Neofate

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys,..

I have just a few normal wear and tear problems on the interior of my 94 LS 400.

First is the leather,.. it is in great condition imo. The only thing that bothers me is it looks a little dry, but moreso it has some lighter 'tones' or lines in it. (not cracks, but like the color needs to be blended).

Here are some pics of what I'm talking about:





So what would you recommend to help that out at all?

Secondly,.. My shift **** has a worn out spot on it,.. I will post a picture, and maybe you guys can give any recommendations for a cheap fix -- Or recommend a replacement of some sort (though I'm hesitant on that, because of the electronics involved in the **** itself)



Lastly in the interior,.. My steering wheel looks like it has worn a good bit:



On the steering wheel, is there anythign besides a cover or a new wheel that would help this? (Doesnt' hurt to ask.. )

-- On the outside my bumber is dull. The rest of the car is nice and shiney,.. but the bumper is very dull. Obviously because of the material. But I'm sure you detail guru's have some ideas on making it look better:

Here is a long shot of the bumper:



And , in particular, a close shot of the worst dull spot:




Any recommendations? I was thinking wash, and wax might shine it up,.. but if you have something better for that material please do tell.

Ok, last question I promise

I have an annoying sticker the previous owner placed on the rear window (yeah on top of the rear defogger..sigh) -- I have always had bad experiences with getting stickers off of glass.. so I am going to post a few shots, and give me your ideas on how best to get it off without ruining my defroster circuit.



And Inside view:





Thats it -- Any of these questions you can answer, or all of them,.. I am eternally grateful

Take it easy,

Guitarman

I'll try to be brief and to the point;

Seats/ leather; Try using some Leatherique Pristine clean and Rejuvenator oil, in that order. Should make a noticeable difference.

Shift ****. About the only option is either a replacement **** from Lexus (n.o.s. or junkyard item search) or an aftermarket ****. You mentioned 'electronics' in the ****? I'm unaware of that issue, but that *might* be a problem for fitting an aftermarket ****. I don't know enough about LS 400s to say.

Steering wheel: Cheap fix? You can buy a color matched leather cover and put it on yourself. Will look much better than what is there. OR, more costly, have an upholstery shop sew one on.

Rear bumper; Sorry to say. that is paint (clearcoat) failure occurring. The whitish blush you see in the one area is a dead giveaway for that. Polish/wax will not help stop it nor hide it. The paint film is so thin it will eventually all turn whitish and start to delaminate eventually. Repaint is the only cure.

Sticker; Hair dryer on high and plastic razor/scraper (don't use a metal one) You can usually peel them away with your finger via the heat of the hair dryer. Any residual glue can be removed with lacquer thinner or Goo Gone.

Good luck, it's a lot to take in, but take one thing at a time and it won't be so overwhelming.

Neofate

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the tips Guitarman -- Well put.

The shift **** I also figure I could get it re-leathered. The leather is sewn on as is.. (although by machine probably). I figured a replacement **** from factory would be insanely expensive. A junkyard, maybe.. I'd have to figure out how to take the **** off easily. The reason I mention electronics because the **** has a button on it. The 'OD' (overdrive) button. So something is running in that **** and down the inside of its shaft I'm sure. If they made a 'thin' cover for that year model **** that would be perfect.

Secondly -- No one likes to hear the only fix is a paint job. But I'll succumb to that advice and still try what I can on it

I think I can make it look a little better. It might be oxidation on the whitish area.. If I gently wash it, clay bar it,.. rinse it.. Then wax it.. It might put a coat of shine on it... (not great but better ) -- If it doesn't help, then at least the wax coat will be protection to prevent further damage. -- I will then consider putting on a coat of clear coat myself on the bumper if I can smooth out the tone with another product I have.

Worst case scenario I can't do any good for it, and its still in "needs some paint" condition.

Thanks,