ZINFANDEL22

Would appreciate any advice on the subject!

Thanks everyone...hey and Happy Holidays!

I fthey wont let you watch them do the tint, dont let them do it. ask them how long it takes, if they say less than 2 hrs, then dont let them do it.

ask them if they use a computerized cutting system or if its done by hand, if its not computerized, i wouldnt use them unless they have demonstrated their skills adequately in the past.

window tint is one of those things, if its done quick, its not done well. dont get the $99 dollar job either, cause thats what yu will get. ask them what kind of film they use, if they say anything other than 3M or Llumar, RUN FAR AWAY.

LOL ,wow army you scared da hell outta him!!!

What do you guys think about painting my two tone black/gray es to all black. I have seen them before and I think the 97 es all black looks very classy. I am planning on doing it this weekend... does anyone know if i will have a problem with the paint after the gray panels are painted black?

I am sure the paint will be fine of course it needs to be a specific paint for plastic which allows it to be flexible without cracking but your painter will know that. I will be curious to see pic's and what you think as I have a 96 and wonder about doing the same. Please let us know what it costs also. good luck

Whats up with people who ask questions and never come back :chairshot:

na i am here just still getting my car fixed so i dont know how it will look....but my guy is doing it for 400 bucks

$400.00 WOW!! Thats not some guy thats a freind!! great price , love to hear what you think keep us posted..

Well they both have a counterweight, the 7424 just has a beefier one thats optional on the 7336.

The upgraded counterweight isn't that big a deal, it makes the machine smoother when using wider diameter pads. I think the PC works best with 4-5inch pads anyways.

Thanks Steve that helps alot

I know many professionals that use PCs.

Whats up with pc 7424 and 7336 and the counter weight? Do you guys use or prefer the counter weight cuz why buy the 7424 and have to pay more for the 6"back pad and all to be able to use the weight? Why not just buy the 7336 instead that will allow you to use the counter weight? just wondering???

I'm having a little trouble with something eletrical in my rx300 (in another post) and was wondering a few things...

When i bought this rx300 (CPO) last june, the carfax report stated that there was an "eletrical" issue. When i asked the dealer i bought it from (Ira Lexus in MA.) they told me it had something to do with the drivers seat?? Everything was working at the time so i didn't care...

A few months ago there was a problem when starting the car (it would make a lound grinding noise as if holding it in the start pos. too long). And now my battery is dead... Could THIS be related to what carfax was saying?

Is it possible for Lexus to tell me if this car was EVER at Lexus for a fix of some kind? Is all that stuff recorded somewhere? I'm the second owner, does that matter? It's an 03 rx300 36,000 mi.

Thanks for your help!

If the work was done at a certified lexus dealer any lexus dealer will be able to pull all past service work that has been done to your vehichle.You could call on the phone giving them your vin number and ask any lexus dealer and say you are planing to bring it in for service there and would like to know its history.

Thanks Zinfandel for giving me an honest opinion, and not a sarcastic one like the other post. Somebody's got it in for me...oh well.

I really appreciate that. I will thinking about rolling the dice at between $18k - $19 and work my way down. I feel kind of bad having to sell this thing, but I just have to.

Plus I am redoing my house so the money will come in handy.

Thanks Again!

Sorry to hear you have to get rid of your car thats a bummer. You know it only takes 1 person so you are right you can always come down in price. Clean that baby up and park it and see what hapens there is a ton of car there for 18,000-19,000 grand and your mileage is very low . When you deal with trade ins or dealer they only give you average even if your car is mint just a rule of thumb. good luck start at 19,500

W T F !!!

I really wouldn't use a brush to wash the car, I know the OXO and Griots brushes are soft, but not soft enough for me...

Personally I dont use any brushes I use a mit. I am leaning towards the 7424 I think I could handle this since you dont have to move a orbit polisher around as much as a spinning polisher. I am glad to hear some of your input as it helps alot. thanks

PS, STEVE AND JON ,I need yours input on a question in the detailed section "what to do first" THANKS !

What do you guys think about painting my two tone black/gray es to all black. I have seen them before and I think the 97 es all black looks very classy. I am planning on doing it this weekend... does anyone know if i will have a problem with the paint after the gray panels are painted black?

I am sure the paint will be fine of course it needs to be a specific paint for plastic which allows it to be flexible without cracking but your painter will know that. I will be curious to see pic's and what you think as I have a 96 and wonder about doing the same. Please let us know what it costs also. good luck

Whats up with people who ask questions and never come back :chairshot:

well i visited all the chain store and the apple store, no luck, i called the apple store this morning again and they just got a new batch, so i bought one, but thanks n e ways guys

Which ipod did you decide on? I bought the Nano for my daughter for christmas. She said that was the one she wants.

WHAT ABOUT EBAY???

Thought I post a couple of pics of my 2000 LS400 with ASA ST3

Tell me what you think

What are you riding for tires? 50's? looks very nice not to big and enough tire on the rim ,I like a decent size rim but not the low low profiles at all, good job.:

Hi,

I bought a 1997 Lexus ES300 about two weeks ago with 120,000 miles on it. This is my first lexus ever, and I am extremely happy with it. I have been reading this forum and you guys are very helpful. Thank you!

Some details about my lexus before I ask the question: The car runs very smooth. No problems at all. Its hard to believe it has 120K miles on it. I just came back from a 800 mile trip and averaged 28.4 miles/gal.

Ok my question is:

When I start the car in the morning (cold weather) the engine runs at about 1200 RPM for a while and smoke comes out of the exhaust and there is a burning oil smell from the exhaust. I am aware of the sludge problem in this year lexus. I checked the oil cap and there is a little sludge there but the oil dip stick has very clean oil on it with no signs of sludge.

Once the engine warms up, the RPM is about 750, no smoke from exhaust, and very little smell. Should I be worried about sludge problem? What is the easiest/cheapest way to find out?

Sorry for the long post. I am very excited about my lexus and my next vehicle will definitely be a lexus. I will appreciate your help in this matter.

FYI: The previous owner had the following changed at 100K miles (he gave me receipts): Spark plugs and wires, timing belt, all fluids flushed, new brakes, new tires.

Good luck with your lexus, I just bought a 96 that just hit 100,000 and love it. I cant help you on the mechanical issues but wish you the best.

I greatly admire your dedication to detailing and will think of you whenever I have the audacity to complain about a backache when I detail my cars.

I don’t know if this is a possibility as it requires a pneumatic air supply, but Groits Garage usually stocks a Porter-Cable Palm Switch random orbital polisher if circumstances permit it would be an ideal solution for one-handed operation

Jon

Thankyou for that info I get griots magazine so I will check it out. I had'nt thought about the on off button as it would be tough if I couldnt reach it with my hand that is holding the buffer. Thanks very much for your input and kind words. There are no guarentees in life so push foreward and happy holidays,theres always someone worse off then you! John

I own a 2003 is 300 and what to put 20" rims on it but every where says that they can not fit. what are the biggest rims that can fit on my car without messing up the suspension. Also what conversions would have to be taken for 20" rims if they cannot fit normally up there

tirerack.com can answer that also for second opinion.

CPO is the way to go...

I just bought a 2004 RX330, sticker when it was new was 47,000. Nav, and DVD in REAR, AWD and just about everything else you can get. The dealership had just got this one back off of a lease, asking 36,900. I got the price down to 31,000...took 5 days but I think that it was well worth it. So what I have a 2-3 year old car with 45,000 on it, I still have a 3 year up to 100,000 mile warranty... I'm happy! GO WITH THE CPO unless you just need to spend money $$$$. GOOD LUCK!

LOL... Sounds like a great deal, enjoy!!

Just make sure that you are getting it from a reputable Lexus Dealer.

I got mine from Lexus of Massapequa and they were like snakes.

The CPO requires them to do the 100+ point check, but this dealer probably never even bothered. My wheels were out of alignment, wiper fluid didn't work, heated seats were wired incorrectly, break pads were badly "glazed".

I think the only reason to get a CPO is the warranty. Don't believe the hype. Just because it's a CPO that doesn't mean too much.

Again, you need to make sure to get it from a trust worthy dealer. Then you will be OK. They will take care of you.

This was the direct opposite with Massapequa.

The end result for me is that I am now looking to sell my ES. But I made sure to have all those issues addressed because I don't want to pass on the problem to someone else. I did the hard part. The new owner will have a nice time with the car. I just can't get myself to continue to own this. Call it bad karma...

BUMMER,its all under warranty so thats cool ,but when you sell it you will take a big hit cuz there will be no warranty to over the buyer. You may want to reconsider selling it in my oppinion anyway. good luck

Good luck to you.

Hello,

I am looking to privately sell my 2001 ES300. I was wondering if any of you could clue me in as to how much I should list it for.

2001 ES300 Certified Pre-owned

24,000 miles

Pearl White

Chrome Wheels

Wood trim and wood steering wheel.

Heated seats.

Leather interior.

Tinted windows.

New Battery.

25,000k service being done as we speak.

19 months left on Certified Pre-owned warranty.

Clean inside and out.

You guys think I can get $19,000 - $20,000 for it?

I would say $17,500 - $18,000 you should be happy as trade in value is about $15,000

Yep, its actually exactly the same wax as the P21S, just packaged and marketed for bikers.

STEVE excelant info ,can you tell me when doing these steps from clay to swirl removers to glaze and wax,is there a waiting period between certain applications? Such as zymol product I have some of these waxes actualt some are called glazes such as destiny or atlantique i believe. You made a coment as to zaino not being able to go over certain other waxes can you explain to me if these zymol products can be put over other polishes or sealants? If i used clay then the zymol polish then the wax I know this I can do but then I didnt apply any swirl remover so I am trying to figure out how to accomplish these steps with products that will adhear and work with eachother on a black car? I hope I havent confused you but you are the man to ask. I use caranuba waxes also so i may have one wax on and 3 weeks later put another product over it and maybe thats not a good idea . so please any info will be great....

I have used it with one arm, and probably like anything else its just a situation where you have to perfect the right technique to make it work.

Wow, you're a devoted detailer!

LOL SWO3ES,I knew I could count on you. Yes I enjoy washing and waxing my cars but it gets pretty tyring with one arm so I was just hoping there was a buffer I could use that would help in the task. thanks for your input.

Wow ...where did this new interface come from???? NICE SET UP LOC! Me likey! It was my recent $50 Gold membership deposit that did it right? Come on, don't lie ;)

Man, we gotta stop all of this reply with the other's dude's quotes...I get lost in the details. Hahaha. JC...it's all good man. I agree with ya'!

Now this it what I like a guy with a sence of humor keep it up nc211

I understand this is a strange question but I love to wash and detail my cars but it has become a big job since I got M S and am in a wheelchair and really only have one good arm. My question is do you think any buffing machine that anyone has used could be done with one arm? Doing the waxing with one arm and trying to get leverage from a seated position is tough so I hear how well these buffing machines work for everyone ,and just thought I would love to get one if I could handle it. Any thoughts?:whistles:

u know the whole touchless wash thing really is just a patch up job... what i would do is get the cheap touchless just rinse and soap... and then go home and clean everyhting by hand... thats the only way to do it

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Touchless works fine if you don't let your car go too long after it starts to get dirty, and have a good coat of wax before hand. Probably also depends on where you live too.

I think this is a great thread .... bartkat is right with a good wax job the spray baths do a good job. Especialy in the mid west when winters hit but I prefer the touchless baths with that big a@@ blower that I go through real sloooow ,wish I had one of those over my garage door. The all touchless are few and far between though but they are out there. Anything else is crap IMOP.

It could be one of two things:

1. The fillers are being removed from the paint, which is entirely possible because what cantsleep said is true.

2. You're introducing new swirls when you wash the car. The single stage black is VERY soft and improper washing techniques will swirl it badly in one wash.

How are you washing the car?

What about the drying towel or even the towels used to wax on wax off? Must use the proper towels!

What do you guys think about painting my two tone black/gray es to all black. I have seen them before and I think the 97 es all black looks very classy. I am planning on doing it this weekend... does anyone know if i will have a problem with the paint after the gray panels are painted black?

I am sure the paint will be fine of course it needs to be a specific paint for plastic which allows it to be flexible without cracking but your painter will know that. I will be curious to see pic's and what you think as I have a 96 and wonder about doing the same. Please let us know what it costs also. good luck

   

The odo. thing is a real bummer.  I feel good about the car otherwise, but a bum odo. and the seller never mentioned it?  Shady doin's . . . 

*EDIT* - I did a carfax, it's last odo. reading was in '97, at 60,100 or so.  Since it's electronic, could it have short circuited or something?  Or is this almost definately tampering?  If it once read 60k why would it now read 50k?  Wtf?

Mister-Z, I suggest you study some of ArmyofOne's earliest posts in the archives about what happened after he bought a '90 ES250 that had fewer miles than the ES you are considering. Even though Army is knowledgeable about auto maintenance and repair, he STILL had to pump about $5,000+ in repairs and maintenance within a few months of buying his '90 ES250.  There are many more horror stories like this in the archives involving young people who thought they were getting a "great deal" on a low priced early 90's ES. 

. . .

Like I said before, instead of buying a money trap Lexus in marginal mechanical condition, you could buy a low mileage, senior owned mid-90's Toyota Corolla or Camry and then you won't hardly have to worry about the consequences of maintenance neglect because a Toyota with only 50,000 or 60,000 miles is too young for much serious damage to have occurred, even if neglected.

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A mid 90's Camry or Corolla with only 60k on it would run at least $4,500 here :cries: I've been keeping an eye on the classifieds, local online listings, used dealerships for about a month now and I can say this with fair certainty. On the occasion that such a deal does surface it get's bought very quickly - lottery odd's of me finding such an ideal catch (not that I haven't been trying)!

I read some of ArmyofOne's posts. Exactly what I'm trying to avoid! I wish I'd asked for a copy of the service records - they had quite a few - this person lives a little ways out of town and I can't just run over there. I need a better idea of what all they took care of with this car . . . but there's still the odo, casting doubt on the whole thing

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Mister Z, I may have missed something but has this ederly woman owned the car since new? If she did regular oil changes you could add it up I would think with some paper work here and there should help some.