This Lexus IS300 Oozes With Obsessive Detail Work, JDM Vibes

Sep 27, 2023

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Ten years ago, Josh Harada gathered up almost every penny he had in his life savings to pick up this 2004 Lexus IS300 and, admittedly, it wasn't the best deal. Purchased through a Honolulu dealership, it was priced well above market value. Nevertheless, he'd taken the initiative and using his own money at just 17 years-old, was the proud owner of his very first car. The only problem was he couldn't actually drive it home since he didn't have his driver's permit just yet.

Prior to visiting that Lexus dealer, Josh thought about starting out with a classic 240Z and he even took a flight to Kauai to see one in person. More mature than most, he figured that a car that old would mean heading down a long, expensive road. "I realized it wouldn't make a good daily driver, nor could I afford to do a full restomod at that time," he says. "I also wanted an IS250 F Sport, but just couldn't afford it brand new." So, the IS300 made the most sense.

Early on, the Lexus saw various wheel set ups and minor changes and Josh says there's always been one constant with this car, "quality and attention to detail, even unseen details, have always been the priority." That's apparent from afar, but even more so as you close in and take note of the obsessive attention to detail that seamlessly integrates OEM and aftermarket touches in an undeniable clean and crisp fashion.

Taking plenty of inspiration from JDM S-chassis and JZX builds, Josh's style was established early on, and he's spent years chipping away at his vision. "The theme I've always followed for this car is an OEM+ and JDM streetcar style," he adds. "I wanted it to look as if it was plucked off the streets of Japan."

Along the way, Josh fell in love with a classic Z-car build that featured a 2JZ swap fitted with individual throttle bodies built by Daddy Motor Works of Japan. You might recall that we featured the shop's 3-cylinder turbo GR Yaris-powered AE86 during the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Josh states, "I was hooked! After saving up for a couple of years, I contacted Oto-san, owner of Daddy Motor Works, to see if it would be possible to purchase a custom ITB set up." Oto-san agreed, but with one major caveat—he would not be willing to ship them for fear of damage in transit.

A few months after going back and forth with images and measurements via Facebook, Josh got word that his ITB kit was ready and he immediately booked a flight to Japan to pick them up. "It was definitely an experience hand-carrying them from Nagoya to Tokyo, and then on the plane back to Hawaii," he recalls. "I almost didn't make it on the plane since TSA thought it looked like a bomb with all the wires and vacuum lines, lol, never again!"

While that ITB kit was being crafted, countless late night web browsing missions took place with most of them centered on Yahoo Japan's auction pages in search of OEM-optional Altezza parts. Josh says that the parts weren't particularly rare at the time, but finding them brand new, or close to brand new condition proved to be a struggle. His search didn't come up empty, though, and his IS300 shows off a pair of Qualitat Modelista headlights that join an Altezza Legana (TRD NEO V1) front bumper with fog light deletes and a TRD Sports carbon-trimmed upper grill. A set of Altezza Elegant side skirts and a matching rear bumper with lip was also sourced.

In between the infamous IS300 taillights sits a thin Modellista trunk spoiler above the TRD Sports carbon trunk garnish and you'll find a set of East Bear mirrors intended for an S-chassis that were custom fitted to the IS' sides. The profile also reveals Work Equip 05 wheels in 17x9.5 that were custom built by Jordan Mo, aka Sensei.6, using triple chrome faces and center caps with a high luster polish applied to the barrels and lips. Josh mentioned that he and the wheel specialist became friends and he credits Jordan for helping to track down some of the parts currently on the sedan.

Based on the stance and wheel fitment, you were probably expecting air suspension and little else to supplement. In fact, Josh's suspension is based around 326Power coilovers with adjustable top hats and custom Swift springs, and the list of changes runs extremely deep and includes front and rear lower control arms, adjustable upper control arms, adjustable tie rods and rear toe links, an array of polyurethane bushings and more. The underpinnings of the Lexus are brand new thanks to Josh's dedicated attention to detail. Even the subframe itself was removed, thoroughly cleaned up, and carefully refinished.

As good as the suspension upgrades and exterior fit and finish are, it's the engine bay that had everyone talking when the car made its debut in the JZFilth booth at Spocom last year. "In 2019, I decided to finally install the ITBs on my car, which was in pieces as I was in the midst of doing a 5-speed swap that snowballed into refreshing the suspension," he says. "I met Martin Phan at first for just a simple header wrap job after seeing his IG page and quality of work. That quickly turned into a friendship, and he's helped me almost every step of the way, including a custom engine harness to run the ITBs with a Haltech ECU." If the name sounds familiar, we featured Martin's immaculate MkIII Supra last year. Martin's friend, Warren Wong, also lent a hand for the tuning process as he's very familiar with the car's Haltech system.

The ITB kit fit nicely but wasn't going to cooperate with the car's air conditioning—something Josh was adamant about keeping. A solution was presented by Aaron of Precision Fabrication who converted the factory lines to AN and created a new hardline path to clear the induction set up. A Chase Bays brake booster and ABS delete kit afforded even more space on the driver's side and it was during this time that Josh's detail-oriented mindset became a teachable affair. "I taught myself how to wire while redoing the whole harness with a slight tuck," he says. "It took two attempts, not because things didn't work out but because I wasn't satisfied with the way it looked on the first attempt, lol!"

A mix of polished and painted engine components make for a stunning layout and one you wouldn't expect from a Lexus IS, even one with an exterior as well put together as Josh's. It's a unique formula and the clever style is one that's become synonymous with Hawaii's builders who seemingly always have a few tricks up their sleeves and manage to separate themselves from the masses. Josh's original goal of building a highly detailed sedan that would look right at home on the streets of Japan was certainly reached, and for now, after a decade of building and enjoying this Lexus, he says it's up for grabs if a buyer is interested. If not, he says he'll gladly hang on to it and continue to build the engine, go a bit further with the look of the bay, and, of course, figure out a new set of wheels to complete another makeover.

2004 Lexus IS300

Owner Josh Harada

Instagram @joshharada

Engine Xcessive solid motor mounts; Daddy Motor Works AE111 ITB kit; OBX V1 short-tube header; test pipe; Buddy Club Spec II axle back; Radium catch cans w/custom bracket; Vibrant Performance -6 AN fuel lines; Power House Racing pulleys; polished fuel rail cover, hardline crank case vent lines, valve covers; shaved/painted GTE spark plug cover; ARP 12-point hardware; heater delete; AN-converted A/C lines; Chasebays power steering reservoir relocation kit; Koyo radiator; Murray tension hose clamps; Haltech Elite 2000; JZFilth custom engine harness; re-loomed and tucked chassis harness with new OEM connectors

Drivetrain Driftmotion stage 2 clutch, flywheel; Xcessive solid transmission mount; Chasebays steel braided clutch line

Suspension 326Power coil overs w/adjustable top hats, wheel spacers; 50k/20 Swift Majiban springs; Crystal Garage Japan 40mm shortened front spindles; T-Demand 35mm rear control arms; adjustable JZX100 Cusco front upper control arm; Battle Version front tie rods, solid aluminum differential bushings, adjustable rear upper control arms, rear trac and toe links; Hotchkis Performance front sway bar, rear sway bar delete; Super Pro poly front caster arm bushings, front lower control arm bushings, steering rack bushings; PBM solid aluminum rear subframe bushings; Ikeya Formula rear lower control arms; Figs Engineering aluminum rear knuckle bushings

Braking Lexus LS400 front brakes; R1 Concept slotted Geomet rotors, ceramic pads; Chase Bays brake booster and ABS delete; Stoptech steel braided brake lines

Wheels & Tires Work Equip 05 17x9.5 +16 triple chrome faces/center caps, highly polished inner barrels/outer lips - custom built by Sensei6; Federal RS-R 215/40

Exterior Toyota Altezza Legana (TRD NEO V1) front bumper with fog lights deletes, fenders, Elegant side skirts, rear bumper, Elegant rear lip, antenna, Toyota Japan dealership plate; Altezza Modellista trunk spoiler, Evoluer headlights, Qualitat 1C0 tailights; TRD Sports carbon front grill, trunk garnish; custom S13 East Bear side mirrors w/blue glass

Interior TRD Recaro RS-G; Nagisa super low seat rails w/ARP 12-pointe hardware; KEY!S 350mm deep corn leather steering wheel; Works Bell hub; custom Lathe Works weighted titanium shift knob; Toyota Altezza push start, tweeter delete, radio delete; Nismo cigarette lighter

Thank You to my friends and family that helped and motivated me over the last ten years. I would like to extend a special thank you to the following people:

- Jzfilth - Martin Phan, Warren Wong

-Daddy Motor Works - Oto san

-Sensei6 - Jordan Mo

-Fly Garage painting - Andrew Prothe, Jill Crowton

-Streeter Corporation - Jesse Streeter

-Battle Version - Alex Pfeiffer, Lance Kuwana

-Chase Bays - Dustin Williams

-Servco Toyota Parts Department - Ryan Domingo

-Servco Lexus Parts Department - Marvin Mosuela