2000 GXE10 Lexus IS200

I’ve owned this thing for a bit more than a year and it’s gone from bone stock to its light modded current form. Bought it with 259.000km’s on the odometer mid april 2015. As of now, end July 2016, It’s at 301.500. I literally drove it around for 10 days before modding started with the lowering springs.

List of mods in chronological order:

• replaced the stock gearknob with the one from my old T16 Celica
• Eibach Lowering springs but changed them later to a TEIN Advance Street coilover set.
• JVC Double din Headunit, changed it to a Kenwood double din unit with a removable screen after that got stolen.
• Kenwood rear deck speakers
• Home made radio harness.
• OEM Altezza spoiler painted in body colour (Replaced the Ebay “Lick ‘n Stick” bootlip spoiler)
• Yellow bulbs for the head and mist lights.
• Polyurethane Steering rack bushings.
• White dashcluster light conversion
• braided brakelines
• Megan Racing front and rear struttop braces
• Interaction 18” wheels with Yokohama V105S rubber and Neochrome steel nuts.
• Spare Tire Subwoofer with controlling knob
• Akina Speedstar stickers above the left headlamp and right side of the spoiler
• Japspeed Radiator
• TRD bushings in all front wishbones and caster arms
• SMF prepped Exedy Clutch
• sandwichplate with oil temp and pressure sensors, topped off with a TRD oil filter
• Replaced the stock open diff with a Torsen LSD from a manual IS200 sport

Works in Progress:

• Dash pod cluster with oil temp, pressure and an extra water temp gauge.

Future plans(Stuff that WILL be done to it):

• Single Mass Flywheel conversion.
• replacing the stock injectors to 2NZ-FE 12 hole Denso Injectors
• De-Pre-catted exhaust manifold

Opportunistic mods:

• Japspeed exhaust
• Possibly a turbosetup.

And Heaps and loads and hours and of maintaining, replacing and adjusting stuff to get it perfect. It has taken me a long time, but I now have a car that I’m genuinely proud of. It tore my face of in the hills of Luxemburg, outdragged a Yaris while a 750kg trailer was attached to it, taken me to and from work the past year and soothed my butt with smooth tunes and a comfy ride after hard days. Through thick and thin, She is a rediculously practical, comfy and fast car(For avg Dutch standards) and I don’t think I will ever own anything that comes close to being this well rounded. I may get other cars, but I will never get rid of this one.

“There is a sort of joy to be found in things that simply work really well” ~ James May.

Edit 20-2-2017:
I stopped dailying her because the 40.000 kilometers a year caused things to wear out faster than I could afford repairing. That opened up the floodgates for things like the Akina Speedstar stickers and the Altezza spoiler. I’m also planning to put her lower to the ground. I have some minor squeeking issues and a bit of play in the steering rack, 2 warped rear brakedisks, one rear caliper that needs to be changed out, the front brakepads are worn out, both front swaybar bushings are worn and the handbrake mechanism needs to be cleaned. but once those things are sorted she’s ready for the road again. The odometer currently shows 320.000km’s and a bit, so anything that breaks now can be mellowed with the phrase “It’s done 320.000 K’s. What do you expect?”.

Less=more as it turns out. I’m enjoying her more than before.

Edit 11-12-2017:
Some things happened and I got swayed into selling it. Having an IS200 is a waste if you don’t drive at least 20.000km’s a year with it.

But if I had to have another daily, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.