Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

So I just watched the YouTube video by The Car Care Nut where he discusses when to move on from your old car and buy something new and it got me thinking some more about keeping the ISF long term and the concerns of that.
To be clear: I love the car. I've had it for over 8 years now (since 24k miles) and I've poured thousands not into just mods but good maintenance as well. There's really nothing out now that really "lights my fire" when it comes to cars, especially for the money. I drove the new RS3 and it blew me away at how fast it is on a canyon road, and that 5 cylinder engine is magic, but that is a $55k + car (2022 MY) AND a German car at that lol.

That being said, I would like to keep the ISF for the next 10 - 15 years. Are there any of you with similar mindsets who plan on keeping the car long term? Do you have any concerns with parts availability as the chassis ages and parts become discontinued/harder to find? Are there any parts you're buying now to "stock up" when that does happen? I know the ISF is built really well (no creaks or rattles in my 2011 even with Figs engine mounts, SuperPro suspension bushings, and a PPE exhaust), but some things will inevitably need replacing with time.

Just wanted to solicit thoughts/opinions from other F owners, if you all are willing to share. Thanks!

 

Seems like we are in the same boat….. dumped thousands already into a 2011 ISF in regular long term items and now with ~164k miles, tackling coolant lines one by one as they deteriorate. Suspension bushings are next and all these parts are still available.

Confirmed that some parts have already been discontinued and cannot be obtained, like ISF specific metal coolant lines.

Also follow car care nut youtube channel and funny how that video was just posted recently.

At this point, going to keep the ISF until “the end” however that end may be. Enjoyment of the car even after a decade plus, I don’t feel like anything out there fits the bill of performance and “low cost of operation.” New M3 comp is an absolute monster now, but man, at $100k after taxes, the price of entry is damn high these days.

 

Thanks for sharing! I was thinking about doing the Figs radiator and coolant lines/hoses next year as part of some preventative maintenance/future-proofing.

And yes, the cost of entry is getting ridiculous! Not only that, but as you mentioned, the "low cost of operation" seems to be just a dream at this point lol.

I'm seriously considering getting a GR Corolla as another cheaper fun daily to keep miles off of the ISF and experience something lighter, manual, and AWD.

 

I've been conditioning myself to both "not think too far ahead" & only focus on things within my control. Not only with finances and the like but also with the machines in my life. The furnace will eventually break & worrying is futile. I too have put a few grand into the car, mainly cosmetic & maintenance. I've owned the car since May 1st 2014. I bought CPO with 39k miles and am currently around 80k (which really surprises me how low that is when I think about it).

Is the likelihood parts will become unavailable valid? You guys could probably speak to this better than I, but I don't sweat this and assume it'll just work out when the time comes for the F. Sure, perhaps when it comes to a really old furnace, but I push that outta my head. One thing I sweat in the present is a full trans fluid change. There is only one person I trust in my life to do this and he's pretty far away. I'm going to make sure I book that this Spring. Sometimes I don't follow my own advice & I get pangs of fear about starter failure & what that repair entails. I've done some good repairs over the years but these are examples of two things I do not trust myself to do. The rest I handle along with the routine things because it seems this is where most mistakes are made nowadays but that's a different discussion.

I broke traction yesterday next to a brand new IS350 going 30-40MPH & did the same in a tussle with a 5.0 last week. I still take pictures of this car when I walk back to it after an errand, always parked all the way in the back of the lot. I still store it in the winter & don't expose it to salt. I do two cans of BG MOA every single oil change. I'm OCD about bars 1-3+ of oil temp. But I also have a history of growing attached to things that have truly served me the way this car has.

I think the advantage you have in this discussion is you've found interest in another car - the RS3. The only Audis that interest me personally are the older RS5s with V8s. Same with bimmers - the e9x M3 is currently my "all-time fav" bimmer - I find the new M3s a little understated. The only modern car I'm really not bored by is the Lexus LC, I think they're killer, but I hesitate to trade in the ISF for one & I'm hesitant to bring anything new into the stable due to lack of garage space. There are a few Mercs that turn my head.

Gonna check out your vid. Interested in any other opinions on this thread.

 

2013, original owner, 43K miles. Completed the transmission fluid drain/refill/new filter some months ago. Car is running very strong. I don't use it daily, I drive a very modest car to work.

Sometimes I will drive the ISF to work on nice days.

Got a lift, got the full factory service manual, not really worried, keeping this one.

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

You bring up an excellent point: excessively worrying about parts availability is not productive. There's a good chance that will work itself out with time, like it has with different older cars (NSX, older Supras, etc). I believe that Toyota even stepped up and started producing certain Mark IV Supra parts when enthusiasts showed interest and requested them. It's possible that might happen again or that the aftermarket will step in and fill that need as well. The fact that people still own and drive NSXs and other older JDM classics is encouraging to me.

I too prefer doing as much routine maintenance as I can (oil, brakes, brake fluid, filters, etc) and I agree that the trans fluid change is the one that I worry about the most since there's a whole procedure to it. When I take the ISF in for the 120k mile service, I will confirm that the Lexus master technicians actually know the procedure before I ask them to do it. What is strange is that it did not show in their system that a valve clearance check is required for that service. I'm fairly certain, based on what I've read on this forum, that it is.

The RS5 V8 and the E90 V8 are both magical engines, but I seriously worry about the maintenance and cost to keep those cars long term (rod bearings, throttle actuators for the M3 and oil leaks and carbon buildup for the RS5). Same with the RS3. Although it's one of the most "reliable Audis," it's still an Audi/German car and I worry about keeping it long term (10+ years) like I usually do with my cars. And even though it's fast on a canyon road, there's not nearly the same amount of feel, precision and emotion as my ISF with EL headers, Ohlins coilovers, and Figs bushings. I guess the older I get, the more I appreciate the feel over just speed/power. Especially since a Model 3 performance, Rivian, or most other new electric cars, will destroy me off the line anyway lol.

 

Also keeping for the long-term, and not concerned about parts availability. I know that because it's a rare car, I might have to shell out some extra money for certain parts, but given what I've already put into maintenance, forged wheels, and FBO, I'm not concerned. This car is a keeper.

 

I'm too invested in keeping it. There's nothing out there that makes sense for my use case other than keeping the IS F. My biggest concerns are wear items like seat covers, door panels, floor mats, etc. There are E code parts already though, and it remains to be seen if the standard IS parts will adapt easily to the F. Drivetrain is the smallest of my concerns, but if your ECM fails, you are screwed, blued, and tattooed.

 

2011 308k

In no particular order, you'll eventually do these:

Radiator Fan Motors (bearings may be prematurely worn if you do high speed runs without the oil filter access panel)
Left bank VVTiE cam motor
Valley Plate (Please for the love of god, use 1282B sealant meant for pink coolant. I used it and switched to Red Coolant for personal reasons)
All of your suspension bushings. Don't forget how old the oldest 2008 and newest 2014 are. I did all of these with SuperPros and FIGS 3D Printed bushings for the steering rack. I can't tell you how I should've just done this on the first month of ownership and save myself the cost of tires and the time to re-align.
The stupid automatic shifter "flat" slider piece will crack.
Toyota WS ATF fluid, WS means wholly ****. Replace the strainer, re-seal, and service it with Redline D6. If you have time to add an ATF cooler, do it. I'll be doing that at some point, along with an engine cooler.
Add a FIGS * Radium Competition AOS Catch Can kit, I daily'd this car and managed to get the bottom "ridge" of a Kirkland water bottle filled. It works, it keeps that stuff out of the intake path.
For long-term brake solutions, I finally went with RCF Calipers and Rotors. Simply because I hate drilled rotors and the fact that RCF Brembo Rotors are cheap off of Rockauto, and they're slotted.
I can probably give you a total count of how many brake pads and rotors I've gone through since 2018 til now.



Currently I am working on manifolds, valve covers, spark plug tube seals, all the seals involved, to include new Coil Packs and Spark Plugs.
I'm expecting to order a new starter, also.

My alternator finally went out at 308k, ~$400 with BF pricing at Bell Lexus. A reman from Denso is $275?


Considering the stuff I've put this car through, it's finally getting time to rest and hibernate as I daily a hybrid.
500mi/tank/week vs filling up the ISF 3 times a week.

Even if you're not driving the car at levels I am, there's still a decent amount of long term solutions that you can apply.
These are very good cars but you also have to treat them very well. Not at the same price points of other performance cars, thank god.

 

I've owned mine for like 16 years or so.

Between new R3 Suspension, Valley Plate Heat Exchanger Resealed Leaking Coolant, Error P0333 Knock Sensor Error - Replace both bank 2 Knock Sensors and replace whole wiring harness, Replace Radiator and Thermostat, Replace PCV Valve, Replace Serpentine belt in the last two years I think I dumped 7k into the car...it only has 80k on it now so I'll keep it for as long as it will let me.

I should replace the headlights, after wetsanding and polishing they are hazing up again.....

Its a great car and its my "daily" but it literally just sits ever since COVID and remote work....I have thought about selling but I'm sure I would regret it.

 

I have owned mine for 12 years and driven it 120k miles street and track. Here is my build thread:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/bui...uild-blog.html

As others have said, I am too invested in this car to sell it. I bought an AMG GTS 2 years ago for even more fun, but the ISF is still my daily / track / winter car.
During those 12 years, besides regular maintenance items like bushings, fluids, brakes and tires, my unexpected* repairs have been: lower ball joint (96k, 120k), radiator (114k), starter (115k), digitizer (115k).

 

For anyone else reading this down the line--as I'm sure it'll get buried again--wouldn't sweat the parts availability. A number for RCF/GSF parts will work in our vehicles with no modification, and things like lines that aren't in production are just a matter of the right size option and compatible connectors. Also given how quickly 3D metal printing is advancing it won't be too terribly long before anyone can have something scanned and reprinted for relatively low costs. Companies like Figs, PPE, etc., will be able to do runs of commonly-needed parts at enough scale to make sense. Worst case, some people on the forums can get together and do an old-school member-made group buy.

Heck, as manufacturers themselves start using 3D printing for certain parts they may offer minimum order runs of pretty much anything printable, and as above, just a matter of the connectors being right and using the right kinds of hose/tubing/braided lines between them. Given the Supra situation already mentioned I could see it.

I think our only issue is on the electronics side with things like the ECM already brought up. So far we haven't been on the bandwagon with most of the scaled custom tunes other performance vehicles are seeing or easy aftermarket options for replacement hardware modules, but things can always change.

Literally not something I've stressed about at all as of yet.