Snapped some quick pictures in the middle of the teardown to put what I could back to stock. This was during the months of September-October 2020,

Removed and put back to stock parts in these pictures:

• TRD yellow sway bars
• BC racing 24k/12k extreme low coilovers
• FIGS Big brake kit
• Manzo catback exhaust
• Dezod green headers
• SRT intake
• Custom projector retrofit head lights and all custom wiring
• DiodeDynamics yellow SLF fog light LED bulbs
• BajaDesigns XL80 LED driving spot lights and all custom wiring
• Carbon fiber vented chargespeed hood
• Work and XXR wheels

Parts removed and put back to stock after these pics were taken:

• Modellista LED powerfolding mirrors and all custom wiring
• Infinite baffle subwoofer and amplifier and all custom wiring
• Double-din GPS head unit stereo and all custom wiring
• Brake light flasher
• LED SmartTap flasher relay
• F-sport blue-stitched carbon fiber shift knob
• Clear dome light lens
• RMM side skirts
• TTE rear lip

Everything else was left on the car because I either didn't want to keep or sell it, or I didn't have a stock part to put back.

 

Finally continuing this lol

October 20, 2020, car was all ready to go. Put back together and sold to someone very local/near/close to me for $1k. He didn't even want me to wash it. It was definitely very nice to meet someone so excited and enthusiastic about the car, someone who will carry on the passion and energy that I once had for it. He plans to boost it and fix it up, he has a shop and all the tools needed to continue the car once it was too far gone for me. He loaded it up on a trailer and took it away the same day, no hassle at all. I couldn't have asked for a better smoother transaction! He wishes to remain anonymous, but perhaps one day, we'll see the car again

 

 

There it goes! And I never saw it again. What a relief. It was nice having it!

 

👋

 

Last picture I took of the car before the end

And this picture shows why I finally "snapped" with it (forgot to post it before). All of that work I did to replace the timing belt and all of the seals, and the leaking oil was no better. Either I did something wrong, or it's the only other seal left to replace. The rear main seal. But, the person who bought the car said he was going to manual-swap the transmission, so he can take care of that.

Bad car. lol.

So yeah, oil leak, rear end smash, A/C problems all day. I had replaced all of the A/C system except for the expansion valve because I didn't want to have to rip everything apart to replace it. I even had the dash off, but it was still too far down in for me to deal with. But later, I realized that it can be replaced just from looking up at the pedals, and replaced without removing any parts. Oh well. Not to mention other areas of rust, and lots of vibrations as the suspension was falling apart and needing a full rebuild. I should have replaced the car years ago when I smashed off the front end (the car has been "totalled" many times) but I really did my best to keep going with this thing and not give up. I loved the car until the end, and really, I still do, so I'm just really glad someone else better than me has it now and will take care of it better than just a random dude with a little garage can do by himself. It's been a fun almost 10 years, that's for sure! But now I've retired from this life and will enjoy other things. I also still enjoy seeing other people building these cars (from the comfort of my PC lol) and can answer questions and stuff. So I stick around, just like I still stick around for my previous car community (the Corolla). Now, both of my cars have been towed out of here down the same driveway. I definitely drive my cars until there's not much left of them! I hope my thread and posts can help others in the future.

 

Thanks for writting this up, cool end of story for your IS300's build/ownership. Your build have been super fun to follow and your participation on the forums are super helpful too.

I also sometimes think I should get rid of mine but now I'm putting money and time on a suspension refresh so I'm gonna keep it for a little more while at least lol. I think...

 

New owner will be happy

 

oh man I am sad

 

The end for me is the beginning for someone else! The car lives on

 

So here is the car I got to replace the IS300. As I mentioned previously, it's a 2016 Lexus CT200h F-sport with only 29k miles, Ultrasonic Blue Mica with Obsidian Black roof, and navigation package. Not quite fully loaded (no LED head lights, parking sensors, seat memory, or adaptive cruise control), but good enough for me.

Back when the IS300 got smashed in the back in December 2018 and then it was totalled in early 2019, I thought that would be the end of the car, so I thought about what to replace it. While we didn't end up totalling out the IS300, I had decided already that I wanted a hatchback for my next car.

I came from Toyota Corolla, so when I saw that there was a new Toyota Corolla Hatchback offered in bright blue, I knew I wanted it. I thought it would be nice to have a brand new car so that I wouldn't have to deal with the unknowns of buying a used car. This way, I could just keep it clean from the start, and I'd know everything that happened to it. But after enough researching and going back and forth, I decided that I didn't want to spend 30k on a Corolla for crying out loud. The final blow for me was realizing that the sporty hatchback didn't even come with a sunroof. Dealbreaker!

So I looked around for something I could get with that same $30k and remembered about the long-forgotten (not that I ever really knew about it) Lexus CT200h. I had seen it one time or another when I had just randomly looked for blue used cars around $10k for fun once, but then forgot about it. I hardly ever see them. Even since rediscovering them a year ago, I have seen only 2 or 3 on the road.

The more I looked into it, the more I appreciated it. Coming out of the IS300, I definitely wanted something good on gas. The new Corolla has good MPG, but the CT200h is a hybrid with over 40MPG, double what the IS300 gets. Plus, it's one of the only Lexus to use NON premium gas! While I never complained about the gas guzzling nature of the IS300 (since I can afford it), it just would have been nice to have the power to go with that 20-cents-per-mile 3.0L. If I'm going to have a slow car, I might as well get good MPG and use cheap gas. Well, the CT200h fits that alright, as it's quite slow on paper.

But the CT200h had everything else I wanted as well. It's the ideal blue color with the sweet black roof, so I wouldn't feel tempted to try and put on a carbon fiber hood or something for the same blue/black look. Check! It also already comes with 17" sport gunmetal wheels similar to what I put on the IS300. Check! The F-sports already have sport suspension installed, so I wouldn't be tempted to mess with that. Check! The CT with navigation package already comes with a subwoofer, GPS, and all the bells & whistles I need in an entertainment/audio system, so no need to mess with that headache like on the IS300. The list goes on. Lots of cargo space, FOLD DOWN rear seats LOL. Full black interior, including the headliner. Nice lighting too... but unlike the new Corolla, where every single light was already built-in LED, the CT200h still uses all the old yellow bulbs inside and out (except DRL and brakes) so that meant that I would be able to upgrade the lights all to my style. This is the one thing I still care to put effort into customizing.

The IS300 was definitely a load of fun for the decade I had it. But as I get older, my life priorities and passions change (so does my energy level lol), and honestly one of the biggest reasons was because I actually met a special person many years ago and that might lead to marriage, and I've found our relationship to be more enjoyable than spending money/time on a car that is just going to break all the time anyway. The IS300 was nice when it worked, but good grief! What a money pit. It's been many years now, I got it looking good and I just wanted it to stay good so I could just enjoy my hard work. But no, it's just one problem after another. And it keeps getting smashed. So it was time to update my car to something that would fit my lifestyle.

I bought the IS300 when I was much younger and interested in spirited driving, customizing cars, being unique on the road, etc. But I've found all of that to really be not worth it. Now, I want to be unnoticed on the road. No special license plates for people to recognize and memorize. No flashy car with lights and mods that attract police attention. No fast looking car that makes other drivers mad to see because they think I'm gonna terrorize the road. After getting nailed with a "reckless driving" misdemeanor for going over 80mph in Virginia on a road trip, I said "enough is enough". I wanted a slow car that would not tempt me at all to drive fast. A quiet car, a chill car. Not something that's going to get the adrenaline going. Besides, around here in Maryland, it's all traffic jams anyway, so there's never any good time to have a nice fast car when there's nowhere to drive freely. And with all the wrecks I've had, I'm just ready to move on with life. It helped a huge ton to change my job, so that I was not working in Baltimore City anymore, and my commute was super easy, chill, relaxed, and short. Much better job, location, commute, coworkers, etc. No more "in a hurry to get away from work and to get home". No more aggression and stress to come out when driving.

I was afraid that the CT200h would be TOO slow, but after enough research from owners, it seemed like the perfect fit. I was using my IS300 to carry around all sorts of home improvement and garden supplies, so the hatchback was perfect for my other hobbies and life needs. Plus, in my eyes, every style of car has a different standard to me about what looks good. For example, I wouldn't apply the same standard of what looks "good" to a car and a truck. But even different cars have different standards. 4door, 2door, big, small, etc all has different standards of what I think would look good. So, I moved on from a sedan to a hatchback to escape the bodystyle where I was tempted to slam it with aggressive wheels and lip kits to make it look "good". Rather, the hatchback looks good just how it is. Yeah, sure you can mod it, but on its own, it just looks good. No need to lower it or throw out the wheels wide or drop the body with lip kits. Hatchbacks already have a sporty style compared to sedans, and the CT200h is no exception with the spoiler and all around design. Definitely no need for body/lip kits on this, it's already all built in and nice. The bumpers already have the dark gunmetal accents. The F-sport grille (take it or leave it) is still "in style" and is plenty on this car lol. And I eventually determined that the blue color of the new Corolla was just too bright, too "boy racer" and flashy, but the CT200h blue ended up being perfect.

But at the end of the day, it's still just a stock hybrid hatchback. It's not supposed to be flashy or neck-breaking or attention grabbing. I just want to drive and mind my own business and have everyone else mind theirs. The world is getting crazier and crazier LOL, the last thing I need anymore is attention. The hybrid nature wins here too, because it's super quiet, even silent when driving, thanks to having the engine switch off. No more loud exhaust noises in the neighborhood at the crack of dawn or late at night. Now I can put the car in full electric mode and creep to/from the house silently. It's actually fun lol. Plus, this way, there's no droning exhaust noises to give headaches, and no more exhaust smells in the car constantly from aftermarket exhausts and removed cats.

The car is definitely different though. The sound system is fine enough, the sub could use some more umpf, but again, I'm not trying to have everyone hear my music anymore. The CT has smaller windows all around, which make it look nice from the outside, but give less visibility inside and make it feel more cramped when trying to see behind or over the hood. Nothing I can't get used to though. The car already has the F-sport suspension, which doesn't lower the car, but definitely gives the super firm, grippy, and attached feeling I still love. Corners are surprisingly easy in this car, it will take anything you throw at it without missing a beat. I'm definitely not worried about spinning out in this thing because I don't have super stiff coilovers and swaybars anymore. I could upgrade the CT suspension even further (which would also lower it) but there is definitely no need for that. Plus, lowering the car might make it look weird and "squat" since a taller body style would naturally require greater wheel gaps and ground clearance to still look proportional. The wheels are nice, though I think 18" would look better. I might put some wheel spacers on if I care, but probably not. I might go up a size taller on the tires when they need to be replaced (still new) for more beef and ground clearance and height (it would make the speedometer more accurate too for some reason).

As I mentioned in my previous post, the main reason I changed cars (or rather, the last straw) was the leaking oil. I didn't want to be making mess everywhere I went. But the problem was that covid lockdowns and quarantines happened starting in early March 2020, so I was unable to leave the house and go out to do anything. As businesses re-opened after getting used to the new normal for Covid, I was still unable to leave the house due to being in a huge family with health risks. Fortunately, I'm able to work from home, and all shopping is delivered to us. So, it's a sweet deal. But how could I buy a car without leaving the house?

Well, I did lol. I just got bored of sitting around and waiting for covid to end before getting a new car, because I realized that this pandemic provided me the perfect opportunity to change my car. It gave me so much extra free time and energy, that I could actually take the year to de-mod the IS300 and sell the parts. I wouldn't have that much free time/energy normally. Plus, since I had all this downtime when I'm not driving at all, it was the perfect time to transition from driving one car to another. To "forget" how the old car drove, and then "learn" the new one. So it's not as jarring of a transition to go from driving the modified IS300 to the stock CT200h. I haven't driven in so long lol, I don't even care what I drive, just driving at all will be nice one day. I certainly don't remember how the IS felt, I don't miss it.

So, I popped online and saw 2 blue CT200h F-sports for sale on my side of the country. One of them didn't really work out; things were a bit fishy trying to buy from so many states away. But the CT I bought was just one state over, and the dealership had locations all over my state as well. So, they simply moved the car to the dealership nearest me, and we worked from there. But, because of my situation, I still was not able to visit the car, take a look, or test drive it. In fact, I had never actually even seen a CT200h before in person (other than for half a second going the other way on the highway) , much less driven one. But that didn't stop me. I had my mind made up, and the dealership slowly worked with me and my needs. Eventually, they drove the car over in August 2020 and all the magic happened right in my driveway. So, I bought this car sight unseen, never having seen it, driven it, smelled it, or sat in it. But it worked out perfectly! So that was a relief, to the glory of God for sure lol. What a blessing that was in this day and age.

It's a thrill to have a car, unmodified, no rust, only 29,000 miles, sitting safe in my garage now still thanks to covid. No need to drive for almost a year now, so the car can stay in good shape and not be driven in the winter, snow, and salt this winter. While all the other cars being driven are aging, mine is sitting pretty as a time capsule in the garage. It's rather silly though, since I bought this car cash (over $20k) without ever knowing if I'll drive it or have a need for a car. But, it's still great to have, especially as a hybrid and hatchback, so that with whatever life brings next after covid, I'm ready.

But I have driven it a couple of times. I did drive it once for a few minutes less than a week after buying it, just to make sure I wanted to keep it, and it was great. Took it out again to drop of voting ballots in November and then again to the MVA to return the "MEWTWO" plates from the IS300 after it sold in the fall. Like I mentioned, the suspension on this car is easily equal to what I had on the IS300, so that's a pleasure. But it's so smooth and quiet inside, it's a joy. I'm just so over and done with the lowered slammed camber life, burning through tires for no reason and having rough rides and wheel vibrations all the time endlessly. I'm ready to just have a stock car and leave it alone! Though, I do already have a pile of parts waiting installation when it warms up. I bought all the LED lights during Black Friday sales (rear lower reflectors, all interior & exterior lights, head light retrofit parts, new mirror glass). So that's exciting.

So then, is the car slow? Yes... but actually no. The car has several driving modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, E/V), sort of like how the IS300 has Snow, Normal, and Power modes. I always drove the IS300 in Power, though I never really could tell if it was any different than Normal, though Snow was definitely good for rain/snow. While the CT200h is definitely a lot less than the 200hp of the IS, it does have the electric motor to back up the engine for extra torque, power, and umpf. I haven't really had enough time or experience to figure out all the ways the CT200h drives, but I have found that leaving it in Normal mode is perfectly fine and suits my relaxed driving style perfectly. Eco mode definitely makes me have to fight the pedal for power. But surprisingly, as soon as I put it in Sport mode, the car drove exactly like the IS300 did when modified! What a surprise. The CT200h was definitely ripping it off the line and around corners and I was shocked and hugely impressed that my slow car was easily as fast/fun as the IS300, at least at lower runaround speeds. It's exactly what I want and expect.

So, so far, first impressions with the thing are perfect, and I'm very happy with the car. I don't miss the IS300 at all! I still enjoy seeing them around every once in a while, and of course, what other people are doing online with them. One of the huge reasons I went with the CT200h over other options is because there's basically ZERO "community" around the CT200h. Almost nobody mods them. There are parts available, but why put a super nice exhaust on a hybrid CVT? lol. It already has what it needs. And since almost nobody is modding them, there's no sense of "competition" or need to mod mine like there was with the IS300. It was always annoying when people would tell me "so when are you gonna boost it". That's how I knew I had the wrong car, because apparently my car wasn't just my car. I had not considered the community of the car when I bought it. Though to be fair, it has changed over the past decade. I'm glad I didn't get the Corolla Hatchback, because as I expected, the community for that car has exploded. No thanks, I'm not about that life. I don't post on social media or go to car shows or meets. I don't need other people having an opinion on my car or what I do with it lol. I just like being helpful and inspiring other people with my unique build style. But at the end of the day, it's my car, and I just want to be left alone. That's why it took so long to even update/post about this online, because I'm just not socially motivated, and definitely want to learn more before I just dive in. Covid has allowed plenty of time to get familiar with the car before driving it and modding, but really, I'm just happy to have it in my garage.

Thanks again for everyone who participated in this thread over the years!

 

said a lot of words

Can you elaborate on that....?

I like the new car though, am wondering how you are finding the economy and power mix with the hybrid?

 

idk dude, I think you should lower it. 😎

 

Yeah these cars do look fantastic with just bigger wheels and a drop. But, the car doesn't really have the power and sound to complete the package, so it just seems a bit silly to me. But, we'll see how it goes over the coming years with other things in life first!

Can you elaborate on that....?

I like the new car though, am wondering how you are finding the economy and power mix with the hybrid?

haha, well a huge decade-long thread deserved a good lengthy send off post. But like I said in the post, I haven't actually driven it seriously yet. I filled up the IS300 last time I was out, and then sold it undriven since. Haven't had to put any gas in the new car either, because I don't drive anymore. However, when the car is in sport mode, the car is easily as quick/zippy as the IS300, if not more. I was very impressed. And I'm absolutely sure that the MPG I get in any mode will be better than the IS300 haha.

 

Don’t need power to lower a car. Look at my Nissan “bought my baby back.” It still has a stock engine that makes 155hp. I get where you’re coming from though. It’s nice just driving a stock car. Nice and smooth. 👌🏽

 

Sadly i am at that point in life as well where its starting to feel like more a hassle than its worth. I keep reading about the turbo kits you guys are putting on and that gets me all exciting and thinking what if... but then i remember the baggage that comes along with doing cars like that, its fun dont get me wrong, but i have a lot going on with family and other things and have been trying to simplify my life not complicate it.

 

I can dig it.

 

Some pictures of the IS300 in its former glory alongside the new CT200h replacement, just to get a final feel for how different these cars are. From certain angles, I prefer the looks of one car over the other. Then from other angles, the other car wins. Both are great for what they are, and I'm very happy with both cars. 15 years of difference here.

 

(only 10 pics per post... last two pics spilled over)

 

What'd you do with all the parts you took off before selling? Might be some things I'd be interested in (and others) if you still have it.

 

Well, you can see all the parts I took off, and I've sold some of them. The rest, I still have.

Here is a list of all the parts and prices. I just stopped bothering with it last year when it got cold.

Lexus IS300 Parts For Sale

docs.google.com

Also with covid going on, I'm not able to ship much. So, everything is local pickup only in MD for now.

@TobiasSing the hoods on the CT look very similar to the IS300.

Indeed, they do

 

@TobiasSing the hoods on the CT look very similar to the IS300.