New to Lexus
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: TX
New to Lexus
Good evening everyone,
I have been searching for a car for a LONG while now, and after viewing peoples' S13's, 240SX, Lancers, and other cars that deemed potential in my eyes (as a former drifter) I decided to go VIP and purchase a GS300. Now I just moved from Japan to El Paso, TX; and I am overwhelmed at how bad the car scene is here. Not to mention how bad in shape peoples' cars are here. It seriously saddens me, BUT I have no fear because I will make my car stand out among all these boring daily drivers!
Anyways, hello everyone my name is Eric and I am ready to commence initiation on this project. For those of you that want to know what i'm working with I am working with a stock GS300, black, never been modded, has about 210K on it, and has probably been neglected since the previous owner doesn't sound like a car person.
Anyways, after doing much research I have come up with ideas on what I want done to my car. Though, i'm not sure where to start. I have been debating about working on the interior of the car first so that way I get all the things inside that I want, and have it look like a beater until I have enough money saved to get all the exterior parts, suspension, wheels, and etc that way I can just put it all on at once, and be fine. Then I realized if I do that i MUST put my tint on the windows to prevent my car from getting stolen. (yes it's that bad here in El Paso.) Then I started debating on if I should just work on engine and performance before anything to get my car fast to shut up these mustangs.
but then I figured that since i'm not going to race anymore I would just stick with looks and sound.
So after thinking about which road would be cheaper I decided that I would take care of the interior first (surprisingly enough.) I read a DIY tutorial on here for the air cabin filters that would save me MONEY and I was glad that was there. I plan to change all the interior out to black with white trim. I plan on getting my seats all upholstered to a custom leather, got to find a new carpet, and roof trim, and dash etc. I plan on replacing ALL of the bulbs to LED. (still debating on how i'm going to colour scheme the lights) I want to get custom white seatbelts. I'm going to cal my friends in Japan to have them send me a big mirror and a fusa knot (hehe.) I plan on getting the black curtains as well. Probably going to get a pillar on the drivers side for my gauges (yes, I plan on putting gauges in a VIP car for when I start working on the engine) and I believe that should take care of the interior for now. Just at least until next paycheck haha. Anyone have anymore things to throw at me? Of course there was some cool things in a japanese VIP mag that I thought was cool, like putting a small LED bulb in the side door panel. (I'll most likely do this, so I'll post up a DIY on what I did.)
I'm not sure what the legal percent is for tint here, so i'll probably get the rear windows the darkest and the front windows close to dark, just dark enough to where people can't peak at my stuff haha. As for the EXTERIOR I have been admiring the body kits on Junction Produce, and I might want to get them, unless anyone can convince me to go a different route? I still haven't decided what I will do for wheels though. I love chrome, and I WILL be REPAINTING the whole car a new black with good layers of clear coat. I hate the way mesh looks, and I don't like the giant solid things of metal either. I had some Work Emotion XT7s on my 180sx while I was in Japan and I LOVEDDD those. I guess I want to find something similar. I don't know what size to get though, but 20" seems to be the popular number for VIP cars. Anyone have any problems with 20s on their GS300s? I also plan on cambering the wheels out, but haven't learned too in depth about cambering. I hear -3" is just fine. I guess trial and error? I DO want a full exhaust, and I will be doing more research on that. I was reading on upgrading to the Supra brake rotors, so that will be a later project as well. Now, please someone correct me if i'm ignorant, but isn't the GS300 the same as the Aristos? If that's the case could I just take the trunk from the Aristo and slap it on? Also, has anyone seen any LED tail lights? or Crystal headlights without the amber? I know there's a DIY here to remove the amber, but I don't like the lines on the headlights. Maybe I'll have to trace the WHOLE headlight cover and request a glass cover. I have to do research on the suspension which I plan on doing after this post.
As I will be working on the interior of the car I will also be purchasing a 2JZGTE to install later when my engine decides to take a dump on me. lol. I'll probably buy a part per week to slap on the new engine to slowly build it. I've also been on a debate about changing it to manual (if it's possible, though I don't see why not because the supra can be manual as well as the chasers)
Well that's all I have for now. I will most likely post up pictures tomorrow night seeing as how I'm getting tired, and I still have more research to do. Good night all
I have been searching for a car for a LONG while now, and after viewing peoples' S13's, 240SX, Lancers, and other cars that deemed potential in my eyes (as a former drifter) I decided to go VIP and purchase a GS300. Now I just moved from Japan to El Paso, TX; and I am overwhelmed at how bad the car scene is here. Not to mention how bad in shape peoples' cars are here. It seriously saddens me, BUT I have no fear because I will make my car stand out among all these boring daily drivers!
Anyways, hello everyone my name is Eric and I am ready to commence initiation on this project. For those of you that want to know what i'm working with I am working with a stock GS300, black, never been modded, has about 210K on it, and has probably been neglected since the previous owner doesn't sound like a car person.
Anyways, after doing much research I have come up with ideas on what I want done to my car. Though, i'm not sure where to start. I have been debating about working on the interior of the car first so that way I get all the things inside that I want, and have it look like a beater until I have enough money saved to get all the exterior parts, suspension, wheels, and etc that way I can just put it all on at once, and be fine. Then I realized if I do that i MUST put my tint on the windows to prevent my car from getting stolen. (yes it's that bad here in El Paso.) Then I started debating on if I should just work on engine and performance before anything to get my car fast to shut up these mustangs.
but then I figured that since i'm not going to race anymore I would just stick with looks and sound. So after thinking about which road would be cheaper I decided that I would take care of the interior first (surprisingly enough.) I read a DIY tutorial on here for the air cabin filters that would save me MONEY and I was glad that was there. I plan to change all the interior out to black with white trim. I plan on getting my seats all upholstered to a custom leather, got to find a new carpet, and roof trim, and dash etc. I plan on replacing ALL of the bulbs to LED. (still debating on how i'm going to colour scheme the lights) I want to get custom white seatbelts. I'm going to cal my friends in Japan to have them send me a big mirror and a fusa knot (hehe.) I plan on getting the black curtains as well. Probably going to get a pillar on the drivers side for my gauges (yes, I plan on putting gauges in a VIP car for when I start working on the engine) and I believe that should take care of the interior for now. Just at least until next paycheck haha. Anyone have anymore things to throw at me? Of course there was some cool things in a japanese VIP mag that I thought was cool, like putting a small LED bulb in the side door panel. (I'll most likely do this, so I'll post up a DIY on what I did.)
I'm not sure what the legal percent is for tint here, so i'll probably get the rear windows the darkest and the front windows close to dark, just dark enough to where people can't peak at my stuff haha. As for the EXTERIOR I have been admiring the body kits on Junction Produce, and I might want to get them, unless anyone can convince me to go a different route? I still haven't decided what I will do for wheels though. I love chrome, and I WILL be REPAINTING the whole car a new black with good layers of clear coat. I hate the way mesh looks, and I don't like the giant solid things of metal either. I had some Work Emotion XT7s on my 180sx while I was in Japan and I LOVEDDD those. I guess I want to find something similar. I don't know what size to get though, but 20" seems to be the popular number for VIP cars. Anyone have any problems with 20s on their GS300s? I also plan on cambering the wheels out, but haven't learned too in depth about cambering. I hear -3" is just fine. I guess trial and error? I DO want a full exhaust, and I will be doing more research on that. I was reading on upgrading to the Supra brake rotors, so that will be a later project as well. Now, please someone correct me if i'm ignorant, but isn't the GS300 the same as the Aristos? If that's the case could I just take the trunk from the Aristo and slap it on? Also, has anyone seen any LED tail lights? or Crystal headlights without the amber? I know there's a DIY here to remove the amber, but I don't like the lines on the headlights. Maybe I'll have to trace the WHOLE headlight cover and request a glass cover. I have to do research on the suspension which I plan on doing after this post.
As I will be working on the interior of the car I will also be purchasing a 2JZGTE to install later when my engine decides to take a dump on me. lol. I'll probably buy a part per week to slap on the new engine to slowly build it. I've also been on a debate about changing it to manual (if it's possible, though I don't see why not because the supra can be manual as well as the chasers)
Well that's all I have for now. I will most likely post up pictures tomorrow night seeing as how I'm getting tired, and I still have more research to do. Good night all
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: FL
New to Club Lex... Hello
Hello all...also new to ClubLex.... Just like you Eric I just bought first gen GS300 (93), also like you mine needs some major TLC. Planning on changing interior to two tone leather, slapping a body kit and repainting, and also putting on turbos.... don't thing will go with 2JZ-GTE swap. I have been looking to change the tail lights to LED and I guess noone makes these aftermarkets for first gen. If anyone knows a site that does sell please forward link.
I'm interested to see how you change your interior Eric because I have rear passenger panels that needs to be fixed/replaced.
My changes will be slow coming. Hope to get to know peeps and how to do stuff on here.
I'm interested to see how you change your interior Eric because I have rear passenger panels that needs to be fixed/replaced.
My changes will be slow coming. Hope to get to know peeps and how to do stuff on here.
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