Grey One

Just adding to this, Lexus Twickenham has a two site model where the showroom is five mins drive from the workshops, so you have a song and dance about dropping the car off and long wait times for it to be delivered driven back for pick-up. I rate their mechanical workshop skills but I find the sales service staff quite snooty. It's the kind of place where having a passion for your car and an interest in how it is serviced is frowned upon. That being said, they get the job done and seem to do it well, but I'd rather just drop it off and wait at the workshop that going via the showroom for everything...

Not sure if I already made this point, but the three things that make the ISF really special over the GSF (okay the GSF also has one of these) and RCF are: - I like the fact that the ISF is a regular car modified to be a performance car (they had to mod loads on the IS to make the ISF possible) - It has four doors - It is a relatively small/mid sized car, the RCF and GSF are just too big for me in terms of parking and storage So in other words, it is just that bit special :)

I mainly use auto, but if I have some road where I can use the manual I do, it is only usually for a mile or two at a time before switching back to auto (esp on suburban roads), but when you can it is good and the blip in the revs when changing down is sooo cool. Like many, I still yearn for a manual, but as that was never on the menu with an ISF I enjoy the car for what it is and dual personality of cruiser and racer the auto box gives us.

Seeing how many SW London ISFs there are (nice surprise!) where do you guys mainly go for servicing? Mine is Lexus Twickenham. As an aside, I think the last local ISF I saw was about three years ago, so I'm obviously not looking hard enough! Def up for a local meet in the Spring.

Count me in - SW London.

It's very hard to read how things will go. To those 'in the know' the ISF is what we all know it is, however, to the greater public there is the newer RCF and GSF (and IHF) in front of the queue for those wanting a performance Lexus, so to them it is an obscure ISF derivative performance model. But with the relative rarity values are sure (?) to rise in the next 3-5 years, even if they go down in the meantime.

Looks great, good luck with the wheels and welcome to the ISF club.

If it helps I had a Takeda on my old ISF and have a Toms panel filter in the stock air box on my new one, The Takeda gives a nice intake noise but not really performance. The Toms for me is better but doesn't give the aesthetic in the engine bay.

Great idea!

Good one

Hi Stuno - I think you've banged the nail on the head, I'm guessing the main demographic for UK ISF owners is older and more conservative than the US. That coupled, with the low numbers, and you get owners less inclined to mod, and with what is otherwise a very reliable car, you don't get much forum action. I think when got I my first ISF we had owners like you and Peter on here who were more into modding etc.and that made a real difference. As a aside, on my old ISF I had a rear carbon diffuser added, Takeda air intake, H&S cat back, a US aftermarket steering wheel and US Lexus sport selector. With my second 2012 ISF I recently fitted a Toms rear diffuser, added the RR hcsc front suspension mod, have an aftermarket US steering wheel, sports gear selector and H&S cat back (already on the car). I've kept the intake stock as the run-out cars had an updated intake body, but I did fit a Toms panel filter to this that has made a difference to noise and performance. It was thanks to the likes of you and Peter that owning an ISF was such more fun and inspired me to make changes to mine. BTW, no implied criticism of current owners, just noting the change in the last few years. As many have said, in many ways the odds are against this being a busy forum. Cheers

Adding to my first post, I guess as there are only 200 cars in the UK the level of input is dependant on a relatively few number of members than other cars. Equally, if you look at the ZT 260 community (about 800 cars) things are quite active there for what is also a V8 limited model car, and with MX5's you have the sleepy MX5OC forum for the 'what have you done in your MX5 today' posts, or the more exciting MX5Nutz site where people more interested in performance, modding etc, hang-out. Maybe for the ISF more members will gravitate to the US forum if there isn't a critical mass here, but hopefully we can figure ways to raise the noise levels next year.

Hi say Chaps - the old UK ISF forum is certainly a sleepy place these days, a bit like an old gentlemen’s' club, or provincial library. Compared to 2-3 years ago when Peter and Stuno were in full flow, it feels like a retirement home now, what with the odd chum from the other Lexus model threads dropping in, or one of us posting about something maintenance or cosmetic related, I seem to check the forum daily but often seem little action these days and spend more time on the US forum. I'll count myself guilty as charged on that one also - maybe in 2017 we can all make an effort to light the place up a bit? :)

Where are you based? There is a shop in Sussex that Pete of this parish was talking to about installing his PPE headers...

When I got my ISF earlier this year the bonnet and bumper had just been resprayed so I took it to Paintshield to get a protective film added to the front of the car. 100% worth doing as a I hate the look of stone chips on an otherwise nice car. I have subsequently been toying with getting the rest of the car detailed to get rid of marks on the rest of the paint, but TBH given the GBP 700 I was quoted for this, I just can't justify the cost. So maybe 'one day'. One of the issues with the super soft paint our cars are blessed with.

I would generally agree with you on the alignment, but with my current and former ISF I've found the dealer does a better job that a generalist - I think the ISF has quite particular adjustment requirements and settings that normal tyre places can't match (happy to be shot down on that one, but I've had this happen to me a few times and the dealer setting always seems better)

I've been quietly looking for an indy route to keep servicing costs down on the ISF, but as Lexus is relatively new to the performance car space there don't seem to be any specialists out there that you may get with other marques which is a bit frustrating, as you (at least where I live) have to go via the dealer or a generalist indy, so I choose the dealer. That may change, but the service costs (per the post above) are just too high in the general market, but with the ISF seem a necessary evil for now. You also have the whole warm blanket thing of dealer service, warranty etc. to think about on newer cars, but the on last couple of services I have felt my jaw drop of on some of the servicing costs charged by Lexus (e.g. £180 for wheel alignment for which they charge the same just to check it as they do for any adjustments made!)...

No, I totally get the need for this if you live in a part of the UK with regular snow etc. Interesting to hear from people on their approach to this. I doubt I will do this, but of course if we get a back winter who knows... :)

Hi Guys - I have to say I am completely ambivalent on this debate. I've read and heard a lot about the tyre change for the winter period (something that has become 'trendy' in the last 5-6 years as no doubt tyre firms and fitters see a new sales op) and for the one in every 6-8 years we have a prolonged snowy period always think I will do it, we then have a run of mild winters and it seems unnecessary. I always balk at the thought of spending best part of a grand on tyres only needed for four months, having my old ones changed, storing the summer ones and reversing the whole painful process in the spring and repeating it the following year. Outside of a layer of snow/ice on the roads, I really don't see the point. I know in many countries like Germany it is the law you do this, but then their winters make it common sense to do this anyway, whereas in most of the UK it's about 3-4 weeks per year in bad winters you really need this. Am I missing something?

Hi Peter - great stuff :) Looking forward to hearing more...

Hi Chap - yes, just putting it 'out there' for feedback and discussion. As I said, it seems to be a very grey area and evidently very few people seem to get bothered by it, but it would be good to have more insights from people about whether this is all a false flag or if not what people's experience of it is. Cheers

Well I did some research online last night trawling through various forums etc., and what I found wasn't good news, but also confusing: - the consensus seems to be that the limit for exhaust noise is 82 decibels - you are not allowed to put an exhaust on a car that creates more noise and power than stock On the other hand, you have businesses like Milltek, H&S etc. churning out systems that are patently in breach of these laws, so does the average petrolhead stand in all this? Some links on the above as follows: - http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/fcb/cars-and-noise.asp - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/police-crackdown-deafening-car-exhausts-1905480 - https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/modified-cars-what-you-need-know (see 'Exhaust systems at bottom of page)

As an aside, my Missus said a neighbour complained to her the other day about the noise my ISF makes on early morning start-up (0600-0700). I have an HS cat back fitted and try to slip the car straight into gear on start-up to avoid the very noisy initial idle sound (takes about 30 secs to quieten down). If they persist I will get the noise level tested to make sure I am in legal limits (the was supplied to me by Lexus with the exhaust so I presumably have some comeback if there are any issues). Whilst I fully get not liking noisy cars/bikes, especial during sleeping hours, I do try to minimize the noise, but if the car is in road legal sound limits (which it should be) there isn’t anything they can do unless they can prove malicious intent etc... Has anyone else had this issue with their HS system?

Good stuff Peter - I will try and buy a copy of the mag tomorrow

Quick update - checked the spindle bolt on the unit yesterday and all good and tight - hopefully it was just a one off.