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Lexus: Top 5 Affordable Modifications

Stand out from the crowd with these modifications that are as easy to do as they are on your wallet.

By Jeffrey Smith - January 7, 2015

This article applies to the Lexus IS, ES, GS, and RX (2005-2013).

There are several reasonably inexpensive modifications that you can do to your Lexus yourself without too much trouble or taking much of your valuable time. There are several things to consider. First up is what you want to mod, or what you are looking to achieve. Do you want to make your Lexus stand out from all the others because it just looks a little different, or do you really want it to pop? Would you rather get the head-turning looks because it is so darn loud as you rumble by? Or are you looking for the cheapest way to add a few more horses to your stable? Whichever you choose, you should consider whether or not the effort and money are worth it or if you are putting your warranty in jeopardy. Read on to learn about some relatively inexpensive and easy modifications and whether or not they are worth your time, money and effort.

Top 5 Modifications

Mod #1 – LED Bulbs (Interior/License Plate/Turn Signals/Reverse)

DIY Cost - $40-$100 depending upon model

Professional Cost - $100-$200 for parts plus labor

Skill Level - Easy; requires minimal effort, basic tools and just a little time.

LED lighting is a very inexpensive modification that is relatively simple to do. A minimal amount of skill, basic tools and a little time goes a very long way with this mod. This DIY can easily be done, saving you a lot of money from having a professional do it for you. Interior kits can be purchased for your particular model, so no hunting and searching for each bulb part number is necessary. Rear bulbs can be purchased individually to customize the color and level of illumination for each component. This is a great way to really give your car a unique look. Rear LED lights not only look great, but they increase your safety factor as well.

Figure 1. Change OEM lighting with LED lighting is a great way to get a lot of 'pop' for not a lot of money.

Mod #2 – Carbon Fiber Dash Wrap

DIY Cost - $50-$60

Professional Cost - $200-$250

Skill Level - Moderate; requires lots of time and patience.

A very popular modification that you can do is to wrap your dash in carbon fiber adhesive. You can wrap the entire dash, or just some of the components. These various configurations allow you to make your car as unique as you like. This mod isn't for the faint of heart, though. You do need to have some nice skills and take your time. A rush job or cheap materials can make the end product look pretty cheesy. A professional is going to cost a good deal but the end result will be fantastic. If you can do it yourself, you will be extremely satisfied at how much you saved and how good it looks over the bland OEM dash.

Figure 2. An inexpensive carbon fiber mod for the interior.

Mod #3 – Side Markers Tint


DIY Cost - $20-$25

Professional Cost - $50-$100

Skill Level - Moderately easy; requires some patience and precise trimming.

One of the easiest modifications that you can do yourself in a matter of minutes is to tint any of your lights, in particular, the side markers. These can also be colorized in practically any color of the spectrum. The nice thing with this is that it doesn't have to be permanent, and even subtle color changes really make your car pop. If you get tired of a new subtle blue hue, you can change to a more dramatic yellow. The possibilities are endless and this can really make your car different from any other on the road.

Figure 3. A simple mod that can really make your car stand out.

Mod #4 – Black Out Your Headlights

DIY Cost - $20-$25

Professional Cost - $100-$200

Skill Level - Moderately easy; a lot of time is needed to remove bumper carefully, and the headlight assembly needs to be disconnected and baked to open the seal.

Nothing looks meaner on a Lexus than blacked out headlights. This is a pretty easy modification to do, although it takes a good few hours. To get to the headlamps, you have to remove the bumper, which isn't difficult either; you just have to take your time and be careful that you don't scratch the bumper cover. Having a friend help with this part is a plus. There are many plastic rivets and screws holding the bumper in place; care is needed to remove these without breaking them. The headlight is just a little tricky in that you will need to back the headlight case in a low heat oven in order to melt the sealant holding the pieces together. You can then separate the pieces and paint the inside of the lamp hood black, and re-seal. This takes a little while, but only moderate skill set is needed to do any of this work. It is definitely worth it when you see your finished product.

Figure 4. Perhaps the meanest looking mod you can do. And its cheap and easy

Mod #5 – Painting Brake Calipers

DIY Cost - $50

Professional Cost - $500 and up

Skill Level - Easy, but it takes a few days for brush painting, considerably less for spray painting.

Another very easy modification you can do yourself is painting your brake calipers. The difficult part of this job is the length of time it takes if you use the traditional brush method. You'll need a few coats and to wait a day in between for it to dry. Several thin coats will create a nice, clean and glossy look. If you don't have the time, you can use the spray method, which allows faster application because the time in between coats is greatly diminished. Spraying your calipers requires much more care. Hand painting is less messy and can really be detailed. After the paint has dried, you can apply decals or even paint a design if you have mad skills. This is a very easy mod that really turns heads.

Figure 5. A rear sharp head turning look comes with painting your calipers.

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