EmpPenguin

It can sometimes be absurd because we have ideals or dreams of specifically what kind of car we want, right down to the smallest detail. My car, which I inherited from my late father, has an ebony teal with the two-tone gray bottom extertior and a tan interior. The tan interior I am fine with, because it is a conservative color that gives the appearance of luxury. However, I do not like the ebony teal and gray exterior and once considered--or maybe now still considering--a color change to solid onyx black. However, the acclaimed body shop near me quoted $6500 for a surface paint job along with some tiny body work on the front. For $6500 I can easily get another LS 400 in onyx black, and likely a newer model, so reason wins over impulse--at least for now.

Jeremiah87 has a beautiful car, the car I would buy from him had I not already dumped $2800 into my present car for a new stereo. I think his tan interior is beautiful and a wonderful contrast to his onyx black, but to him the tan interior does not strike him well. In fact, it disgusts him to the point of wanting to sell the car, just as the exterior color of my car is tempting me to drop $6500 for a new paint job.

Jeremiah87

1. Thanks for the tip but deep down inside, I would be lying to myself if I painted or had the interior painted. It just doesnt feel like the right route, its swap or nothing. I seen some nicely painted interiors (tan to black) but over time they just dont hold up like an orignial black interior will. At least from what I have seen, plus knowing the tan is underneath bugs me.

2. Not a show car build in the least, just my burning desire to have a sea of black inside the car. I just love black interiors, looks good, easy to match with parts (ie shift *****, pedals, seats, etc.) And it shows less dirt/imperfections....but regardless as crazy as I am about proper exterior/interior care, I would still be on top of it. But anyways my tan looks spotless, because I never eat/smoke/etc. in the car. Only thing I allow is bottled water. Also I make sure my passenger's wash their hands after we eat (especially a burger) before they come back in my car.

Whats funky is I dont mind so much the tan in pearl white/white cars....its not a striking contrast and since white is already a light/bright color, the tan seems to be blend much nicer. I would still prefer black though, regardless of exterior color but what I am saying is white and tan I can tolerate (love white cars, the tan interior is okay). But on a black car, the tan interior is such a contrast and plus it makes my tint look lighter. Hence I went with 5% not only for form/function, but also to conceal the tan interior...and in a more important way, to protect it from the sun lol.

3. Ill have to sleep on it, this car is a gem. It really is in near perfect condition (and yes I am super critical and it even passes my standards)

4. How so? Car color (exterior and interior) is a big deal. My friend bought a rio yellow AP2 (S2000). He loves white cars like me, but he jumped the gun and purchased an 06 rio yellow with only 13K miles on the odometer. The deal was hard to pass up, at the time he was happy but quickly realized his heart was with white. He contemplated a paint job. I quickly snapped him out of it and said sell the car, find a grand prix white one and all will be well. He did such and I told him, never ever make that mistake again.

I feel the same way about my tan interior, its my mistake and I am living with it for now. I have looked at other LS400s already (black exterior/black interior) but the issue is their interior is beat up, mine is in terrific shape. I like black interior but if its beat up, its no bueno. Then again these are used cars but patience will prove to be an asset in my search should I decide to get another LS400.

Jeremiah87

1. Exactly, you know the deal.

2. Black and tan get dirty just the same of course, tan just shows it more. But it dont matter since I will be cleaning both religiously. I just like black interior, it looks best and most would agree with me but it is preference and opinion.

So true, always get what you want the first time. Never settle. We always have a choice. I made a mistake but ill learn from it, thats life.

3. LOL we are on different planes, I love the ebony teal color. Looks black in the shade and at night, and has that greenish/blueish hue in direct sunlight. I wouldnt mind having your exterior color. I do prefer jet black, mettalic black, any black really but the ebony teal is different and not common to see, its dope in my eyes.

I guess the way you feel about your ebony teal is the way I feel about my tan. Maybe in time we will learn to accept them...its not our first choice but it doesnt have to be something we cant live with right? I looked at my interior this morning, do I wish it was black? Yes I do. But at the same time seeing how clean it is and the leather/dashboard/door panels/etc. are like new with no tears/cracks/barely any signs of age/wear, I can appreciate that.

Maybe you can appreciate your ebony teal pretty much looks black, just in the light it has a blueish/green hue (which I love BTW) and its a rare color.
BTW your $6K+ paint job might just be the amount of money needed to get my black interior lol.

My friend had a 2005 milano red RSX Type S (DC5), those only came with titanium aka tan interior. Well $5K later (most parts bought from the dealer and some from forum members)....she had her black interior. And she was finally at peace and happy lol. I do think it makes it more special when you have a car that only comes with a certain color interior and to swap it for another since very few people out there will also have it.

For example the white RSX-S only come with tan, unless you get the Canada version witch comes with the black interior. USDM RSX peeps would kill for that black. We were once at a RSX meet and this dude swapped a black interior into his white RSX-S....even though it was just a stock interior people were all around his car...it was special because to have a white RSX with the black interior is what most people desired. Some like myself who loved white so much couldnt buy the car because it only came with tan. Hence why I went with a Civic Si...they only come with black interior.

YoshiMan

Dibs on the Steering wheel!!

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

You can get one here...
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/4077788457.html

different strokes for different folks... I would not have bought mine if it had a black interior. my wifes 99 is white and tan, and mine is black and tan... just what I like..

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Leather interiors are nice and durable and each color has issues to contend with. The ivory-tan in ours, I can wipe the seats and blue comes of. Blue you say...the denim rubs off so there is a faint blue tint to ours at the high areas. (Side bolster, bottom edge and seat base.) Friends with black, theirs is showing lights spots on those same areas. A medium gray is my choice for a balance between the two.

The nice part with the ivory is that it is very common so finding a donor in the event you need something replaced is easy. Just don't go to Lexus and ask about a new factory ivory seat belt. Those are long gone but black is readily available. (I have one BTW.)

You might find a 430 you like instead.

Jlacck

Funny that you posted this thread. I had JUST BROUGHT a black on black ls400 last week. One of the reasons I brought it was because of exactly the same concerns you have... its hard to find black on black. Additionally, considering the age of these cars, the interior on this one was in excellent condition. Having said all of that, I have to agree with the others that its better to find what you want in the first place. If your car is in shape that you say its in, you probably shouldn't have any issues recovering at least 90% of what you paid (depending upon how long you've had it of course). Take the money from that sale and whatever you have saved or plan to save and get the car you really want. Trust me, you'll NEVER be truly happy with that car until you see it in black on black. Otherwise, there is always going to be something about it that bugs or nags at you because it isn't/wasn't what you really wanted.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

I'd prefer a black interior over my grey interior just because it looks better.
All I need to do is find a low mileage 95-97 with a black interior for sale with blown trans or motor or maybe major stuff in one of the back corners.

Strip it all out and swap it over.

That being said, I'm a licensed tech and even with my skill, I cannot be bothered to do such a job just for an interior color on a car that isn't even going to be a show car. I've done interior swaps on simple cars and even then is not a simple or fast job. Considering you will have to strip out everything, including the dash and center console in 2 cars and keep track of everything before putting the best stuff plus the different color stuff back into your car... It's a lot of work. Like a LOT of work. If I had to guess, just by looking at the complexity of doing a deck replacement, you are probably looking at 5-10hours to R&R the dash, probably 30min-1hr per door panel, probably, 2-3hr to pull the seats and electronics below them, probably 3-5hrs for the center console and carpets, maybe 2-5hrs to pull all the trim and head liners... All said and done I would expect probably 40-50hrs just to R&R the complete interior on one car, probably + 1/2 that more if you are pulling stuff from a donor car.

And if you are stripping it that much, you may as well step your game up and dynamat and closed cell foam the interior before you put everything back together; make the car super quiet and solid feeling! But maybe that's just me. At the same time you may as well get the seats recovered with a diamond stitch pattern of something more opulent; get the headliner and pillars recovered...

But maybe that's just me...

Personally, I think its a colossal waste of time, money unless you are going full show car

Next time, don't buy a car with an interior you don't like.
Just my .02

EmpPenguin

Dude, don't tell us, take a picture and show us!

EmpPenguin

Dude, you must get hubcaps for your wheels. They're only $30 each.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lexus-LS400-chrome-wheel-center-cap-hubcap-1998-2000-/320879114696?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ALexus%7CModel%3ALS400%7CYear%3A1998&hash=item4ab5e2b9c8&vxp=mtr#ht_256wt_679

Sc0pe

iTrader: (1)

You basically nailed my reason for being envious of black (exterior/interior/both) cars. It's so much easier to match colors and design a theme with black. For a short time, I considered wrapping the interior trim in carbon fiber vinyl, but tossed that idea out the window because of how insanely out of place it would look in the tan interior. Black interior can be sporty or classy - you can do things like brushed aluminum trim or carbon. With tan, you're limited to classy and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, your choices in design are extremely limited (have you ever seen Swarovski crystals in a tan car?). Same with doing intriguing colors with a green exterior (i.e. redoing the chrome trim) - I can't do too much to a green exterior since 90% of colors would seem out of place.

Jeremiah87

1. I already have em...they are sitting in a shoebox in my drawer and I refuse to put them back on lol.

2. Yeah, very true. As you mentioned black (whether exterior color or interior) is versatile since it matches or complements everything. From woodgrain to carbon fiber to brushed aluminum and everything in between, it works. Sporty, classy, yup. Wanna be sporty, go carbon or brushed aluminum. Wanna be classy? Bamboo, woodgrain, etc. should do the trick.

But since our LS400s are luxury cars and not sports cars, we get some forgiveness lol in the sense that we can just resort to woodgrain.

As for your green exterior, true but you can do polished, silver or chrome (wheels, exhaust, grill, etc.) I would say gold or bronze looks good on green but that would have to be your emblems at the most probably. Gold wheels wont look right on a luxury sedan like the LS400...if you had a green IS300 then the gold wheels can work.

Sc0pe

iTrader: (1)

As far as wheels go, I'm pretty much set on the idea of gold faces with polished lips or (matte) black faces with gold/polished lips (will definitely be one of those).

I'm basically shooting either this in the end, but with green paint:


or this (grille trim and emblem will be gold though - cladding will be blacked out):

Jeremiah87

Hmmm that would be different, I have a feeling it would look good. (black face with gold lip).
In for photos.