IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop

Daily Slideshow: The itch to mod proved too strong for this Club Lexus member to ignore.

By Brett Foote - November 9, 2018
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop
Lexus IS350C Goes from Daily Driver to Stunning Droptop

Irresistible Urges

For most of us, the itch to mod our cars ultimately gets us every time. And thus, that's why we're called enthusiasts. Club Lexus member Cronus1995 certainly falls in that category after unsuccessfully resisting the urge to make some changes to his Lexus IS350 convertible. Thus, he began ordering up parts and shared the car's build with us right here in the forums

Gauging Progress

Things began, appropriately enough, with a stock Lexus with a big fat bow up top. But that only lasted for around a year. After which, the OP revealed his plans for a bigger, better future.

"This is my daily so the goal is a fun car that I won't lose my mind in while commuting," he said. "More or less a muscled-up version of the factory car. It will see a few track days and autocross events each year (I hope). I'll be gauging progress by my wife. If she doesn't notice or complain, then it's a great mod! 


>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

Cooling Off

Before you know it, the OP had a pile of parts to install. Starting with a cold air intake purchased from a fellow Club Lexus member. This particular piece pulls air in from the passenger side just in front of the wheel well. As a side benefit, it looks pretty cool, too. 

>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

Low and Smooth

Next on the list were some suspension upgrades. Those came in the form of F Sport springs, which lowered the car around a half-inch. They also stiffened things up nicely without compromising ride quality. The OP also tried a set of Megan Racing 30mm roll center adjusters, but they lowered the car a bit too much and caused some rubbing issues. 


>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

Just Right

The OP displayed a little bit of ingenuity, however, by milling them down until the car sat just right. With that little issue taken care of, it was time to keep rolling along with mods. Next up? A Borla Pro XS muffler that also doubled as an x-pipe. 

>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

Opportunity Knocks

Unfortunately, a couple of problems soon popped up that temporarily halted the mod train. But they also presented an opportunity. "A couple of weeks ago I took the car in for the fuel line recall. To my disappointment, I was told my water pump was leaking. So I took this as an opportunity to upgrade my cooling system. I installed a factory water pump, a Radium Engineering 1.3 bar radiator cap, and an all-aluminum 2-row radiator." 


>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

Mods Keep Coming

While all of that was being done, the OP also threw on an oil catch can for good measure. But we're confident that it won't be the last mod he performs on this IS. So head over here and catch up what's been done so far, as well as what happens in the future! 

>>Join the conversation about this Slammed IS 350 C right here at ClubLexus Forum!

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-To section for more technical articles. 

NEXT
BACK
NEXT
BACK