This actually looks pretty good, but the ride must be horrible.

 

Actually, it rides great....not too much worse than stock, if at all. The key is to get good tires with enough rubber to cushion the ride, then lower it with comfort spec kits. It's so good my wife likes it. That's saying something. Most people use 245-35 profile tires. I always use 245-40, the so-called fat set-up. It makes a difference.

 

Yeah, that soft roof looks kinda sexy on the Lexy, I agree.

Even though I would never buy it...if I were an old fogey and I had a choice between a Caddy or an Olds with a soft roof, or a Lexus with the soft roof, I'm buying the Lexus so I can be the talk of the town at Bingo night.

As for 'class vs. show', here's my 50 cents...

Mike and Reggie had good explanations. And reading their posts had me doing some self-analyzing..."why do I mod my car?"

First, like many of us, I have been fascinated with cars since I was very young...since I got my first matchbox car when I was about 4 years old. I simply love cars, and I love driving them...always have, probably always will.

So, given that, I buy cars to "drive" first. Track time is great....but for me, it's not the absolute raw thrill of speed and handling that I covet most, it's the daily desire of driving a car that makes the journey to ANY destination memorable and pleasant.

And building a "show car" is really not in my blood, or budget. I'm really not a car show person anyway...I lose interest quickly even while walking around.

Therefore, I want the car I drive to ride nicely, handle fairly well, be fast enough for me to get a momentary thrill, and have a nice enough stereo to enjoy the many types of music I listen to. Oh, and it must be RELIABLE, because I don't want to ever NOT drive my car for the sole purpose of decreasing the miles. Miles, schmiles....I know I'm going to take care of the car, and I'm probably never going to sell it (until it dies), so it's gotta 'run like a thoroughbred' without drama.

Do I want it to look nice too? Hell yeah!

But with a caveat...I want the car to remain classy, but be special. I want my car to stand out, but my mods to blend in...which sounds quite strange, but it's truly my goal. I don't want my car overdone, just done "right". Bluelex's is the best example I can think of, though there are plenty of others in CL. His is my favorite though, as it's the way I'd envision modding my Lex if I had more money and more patience.

In the end, I always prefer hearing someone say, "Hey, nice car," rather than, "Wow, nice rims." That's just me. I look at Bluelex's car, and it all just blends so perfectly, nothing really outshining anything else. A perfect amalgamation of mods, all the finer details blending so well together. It's just a great CAR, not just a 'nice set of wheels', or some 'nice headlights'.

In regards to the goals I have with my own Lexus, here's a case in point...

Just yesterday, I was coming out of Staples, and there were 2 women standing next to my car, gazing at it, almost studying it. One looked to be mid-40s, the other mid-60s. I walked up, unlocked the door, and then the younger one asked, "Oh my, is this your car?" I of course say yes.

"I love this color, very nice." She continued, and the elder nodded in agreement. I thanked them, and explained that it was actually a Lexus stock color. They were both surprised.

We chatted more about the color and it's rarity, as they continued to gaze with that look in their eyes that said, 'Now I could see myself driving this car.'

After about 5 minutes, we wrapped up the conversation and the youngest one said, "See, Mom, I could come pick you up in this and we could hit Atlantic City in style." Mom said, "No, we'd get in trouble in that..." and they chuckled, said bye and then walked away.

This was further confirmation for me that my Lexus with all of its exterior mods (19" chrome rims, Tanabe exhaust, lowered on Teins and 35%tint)... it's just classy enough to get a thumbs up from some Moms and Grandmoms alike, yet still sporty enough to get a thumbs up at the light from the young guy pushin' the Prowler (which happened on the way home)...yet still fun enough to make my brother-in-law scream with excitement when I take him on one of our wild summer night rides.

Mission accomplished

Classy vs. Show: I'll take both.

But in the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, to each his own...

DO YOU.

 

show that you've got class

impounded imports getting crashed by court order:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070620/...EjiFfxA1nMWM0F

 

Any chance you can post a bigger picture of that car?

It looks amazing!!!!!

Ted

 

Class vs Show... hmm... to me Class = VIP, Show = trailer queens that only get brought out at car shows. Having had 2 show cars my thinking is different from others (69 convert camero full on paint/int everything won best int of show once and a 65 geni mustang, 2 different styles of 'show').

Maybe the topic should be VIP vs whats tacky. Thou in the states VIP is different vs japan VIP, i myself prefer japan VIP with the full int. done not just the outside, rims/drop/grill even a sentra can do that, untill you do a full int. your not VIP, imo. Sure the stock lexus int. is nice BUT it can be sooooo much better... ppl are so worried about how their car looks to others on the outside, pssh you cant see the outside of your own car while you drive it. When i see VIP 'outside' cars yea it looks nice but when you look inside its like, wtf its stock and they just put moniters in the car...*yawn*

If your gonna go Class, do it full on if not your just a LS/GS with rims/grill/drop/tint. IMO.

 

Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I respect people's choice to do whatever they want to do to their car.

For me though, I think stock is the way to go. I view aftermarket stuff (especially wheels) as un-needed extras. I think of aftermarket wheels as being for people who have a car that might not have been their first choice, but want to make it look better in their minds. Like students and their first cars for example.

Also, I think some of the aftermarket wheel culture is driven by the "me too" factor similar to tatoos nowadays.

That said, if you own a Lexus (modded or not) and drive respectful of others, you are classier than a lot of people out their in my book.

 

Do you keep everything "stock" in your life. Is your house "stock"? Are there no frills in your house? Do you have a nice TV, or a nice kitchen, or a deck? These are all unnecessary, merely extras that improve upon what you have.

Is your wardrobe completely "stock"? Is everything in your life purely for function and practicality, or do you ever add a little extra to improve upon what you have?

Cars are no different. And for many, it's a hobby. So of course you're going to indulge in your hobby way beyond what the norm is.

Yes, you're right. That's America. It's not just wheels though....it's houses, wardrobe, jewelry, cars, you name it. It's capitalism at its finest...America is the model, and other countries are following our lead.

And what makes Lexus owners in general any "classier" than even a Subaru owner, or a Saab owner, or an Infiniti owner?

 

I have to agree, dont forget the computer. If you want function you get a E-machine or even a *gag* HP My bussiness computer is a HP and its so... boring, 3.4ghz dual-core/1gig ddr-2... bleh. My personal computer can be considered more ancient, 2.8c@3.2ghz/2gig corsair xms-LL/GS7800 agp/msi 865pe based mobo/3 hdds=500+gig/11 fans/6 various types of lites. So... the bussiness computer is actually a better base to build on but it has no... PIZZAZZ! It just collects dust till a P.O. or check needs to be printed.

So Gotham, you also probally use a Teir1 computer eh?

 

Wow!

I began stating that I respect people's opinion to do whatever the hell they want to their car, and I still get some over-sensitive responses back.

I am not sure why people are so defensive about this crap.

Yeah, I do things to my house (landscaping, pool, blah, blah blah) but when it comes to cars, I leave them as is. To me that's a preferable look. I respect others if they mod their car, why attack someone who doesn't?

And my comment about Lexus owners being classier than others, that was a jokingly way of stating that I think people who own a Lexus have good taste. I didn't think that would be out of place on a forum of Lexus owners.

 

And seriously, wan't this topic created for the express purpose of getting opinions on vehicle mods???

 

Well, your comments were sort of fork tongued. You started off saying you respect.....then there was a little dig about "......in their own mind." That's sort of contradicting yourself. It doesn't sound like you respect modders. It sounds like you think they are having emotional issues. It's no wonder someone reacted negatively cause I thought about doing it myself. Above all be true to yourself. If you don't like modding cars, so be it. Don't shroud it with some stuff about your respect. Be honest, you think it's a waste of money.
Personally, I think taking extended vacations where you spend thousands you can't get back for memories that will eventually fade is a waste. My car mods, I can see every single day...for years. As long as I own them. But it's cool if people take long vacations. I'll take short ones. Save the money for something that lasts a looong time. Like jewelry.....or mods. Don't need your respect but it would be nice to have it.....if it's real!

 

I thought I was quite clear but, I don't dig mods and respect those that do at the same time.

 

2001 OEM LS430 wheel:



To me, its isn't classy to begin with.

as long as it's not out of proportion to the car, then it retains it's 'class'.

 

nice ones will work, not bling ones from a homeboy audio/rim shop like I see on so many scrapers and SC400s on in the East Bay...