Ask anyone you know about being different and the majority of the time they will say it’s normal to be different, because no two people are alike. The reality of that statement is that there are certainly a lot more than two people who are all trying to do the same thing, look the same, talk the same, walk the same, often times it will be omitted as human nature and the subconscious mind. However, every now and then, we see someone or something that completely blows our mind. Kevin Pedraza’s 2001 GS430, fits into that category excellently.
Photos & Video By: Jon Tran & Jared Bedrejo exclusively for StanceNation.com
Not every car starts out as someone’s dream car, as a matter of fact Kevin says he hated his car when it was passed down to him back in high school. Understandable seeing how most high school students will be expecting that perfect stallion on their sixteenth birthday, maybe not their older brother’s new millennium family sedan. Regardless of the factory nature of his Lexus, Kevin turned this car into a masterpiece that looks unlike any other GS I have ever seen.
Along with a great car, comes a great suspension that is capable of doing exactly what the owner wants it to. In this case, Kevin opted for AirRunner air suspension, mated with Studio rear upper control arms, Figs toe links, and Auto Fashion RCA’s all to bring this beauty down to Earth with proper alignment specifications. Proper to us that is, seeing as most people who so much as glance at Kevin’s car often tend to lean toward the word “broken”. This Lexus is dialed in and fitting exactly how Kevin had always imagined, the suspension gives him the capability to drive this car as close to the ground as physically possible, while still being able to eliminate that extra half an inch when he arrives at his destination.
The first aspect this car graces you with as you make your way across it’s aggressive lines is the body work. The body work on this car is beautifully done and adds the necessary body lines to clear the massive wheels perfectly. Kevin’s GS is tucking a set of Volk Le-37 that have been rebarreled into custom 2-piece 19×10 -8 and 19×11-12 powder coated cocaine white. As always, insane offsets call for insane amounts of work to get the wheels to fit as they do. Generally speaking, when you have to widen your fenders much more than a mild pull to get the wheels to fit they never turn out looking too well. Kevin’s GS is no different, trying to run such aggressive wheels he chopped the fenders to shreds which required the body work you see before you.
There are always way more aspects to any car than simply suspension and wheels. In fact, that is one of the things Kevin has grown to love about his GS, that the majority of other GS’s out there do not have the same mods that he does. That is really what will set any build apart from the masses, finding parts on a car that not everyone can acquire really helps express the individuality and the character of not only the car but the owner.
Kevin’s GS is sporting a TTE front lip to not only add a nice subtle line to the front of the car, but to bring the front end just a tad bit closer to the pavement. He also got his hands on a K-Break grille to eliminate the Lexus “L” emblem and to bring the front end together. Another on the list of things not a lot of others have would be the chrome door handles and the chrome trunk bar, personally i love chrome accents, it just gives the car a nice, classy, complete look with the contrast from the chrome rather than a solid blob of color.
Most people would fail to notice the JDM side markers fitted behind the front wheel as it should have been OE, but the American market obviously didn’t have room to incorporate such a feature.
Majority of the time you tell someone you put money into your car they are quick to ask what kind of power it puts out, as if every car built was a pure bred race car. While most of us have realized there are a lot better things in life than driving three times the posted speed limit and revving at stop lights, other more closed minded people do not understand what else can be done to a car. For instance, looking at such a beauty when you walk out of your front door in the morning, Kevin’s only “performance” mods include an SRT intake, a piggy back ECU chip, and a custom quad tip exhaust. The GS430 is no stranger to being the first off the line at a stoplight, however, with a factory 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds this car gets down while it gets down. The exhaust looks great, it fills up the stock bumper cutouts with perfection and gives that aggressive yet tasteful Japanese origin.
With new Gs’s popping up almost every day, we can understand why Kevin didn’t want to go for the run of the mill look. Being different does not always mean you have to go out of your way, color your hair, or paint your nails, but rather express yourself as truly and honestly as you possibly can. In the car scene today, it’s nothing new to go to an event and see 100 of the same cars, but even if it isn’t said up front, there is always that one car that stands out from the pack, in my opinion Kevin’s GS would be that car.
You may have noticed the “LIBERTY” plate displayed in Kevin’s windshield, while it adds a touch of class it means more than that. Kevin is a member of LIBERTY VIP a “car club” of sorts that prides themselves on quality, class, and absolutely stunning cars. They have a ton of respect for the scene as a whole, even have members across the globe with jaw dropping cars, seeing any Liberty cars in person is nearly a life changing experience.
We can’t wait to see what Kevin has in store for us next, he says he has had a lip kit that he is waiting to put on and of course another set of wheels. What ever he ends up doing rest assured it will be incredibly dope!
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[toggle_item title=”Wheels/Tires/Suspension” active=”true”]Custom Rebarrled two piece Le-37
19×10 -8
19×11 -12
Airrunner Suspension
Studio rear upper control arms
Figs toe links
Auto fashion rcas
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[toggle_item title=”Exterior” active=”false”]Custom wide body
Tte lip
Kbreak grill
Chrome door handles/ trunk bar
Custom quad exhaust
Jdm side markers
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