Daily Slideshow: Forum Member Jkhang714 Gives His IS350 F-Sport a New Look
Watch as forum member Jkhang714 turns his clean 2014 IS350 F-Sport into a clean and mean street machine.
The Reason
Tired of LS-swapped Lexus models with 9-inch Ford rear ends, and pictures from Super Street or Speedhunters with stories about how the owner had a poster on their wall that somehow led to the car you are looking at today, that also has screwed-on fender flares? And maybe bad graphics? Lime-colored ones? We won't admit to not liking a 500hp Lexus but all the other stuff can get a little too magazine-y and not enough forum-y. Huge shout out to all those who have, are currently, or will continue to post build threads. And an even bigger shout (so that would make it a cheer?) to the builders who post nice pics, and the commenters who keep it positive and full of information. Without all of you, none of us would be here. So what better time to take a look at one of our favorite recent builds—forum member jkhang714's 2014 IS350 F-Sport.
Before
This photo shows the IS when California resident and Club Lexus forum member jkhang first got it. Nice car. Sporty, nice wheels. No need to change it right? Well...
Grille Chrome Delete
The first things he did, starting in 2015, were performing a chrome-delete on the grille, and a getting a window tint. Quick and easy-ish changes that really make a difference. He went with a 35% tint on the front windows and a 20% on the rears. Notice the initial steps of proper masking technique—no one likes to clean up errant paint. Blacked-out chrome up front really makes sense and makes the spindle grille look just that much tougher.
Wheels, Part 1
Next came (the first set of) new wheels, shown here getting a test fit. Caution—we assume jkhang is using jack stands whenever he jacks up his Lexus. Using two-floor jacks at once is always a dicey proposition, we recommend using one at a time, it might take a lot more time getting just the height you want but the chance of something unexpected happening is greatly reduced.
Lip Kit
Next came a lip kit. Jkhang bought a full eBay-style kit from a local retailer but didn't like every part of it. He chose the kit mostly for the front Skipper-type front lip at replica prices and ran the front splitter as-is, but modified the sides for a cleaner look (check out his thread for details on where and how he cut them). The diffuser stayed in the box while he went looking for the perfect option.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Side Splitter
The after and before of jkhang's side splitter mod. We like the after (left) better too—neater and more fitting of a street Lexus. Sometimes the best option is neither to take it nor leave it. It's to make it what you want it to be.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Exhaust
Next came exhaust. Jkhang ordered an axle back system from Joe Z. When he initially installed it the tips were misaligned with eachother—he liked the way the left tip was positioned but the right was a little too high. He tried unbolting and re-bolting everything, but that didn't do the trick. After some tweaking of the rubber exhaust hangers, he got the tips to level out and match.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Ride Height
While waiting for his Airlift air suspension to come in, jkhang took the photo on the left of what the IS looked like on its new struts. The wheels are SSP Professor SP4s (19x9.5 +25 front, 19x11 +37 rear), tires are Achilles (225/35/19 front, 245/35/19 rear). At that point in time, he felt that the stretched tires and offset he was running would be enough to clear once the air was in.
Once the air suspension was installed he discovered the front fenders would indeed need a small pull, though clearance in the rear could be found with an alignment and some shaving to the inside of the fender wells. The photo on the right shows the car with rear SPC camber arms. The installation and fender rolling/pulling were performed by James at Fender Defender. Pics are before alignment and camber adjustments.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Diffuser
Jkhang finally found the rear diffuser he was looking for. Here's a photo of that Stillen unit installed.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Wheels, Part 2
In 2016 it was time to try something different in the wheel department. Jkhang sold his SSR wheels and bought a used set of Forged RSV wheels to replace them, but before mounting on the cars he treated the rims to some needed re-polishing. The RSVs were less aggressive than the outgoing set, enabling a little more positive camber in the rear, in turn resulting in a flusher fitment.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Roof Rack
From the bottom to the top. Practical needs came into the picture and a Yakima Roof Rack came into jkhang's life.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Fogs
Twenty-sixteen also brought new fog lights, as Jkhang installed a set of JDM 6500K fog lamps, though he opined that OEM Lexus fogs would be his first choice. He also added an F-Sport intake.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
The Almost Finished Product
Jkhang surprised us all with his next photo/post. Here we can see a full chrome-delete/blackout, the Yakima rack installed, and (surprise!) a new set of wheels—forged Rennen mv55s. Note the finished fender-to-wheel fit.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
Finished?
We all know builds are never finished until we sell them on to the next owner, and even then they usually still see changes. But as of 2018, this is where jkhang's IS350 stands, and (surprise again!) it sits on what looks like the old RSVs, only with newly-refinished blue centers. Keep up with what forum member jkhang is up to next, and check out all the comments and questions on his build thread right here in Club Lexus.
>>Join the conversation about this IS350 F Sport right here in Club Lexus.
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