Chris Napp loves drifting. In 2019 he set out to build a cheap drift car using a 2004 Lexus IS300. The plans were simple; only modify the suspension. Chris drove the car like this until 2022. But eventually Chris wanted more power and decided to upgrade the factory 3.0 L 2JZ inline-six into making 480 hp (353 kW) and 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. The motor served him well for a budget build. However Chris made the mistake of not bleeding the cooling system after working on the car. The result was a blown gasket and hurt engine.
Chris had a decision to make. Does he rebuild the engine and upgrade the cooling system? Or does he go with a naturally aspriated motor that would make less power and thus work better with the coolant system. Less power would save money in tire usage and not needing a turbocharger. Chris being a Toyota fan, settled on swapping a 3UZ-FE V8. These engines are dependable and cheap to replace. They produce 304 hp (223 kW) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque. Chris improved the car’s power-to-weight by stripping out 650-750 lbs.
The 3UZ V8 is flanked by a set of custom exhaust headers by D Weldz Fabrication. Sunoco E85-R fuel is fed to the motor through Southbay 850 cc injectors from a Radium 10-gallon fuel cell with internal surge tank. Everything is controlled by a Link Extreme G4X ECU. Behind the motor is a PMC Motorsport adapter plate and clutch which leads to a BMW GS6-53DZ manual transmission. An 4-inch aluminum driveshaft created by Mr Driveshaft in New Jersey sends power to a Bulldog independent quick-change rear end. On each end of the differential are Mk4 Supra TT / JZX100 axles with adapters made by Freedom Motorsports in Exton, Pennsylvania.
The car rides on a set of Feal 441.5 adjustable coilovers and uses a FDF Mega Mantis angle kit. Chris swapped the factory power steering for an ePowerSteering electric power steering kit. Braking is handled by Nissan 350Z front disc brakes and Wilwood rear disc brakes. For tires Chris typically goes with Valino 08c 235/40-18 tires in front and 235/35-18 or 265/35-18 tires in back.
Chris’ hard work has paid dividends. The IS300 is very competitive in Etown Gambler drifting series and the Grassroots small-tire drifting series. You can watch Chris and his father Mike Napp demonstrate their skills at Adam LZ’s Drift HQ in the video below.