bmurakami

bnizzle87

Welcome to CL and the F family! This is actually a tough one to answer really. Because the F is a really small segment to begin with, parts will cost a premium. Aesthetic parts that fit right and are molded to be a direct bolt on to the vehicle won't be cheap, but my first suggestion would be to check out the classifieds for used and sometimes new parts. Sometimes a carbon fiber weave might be slightly scratched or marred, and quickly it's placed for sale. You never know what will become available. A second option that I'm not in favor of but is more budget friendly, would be the replica parts. Some parts won't fit right off the bat, but items such as a front lip are more disposable this way in the event it becomes cracked or broken. Wallet won't hurt as much purchasing a fake front lip for 1/3 the price of an authentic lip, but this becomes a debate of personal preference. And lastly, sites like Craigslist and OfferUp can sometimes lead to great finds. It's just all about timing and a little luck in finding the right listing before someone else does.

To be honest, I don't see anything wrong with a slight drop of the car. It gives a nice presence on the road, and then you can begin seeing where the car can look its best in your eyes.

Best of luck, and if you're in the LA/OC area, there are often F gatherings so it's a great way to see what might work for your car.

eddyisf

Jz39

iTrader: (2)

Vitveet

Definitely lower it (swift springs), a cheap, but good looking front lip (bayson R), and tint/chrome delete. That'll be cheap and take the car to another level looks wise.
Oh yea, get straight A's and I'm sure your dad will pay for it all!!
Good luck!

V.

bmurakami

bmurakami

bmurakami

Lokitsdrew

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

^^^^Many, I found this one using the Search Function:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...trim-tape.html

Lou

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

You've owned this "F" since you were NINE

Lou

bnizzle87

Gotta love it when the father and son have a same love of cars.

NorCal roads and the fog can be brutal. I'd suggest coilovers and a good fog light output. We frequent up north with family often, so can understand how scarce it is to find an IS F there. I'd say hit up a Lexus meet- there's bound to be at least one attending.

But in regards to $350 for upgraded headlights, you're most likely looking at aftermarket and not factory upgrades. There have been issues with signals, wiring, and even fitment at times. Used headlights (LED strip) will fall in the 1k-2k range, so while it's not a cheap modification, it does a lot to make the car look a lot newer.

OneFastF

iTrader: (2)

Hi,

I'm 18 owning an IS F 08', don't even bother cheaping out. It's a Lexus, you can't simply drop quality like that, BUT you can buy used parts which I've done

Mods I've done so far:
X Force Varex Exhaust - 1.079 - Pro Installed - 150
Difuser Install - $150 - Major fail fitment incorrect waiting on it
F Sport Rear Sway Bar - $100 - DIY
BC Racing Coilovers - $800
WedsSport SA-10R 18x9.5 +38 Squared W
RS3 Hankooks 255/35/R18 - 1,400$
Arkym Diffuiser - $250 - fail didn't fit
Tint 3M - $125

I can say I spent around 3,xxx roughly on the car for just mods. I'm done for now, I got college to pay off also need to keep money for maintenance. I'm almost at 60k, and instead of taking it to the dealer I'm setting up a garage to do DIY work for the car. Although, my uncle works at Lexus so I get free alignments and such hehe.

mikersoft

iTrader: (1)

Another option for covering chrome bits is Plasti-dip. It's cheap, and it's pretty easy to remove if you're not happy with the outcome.

-Mike

LexusfanVA

iTrader: (1)

Your ISF comes with HID headlights/bulbs along with AFS feature(moves left right and up and down while driving). Replacing them with $300 halogen will lead to much worse light output at night, or with an HID kit inside light splattering all over the road and still bad output. Many have also said the aftermarket headlights have LED's go out, condensate, or have other quality issues after a few weeks.
The only ones worth upgrading to are OEM 2011+ HID, or Depo brand HID which are $1k on eBay, and don't come with some additional components like bulb covers, bulbs, ballasts, and some wiring. Unless you thoroughly research and want to tinker with them, I'd leave them alone. Taillights however almost all have great reviews. SpecD or Vland taillights go a long way to updating the cars rear end and those don't seem to have quality issues, especially if you add just a pinch of extra silicone along the edges. Honestly not needed, but I sleep better lol.

As far as other cheap upgrades, I'd start with tint, blacking out the rear emblem with dip and grill/roof/spoiler/etc with gloss black wrap, muffler delete/used exhaust, painting the Brembo's, and lip/diffuser/side skirts. Front lip especially so that you don't scrape that low bumper. Side skirts can have issues with becoming wavy after a few months due to the exhaust temperatures, so if you install make sure to use plenty of screws, or save up for a better/stronger CF style. Better looking and nicer offset wheels will go a long way, but minimum $2k with tires so probably out of your plans for now. If you really hate the headlights you can try to have a smoked vinyl overlay with light cutouts applied like I did(pics on this forum and on IG @russiancarguy . Springs I'd stay away from as they have a tendency to ride rougher and it will make your stock wheels look worse with how sunk in they are even at stock height. Cheapest coils I'd do are $1200 BC Racing+swift.

Honestly, I'd just pay the $40-50 to go autox and learn the car and it's limits on a safe course and enjoy the car for what it is. I can't imagine owing a car this powerful at 17 but good luck to you and keep us updated!