What A Project!

[blake918]

It has been a while since we've done anything to the LS, so we planned out a huge project. Before we bought the LS, there were severals stains in the backseat likely from spilled sodas. As bad as the stains look in the pictures, it wasn't as bad as yall would think since the floormats cover 90% of the mess. After about a year of renting rug doctors, trying every product on the market, and buying my own hot water shampooing machine, we decided to take drastic measures. So, we gutted the interior, pulled the carpet and pressure washed it. It sounds odd, but the results are nothing short of spectacular! B) Removing the carpet seems like an involved task, but it really isn't. We had our LS barebones in about 2 hours with the aid of an air ratchet(it makes removing the front seats a cake walk). We removed some componets that didn't need to be removed in order to get the carpet out such as the instrument cluster and CD changer.

Ever wonder what the LS looks like stripped?.....

Carpet before and after:

Before everything came back in I gave all the pieces a once over with Steve's Woolite solution, and the floormats are still drying after I put them in the washing machine(steviej's technique)....they came out great!

After removing and cleaning the carpet, we decided to sound deaden the car even though there is already a lot of insulation. There are so many different options here, and after much deliberation, we went with Dynamat Xtreme. I couldn't find any locally in New Orleans. My dad goes to Chicago(Joliet) almost every week, so we found a retailer there, and he picked-up 4 32"x18" pieces from Rad Rides by Troy (815)468-2590 in Manteno. I'm not advertising; they were very helpful with our questions and provided a pleasurable experience. Since they were so helpful, we didn't mind paying their retail mark-up over the lower price on dynamat's website. Does the insulation make any difference?? The LS seems noticeably quieter to my ears, but I'll never know for sure since I didn't take any sound measurements of the before and after. I'm very pleased. Since there is already a lot of insulation(most of it resembles the look of those Rhino bed liners) in the LS, we worked the Dynamat around what was already there-that's why yall will see the insulation choped in to so many little pieces.

Materials:

Here's what is behind my backseat:

Finished with the Dynamat installation:

Those are all of the pics I'm allowed in this post. One more sec for the rest of the project....

[blake918]

Before I start with this part, a HUGE thanks is due to Jim (1990LS400). He is great to chat with and could probably write a book about interfacing Nokia cells with our Lexus cars. Not to mention he sent me the mounting bracket (seen below) and a mute lead. The mute lead would have played the sound through the front speakers and taken power from the amp to power the car kit, but the lead is meant for euro spec LSs. It didn't work in Jim's '00 with Nak, and it doesn't work in my '95 with Pioneer.

This is probably the best part of the project, the Nokia CARK 91H. After searching for a short while, I was stunned to see that there was a Verizon phone that is compatible with this car phone. It's a little older, but I like the simplicity of the 3285. I've been called all kinds of crazy for tossing a high tech, stylish LG flip phone aside for this old fossil. lol I don't play games, I like boring ringers, and don't care to watch microscopic movie clips on a small unclear screens. I like phones that are just made to be talked on and nothing else, and that's what I have!

Not only is this a very convenient addition, but it makes talking in the car worlds safer. I also never have to worry about a dead battery in the car either! B) The installation was very straight forward with the assistance of Jim's tutorial. With the help of a homemade test light, we found the muting pin in the wiring harness for the Lexus cell, so every time I get an incoming call my stereo mutes, and when I press send for a dialed call, it mutes also. It resumes the volume when the call is ended. The volume is very, very loud from the Nokia speaker. We chose a unique spot for the mic. We put it on the windshield right next to the A pillar trim; this is an excellent spot as my voice is picked up loud and clear. In the console is the privacy handset which will mute the loud speaker and allow me to talk on the handset privately.

I had to order an external antenna. It was supposed to come in on Saturday, but it just showed up about 10 minutes ago. I was ready to have my car back, so we prewired the car with coax(it costs next to nothing at Radio Shack) and went ahead with the install of the interior. We pulled 12v of "switched" power from the cigarette lighter.

Trademark mute technique by JH! ;)

I super highly recommend this accessory! ;)

And, lastly we put in a new instrument cluster lens. I ordered it more than a year ago, and we just never got around to putting it in. We finally installed it, and it is the best $20 you can spend! B) We found that removing the 3 philips screws that hold the cover over the steering column makes removing the cluster 100x easier. Some before and afters....

Annie was exhausted just from watching us do all of that work! lol

[nc211]

Blake, wow, that's a chore! You know what's funny, from your pictures, I can see your passenger side airbag has the exact same "bump" as mine does, in the same spot, same size and same kind. I wonder why?

[blake918]

Blake, wow, that's a chore! You know what's funny, from your pictures, I can see your passenger side airbag has the exact same "bump" as mine does, in the same spot, same size and same kind. I wonder why?

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It was a huge chore! But, slipping back in to the driver's seat was worth every second of it! B) I feel like I have a new car! I'm not sure what the deal with the pass air bag is, but I'm glad I'm not the only one!

[nc211]

Yeah, I agree, that's a great feeling getting back in, firing her back up and taking her for a drive after a big upgrade. I was smiling ear to ear after the control arms and such. Let me ask you this, since our cars are so similar, how is your windshield? Do you have little pits in it that make it hard to see with the sun in your face? Mine does, badly. Looks like someone took a sand blaster to it and put a million tiny little pits in it. I haven't a clue as to why either.

[blake918]

My windshield is a BIG pos(I have several "stars" and my pass side has probably a foot+ long crack), but I'm in no rush to put a new one in since I'll collect more rock chips from all the hwy driving I do. Other than the chips, I attribute the pit looking defects to a cheap piece of glass since I'm sure it has been replaced b/n now and 5/95 when it was bought.

[pachocco1]

Rats rah rig rog!

Scooby Doo speak for 'thats a big dog'!

Nice work. You have some serious tenacity Blake.

[flash213]

Blake, wow, that's a chore! You know what's funny, from your pictures, I can see your passenger side airbag has the exact same "bump" as mine does, in the same spot, same size and same kind. I wonder why?

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I have the same bump as well at the airbag (95). We should start a 95 LS club. ;)

Blake you are goin to do great in the business world with just the amount of determination you have.

[razahyde]

wow blake really impressive especially if u did it all w/o a tutorial i have 2 questions to ask you

1) do you mind showing how to take the plastic covering infront of the gauges off because mine looks like it has posts but there on the inside it seems like you kno what im tlakin about in the pic u posted

2) can u post a tutorial for taking out the cd changer because my cd changer doesnt seem to be working and im going to take it out and see if i can figure out whats wrong, probably something wrong with my radio because my original wouldnt do anything when i pressed cd on the head unit and the cartridge woudlnt eject bougt a new radio off ebay and worked fine for a month or two then had the same problem i would buy aftermarket stereo but it wouldnt look right

if u can help me at all id greatly appreciate it

[blake918]

Rats rah rig rog!

Scooby Doo speak for 'thats a big dog'!

Nice work. You have some serious tenacity Blake.

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Thanks so much!! Annie is 90lbs of spoiled-rotten Doberman; as you can see, she has a real eye for leather! I'm sure sorry that we missed each other at the meeting in April(I saw the post in the meeting forum but forgot to post a response). It seems like more and more DFW LSs are comming out of the wood work, so we'll have to plan a little LS get together this summer! ;)

Blake, wow, that's a chore! You know what's funny, from your pictures, I can see your passenger side airbag has the exact same "bump" as mine does, in the same spot, same size and same kind. I wonder why?

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I have the same bump as well at the airbag (95). We should start a 95 LS club. ;)

Blake you are goin to do great in the business world with just the amount of determination you have.

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We have 3 members so far! :D Any more of you guys out there?? lol I really appreciate the kind words!

wow blake really impressive especially if u did it all w/o a tutorial i have 2 questions to ask you

1) do you mind showing how to take the plastic covering infront of the gauges off because mine looks like it has posts but there on the inside it seems like you kno what im tlakin about in the pic u posted

2) can u post a tutorial for taking out the cd changer because my cd changer doesnt seem to be working and im going to take it out and see if i can figure out whats wrong, probably something wrong with my radio because my original wouldnt do anything when i pressed cd on the head unit and the cartridge woudlnt eject bougt a new radio off ebay and worked fine for a month or two then had the same problem i would buy aftermarket stereo but it wouldnt look right

if u can help me at all id greatly appreciate it

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I had no tutorial other than the one that Jim wrote for everyone. The Lex repair manual is nearly worthless as far as interior things are concerned.

To get the cluster out: first remove the 3 philips screws that hold the plastic covering over the steering column housing--1 is at the bottom and 2 are behind the wheel...just get your keys and start the car. Turn the wheel right and left until the screws are exposed. After that plastic housing is off, pop that horrible, cheap, black plastic base off(plug your ears because the creaking is painful!). There are a couple connectors restricting it: one on the left for the rheostat(dimmer) and on the right for the trip and odometer toggle. After that trim is out, you will notice two philips screws at the base. Remove those. Then, work the cluster out. There are a series of connectors restricting the cluster itself also. Unclip the connectors and out it goes!

To get the cd changer out: I have to run out, but I'll do a little write up for you tonight. The write up is going to sound long, but it really takes no more than 10-15 minutes but a little detailed. ;)

[razahyde]

thanks alot blake i really appreciate it o ya and join me in on the bump by the airbag i have a 96 and i kno exactly what your talking about lol

[DobieG]

Wow - nice work! Very impressive! :)

[Lexls]

Look's great!

I'm thinking of steam cleaning my carpet. You're saying one of those rug machines you rent at the hardware store won't cut it? That seems crazy to me.

[ED.]

I am very curious to know where you got that new lens. the one on our 96 looks like crap and the more I try and clean it the worse it gets. Is that dealer part. Please say yes. I am driving by a Lexus dealer tomorrow when I run some errands. Those carpets look awesome! I have a soda stain on my floor in my BMW. Lucky me it was hiddden under the floormat so I didnt see it when I bought the car. D'OH!! Anyway, very nice.

Thanks

[blake918]

thanks alot blake i really appreciate it o ya and join me in on the bump by the airbag i have a 96 and i kno exactly what your talking about lol

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We're up to 4! LOL

Wow - nice work!  Very impressive! :)

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Thanks!

Look's great! 

I'm thinking of steam cleaning my carpet.  You're saying one of those rug machines you rent at the hardware store won't cut it?  That seems crazy to me.

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Thanks, Carl!! Your above statement is correct. My stains(for the lack of a better word) were just too tough. I don't know if they're really stains(it was just bottles and bottles of soda built up in the carpet) since they came out so easily; I never once picked up a scrub brush. What I rented was more of a shampooing machine-Rug Dr type things that you can rent at Home Depot. It mainly soaked the carpet with cleaner and water and vacuumed it back up. The little machine that I bought was a Bissel...a little green I believe that had a hot water heater in it. The water actually got very hot, but it wasn't steam. The water it collected was brown like tree bark; the stains lessened, but they never got clean enough for me! I'd try the rental; all you will lose is like $30-$40.

I'd recommend pressure washing the carpet if you can. We have more cars than people in the family, so it wasn't a problem for the LS to be out of commission for a week+. We pressure washed it probably 3 different instances, and we let it dry for about 5-6 days.

This is what I had to do to get the soda residue out. You can see all of the soapy residue from previous cleanings. We didn't put any soap on the carpet when we washed it. My carpet stayed 100% intact too. No strands or anything came off, just the coke. Some of the insulation on the back came loose(not off though), but a little bottle of glue solved that problem....

Ed, it is a dealer item! I usually order from Park Place Lexus in DFW(great prices and free shipping). Since you are going to the dealer, take this part number with you: 83138-50090! I paid $20.91 for it in July of '04...wow I'm a procrastinator! I'll find some pics with the carpet stained but with the floor mats in....it really wasn't very noticable, but I knew they were down there, and it bugged the hell out of me because I'm severely anal!

[ED.]

Well the cheapest I could find it was $38. Do you guys think thats worth it? I wonder if I took out if I could clean it better? You opinions please!

Thanks

[nc211]

Ed, I've got one of those Brissell home steam cleaners "lowe's $190" deals. It's got an attachment wand with a spinner brush that I've used in the past on my cars. It seemed to really do the trick after using pretreatment spray first. But my stains weren't soda based, just normal foot dirt wear and tear. I've used it quite a bit in the house "white carpet " and it's amazing!

What about taking it to a professional cleaner?? Probably cost you $75?? I'm not sure. I like Blake's idea too, but knowing me, I'd have about a half a dozen spare screws in my hand after reinstalling everything! Hahaha.

[ED.]

: ) Actually I was talking about the instrument cluster lens. I caved and bought one from Plaza Lexus for $38. I will probably install it tomorrow. I will do a fulol writeup with pics and such.

Thanks

[ED.]

P.S.-How difficult was it to replace the motor mounts on your 95? And was there a big impovement?

Thanks

[SW03ES]

Great work Blake! I've always thought about doing the dynamat to mine.

[blake918]

I like Blake's idea too, but knowing me, I'd have about a half a dozen spare screws in my hand after reinstalling everything! Hahaha.

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LOL I was worried about that too, but I knew that if we got in to any real trouble, the dealer would know how to put it back together. The funny thing with the LS is that a lot of stuff is just snaped in! lol

:  ) Actually I was talking about the instrument cluster lens. I caved and bought one from Plaza Lexus for $38. I will probably install it tomorrow. I will do a fulol writeup with pics and such.

Thanks

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You are going to be very pleased! The lighting on mine seems to be brighter after the new lens...I guess because the lights aren't competing with the defects in the plastic. Be sure to post pics!!

Great work Blake! I've always thought about doing the dynamat to mine.

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Thanks, Steve! I think you'd like the Dynamat. We're going to do the doors soon; I think it will make a huge difference!

Here are some pics of the antenna:

[1990LS400]

Blake,

You did an absolutely great job on this project.

Most of all you showed that sometimes one just has to just roll up his sleaves and tear into a car to get an understanding of how everthing fits together.

It's been fun!

[blake918]

Blake,

You did an absolutely great job on this project.

Most of all you showed that sometimes one just has to just roll up his sleaves and tear into a car to get an understanding of how everthing fits together.

It's been fun!

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Thanks Jim! Your input on all of this was exceptional! ;)

[akewlguy]

WOw.. Nice job all in a day?

How much did you pay for the car..?

It reminds me of a couple of brothers I know who redo the Acura Legends.. When I first saw one they fixed up I was like DAMN that this must be 15k and they were like no 7.5k... It amazed me..

Now I look at the LEXUS and think that is a 25k car when its really worth 8k on Kelly Blue Book.. The car is amazing.. On top of that this car actually lasts forever!! Like a rock.. Ohh wait that is Chevy.. :)

Great job on the car!!

[blake918]

Everything was all done in almost 10 days. We have extra cars in our "lot," so we had all of the time in the world and were able to take our time. Stripping the interior takes about 2 hours. The entire project took so long because we wanted to be 1000% sure the carpet was completely dry. We washed the carpet probably 3 times over 2 days, and the rest of the time as allowed for drying. Plus, all of the materials(antenna and dynamat) weren't ready to be installed when we stripped the interior. Completely putting the car back together took about 7 hours that included washing every piece with woolite, sound deadening, installing the car phone, and putting everything back in the car. We took several breaks because it was over 95 degrees and 100% humidity.

We severely overpaid for the car. In late Feb. '04, we paid $6,500 plus tax and tags w/ 224.5k miles on the odo, $hitty paint, torn leather(steering wheel, driver's seat, and upper console), clunky suspension(strut rods were toast), dead stereo lcd, timing belt #3 was needed, oozes(doesn't leak as I don't add anything) oil at the valve covers/cam and crank, needed rear brakes, antenna mast was long gone, driver's seatbelt didn't retract, driver's door weather stripping was about 50% there, needed a new ignition system, and probably one of the dirtiest and under maintained(original spark plug wires were there at 225k miles) vehicles I've ever encountered. Somehow, the car drove beautifully even before several things were fixed. Since then, we've invested well over $3k and 100's of hours in voluntary repairs/maintinance/cleaning. I've got to drive it for several years to recoupe the costs, so it'll be a while before I get rid of it unless it gets totaled(which isn't out of the question since I was hit 2x in just 1 year).

It was painful to see a '95 with 220k miles on ebay go for $7500 in excellent condition only a few months after I got mine.

I've put over 32k miles on the car in a year and a few months, and I'm confident that she will go well over 350k miles. It's just an excellent car, and I really enjoy putting miles on it. B)

Thanks for the compliments! :D