March 2005 Featured Car

 Screen Name: Edgy
 Age: 35+
 Profession: Sales and communications director
 Car model: Lexus IS 300
 Car year: 2002
 Engine size: 3.1 Liter
 Color: Millenium Silver Metallic

Modifications:

1) Engine:

1. Custom engineered & developed ‘Stage 3+’ Luxury Motor Works/LMS Supercharger system that currently utilizes an ATI Procharger C2 Supercharger w/Custom Intercooler
2. Custom LMS Fuel Management Unit
3. Arias Pistons
4. Supra TT forged Crank & Rods
5. Custom fully polished Intake Manifold
6. Black painted Throttle body
7. KOYO RACING Alloy Polished Radiator
8. Custom Supercharger Intake Pipe with JDM TRD/BLITZ ‘LM’ Air Filter
9. RPS ‘SPORT’ Clutch PPlate & 6 puck street Disc
10. Unorthodox Racing Ultra-L Lightweight Flywheel and Blue Anodized lightweight Acc. Pulleys
11. Custom Blue Powdercoated valve covers
12. Custom black anodized supercharger bracket
13. Custom Carbon Fiber Cam Cover and ECU cover
14. Carbon Fiber Radiator panel
15. Carbon Fiber Engine dress-up / detail parts all over the motor
16. TOM’s low-temp Thermostat
17. Custom Blue Radiator Hoses
18. MSM painted Relay/Fuse box covers etc.
19. Assorted Stainless Steel Braided Hoses
20. Alloy & Carbon Fiber Power Steering & Brake Fluid Caps
21. Blue Custom designed HyperGround Kit w/Silver HyperVoltage Unit
22. Zeitronix Wide band O2 sensor
23. Custom made Stainless Steel ’FIG Design’ Hood prop Kit
24. Hawker/Odyssey PC925 Ultra-lightweight
25. Compact dry cell Racing Battery/Trunk Mounted, Setrab Oil cooler with Aeroquip Alloy Fittings
26. Earls Stainless Steel Braided Hoses

2) Exhaust:

1. OBX Stainless Steel Header/Jet Hot coated Inside & Out
2. Carson Tuned Stainless Steel Racepipe
3. Borla Stainless Steel Cat Back Exhaust
4. Toyomoto O2 simulator
5. Dual Layer Luxury Motor Works Header Heat-shield Anodized black

3) Suspension:

1. Area-51 Alloy Front Strut brace
2. Cusco Carbon Fiber/Alloy Rear Strut brace
3. TRD under body Chassis braces Front & Rear
4. TRD Front suspension and Steering rack bushings
5. TOM’s Rear Suspension Braces (3)
6. Toms Front Susp/Subframe Tension Rods
7. TEIN Flex Shocks with EDFC damping controller
8. Hotchkis Adjustable Sway bars front & rear
9. Custom LMS Front BBK w/Custom Caliper & Rotor
10. Brembo rear Drilled & Slotted rotors
11. Goodridge Stainless Steel Braided lines
12. ATE Super Blue Racing Brake Fluid
13. Akebono pads front
14. Axis Ultimate Pads Rear

4) Exterior:

1. Carbon Fiber VIS Racing Trunk Lid-Custom Painted
2. Carbon Fiber EMR/TRD Trunk Spoiler-Custom Painted
3. SARD JDM Altezza Smoked trunk lights
4. JDM Altezza Black Pearl/Chrome Rear Tail lights
5. JDM Altezza Black Pearl/Chrome Trunk bar
6. Black Pearl/Chrome ‘L’ Trunk emblem
7. Carbon Fiber B pillars
8. EMR/UGO Custom Painted Roof Spoiler
9. D-Speed Falcon Side skirts
10. R-Spec Data Systems Fender Flares
11. Area- 51 Front Lip Spoiler
12. Advanced Automotive Concepts Custom engineered headlights using Hella Projector/Hi beams
13. Custom GGP painted Headlight Housings w/ Generation 6 Umnitza-DDE/Halo lighting
14. Piaa Blue LED ‘City’ Lamps
15. Custom Blue AEROshield Fog & Headlamp protective film
16. Custom MSM ‘Thin’ painted Side markers (still ‘light up’ at night/look solid silver in daylight)
17. TRD emblems
18. Custom Xpel protective film on Hood, bumper, mirrors & Lip
19. Real Carbon Fiber Grill w/ Custom mounted Black Pearl/Chrome ‘L’ Grill Emblem
20. JDM Altezza Clear fogs with Black painted Housings
21. BOHMEN HID Kit
22. Custom made & matched mesh for Grill & Lip openings

5) Interior:

1. Recaro SPORT seats
2. Schroth 4 point harnesses
3. Torasports 24 piece Carbon Fiber Dash Kit
4. PLP Alloy passenger Foot brace w/ Custom Carbon fiber overlay
5. Custom Carbon Fiber Dead Pedal, RAZO Carbon Fiber pedals
6. Custom Carbon Fiber/alloy hand brake handle
7. Custom Carbon fiber Sphere shift Knob
8. Lextech Custom Blue LED Instrument Cluster lighting
9. Custom Blue LED Door pocket, Footwell, underseat, AND trunk lighting
10. Hand made Carbon Fiber Visor inserts
11. Hardwired Valentine V1 radar detector
12. Custom Installed Zeitronix Wideband A/F display
13. Blitz R-VIT Vehicle Monitoring Display Unit
14. TRD floor mats
15. JDM/Altezza Dash tray
16. Custom Carbon Fiber plate for dash mounted TEIN EDFC controller
17. MOMO leather Shift boot
18. Custom made Carbon Fiber/OEM Steering wheel
19. DG sports Carbon Fiber/Steel Roll cage-One Off Custom

6) Wheels:
Currently I am keeping three sets of wheels; one set of 17’s for track days, one set of 18’s for daily driving, show and tracking and another set of 19’s for daily driving and show only. Front & Rear Fender lips were rolled to eliminate possible rubbing with either combo.

1. Daily Driving or Show: Yokohama Advan AVS model wheels powder-coated dark grey in: 19×8 (front) and 19×9 (rear) with 45 offset, wrapped in Dunlop SP9000 tires, 245/35/19 (front) & 255/40/19 (rear)
2. Daily Driving, Show or Track : ADR Cypher wheels dark bronze in: 18×8.5 (front and rear) with 45 offset wrapped in Bridgestone S-03 Pole Position tires, 245/40/18 (front) and 255/40/18 (rear)
3. Track days only: JDM spec Pittura Sport wheels silver in: 17×8 (front) and 17×9 (rear) with 45 offset with Dunlop FM901 tires, 235/45/17 (front) and 255/40/17 (rear)

Why did I buy a Lexus:
I was in the market for a nice tight little coupe or sedan & was dead set on a ’95 or later BMW M3 having had many BMW’s in the past most recently a grey market Alpina C1-2.5. I liked the IS 300 style, but I would not consider it until I saw a manual transmission offered.

I was ready to buy and was going to look at an M3’s; then, I found out that a really good friend of mine was managing new car sales at Lexus of Glendale. We talked and confirmed that the IS was now available with a five-speed option and he said after 20 years of friendship he would definitely take care of me. The Lexus reputation for quality and reliable cars plus the idea of a solid warranty for a Brand NEW car versus no warranty on a used M3 was too logical to ignore. Also, I had never purchased a brand new car before. So within 24 hours, I was driving home my new Lexus IS 300 & I paid five thousand dollars less than the average sale for a comparably equipped IS at that time.

The car has been just awesome. There have been NO problems to speak of except the 5k service, the clutch slave cylinder noise and some reprogramming of the CBEST functions in the car. These were my only quirks so far after 28 months+ of ownership that warranted a visit the dealer. I perform all basic servicing etc. Luxury Motor Works handles EVERYTHING else I ever need, which to this point has been very little that was not caused by me. The car just does NOT break unless I break something. I drive the car daily with it as well as roar through the canyons above Malibu and anywhere else aggressively as often as I can afford to.

It is a fabulous track day car with the following: a simple swap of the wheels and lowering the suspension about an inch and an instant increase of the shock damping via the Tein EDFC controller makes for a very controlled ride on track. I have been extremely happy with the car and I really cannot ask for any thing more.

With the power we have developed from this motor, I can more than hold my own and/or just Smoke most cars I come across who seem to want to prove something. This car, while not exactly a “sleeper”, is definitely packing some serious punch to back up its good looks!

Interests
My other interests include my family, motor sports in general, mountain biking and music.

Why you chose to modify your Lexus?
I chose to modify this car because I just cannot leave any thing alone. It is in my nature that every car, bicycle, computer, motorcycle and etc. I have ever owned have been modified extensively. It must be in the genes. Plus, I found a wealth of information and parts on this car online at my.IS. It has been a lot of fun!

This car is destined to hit the show scene more regularly in the near future. I was fortunate to win “Best Mild Lexus“ in my first ever little car show three months ago! The really hard part now is balancing the practical needs of a daily driver with the desires to modify the IS 300 like crazy for show and keep it track ready!