So heres the story...

My sister beat the s**t out of her 2001 Lexus IS300. She put 80,000 miles on it and it has dents everywhere. She recently got a 2005 Ford Explorer and the IS300 is on consignment at Saturn of Henderson. Well the thing wont sell with their $20,000 price tag and my dad is still making payments on it while it sits on the lot. We worked out a deal that over the IS300 and pay half of the car payment every month he will get all the dents removed. So since I am desperate for a new daily driver I agreed. So come Monday I will probably be driving my sisters old IS300. Its that blue color, which I am not too crazy about, and once the dents are fixed it will be in good condition. I am not worried about the miles since that engine will last 200,000+. I figured that since my commissions keep getting pushed back farther and farther (downfall of commercial real estate) I will drive this until I have enough money to get something really cool. I will throw some wheels and some other little things on it, but thats about it. As for the 350Z, I will be selling a lot of stuff out of it and turning it into a track/weekend car. I am going to gut about 50% of the interior, powdercoat the OEM track wheels flat black, and use what was going to be a down payment on a BMW M3 to buy a Stillen Stage 2 supercharger and some other goodies.

CLIFFS NOTES:
My new daily driver is a 2001 Lexus IS300. My 350Z will now become a track/weekend car.

 

wow, Z for a track car and is300 for daily or maybe a m3 soon? nice!!

 

^^^The M3 is a maybe. My plan is to take all of my money that I will be getting in the next 6 months or so and investing it instead of blowing it on a new BMW. I still need to pay off the Z and then after I have a good amount of money in the bank after investing, taxes, etc. I will buy an M3 or something even cooler, depending on how much money I make next year. I am guessing the IS will last no longer than a year...hopefully.

 

Good move. You always have the truck available too, which is nice.

 

The IS300 has the 2JZ-GE motor in it. Lots of potential. It's almost the same as the N/A Supra motor, but with some differences (correct me if I'm wrong). There was this article that someone swapped out the N/A 2JZ and installed a the 2JZ-GTE, the TT motor. They said that nothing fit in the same spot and had to custom build new motor mounts and some other crap. But it's something to think about.

 

I wish a had an IS300 as my beater....

 

I thought that the main difference between the two motors was the heads, but I could be wrong. Hopefully Yogi will chime in here since he is the IS300 expert.

 

That new IS350 is gorgeous. Maybe you can check that out instead of the M3 (I'd still get the M3 though).

 

So many different thoughts running through my mind, unfortunatly, Im really pressed for time and am about to run out the door for the UNLV football game, but Ill be sure to come back and throw my .02 in here!

 

Well I just picked up the IS from the dealership, where I learned that it had recently been broken into. They took both visors, the rear view mirror, the shift ****, and floor and trunk mats. Kind of random stuff. I can understand the driver's side visor because of the Homelink thing, but the rest is somewhat wierd. Anyways, the dealership has ordered all new parts. Now it just needs the dents removed, a good detail, the steering wheel re-wrapped in leather, and the cheap carbon fiber dash kit removed. I have also already ordered some lowering springs and a new y-pipe.

 

I bet you'll like the IS ... I had on before the Z ... great everyday car just a little slow compared to the Z.


Here are some pics of my old car:

 

Yeah its a little sluggish compared to the Z. I think I have seen your old IS around a few times.

 

Yea I would drive it to UNLV all the time back in 2002-2003 ish

 

Thats Z part money that you are spending there.

 

^^^The only things left to do on the Z are WAY expensive (supercharger, hood, hatch, etc...) I still haven't broken $200 on the IS.

 

For that swap you want to use the IS motor mounts. The main problem w/that swap is fitting 2 turbos next to the engine in that bay(main reason most just do a big single). Intake manifold is also different(more custom plumbing).

Like anything else, it's how creative you are and how deep your pockets go.

The '98 n/a Supra has the same head. Earlier years and TT have different heads.

I could go on w/the trivial stuff but this is a Z board(don't want to step on any toes).

Congrats, Mike, on the new toy.

 

The IS has a a different head and hi compression pistions on the bottom end. A lot of the guys going FI where first swaping out the bottom end with a supra bottom end and then running a turbo kit made for the IS and a also adding a return fuel system. Its a TON of $$$$ www.toyomoto.com is the place to get you IS TC. but figure at least 8K for a good turbo kit with out a built bottom end. However a lot of guys are getting 400whp from those toyomoto turbo kits without a bottom end.

To do a complete 2jz (supra) swap its a TON of work .... custom tranny mounts, cutom pluming and a but of modifications.