LS3 V8 Swap Lexus IS300 – 6 speed, Fully Built, 400hp+! (LS1, LS2, LS6, LSX) - LS1TECH

12-04-2015, 11:45 AM

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nickt93

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Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: Atlanta, GA

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LS3 V8 Swap Lexus IS300 – 6 speed, Fully Built, 400hp+! (LS1, LS2, LS6, LSX)

Year: 2001
Make: Lexus
Model: IS
Price: $22000
Mileage: 15000
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (State): GA
Color: Beige
Transmission: Manual
Drivetrain: Rear Wheel Drive

As much as I hate to do this, the time has come for me to sell this awesome LS3 IS300. I have nine cars and no time to enjoy them all. I would rather see someone else use the car the way it was meant to be. For me this was the most perfect car – the power of a Corvette, the quality and reliability of a Lexus, and the practicality of a sedan. Truly “one car to do it all”. An excellent daily driver, track car, or whatever else you might have in mind. My garage will look kind of sad without this parked next to my ’97 Supra Turbo.

For some this car will need no introduction. The build was well documented on several forums (ClubLexus, LS1Tech, MyIS, Supraforums, etc) and is pretty well known in the Lexus and engine swap worlds.

Quick Summary
* 2001 Lexus IS300
* LS3 6.2L V8 swap (same motor as the 2008-2013 Corvette for those not in the know). Bottom end had 50k miles at time of swap; heads were brand new.
* Dyno’d @ 459hp/ 425ft lbs. Car was dyno’d with an aftermarket cam that has since been removed, however it is included in the sale. I would estimate the cam at 40-50hp, so the car is probably around 410-420rwhp as it sits.
* Best ¼ Mile = 11.8 @ 120mph
* T56 6 speed transmission
* KW Variant 3 Coilovers
* Original development car for Dedicated Motorsports who pioneered the IS300 LSX swap. This is car #001. Build is fully documented in multiple threads linked below.
* Less than 15k miles on swap
* Interior = 9.5. Seats, carpet, and panels are near perfect.
* Exterior = 8.5. Paint is in great condition overall but is original and does have some imperfections commensurate with age/mileage. Certainly a presentable daily driver, but not quite a show car/ trailer queen.
* Engine Bay = 10. All wires have been properly wrapped, covered, and soldered. Additionally the engine bay has been wire tucked; looks even better than OEM.
* Weighs 3374 (full tank of gas, including all stereo equipment, spare tire, etc). The LS3 weighs a few pounds less than the 2JZ-GE it replaced, so the excellent weight balance of the IS300 is unchanged by the swap.

Price = $22,000

The last time this car was publicly listed for sale it was $25k and it sold in 9 days (http://www.clublexus.com/forums/lexu...treet-car.html). I’ve listed it at an aggressive price to move the car quickly, so if you want the car don’t wait.

There were three things that really stood out about this car when I bought it vs other swapped cars that were for sale:

1) LS3 – this build paired a low mileage block with brand new heads; everything was fully refreshed and properly built. Additionally the LS3 received many upgrades to improve performance, strength, reliability, and to support forced induction at some point in the future. To me all of this was far preferable to buying a car with the junkyard LS1 pullout that has an unknown history.
2) Well Built & Fully Documented. This car was built by Matt Owen who pioneered the IS300 LSX swap. This was the first car he built – there was a ton of time, labor, and dollars spent in order to make this car perfect. The attention to detail is outstanding. See links to build threads below. The quality of a swapped car is fully dependent on the builder, and Matt Owen is one of the best.
3) 100% Complete. This build is so much more than just a motor swap. No expense of time or dollars was spared to make this car right. Beyond the motor this car boasts enhancements to just about every other system: Suspension, Brakes, Cooling, Exhaust, Audio Video, Fueling, Wheels/ Tires. Also this car has working AC; a lot of other builds neglect that. Depending on where you live that could be a major issue.

This car is unbelievably well built. I haven’t had to turn a wrench on this car during the 4+ years I’ve owned it. Other than having the differential upgraded/replaced it has never seen the inside of a shop either. Just turn the key, enjoy, and repeat!

It also never fails to draw a crowd. If you don’t like attention then this isn’t the car for you – I end up popping the hood and having conversations with strangers just about everywhere I go (have met some really nice folks that way actually). One kind of attention it does not seem to attract is the flashing blue lights. I’ve had zero tickets in four years. I’ve seen cops crane their necks looking for the Corvette/ Mustang/ Camaro as I whiz by; they never suspect the Lexus

. This car totally flies “under the radar”.

I’ve done three track days and one autocross in this car. It performed flawlessly. Outside of that I drive the car pretty tamely on the street; guess I must be turning into a responsible adult now that I’m a married family man.

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