Jason82

I have a set of the 17" IS300 wheels... the kind here:

http://www.chuckscarstereo.com/images/chuck/is300/is300.jpg

All of the wheels have some slight scratches and/or curb rash. It appears that the smooth grooved portion of the wheel is silver (painted) and the shiny part is polished.

The curb rash is on the polished part, so I was wondering if it is clearcoated or not? It's very smooth and I can't tell by looking at it.

Thanks!

Think I'm going to pass on the Lexus.... it needs timing belt ($500-700) and the valve cover has a nice leak I discovered today when the dealer raised it up on jacks and let me look at the bottom of the engine. Tons of oil all over the bottom right side of the engine bay, fresh oil leaking pretty nicely out of the valve cover. Toyota dealership said it's a $600 fix.

Sooo, the car needs $1100-$1300 worth of work to be up to par, and the dealer is not willing to drop the price any lower than $7700. Sorry Lex, I've got to walk away.

That is about right.Including TB and Waterpump.

Some people also change Cam seal (2) and Crank shaft seal(1) and pay extra $100.

$500 is cost. I don't pay more then that.

Good luck.

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So $500 for timing belt, waterpimp, cam seal, and crank shaft seal? Or would that be $600?

FAQ

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I read it and it answered a lot of my questions. You did a really nice job on that, thank you!

The one question I had was about the timing belt. Since the car has 93k, it needs the timing belt/water pump service. I'm trying to save as much money as I can on the car, so how would you recommend I go about it? Should I simply take it to a Toyota Dealership? My local Lexus dealer charges $750 for timing belt / water pump.

I did a search on the boards here and I found one post where the person said the parts were about $180 online, and labor $170 at a trusted mechanic. Your thoughts?

Most of the parts that you mentioned are the same between the two cars.

However, there are some differences.  For example, I just encountered this in trying to replace the hood support struts on my 94 ES.  The Camry struts will not work without modification.

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I see. I also undertand that it is due for a timing belt/waterpump replacement. My local Lexus dealership said the cost is $750. Would a Toyota dealership charge less?

And also, is this a good deal: 1996 Lexus ES300... Pearl white on top, silver on bottom... Chrome Wheels. Tan leather interior. 93,370 miles. New brakes/tires. All gadgets work. $7700

Hi guys!

I recently totaled my 1997 Infiniti I30 and am looking to purchase a 1996 Lexus ES300 with 93k miles for $7800.

I had a question about parts/repairs.... how similar do parts run between an ES300 and a Camry? Parts like alternators, oil filters, belts, brakes and other maintenance parts that would need to be replaced.