1999 lexus is200 V8 turbo (508BHP!!!!) For sale!!

You might want to check the age of the tyres as well. I bought a set of 5 wheels a few months back, which came with what initially looked like great tyres - known makes in two pairs, plus one that was clearly unused.

The unused one was the youngest at 9 years. The others were all over 20 years old and a bit "glassy". Binned..... Lucky I was buying the wheels not the tyres!

Nick

Well here is a little Friday night update. Seems like I've done nothing for an age, and we don't like that.. but what with moving units at work and then literally handling hundreds of tons of stock/spares and whatever. Building miles of racking. Organising pallet loads of spares. And trying to get it into a useable space. All whilst doing my day job. Works been mental for want of a better word. Then home life has been busy and to top it off the weather has been diabolical and I'm not working outside in rain after a full days graft.. so... Excuses out the way..

First things first. Had a new project car to rattle off. I say project car. Was more an assembly job. Had to turn a box full of parts, and some chinglish instructions into my eldest's Christmas present.. all she's asked for is a pink car. No idea where it came from. No idea why but who am I to argue with a 2 n half year old haha










How cool is that haha. Slightly jealous might trade the lexus in... Think she may explode Christmas day morning. Even has a radio haha.

Anyways onto the real car.. ordered my brembo calliper stickers an age ago. Didn't want to fit them til I had them (I was making excuses tbh).. ordered from eBay. Selected black... Sent white...messaged seller expecting them just to send some more black ones.. ignored me... Open dispute finally responded, told me to send back then they would replace them with black. Posted them back, seller issues a refund rather than send me the black ones FFS. Fell out with job. Ordered from elsewhere, fiinnallyyyy today they turned up. So snook an hour before I went for kids from nursery and got them on.

Think they look part even if I do say so myself...









Also my new new heater control panel turned up.. plugged it all in and turned the ignition on annnnddd... It works!! I now finally have blowers and heater settings that work!! Definitely a result in this weather.






So since I still had a bit of time spare, decided I needed to take it out and test it. You know, for science 😂😂 I've said it before and will say it again. It's bonkers. I'm beginning to wonder if there's any point turning boost up. Cus it's completely off its head as it is!! Slightest bit of noisy pedal and it goes sideways/fast forward/volume 11 all at once!! I had noticed I'd lost a bit of coolant so had a good look round once it was warm.. the bottom hose has a small weep couldn't tell if it was a loose clip or a little bit of damage on the hose as you can't reach it with it sat on floor.. but least I've found it straight away.... In better news, the heating works lovely!!

So I can hear what your thinking.. you can't call that an update. Well I have got a bit more news.. not sure if I've mentioned it but it's terribly undergeared. To the point 1st is pointless. 2ns isn't much better. And you can put it in 6th at about 15mph and drive it like an auto 😂😂

There isn't a massive amount of choice for different diffs. The auto is lower still. And not much else fits. However the is300 lsd will fit (with matching bigger shafts and 6 bolts cups) it's not world's higher ratio but it's better.. the problem being there rare (they didn't sell many is300s to start with). And thus aren't cheap.

By chance I found one months ago, the guy breaking the car gave me first refusal on it. Told him there was no rush as I was skint (story of my life) and left it at that. Out the blue last night I got a message to say did I still want it as he was removing it this weekend.. well sure enough I still want it and sure enough I'm still skint (who isn't a fortnight before Xmas).. but with a bit of lateral thinking it's paid for and being collected tomorrow.. and to make my life easier (and his I suspect). He's dropping the subframe complete and letting me take the lot. So in theory it should bolt straight up To my car complete! I've also lined a buyer up for my is200 lsd so I'm no worse off really if it all goes to plan. If the figures are right the calculator below should show the difference.







Speaking of plans. I'm hoping to take the car to work next week and do the subframe/diff and brakes all in one hit. We've got a pit in the new unit which will make working under the back much much easier, but tbh just working inside out of the weather and darkness will be a godsend. But we've seen my plans before so well see how that goes.

Anyways. Waffling post over. Maybe summat slightly more do, slightly less waffle next time.. cheers

Yeah it's not a massive difference. But it's the best you can get that bolt straight in a retains the lsd (one tyre fire isn't cool in anyone's books) haha.

Other thing is with a few more rpm, it will do 60 in 2nd now... so 0-60 time should come down even more assuming I can get it to grip..

And so am I... It doesn't need any welding, it's got no water leaks, full interior is in it and so far it's started every time I've tried it.. so it definitely doesn't belong on retro rides 😂😂

Just had a quick look on eBay and searched Magnum t56.... Yeah, of all the things I might be doing, that isn't one of them haha. Unless my lottery numbers come in, I'm a lowly plant engineer with a Mrs who works for NHS (and has a shopping addiction) and 2 young kids haha il be sticking with my 50 quid j160's for now 🤣🤣

Just use that conversion thing for mine using the Magnum T56 gearbox. I know it’s not gonna happen but if mine happened to redline iin six gear then we doing something like 250 miles an hour. F scary. Fat chance of that as hundred mile an hour is scary considering I’ve done  all the work.

So finally an update worthy of being called an update even by the most die hard retroridest!

As I mentioned we've been moving units at work. Well finally it's done. I've proper grafted for the last month or so. And saved my boss probably thousands in moving men and racking fitters and builders and plumbers and God knows what else.. well the new unit has a pit, and we generally drop off work wise just before Christmas... So I asked if the car could go to work. And he said yeah no problem...

Not wanting to waste the once a year opportunity. I cracked on. In a fairly big way haha. so Monday night the car was checked over levels checked battery charged and it was taken on the epic half an hour journey into work.. as much as I'd say it was a pleasant journey, it wasn't. It's damp inside from being stood so misted up, the wipers don't seem brilliant, the headlights seem worse than I remember, I forgot my glasses so was basically blind.. oh and the lanes near me are filthy so it was basically slowly slowly boost spin, slowly slowly boost spin 😂😂 excellent haha. But needless it made it, in one piece. Here it is in pride of place, inside. In the dry!!!!!








Now I know we love a picture. So planned on taking pics of every step... Then I remembered I'm terrible at remembering and didn't get as many as I'd hoped... But anyways.

First off, under the car (did I mention the pit ) exhaust off.. nice to see it all in one piece, couple of small tiny pin holes I'd missed in dark welding. But il sort them while it's off




Then whipped the handbrake cables off and the little short rear section of prop was undone from the big section (this is replaced with a shorter section with the new diff as the new diff is longer/bigger so the output is nearer the front of car)




Then I got carried away and forgot the picture thing for a bit ... But to summarise. Incase you ever fancy taking subframe out of a is200... Rear callipers removed but left plumbed in and tie wrapped up so they don't hang on the hoses, abs sensors removed and left dangling, 8 little bolts on the braces removed at the front of the subframe (4 of which sheared off leaving the broken bits stuck in the captive nuts so I drilled those out). To make my life easier (it wasn't) I just undid the top mounts and dropped the shocks on the arms. With all that done it's just the 4 big subframe mounting bolts and the lot comes out lovely... Except it doesn't cus I've left the shocks on and there too tall to come out from under car, and I can't undo them now as the subframe is all wobbly

Some swearing later, you have this.... One crusty rear subframe removed complete with lsd



Being a money saving expert, I'd already sold the is200 diff so that was removed next so I could box it up and get paid for it. And it's not cost me anything to do the swap to the is300 lsd so that's a result!!




Whilst I'd got better access than il have again any time soon, I daubed any crusty looking bits in hydrate 80.. nothing looks terrible, the sill on drivers side is going to want some work in the future it's a bit crusty behind one of the plastic curse word gaurds I'd took off.. but I'm not refitting them as I'm sure most only trap crud not reduce it..

Now enter stage left, new subframe and diff.. in the words of the Haynes book.. refitting is the reverse of removal.. except it's not. Since I made my life easy and left the shocks off so it slid straight under.. jacked the whole lot back up into place and relatively painlessly it went back up fine... Again, no pics

Once id got handbrake cables back in, prop back in (new ones shorter by about 10mm, but 10mm or 10foot, it won't work without it haha) abs sensors and what not back in place I had a bit of a brain fart and realized I'd not checked diff oil level FFS. A job I could have done on floor easily was now going to be awquard to say least. To my surprise the fill plug came straight out and the diffs full of lovely clean oil. Tbf it came off a drag car so it's probably been well maintained (if not used hard).. but I'd have been proper angry if it had no oil in and I'd killed it on the journey home .

Figuring whilst I had it in bits, I may aswell kill two birds and all that. So fitted the lowering springs I got an age ago... Also while I had access and space, though that I may aswell fit the new rear discs I got from euros an age ago and have been sat on shelf in garage 12 month. So old discs off,shoes cleaned up (handbrake works on a drum in middle of disc) adjusters cleaned up, then new disc fitted and shoes fully adjusted up..







I've got a set of new pads coming in morning and callipers can have a blow over in satin black just to smarten them up..but with that little lot done I could readjust handbrake in car and check that job off..

Since I was now stuck on back end til I've got the pads, cracked ok with owt else I could... Starting with the water leak. Could see it was bottom hose area, couldn't see where.. went to remove the jubilee clip and it was barely on by the skin of its teeth. Actually think the hose was being held on by the tension from the clip and the little screw wasn't even doing owt! What a numpty!!! Can only assume last time I had it in bits I was rushing and refitted wrong clip that was a smidge small.. anyways, new clip on, antifreeze up my sleeve, job done! Dried it all off, blew it all off with airline and prayed.

Back into engine bay tidied up a bit of plumbing. The old turbo was water cooled this one isn't, but I'd just looped the pipes when I fitted new turbo since I was rushing lost the hoses and capped off the outlets for good. Then refilled the cooling system. Bled it all up, burped it and called it finished. Fired it up for ten seconds just to get water flowing and il recheck it in the morning make sure that A, it's dry and B, theres no air trapped... Fingers crossed that's last time I have to mess with cooling system for a while..

So to summarise, new diff, shafts and subframe fitted, lowered, new rear discs (and pads tomorrow),handbrake and shoes adjusted, crusty bits coated in derustification juice, water leak fixed (hopefully), few hoses tidied, cooling system filled and bled. Think that's about it..

I've probably got more done today than I would in 3 months of working in dark and rain. And honestly couldn't be happier. I'm nakerd, I ache everywhere. But it's made proper progress!

Anyways. That's where I'm at. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes to plan I should get back finished and be able to do the fancy front brakes. And a million other little jobs I want to do while I can.. but for now I'm having a night off and best start my Xmas shopping online (not too late is it )

Cheers

Another day of flat out graft today. Tbf didn't get to start til a bit later as I had real work to do... I know I know, having to work at work. Terrible ... Also made a conscious effort to try and get more pics. Sort of did, sort of didn't..

So to start, front braces went back on subframe. Needed some nuts and bolts to replace the 4 that sheered off yesterday.. so to get the ball rolling, forgot to photo it haha..

Did remember to photo the exhaust tho.. got the couple of tiny pin holes welded up before flicking the flap wheel round it to tidy it up a bit. It's never going to be mint,but it's good enough and flows plenty.. then to stop the rust a bit, gave it all a liberal coating of vht black.




Once it was dry got some heatwrap on the front part that runs under the engine/subframe.. not particularly necessary but it's all going to help..




Before it went back on got the oil and filter changed.. it's barely done any miles but I've decided to switch to a 10/50 fully synthetic to help when it's warm. So some finest silkolene oil and a Bosch filter were chucked on... ran it up to temp without the exhaust on, just the down pipe, I forgot how loud it was like that especially inside not sure how I ever thought the bumper exit was going to be a good idea haha.







With that done checked for leaks and fingers crossed it all seems bone dry. Il check the cooling system for air one last time before I call it done. But for now I'm happy..

Gave the back callipers a clean up and a coat of satin black. I've got a spare set to mint up, but for now they look loads better. Also got the new pads chucked in.. look how dinky they are haha







With that done, wheels could go back on ready for dropping back on ground. Exhaust back on and my work underneath is done. Thank the lord haha.



Next little job, well not that little... Making this pile of shiny bits replace this crusty mess...






So to start calliper off



Then carrier off



Then nakerd old disc off... Think they were past there best



Offered up the new disc to see where I'd need to clearance the heat shield for he bigger disc/calliper combo.. tweaked the heatshield back slightly only for it to crumble and break off in my hands... Don't suppose it needs trimming anymore now this was to be the least of my problems..

Now the kit comes with 15mm RCAs. There basically a spacer that sits between the lower ball joint and arm that allows clearance for the bigger brake calliper and disc.. he used to supply a 30mm RCA as there available off the shelf. However the thickness of the RCA lowers the car by the same amount and as 55mm is a popular lowering spring size in the land of is200s you'd end up with a 85mm drop and rubbing. Plus you can't get the back that low without coilovers..

To get round this hes started having his own made 15mm thick.. and guess who has the first kit with these in so obviously they don't work ideal...

Basically without waffling too much. The adaptor bracket, to mount the much bigger 4 pots to the hub, now fouls the bottom balljoint... Not by much, a fraction of a nats cock if anything. But enough to not allow the adaptor to sit flush up to the hub... oh Cock! I spent far longer than I'd like to admit trying to figure out what I was doing wrong before finally admitting defeat and getting in touch with the supplier, suggesting the RCA wasn't big enough then having this confirmed... It's also going to be impossible to get the bolt in that mounts the caliper to the bracket as the thread and nut for the track rod end is basically directly behind the hole for the mount.. I can get round this by splitting the balljoint on the rack end. Fitting the calliper then refitting the ball joint. Not ideal but a solution..

I think a pic or two may explain my ramblings slightly better. Maybe. So here they are.. it's only just touching very slightly and I've suggested as a temp fix to allow me to move the car, shaving a mm or 2 off the adaptor bracket to gain clearance til he can send me some new RCAs. The adaptor is 10mm steel plate so won't hurt to lose a mm or 2.










As you can see (well maybe not from my terrible pics) it's only just touching. And I'm sure with a touch from the grinder the clearance would be enough..

But after wasting all that time trying to get my head round it. Only to realise it was never going to work, I doused the brake pipe fittings in wd40, prayed to the rust god's. And left it like that for today.





I know I've got some more real work to do in the morning so il see how that goes. But hopefully if I get an hour on it I should be able to get them fitted. But still another decent session today in fairness.

Front subframe braces fitted, Rear callipers painted and fitted, new rear pads fitted, oil n filter changed, exhaust welded painted and heat wrapped before refitting, front end stripped down ready for the brakes.. not as good as yesterday's progress but still not bad..

Anyways that's enough for now. Time to get some food down me and an early night (if kids behave) haha

Cheers

Not a daft question at all.. I did wonder that myself but it's even worse that way round. It can only fit that way (tbf that's the way the instructions said, that's the way the supplier confirmed, and that's only way they nearly fit)...

But after scratching my head for an hour and pondering life, I did try it the other way round too...

Cheers anyways. Could have saved me some grinding sparks 😂

I've seen a few that Toyota were involved with, I know they did a 1uz (well I believe the made a couple)..

I know they released TTE options/versions for the road too (wheels, bodykits I believe a supercharged version) but they were all a bit wet haha. Was a bit like sticking the M badges on a 1.6 BMW haha.

And thanks, it's certainly taking a while, but i think it should end up with the power to match the looks when I'm done