ChopsLS430

A few new pics in the sun. Quite a few updates including LED lighting inside and out and the LED yellow fog lights, and of course, the new wheels. Need to tweak ride height a little more, but nothing drastic. Loving this LS430 more and more every day, with 205k miles on the clock now.

Since everyone has been ranting and raving about my last set of photos (NOT), I figured I'd drop a few more from this morning's little joy drive. Just to help settle in the new suspension, and just because I enjoy driving the thing.

It's been a while, but a few updates... Replaced the original tail lights with ones from the Celsior from Japan, which have clear turn signals. Really updated the looks of the back end of the LS430... Hit 200k miles a few months back... Purchased and installed a re-mapped stock ECU a couple weeks ago... Well worth the $350! And have a bunch of other stuff sitting, waiting to be installed, including custom coilovers, new water pump/timing belt kit and a few other things...

Just stating the facts.

Yeah, you're not going to get any help on this forum. It's too dead and our cars are too old for them to care about. They're all about the latest and greatest around here. Well... The latest anyway. Not really the greatest.

I'm having a similar issue with my driver's door as well. With mine however, it's intermittent. With mine, it fails when it gets hot out. In the mornings and evenings, the lock works fine, but in the heat of the afternoon, it doesn't.

Did something today...

Wow...

So I've had this happen about 3 times now in the past week or so. When I get to my destination and turn off the car, it will not release the key from the ignition. I have to start and shut off the car a time or two more before it will eventually release the key. Any thoughts on this? I have also been noticing that the transmission (usually when it's cold I think), when it's shifting into 3rd gear (at low rpm and light throttle), the rpms shoot up several hundred rpm at the shift point, like it's slipping. Maybe just a transmission flush? When the engine is cold, it idles silky smooth. You can't feel it at all, though once at full operating temp, there's just the slightest, and I do mean slightest bit of vibration at idle. Lastly, very rarely, but it does it, I can hear a tiny bit of pinging under moderate acceleration. It doesn't do it all the time, only sometimes. And yes, I use 93 octane. If you can give me your thoughts on any and all of this, it would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance!

I was tired of looking at the yellow, hazy headlights, so I decided to do something about them today...

Not a whole heck of a lot of interest around here, but an update none the less. Went up this morning and got the windows tinted, 20% all the way around. Going back in a couple of days to have a 20% strip across the windshield as well as 70% tint all the way down the windshield to reduce any UV into the interior by 99.9% all the way around as well as reduce heat by a ton. It's the most I have spent yet on a tint job... A LOT more than I've ever paid for a tint job. But for the plans I have for this car, and wanting to provide maximum protection for the interior, it's worth it.

I have Cooper Evolution Tour tires in the stock 225/60-16 size. They came on the car and are pretty much new with only about 700 miles on them. They're nice and quiet, offer a decent ride, really good grip in the dry and rain, and have a good tread wear rating. They're perfectly fine for the casual cruiser. These tires get really good reviews online, even on TireRack. At less than 90 bucks per corner, not a bad tire at all. Read some of the reviews here... https://www.tirerack.com/survey/SurveyComments.jsp?&category=tire&additionalComments=y&commentStatus=P&tireMake=Cooper&tireModel=Evolution+Tour&fromTireDetail=true&partnum=26TR6EVT&tirePageLocQty=%26partnum%3D26TR6EVT

I don't know what you've been looking at, but Crutchfield has plenty of items that they say will fit, and most likely will with minimal effort. I'm still not 100% certain how I'm going to go with the system. I have a Helix DSP.2 that is the only thing I pulled from the 370Z. That DSP will be going into the Lexus. I may end up retaining and using the stock tweeters in the dash depending on how I can get them to sound with proper tuning. Will most likely be going with Stereo Integrity again for mid-bass drivers in the front doors (the new TM65 MkIII) as they are hard to beat at any price. I have the MkII's in the Z and those things sound darn good. I'll probably run a pair of Hertz coax speakers in the rear doors. As for sub(s), I don't want to limit myself to a single 8" infinite baffle driver in the stock rear deck location. I believe I can design a custom baffle that will require minimal space in the trunk and house a couple of 15" drivers, designed for infinite baffle of course. To the untrained eye, most won't even notice them being there even when looking right into the trunk. And lastly, I'll probably power the entire system off of a single 8 channel amp. The key is low power and pure sound quality.

Thank you Steve. I've never been one for white cars, but I have to admit, this pearl white is really nice. Even at 18 years old!

Hello, new to the forum and new to Lexus. However, I am not new to the knowledge of how these cars are extremely reliable and well put together. Mine is pearl white, bone stock, all original (minus things like belts and such), and has just over 198k miles on the clock. Everything works and it runs silky smooth. I have a 2016 Nissan 370Z that I've done over $13k of mods/upgrades to, but I am selling it due to a bunch of old bicycle stunts I used to do as a teenager that have taken their toll on my left leg. Long story. Plus, the way things are going now, having a larger, more practical car is the better way to go honestly. I've only had the Lexus for a couple of weeks and have been loving every minute of it, not to mention it's soooo much better for my leg. Getting in and out of this car is 99.9% pain free. Once I get going with the mods/upgrades on this Lexus, it'll make for much better content than what I'm posting currently. LOL I plan on going on the theme similar to the old 2001 BMW 740i Sport and Mercedes S55 AMG. So yes, it will have some suspension work done to it, slightly lowered, beefed up sway bars, it will have some sporty but classy 18" staggered wheels, possibly era correct. I may upgrade the brake rotors to slotted units, definitely upgrade to Akebono pads, a high quality, quiet true dual exhaust with electronic cut-outs, ceramic tint of legal darkness, and a modest stereo upgrade that will be designed for sound quality and be completely stealth. You know, grown up mods for a grown up car. 😎