LS400 black interior transplant? To ambitious?
10-07-13, 08:01 PM
#1
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
LS400 black interior transplant? To ambitious?
I got 98 onyx black with the tan interior, is a black interior swap to ambitious? I want everything, carpet, headliner, pillars, dashboard, door panels, console, seats, etc. I realize there is a lot of parts that will need to be swapped out.
My question is how much will I be looking at to complete this? If I bought every single part from the dealer? Find a donor car in the junkyard? (very unlikely and its probably already stripped).
Has anybody done this and if so how was your experience, how much did you spend, and where did you source the parts?
Or am I just better selling the car and finding one with a black interior?
My interior is in near immaculate shape which I am thankful for but I cant get myself to like or even tolerate the tan. I even thought of stripping my interior to get rid of the tan but that is just bananas and crazy. Thats desperation = nutty thinking.
P.S. I wont paint my interior black....thats not an option.
My question is how much will I be looking at to complete this? If I bought every single part from the dealer? Find a donor car in the junkyard? (very unlikely and its probably already stripped).
Has anybody done this and if so how was your experience, how much did you spend, and where did you source the parts?
Or am I just better selling the car and finding one with a black interior?
My interior is in near immaculate shape which I am thankful for but I cant get myself to like or even tolerate the tan. I even thought of stripping my interior to get rid of the tan but that is just bananas and crazy. Thats desperation = nutty thinking.
P.S. I wont paint my interior black....thats not an option.
Last edited by Jeremiah87; 10-07-13 at 08:08 PM.
10-07-13, 08:14 PM
#3
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
So I do consider this car still having enough "worth" to do an interior swap. But some are telling me its just a major headache and it will cost $$$.
Hmmm the upholstery shop suggestion, so the headliner/pillars can be custom. But will dying the leather be durable? I am really **** and feel bad that the tan color lies beneath and if it scratches/wears off then its gonna show up again. Maybe they can rewrap my seats and door panels? Custom black carpet? Do you think this will cost $5K? I have no idea how much all this will cost but I am guessing thousands? I might be willing to shell out $3K but anymore than that I might just sell the car and find one with a black interior.
I just looked at my interior...there are so many random bits and pieces that are tan....argh.
I like how some cars just have tan seats and door panels....at least on those cars its not so much work to convert. When Lexus said tan interior...they meant it. Even some plastic pieces in here that could have been black are tan ie switches/panels/etc.
10-07-13, 08:36 PM
#5
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Oh hell yeah if my interior was already black, I seriously could just get a set of wheels/tires, suspension, and call it a day. The car already has tint. I would be content with that.
Ill ask around the shops and get a estimate, if its more than $3K ill just consider selling the car then and finding one thats in as good of a condition as mine. Mine is pretty much set minus the color of the interior thats eating me alive.
Ill ask around the shops and get a estimate, if its more than $3K ill just consider selling the car then and finding one thats in as good of a condition as mine. Mine is pretty much set minus the color of the interior thats eating me alive.
10-07-13, 10:20 PM
#6
if you really wanted black interior.. you should've gotten it in the first place.. i don't see a point spending extra money on top of what you got the car for to change the interior color all to black.
save your self from money and time, put the car up for sale, find another one with black interior.
save your self from money and time, put the car up for sale, find another one with black interior.
10-07-13, 10:51 PM
#7
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
if you really wanted black interior.. you should've gotten it in the first place.. i don't see a point spending extra money on top of what you got the car for to change the interior color all to black.
save your self from money and time, put the car up for sale, find another one with black interior.
save your self from money and time, put the car up for sale, find another one with black interior.
I can see one swapping to black interior if the car only came with tan...for example the Rsx Type S (PWP aka premium white pearl) only came with a tan interior. And I know a friend who will only own a white car and he was set on the RSX-S but the fact it came with tan was gonna be an issue.
He either could purchase a RSX with a black interior and paint the car white or pick up a white RSX and swap the interior to black. He chose the latter after I convinced him that a proper paint job is more $$$ and critical than swapping to black interior.
I actually tried selling the car via craigslist, autotrader (ad still up) and the old fashioned way with for sale signs posted on the car windows. I feel like nobody wants the car due to the tan interior but then again maybe its just me expecting to sell a car within the first week. It was that easy with my Civic.Integra, and Miata. Seems to me the LS400 only appeals to old people, VIP enthusiasts, or those who "know" its a great car. Most others just see an old big luxury Jap car.
P.S. Is black interior rare? I do see em every now and then but it seems most LS400s came with tan or grey. The grey isnt as offending and I can tolerate it but black is best.
Also I see black interior in the black and silver LS400s....did the white LS400 ever come with black? I seen white with grey interior but never black.
Last edited by Jeremiah87; 10-07-13 at 10:55 PM.
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10-08-13, 12:23 AM
#8
If you do go through with the dying of the seats and such, try look into BMW Cinnamon/Black (how you decide to combo it is up to you). Gives the LS a more modern and, in some cases, sporty look to it.
Check out the pics in this thread
In theory, you can pull the entire interior - carpet and all - and do it yourself, provided you had a donor interior and/or dye everywhere.
Check out the pics in this thread
In theory, you can pull the entire interior - carpet and all - and do it yourself, provided you had a donor interior and/or dye everywhere.
10-08-13, 01:42 AM
#9
Is this the making of a show car or just to satisfy a want for black interior? If just to have the color and nothing else, this is hugely inefficient use of your $ and time. As they say, buy it right the first time. This is pretty much gutting the interior and that's a pretty big job but with a show car, this is the time to do all kinds of other electronic add-on's and audio.
If the interior is good, I'd leave it. Black will show wear as the dye becomes worn and IMO looks much worse than the ivory. All leather requires due care but that said, I'd pick ivory-tan over black. Then you have the dash pad, seat belts, steering wheel and other plastic bits, you can easily blow more than $3K.
Sell the car or keep it and move to a different area to spend $ on.
If the interior is good, I'd leave it. Black will show wear as the dye becomes worn and IMO looks much worse than the ivory. All leather requires due care but that said, I'd pick ivory-tan over black. Then you have the dash pad, seat belts, steering wheel and other plastic bits, you can easily blow more than $3K.
Sell the car or keep it and move to a different area to spend $ on.
Last edited by RA40; 10-08-13 at 01:46 AM.
10-08-13, 01:46 AM
#10
Lexus Champion
10-08-13, 05:41 AM
#11
Is this the making of a show car or just to satisfy a want for black interior? If just to have the color and nothing else, this is hugely inefficient use of your $ and time. As they say, buy it right the first time. This is pretty much gutting the interior and that's a pretty big job but with a show car, this is the time to do all kinds of other electronic add-on's and audio.
If the interior is good, I'd leave it. Black will show wear as the dye becomes worn and IMO looks much worse than the ivory. All leather requires due care but that said, I'd pick ivory-tan over black. Then you have the dash pad, seat belts, steering wheel and other plastic bits, you can easily blow more than $3K.
Sell the car or keep it and move to a different area to spend $ on.
If the interior is good, I'd leave it. Black will show wear as the dye becomes worn and IMO looks much worse than the ivory. All leather requires due care but that said, I'd pick ivory-tan over black. Then you have the dash pad, seat belts, steering wheel and other plastic bits, you can easily blow more than $3K.
Sell the car or keep it and move to a different area to spend $ on.
10-08-13, 06:03 AM
#13
Oh hell yeah if my interior was already black, I seriously could just get a set of wheels/tires, suspension, and call it a day. The car already has tint. I would be content with that.
Ill ask around the shops and get a estimate, if its more than $3K ill just consider selling the car then and finding one thats in as good of a condition as mine. Mine is pretty much set minus the color of the interior thats eating me alive.
Ill ask around the shops and get a estimate, if its more than $3K ill just consider selling the car then and finding one thats in as good of a condition as mine. Mine is pretty much set minus the color of the interior thats eating me alive.
10-08-13, 06:48 AM
#14
Pole Position
I would sell the car you have, take that cash plus the 3K you were gonna spend on the interior, and buy a much better LS400 with black interior.
Changing the whole interior is not a good idea. Way too many little pieces. Plus, you know, something wont fit right and you might be upset with the outcome.
10-08-13, 06:56 AM
#15
Hey... the black will get just as dirty as the tan over time... you just can't see it... not sure that is what I'd want.
Do you think the black is going to get 'cleaner' than the tan?
Sell the car and start over and get what you want... you do the deal you wanted, but not the car...that was the choice you made a the time. We all learn from our mistakes... don't make another mistake by making this car something it wasn't...
You'll be much happier if you would buy what you really wanted...no matter what the price. That is the lesson you just learned here. Apply that and move on. In the end, you'll be happier.
Do you think the black is going to get 'cleaner' than the tan?
Sell the car and start over and get what you want... you do the deal you wanted, but not the car...that was the choice you made a the time. We all learn from our mistakes... don't make another mistake by making this car something it wasn't...
You'll be much happier if you would buy what you really wanted...no matter what the price. That is the lesson you just learned here. Apply that and move on. In the end, you'll be happier.