Mariano Bucaoto has been in the car scene since he was a little kid. Prior to owning a 2001 Lexus IS300, his previous builds included a 1995 Honda Civic and 2006 Toyota Tacoma. He bought the IS300 in San Diego, CA after returning from his deployment to Iraq. "I always saw the Altezza in car magazines," he states, "and I really loved the car!" He didn't start modifying the IS300 until two years later upon returning from another deployment to Afghanistan.

Owner: Mariano Bucaoto
Location: Menifee, CA
Vehicle: 2001 Lexus IS300
Horsepower: 232
Club: NvUS

SOCIAL
Facebook: Mariano Buck Bucaoto
Instagram: @buck_is300

Photography by Gabriele Laguna (@gabedot86), @akuma_zf1

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

• 2JZ-GE 3.0L


• Swift Racing Technology Intake


• Swift Racing Technology Air Filter

• Swift Racing Technology ECU

• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber wrapped air intake inlet duct
• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber wrapped timing cover

• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber wrapped engine cover


• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber wrapped ECU Cover


• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber radiator cooling plate

EXHAUST

• HKS HiPower Exhaust

PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS

• Swift Rarcing Technology ECU

DRIVETRAIN

• RWD 5 speed automatic

WHEELS & TIRES

• Work VSKF wheels - 18x10.5


• 5" Triple chrome outter barrels
• 5.5" Inner barrel, powder-coated gloss black
• Custom Candy Red faces


• Threepiece.us Red/Gold Work VS Center Caps


• Polished hardware
• VMS Racing black lug nuts
• VMS Racing red True Truck Spikes


• Federal 595 tires - 225/35/18



BRAKES

• R1Concepts Cross-Drilled & Slotted Rotors (f/r)
• R1 Concepts brake pads


• Custom Red painted front and rear calipers

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Airlift Performance front air struts


• Airlift Performance rear air struts


• Airlift Performance 3P management
• Airlift Performance 5 Gallon Aluminium tank


• VIAIR 444c compressors (2)
• Area 51 strut bar


• FIGS Engineering caster arm polyurethane bushings
• FIGS engineering front lower arm polyurethane bushings

EXTERIOR

• BN Sports front bumper


• BN Sports side skirts


• JDM Toyota Altezza rear bumper


• JDM Toyota Altezza TRD rear lip


• JDM Toyota Altezza fenders

• JDM Toyota Altezza front fender side markers


• JDM Toyota Altezza power folding mirrors


• Honeycomb Carbon Fiber mirror covers


• JDM Toyota Altezza dark chrome 3 bar grill


• JDM Toyota Altezza TRD carbon fiber spoiler


• JDM Toyota Altezza black housing headlights


• JDM Toyota Altezza yellow fog lights


• JDM Toyota Altezza window visors


• HIC rear window visor


• MMSports black housing taillights


• Clear inner trunk taillights
• F1 Style third brake light


• NRG 69" carbon fiber wing


• Aerowolf wing endplates


• Aerowolf double fin canards


• Aerowolf single fin canards


• Custom pearl white wrap


• Custom license plate "U J3LLY"

LIGHTING

• 55w 8k HIDs


• LED tail light turn signals, brake light and reverse light bulbs


• LED strobe inner trunk tail light bulbs


• Custom galaxy roof liner with 450 fiber optics


• LED interior light bulbs


• OPT7 LED interior dancing LEDs
• OPT7 LED underglow

INTERIOR

• Cusco 6 point roll cage
• Cusco harness bar

• Red Bride Gias LowMax with Kevlar back driver seat


• Red Bride Gias LowMax with Kevlar back passenger seat


• Black Takata Drift 2 racing harnesses


• Red Bride shift boot


• Red Bride Arm rest


• Red Bride door panel upholstery
• Red Bride reupholstered rear seat with custom notched to fit roll cage
• Red Bride Custom front floor mats

• Red Bride Custom rear floor mats


• Red Bride Custom front seat neck pillows

• Carbon Fiber wrapped door switches


• Gold platted shift knob


• Custom LED interior lights


• Custom Galaxy headliner


• Clear lens LED courtesy door lights


• Custom Honeycomb Carbon Fiber A, B, C pillar


• Carbon Fiber TRD gauge cluster wrap


• Custom White dash LEDs


• Custom painted Blue gauge needles


• Custom LEDs floor lights


• NRG Short Hub


• NRG 4.0 Gen red quick disconnect
• Grip Royal 330mm SI Red steering wheel


• We Are Likewise Death Grip shift knob

AUDIO & MULTIMEDIA

• 7" Pioneer double-din head-unit


• Alpine 6.5" front speakers


• Alpine 6x9 rear speakers


• 10" subwoofers

 (2)
• Power Acoustik 1600w amp


• MTX Thunder 850w amp

FAVORITE MODIFICATION

"Bags - I can drive low and park even lower!"

FUTURE MODIFICATIONS

• 1JZ engine swap

SPONSORS

• Airlift Performance
• Voodoo


• Mishimoto


• AP Upholstery
• Grip Royal


• Bumpboxx.SoCal

SHOPS & MECHANICS

• Albert at AP Upholstery
• Tim at Kenji Garage
• 

Lee at BBC86


• Scott at Grip Royal


• Les at bumpboxx-SoCal

COMPETITION EVENTS, CLASSES & AWARDS

• HIN San Pedro - Top 100
• 

EAF San Diego - 2nd Best Lexus