GOLDPLATER

BIG Congrats to you Mike. I've had mine just a few months and i can't help but stare at her everyday. Another joy is when i exit from a store and start approaching her in the parking lot(by the way, i always park her away from the crowd) and think to myself, wow she belongs to me. Brings a BIG grin to my face every time. :D ENJOY!! John

IMO they are too big for this car. They are also very close to the type wheels that i've seen made for MB's. If you doubt the fitment, why not jack up the car and try them on? John

The G.M. i spoke with told me Lexus is exporting more SUV's than cars because people seem to be on a SUV buying binge. Since auto makers in Japan can only export a certain amount of vehicles & since the profit margin on lower priced vehicles is greater, fewer higher priced autos are being shipped out each time around. Dealers end up with few LS430's each time and thus, the demand out weighs the supply. I can tell you that is how it goes here. I called 6 dealers in my surrounding area in an attempt to get the color and pkg i wanted. I had to settle for a lower pkg just so i could get the color combo which was first on my list. My only other recourse would have been to special order and go through the extended wait which i wasn't willing to do. Dealers usually get 2 shipments each month. I was sort of lucky because the color combo i wanted was arriving in the dealers second montly allocation stock. Had i not put down a $1K deposit, the dealer was not going to guarantee the vehicle would arrive unsold. The G.M. actually showed me his upcoming delivery sheet & then proceeded to show me that all but 2 white 430's had deposits on them. John

Taking into consideration this is in Colorado, it's obvious to see that during the winter months, this driver likes to go skiing without getting out of the car. John

The closest dealer to me is 24 miles @ 35 minute drive. This same dealership owner has just built a new facility 3 miles from me. The new dealership is only selling pre-owned cars. So keeping the new car dealerships to a minimum could hold true to what Mike stated. Before i got this LS430, i owned a GS. I had to make service reservations at least 2 days in advance. Good thing about the newly built dealership is that i wont have to drive so far for maintenance. John

That cover looks so real. It must be some kind of 3D art work. Probably cost a pretty penny to make. John

I had my 01 GS300 up until a couple months ago. My wife actually wanted to keep it but I got a good deal on my 04 LS430 so away it went. I never had a trouble on my GS. In addition, i parked the car in my driveway since i bought it. The paint work and trim still looked new. I'm talking about 3 years of sun,rain, and some really brutal winters. I am sure you will not be disappointed. John

I wanted that option pkg sooo bad but by the time the dealer got that option with the color i wanted, the 05 models would have been arriving. :cries: John

I feel your pain. This country has it's bad element areas too, fortunately for us here, when it starts getting that bad, we have lots more room to pack up and move to. We have a car commercial over here. I don't recall the car manufacturer, in any case, it shows a man coming out of an office complex. He walks toward this incredibly beat up vehicle parked in the street. He pauses and looks around for a moment then suddenly pulls off this car cover to reveal a bright shiny new car. He hurries and shoves the car cover into the trunk and drives away. John

I have never done this before but since i am associating with fellow enthusiasts on the web, i am extending my gold plating expertise to any member wishing to have some plating done. Outside of this board, my customers come to me by word of mouth. I do no advertising. I let my work speak for itself. I never quote my customers a price on any job. All i ask is that my customer pays me what THEY feel the job is worth. They are amazed at this concept but it has worked for me just fine. So, if my fellow board members would like something plated, feel free to contact me. I ask only that you pay for shipping and what you feel the job is worth TO YOU. You can't get any simpler than that..No exceptions. Just be respectful of my offer. Thanks, John P.S. If the moderator feels this post violates policy, i understand if it gets deleted.

Thank you for the compliment. I'll post more pics as i progress further with my gold project. Unfortunately, the bandwith restrictions on this board prevent me from posting higher quality pics of this beauty. John

Thanks to everyone for the compliments. It's always nice to be in the company of enthusiasts who truly can appreciate quality, beauty, and perfection in an automobile. But then again, that's clearly evident in the fact that we are here on this board discussing and showing a truly world class automobile. John

Here it is. MKW 11 series. I stayed with the same wheel size because i want to use the same stock tires (Dunlop SP5K's) that i have on there now. This way i can just change wheels in the winter time. Winters can be brutal in jersey. I'm not 100% sure but i believe i will probably do some gold touches on these chrome babies. B) John

Looks like this pic didn't take on my previous post. John

Just took some pics of my new girl. I can't do much with a camera but i can surely dress up a car. B) John I decided to only do the front emblem. Even the pipes are 24KT All rear glass is 5%. Should be getting chrome shoes saturday. All door handles & ash tray tabs 24KT. Should i do the stick also?

I was considering the new BMW 545I and the MB E500. The BMW exterior was a bit more stylish but the interior cabin and ignorant dealership personnel turned me off. The MB was close but after looking at consumer reports and talking to some very disappointed MB owners, the car's mechanical troubles sent me away. John

While i admit, it can get out of control, i believe i do just enough not to be ostentatious. B) John

I only plan on giving my girl cosmetic enhancements. So far she's rcv'd 5% tint on all rear glass and i am currently gold plating much of the chrome. I've finished all the exterior chrome and have started the interior plating. I had some time this weekend so i plated the interior door handles, ash trays, and shift console plate. I should be getting new shoes for her this week. John

The smart access will recognize you from 3 feet away. It's also really cool at night. At night when you enter the recognition zone, your puddle lamps will come on and the interior cabin lights will come on starting from a low glow and increasing to max illumination. The antenna you ask about is actually for the Lexus Link transceiver. John

I used to view HP as a prime decision maker in my auto shopping criteria. Perhaps i am getting too mature but i would rather see more refinements and superior quality in my future LEXUS. Yes, most manufacturers are getting back into the HP arena, but unless you live in a sparsely populated area, all that HP seldom will find it's way into your daily commute. Of course, it's nice to know it's there. This vehicle is a true luxury automobile. I get more enjoyment out of cruising in it than trying to beat some fool out of the gate at a traffic light. :P John

The Smart Access feature has spoiled me. I never want to fumble around with key fobs again. Just stick it in my pocket and forget about it. Of course, sometime i still forget my old habits and dig for my key to unlock my door. I laugh at myself then say, hey dummy, put that key away; it's all taken care of... B) John

Don't know about down south where you are but up here in NJ, the dealers start getting them in late Sept. The changes will probably not be too drastic since 04 was a new design year. Why tamper with perfection. :D John

My 04 LS430 is costing me almost $700 for 48 months. And this is because i am a repeat customer & with 5K down. There are 2 other dealers in my part of the state and another 4 within reasonable driving distance in adjacent states. All of the dealers in this neck of the woods can't keep the cars on the lot for more than a week. Both dealers in my area have waiting lists for the more desirable colors and packages. My vehicle has the modern pkg with the additional smart key & minor accessory items. You'll have to be the son or close loving relative of the dealership owner to get an 04 LS430 for the price you're currently paying for that 745, unless you plan on putting down alot more money upfront. Good Luck in your shopping, John

Check out dashmat.com. I think you will find what you are looking for there. I bought a dash mat for my 96 Impala SS. The workmanshp is top notch. The lines on the mat flow exactly with the vehicle dashboard. You can even get a logo and monogram on the mat. I sold the car years ago so i am not able to provide a pic of how well it's made, however, the web site does portray an accurate image of what to expect from this manufacturer. :D John