Redspencer's Track-Tuned IS350 w/ OS Giken LSD Build Thread
09-10-20, 01:11 PM
#826
Lexus Champion
Haha thanks. That is so true, there is nothing worse than a miserable wife. As long as using the garage for storage makes her happy, all is well. Now if I can just figure out a way to slip a Bendpak in there...
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09-13-20, 02:16 PM
#828
Lexus Champion
Personally, I wouldn't mod it. I would keep it 100 percent stock. This is a piece of history in your garage. It would be like Da Vinci painted you an updated version of the Mona Lisa and you decided to paint a mustache. Don't do it!
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09-15-20, 03:37 PM
#830
As far as actually mods, eagle eyed viewers will notice that this A91 Special Edition is missing a key part that was part of the package which is the painted carbon fiber rear spoiler. Due to the pandemic, production of the carbon fiber spoiler is delayed until winter. Once it arrives at the dealership, it will get installed at no additional cost.
The other future mods will be more discreet as the plan is to do a simple downpipe and tune upgrade. It should bump the power level from 382rwhp to ~480rwhp on 93 octane. Not sure if I'll ever use 100 octane but the skies the limit with this platform and tuning potential (it also doesn't hurt that one of the premiere Supra tuners, Titan Motorsports, is only a few miles from where I live).
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AMIRZA786 (09-15-20)
09-15-20, 04:41 PM
#831
Lexus Champion
I would say the PP is perfectly acceptable, I guess DP as well! Just keep her as close to stock as possible!
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09-18-20, 01:00 PM
#834
Lexus Champion
Awesome! I'm drooling 
11-27-20, 04:18 PM
#835
Hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend. I haven't posted in this thread in a while as I haven't done any AutoX or HPDEs lately nor have I done any recent mods to the IS350. After spending the morning waxing the IS350C, I decided to make a brief walk-through video of the cars that occupy both the garage and driveway (it's definitely getting crowded which is both a good and bad thing). Each vehicle has their own purpose/specialty which I guess justifies the collection.
Which is the most fun to drive? Surprisingly, the Redspencer IS350 can still hold its own against the newer and more advanced Supra (minus the straight line acceleration).
Which is the most fun to drive? Surprisingly, the Redspencer IS350 can still hold its own against the newer and more advanced Supra (minus the straight line acceleration).
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11-27-20, 10:28 PM
#836
Lexus Champion
Hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend. I haven't posted in this thread in a while as I haven't done any AutoX or HPDEs lately nor have I done any recent mods to the IS350. After spending the morning waxing the IS350C, I decided to make a brief walk-through video of the cars that occupy both the garage and driveway (it's definitely getting crowded which is both a good and bad thing). Each vehicle has their own purpose/specialty which I guess justifies the collection.
https://youtu.be/hST7UEAysgI
Which is the most fun to drive? Surprisingly, the Redspencer IS350 can still hold its own against the newer and more advanced Supra (minus the straight line acceleration).
https://youtu.be/hST7UEAysgI
Which is the most fun to drive? Surprisingly, the Redspencer IS350 can still hold its own against the newer and more advanced Supra (minus the straight line acceleration).
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redspencer (11-28-20)
11-28-20, 08:49 AM
#837
To add to the Supra vs IS350 driver impressions, as my IS350 is heavily modified, the upgraded suspension and OS Giken differential makes the IS350 punch above its class in the handling department. The steering feel and responsiveness on the IS350 are excellent and traction in the corners is kept in check thanks to the Bilstein shocks and LSD. As I have not yet taken my A91 Supra to an autoX or HPDE track day, I've yet to explore the limits of this car. I can definitely sense how rigid the chassis is, the "golden ratio" of the wheelbase to track width, and how low the center of gravity is in comparison to the IS350 (and is comparable to the chassis of the Lexus LFA without the exotic materials). This should make the Supra feel like a scalpel on the track (as long as RWD traction can be maintained from the instant torque). At the moment, I feel more comfortable pushing the limits on the IS350 as the visibility is superior towards the front, sides, and rear. The Supra has multiple blind spots and the long hood makes it a challenge for me to judge where and when to point the wheels if I want to maximize the width of the road in a corner. It will take practice but I'll eventually be able to wring out its potential. I definitely won't make it easier for myself when I get the Supra tuned for more power next month.
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AMIRZA786 (11-28-20)
11-28-20, 12:37 PM
#838
Lexus Champion
Yeah, it looks like I do have a pair of garage queens as the A91 Supra and IS350C tend to be weekend drivers.
To add to the Supra vs IS350 driver impressions, as my IS350 is heavily modified, the upgraded suspension and OS Giken differential makes the IS350 punch above its class in the handling department. The steering feel and responsiveness on the IS350 are excellent and traction in the corners is kept in check thanks to the Bilstein shocks and LSD. As I have not yet taken my A91 Supra to an autoX or HPDE track day, I've yet to explore the limits of this car. I can definitely sense how rigid the chassis is, the "golden ratio" of the wheelbase to track width, and how low the center of gravity is in comparison to the IS350 (and is comparable to the chassis of the Lexus LFA without the exotic materials). This should make the Supra feel like a scalpel on the track (as long as RWD traction can be maintained from the instant torque). At the moment, I feel more comfortable pushing the limits on the IS350 as the visibility is superior towards the front, sides, and rear. The Supra has multiple blind spots and the long hood makes it a challenge for me to judge where and when to point the wheels if I want to maximize the width of the road in a corner. It will take practice but I'll eventually be able to wring out its potential. I definitely won't make it easier for myself when I get the Supra tuned for more power next month.
To add to the Supra vs IS350 driver impressions, as my IS350 is heavily modified, the upgraded suspension and OS Giken differential makes the IS350 punch above its class in the handling department. The steering feel and responsiveness on the IS350 are excellent and traction in the corners is kept in check thanks to the Bilstein shocks and LSD. As I have not yet taken my A91 Supra to an autoX or HPDE track day, I've yet to explore the limits of this car. I can definitely sense how rigid the chassis is, the "golden ratio" of the wheelbase to track width, and how low the center of gravity is in comparison to the IS350 (and is comparable to the chassis of the Lexus LFA without the exotic materials). This should make the Supra feel like a scalpel on the track (as long as RWD traction can be maintained from the instant torque). At the moment, I feel more comfortable pushing the limits on the IS350 as the visibility is superior towards the front, sides, and rear. The Supra has multiple blind spots and the long hood makes it a challenge for me to judge where and when to point the wheels if I want to maximize the width of the road in a corner. It will take practice but I'll eventually be able to wring out its potential. I definitely won't make it easier for myself when I get the Supra tuned for more power next month.
If your inclined to driving a manual, an alternative choice to the Supra would be a Lotus Evora. A co-worker picked up a used low mileage 2017 Evora for $60K, that thing is awesome! It has the 3.5L supercharged V6 (Toyota Camry engine), that thing books, but not very comfortable to drive. It would definitely be a weekend/track car if I had the money to buy one! My son and I are planning to pick up a used 90's MR2 and do a V6 engine swap. I have the engine already, next year I'm going to buy my daughter either a Corolla or Civic and pull the 3.3L V6 from the Camry she currently drives. I just need to find a decent good condition MR2 for cheap...
12-01-20, 07:09 PM
#839
I can't imagine how much better your IS350 drives with your "updates". With the few I've done, mine drives amazing. One question: do the Bilstein shocks make your car ride very stiff? The stock kyb's on my IS350 Sport are already pretty stiff, not so much as to make it a jarring ride, but definitely you feel the difference going from my other cars (2013 Toyota Sienna, 2006 Camry SE & now the newest addition, 2020 Hyundai Ioniq EV). I'm hoping when I change out to the F-Sport suspension next year I'll get a better ride.
If your inclined to driving a manual, an alternative choice to the Supra would be a Lotus Evora. A co-worker picked up a used low mileage 2017 Evora for $60K, that thing is awesome! It has the 3.5L supercharged V6 (Toyota Camry engine), that thing books, but not very comfortable to drive. It would definitely be a weekend/track car if I had the money to buy one! My son and I are planning to pick up a used 90's MR2 and do a V6 engine swap. I have the engine already, next year I'm going to buy my daughter either a Corolla or Civic and pull the 3.3L V6 from the Camry she currently drives. I just need to find a decent good condition MR2 for cheap...
If your inclined to driving a manual, an alternative choice to the Supra would be a Lotus Evora. A co-worker picked up a used low mileage 2017 Evora for $60K, that thing is awesome! It has the 3.5L supercharged V6 (Toyota Camry engine), that thing books, but not very comfortable to drive. It would definitely be a weekend/track car if I had the money to buy one! My son and I are planning to pick up a used 90's MR2 and do a V6 engine swap. I have the engine already, next year I'm going to buy my daughter either a Corolla or Civic and pull the 3.3L V6 from the Camry she currently drives. I just need to find a decent good condition MR2 for cheap...
A second gen MR2 with a 2GR-FE swap would make for a fantastic project car. Plenty of owners have done this swap with great results.
Regarding the Evora, that was my top choice prior to the MKV Supra being released. I've mentioned both the Evora S and 400 as my go to purchase should the performance capabilities of the new Supra not meet my expectations. Several years back, I was on my way to a dealership 3 hours away in South Florida to purchase a lightly used Evora S but as I was about 30 minutes away, someone from out of state purchased it. I learned that putting a deposit on a potential purchase is important. Lol.
That lesson came in handy as the IS350C I purchased last year was freshly loaded at a Jeep dealership lot and as soon as it was listed online, I happened to have seen the ad that same day and had put my deposit down. Soon after, callers from other states were wanting to do the same. The sales people were definitely not expecting a high demand on an unassuming hardtop Lexus convertible.
Speaking of that IS350C, here are a few new pics of it with the other cars.
12-02-20, 11:16 AM
#840
Lexus Champion
Yeah, the TRD/F-Sport Bilstein shocks are pretty stiff and you'll feel every bump on the surface of the road. It's not jarring bad but I'd say they do offer a bumpier ride than the Supra in Sport Mode. They are fantastic performance shocks though which is why I've had no desire to upgrade to coilovers.
A second gen MR2 with a 2GR-FE swap would make for a fantastic project car. Plenty of owners have done this swap with great results.
Regarding the Evora, that was my top choice prior to the MKV Supra being released. I've mentioned both the Evora S and 400 as my go to purchase should the performance capabilities of the new Supra not meet my expectations. Several years back, I was on my way to a dealership 3 hours away in South Florida to purchase a lightly used Evora S but as I was about 30 minutes away, someone from out of state purchased it. I learned that putting a deposit on a potential purchase is important. Lol.
That lesson came in handy as the IS350C I purchased last year was freshly loaded at a Jeep dealership lot and as soon as it was listed online, I happened to have seen the ad that same day and had put my deposit down. Soon after, callers from other states were wanting to do the same. The sales people were definitely not expecting a high demand on an unassuming hardtop Lexus convertible.
Speaking of that IS350C, here are a few new pics of it with the other cars.
A second gen MR2 with a 2GR-FE swap would make for a fantastic project car. Plenty of owners have done this swap with great results.
Regarding the Evora, that was my top choice prior to the MKV Supra being released. I've mentioned both the Evora S and 400 as my go to purchase should the performance capabilities of the new Supra not meet my expectations. Several years back, I was on my way to a dealership 3 hours away in South Florida to purchase a lightly used Evora S but as I was about 30 minutes away, someone from out of state purchased it. I learned that putting a deposit on a potential purchase is important. Lol.
That lesson came in handy as the IS350C I purchased last year was freshly loaded at a Jeep dealership lot and as soon as it was listed online, I happened to have seen the ad that same day and had put my deposit down. Soon after, callers from other states were wanting to do the same. The sales people were definitely not expecting a high demand on an unassuming hardtop Lexus convertible.
Speaking of that IS350C, here are a few new pics of it with the other cars.
