BernieIS's Build Thread
 

Some of you guys and gals have been reading my posts for a while and have heard me speak of the build that I have been working on which has finally gotten to the final stages. I thought that I would post a build thread as I finally feel that the car will be worth looking at. I started this crazy game 12 years ago and as many of us have gone through I had issues with funds to complete the build that I was working on. I was no different. Out of college I bought a 2005 AR IS300 SportDesign and I did some stuff to it over the 5 years that I had it and I really enjoyed it. I still miss it from time to time but I think that is because I have not finished my IS350. Here is the story of my progress with my IS300 and now my IS350.

My IS300 just before I traded it in.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/GEDC0317.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/GEDC0324.jpg

I traded the car in for a 2008 IS350 Sport Package in June of 2011.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1138.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1141.jpg

Upon buying it I decided that I was only going to put the Volk GTCs from the IS300 on do a lip kit and maybe some springs. That actually lasted for awhile. I picked up a Seibon Carbon Fiber front Ings rep and put that on along with the Volks.

http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1283.jpg

From there I added little things as I went along like the steering damper.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...571353020y.jpg
And also the throttle controller from Blitz
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psb820a6c9.jpg

When I traded the IS300 in I gave a friend a bunch of parts in exchange for future parts that he was going to make and powder coat for me. Knowing that I would need brakes I sent the calipers to get coated. I ordered EBC pads, Earls Bleeders, DBA Rotors, and Stoptech Stainless Lines for all 4 corners.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...0733633342.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...0733633854.jpg
While I was waiting for parts to come in from my friend. I found a great deal on an exhaust from Kris at Gotoracingonline.com so I ordered that. I also ordered the Invidia midpipe from him.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...0733636134.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...1328292173.jpg

I also ordered the F-Sport sway set from Sewell which is by far the best mod I have bought on any car to date.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...0733636660.jpg

Almost as soon as I was done with the installation of all these parts I got a call from a friend in York, PA that was done with his car. He asked if I wanted to swap some parts and cash for parts. I was interested and then he told me what they were. I was even more interested. I traded my complete interior for his which turned out to be the interior out of the Fox Marketing Twin Turbo ISF. I got the door panels with the silver carbon accents, the center console, and the seats.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1274.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1272.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1275.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1273.jpg

He also had some other parts that he wanted to have a good home before his car hit the crusher.
He traded the ISF front and rear brakes along with the custom headlights that were in the green ISC that he also sent to the crusher.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1280.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1264.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1270.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1267.jpg

Just before the show season started for the 2012 year my wife used the car because of the navigation to go to a customer. Someone was nice enough to steal the front lip off the car. I was pretty upset so I took the insurance money and added to it to order some new parts. Since I had blown the original plan by getting all these additional parts I never planned on I decided to go as big as I could. I ordered the Aimgain Front Bumper and Fenders for the ISC. The only took 5 months to get to the shop. This pretty much killed all the enthusiasm and momentum that I had going with the modding. The car sat with no lip all winter and was basically abused. My wife and I start building our house in two weeks and I thought about selling the parts and the car. She thought I was crazy. Through out the winter I did get some additional parts that were or were not added depending on how much was involved in putting them on. I had the custom lights from the ISC go bad. Lexus warrantied one of them so I rolled all winter with two different head lights. I ordered the 2012 Led Headlights.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88e9ed05.jpg
I also ordered the Silver carbon fiber steering wheel to match the other ISF parts.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...36975202_n.jpg

I also ordered a wald rear wing that will be molded, a GFX rear lip and an ISF style grill.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7fd4a3a7.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...6299098744.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...-31-49_324.jpg
Since I bought them I sold the GFX lip and replaced it with something I thought more aggressive and that would fit the car better.

As I said earlier I was set on selling it but my wife would never let me after all the work and money put into it. I had planned on originally sending it to the shop in February for all the work to be done but that did not happen. I was going to wait until after the house was done. I drove the car to work April 1st and the car was vandalized pretty badly.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psa31ae5ce.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps248e903d.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2d0714c8.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psb72369d1.jpg
Those pictures do not actually show how much damage was actually done. The entire car has to be repainted. In addition the wheels need to be refinished as they were all sprayed as well.

Since the car was going to be brand new I decided coilovers were in order so I ordered those and installed them. Megan LPs
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1a42cb2a.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psce4840a4.jpg

I went to the shop yesterday and worked with the painter to discuss what I had purchased. Apparently the parts for the ISC OFFICIALLY DO NOT FIT. Luckily he has done work for me in the past and he is a customer of mine, he said he could make them fit. In addition to the fenders not working with the doors the front grill is not the same and not even close. Any way the car is not all that far away from being done. I have new wheels coming which I will share later. Here are the pictures from the shop yesterday. I will continue to add to this as it progresses.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psbacfa07b.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1a5f0603.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps70446719.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...ps14d2ba9e.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/...psce17b3ec.jpg

In addition to the standard work required to get all the parts on and painted he is going to do some custom paint and a few other things.

wow thats a pretty crazy story, Sorry about the negatives that happened. dont know why someone would just vandalize your car like that =/ but it seems your build is coming along nicely! cant wait to see the finish product.

Bernie your car is turning out sick man! everything happens for a reason, now you're comin back bigger, better, and badder. That really sucks for the vandalism, can't wait to see the finished product.

damn dude, whats the story on that vandalism?

What this fella said!! And like most of my church fanatics would have said "God doesn't send you anything you cannot handle!" So get that IS built, post some pictures, host the next Meet & Greet, exhibit the car, let me touch it and take pictures of it... and we're all good :cool:

looking good man, coming a long way for a car that wasn't gonna be modded! lol

I love seeing things like this keep us posted along with lots of pictures :thumbup:
Looking real good bro :thumbup:

MARK

I do have to admit the limited amount of mods thing was very temporary. I actually think that is what I convinced my wife so we could get the new car.

Wifey is the boss, lol.

All car guys should get a secret bank account this way there will be no arguments. You can easily say you got the parts on Ebay for cheap as an excuse.

She loves the car and the things that I do to them. I think most would agree that I have built some tasteful cars. The issue is that we are building a $550K house and she is worried about every penny. That is the accountant in her. Once that is done I will be able to finish the headers and the audio.

Ry, the car is looking good. That vandalism makes me sick to my stomach though. :(

Kevin, I have had similar things happen down in Baltimore when I lived there and I always recovered. This will be no different.

In the IS300 I had the following happen at my apartment complex.

Backed into 4 times
Keyed 1 time
Construction workers threw roofing material off the apartment roof and kit the car denting it
Tire was slashed
The car was broken into and my ipod was stolen.

That is just what happened at the apartment complex.

Just wait until I get pictures of the IS350 when it is done. I will not be as mad as I was when I saw it vandalized. I have been working with the shop doing some mechanical stuff so I have been prettty involved in the build and I am so excited.

holy **** man, I didn't even know your car was vandalized! Damn. Can't wait to see the final product. buy a Camera and point it at your car at all times.

u need to be nicer to people. they all seem to hate you ryan