It's nice to no longer have the driveway looking like this:



My wife is getting her ES back tomorrow morning (windshield) and I got mine back this evening from a three-day (count 'em!) XM install. Who'da thunk?

Anyway, XM is in. I'm actually disappointed in my dealer on this one. I was told...and assured, in fact...by the salesman that the XM install was the module-only, with the wiring already in place for the sat radio to use the existing antenna. Not. Why can't Toyota/Lexus figure this out, like everyone else has? Arggh...I'm left with this:



(Excuse the dirt - this was right before I debadged and washed the car.) Certainly not a big deal in the scheme of things, but had I known this I would've likely gone aftermarket. Anyway, also picked up the all-weather mats. Cleaned 'em up to remove the smell and tossed them in:



Debadged the cargo door. This was really easy - much more so than on prior vehicles. I presoaked with some 3M adhesive remover. I usually heat the area with a blow dryer, but on a whim I just lubricated a plastic putty knife with a bit more adhesive remover, and bada boom:



Before dropping off the car for the XM install last week I had 3M exterior film applied (front clip, mirrors, door handles, door edges, gas filler opening, and rear bumper) and also had the front windows tinted 35%, coming close to a match all around.



I also gave it a light detail, but if I haven't bored you enough here I posted that in the detailing forum.

I think I'm done for a while.

 

The debaged look is intruiguing.........maybe I will go for it..

 

Looks really good!

 

Is tinting the front windows legal in CA?

 

Hi Jerry, mine is just like yours xcept the interior color. With the high gas prices these days, are you using 87 Octane? With the knock sensor, I don't think it will harm the engine.

Jim

 

Nah...I've bought into the religion and only run 91 octane. I do maintain a fairly light foot and have been averaging > 22mpg. Of course, I'm coming from a GM SUV that had a pretty aggressive tune and saw 13mpg...so I'm happy.

The tint is illegal. I'm lucky in that I work with a lot of cops. I've been fairly assured that as as long as I'm otherwise behaving, I shouldn't expect a stop only for the tint. In any case, that's why I went with 35%...in direct light it's noticeably lighter than the rear windows.

 

I go 50% 87 and 50% 93.....alternating fill up...I rarely go below 1/2 tank. Been averaging 22.

 

Hmmm, regular grade gas 87/89, depending on the service station, from day one on our '05 330. Two weeks ago I drove from Pittsburgh to Nag's Head and on the flat portion from Norfolk to Nag's Head, I got a measured 27.6 mpg! I measured every tankful on that trip and even in the Virginia foothills I got 23-23.5 mpg.

I don't really buy into the "use premium gas and get better gas mileage" arguement simply for the reason that a light-footed driver never, ever uses the extra horsepower that premium gives you. Most new cars in the last 15+ years have a knock sensor that detunes the engine slightly so as to prevent knocking. If you don't tow, don't really get into the throttle, then I can't see any benefit to premium. Btw, I have been using regular gas in my Acura Legend for 14 years now and it still purrs. Of course, one example of long term regular gas does make a strong arguement.

Gary

 

Nice looking RX.. I actually like the debadged look and the paint looks extra clean.. Nice work bro..

 

How did you like the 400h compared to your 350? Just curious.

 

dont forget a lot of people equate higher octane or hiher price with better "quality"

 

Actually, with gas price the way it is nowadays. More people thinks that cars which require premium gas is a negative selling point.

 

how does one do the debadging process?

 

yes, more info please

where did you get the 3M adhesive remover and what do you mean by "presoak"? i was going to go at my black pearl emblem install this weekend and was going for the floss + hair dryer approach, but your method sounds better!!

 

Debadging is pretty easy. There are a few different tools/methods, but you're essentially after the same goal - removing the badge and as much adhesive as possible in one step to make the pain of cleanup as easy as possible. Here's my routine...

Tools
- 3M wax & adhesive remover (Pep Boys, or even Home Depot/hardware store, where it just goes by 'General Adhesive Remover') Another parentheses set (You can substitute Goo Gone - but it's not as strong, so you'll need more.)
- Plastic putty knife (some folks substitute dental floss - I find it hard to work with)
- Blow dryer
- Terry or microfiber applicator pad and a couple of towels
- Mild paint polish or cleanser of your choice (cleaner wax is fine too)
- Foam applicator pad
- Wax/sealant of choice

Process
1. Pre-soak right behind the emblems with the adhesive remover. I have some small squeeze bottles for stuff like this to make access easier. If you buy the 'general' adhesive remover it'll come with a cap that lets you aim at a pretty specific spot. Let this stand for a couple of minutes while you go inside and try to sneak out the blow dryer without your wife asking what you're doing.

2. Working on one emblem at a time, use the blow dryer on its highest setting to heat the adhesive. Aim at an angle, focusing on the corners and edges. 45-60 seconds should do it.

3. Wet the edge of the putty knife with some adhesive remover. This will give you a bit more oomph and will also act as a lubricant to prevent scratches.

4. Start at the corner of your choice and work the putty knife behind the emblem. Apply a little force to try to get between the adhesive and the body panel - that way you remove more adhesive and make cleanup easier.

5. This should be fairly easy - if you find the going gets a bit tough, back off and apply more adhesive remover and heat. Slowly work your way through until the emblem is removed. Don't be surprised to see adhesive residue behind it.

6. Repeat 2-5 for the remaining emblems you want to remove.

7. Now it's time to remove the residue. Start with a bit of adhesive remover on the terry/mf pad. The combination of pad & product should give you enough bite to remove all but the smallest bits of residue.

8. If there is some remaining residue, use the polish/cleanser to remove it. (You can also substitute a clay bar here.)

9. The adhesive remover is also a wax remover. So, before you can completely enjoy the freshly debadged look, be sure to apply a fresh coat of wax/sealant over the entire area.

This sounds like a lot of effort, but it really is quite easy and relatively painless. My RX was a breeze, I'm guessing because it was so new. My wife's ES took a bit more heat and adhesive remover, but wasn't difficult by any means.