DomLee

Shims are metal plates that sit between the pad and the caliper itself. Think of it, as a metal gasket. I don't usually replace the shims. It just needs to be cleaned off prior to re-installation. Did they use anti-squeal when they were installing the new brake pad? Anti-squeal is applied to the back of the brake pad, then I install the shim,...after which I put another light coat of anti-squeal on top of that.

Just disconnect one of the small hoses from the reservoir and drain it. Be careful though, as it will get messy. Then, clean up the area. You may want to make sure you cover your paint as best as you can, as we all know ATF is corrosive.

I agree. Need to be much more specific. Better yet, take a picture of the current level of your brake fluid in the reservoir. Have you installed anything that is brake related recently? Is your brake master cylinder leaking? Etc...

What do you mean by "fluid is good"? Do you mean that your fluid does not need flushing or do you mean that your fluid level is good? I would imagine that your pads are getting low, and when that happens, your brake light comes on due to the now "lower" level of brake fluid in the reservoir.

Purchase the Lexus Factory Service manual for your vehicle. That is one of the most important things for your car. I don't know how much you know about cars, but...the starter should be on the underside of your vehicle, near where the engine connects w/ your transmission.

The sticker on it says JIC. http://www.jic-magic.com/

Still don't know how they (Lexus) got a top speed of 146 out of the SC300. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84

There is no law. It was a "gentlemen's agreement". Nothing more than each manufacturer agreeing to say that the cars only made no more than "280 PS (276 bhp)". Read here: http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...8&page_number=1 I'm still disappointed at the power dropoff near 100mph w/ the SC300s. Is this the same w/ the Supra NAs?

The SC is fine on takeoff. A bit sluggish maybe, but I'm more concerned w/ the way it tops out. I expected the power to die out more at 120 - 130mph. Obviously this can be remedied by customing gearing, but if I'm spending money on that...I may as well look into an engine swap, along w/ the Supra 6-speed tranny.

My recommendation would be to purchase another car. Cleaning up w/ the amount of damage you mentioned...is a very expensive and time consuming task.

What are you going to have done to your car? Alignment? Purchasing aftermarket parts?

I drove from LA to SF to LA this weekend. I was able to get to 100mph, but anymore...and I felt the engine really struggling. How are you SC300 5-speed guys going above 120? Going at 100, I didn't feel like the car had much more power to really push beyond 120 (Possibly to 110.) Not that I'm trying to reach 120+mph speeds, but I didn't feel like my car could go that fast. My tires were properly inflated. Still stock suspension, but in good condition. Just curious as I don't see how you guys are posting speeds higher than 120...

Power lag? Can you please elaborate? Stick or Automatic? If stick, what gear and what rpms does this occur? Please be more specific.

He never mentioned that he autocrossed so why are you speculating? I don't know what autocrosses you attend, but they never reach that speed.

Just thought I would ask. Was any anti-seize ever applied on the threads? This helps w/ ensuring that the threads don't strip...causing the stud to break (or in this case, the nut).

Check your PM.

BTW...consider siphoning the 87 octane out of your gas tank if you have a lot of it. If only a little,...fill up w/ 91 octane and you'll be fine.

Yes, your octane is too low. (Did you not see the "Premium" fuel required sticker on the car?) From there...if you are still getting a sound....then it will be time to look into other things. But for right now, purchase higher octane gas.

There is no real guideline for how low your initial offer should be. It is just up to you, in terms of how much you think the car is worth,...and how much you would "like" to pay. From there,...you just haggle the price to get what you want.

I thought so. I mean, coolant circulates in the block, but the power steering fluid only circulates within the steering rack system. Just puzzling. Maybe it was the light bouncing off the surface that made it look a little green. Thanks.

This may sound stupid, but can coolant get into the power steering reservoir? My power steering reservoir has ALWAYS made a sort of whining type noise. This was AFTER it was replaced w/ a rebuilt unit (by Todd w/ TM Engineering) earlier this year. So I've been accustomed to this whining type noise. It isn't really loud, so I didn't think too much about it. This past evening, I noticed that the fluid was a bit low. So I added just enough to bring the fluid level back to spec. When I did so, and I peeked into the reservoir to actually see the fluid level,...I noticed a slight green tint/coloring to the fluid. (The ATF fluid I was pouring in was not contaminated) Keep in mind that my car currently has the typical green coolant. Yes, I know...use Toyota red coolant. But I've had the green coolant ever since I got the car earlier this year, and have not yet changed it out. With all that said, is it possible for coolant to get into the power steering reservoir? Maybe it was the reflection of my flashlight hitting the fluid? I know I'm burning a bit of oil. With my shadetree mechanical knowledge, I don't "think" it is possible. Any input?

Theft recovery? Looks to be in great shape to me. Is there any physical damage to the car?

I'm not a fan of the "Toyota" logo on there. Would rather take it off. Hmm...how is the Toyota logo stuck onto the plastic? Is it silkscreened on there some how? Does/will it come off if I scraped the letters w/ say...my fingernail?

Just thought I would ask, have you cleaned out the throttle body?

On Autotrader, when I was shopping around for one earlier this year...I saw a few of them for under 10k. Actually, they ranged from as low as $5k to roughly $9k. Just keep an eye on prices to gauge what the "market" is for these cars right now.