ArmyofOne

^More cars coming...and then...i saw it...the reason i was there... ^JOE NEMECHEK'S CAR!!!! BUT WAIT!!!...theres more...I turned around...and... ^ ITS JOE NEMECHEK!!! I met him, shook his hand and even got an autograph on a couple of things. ^ See!! (I took advantage of an earlier opportunity to get out of my uniform, it was already 80 degrees and it was only 930AM.) And i wish i would have stayed in Uniform, becuase i looked to my left and guess who was there... ^THE GENERAL OF THE ARMED FORCES OF TEXAS: Lt. General Metz He was there specifically to thank me for Volunteering for Active Duty, isnt that special...ok, i lied, he was there for the race, but he thanked me anyway. :D

^Up for Inspection!! This is where the cars get inspected to make sure they are all on an level playing feild, no Fuel addatives, making sure all the dimensions are correct, and all the cars weigh the same specified weight. ^Going in for NASCAR Official Inspection... ^Dale Jr. has his ducks in a row (thought that was a neat pic, i didnt even mean to do it that way, but its how it turned out.) ^Sterling Marlin, STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO HIS CAR.

^Jeff Gordon is in there somewhere...standing right next to the left side of the car! ^Couldnt find Kevin Harvick for an Autograph :( ^there you can see Gordo a little bit better. ^'nuther car ^nuther car, complete with goofy lookin' guy...Hello! ^Bobby Labonte's Garage, you can see him standing there, dumbfounded at why his car wont run right...

^Victory Lane DALE EARNHARDT JR. IS SITTING ON TOP OF THAT THING, IN THE RED BUDWIESER SHIRT. ^Into the garage area, the cars are being pushed around for NASCAR Nextel Cup Official Inspection.

As you come around the corner, you will see: ^Cheerios Guys pumping up the tires...I got to keep a Lug nut from the Cheerio car :D (It will go on my New (to me) LS for good luck, when i get it). ^Pit crew guys, trying to get things done amidst the fans. ^Joe Nemecheck's Pit booth, he is the entire reason we were there. He drives the US Army car. :D (More on this later) ^more of Pit Road ^Ft. Hood Soldiers, Back from Iraq. ^The famous NASCAR Cutaway Car.

Ever wonder what the Nascar Experience is all about? I found out today. My S.O called me on friday and told me that he had tickets to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Race: Samsung RadioShack 500 this sunday. He said they are compliments of the United States Army. Free food, free admission and some of the best outdoor seats to be had. So what else could i say? I said hell yeah. ^early morning, 730Am arrival at the speedway. ^the Army Booth. I felt stupid, because i was the only person there, who wasnt a recruiter, in uniform. Headed to the pits with my free Pit pass and free Garage pass :) This is the track Pre race. the race started at noon, but i was there at 7:30. in this pic it is somewhere around 830am. heading back to the garage area... Recruiters...lots of em! Next up...The pit area...

thats ok man. we were worried about ya! I hope shes ok. :( next time we will give you a phone # to call in case this happens... Who moved this in here? I put it in the general discussions forum so that everyone coudl see it, its rare that anyone comes in here, most dont even know this forum exists... <_<

No, thats not it...thats a ground for the engine. Its ont he valve cover, you are looking in the wrong place, thats the Upper Intake Manifold. down lower, on the rear cylinder bank.

No those are a coolant temp sensor and a camshaft positioning sensor i believe... take a photo of the right side of the engine, on the rear of it.

camlex, you have to host your image by uploading it to a gallery. emailit to me at armyof1_2006@yahoo.com and i will throw it up real quick. :)

^Tom, (1QWKLEX) as we are leaving. Gato, Halo and Glenn (not sure of his screen name LOL) pullin out.

Thanks for the rides blake and tom, without you guys, i wouldnt have been able to attend. Both of you will have a check for the extra gas in the mail. ^The most beatiful SC4 i have ever seen, Bright red and RARE as hell. ^Derek (SouthernSC) and his gorgeous 10 year old SC-Very nice Derek, and the exhaust...BEST part.

^more of the 723 hp IS3 ^B-noon's GS. He said he hates the wheels and they are going bye-bye soon.

^more new arrivals... Big Joe's IS3...Sexy as all hell. ^Jason''s (JPI) LS400 that just turned out to be int he way. i asked him to move it and he said "I lost the key" :egads: Oh well, we all have brain farts, hell, i misplaced my wallet this morning. :woot: ^Blake918's Beautiful 95 LS400, complete with 253,000 miles.

^All stock AFAIK except for wheels and tires. and smiles. ^trying to get a camber shot there, didnt work LOL. ^Tom's (1QWKLEX) 723 RWHP IS300 ^New arrivals B-noon and some supra guy (no idea what his name was, im so bad with names! LOL)

Wewll guys, i would say this meet was a complete success! Even though we had a lot of no-shows The Pix: ^HALO's GS4/Aristo WAYYYYYYY nice car man!!!! PM me with your # and we wil meet up when i get back! Cant wait to see it wetsanded and clearcoated! ^the $120,000 Supra Turbo...T67, and well, lets just say F...A...S...T... The other supra, all power and stealth, there is no limit with cash! :woot: ^another supra, Lots of em at this one, Dont knwo all that much about this one, except that it was broken into a couple of days ago

naw, if your next oil change is that far off, do it now. take ti to a speedy pube type place. tell then you want your "Tranny Fliud draiend and refilled" use these exact words. itshouldnt be more than $30-$35.

Name: Joshua M. Place: Fort Worth, Texas Age: 20 s*x: Male Car Make Owned: Lexus ES250 (1990), Chrysler Concorde Limited (2002), Ford F-150 XLT (2002) 1. Are you single or married? Single 2. If yes to number 1 do you have kids? If so how many? None 3. What type of activities do you do for fun in your leisure time? Driving, Racing, Fishing, Restoring cars, Spending time wth my dad, Listening to music, Defending My country. 4. Do you consider your self liberal or conservative? a Conservative-Liberal LOL. 5. Describe you feelings towards the importance of money v. family? Family always comes before money...ALWAYS. 6. Do you feel that luxurious possessions improve your social status? Somewhat. 7. Please rate the following on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very low, 10 being very high and 5 being average: Mercedes-Benz: Quality: 6 Value: 3 Fit/Finish: 8 Performance: 6 Lexus: Quality: 10 Value: 10 Fit/Finish: 9 Performance: 10 Toyota: Quality: 9 Value: 10 Fit/Finish: 7-8 (For the price onf the lineup and the value, it is excellent, but when compared with a lexus, sub-par) Performance: 8 (the camry and corolla are underpowered, the camry only in the 4 cylinder version is a dog.) Acura: Quality: 8 Value: 7 Fit/Finish: 5 Performance: 7 Audi: Quality: 4 Value: 4 Fit/Finish: 7 Performance: 8 BMW: Quality: 3 Value: 2 Fit/Finish: 8 Performance: 6 8. What do you feel the most important feature in a car is (Price, Safety, and Style etc.) and why? SAFTEY. As many accidents as i have been in, its good to have it safe, a close second is relaibility. 9. Describe your general feelings toward the Lexus brand? EXCELLENT CARS. 10. What words come to mind when you think about Lexus and their brand image? Conservative, Understatd Luxury, LESS IS MORE. 11. How do you view Lexus v. their main competition (BMW, Mercedes, etc.) in quality, value, fit/finish and brand image? Lexus, in my opinion takes the cake in all three categories. For instance, the BMW competetor for the LS430, the 7 series, will be well over $100,000 with all the doo dads that the LS430 has fully loaded at $75k. I also love how lexus seems to believbe less is more, the features on the BMW's/Audi's/Mercedes'/ are wayy too comlicated to use while moving. have you ever tried to use the nav system on a 760? its a Pain in the !Removed!. 12. What is the main purpose you use your luxury vehicle for? (i.e. work, travel joyriding etc.) All of the above. 13. If you do not own a Lexus would you consider purchasing one? Why or why not? N/A (I just wrecked mine, i technically still own it, but its totalled, my next one will be a mid-late 90's LS400.) 14. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being very low/no commitment, 10 being very high and 5 being neutral, please rate your commitment to the Lexus brand. 9 15. What factors/incidents would cause you to switch brands of cars? a rediclous price increase on every car, or bad customer service i suppose could. But Lexus is an all around car company, if you dont liek the LS, want similar luxury but a sportier feel, try the GS, if the GS isnt sporty enough, try the IS. If you want a convertible, the SC430 is where you want to be. If you need a large SUV, the LX series is waiting, Mid Size SUV: the GX is here, and if you are looking for an entry level luxury package, the RX or the ES have it.

no problem :)

I just had my timing belt changed. I talked to my mechanic and also a certified Lexus mechanic and both said the engine is interference. Non-interference is not correct! ← I'm pretty sure your mechanic is dead wrong, the 2jz has never been interference to my knoweldge.

They are listed under collision parts for that year... Ball joint Right 95-97 $65.42 its # 11

ouchies... thats pretty bad when insurance is more than the car note LOL. looks like USAA will be beating that by over $500, good to know.

http://www.discounttoyotaparts.com the ball joints can be had on this site for $71.99 a piece. so $145ish for parts.

ok, just checking. good to know where it stands. the ball joints arent difficult at all. 2-3 hrs per side tops.