Lexus IS Forum banner

My First 2jz build and it's a Lexus

6K views 46 replies 7 participants last post by  Ek9B18 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello one and all,
Wanted to start by saying my hellos and welcome to my build forum as the title says this is my first 2JZ GE engine build and it's off a 2003 Lexus, no this is not my first project build it will be one that I am taking seriously and throwing a lot of money down on it, and a lot of time is going to be put towards this and I expect this to be one of the top contenders on the street and the drag strip in my area. My overall goal is to see this at about 650 horsepower. And that is just for starters well let me give you a little overview all of my recent purchase of the 2003 Lexus IS. First off as we all know that the 2JZ block is a strong solid block for any potential built being that this is the 2JZ GE Block it's got the better performing head then the GTE only stating facts that's not what you really want to hear, the vehicle itself has 200000 miles on the clock but in all reality these were all highway miles and I can verify that but when you start the sub it doesn't sound like it has 200,000 miles it sounds like it has Maybe 90000 miles there's no valve ticking no squealing of anything no leaking fluids anywhere no wet spots on the valve head the transmission the rear differential, and yes unfortunately this is an automatic but I am going to keep this built as an automatic yes I could probably swap it out for if 5 speed but I want this to be unique. The body and underbody as well as the interior are completely flawless for being a car of the North we have some of the harshest Winters up here with a lot of salt, there is not one Speck of rust anywhere on this car the interior is still in Immaculate condition the leather is still fresh the dash is not Sun faded and the overall car still has a lot of pep in the step which I am happy to say. Now I am new to the group but I am not new to this world I have my good friend over at dragnflyfabrications.com he and I will both be doing this build and yes we have both done our homework as to what needs to go into this engine to make it 650 horse. We had just got done going over the parts list which I will be posting in a later post once all the details have been finalized. Know that any and all constructive criticism will be appreciated throughout this built feel free to speak up just in case we have overlooked something later on this week we will be taking the car over to the dyno and get some base line numbers I will also be posting those numbers up later on this week, I will try and keep this community updated what does build as we move along there will be a lot of pictures lots of video don't really have a set time frame but I would like to see this done within a matter of a few months that's the goal anyway.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
203-5405 ARP MAIN STUDS 179.30
203-4702 2JZGE ARP HEAD STUDS 321.42
203-6005 STUDS UNDER CUT ARP ROD BOLTS 109.99
BC0300 BC2300, BC1300, BC2300-24 SINGLE SPRING SET W/TITANIUM RETAINERS 382.53
BC0311 BC272/272 CAMS 714.42
HKS22004 HKS PURPLE TIMING 210.00
HKS-AT004 CLEAR TIMING COVER 49.99
C4276-051 COMETIC HEAD GASKET 87MM 189.99
GTX3076 GARRETT TURBO 1399.99
T-740902 GARRETT TURBINE T4 HOUSING .94A/R 469.51
DRAGNFLY DF CUSTOM 316L TOP MOUNT EXHAUST MANIFOLD 1800.00
DRAGNFLY DF 3" DOWNPIPE 550.00
DRAGNFLY DF 3" CAT BACK 650.00
TIAL-MVR TIAL 44MM MVR PURPLE 360.99
DRAGNFLY DF 2" 316L DUMPTUPE 275.00
HEAT-HPLTS HEATSHEILD LAVA TURBO BLANKET 199.62
FUELLAB51501 FUEL LAB ADJUSTABLE FPR -6AN 179.99
FR-10PR PURPLE 2JZ FUEL RAIL 114.99
1000.10 ID1000 INJECTORS AEM E85 FUEL PUMP 650.00
TIAL-BOV PURPLE TIAL 50MM BOV 10PSI SPRING 259.99
BELL-A300 3.00X8.8"X18" W/CUSTOM TANKS (OIL,TRANS COOLER) 660.00
WOLF-V550 WOLF EMS V550 2095.00
30-4110 AEM AFR 02 UEGO 199.99
30-4401 AEM FUEL PRESSURE GUAGE 219.99
30-4406 AEM BOOST GUAGE 189.99
ORT-3 3POD GUAGE MOUNT CARBON 109.99
TRAN-VB TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY MODIFICATIONS UPGRADE 339.99
TRANS-COOL 13ROW X 10ROW X 10AN 109.99
AUTO-FIT AUTO TRANS -10AN TO 3/8-16 THREAD ADAPTER 39.99
BRAID--6AN-10AN BRAIDED STEELLINES, FITTINGS,BUNGS,MISC 650.00

Know that everything listed has the part number first followed by a description followed by a rough estimate as to cost without dealer pricing this list is for the drivetrain alone ie the engine Turbo and trans this does not include any body modifications interior modifications and any other various miscellaneous items overall together total price comes out to about $11,000 give or take and the end result hopefully will be a 650 horsepower Lexus IS300. This list was comprised of both myself and my fabricator\friend CJ if you have any questions as to why we chose what we have chosen feel free to ask and if you see anything that you would change please tell me why or share your thoughts and opinions.
 
#4 ·
Glad you put that link there, I've been browsing around for a place that sells those gauge pods!
 
#6 ·
Yes sir, we are going to get damn near close to it. One of our goals with this build is see how far we can get, how far is it possible to push before it pushes back. I currently have a spare block for when it does push back that way we can build both bottom and top ends
 
#7 ·
So just in case if people where wondering where my build is going to take place at, it will be at my buddies shop and he is a guro when it comes to the 2jz, dsm (1g, 2g, eclipse talon), Mustangs, Jaguar, VW, Audi, worlds. Does alot of bike projects and rukus, he currently also makes the worlds only turbo Harley kits that i know of which are bad ass. Honestly he has taught me a lot just with looking at the Lexus, with stuff i didn't even know about or fathomed what was possible when doing a build like this. All the product, parts and pieces I got from him at a good price. Home that is his home site and if you cant find it he will. He is also going to be welding up my froward mount turbo manifold for the 2jz build, this will look sick with the high end stainless steal that he uses. Yes there are cheaper options out there but I want the best of the best, and he is the best in my opinion. We will be using a 4in core inter-cooler that he will also be welding up the ic piping to eliminate as much couplers as possible to prevent blow out as much as possible. The welds he does on stainless and aluminum will make any welder skilled or not wet their pants so to say. And like I stated if your having trouble finding or need something fabricated up i would highly recommend going to him tho he is located here in the great state of Wisconsin, I have seen people come up form the southern states to have things made from him specifically, or to have stuff mailed to and from him.

Home
 
#9 ·
So for those are interested and have been following my good buddy over at www.dragnflyfabrications.com where the build is primarily taking place at, has since informed me late last night with about a possible sponsorship with a Wolf ems system. I was very excited about this I would rather have a wolf engine management system over aem any day of the week. www.wolfems.com Over at wolf they primary deal with
BMW
Ford
Holden
Honda
Mazda
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Subaru
Suzuki
Toyota
I really hope that I can get this sponsorship, not only for the fact that i will be my first sponsor ever but because of how much more the Wolf ems can control with the engine management and trans management over the next leading standalone ecu which for most is the Aem for the Lexus 2jz. And seeing as how I will be running a 2JZ this just makes the icing on the cake for me. I will explain more about Wolf and what they can do for your car vs what the Aem can do in another post.
 
#12 ·
:nerd:

Yea we are going to see how close we can actually get with the way that we have figured with the I.D. 1000 cc injectors we will be about 85 to 90 % load capacity with estimates being around 600 for that, and it will primarily have to deal with how we tune it with the Wolf engine management system, so this should be very interesting because we can control alot more than the aem or srt's standalone units.
 
#18 ·
Clean car. As far as lowering it, there is a medium that I've found with Coilovers. I don't like scraping either and I've come to avoid that with removing the body kit. With the stock wheel gap, our cars look like a jeep. lol

I wouldn't recommend expensive coilovers or eBay ones, just a name brand that will give you the option to find the right height that's best for you and still looks good.
 
#19 ·
Yea I hear you on the eBay stuff, I try and stay away from that for major things like coil overs and such, but it is a useful tool in finding some trinkets or little do dads from time to time, but if there was such a medium what would you recommend that I would get? I do plan on beefing up the suspension, sway bars, strut tower bar etc. etc.
 
#20 ·
In an earlier post I had mentioned about getting a WOLF ems, over a AEM standalone. Apart from the by hype that I might get sponsored by WOLF which would be great seeing as how they have been expanding to the U.S for some time now, my understanding of the two systems is that, yes they are similar and different in the same respects. I feel that with AEM, because I have had experience using the v2 system that I was cumbersome at times, being that I am a beginner tuner/programmer, It was a bit challenging getting the AEM setup, even with guides and base instructions, and even then It wasn’t working the way it should. With WOLF you could pretty much say that, since they are based in Australia and deal with mostly imports from japan and Europe that they have a lot of bread and butter to work with. But the main bread and butter would be the 2jz platform where they have developed, and invested a lot of time into that platform in performance, handling, and the tuning capabilities. But for those that would say otherwise please I would like to hear who you have gone with in regards to either a plug and play system or a full standalone like I am.
 
#21 ·
Wolf vs AEM

Wolf EMS

Duel on board maps allows two different fuels or tuning configurations that can be switched between.

Flexibility of OEM sensor compatibility there is no need to purchase "after market" sensors.

The ability of using OEM trigger settings being able to fit directly to your project without modification to your engine.

The flexibility of the Wolf V550 makes it one of the most versatile on the market with the ability of being able to control your automatic transmission as well as the engine.

The 8 Multicontrollers allow for accurate 3D control of such things as Nitrous, ignition over speed or even something as simple as rain sensitive wipers.

8 Sequential injection

8 Sequential ignition

Dedicated Staged injection 3D mapping

Closed loop quad cam control

Closed loop boost control

2 steps control

Dedicated Launch control

Dedicated Anti lag

Colour 3D mapping

8 Multicontroller maps

16 Auxillary input/output channels

8 Separate rev limiters

Onboard 30psi map sensor (with 45psi sensor available if needed)

Self tune

Automatic transmission control

Nitrous control

16 channels analog and digital

4 digital (wheel speed inputs)

Programmable interface

Name and graph your input sensors

Suspension sensors can be zeroed in software

200hz data logging

GPS map tracing

Data files stored on Micro SD

Software allows for old data to be compared with new data

Graph overlay


AEM EMS

Plugs directly into the factory harness. No rewiring necessary

Uses all the factory sensors

Includes start up calibrations

System is fully enabled and unlocked - Never pay for upgrades!

Context sensitive help eases tuning process

Maps can be password protected by the tuner to prevent unauthorized usage or sharing

Runs on Windows-compatible software

Tune using new USB communication port or serial port

Works with all AEM gauges

Electronic boost control

Full idle control

Programmable traction control

Software definable knock control

Two step launch control

User configurable soft-cut rev limiters

Wet or dry nitrous control

Up to 12 peak and hold injector drivers

Up to 8 direct-fire coil outputs

Up to 16 general-purpose outputs

Up to 8 definable switch inputs

Up to 4 EGT inputs with fuel trim

1MB of internal data logging
 
#22 ·
And yes that is straight from the websites of both the respectable parties, Id say in my opinion the WOLF offers more control or more of a deeper control into the car, where I can tune both engine and trans in one unit, its self learning, or self tune if you will. With respect to AEM there are similarities and differences that would come with any standalone. But I think the biggest kicker for the WOLF ems is that once Im done with this build and want to move on to something else, I can take this same ecu and put it into another car or truck with a new base tune and start from scratch, with the WOLF's make your own engine harness. So basically once I have one, I can go from project to project and keep 1 ecu through out the projects.
 
#23 ·
And I do apologize for the long period between posts, I currently work 3rd shift and with side jobs that I do in the mornings some days, its just been hectic keeping track of the days, but if anyone would like to chime in and offer their opinions on the matter please feel free
 
#29 ·
clear vision (aim) , flawless planing , enough time frame , quality, rare factor , there is too much stuff and oo maaan this build gonna be tasty

the pod looks great , my version of pod is fabricating a frame that holds the gauges into the gps outer frame so i can flip it open for a WOW factor

best of luck dude , keep us updated
 
#30 ·
LOL thanks yes this build will be very tasty, now that I have been driving it around for a while, I must say that it is very nimble in the handeling and its almost effortless in moving around, even with a stock 2jz its got enough pep to get in between traffic and around corners. I can only imagine what its going to be like at 600 plus hp. Id definitely agree with you on the rare factor being that its essentially a baby supra, a 4 door supra without the price tag that can destroy gtrs. hell I'm down lets go big or go home.

Thanks again for your support and taking the time to look through my build, if you have any suggestions for anything feel free. Still not sure where to begin with suspension yet. Or wheel setup
 
#31 ·
Just wanted to give you guys and gals an update on the progress of this build, I have finally begun tearing into the car, first real time getting an up close look at the underneath of the car and for it being over 200k and being in the mid west this car like I said before has very little rust minus the normal spot other wise the body it beautiful. Pictures are to follow.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top