car trends (overfenders...slamming...tire stretching on Work Forgagio-type wheels...coilovers when you should be using bags) but does it provide any originality? No.)

Please be respectful when contacting me about this car, would appreciate it if you didn’t waste my time as I wouldn’t waste yours. If you aren’t interested in purchasing the car then there is no need for any other emails asking questions that don’t pertain to acquiring the vehicle; no I will not part out, will not answer questions about how to do the swap and most of all will ignore ALL LOWBALL OFFERS! (Good luck selling it with that cocky of an attitude, as I’d rather spend a few thousand on a LS swap of my own than buy a overpriced Lexus. This swap is so original that I think this is the first and only LS swapped Altezza.)

Located in Milpitas/San Jose.

Due to the nature of this vehicle there will be no test drives given unless cash is present. (who would actually bring 20k to a test drive? Are you waiting to be mugged and robbed? Haven’t you heard of civil forfeiture? You’d have to be a fucking idiot to bring 20k to the test drive...or even an amount close to that.)

NOTE THIS ALSO HAS A SALVAGE TITLE...THERE IS NO MENTION WHY THIS HAS A SALVAGE TITLE..

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

DISCUSSION (8)

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 08:26

It’s overpriced, but a lot of your comments are just nitpicking. The roll bar is fairly useless, yes, the cheap quick-release is dumb, and the tire stretch is idiotic, but it’s fairly obvious this car was in a front end collision (thus the salvage title) where the engine (thus the swap) and support structure (thus the tube end and hood pins, which fuck you tube front ends are awesome) were damaged. This does honestly seem like a really good babby’s-jack-of-all-trades car. Engine in front, driven wheels out back, looks decent, hydraulic handbrake if you wanna try drifting, lots of power if you wanna drag race, handles decent if you wanna go around a circuit, the engine cover is fucking awesome and bound to raise eyebrows at a show/hard parking at Laguna Seca, and all the bushings/etc. probably make it far more responsive than the stock car could ever hope to be.

I see a solid build that would be a decent buy at $12k. $20k is crack pipe, but at $12k the amount of effort that’s gone into this and how little it would take (finish the roll cage, get a decent hub, get some real track tires/wheels) to make it really damn good it would probably be a steal.

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 08:33

That car would be laughed off the track. Assuming the wheels didn’t fall off first.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 09:00

If I was in the market for a fun car to use sparingly I could see this being worth about $15k. I like the overall look and a set of lightweight wheels like RPF1s or NT03s would look tits. Plus I assume the the coilovers are adjustable so you could raise it an inch and corner balance the damn thing. Nice car but crack price.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 09:01

That’s all show and no go. I think I’ve seen it in a H20i video.

Danger > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
05/17/2016 at 09:02

You should buy it

Danger > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 09:03

Looks like a half assed project someone got bored with and still owes money on. That guy needs to pick a theme or a direction and stick with it.

Berang > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 09:45

You should put

the quotes in blocks

to make the post less confusing.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/17/2016 at 09:51

This is a lot of disagreeing just because you saw a weakness in something you don’t like where you can make a snide comment fit. Don’t worry, I do it too. Pretty sure you’ll find at least one post like that if you follow my history back far enough. Still that’s what it is.

One thing bugs me though, the way you poked at the e-cutouts. They’re electric exhaust dumps, and do serve the purpose of making the engine (esp LS) sound awesome and perform as well as possible by allowing the exhaust to get out rather than have to travel the whole length of the exhaust system. Your dig should have been more along the lines of “because I need more power for the Safeway parking lot”.