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It was a GS to GS "I didn't paint anything. I swapped it from my other GS which had the "black wood" option (looks more like a marble type texture)." :-)
As Jollick said, he didn't swap trim from a GS to an ES. In post #44, he clearly says that the swap was from a 2006 GS to a 2007 GS.
Originally Posted by nuraman00
Does removing the door panels mean mean removing the doors?
Or only removing the trim portion on the inside of the door?
Regardless, you're saying that even if it's just the trim portion, you're saying that when putting it back in, that it might not fit nicely anymore?
In order to properly do either refinishing the trim or wrapping it, the entire interior door panels will need to be removed. That is because the wood pieces will need to be removed from the interior door panels, and, to get access to remove them, you would need to get access to the back side of those interior panels.
To properly refinish the wood, the wood pieces need to be taken off of the interior panels. Otherwise, if you tried to refinish them by masking around the edges of the wood, you would, at best, end up with an ugly line at the edges of the masked off area, and, at worst, you could end up with overspray on the adjacent portions of the interior panels. Similarly, if you were to wrap those pieces, you would want to remove them from the door (and other) panels so that you could extend the wrap beyond the area that is visible. Otherwise, like with refinishing, you would have a visible line where the wrap ends.
Note also, that the wood pieces aren't really even intended to be removed from the interior panels. If you ever damaged one of the wood pieces, you would not be able to replace just the wood piece. Lexus only sells the entire interior door panel as a complete unit for a price that goes into the $500 range. If Lexus does not sell the wood pieces as a separate part, that would indicate that they are not intended to be removed from the entire panel, and I would be concerned about the possibility of a less than perfect fit when they were re-installed.
At this point in this thread it seems to be a bit redundant and bordering on being ludicrous. After 141 posts I think the matter has been thoroughly discussed. And discussed... Whew!
As Jollick said, he didn't swap trim from a GS to an ES. In post #44, he clearly says that the swap was from a 2006 GS to a 2007 GS.
In order to properly do either refinishing the trim or wrapping it, the entire interior door panels will need to be removed. That is because the wood pieces will need to be removed from the interior door panels, and, to get access to remove them, you would need to get access to the back side of those interior panels.
To properly refinish the wood, the wood pieces need to be taken off of the interior panels. Otherwise, if you tried to refinish them by masking around the edges of the wood, you would, at best, end up with an ugly line at the edges of the masked off area, and, at worst, you could end up with overspray on the adjacent portions of the interior panels. Similarly, if you were to wrap those pieces, you would want to remove them from the door (and other) panels so that you could extend the wrap beyond the area that is visible. Otherwise, like with refinishing, you would have a visible line where the wrap ends.
Note also, that the wood pieces aren't really even intended to be removed from the interior panels. If you ever damaged one of the wood pieces, you would not be able to replace just the wood piece. Lexus only sells the entire interior door panel as a complete unit for a price that goes into the $500 range. If Lexus does not sell the wood pieces as a separate part, that would indicate that they are not intended to be removed from the entire panel, and I would be concerned about the possibility of a less than perfect fit when they were re-installed.
Using this picture as a reference, is this a door panel?
Yikes, that's a huge part.
Also, good info about how door panels are only sold as a unit, not individual trim pieces. Thanks.
Thanks @Jollick and @lesz for pointing out that the guy swapped GS trims. I'm surprised that even though I've read that post about 22 times over the past month, that I still missed that detail. I think I got him confused with someone from another thread, who had a ES and whose wife had a GS. That's why I thought he swapped GS trims with a ES.
Also, let me take a step back.
I initially ordered the car, and choose black seats, black trim because it seemed possible from the Lexus website.
A week after placing the order, the sales manager said it was rejected because it wasn't possible with my packages. So I choose Espresso With Bird's Eye Maple, because that was my 2nd choice, and what I have in the 2013 ES 350.
Then I saw this thread where someone had painted the center console and door trim piano black:
So I then emailed shops, providing pictures of post # 9and the Lexus OEM black trim on the base model, as samples for what color I wanted. I said in the emails that either of those colors would be fine.
Then, most shops said they couldn't paint, but suggested wrapping. Only 2 shops said they could paint (one said paint or wrap).
I then inquired about wrapping. But then I learned that the steering wheel isn't advisable, since it wouldn't last due to sunlight and daily use. If I can't make all of the trim look uniform, then there's no point.
And I learned that changing the door trim would involve removing the entire panel.
Apparently the same would need to be done for painting, too.
Removing the door panel is too invasive for me.
So when I started, after reading those earlier threads, I guess it seemed like a simpler change to change the trim color, than I imagined. And as I said, if I could have found a way to match the Lexus base model black trim, that would have been fine by me.
As for the illuminated door sills, I got the idea after seeing it as an accessory on the Lexus site. If they were offering it, then I thought it was a nice simple add-on. I wouldn't have considered even the idea of an illuminated door sill if Lexus hadn't been offering this part as an official accessory. They also have an illuminated trunk sill, but I don't like the look of it.
The only reason I'm considering an off-brand one is because the OEM Lexus one only comes with 2. If I'm going to do this, I'd rather have all 4 door sills illuminated for uniformity. Maybe I should just get 2 sets of the Lexus OEM door sill if I want all 4 doors, instead of an off-brand one. Still considering options, as I still have time.
Using this picture as a reference, is this a door panel?
Yikes, that's a huge part.
Also, good info about how door panels are only sold as a unit, not individual trim pieces. Thanks.
As for the illuminated door sills, I got the idea after seeing it as an accessory on the Lexus site. If they were offering it, then I thought it was a nice simple add-on. I wouldn't have considered even the idea of an illuminated door sill if Lexus hadn't been offering this part as an official accessory. They also have an illuminated trunk sill, but I don't like the look of it.
The only reason I'm considering an off-brand one is because the OEM Lexus one only comes with 2. If I'm going to do this, I'd rather have all 4 door sills illuminated for uniformity. Maybe I should just get 2 sets of the Lexus OEM door sill if I want all 4 doors, instead of an off-brand one. Still considering options, as I still have time.
Yes, the picture is what we are referring to as an interior door panel.
Not only are those interior door panels sold only as a unit, but the same thing is true with the center console and, I believe, the dash. If someone had to take apart that much of your car, I think you would want to make sure that he/she knows what he/she is doing because you are talking about many thousands of dollars of parts. Also, to refinish the steering wheel, it would have to be removed, too, and, with all of the electronics that runs through the steering wheel, I would imagine that there is the potential to cause problems there, too
As far as the illuminated door sills are concerned, my understanding is that installing the front sills is fairly simple. The wiring is, I think, already there, and the installation is essentially plug-and-play. But the installation of the rear sills might be more complicated because I don't think the necessary wiring is already there, and you might have to find somewhere else to tap into in order to get them wired. I'm not 100% sure about that, but, perhaps, someone else can confirm what I'm saying or tell us that I'm not correct.
Yes, the picture is what we are referring to as an interior door panel.
Not only are those interior door panels sold only as a unit, but the same thing is true with the center console and, I believe, the dash. If someone had to take apart that much of your car, I think you would want to make sure that he/she knows what he/she is doing because you are talking about many thousands of dollars of parts. Also, to refinish the steering wheel, it would have to be removed, too, and, with all of the electronics that runs through the steering wheel, I would imagine that there is the potential to cause problems there, too
As far as the illuminated door sills are concerned, my understanding is that installing the front sills is fairly simple. The wiring is, I think, already there, and the installation is essentially plug-and-play. But the installation of the rear sills might be more complicated because I don't think the necessary wiring is already there, and you might have to find somewhere else to tap into in order to get them wired. I'm not 100% sure about that, but, perhaps, someone else can confirm what I'm saying or tell us that I'm not correct.
Thanks.
So, it looks like the best thing to do would be to take my car to a few shops.
I'll ask:
* What kind of installation is necessary for installing the door sills. If it's too hard for the rear ones, then I won't get the set of 4 off-brand ones, I'll just get the Lexus OEM door sills with their 2 door sills.
The GS comes with 4 door sills, vs. the ES with 2. As you said, maybe there's something different about the wiring with the ES in the rear.
* 2 shops are saying they *may* be able to paint the door panels without removing the door panels. But I'd have to bring my car in and then they'd see. I would ask them about the process of removing the steering wheel, and how complicated that might be. If it might be difficult because of the electronics. If any of this sounds too complicated, then I'm out.
What do you think of this picture of the guy who took out his steering wheel?
The ES has a standard theft deterrent system. I believe that the alarm is continuous sounding of the vehicle's horn. Without the glass breakage sensor option, I don't believe that broken glass would trigger the alarm.
The standard headlights for the current model year ES are LED low beams and halogen high beams. The bi-LED option has LED low beam and high beam lights. It can be noted that, while the LED high beams have what many would consider to be a neater look, the halogen high beams actually project out further and provide better illumination than do the LED high beams.
Just wondering, but how did you know that the halogen high beams projected farther than the LED high beams? Did you see a side by side comparison? Were there any pictures or videos?
Any specs somewhere?
If not, that's fine. Just wondering how you came to that conclusion.
I'll take your word as you've been helpful about a lot of things, over the years.
Congratulations! I also ordered my 2013 ES and waited 4 months to get it exactly the way I wanted it. It was a well worth the wait for me. Luckily when it came time for my wife to replace her 2006 GS, the 2015 ES with the options we wanted was on the lot.
Thank you.
Since you have both a GS and ES, what are your thoughts on them, since you are able to drive both? And what was the approximate cost difference? Is your wife's GS a F Sport?
What were some unique things the GS had, that the ES didn't have, and vice versa?
I've read articles comparing the differences. But I think you can offer a unique perspective, since between you and your wife, you have both.
Can you tell visibly tell the difference in the trunk volume between the ES and GS?
Is the GS a RWD or AWD?
Bump @ jollick.
Just wondering your perspective on the GS and ES, since you have access to both.
Just wondering, but how did you know that the halogen high beams projected farther than the LED high beams? Did you see a side by side comparison? Were there any pictures or videos?
Any specs somewhere?
If not, that's fine. Just wondering how you came to that conclusion.
I'll take your word as you've been helpful about a lot of things, over the years.
You can check the headlight ratings done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Savings.
Once you are at their site, you can also check the ratings for other vehicles. What you will consistently find is that the ratings for LED headlights are consistently lower than those for HID headlights and halogen headlights.
Just wondering your perspective on the GS and ES, since you have access to both.
Both excellent cars. More room in the ES. Both rode well, smooth and quiet. I miss All Wheel Drive. Since ES is never, has more tech and I really like the recessed screen and the mouse.
Once you are at their site, you can also check the ratings for other vehicles. What you will consistently find is that the ratings for LED headlights are consistently lower than those for HID headlights and halogen headlights.
Great link.
So it says the halogens surpassed 500 feet, and went beyond the optimal, when driving straight.
While the LEDs were somewhere between 400 - 450 feet, when driving straight.
I'm also a little confused as to what HID lights are. Are they an alternative type of lighting to LEDs and halogens, for cars in general? That's what I think it is, but would like someone to confirm.
Thanks.
Originally Posted by jollick
Both excellent cars. More room in the ES. Both rode well, smooth and quiet. I miss All Wheel Drive. Since ES is never, has more tech and I really like the recessed screen and the mouse.
So it says the halogens surpassed 500 feet, and went beyond the optimal, when driving straight.
While the LEDs were somewhere between 400 - 450 feet, when driving straight.
I'm also a little confused as to what HID lights are. Are they an alternative type of lighting to LEDs and halogens, for cars in general? That's what I think it is, but would like someone to confirm.
I'll post more later, but for now, I have 2 questions.
1) The trim around the gear shifter and cup holder appears to be "caviar", even though the exterior color is obsidian, and the interior color is espresso with bird's eye maple. Why is that?
On the 2013 ES 350, it's a solid black, which I thought matched the obsidian exterior.
2) In the driver side electronic console, on the 2013 ES 350, I liked the screen that showed the temperature, but nothing else. No gas mileage performance, or anything else.
It would remember my setting.
So if I left it on that screen before turning off the car, when I turned the power on again, it would stay on that screen.
For the 2018, it seems to default to the gas mileage performance meter, and gas mileage trip screen.
I tried changing it to one of the cleaner screens. But then when I turn my car off and turn it on again, it goes back to that performance meter screen again.
I understand that with the 2018, if I'm using navigation, then there will be navigation instructions on that driver side screen also. But if I'm not using navigation, I prefer that screen to be as clean and information-free as possible.
I'll post more later, but for now, I have 2 questions.
1) The trim around the gear shifter and cup holder appears to be "caviar", even though the exterior color is obsidian, and the interior color is espresso with bird's eye maple. Why is that?
On the 2013 ES 350, it's a solid black, which I thought matched the obsidian exterior.
2) In the driver side electronic console, on the 2013 ES 350, I liked the screen that showed the temperature, but nothing else. No gas mileage performance, or anything else.
It would remember my setting.
So if I left it on that screen before turning off the car, when I turned the power on again, it would stay on that screen.
For the 2018, it seems to default to the gas mileage performance meter, and gas mileage trip screen.
I tried changing it to one of the cleaner screens. But then when I turn my car off and turn it on again, it goes back to that performance meter screen again.
I understand that with the 2018, if I'm using navigation, then there will be navigation instructions on that driver side screen also. But if I'm not using navigation, I prefer that screen to be as clean and information-free as possible.
As far as the trim around the shifter. I believe that, for the base and premiere package ES, what you describe as "caviar" color is just an updated version of the piano black that was previously on the ES. What Lexus appears to have done now is to have put metallic flakes in the otherwise black finish. With those metallic flakes, the finish of that surface should show fine scratches less readily than with solid black that was used previously.
As far as the information display is concerned, if you go through the information display settings, you will be able to set the screen with the information you want as your home screen, and that is the screen that will appear whenever the car starts. Use the settings to show the information that you want to be on the home screen. Then, press and hold the button on the right side of the steering wheel that is in the upper right hand corner of the steering wheel buttons (it looks like the pages of book). Doing that will set the information that is currently displayed as the home screen. It is explained on page 80 of the 2017 ES manual. The page number for the 2018 ES probably won't be the same, but my guess is that it will be close.
02-27-18, 08:42 AM
