(Almost) As Good As New! Professional Detail at Blackcats Detailing!

So even though last year I picked up a used 2016 Nissan Elgrand VIP and my new Skyline Nismo, I am still keeping (for now) my IS-F. Something about this V-8 engine and the Lexus quality...

But admittedly, most of my energy recently has been spent on the other cars. So giving this one some TLC was long overdue.

I was lucky enough to find BlackCats Auto Detailing Service when I was trying to find a shop local to me who could do some paint protection film for the new Skyline. (check out my Skyline Nismo blog soon for what is going on!). But essentially, I was so happy with the work Takahashi-san did on the Skyline (I think he is as OCD as me...!) that I decided the Lexus also needed to be polished and protected!

Since he knows me pretty well now, Takahashi-san recommended and used the top of the line, pro-shop only EX KeePer ceramic coating from the well known Keeper Technical Laboratory Co. Ltd. -  in Japan one sees KeePer shops everywhere and they are synonymous with super clean cars.  I suppose there are other shops out there that use even more advanced chemicals but they tend to be very expensive and even then from the damage he repaired Takahashi-san obviously knows what he is doing.

So here are some photos that Takahashi-san sent me (and are also posted on the BlackCats Detailing Instagram account!). 

Cleaned up headlight

Yellowed from age - before it was polished clean!

And then after:

here is the EX KeePer product

Car looks fantastic from any angle!

Tailights were polished as Takahashi-san found minute scratches from automated car washes... yes, I am GUILTY of putthing this car through a few!

When I went to pick up the car, I took some photos too. Blame the operator or the camera, while the car looked fantastic, photos do not do the work Takahashi-san did justice!

Just in case, Takahashi-san gave the car a charge - he noted the battery was a bit weak from not driving it much lately?

Just by talking to Takahashi-san, I felt almost guilty for neglecting this car, so next time I agreed on some detailing work for the interior and to get rid of some of the wheel curb rash.

I need to find another carbon lip spoiler, this one is done...

Love this personalized fold up director's chair with the BlackCats logo!

Still the best angle for this car, I think?

And then at home, there is just SOMETHING that looks better. It could be the newly freshened up headlights, which now have Xpel protective film protecting them? 

But at least I now have in mind at least a couple of projects for this car. Hopefully this will be the year I bring it back to perfect!

A Short Trip Up To Nagano... and the Prince & Skyline Museum

...and the Prince & Skyline Museum!

I'll post more on the museum itself on my R33 GT-R page later, but wanted to include some photos that just came out right!

Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures are VERY green this time of year, and with a bit of rainfall the scenery was even more interesting (check out the clouds) and pretty.  Bonus was all the fresh air...

Found a neat bridge with red railings. Had to stop and take some photos! 

Found a look out point a few kms later...

Here was the view... the kind of green I don't see in Yokohama!

Another nice bridge

Still think the carbon lip really balances the car...

Towards the end of the day, found this road...

Had some fun on a gravel road....

Got out to check it out and what a great picture here

Of course this will need a wash....

 Anyway it's been a while since I drove this car so much (over 450km in one day) and this blog also needed an update.

Until next time...

Some More Parts to Improve the Car...

In my quest to improve my IS-F in the most efficient manner possible, I have been slowly collecting some parts over the past year or so which I thought would bring me the best bang for the buck. Because I haven't been as good at updating this blog as my GT-R blog, I'm going to simply lay out all of these parts.

First -  I decided to replace the OEM halogen fog lights with later year (2011-2014?) OEM LED fog lights - just plug and play...

Before

Much whiter!

And yes my car wasn't clean when I took this photo...

As for performance of LED vs halogen, hard to say really. They are mounted so low and act only to fill in the dark space under the headlights so I think the effect is more of a visual, than performance difference. Oh well, wasn't that expensive and it gives a more modern look...

I had also learned from Yamada-san at CREF (where I had the clear film installed) that when Toyota was developing the IS-F, they found that the large amount of power meant that the rear subframe would actually move and cause some instability, and that this was especially noticeable on a rain slick track. So, Spoon Sports developed the Rigid Collar kit for the ISF.

Just a few collars...

For anyone not familiar with the Rigid Collar concept, here is a video link that describes how they work.

Yes it sounds too good to be true, but yes they work and I will go into more detail in a future post about what they did for my car's handling. I had gotten them for my GT-R and was suitably impressed so the lack of internet feedback on their use on the IS-F didn't bother me.

I had also read on the ClubLexus forum how the Apex'i throttle controller made the car feel much more responsive (but not necessarily faster - but that's ok, I just want something more responsive!). So, I ordered one and the car-specific harness.

From: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/626697-apexi-throttle-control-installed-i-love-it-d-2.html

In a later post, I'll discuss this part - all I will say for now is, it really is worth getting!

Finally, some bling - I found something in my closet that I had ordered when I first ordered the car, but was not delivered in time for the dealer to install it, a dry carbon fiber rear license plate frame from LEMS.

Two photos from their website (as I was too lazy to unwrap it before handing it Ninomiya-san to install):

Side facing out

Body side

Here is the rear license plate before:

... and now afterwards! 

As you can see in Japan, there is this metal "cap" on the upper left bolt that has to be installed by special tooling (available only at the DMV). So Ninomiya-san had to make a quick trip in order to get it done... but I think the results are worth it!

Now I have to decide whether to splurge on a matching dry carbon fiber FRONT license plate frame and/or a rear trunk lip spoiler...but before that, one more piece of (possibly functional?) bling... stay tuned!

Suspension Upgrade (Part 2)

Anyway, after I finished drooling over the red LC500, I let them take the IS-F in to have the OEM Tokico dampers replaced with the late model OEM Sachs (ZF) dampers.  I was keeping my fingers crossed, because although the guy on the ClubLexus forum swore it was a worthy upgrade... well, the Internet is only as true as you believe it to be.

This time, no GS-F loaner car. However, they did let me borrow this for the day:

IS300h. 

I still don't like how the rear end looks. Oh, and the wheels look tiny!

The interior... well I DID like the LFA inspired dash...

As I had a few chores to run, I actually drove the car into Tokyo. It's a decent highway cruiser, but after the IS-F, I need more POWER!  As expected, the build quality was great, but without the Mark Levinson stereo, the sound quality was just mediocre. Really!

The next day, when I went to pick up the IS-F, I saw THIS parked at the dealer...

No no, keep it!

 The techs had loaded up all the used parts into the back of my car's trunk:

I like the way that, even though my car has an aftermarket rubber mat, they still "wrapped" everything they loaded up with the large white foam sheet. So Japan...(ZF = Sachs)

And the results? The moment I began to drive to leave the dealership, I immediately noticed the difference. Firm, but way softer. Then, I driving home I noticed how the car was able to absorb small bumps much much better.  

Finally, a few days later on the expressway the car was AMAZING on the curves, the tighter it got, the better. What I mean is that, the car before was stiff. Just stiff. So the car would bounce excessively on bumps, and at speed a loss of confidence as it felt a bit unpredictable. Now however as a curve approaches I can feel the outside front wheel "bite" as the weight transfer happens to the outside. This "bite" gives better road feedback and thus more of a sense of what the car is doing. The car feels flatter too, strangely, and better planted to the road.

Don't get me wrong, the car is still very firmly sprung but I suspect the spring rate is a bit reduced and there is longer suspension stroke, at least in the rear.  So, a very worthy modification if you insist on keeping OEM and don't care about ride height.

Update - I just googled and found this article from Edmunds analyzing the changes made to the IS-F suspension. I am pretty sure that when the dealer did the alignment they did NOT give the car the rear  camber adjustment as per the 2011 model, but I will ask next time I take the car in...

Suspension Upgrade + LC500! (Part 1)

Ok ok so I have been very very bad about posting updates on this car - my excuse is that my free time is spent blogging about my GT-R, and getting used to a new job I started in May.  Oh and I was overseas for a few weeks too, back in March.

Excuses aside, after I returned from my trip in March, I decided it was about time I did something about the car's ride. As many know, the early IS-F cars were criticized for having a harsh ride, while some people claimed they got used to it, or that it was the price to pay for the sporty nature of the car.

The problem for me was, I did not want to purchase another set of Ohlins like I have on the GT-R - which as a result was driving more smoothly and more comfortably than the Lexus!  But, while the Ohlins DFVs are superb, they require rebuilding every 2 years or 20,000kms. For a durable car like the Lexus (i.e. Toyota), this was not going to work.

Further, as some of you remember, I been given use of a GS-F as a loaner - and I loved the way that car rode.  Some asking around revealed that the GS-F uses dampers made by Sachs.  Then, I read on the ClubLexus forum that someone had replaced their 2008 IS-F OEM shocks with those from a 2012 IS-F, which also happen to be made by Sachs!  

So I knew a swap could be done, and further, these parts were OEM and thus not as expensive as aftermarket Ohlins! And no need to rebuild! So win-win...

My dealer agreed to do the swap, but told me they could not extend the car's warranty to the shocks, only the warranty for the shock itself would be available. Not a big deal. So I went ahead and ordered, and a few weeks later got the call!

Nothing special about these cars other than the new car smell...

Lexus hospitality can't be beat!

While the mechanics worked to install the suspension, the dealer decided to give me taste of what to expect.

"Go have fun!" they said!

Unfortunately, it was all for nothing. Because a few hours later the dealer called and told me that they had only ordered the shocks and NOT the springs! Oh and something called a bump stop needed to be ordered as well.

Obviously, being the first to try something in Japan means that you have be very patient.  Or, have a sense a humor about the situation, or both.

In any case, I returned to the dealer somewhat disappointed, but then soon forgot about it as I spotted this car, one of the first ones in Japan!

Trust me, looks WAY better in person!

Hard to tell with the black leather, but the interior is ALL leather...and GORGEOUS!

Nice little touch there

My advisor was particularly proud of this touch - the 3-D effect LED taillamps! Hmm, maybe an idea for the GT-R? Lol.

So this initial visit wasn't a total loss - I got to see the new LC500 (and got a free car wash. Oh and got to drive the GS-F around all day...)