Not many people know this car is a masterpiece, thats why it didnt sell. Very underrated car in the world but also a car of dreams for small group of people. I hope I will be able to get one soon:)
Good luck! You’ll love it!! I think the changes were too little too late and it just didn’t have the aggressive look or performance of the M/AMG. I mean you could also get a CTSV for the same price then too, so as always Lexus was a little too late with too little. But used market, it’s a great choice and the rising prices reflect it!
@@valdaviper1 I have an IS250 right now, ISF was always the car I dreamed about and probably the only car that will be the upgrade to my current one. I love the way how it looks, its bulletproof like you said, it just perfectly matches my needs. Your ISF looks perfect, I love the way you modified it. You did it with great taste, good job!
I think it didn't sell because the first couple years of this car was not good compared to an e92 M3. By they time they made it as good ~2011-2012, people already saw it as an also ran. The 08, and 09 don't even come with an LSD. That's not a good thing.
@@hamsterbrigade I think when it was released people didnt know what it was and what to expect because it was first perfomance car from lexus. The LSD you can put to the older models easily without any problems. It also has something m3 from that age didnt have - bulletproof 8 speed transmission and engine. Thats why for me every model of isf is great, not only the newer ones.
@@hamsterbrigade Very true. Plus the CTSV2 at the time got even more attention and was priced in line. Lexus was as Lexus always is, too little too late. But they are fantastic used.
Great car, I recently sold mine for the same price I bought it for 4 years later with more mileage. Solid cars and plateaued in value after 5 years in age. Rare and almost like a best kept secret imo
I've always loved the ISF.. Every upgrade you have done is definitely an improvement.. Vehicle looks stunning. I've been thinking about buying one but finding it hard to let my GS 460 go... Different type of car but most Lexus like you said bulletproof and quality. No thrills cool video.
Thanks for the kind words! GS460 is a great car, not a sedan you see too often anymore. I just picked up an old GX470 with 230k and it drives very solid, so any lexus will treat you right!
Awesome cars! I ran door to door with a CTSV2 coupe this weekend from a 50 roll. He went from laughing at me to asking me what it has in it and acknowledging it was fast 🤗....love my 2011 SFP
Looks great. The 5100 number you quoted were cars imported for the USA market. There were around 11,000 total worldwide. A few years ago, a dealer revealed that there were less than 4400 ISFs registered with the DMV in the USA. There are even less now, with many being imported or wrecked.
I want a 2011 and up IS F. I almost settled for an 08 because they’re more common, but watching videos like yours I refuse to. I have a 2is 250 and a 3is 350 and I prefer the 2is in terms of handling and the way it feels to drive so imagining that 5 liter V8 in a 2is chassis, heaven. One day I’ll get an IS F.
If it helps, I had my 08 for 3 years and loved it every day. The biggest differences were suspension(greatly upgraded with LCA bushings and coilovers), LSD(barely usable during daily commute), and headlights. They're all fantastic cars, and at this point majority have been upgraded anyways. Good luck either way!
@@valdaviper1 True man, I think people rubbish the 08 09s too much, most cars with lsd you put a better 1 anyway & if you're doing coilovers etc suspension isn't much of a concern, i way prefer the piano facia but not a deal breaker if the car is tidy etc
@@valdaviper1 Had like 14 Aero Saabs, but when I got my hand on a 250SR by mistake, was thinking it's a diesel, was curios about them and was close to me, went to buy it from a lady around 9pm, when she started it... man I was happy, payed only 550 pounds as she didn't use it, that night was one the happiest of my life, even with a 250, since then for me... will be only Lexus, had like 200+ cars but nothing come close to a Lexus.
@@geobottech2406 They definitely last very well. 2 weeks ago I bought a GX470/Prado 120, an 06 with 230k miles. Just a fun truck to take camping and to the beach. The truck was dealer serviced it's whole life and feels in and out like a 50k mile car at most. Always enjoyed seeing Saab's but they are pretty rare here now.
Great mods. Subtle and tasteful. I like the stock look, but a closer look reveals a lot more going on. I like the lowered look and the Lexcon lip is really nice. Maintenance and repairs should be minimal b/c Toyota. I'd take this over the Chevy SS or an Audi RS4 and definitely over a M. 12.3 @ 115 is great for a daily driver. I bet it's even more fun to drive in the twisties.
Yes sir! and that 12.3 time was just catback and tune and decent tires. The one in the vid is an 11 second car no doubt. Just sadly way too much $$ to go any quicker than high 11's. It's a great handling car too, my previous video I went to autox with a bunch of corvettes and of about 70-80 cars I got 3rd best time of the day.
Very nice video. I wish I knew about the ISF before I got my 2016 is200t. I just now got a 2nd car my 2013 G37 IPL. Could’ve gotten an ISF but I’m trynna to lower my monthly payments. One day tho...one day.
Nice man! I always wanted an IPL too. I had an 04 and 08 G35/G37 coupe, and then a 12 and 13 G37 sedan, all of them manuals too. I have some videos of them up on here. It's very similar to the F, not super quick, but a great all around and performer for the money, very reliable, and fairly rare. If it helps you make the switch, I get better MPG in the ISF lol.
Great car. I really like the color combo, wheels, subtle look. I've had 2 cars with red interior including my current car (Current gen Camaro SS). You get to enjoy it every time you get in the car. Looking at maybe getting one of these because I'm a new dad and well...4 door V8. I was curious, I've heard because the age of the tech, in auto the trans can be sluggish to respond. Like when you mash it to get a down shift and accelerate. Does the tune include a transmission tune to help the issue? Or is that issue mechanical in nature?
So driving it as a regular car in D and suddenly expecting crisp downshifts is not a great way to drive this car. It's a bit of Jekkyl Hyde where it can be a comfortable Lexus, but also bang gears, but not quite something in the middle. Especially annoying as it has 8 gears and it choosing the one you want doesn't work 8/10 times. Sport mode helps a bit, but it's nothing like modern sport modes, for any sort of enthusiast driving a quick pedal pull or shifting it into M mode and using the gear lever or paddles will be much better. The tune does nothing for the transmission settings. Pulling a paddle in D mode or smashing the throttle can drop 2 gears, but every other time it's 1 gear at a time. Overall though, there's commuting time and enthusiast time. Anytime I'm having fun I generally just keep it in manual mode. Will let you redline all day without shifting for you if you wish.
I mean with Covid, everything is. I was keeping any eye on C6Z and F80 and 996 turbo and Viper prices for my next jump and they all increased double what the ISF has in the past year. Anyone looking for reliable 400-500hp sedan will consider the ISF just for how cheap it is to own and repair compared to M/AMG options. I think for mine with my current 75k I wouldn’t take under $40k with the mods. Turned down a few $36-38k offers just this past spring. I even wanted a used MK5 Supra but they went from $48k to $55k used in the past year.
Saw this comment and had to follow up. I sold the F with 80k this February for just over $45k on one wheel set. The stock wheels I sold for nearly $3k. Covid helped but I think the IS500 and overall EV/turbo is pushing more people to NA V8’s lately.
Nice car pal, I dig it ‼️🔥 I would like to correct you on a mistake you made on this review about your horsepower... Always remember that the entire horsepower of the crank it at the crank, so the crank has 420hp and to the wheel you have 380/360 hp.. You usually lose 50/60 hp due to the drive train..
Generally on automatic cars it’s a 12-15% loss of crank vs wheel horsepower. But I brought up more realistic numbers off a dynojet where most stock ISF’s get 350-360whp. Some get even higher if it’s not set up properly. Those same dynojets with FBO tuned cars show 390-410 headers/exhaust cars and higher with tune/intake and E85 mix. I did make a mistake saying it’s 350 crank but I edited the caption to mean wheel HP.
I gotta say I always wanted to know these EXACT ramblings.. lol. OEM+ is also my sentiment with my car, the ISF in particular can be a bit stealth too.. I thank you for your details and even the visual text notes, If i'd met you on the street or in a lot I'dve stopped to ask you pretty much all those questions. Thanks for sharing, 1. I always wanted to know what an owner of an 08 thinks of one from 2011/2012 and up. I'll definitely have to save a little extra to get an 11/12 because i have TERRIBLE roads in florida, with railroads and potholes. 2. I think i'd even run your very same mods list, good choices! that Exhaust is amazing, its like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, perfect. 3. I never was a fan of white cars, but yours is a PRISTINE specimen, It sure does clean up well, your mods really do make me want a setup just like that.. love the lights, and the lips on the car. I hope when ive saved up enough and am ready to buy, that i find a gem just like yours. 4. Did you ever mention how many miles you got this 2012 ISF with, when did you get it, and how many miles it has now?.. 5. Interesting about the Project Mu PS Pads, that is a gem of info i appreciate. 6. I also really appreciate the descriptive suspension tuning details.. I've got a super bumpy and rough ride with my current car (13 corolla) on Eibach lowering springs, and i cant wait for an ISF that i can daily and isnt gonna be stiff as hell.. so thanks about the Figs-90 info, I'll definitely have to go for that one too. Thanks for all the info- and If you're ever down in South Florida with your ISF, I'll trade you a ride-along for a meal lol.
Thanks man! Any year is fine really, there isn’t that much handling difference between them if you’re driving at say 7/10’s. It’s once you start pushing it hard at your traction limits that the LSD shines and provides more confidence and the handling can easily be brought up to 11+ standards with LCA, sways, and good coilovers. Simple example, my 08 at autocross had traction issues and I basically drifted and had a great time. With the better coils and LSD my 12 got 3rd best time ofnthe day, and it was a Corvette event(my last video). Ride quality too. I also made the mistake on my 08 of going cheap with parts such as the coilovers and BF Goodrich summer tires and thus those flaws showed. Same with brake pads, I tried oem pads and rotors and even autozone duralast ones which were amazing for low dust and price, but not great if pushed to the limit. But I also drove 30k a year then so I thought I’d save some money on the long term. As far as mileage, I bought this one with 50k last august, and about a year and 2 months later I’m at 67k or so. Would have been more but I had issues in the beginning with the tuned intake and it spent more than a few weeks sitting at random shops and being diagnosed, pretty much from September to January. But I’m glad I got it figured out. Hope you find one and enjoy!
@@valdaviper1 BTW as a sidenote, you deserve more views. Hmm.. the idea that any year is fine is comforting.. I'd just hate to always have upgrade envy for the 11/12+ though.. hmm. I'd definitely have to test drive one someday to see if an 08-10 is enough and isn't too stiff. Wow you've driven it about 17k miles in 14 months.. lots of daily commute or lots of trails/track-days, etc? Hmm.. I am intrigued though about the possibility of a 08-10 being viable for daily driving.. thing is- then the next decision is if i go for a stock ISF and mod it my way or find one with all the big mods already done like PPE headers, coilovers, etc.. Another consideration i've come across is, the older cars would likely have more wear on the parts due to age and such, plus they have been prone to other issues that were resolved on the 11/12+.. And then again- there's another thing, if i go for an 11/12+ I couldn't need to worry about upgrading to the LSD, or doing the suspension tweaks, money saved-albeit the money would probably be paid in a price premium for an 11/12+.. thoughts?. Also i had a question.. why'd you move from the 08 to the 12, you said you wanted to upgrade?.. are you always driving it at above 7/10's? like what made the 12 the one for you above the 08? I think ultimately for me to figure out =if an 08 is enough, I'd have to get behind the wheel to feel it.. I mean, can you blame me for really wanting a 11/12+?
@@CubanLegend561 2008 to 2014 they all had the same common issues, mainly the valley plate coolant leak and the stock header manifold cracking. They also had an issue of interior dash/door panels getting ruined which is still an active customer service program where they replace them for free. I use my car as my daily driver and lately my commute has been shorter. With my 2008 my first two years I lived further away so my mileage was 60k in the first 2 years, and then 10k the third. When I got my new F I had issues with the tuned intake so there were about three months where I drove it sparingly. I have not yet done a track day but I have done autocross and I do plan to go to the dragstrip as I did with my last one. You would be perfectly fine with a 2008-2009 as they are more common and cheaper. 2010 if you can for the LSD. At their age they would need new shocks anyway so coilovers would be a great upgrade. Minor handling improvement form the sways and LCA would help too. Unless you push it to 10/10ths you won’t really feel the need for an LSD. I spent three years thinking I did not need it but now that I have it, I can definitely agree that it helps in the tight corners and in wet conditions and absolutely at autocross or on a track. I loved my 2008 and the reason I upgraded was a few reasons: I wanted headers but I did not want to pay the related installation costs. They are $1800 at their cheapest, but you usually have to get $300 engine mounts, $300 ceramic coating, new O2 sensors and gaskets, pay the $600-900 install, and on older cars highly recommended to do the starter at the same time as its hidden by them. Ends up being a $4k+ project. I also wanted the updated LED headlights. I mentioned in my review that with my 2008 I wanted the updated headlight style and if you look through my past videos you can find those custom headlights. They looked fantastic but they did not achieve my goal of the best possible light output. I also had minor issues with them the first couple months I had them so even once they got fully sorted out I still wanted the best which are 2012-2014 style. The 2012 to 2014 also have the best looking stock wheel design, which often sell for $2k used compared to about $1k for the other ISF wheel options. Of course I wanted the LSD, but more than anything even when I first was interested in the ISF I wanted the white on red combination. When my 12 popped up for sale it was FBO with other goodies and was a good price. Other minor improvements were minor changes to the handling, upgraded steering ECU, interior Bluetooth music, dark trim on radio and cooler instrument cluster. Rather than blowing a bunch more money on my 08 I could upgrade for close to the same price to the newer one with half the miles. Last benefit is that the 2011 to 2014 models keep their value even better than the early ones and it’s kind of a bragging right to have the rarer models. In 2016 I bought my 08 with 30k for $30k and 3 years later I sold it for $23k with 70k more miles. That’s pretty good depreciation but the newer models drop even less, hell, with Covid all prices have increased, and I have zero doubt I could sell the car now for at least a few grand more than what I paid for it a year ago. Long story short, aim for a 2011 and up but find any one in good shape in the color combination that you want and just be happy. Pretty much everything is upgradable. Ultimately that is the reason why I went for my 2008, because of budget issues and I was thinking slowly I could upgrade it. But at a certain point a newer one made more sense. Plus another fun fact about me is that I have had 24 cars even though I’m only 32, are used to drive very high miles and switched cars pretty often since I got bored. But I like this car so much that I only got a newer one. I test drove a lot of newer options like the F80, ATSV, CTSV, RCF, C6, etc. It sucks for potential owners because the prices are relatively high but if you are a current owner it is great. Good luck!
@@CubanLegend561 To further stress the point. The 11+ ISF are rare and rather than a more common cheaper or newer F I wanted the best of the best year and color combinations with the best mods on it. In my experience the ISF is quicker than RCF even maxed out NA. Of course there are even higher quality modifications like titanium exhaust and equal length headers, better coilovers, super chargers etc. But no one I know with those mods daily drives their car as many miles as I do. As I mentioned in my video, I mod OEM+ and I want it to look as great as it can perform. I used to have somewhat stretched tires and more aggressive wheel specs, but those modifications only hinder the performance and make it a pain to daily drive.
@@valdaviper1 Hmm.. so if my budget doesn't allow it an 08-09 is fine, if i need the LSD and can save a little get a 10, and if I can stretch my budget go for the 11/12+.. I totally understand how for you at a certain point a newer one than the 08 made more sense. It's certainly comforting to hear you've got experience driving other cars, it reinforces the value of the ISF very clearly. I have been saving for a while now and will be at about halfway by the end of this year. So in about 2 years I should have a decent amount saved for a 11/12 purchase.. I think i can hold out until then, and if in the meantime a newer gen ISF is released, then that's even better news lol. As who knows how many 1st gen ISF owners will start selling theirs off for a new one, prices may even go back down! I totally feel your sentiments about OEM+ I used to have stretched tires on my daily but decided to go for a meaty squared up setup now for better handling in the daily drive.. OEM+ is also my goal with my ISF, I'll keep saving, and in the meantime, I hope to see more videos about your ISF! Thank you for all this advice, a read through it all very thoroughly and it has helped me further decide on which year ISF to save for. It's interesting to see the price you paid for your 2008 in 2016 , what price did you pay for the 2012 in 2019?
just got a 2011 bk, bk/orange with 12k. It seems to me they are starting to climb so I jumped on it when I saw the miles. I will probably be doing lot of the same mods as the path is pretty linear it seems for this car but 400+ for takin the kid to drum lessons is plenty, and I can drive it til MY doors fall off. Def looking into that exhaust.
I think 18x9.5+45 with 265/35 square or similar seems to be the best for track as far as weight/size/fitment and cost of wear and tear. You could also ask RR Racing, or Figs, both who track and sell track items for their cars.
Every time I pull up to a different shop for maintenance. “What is it?” Me: an ISF. “An IS?” Yes, IS-F. “What size engine?” I’m like…is it not in the computer?
Beauty, and my theoretical dream for my white ‘13. Although I think the stock BBS wheels for ours are gorgeous and I won’t change those. How do the HKS coils ride and how much are you lowered? I’m currently on stock besides swift springs and it definitely rides too stiff for some roads and is also a little low. Def too low for a front lip. What color would you do the calipers if you didn’t have the red interior? Mine is black inside with the blue trim. Want to keep it looking low key but less boring than the black
Hey Ryan, I had a silver ISF before and a black g37s manual sedan both with yellow calipers and black lettering. I actually sold my yellow F calipers to a buddy with a white ISF and they look amazing on it, so yellow would be my choice as it pops more in light than blue or gold. HKS coils greatly improve the ride. I had the Hipermax gt4, but the new HKS type S are supposedly even nicer riding. the springs for these cars I've heard really only stiffen it much worse. The stock 12-14 wheels were gorgeous and catch a nice premium. I used mine as a winter set because unfortunately the previous owner curbed them quite a bit.
Hey Valdviper, I believe saw your post on isf forums on clublexus. Some what confused at your post on the RR intake on the bogging issue. Read that you've had a coupler or MAF issue but that didn't resolve the bogging? I have the entire RR intake assembly sitting in my garage, should you recommend to install the whole unit or ONLY the elbow and breather hose keeping oem airbox/filter. Very clean, being your second ISF is good validation for current or potential new owners.
Hello, to clarify, I had issues with the RR tuned intake, not the elbow. The tuned intake is recommended ONLY if you have headers and it goes with their tuned intake tune. RR themselves say if you don't have headers, there's no point. I had no issues for about a month into having the car. I bought the car with it and only began to have issues once I added the RR carbon intake elbow. It was sent with a wrong size coupler and thus we slightly damaged the tuned intake MAF pipe section(and who knows what else). I changed out the elbow back to HPS and kept having the bogging and low KCLV issues. I gradually replaced every section of the tuned intake with new couplers, new air filter, new piping, new intake vent hoses, new MAF pipe, new MAF, even changed spark plugs and did compression test and tried various gas stations, fuel cleaners and octane boosters. The low KCLV and me pushing it to be diagnosed broke a cam motor gear(scary stuff because they was a very loud inconsistent ticking, almost sounded like pebbles were in the motor). The bogging kept happening and 2 dealerships and 3 shops couldn't make sense of it. I spent way too much money and time and Ubers trying to diagnose it. It would also be crazy because it would go up to 2 weeks of driving fine with KCLV at 23-27 and then drop to 5-6 and bog like crazy. Eventually I just took the tuned intake off completely and went back to stock tune and stock airbox and stock elbow. Zero issues at all. After a month I added the tune(but for non tuned intake). Also no issues for a month. Then I installed the tuned intake. Instant issues the next day, even with all new parts. I said screw it and went back to regular airbox and the RR tune, but no tuned intake. The I added the fancy elbow last. No issues for 9+ months now..I've also raced against other FBO F's with the tuned intake. There was no gain either way. I'm sure there's gains to be had on a warm car and a dyno, but real world I think it may heat soak and was just not worth the headache to me. I couldn't trust the car for more than an hour from home and constantly had to keep the other intake and tuner with me in the car. Long story short, I'm in the minority(though not the only one) with this issue, but I don't like the tuned intake.
@@valdaviper1 Thanks for response. I've read about more people having issues and as you said not common but happens. I'm not installing the RR intake yet but if I get any issues I will remove that RR intake.
Cool video ! I'm looking to sell my 350z and my gs300 to buy this isf. I'm sure I need LSD version (so can't buy the fist version) but can you tell me more about the handling upgrade between 2 last version of this isf ? Is it possible to update or flash the steering ECU on the previous gen ? If I understand well there is 3 versions of this isf ? Sorry for my english I from France ! See you !
Thank you! He’s more of a mix, maybe 75% sheltie. But a fantastic dog. Super smart and low key. Great car trip buddy. Does the sheltie run but otherwise pretty quiet lol. Enjoy your 14, that’s a gem!
Congrats man! Really depends on your goals with it. More than anything, good tires help bring the most out of the car. May want to upsize to 245/275 rather than stock sizes. The front LCA bushings are a MUST. Lighter and wider wheels also help. Other than that a catback, tune, and some coilovers is really it all it needs. Headers are nice but pretty pricey for what you get. What year?
Interestingly enough, RR-Racing told me that they actually do not currently recommend any aftermarket air intakes on my Lexus IS250. I'm not sure what they would tell you about the ISF, just thought it may interest someone out there.
I don’t think the IS250 makes enough power to see any large gains in any mod. Aftermarket intakes for the most part don’t gain anywhere like they once did.
Did you jst sell this car on autotrader? Thought I saw one on there exactly the same then I see this video. Looks badass. Il get one, one day. I want a white with the red interior
I sold this car in February to an MD buyer. I believe he bought a house and put it up for sale for renovations. I'm not sure if it's sold though, I can put you in touch with him if you like. DM me on IG, my @ is same, russiancarguy
Yo valdaviper1, Nice ride by the way, :( I sold my blue 2014 two years ago... :) found me a 2013 "white" 4mo ago... If you had the opportunity to do it all again, I meant selecting the brands what would you select? 1. Sway bars (engine) 2. Sway bar (rear) 3. Lower control arm rear mount bushings 4. Catch can 5. Front lip spoiler 6. Headers (alone) 7. Coilovers 8. Tune intake
Thanks man! For what you're asking the first question should really be how you want to use the car. I daily mine every single day, so for me there's a very fine line of max performance vs comfort. I'm fine with losing a few max possible HP or handling if it means I can comfortably and reliably make it to work or travel out of state. 1+2. Sway bars. The Sikky are the only real ones I'm familiar with that are both front and rear set and are adjustable. For most people, especially if they have coilovers, they can properly set theirs and just add an F sport sway bar in the rear which is a great "cheap" upgrade. I think mine was $170 shipped from a Lexus dealer plus new end links. The Sikky ones are $300 each or so and a good LCA in the front is more often more preferred than a front sway bar. I just have the rear F sport sway and LCA. 3. LCA. You have a number of choices out there both from Figs and RR Racing. The most popular are the Figs 90 durometer(which I run) and the USRS, but both companies make even more aggressive track ones or even softer ones. The cheapest "upgrade" would be an RCF LCA also well liked but mostly by the IS250/IS350 guys. I prefer the Figs 90 because my commute had a lot of bumps and rail road crossings, and I"ve always heard positive reviews. I've seen a lot of people get USRS and love them, but they don't usually daily drive their cars, and a lot have also sold theirs for the Figs 90. If My F was a more weekend track aimed car, I'd pick the Figs track ones or the USRS. 4. Catch cans from RR have sometimes leaked and they have ones with upgraded hoses now. Personally, I see no reason for them on this platform. Yes, they catch oil, but it's questionable how much it actually helps as the engine is very well designed that even with zero catch can they have gone 200k easy. Meanwhile some with catch cans have reported vacuum leaks etc. Just not an additional failure point I want to add on my car, even If it has some benefit. But I am likely in the minority though a few "old heads" on club Lexus like flowrider agree as well. The question was raised how much of it was actually oil or rather oil vapor deposits. 5. Front lip spoiler. Go with what you like. I had the Bayson R which I ultimately had 3 of them since I broke the first 2. They came in a weird light black matte plastic, and was tough to paint and didn't fit 100% as well as I'd liked. I also like the Toms and especially the Lexon which I have. Some are even more aggressive but it's really just a preference. Same with the read diffuser. I've had two tom's replica's, but at this point I prefer no diffuser, or a Lexon. Subtle where it doesn't hide the unique exhaust tips in the body. 6. Headers. Your choices are limited and only getting smaller. Noevl is $$$ and soon unique but don't have great gains, PPE EL are the dream for many with the similar Novel exotic sound, but great gains, but PPE UEL is same gains and nearly half the price though sound more muscle car. Sikky V2 are no longer sold in the US, and head questionable fitment/support even from 2 sets I've seen sold in 2020. Never a single issue with PPE, so their UEL is the way to go. It's also highly recommended to ceramic coat them, and not wrap, but I've seen many go without treating them just fine. Just need to replace engine mounts and possibly starter if it's an older car, plus new 02's and gaskets, so it really becomes a big $$ project. 7. Again, depends on your goal of just a comfortable daily driver or a well balanced car or a track weapon. I would say Budget would be Bc Racing with Swift 16/12 for $1200, or HKS Hiparmax for $1700 or so for a good all arounder. The KW3 I have surprisingly heard are too soft to aggressively enjoy, for what it's worth. 8. As mentioned on the video, I am not a fan of the tuned intake from RR. I personally had issues with it that no one could diagnose, nor could be fixed even with all new parts and other than dyno sheets I have not seen a measurable difference on digs or rolls between someone FBO with tuned intake vs FBO tuned. I would say just get the RR tune(or others once they prove themselves) and a nice elbow and AFE or OEM filter. I've had the Joez intake tube, the HPS silicone, the MIJ Joez titanium(currently) and the RR CF intake that deletes the two intake hoses. My favorite were the Joez and the titanium MIJ. Didn't like the silicone HPS, nor the CF RR one only for the fact it deletes the two intake vents. I hope this helps!
Yep, my folks live there! But sorry, I’ve since sold the car and new owner is in Gaithersburg MD area. Lots of F owners around if you join VA Lexus group on fb.
Hey man, what kind of issues did you have with the headlights from wisedetailz? I am in the same boat as you, I like OEM better but they are expensive. Was looking to get a set from Wisedetailz but if there is issues ill stick to oem.
So I wrote out a whole reply about my project but it's way too long to post, so if you have an email or something I'd be happy to message you. But TLDR: I had issues with wiring and condensation and average visibility at night, many of issues were due to it being a new approach with custom brackets and wiring and Depo halogen going to HID, the headlights were fixed over weeks of time but I still felt OEM HID with a good HID bulb are better. I am much happier with my 12 OEM headlights.
Hey man, awesome video! I'm in the market for an ISF and am going to look at a 2012 (nebula gray, red guts) pending a PPI at a Lexus dealer. You mentioned you got Lexus to do the valley plate free of charge even though it was outside of warranty and I was wondering how you managed that an which dealer you went to since I'm just outside of DC. I've seen a few people online mention they got Lexus to pay for some of the bill, but I'd appreciate it if you could share your experience. Thanks in advance!
Hey man good luck in your search! I got lucky because it was only 2 months past warranty and always dealer serviced from first owner and under my ownership. My SA was great and it was Annapolis Lexus, highly recommended, ask for Joe there. But I doubt you will have luck getting it done free because it’s a goodwill thing for consistent customers.
I bought it at 50k miles in August 2019, and sold it with 80k in February 2022. At 51k miles I did spark plugs and compression check, differential fluid, air filter, oil change, and a full paint correction and detail with ceramic coating. Then at 60k I did front brake rotors/pads and brake fluid. Other than that just tires and oil changes. Other repairs, I did a preemptive though unnecessary serpentine belt and tensioner only since it was showing a little age, new MAF(had some tuned intake issues), and I did have an issue with passenger side cam motor gear, and later a gas line charcoal canister. Apparently I caught myself filling it up with gas past the first click and thus had to fix it not filling up quickly. Very good car to own and enjoy, just had to free up some funds for a new house.
So with the e30 mix, there’s no sensors or tuning required is there? You can just pop in about 4 gallons of E and rest 93 and go? I run an e30 blend on my 17 civic si but all that required a flex fuel kit and tune.
Contemplating finding one next year (I live in MD also, so fingers crossed I add another one to the scene). Have you considered upgrading the infotainment or does Lexus still produce maps for it?
Good luck! So there’s an upgrade for the screen called Grom Vline. Adds CarPlay/android auto to the unit but reviews are only 75% positive, which for me is a no go. Some people report rear camera not working, or music not streaming properly etc. so for me the tech is not quite there yet. Not sure if Lexus produces maps for it still. Personally I never use the screen. My phone hooks up to a air vent MagSafe holder and I’m set.
Thank you! The GS is a great car, more comfy and bigger for sure. If you can swing it, get a GSF. But GS350 vs ISF, you really have to want and enjoy the performance and rarity above all. The V8 sleeper factor is the best thing about it.
@@oreomob here’s the parts list without labor: $2500 coated PPE UEL headers with sensors/gaskets $370 figs engine mounts $1100 xforce catback $1900 HKS coilovers $2600 Rays/Michelin’s $750 tune $500 titanium elbow with air filter $500 Bushings/rear sway bar Lexon front lip: $800(got used for $550) Side skirts/rear diffuser $800 Vinyl wrap/tint/painted calipers $900 Cquartz Ceramic coating/2 stage paint correction/minor dent and front film removal. $3000 Headlight/fog light bulbs $270 Vland tails $275 Front brake rotors/pads: $500. Luckily I bought the car with headers/mounts/diffuser/tune and bc coils and Borla installed, and had the wheels/hks coils/vlands from my 08 ISF so I swapped a few things. Car was about $35k with 50k in 2019
How does your dog do in the car? I am starting to look around, did not even know about ISFs. My dog is terrified of loud sounds so this may freak her out but it looks beautiful. It’s also nice to see someone from the DMV area.
Pretty good actually. Loves trips with me everywhere. Also, while I have headers, I went through a lot of catbacks and settled on the valved one so with valves closed it sounds stock, and with open its tolerably loud but still very mean.
Anyone know if the OEM headlights are the same for the F-sport models? Is 2012+ really worth more than the 2012? (Is it better to look for 12?+) Its already hard to find the 11+
I didn’t replace the front sway bar, only the rear. No issues on mine thus far, but replacing the endlinks and bushings to tighten it up is a popular small mod as well. Easier to just real replace with the sway as it comes with those parts.
@@valdaviper1 ...that's cool. I have a 6 pot endless bbk on mine and the two piece floating rotors are definitely costly. I might switch back to my brembos since my car is only driven on the streets
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Not many people know this car is a masterpiece, thats why it didnt sell. Very underrated car in the world but also a car of dreams for small group of people. I hope I will be able to get one soon:)
Good luck! You’ll love it!! I think the changes were too little too late and it just didn’t have the aggressive look or performance of the M/AMG. I mean you could also get a CTSV for the same price then too, so as always Lexus was a little too late with too little. But used market, it’s a great choice and the rising prices reflect it!
@@valdaviper1 I have an IS250 right now, ISF was always the car I dreamed about and probably the only car that will be the upgrade to my current one. I love the way how it looks, its bulletproof like you said, it just perfectly matches my needs. Your ISF looks perfect, I love the way you modified it. You did it with great taste, good job!
I think it didn't sell because the first couple years of this car was not good compared to an e92 M3. By they time they made it as good ~2011-2012, people already saw it as an also ran. The 08, and 09 don't even come with an LSD. That's not a good thing.
@@hamsterbrigade I think when it was released people didnt know what it was and what to expect because it was first perfomance car from lexus. The LSD you can put to the older models easily without any problems. It also has something m3 from that age didnt have - bulletproof 8 speed transmission and engine. Thats why for me every model of isf is great, not only the newer ones.
@@hamsterbrigade Very true. Plus the CTSV2 at the time got even more attention and was priced in line. Lexus was as Lexus always is, too little too late. But they are fantastic used.
proud to be an owner of 1 of 566 up here in Canada.
Pho what year Isf what province in 🇨🇦 Canada
@@on-site4094 08 lol, I'm in BC. You?
I’m in Ontario
@@on-site4094 how does yours do in all that snow you get over there? Haha
That's why their resale is nuts, love this car but man it's still expensive.
Dude wow the epitome of tasteful modification 🍻
Great car, I recently sold mine for the same price I bought it for 4 years later with more mileage. Solid cars and plateaued in value after 5 years in age. Rare and almost like a best kept secret imo
I've always loved the ISF.. Every upgrade you have done is definitely an improvement.. Vehicle looks stunning. I've been thinking about buying one but finding it hard to let my GS 460 go... Different type of car but most Lexus like you said bulletproof and quality.
No thrills cool video.
Thanks for the kind words! GS460 is a great car, not a sedan you see too often anymore. I just picked up an old GX470 with 230k and it drives very solid, so any lexus will treat you right!
Awesome cars! I ran door to door with a CTSV2 coupe this weekend from a 50 roll. He went from laughing at me to asking me what it has in it and acknowledging it was fast 🤗....love my 2011 SFP
That red interior is nice. I have red interior with my 2012 ISF too. Your mods look good on the car!
Thanks man! Much appreciated. Enjoy!
when he said “a bunch of my F buddies” (as in f**k buddies) i literally lol’d
Great example of a cool car.
And props for your presenting style: informative and non-egotistical.
👏
Isf a well rounded car you can daily drive track on weekends the torque the crisp fast shifts smiles for miles amazing enjoy. Lexus reliability 👍
that thing is astronomically clean.
Thanks!!
Looks great. The 5100 number you quoted were cars imported for the USA market. There were around 11,000 total worldwide. A few years ago, a dealer revealed that there were less than 4400 ISFs registered with the DMV in the USA. There are even less now, with many being imported or wrecked.
I want a 2011 and up IS F. I almost settled for an 08 because they’re more common, but watching videos like yours I refuse to. I have a 2is 250 and a 3is 350 and I prefer the 2is in terms of handling and the way it feels to drive so imagining that 5 liter V8 in a 2is chassis, heaven. One day I’ll get an IS F.
If it helps, I had my 08 for 3 years and loved it every day. The biggest differences were suspension(greatly upgraded with LCA bushings and coilovers), LSD(barely usable during daily commute), and headlights. They're all fantastic cars, and at this point majority have been upgraded anyways. Good luck either way!
@@valdaviper1 True man, I think people rubbish the 08 09s too much, most cars with lsd you put a better 1 anyway & if you're doing coilovers etc suspension isn't much of a concern, i way prefer the piano facia but not a deal breaker if the car is tidy etc
#1 of 86 2014 🙌🏼🔥🔥🔥 great vid bro
For someone that doesn't do reviews i must say u did a grate job looking on buying an 08 is350 for Christmas nd someday an Isf 😋...... good job 👍🏾
Much appreciated!
That is a pristine Lexus ISF, very beautiful. This is giving me motivation to restore my Lexus IS250.
BTW: Hello fellow Marylander.
Thanks man! If you’re not already it in, join VA Lexus club on Facebook. Lots of Maryland Delaware and Virginia members on there
Proud owner of your F's twin. 2013 ultra white with red and black interior for the win 🦾🦾🦾
Nice man!! Hope you enjoy! Great cars
Love what you did to this..great work and beautiful car
That red interior OMG 😍
you have my dream car and dream specs down to the color patterns and everything wow
Been looking for one ... 2 years passed, maybe next year :) Beauty of a car you have :)
It's an amazing car no matter the year you get! I've had 2 dozen cars and can't bring myself to sell it.
@@valdaviper1 Had like 14 Aero Saabs, but when I got my hand on a 250SR by mistake, was thinking it's a diesel, was curios about them and was close to me, went to buy it from a lady around 9pm, when she started it... man I was happy, payed only 550 pounds as she didn't use it, that night was one the happiest of my life, even with a 250, since then for me... will be only Lexus, had like 200+ cars but nothing come close to a Lexus.
@@geobottech2406 They definitely last very well. 2 weeks ago I bought a GX470/Prado 120, an 06 with 230k miles. Just a fun truck to take camping and to the beach. The truck was dealer serviced it's whole life and feels in and out like a 50k mile car at most. Always enjoyed seeing Saab's but they are pretty rare here now.
@@valdaviper1 Nice to hear that, those are nice as well, take care of you and your Lexus :)
Man as a GSF owner, #1 mod is getting rid of the Brembo pads.
Nice ISF, good to see there are other F cars in Maryland. I have a GSF
Nice man! Saw your post on the FB group the other day. Come out Sunday!
beautiful car man. done so well
@@angelsentt thanks man! I definitely miss it most days!
very very tasteful mods man. Love it
Thanks man!
appreciate the detail - i'm considering this model as a second/third car to have fun with. thanks for your insight
Good luck in your search!
Your dog is the star of this video
Beautiful car the Lexus white is one of my favorite colors.
Super Nice. Once owned once a of 2014 IS F, 2017 RC F, own 2021 Fuji Edition.
Thank you, great taste you have! Time for an LC inspiration next?
nice looking ISF keep up the good work with it
Car is beautiful, really want this car!
I like that "every car need a lil bit of rice" awsome video man!!!
Glad you enjoyed!
👌 perfectly put together ride man ... ISF is a very very very bad ass ride man mine is USB and am loving it
Thanks man! They are hidden gems!
beautiful wheels. whole car looks amazing. i want to get one of these instead of my is250.
Thanks for the kind words! Wishing you luck! Both are great cars!
Have an 08 isF w 51k on her. She’s my baby and love it!
Enjoy her man!
Good vid with sound advice man. Thanks for posting.
Two things i love on this planet one the isf 2nd Mila Kunis at least i have a shot of a ride in an isf.
Good video man. The car looks great, I like the wheels. And thats a cute dog!
Thank you!!
Red interior is so nice
My dream car 🔥
Nice ride , dope video,, great detail info
Planning to get one and do the same mods as you. It would be nice to upgrade the interior center console.
Sweet isf, I have a 06 is350, one day I'll get a isf. I'm in southern pa
Simply beautiful
Thanks!!
Great mods. Subtle and tasteful. I like the stock look, but a closer look reveals a lot more going on. I like the lowered look and the Lexcon lip is really nice. Maintenance and repairs should be minimal b/c Toyota. I'd take this over the Chevy SS or an Audi RS4 and definitely over a M. 12.3 @ 115 is great for a daily driver. I bet it's even more fun to drive in the twisties.
Yes sir! and that 12.3 time was just catback and tune and decent tires. The one in the vid is an 11 second car no doubt. Just sadly way too much $$ to go any quicker than high 11's. It's a great handling car too, my previous video I went to autox with a bunch of corvettes and of about 70-80 cars I got 3rd best time of the day.
Great job
You should do some POV driving!! Keep up the good work :D
Love the car! A fella Maryland 👏🏾👏🏾🤟🏽
Man they look nice I want one ,
Hello,The Lexus IS F is a fun car, isn't it? 👍😊
HELLA CLEAN!!!
Very nice video. I wish I knew about the ISF before I got my 2016 is200t. I just now got a 2nd car my 2013 G37 IPL. Could’ve gotten an ISF but I’m trynna to lower my monthly payments. One day tho...one day.
Nice man! I always wanted an IPL too. I had an 04 and 08 G35/G37 coupe, and then a 12 and 13 G37 sedan, all of them manuals too. I have some videos of them up on here. It's very similar to the F, not super quick, but a great all around and performer for the money, very reliable, and fairly rare. If it helps you make the switch, I get better MPG in the ISF lol.
i dont have one but , i enjoyed this video :)
Glad you enjoyed!
Dream Sedan to have
Great car. I really like the color combo, wheels, subtle look. I've had 2 cars with red interior including my current car (Current gen Camaro SS). You get to enjoy it every time you get in the car. Looking at maybe getting one of these because I'm a new dad and well...4 door V8. I was curious, I've heard because the age of the tech, in auto the trans can be sluggish to respond. Like when you mash it to get a down shift and accelerate. Does the tune include a transmission tune to help the issue? Or is that issue mechanical in nature?
So driving it as a regular car in D and suddenly expecting crisp downshifts is not a great way to drive this car. It's a bit of Jekkyl Hyde where it can be a comfortable Lexus, but also bang gears, but not quite something in the middle. Especially annoying as it has 8 gears and it choosing the one you want doesn't work 8/10 times. Sport mode helps a bit, but it's nothing like modern sport modes, for any sort of enthusiast driving a quick pedal pull or shifting it into M mode and using the gear lever or paddles will be much better. The tune does nothing for the transmission settings. Pulling a paddle in D mode or smashing the throttle can drop 2 gears, but every other time it's 1 gear at a time. Overall though, there's commuting time and enthusiast time. Anytime I'm having fun I generally just keep it in manual mode. Will let you redline all day without shifting for you if you wish.
I’m from Maryland too and I’m dying to get my hands on a isf
Nice man! We have a small F meet in Frederick this Sunday if you're interested.
Love this isf. But way too much these days, can get cheap ones but its got over 100k miles... decent ones go over $40k... def a keeper bro!
I mean with Covid, everything is. I was keeping any eye on C6Z and F80 and 996 turbo and Viper prices for my next jump and they all increased double what the ISF has in the past year. Anyone looking for reliable 400-500hp sedan will consider the ISF just for how cheap it is to own and repair compared to M/AMG options. I think for mine with my current 75k I wouldn’t take under $40k with the mods. Turned down a few $36-38k offers just this past spring. I even wanted a used MK5 Supra but they went from $48k to $55k used in the past year.
Saw this comment and had to follow up. I sold the F with 80k this February for just over $45k on one wheel set. The stock wheels I sold for nearly $3k. Covid helped but I think the IS500 and overall EV/turbo is pushing more people to NA V8’s lately.
Nice car pal, I dig it ‼️🔥 I would like to correct you on a mistake you made on this review about your horsepower... Always remember that the entire horsepower of the crank it at the crank, so the crank has 420hp and to the wheel you have 380/360 hp.. You usually lose 50/60 hp due to the drive train..
Car*
Generally on automatic cars it’s a 12-15% loss of crank vs wheel horsepower. But I brought up more realistic numbers off a dynojet where most stock ISF’s get 350-360whp. Some get even higher if it’s not set up properly. Those same dynojets with FBO tuned cars show 390-410 headers/exhaust cars and higher with tune/intake and E85 mix. I did make a mistake saying it’s 350 crank but I edited the caption to mean wheel HP.
And thank you!!
I gotta say I always wanted to know these EXACT ramblings.. lol. OEM+ is also my sentiment with my car, the ISF in particular can be a bit stealth too.. I thank you for your details and even the visual text notes, If i'd met you on the street or in a lot I'dve stopped to ask you pretty much all those questions. Thanks for sharing, 1. I always wanted to know what an owner of an 08 thinks of one from 2011/2012 and up. I'll definitely have to save a little extra to get an 11/12 because i have TERRIBLE roads in florida, with railroads and potholes. 2. I think i'd even run your very same mods list, good choices! that Exhaust is amazing, its like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, perfect. 3. I never was a fan of white cars, but yours is a PRISTINE specimen, It sure does clean up well, your mods really do make me want a setup just like that.. love the lights, and the lips on the car. I hope when ive saved up enough and am ready to buy, that i find a gem just like yours. 4. Did you ever mention how many miles you got this 2012 ISF with, when did you get it, and how many miles it has now?.. 5. Interesting about the Project Mu PS Pads, that is a gem of info i appreciate. 6. I also really appreciate the descriptive suspension tuning details.. I've got a super bumpy and rough ride with my current car (13 corolla) on Eibach lowering springs, and i cant wait for an ISF that i can daily and isnt gonna be stiff as hell.. so thanks about the Figs-90 info, I'll definitely have to go for that one too. Thanks for all the info- and If you're ever down in South Florida with your ISF, I'll trade you a ride-along for a meal lol.
Thanks man! Any year is fine really, there isn’t that much handling difference between them if you’re driving at say 7/10’s. It’s once you start pushing it hard at your traction limits that the LSD shines and provides more confidence and the handling can easily be brought up to 11+ standards with LCA, sways, and good coilovers. Simple example, my 08 at autocross had traction issues and I basically drifted and had a great time. With the better coils and LSD my 12 got 3rd best time ofnthe day, and it was a Corvette event(my last video). Ride quality too. I also made the mistake on my 08 of going cheap with parts such as the coilovers and BF Goodrich summer tires and thus those flaws showed. Same with brake pads, I tried oem pads and rotors and even autozone duralast ones which were amazing for low dust and price, but not great if pushed to the limit. But I also drove 30k a year then so I thought I’d save some money on the long term. As far as mileage, I bought this one with 50k last august, and about a year and 2 months later I’m at 67k or so. Would have been more but I had issues in the beginning with the tuned intake and it spent more than a few weeks sitting at random shops and being diagnosed, pretty much from September to January. But I’m glad I got it figured out. Hope you find one and enjoy!
@@valdaviper1 BTW as a sidenote, you deserve more views. Hmm.. the idea that any year is fine is comforting.. I'd just hate to always have upgrade envy for the 11/12+ though.. hmm. I'd definitely have to test drive one someday to see if an 08-10 is enough and isn't too stiff. Wow you've driven it about 17k miles in 14 months.. lots of daily commute or lots of trails/track-days, etc? Hmm.. I am intrigued though about the possibility of a 08-10 being viable for daily driving.. thing is- then the next decision is if i go for a stock ISF and mod it my way or find one with all the big mods already done like PPE headers, coilovers, etc.. Another consideration i've come across is, the older cars would likely have more wear on the parts due to age and such, plus they have been prone to other issues that were resolved on the 11/12+.. And then again- there's another thing, if i go for an 11/12+ I couldn't need to worry about upgrading to the LSD, or doing the suspension tweaks, money saved-albeit the money would probably be paid in a price premium for an 11/12+.. thoughts?. Also i had a question.. why'd you move from the 08 to the 12, you said you wanted to upgrade?.. are you always driving it at above 7/10's? like what made the 12 the one for you above the 08? I think ultimately for me to figure out =if an 08 is enough, I'd have to get behind the wheel to feel it.. I mean, can you blame me for really wanting a 11/12+?
@@CubanLegend561 2008 to 2014 they all had the same common issues, mainly the valley plate coolant leak and the stock header manifold cracking. They also had an issue of interior dash/door panels getting ruined which is still an active customer service program where they replace them for free. I use my car as my daily driver and lately my commute has been shorter. With my 2008 my first two years I lived further away so my mileage was 60k in the first 2 years, and then 10k the third. When I got my new F I had issues with the tuned intake so there were about three months where I drove it sparingly. I have not yet done a track day but I have done autocross and I do plan to go to the dragstrip as I did with my last one. You would be perfectly fine with a 2008-2009 as they are more common and cheaper. 2010 if you can for the LSD. At their age they would need new shocks anyway so coilovers would be a great upgrade. Minor handling improvement form the sways and LCA would help too. Unless you push it to 10/10ths you won’t really feel the need for an LSD. I spent three years thinking I did not need it but now that I have it, I can definitely agree that it helps in the tight corners and in wet conditions and absolutely at autocross or on a track. I loved my 2008 and the reason I upgraded was a few reasons: I wanted headers but I did not want to pay the related installation costs. They are $1800 at their cheapest, but you usually have to get $300 engine mounts, $300 ceramic coating, new O2 sensors and gaskets, pay the $600-900 install, and on older cars highly recommended to do the starter at the same time as its hidden by them. Ends up being a $4k+ project. I also wanted the updated LED headlights. I mentioned in my review that with my 2008 I wanted the updated headlight style and if you look through my past videos you can find those custom headlights. They looked fantastic but they did not achieve my goal of the best possible light output. I also had minor issues with them the first couple months I had them so even once they got fully sorted out I still wanted the best which are 2012-2014 style. The 2012 to 2014 also have the best looking stock wheel design, which often sell for $2k used compared to about $1k for the other ISF wheel options. Of course I wanted the LSD, but more than anything even when I first was interested in the ISF I wanted the white on red combination. When my 12 popped up for sale it was FBO with other goodies and was a good price. Other minor improvements were minor changes to the handling, upgraded steering ECU, interior Bluetooth music, dark trim on radio and cooler instrument cluster. Rather than blowing a bunch more money on my 08 I could upgrade for close to the same price to the newer one with half the miles. Last benefit is that the 2011 to 2014 models keep their value even better than the early ones and it’s kind of a bragging right to have the rarer models. In 2016 I bought my 08 with 30k for $30k and 3 years later I sold it for $23k with 70k more miles. That’s pretty good depreciation but the newer models drop even less, hell, with Covid all prices have increased, and I have zero doubt I could sell the car now for at least a few grand more than what I paid for it a year ago. Long story short, aim for a 2011 and up but find any one in good shape in the color combination that you want and just be happy. Pretty much everything is upgradable. Ultimately that is the reason why I went for my 2008, because of budget issues and I was thinking slowly I could upgrade it. But at a certain point a newer one made more sense. Plus another fun fact about me is that I have had 24 cars even though I’m only 32, are used to drive very high miles and switched cars pretty often since I got bored. But I like this car so much that I only got a newer one. I test drove a lot of newer options like the F80, ATSV, CTSV, RCF, C6, etc. It sucks for potential owners because the prices are relatively high but if you are a current owner it is great. Good luck!
@@CubanLegend561 To further stress the point. The 11+ ISF are rare and rather than a more common cheaper or newer F I wanted the best of the best year and color combinations with the best mods on it. In my experience the ISF is quicker than RCF even maxed out NA. Of course there are even higher quality modifications like titanium exhaust and equal length headers, better coilovers, super chargers etc. But no one I know with those mods daily drives their car as many miles as I do. As I mentioned in my video, I mod OEM+ and I want it to look as great as it can perform. I used to have somewhat stretched tires and more aggressive wheel specs, but those modifications only hinder the performance and make it a pain to daily drive.
@@valdaviper1 Hmm.. so if my budget doesn't allow it an 08-09 is fine, if i need the LSD and can save a little get a 10, and if I can stretch my budget go for the 11/12+.. I totally understand how for you at a certain point a newer one than the 08 made more sense. It's certainly comforting to hear you've got experience driving other cars, it reinforces the value of the ISF very clearly. I have been saving for a while now and will be at about halfway by the end of this year. So in about 2 years I should have a decent amount saved for a 11/12 purchase.. I think i can hold out until then, and if in the meantime a newer gen ISF is released, then that's even better news lol. As who knows how many 1st gen ISF owners will start selling theirs off for a new one, prices may even go back down! I totally feel your sentiments about OEM+ I used to have stretched tires on my daily but decided to go for a meaty squared up setup now for better handling in the daily drive.. OEM+ is also my goal with my ISF, I'll keep saving, and in the meantime, I hope to see more videos about your ISF! Thank you for all this advice, a read through it all very thoroughly and it has helped me further decide on which year ISF to save for. It's interesting to see the price you paid for your 2008 in 2016 , what price did you pay for the 2012 in 2019?
Great looking car man
Thanks Zachary!
very informative, thank you
Glad I could help!
Ever since my dad bought me a IS 250 I ended up finding out what a IS F is. My goal is to upgrade and get one.
Nice man! Good luck!
just got a 2011 bk, bk/orange with 12k. It seems to me they are starting to climb so I jumped on it when I saw the miles. I will probably be doing lot of the same mods as the path is pretty linear it seems for this car but 400+ for takin the kid to drum lessons is plenty, and I can drive it til MY doors fall off. Def looking into that exhaust.
Hope to pickup one of these as a daily in a year or two
It’s a great daily man! I’m going on my 5th year now :)
Nice car Yamaha Power. Salut from Germany Frankfurt.
Great video! What do you think would be a good wheel/tire setup for the street/track? I dont want to lower the car.
I think 18x9.5+45 with 265/35 square or similar seems to be the best for track as far as weight/size/fitment and cost of wear and tear. You could also ask RR Racing, or Figs, both who track and sell track items for their cars.
Lusting over one
Every time I pull up to a different shop for maintenance. “What is it?” Me: an ISF. “An IS?” Yes, IS-F. “What size engine?” I’m like…is it not in the computer?
Beauty, and my theoretical dream for my white ‘13. Although I think the stock BBS wheels for ours are gorgeous and I won’t change those.
How do the HKS coils ride and how much are you lowered? I’m currently on stock besides swift springs and it definitely rides too stiff for some roads and is also a little low. Def too low for a front lip.
What color would you do the calipers if you didn’t have the red interior? Mine is black inside with the blue trim. Want to keep it looking low key but less boring than the black
Hey Ryan, I had a silver ISF before and a black g37s manual sedan both with yellow calipers and black lettering. I actually sold my yellow F calipers to a buddy with a white ISF and they look amazing on it, so yellow would be my choice as it pops more in light than blue or gold. HKS coils greatly improve the ride. I had the Hipermax gt4, but the new HKS type S are supposedly even nicer riding. the springs for these cars I've heard really only stiffen it much worse. The stock 12-14 wheels were gorgeous and catch a nice premium. I used mine as a winter set because unfortunately the previous owner curbed them quite a bit.
appreciate the share.
Hey Valdviper, I believe saw your post on isf forums on clublexus. Some what confused at your post on the RR intake on the bogging issue. Read that you've had a coupler or MAF issue but that didn't resolve the bogging? I have the entire RR intake assembly sitting in my garage, should you recommend to install the whole unit or ONLY the elbow and breather hose keeping oem airbox/filter. Very clean, being your second ISF is good validation for current or potential new owners.
Hello, to clarify, I had issues with the RR tuned intake, not the elbow. The tuned intake is recommended ONLY if you have headers and it goes with their tuned intake tune. RR themselves say if you don't have headers, there's no point. I had no issues for about a month into having the car. I bought the car with it and only began to have issues once I added the RR carbon intake elbow. It was sent with a wrong size coupler and thus we slightly damaged the tuned intake MAF pipe section(and who knows what else). I changed out the elbow back to HPS and kept having the bogging and low KCLV issues. I gradually replaced every section of the tuned intake with new couplers, new air filter, new piping, new intake vent hoses, new MAF pipe, new MAF, even changed spark plugs and did compression test and tried various gas stations, fuel cleaners and octane boosters. The low KCLV and me pushing it to be diagnosed broke a cam motor gear(scary stuff because they was a very loud inconsistent ticking, almost sounded like pebbles were in the motor). The bogging kept happening and 2 dealerships and 3 shops couldn't make sense of it. I spent way too much money and time and Ubers trying to diagnose it. It would also be crazy because it would go up to 2 weeks of driving fine with KCLV at 23-27 and then drop to 5-6 and bog like crazy. Eventually I just took the tuned intake off completely and went back to stock tune and stock airbox and stock elbow. Zero issues at all. After a month I added the tune(but for non tuned intake). Also no issues for a month. Then I installed the tuned intake. Instant issues the next day, even with all new parts. I said screw it and went back to regular airbox and the RR tune, but no tuned intake. The I added the fancy elbow last. No issues for 9+ months now..I've also raced against other FBO F's with the tuned intake. There was no gain either way. I'm sure there's gains to be had on a warm car and a dyno, but real world I think it may heat soak and was just not worth the headache to me. I couldn't trust the car for more than an hour from home and constantly had to keep the other intake and tuner with me in the car. Long story short, I'm in the minority(though not the only one) with this issue, but I don't like the tuned intake.
@@valdaviper1 Thanks for response. I've read about more people having issues and as you said not common but happens. I'm not installing the RR intake yet but if I get any issues I will remove that RR intake.
Cool video ! I'm looking to sell my 350z and my gs300 to buy this isf. I'm sure I need LSD version (so can't buy the fist version) but can you tell me more about the handling upgrade between 2 last version of this isf ? Is it possible to update or flash the steering ECU on the previous gen ? If I understand well there is 3 versions of this isf ? Sorry for my english I from France ! See you !
Val! Best looking F in my opinion! Which model exactly do you have for the HKS coilover set up? Cant take this stock stuff ride anymore
Stiff*
Joel,
It's the HKS Hipermax GT IV
Thanks man! As mentioned they’re the HKS Hipermax GT4’s. I love them
Your IS F is absolutely beautiful ugh huge fan of all the IS’s but these IS F are sweet, you put in those red seats right?
Thank you! The seats are stock. 12-14's had this option, I think 10-11 had orange and red inserts(not full seat) as an option also.
@@valdaviper1 Oh wow I Didn't know that sweeet!
hey thats a sheltie?! I have a 2014 isf and had two shelties sadly they both past away but they were the best dog ever! Hey love that red leather!!
Thank you! He’s more of a mix, maybe 75% sheltie. But a fantastic dog. Super smart and low key. Great car trip buddy. Does the sheltie run but otherwise pretty quiet lol. Enjoy your 14, that’s a gem!
Dude I Love your car I just purchased an is F any mods suggestions bro?
Congrats man! Really depends on your goals with it. More than anything, good tires help bring the most out of the car. May want to upsize to 245/275 rather than stock sizes. The front LCA bushings are a MUST. Lighter and wider wheels also help. Other than that a catback, tune, and some coilovers is really it all it needs. Headers are nice but pretty pricey for what you get. What year?
Interestingly enough, RR-Racing told me that they actually do not currently recommend any aftermarket air intakes on my Lexus IS250. I'm not sure what they would tell you about the ISF, just thought it may interest someone out there.
I don’t think the IS250 makes enough power to see any large gains in any mod. Aftermarket intakes for the most part don’t gain anywhere like they once did.
8:02 God that rear end😩🙌🙌 I want us me so bad man
white on red!!! Ive been looking for this color combo
How loud is the car? is there a drone?
At the click of 2 buttons I can make it headers/muffler delete loud, or stock silent with zero drone. See my other videos :)
Did you jst sell this car on autotrader? Thought I saw one on there exactly the same then I see this video. Looks badass. Il get one, one day. I want a white with the red interior
I sold this car in February to an MD buyer. I believe he bought a house and put it up for sale for renovations. I'm not sure if it's sold though, I can put you in touch with him if you like. DM me on IG, my @ is same, russiancarguy
Yo valdaviper1,
Nice ride by the way, :( I sold my blue 2014 two years ago... :) found me a 2013 "white" 4mo ago...
If you had the opportunity to do it all again, I meant selecting the brands what would you select?
1. Sway bars (engine)
2. Sway bar (rear)
3. Lower control arm rear mount bushings
4. Catch can
5. Front lip spoiler
6. Headers (alone)
7. Coilovers
8. Tune intake
Thanks man! For what you're asking the first question should really be how you want to use the car. I daily mine every single day, so for me there's a very fine line of max performance vs comfort. I'm fine with losing a few max possible HP or handling if it means I can comfortably and reliably make it to work or travel out of state.
1+2. Sway bars. The Sikky are the only real ones I'm familiar with that are both front and rear set and are adjustable. For most people, especially if they have coilovers, they can properly set theirs and just add an F sport sway bar in the rear which is a great "cheap" upgrade. I think mine was $170 shipped from a Lexus dealer plus new end links. The Sikky ones are $300 each or so and a good LCA in the front is more often more preferred than a front sway bar. I just have the rear F sport sway and LCA.
3. LCA. You have a number of choices out there both from Figs and RR Racing. The most popular are the Figs 90 durometer(which I run) and the USRS, but both companies make even more aggressive track ones or even softer ones. The cheapest "upgrade" would be an RCF LCA also well liked but mostly by the IS250/IS350 guys. I prefer the Figs 90 because my commute had a lot of bumps and rail road crossings, and I"ve always heard positive reviews. I've seen a lot of people get USRS and love them, but they don't usually daily drive their cars, and a lot have also sold theirs for the Figs 90. If My F was a more weekend track aimed car, I'd pick the Figs track ones or the USRS.
4. Catch cans from RR have sometimes leaked and they have ones with upgraded hoses now. Personally, I see no reason for them on this platform. Yes, they catch oil, but it's questionable how much it actually helps as the engine is very well designed that even with zero catch can they have gone 200k easy. Meanwhile some with catch cans have reported vacuum leaks etc. Just not an additional failure point I want to add on my car, even If it has some benefit. But I am likely in the minority though a few "old heads" on club Lexus like flowrider agree as well. The question was raised how much of it was actually oil or rather oil vapor deposits.
5. Front lip spoiler. Go with what you like. I had the Bayson R which I ultimately had 3 of them since I broke the first 2. They came in a weird light black matte plastic, and was tough to paint and didn't fit 100% as well as I'd liked. I also like the Toms and especially the Lexon which I have. Some are even more aggressive but it's really just a preference. Same with the read diffuser. I've had two tom's replica's, but at this point I prefer no diffuser, or a Lexon. Subtle where it doesn't hide the unique exhaust tips in the body.
6. Headers. Your choices are limited and only getting smaller. Noevl is $$$ and soon unique but don't have great gains, PPE EL are the dream for many with the similar Novel exotic sound, but great gains, but PPE UEL is same gains and nearly half the price though sound more muscle car. Sikky V2 are no longer sold in the US, and head questionable fitment/support even from 2 sets I've seen sold in 2020. Never a single issue with PPE, so their UEL is the way to go. It's also highly recommended to ceramic coat them, and not wrap, but I've seen many go without treating them just fine. Just need to replace engine mounts and possibly starter if it's an older car, plus new 02's and gaskets, so it really becomes a big $$ project.
7. Again, depends on your goal of just a comfortable daily driver or a well balanced car or a track weapon. I would say Budget would be Bc Racing with Swift 16/12 for $1200, or HKS Hiparmax for $1700 or so for a good all arounder. The KW3 I have surprisingly heard are too soft to aggressively enjoy, for what it's worth.
8. As mentioned on the video, I am not a fan of the tuned intake from RR. I personally had issues with it that no one could diagnose, nor could be fixed even with all new parts and other than dyno sheets I have not seen a measurable difference on digs or rolls between someone FBO with tuned intake vs FBO tuned. I would say just get the RR tune(or others once they prove themselves) and a nice elbow and AFE or OEM filter. I've had the Joez intake tube, the HPS silicone, the MIJ Joez titanium(currently) and the RR CF intake that deletes the two intake hoses. My favorite were the Joez and the titanium MIJ. Didn't like the silicone HPS, nor the CF RR one only for the fact it deletes the two intake vents.
I hope this helps!
@@valdaviper1 Thank You Very Much for taking the time to reply, much appreciated :)
Whoa that is Belmont bay, next to my house. If possible can we meet so I can hear your setup? Debating on PPE headers right now for my ISF
Yep, my folks live there! But sorry, I’ve since sold the car and new owner is in Gaithersburg MD area. Lots of F owners around if you join VA Lexus group on fb.
👍👍👍❤️
Very nice car
What did you think about the quad tip catback exhaust with magnaflow mufflers?
Hey man, what kind of issues did you have with the headlights from wisedetailz? I am in the same boat as you, I like OEM better but they are expensive. Was looking to get a set from Wisedetailz but if there is issues ill stick to oem.
So I wrote out a whole reply about my project but it's way too long to post, so if you have an email or something I'd be happy to message you. But TLDR: I had issues with wiring and condensation and average visibility at night, many of issues were due to it being a new approach with custom brackets and wiring and Depo halogen going to HID, the headlights were fixed over weeks of time but I still felt OEM HID with a good HID bulb are better. I am much happier with my 12 OEM headlights.
Hey man, awesome video! I'm in the market for an ISF and am going to look at a 2012 (nebula gray, red guts) pending a PPI at a Lexus dealer. You mentioned you got Lexus to do the valley plate free of charge even though it was outside of warranty and I was wondering how you managed that an which dealer you went to since I'm just outside of DC. I've seen a few people online mention they got Lexus to pay for some of the bill, but I'd appreciate it if you could share your experience. Thanks in advance!
Hey man good luck in your search! I got lucky because it was only 2 months past warranty and always dealer serviced from first owner and under my ownership. My SA was great and it was Annapolis Lexus, highly recommended, ask for Joe there. But I doubt you will have luck getting it done free because it’s a goodwill thing for consistent customers.
I’m in Md too and I’m looking for one. I’m in the southern Md area. Maybe we’ll see each other at some point
Nice man! Good luck in your search. Join VA Lexus Club on FB as a lot of us in the DMV area are on there.
@@valdaviper1 ok will do man. Thanks
👍👍👍!!!
What kind of maintenance have you had to do to this ISF since you have had it ? Besides mods .thanks for posting
I bought it at 50k miles in August 2019, and sold it with 80k in February 2022. At 51k miles I did spark plugs and compression check, differential fluid, air filter, oil change, and a full paint correction and detail with ceramic coating. Then at 60k I did front brake rotors/pads and brake fluid. Other than that just tires and oil changes. Other repairs, I did a preemptive though unnecessary serpentine belt and tensioner only since it was showing a little age, new MAF(had some tuned intake issues), and I did have an issue with passenger side cam motor gear, and later a gas line charcoal canister. Apparently I caught myself filling it up with gas past the first click and thus had to fix it not filling up quickly. Very good car to own and enjoy, just had to free up some funds for a new house.
@@valdaviper1 thanks for the reply and info . I’d rather ask owners then reviewers or salesman..cool man thanks
So with the e30 mix, there’s no sensors or tuning required is there? You can just pop in about 4 gallons of E and rest 93 and go? I run an e30 blend on my 17 civic si but all that required a flex fuel kit and tune.
Contemplating finding one next year (I live in MD also, so fingers crossed I add another one to the scene). Have you considered upgrading the infotainment or does Lexus still produce maps for it?
Good luck! So there’s an upgrade for the screen called Grom Vline. Adds CarPlay/android auto to the unit but reviews are only 75% positive, which for me is a no go. Some people report rear camera not working, or music not streaming properly etc. so for me the tech is not quite there yet. Not sure if Lexus produces maps for it still. Personally I never use the screen. My phone hooks up to a air vent MagSafe holder and I’m set.
Checking In. Do you have an IG I can reach out to directly? There are two in the area I plan to check out and wouldn’t mind picking your brain a bit.
Looks amazing and sounds like a great car. I'm debating on one of these or and 4th gen Gs F sport ? 🤔
Thank you! The GS is a great car, more comfy and bigger for sure. If you can swing it, get a GSF. But GS350 vs ISF, you really have to want and enjoy the performance and rarity above all. The V8 sleeper factor is the best thing about it.
@@valdaviper1 how much did you spent all in all, thanks!
@@oreomob here’s the parts list without labor:
$2500 coated PPE UEL headers with sensors/gaskets
$370 figs engine mounts
$1100 xforce catback
$1900 HKS coilovers
$2600 Rays/Michelin’s
$750 tune
$500 titanium elbow with air filter
$500 Bushings/rear sway bar
Lexon front lip: $800(got used for $550)
Side skirts/rear diffuser $800
Vinyl wrap/tint/painted calipers $900
Cquartz Ceramic coating/2 stage paint correction/minor dent and front film removal. $3000
Headlight/fog light bulbs $270
Vland tails $275
Front brake rotors/pads: $500.
Luckily I bought the car with headers/mounts/diffuser/tune and bc coils and Borla installed, and had the wheels/hks coils/vlands from my 08 ISF so I swapped a few things. Car was about $35k with 50k in 2019
Thank you so much
@@valdaviper1 are u planning on getting it turbo charged or supercharged? I wanna see more of this beautiful beast
👍👌✌
How does your dog do in the car? I am starting to look around, did not even know about ISFs. My dog is terrified of loud sounds so this may freak her out but it looks beautiful. It’s also nice to see someone from the DMV area.
Pretty good actually. Loves trips with me everywhere. Also, while I have headers, I went through a lot of catbacks and settled on the valved one so with valves closed it sounds stock, and with open its tolerably loud but still very mean.
Also, welcome to meet up if you want to hear it in person!
My wife's dog will only ride in her ISF. Doesn't care for my GTR and could not STAND my STI. She does have stock exhaust, though.
Anyone know if the OEM headlights are the same for the F-sport models? Is 2012+ really worth more than the 2012? (Is it better to look for 12?+) Its already hard to find the 11+
Did you replace the front sway bar stabilizer? My bushings are squeaky, thinking about replacing bushings and swaybar
I didn’t replace the front sway bar, only the rear. No issues on mine thus far, but replacing the endlinks and bushings to tighten it up is a popular small mod as well. Easier to just real replace with the sway as it comes with those parts.
The plate is f’n amazing 🤣🤣
Do you having any rubbing in the rear? I was thinking of getting the same rear wheels/tyres but I'm worried it might rub on stock suspension.
No rubbing with this setup. Not sure that stock would be lower than HKS coils.
Nice car. Why do you have 2 piece rotors in the rear and one piece slotted in the front? Wouldnt it be vice versa?
Normally yes, but previous owner drag raced it and I can agree it helps with lower unsprung weight launching and roll racing.
@@valdaviper1 ...that's cool. I have a 6 pot endless bbk on mine and the two piece floating rotors are definitely costly. I might switch back to my brembos since my car is only driven on the streets