Hello all! I purchased a beautiful 2008 600hL, complete with executive rear seating package and radar cruise, in early September and I am in love. It has been through the ringer but I am a fully formed auto technician, complete with a few brain cells to rub together. My work extends me an employee discount at their Toyota dealership's parts counter and I have been ensuring they regret it.

I am insane in one specific way; I want my cars to be original. VERY original. If there is some thing, regardless of what, that the purchaser would have walked out of the dealership with on the day of purchase, I need it. Even if it is something I have no intention whatsoever of using. I have gone through this a bit on my wife's 2012 RX, but I am on a whole 'nother level with my LS.

I was minding my own business, totally happy, when this photo from a BringATrailer listing sneaked up on me and ruined my decade:

Uh-oh.

I know, from experience, that if there is one thing on the planet that someone will take off and throw away with absolutely no thought whatsoever for the madman who will own the vehicle seventeen years later, it is these key gloves. Look at them. The subtle saddle-leather coloring. The tasteful thickness of them. Oh my god, they even have a Lexus watermark. They are truly great looking, and match the saddle-leather manual covers and first aid kit. However, weeks of research has shown that there are exactly zero for sale, not even some old long-gone ebay listing will show these. All you can find is modern new saddle leather gloves for the newer LS500 keys. I have found a listing or two for the same gloves (with the instructions insert) in black, but I can tell, these saddle leather ones will definitely be a white whale of mine for years, if not for the rest of my days. Especially the one for the card key, as the glove obviously makes it too big for a wallet in which case what is the point? That was probably the first item the original owner chucked. They don't seem to have been in the official Lexus accessories catalog, rather they were likely supplied in the car and had to be ordered by the dealer for replacements, otherwise they were mailed to owners per some old posts here on CL. No part number to speak of. It'll be a long journey.

This isn't a WTB post however. (Although if you do happen to have a set you want to sell I will commit unspeakable acts to my savings) My question is this; If you are insane like me, what is your white whale? Maybe us crazies can all get together to man the lookouts. Cheers!

 

I Think you are saying: "What’s the big, obsessive goal or pursuit in your life — the thing you chase even if it seems impossible or irrational? Let’s share them and maybe support each other in the hunt."

I bought this in May this year: For Lexus RX350 ES350 IS350 IS ES GS LS CT LX Leather Remote Key Case Fob Cover. Quality is not bad. Of course not original but it looks great.I'm like you. Keep my car as original as possible! And it is. I even do not like to add a Android Auto Grom Viline in, then I have something that is not how the car was designed.

 

My key gloves were new in 2017 when I bought the car as a 3 year old CPO (I watched the salesman take them out of the packaging and put them on the keys). They were cheap and nasty and completely trashed after 5 years. The vinyl (they aren't leather) was peeling off and they looked so bad, I just took them off and threw them away.

 

I too am hunting for an impossible key related item, technically a whole key. It's been over a year and no one has claimed the $200 bounty I put out lol!

Best of luck and I hope you find a set, I have far more faith you will find what you are looking for vs me!

 

I suspect those key gloves were aftermarket, not OEM. First, I don't believe they ever came in brown. The originals were black (maybe leather, probably not) and all cracked within a few years. The originals came up to the corner on the high side of the key, the pictures show the cover fitting over the corner of the high side of the key. Also, the originals were double stitched around the lock and trunk buttons. That brown color doesn't match any of the interior colors that I am aware of.

I got the originals with my '16 and ordered new ones when getting parts from Bell Lexus. One was cracked and worn like most of the ones I've seen. The other was obviously a spare and not used much. I've also never seen any with a window. I admire your laser focus on treating and maintaining the car as if it just came off the showroom floor. In this case, I believe you are chasing a nice product but not an OEM item. Best of luck to you.

 

I don’t think any OEM Lexus key gloves were leather. When I bought my 16 460, I also searched on eBay for key gloves since the keys are slippery without a glove and I don’t attach the key to any other keys. I recall seeing OEM gloves on eBay with the seller stating they were leather, but were stock vinyl gloves. As stated above, I have no doubt that aftermarket gloves were sold made from leather. I would personally buy real leather gloves vs vinyl for wear longevity, but I also get your originality obsession. I only use aftermarket real leather cases for my cell phone - leather has much better tactile properties than plastic. The brown gloves in your pic on the left side (with the window) look to be leather.

 

You might want to look on Etsy.

 

I have been down this path when I was in my late teens with a Bianchi bicycle that didn't have "proper" Camagnolo and other Italian parts on it. I have learned my lesson and now look at the core requirement and buy from that view. This key cover is a fabulous example as I had the Lexus leather cover and it sucked. After some hunting I ran across this lovely silicone cover and I couldn't be more satisfied, unless it had a glow in the dark Lexus label on it. Ha!! I don't use the metal outer cover, just the silicone cover.

 

That's a very flamboyant item, I'd rather use a key card and just forget about it.