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Hello Lexus community!
I wanted to share my current project with everyone. Just to cut to the chase, it's a 1st gen IS300 with a 4.3l V8 from the GS430(3uzfe motor)
Its not up and running yet but I'll be there soon. It's something to do during these times, and I've enjoyed the whole process of how I'll get this and that to fit/work. Everything I've done in the past has been pretty much bolt ons and regular maintenance.
Quick Back story: 2018 i bought a 2002 GS430, i spent a ton of time and money with regular maintenance and repairs. October 2019 the car was hit in the driver front corner. After waiting on my insurance and finding out the driver at fault was uninsured it was finally totaled in january 2020. Great way to start the year right? Previously I looked into mods but nothing seemed worth it. I stumbled on an IS on YouTube with the 1uz, and then the IS Chip Foose built and I thought I could do that. So here I am, doing just that.
I bought the GS back, ripped the front end off, and grabbed everything I thought I would need.
motor, trans, radiator, harness, ecu, gas pedal, mounts, etc etc etc. I bought a 2002 IS from a local auction in March 2020 and once the shell was gone, I got to work. Gs430 before dismantling Pulled 3uz engine Painted valve cover, fuel rails, intake manifold, timing cover IS before dismantling 3uz test fit in the IS
Aside from clearance on the firewall, and the driver side exhaust manifold hitting the steering, v8 drops right in! The trans is a different story. I'm still using the A650e but I had to combine the trans from the IS, with the bell housing, torque converter, input shaft and pump from the Uz trans. I cant say it "works" yet but it fits and it spins. I did this to not have to get a custom driveshaft. Also now the trans is more forward than stock and now the cross member doesnt line up. I made my own out of 1/4 steel. I tried elongating the holes on the 2 factory cross members, tried a r154-Is crossmember, tried elongating those holes...all failed attempts.
AN line for the fuel, relocate the ABS unit, I will do custom brake lines later as it may get moved again. Is300 radiator, still working on hoses, bottom hose from GS works with some trimming. Haven't solved the upper hose just yet. Also still need to solve, power steering lines, A/c lines(not in a rush), trans cooler lines. That's pretty much it at this point.
Appreciate the love!
As for the GTE, i agree it's a high price to pay. In all honesty it's almost too easy of swap. I wanted a challenge for myself and boy did I get one lol. Radiator, ecu, Wiring harness, intake tube and some emission lines fitted Custom crossmember i made
After installing all that stuff I just so happen to notice the oil pan was rubbing on the subframe a little bit🙄
I attempted to make some motor mount spacers, to have the engine sit higher, something I did in my VW days. 1/4" in space worked well on the driver side not so much the passenger side 😄. Guess it's time to bring out the hammer and wail on the subframe a little. 1/4" steel, mount spacers Edge of pan sitting right on top of subframe
Engine/trans: I got rid of the factory mounts for the harden megan racing mounts. Nothing fancy, just gs430 mounts. Lots of fluid plumbing. Custom intake setup. Trans wise i was able to combine the auto from the GS to the IS by swapping the bellhousing, torque converter, and oil pump. Why auto? Its free.
Exhaust: gs430 manifolds. Cut the factory flanges for v-bands. Modified driver side to fit around steering shaft. Factory cats, 2.25 after the cats merged to 3", Jones exhaust resonator out to a cherry bomb muffler.
Wiring: again, gs430 harness, falls right in place with the ecu box. Re-wrapped the harness in Tesa Tape. Added a couple pins for the throttle pedal. Re-wired the bank 1 sensor 2 O2 sensor because its on the opposite side of the car now. Ecu tuned and calibrated by Quantam auto so the coolant gauge works, shift points were altered, and i had the ecu rebuilt by Relentless Motorsports tx to prevent future failure. We're at the age where capcitors fail and cause ghost codes, hard shifts and other weird stuff. So i got that out if the way.
Suspension: lowered on rev9 hyper street coilovers. Replaced a couple bushings in the front with poly, working on the rear as well.
Brakes: nothing fancy, deleted ABS. Motor was in the way. Didnt feel like relocating it. Used Chase bays delete kit. Expensive but comes with bias valve to adjust the pressure to the rear brakes.
09-30-20, 02:25 PM
3uz V8 swapped IS
The V8 is the next sensible thing after sky rocketing prices of 2jzgte. Following...
