The Don - Just another Turbo Lexus
Minor update. All that suspension stuff is on the car and it handles like a dream. I can't believe the difference it made. And I can't believe how horribly the car handled on the crap suspension I had on it prior!
A phone pic of how it currently sits:
To do:
Install the new driver's side door lock actuator motor I have sitting on my workbench
Install the RX330 projector retrofit lights I have (need slimmer ballasts due to IC piping being in the way)
Wash the damned car. It's a mess.
Figure out my new wheel setup. I've never really loved these deep dish wheels. Looking to go to something more concave and modern looking.
Lower the front 1/2"
Install the Profec boost VSV and turn it up to 18psi (currently 14.5-ish running off the WG spring)
...not necessarily in that order
Always a work in progress....
A phone pic of how it currently sits:
To do:
Install the new driver's side door lock actuator motor I have sitting on my workbench
Install the RX330 projector retrofit lights I have (need slimmer ballasts due to IC piping being in the way)
Wash the damned car. It's a mess.
Figure out my new wheel setup. I've never really loved these deep dish wheels. Looking to go to something more concave and modern looking.
Lower the front 1/2"
Install the Profec boost VSV and turn it up to 18psi (currently 14.5-ish running off the WG spring)
...not necessarily in that order
Always a work in progress....
I had JeffTsai do the suspension work. I really would rather nobody else touch my car, to be honest. He has earned 100% of my trust and he's a great guy, to boot.
I want something ***slightly*** more aggressive. I also don't like the deep lip. I want concave. I also want a different color.
These were never my first choice. They were just what was available for a reasonable price with new tires on Craigslist when the tires on my OEM wheels were shot.
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Cheap knockoff lip: installed.
Picked up a TTE replica lip for $99 shipped. Here's a cross-post from the thread talking specifically about those lips:
Next up: Install new front fender liners and front under-tray (mine are gone). Lower the front .25" or so. Clean wheel speed sensors to try and eliminate ABS engaging at 2mph every time I stop. All that should be done next weekend.
Picked up a TTE replica lip for $99 shipped. Here's a cross-post from the thread talking specifically about those lips:
Mine arrived in a TORE UP box last week. The box was really damaged and re-taped somewhere in-transit. I took some pics and then opened it up to see what happened to the lip.
Pretty much nothing. It was fine.
The quality of the lip is probably about a 6 or 7 out of 10. I've ordered genuine JDM aftermarket stuff before (for other cars) that is really high quality. This is not that. But for the cost, it's fine.
You have to hack off the 3 tabs on the lip pictured earlier in this thread. They are definitely in the way. Once they're off, you can test fit.
Get your heat gun out. You'll need it.
I highly recommend taking your front bumper off to do this. It makes it so much easier than laying on your back the whole time.
I used some clamps to hold the lip to the bumper and then took note of where the fitment was poor. Then I'd remove the lip, heat up those areas and form them into the shape I wanted while it cooled. It responds very well to this treatment. Bottom line, it's quite easy to bend this thing back into shape to fit your bumper nicely.
Mine only came with 2 self-tapping screws to mount it. I LOL'ed and got my box of fasteners out. I decided to use 4 total self-tapping screws along the bottom and 3M body molding tape along the top/front portion. The lip is not going anywhere without taking the bumper with it, now.
Since my bumper is in really bad condition (highway rash) I decided to DIY the paint.
• Scuff with Scotch Brite
• Clean with prep spray and a clean, lint-free rag
•Prime (1 coat)
•Black Laquer spray (3 coats)
That's it. No wet-sanding or clear coat. It looks good enough for a quick job. I plan on getting the entire front bumper re-sprayed in the spring.
Pretty much nothing. It was fine.
The quality of the lip is probably about a 6 or 7 out of 10. I've ordered genuine JDM aftermarket stuff before (for other cars) that is really high quality. This is not that. But for the cost, it's fine.
You have to hack off the 3 tabs on the lip pictured earlier in this thread. They are definitely in the way. Once they're off, you can test fit.
Get your heat gun out. You'll need it.
I highly recommend taking your front bumper off to do this. It makes it so much easier than laying on your back the whole time.
I used some clamps to hold the lip to the bumper and then took note of where the fitment was poor. Then I'd remove the lip, heat up those areas and form them into the shape I wanted while it cooled. It responds very well to this treatment. Bottom line, it's quite easy to bend this thing back into shape to fit your bumper nicely.
Mine only came with 2 self-tapping screws to mount it. I LOL'ed and got my box of fasteners out. I decided to use 4 total self-tapping screws along the bottom and 3M body molding tape along the top/front portion. The lip is not going anywhere without taking the bumper with it, now.
Since my bumper is in really bad condition (highway rash) I decided to DIY the paint.
• Scuff with Scotch Brite
• Clean with prep spray and a clean, lint-free rag
•Prime (1 coat)
•Black Laquer spray (3 coats)
That's it. No wet-sanding or clear coat. It looks good enough for a quick job. I plan on getting the entire front bumper re-sprayed in the spring.
Last edited by mk2tmr2; Jan 27, 2014 at 10:00 AM.
Update:
2 steps back. About two weeks ago we got some light accumulation of snow here in Dallas. If anyone is aware of how Texans handle snow - it's not pretty. I grew up in New Jersey so I always just shrug it off. I left the house for the gym on a snow-covered morning and all was going perfectly well - until I turned to exit my neighborhood. I turned the wheel but the car went straight...into a curb.
Turns out our neighborhood HOA decided that a 22-degree night was a good time to run the sprinklers on the landscaping at our neighborhood entrance. They flooded the road with water - which turned to ice - and then got snowed on. The ice was invisible under the snow...hiding in wait for unsuspecting northerners who dared leave their home.
Long story short - I ended up bending a wheel. So I got some replacements.
In addition to that (and about a week and a half later) i found out that my new front lip already broke. Not sure if it hit something or of it was just a stress fracture - but one of the mounting points completely broke off. This isn't a huge deal as the break is invisible once installed. But I've removed it for the time being until I can epoxy it on and have the bumper repainted.
On to the new wheels. Brief background: I had grown to dislike the Axis Shine wheels that were on my car. They were never my first choice. When my stock wheels needed new tires I hopped on craigslist and found the Axis wheels with new tires for a really good deal. That's the story of how I got them. I didn't choose them - they chose me. Now that I had a chance to choose my own wheel style this is what I ended up with:
These things come with fairly gaudy center caps and the "klutch" logo engraved on one spoke of each wheel in silver. I hated both of those details. After a little bit of messing around I discovered that my rattle can of "trim paint" is as close to a perfect match for the hue and sheen of the matte black wheel centers as can be hoped for. So a little work with a thin paint brush and about an hour of drying time later, and my centers were blacked out.
During the dry time I managed to actually wash the car....in the dark...which is better than nothing and more effort than I've put into keeping it clean for the better part of 6 months.
Finally, I got to mount them up. They came with hubcentric rings that I didn't use because the ones I already have a) fit them and b) are stuck to the hubs. They also came with black "tuner" lugs for which I was thankful. I still do have one silver lock on each wheel but I don't think that completely botches the appearance.
Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure. Especially here on CL - home of the VIP trend. But I like them. I like them because they have more of a performance look that matches the overall purpose of the car, and my own personality. If you've seen any of my past cars you'll see a theme of "track-ready daily driver" that weaves itself through them all.
I'm considering plasti-dipping the chrome trim on the beltline and around the windows black to see how that looks. I'm also considering making custom "Sport Design" or "F-Sport" decals for one spoke of each wheel. Both of the above are 100% reversible so it's worth playing around with, IMO.
One more thing - I love the ride quality improvement in stepping down to 18" wheels. Feels so much better across the board.
2 steps back. About two weeks ago we got some light accumulation of snow here in Dallas. If anyone is aware of how Texans handle snow - it's not pretty. I grew up in New Jersey so I always just shrug it off. I left the house for the gym on a snow-covered morning and all was going perfectly well - until I turned to exit my neighborhood. I turned the wheel but the car went straight...into a curb.
Turns out our neighborhood HOA decided that a 22-degree night was a good time to run the sprinklers on the landscaping at our neighborhood entrance. They flooded the road with water - which turned to ice - and then got snowed on. The ice was invisible under the snow...hiding in wait for unsuspecting northerners who dared leave their home.
Long story short - I ended up bending a wheel. So I got some replacements.
In addition to that (and about a week and a half later) i found out that my new front lip already broke. Not sure if it hit something or of it was just a stress fracture - but one of the mounting points completely broke off. This isn't a huge deal as the break is invisible once installed. But I've removed it for the time being until I can epoxy it on and have the bumper repainted.
On to the new wheels. Brief background: I had grown to dislike the Axis Shine wheels that were on my car. They were never my first choice. When my stock wheels needed new tires I hopped on craigslist and found the Axis wheels with new tires for a really good deal. That's the story of how I got them. I didn't choose them - they chose me. Now that I had a chance to choose my own wheel style this is what I ended up with:
These things come with fairly gaudy center caps and the "klutch" logo engraved on one spoke of each wheel in silver. I hated both of those details. After a little bit of messing around I discovered that my rattle can of "trim paint" is as close to a perfect match for the hue and sheen of the matte black wheel centers as can be hoped for. So a little work with a thin paint brush and about an hour of drying time later, and my centers were blacked out.
During the dry time I managed to actually wash the car....in the dark...which is better than nothing and more effort than I've put into keeping it clean for the better part of 6 months.
Finally, I got to mount them up. They came with hubcentric rings that I didn't use because the ones I already have a) fit them and b) are stuck to the hubs. They also came with black "tuner" lugs for which I was thankful. I still do have one silver lock on each wheel but I don't think that completely botches the appearance.
Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure. Especially here on CL - home of the VIP trend. But I like them. I like them because they have more of a performance look that matches the overall purpose of the car, and my own personality. If you've seen any of my past cars you'll see a theme of "track-ready daily driver" that weaves itself through them all.
I'm considering plasti-dipping the chrome trim on the beltline and around the windows black to see how that looks. I'm also considering making custom "Sport Design" or "F-Sport" decals for one spoke of each wheel. Both of the above are 100% reversible so it's worth playing around with, IMO.
One more thing - I love the ride quality improvement in stepping down to 18" wheels. Feels so much better across the board.
Here's a quick Photoshop job of some subtle changes I'm thinking of making. Black out the chrome belt line and some custom decals on the spokes. Design of said decals won't be revealed just yet - but it is Lexus GS specific.
