morgan_sa

Thanks for the offer, Lucas. How well do the 350Z wheels fit? I've seen the offsets are +15mm front / +18mm rear vs the standard fitment, but do they still fit under the arches (on standard suspension)?

Hi all, just a quick update on the car - I've recently had the clutch replaced, as the original had started to slip quite badly. I suspected the flywheel was starting to go bad also, so took the opportunity to have this replaced at the same time. For those interested, I went with the Exedy OE replacement clutch kit and a Lexus DMF (sourced from Lexus Parts Direct, at a price much cheaper than quoted by various Lexus dealers!). Although this (inevitably) was a very expensive repair, I'm pleased to say it drives much smoother than ever before. Here is how the car is looking at the moment: Here's a short overview of what I'd like to do to the car this year: - Android head unit (Teyes CC3, or similar - thanks for the heads-up, @H3XME!): as mentioned, I've grown tired of the lack of infotainment and would like to add a reverse camera (not sure if anyone else finds the rear visibility quite poor?) - Missing trim pieces: I'd like to replace a couple of trim pieces that were missing when I bought the car - Replacement number plates: the current 3D-style ones are definitely not for me, and I would have sorted them long ago if they weren't bonded on! - Machine polish: there are a few light scratches and swirls that I'd like to sort out at some point - Alloy refurb: the current alloys are in quite a poor cosmetic state, although I'm yet to decide if I'd rather replace them altogether (I quite like the forged Nissan Rays alloys, although open to suggestions!) Thanks again for reading!

Thanks, Vlad; I'm currently between that one and an Xtrons unit as I understand it has Android Auto, but I've read that the Teyes has a better build quality. The only thing I'm not keen on is the driver/passenger climate controls being the wrong way around on the unit.

That black grille surround looks great!

Hi Vlad and all - firstly, my apologies for not updating this sooner; I've had a lot to contend with in the previous year including a flat move, but I'm now settled and ready to continue with my IS250 build. I've put a fair amount of miles on it, but I'm pleased to report that I've had little to no issues with the car at all; the engine has been faultless, and I've been very impressed with the Eagle F1s. I've also added a couple of modifications, including a genuine F-Sport induction pipe, and a set of Climair Sport wind deflectors; once the weather improves I'll try to get some more photos up. I have however grown a bit tired of the (lack of) infotainment, so I'd like to look into an Android head unit (or similar) this year. I'll also be heading down to Shedfest at Mallory Park Circuit in May, in case anyone will be there. Cheers. 👌

Wow, that's pretty bad. 😕

I think that's probably the reason, although looking at the TRD shifter it does appear to have a slight bend; the IS250 kit I've seen so far (produced in the US) appears to require installation from underneath the shifter, but at $390 plus import taxes I don't think I'm ready to take a leap that far just yet 😅

I saw a thread on a US forum where someone had fitted a GT86 TRD shifter, but had to remove it as they were having trouble shifting into gears; I'm not sure if I want to risk ending up with the same result.

A quick update: took the car to a local independent today, who advised that without a change to the suspension setup, a rear camber adjustment shouldn't be necessary; I'll keep an eye on the tyre wear (all is ok so far) but in the meantime thank you all for the advice. 👍

Thank you; I had a TRD shifter in my IS200 and I think it definitely transformed the car.

Does anyone know of a short shifter kit that's available here? So far I've seen an F-Sport kit (although discontinued), and another produced in the US, unless I'm missing something else?

Thanks Vlad and Malc, I'll see if I can get the car looked at this week and will let you know how I get on.

I've been a LOC member for a couple of years now although I've only recently shared my first post; I'm still fairly new to Lexus, having owned an IS200 previously, and I've recently purchased an IS250 after taking some time to search for the right one. Looking forward to contributing, getting to know you all, and learning as much as I can. Cheers!

I think they mentioned that it could damage the bushing (as did a few of the garages I spoke to).

I've just returned from an alignment shop who were unable to unseize the inner bolts on both rear lower control arms (using both penetrating oil and a hammer, although they didn't try with heat); they've advised me to find a garage that can unseize the bolts, although a few that I have spoken to have said that they may need to replace the surrounding bushings and/or the control arms entirely. I'd like to keep this as simple as possible, so could anyone that has had this issue before lend some advice? I'd appreciate it if someone could recommend a garage in or around West London who can do this job also. 👌

I enjoyed reading about the IS250's progress (even spotted it at Daikoku Nights once) so I'm sorry to hear it's sold, but the Mark II looks great and I look forward to seeing what you do with it!

I’ve aspired to own an IS250 for a few years now, even during my time holding the keys of an IS200, and after a few months of searching for the right one I managed to find this 2008 SE manual. While it doesn’t have the top spec, it has only done circa 55,000 miles and appears to have been well looked after. It had also been recently serviced, so there were only a couple of outstanding cosmetic issues to be addressed; these were some trim and interior pieces that were missing, the headlights requiring treatment for oxidation, and the wheels which could benefit from a refurb down the line. It’s currently stock, aside from the red brake calipers, although I’d like to further modify the car and make it my own in the future. Here is how the car is looking currently; I still can’t get over how good it looks: My first round of purchases included a set of genuine carpet mats, an Anker Bluetooth receiver, and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Fives; the consensus seems to be that these are one of the best options for both fuel economy and wet grip, which are important factors as I’m primarily using the car for motorway driving. I did choose to keep the staggered factory setup, although I can revisit this if and when I upgrade the wheels. I also spent an afternoon restoring the headlights, which were pretty severely clouded. I’ll do my best to keep this thread updated with my progress, but in the meantime thank you for reading and I hope you like the car. 👌