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modification plans and questions

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Old 06-02-17, 05:29 AM
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wrenca91
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Default modification plans and questions

I have had my IS-F for about 2 years now, and I think I'm finally ready to start making some aftermarket purchases and modifications. I doubt I will be able to get all of this accomplished within the year and I am still trying to prioritize, but these are my ideas so far for how I would ideally want to set up my car.

Cosmetic:
1. I really like the look of the Auto Couture front lip, but $750 for small piece of fiberglass and then paying another couple hundred bucks to have it painted seems a bit steep. Does anyone know where I can find this part the cheapest? and has anyone else purchased one of these? I am curious about the fit/finish and quality/durability of this item. and are there any carbon fiber versions of this lip?
2. I would love to replace the dinky rear spoiler with a Wald trunk spoiler. I know a few people have had them molded and painted so they look seamless. How much would it probably cost to have that work professionally done?
3. I've been taking some inspiration from a few the looks of forum member's vehicles, such as Supraman16's in this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...front-lip.html . How would I go about setting up my front grill like that? and I am also not a huge fan of chrome, so I would ideally want to black out the front grill and window trim, but I feel about reluctant to plasti-dip my F. Is there a better way to do that? Or are there aftermarket trim pieces to replace the chrome ones?

Performance:
1. Definitely buying the RR Racing USRS lower control arm bushings. Theyre too inexpensive not to take advantage of and I could easily install them myself.
2. After I can get my hands on an exhaust and intake (and maybe headers if I can ever save up enough money and find a shop I trust to do the work), I definitely want to get the RR Racing ECU tune.
3. I am a bit undecided on which intake I would want to get. Does the RR Racing tune work best with their intake? or would a different intake work just as well with that ECU upgrade?
4. I dont want an obnoxiously loud exhaust or one that drones terribly at lower rpm, but I do want to hear the car more when I open up that throttle. I really love the look of the Greddy exhaust and I do feel some brand loyalty (I used to have one on my blue ep3 Civic Si, back in the day, and it looked sweet with the blue tip), but I definitely cant spend 4grand on an exhaust. Would there be any way to buy Greddy tips and put them on a different exhaust, like a Joe-Z? Or are there other, less expensive exhausts with similar looking tips? I feel like those blued titanium tips would look really great on a USB IS-F.

Thats about all I can think of, at the moment, as far as plans I have been considering for my car. I have been doing my research for quite a while and I really want to pull the trigger on some parts and get the process started. Any input, suggestions, experiences, and comments are greatly appreciated.

Last edited by wrenca91; 06-02-17 at 05:32 AM.
Old 06-02-17, 07:43 AM
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JPxMODz
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Wow 43 views and no input??

The following are my favorite mods so far on my IS-F

1. Borla Cat-back - I rate this one first because it really wakes the car up and great for daily driving
2. RR Racing USRS - Very noticeable difference in braking and cornering - Highly recommended!
3. RR Racing tune - Although this tune is probably more optimized for their Intake specifically, it does work great with stock intake and a aftermarket hi-flow panel filter. Having said that I wound not waste any time or money on aftermarket intakes unless your going with the RR Racing variant. Our stock intake is awesome with a drop-in filter and upgrade your intake elbow to the HPS or Joe-Z. On a side note, although this tune is probably best when configured with exhaust, headers and intake from RR Racing. You will definitely see gains with your stock intake setup and an aftermarket exhaust

The BaysonR front lip is a great option if your trying to save on your modding budget

Last edited by JPxMODz; 06-02-17 at 07:57 AM. Reason: Update
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wrenca91 (06-20-17)
Old 06-02-17, 08:52 AM
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Meraki Autoworks
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We can get you the AutoCouture lip as a discounted rate.

Get a wald rep spoiler on ebay if you're going to mold the trunk.

USRS is a great mod, we've sold many.

HPS intake is very popular, RR-Racing tune, Borla Exhaust, and PPE headers..

Contact us with any questions and for pricing.
-Josh
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Old 06-03-17, 12:16 PM
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bnizzle87
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Cosmetic-wise, AutoCouture front lip and molded WALD trunk spoiler were some of the big items in terms of aesthetics I wanted to have. With such few AutoCouture examples available to see, that's what made me like the lip even more. I'm happy it didn't come in a carbon weave like Tom's or Lexon because even a slight scratch from a road imperfection, debris, or the sharp incline of an entryway will make me beat myself over the rash that cannot be undone since it will have affected the carbon weave pattern. As for the grille surround, you can always remove the grille yourself and have it painted at the same time you obtain the AutoCouture and are sending the car to the shop to get the WALD rear molded. It'll save you the trip of multiple times going to and from the shop. Just make sure the shop you go to blends the color well into the other body panels. It'll cost a pretty penny, but I absolutely love how it turned out. And, advised from some very knowledgeable guys here who've done it prior, look into raising the quarter panels so that that line flowing from the spoiler to your quarter panels flow. I've had my WALD molded for about 4 years now, and while I don't drive it daily, I do utilize the trunk often. I am glad to report that there are no waves or cracks in the paint, which molding can do over time from stress like closing the trunk.

Performance-wise, I've driven both with the USRS and the FIGS Zero Deflect LCA bushing, and the USRS is great for cruising around as a commuter without any added NVH. The FIGS is more geared towards the track, and that's what I have on my F currently. If you're certain on going FBO with the intake, headers, and exhaust, I say....DO IT! Power is unlocked greatly, especially with the headers. And tying it all together with the tune will only further the gains. A few of us in So Cal dyno'd the cars after we ran the tune, and consistently with Joe Z/PTS exhaust, PPE headers, and the tune, we were pulling numbers between 419-425 whp. I have not seen anyone's info regarding dyno with the RR Racing intake, but I'd like to see if there were any gains present. As for the GReddy tips on a Joe Z, I thought I saw someone selling their tips a few years back, but the price might've deterred some folks from grabbing it. One of my friends is running GReddy exhaust with PPE headers, and the sound is very intoxicating. Everyone's trying to take a pic of the blue tips and GReddy logo, and I'm just listening to his revving the car. I'm glad he doesn't live near me, or else I'd want to spend more money and get that exhaust.

Lastly, all I can say is that plan accordingly. Once you want the aesthetics, you will want wheels. That's almost always how it goes. But kudos to you for lasting two years without the mod bug biting you. For some locals, they get the parts before they even grab the car. And others...they go a bit carbon fiber crazy. But it's all good. Mod the car the way you want, and you'll never regret it. But in doing so, it'll force you to prepare and research heavily on the available parts, which has become even more rare since the car is no longer in production.

Best of luck, my friend!
The following 2 users liked this post by bnizzle87:
Meraki Autoworks (06-04-17), wrenca91 (06-20-17)
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