AusJapanLexus

Found out why my Gig lighter doesnt work.. When I disconnected the fuse. My Sony CD MD Stereo switched off! Who ever put it in, wired it all up with the Cig Lighter....Anyone know why, and how to fix it?

Chris

Sorry Typo.. I have a 96, not a 95

Hi guys.. I am still running around on rims that have no emblems in the centre, and its starting to look quite strange.. I am looking for some cheap wheel emblems that will fit the stock wheels on a 95 ES.. I will buy if price is right, but am willing to also trade something...

Chris

Hey Lex.. Chris here... As you know, my baby is silver, and so when I rebadged it not so long ago I was in a mad problem as to what color to go for.... Should I go Gold or Silver, or dark badges?

After a long think about it, I decided to just sit and have a look around on other peoples cars.. Well as I am in Japan, there are not alot of Lexus's because they love their Toyota's here. .. Anyways, they still love their badges all the same... So I saw a few different Toyota Windoms(ES300) driving around and always looked at what color they were running....

So I saw a white Windom with the grey silver bottom, and it had the gold badges.. I thought,not bad for that color.. Then a few days I saw the white one with the chrome silver badges, and I couldnt tell it had badges on it.. Blended in.... Then while on the look, I saw a black Windom, and it had the silver badges.. I thought. Not bad.. It goes well with the chrome around the windows, and looks like its meant to be that color... I then saw a black one with the black emblems, and I really had to look up close to even see what it was.. It really didnt suite it.. I thought at the time.. What is the point of paying money, for something people cant admire?

Then, I actually finally saw a black ES Lexus, Not Windom.. It had the gold badges.. I thought ahh, finally a Lexus... But all I kept thinking was.. Are they made out of plastic?? I really thought he had hand made them.. The gold just looked strange.. The gold looks good on white...

As for me, you dont see many silver ES's or Windoms here, and so I decided that I wanted the car to look prestine, luxurious, and sporty.... The car is silver, and had chome trimming.. So I wanted to enhance the look, so decided to go with the chrome.. The next thing will be the chroming of the door handles and then the front grill.....

So what I am saying is, be proud you have a lexus, and advertise the fact with chrome!!.... Its really shiny and people look twice!

Ok now.. Who have I offended???

Chris

What 12V power outlet? Asfor the charger and vacuume, they work fine in my Trooper, and the wifes Starlet.. Its the actual lighter that doesnt work, wont even get hot if someone wanted to light a cigarette...

Chris

I have a car vacume cleaner that I use, and it plugs into the cig lighter for power.. Same deal with my phone charger.. Only prob is, that my cig lighter doesnt work.. What could be wrong with it, and how can I fix it?

Chris

Hey Steve,

Do you mean the indicator lights that sit at the side on the front side fender behind the front wheel well? If so, you can get generic ones that will fit... Here in Japan they have generic ones, and when I looked at the back of the box, it told me what model cars they will fit on.. Windom was one of them... Only a few dollars when I last looked, not expencive at all.....How much are the ones you are looking at? I am going to put the clear ones on mine in the next few weeks.... You are talking about the little squary, rectangle ones on the side yeah?

Chris

Hahaha.. The flames...Nah, just for a laugh... But to be honest with you, I am starting to like them.. I get alot of looks with them on there... But I think I will take them off at some stage..

Also, I think that unless you have a body kit on the ES, it really isnt a car that can be made to look like a sporty, performance type car like a GS or something... The shape doesnt allow the car to be played with and to look sporty.. So I am thinking of taking the Lexus decal off the windscreen and the flames off the side, and just having it look stock...

The fact that the rear end sits up on these things, and the front and back lower spoilers(If you can call it that?)on them sits way too high, then I think these are a difficult shaped car's to tamper with....

I am deffinately putting new rims on it, but think that the price is way too high and excesive to buy a few pieces of fibreglass to throw around the bottom for a body kit.. I really dont think that these kits were that hard to build for any manufacturer, and cant believe they are worth that much? (I hope they read these bords?)

Because if they made the prices for these body kits reasonable, then I am sure that 99% of the guys on this board would invest in a set, and their sales would increase.. Their product isnt so wonderfull that I am going to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for it!!!! Seriously!!.. Not that wonderfull??

Anyways, glad you guys liked my chromed light idea.. Some guys might like it, some might not.. But give it a try and see how you go!.. Also take some pictures of the whole car after you have done, and a close up like I did.. I am very interested to see how everyone elses turned out!

Chris

Also. A friend dared me to put flames on my car....So I did! hahaha

Here you are!

Chris

Here you go, a close up of the headlight.. I went into a store here in Japan called GooDay.. Its basically a Japanese Home Depot.. Anyways, found the tape in the tape section, with all other kinds of chrome tape.. Mainly it is used for using around rusty sinks and all that sought of stuff, so I knew it would be water resisitant.. It is actually quite thin I guess, so was easy to put on the light and cut around.. To be honest with you, I really dont know why they put an amber strip in that light anyway, as if you watch your turn signal. That part of the light does not light up.. its the light that is at the side of the headlight itself.. So covering it up is not a problem. And as for the parking light, it actually shines through the tape and has a nice little affect all its own.. If you look at that pic, it really doesnt look odd at all. I think? And when you are at a distance, you certainly dont notice it! Just looks cleared... It is an alternative to the guys that either dont have an oven, or are hesitant to try and clear them.....

Chris

Hey guys. I am like a few guys in that I cant clear my light's as to not having an oven.. I live in Japan, and they just dont have ovens here..

Anyways, I tried many different ways to get my lights open, with no luck.. So the other day, I was playing with some chrome tape, and decided to put a piece along the bottom amber strip on the headlight.. I did this, and thought not bad ;) ..

After playing with it a while, I cut it in to match the shape of everything, and stood back, and thought, pretty good.. After a few days, I dont even notice it, and as it is reflective (chrome) it just looks like part of the light assembly..

I have posted some pictures of my Silver ES in the gallery for you to have a look and judge for youself!.. Eventually I will get my lights clear. But for now, this is a good alternative.. Also, if you put it on neatly, and cut it in with a stanly knife to match, it doesnt look tacky, it actually looks quite good!..

Lex, I saw your black ES that you put in the gallery, and noticed that you covered your light with something.. Give the chrome a try and send us a pic!

Chris

Yeah, just used some of that tape today.. I live in Japan, and so dont have an oven, and cant clear the amber from my lights. So I put some of that chrome tape over it and used a stanly knife to cut it in nicely.. looks great for now.. But will find a way to do those lights eventually... As for the chrome interior.. probably a bit much for me, but would love to see what it looks like.. I am a big fan of wood trim.. I think it gives it a more executive feel about the car.. I also have some pics of my interior in the gallery aswell..

Chris

Just tried doing my front lights with a hair dryer.. NO CHANCE boys!.. Seriously, It was softening everything up.. But I think you need to soften the whole thing up, and pry away.. Too difficult just a bit at a time.. impossible....

Chris

Hey Lex..

I too am a big fan of chrome.. I am going to do the chrome strip along the side also.. I am very interested in seeing some pics when you get them done! If you want to see mine. It is the Silver Right hand drive Lex in the ES Gallery..

Chris

what about a hair dryer? Or would the heat not be enough do you think Lex??

Chris

Yeah.. But where is the company? And how much is it? Do they have kits for 1996 and under ES's? .. Not alot of information?...

Chris

What is ceramic?

Yeah, I really am not this stupid, and kinda knew that the tire wouldnt fit a different size rim.. But as I am not an expert, I was open to the possability.. And I think the guy did misunderstand me, so I guess that got me all confussed aswell? Thanks for your help!

Chris

Why thank you my good man...

Chris

Silver is the best choice!.. Not just because i own a silver car.. A couple of reasons as i see it..

1: Your car can be modified to look sporty. But with silver, it will still have an elegance about it..

2: Silver is the easiest to keep clean, or not clean.. It hides dirt better than any color.. It's only when you wash it and it sparkles more that you realise it was dirty..

3: I find with this model (ES) that silver really eccentuates the lines of this vehicle beautifully. In saying this, I feel the pearl and silver look is more for the LS series, and the all round dark colors are for the GS series..

I am a little biased when talking about it I guess. But I searched hard and low for my car, and kept comming back to the silver every time..

Now there is a bad point!.. I hate the black interior.. I hate black interior for anything.. I love the lighter looking colors. I also like the 2 tone look on some of the dash areas of these cars (grey and bone color). Mine is all black... I will be having the whole interior re designed and re-leathered...

Other than that.. just enjoy your car, and take good care of it.. I do with mine!

Chris

PS: Even my wife, who hates cars noticed what I was laughing at.. Without being told, she even said, "That isn't the right number for that car?"... Having me as a husband, she atleast knows the different model numbers...

Chris

Nah.. I am quite happy for him to drive around being laughed at.. One day he will be shown the errors of his ways, and then he might just think that maybe he isnt as cool as he thought?

Chris

Was driving to my parents in laws house here in Japan today. And as I know, there are not alot of Lexus's of any model here, or that are silver like mine anyway.. Anyways, pull into the parents house, and as the streets are narrow, we have a side section that I park in. Well when we arrive, there is another car comming the other way, so I have to reverse into the side section and park.. I didnt think much of the car at first, but as we walked up past it, I noticed that it was a Phase 2 Aristo.. GS with the round head lights.. Anyways I noticed the big Lexus simbol in the front grille and thought cool.

As I walked closer, the 2 young guys in it had already seen my car and gave me a smart !Removed! look as if to say, yeah, you rebadged your car, and were acting all cool in front of me.. As I walked closer, I noticed the cloth interior and knew strait away that there's was a badge job also... Honestly, they thought they bleep dont stink!

Well, after feeling a little uncomfortable with this I continued to walk on with my wife and baby. As we continued, to my great pleasure, and unstoppable laughing for the next 30 minutes. I noticed on the back of this thing, that he had put the badges for an LS 400 on the back of it!!!! So as I am laughing, all I can think of, is that I may have rebadged my vehicle. But atleast I was smart enough to know what badges I had to put on it..

This was honestly a nice GS he was driving, so all I could think about was that I hope this poor guy doesn't take it to any show's, as he will get the same reaction as he did from me. And by his Japanese counterparts too!...

I normally wouldnt laugh at a Lexus owner, or rebadged Lexus owner. But the way they acted in front of me, really got me bothered.. So seeing that, really made my day!... Poor guy is unaware that he has rebadged it wrong and is driving around like a cool guy wondering why car people are giggling at him and his friend.....

Chris

HHhhmmmm Too true. Too True <_<

Chris

In the latest edition of VIP Style. There is a young guy here, that has custom designed a late model Toyota Celsior, and put a BMW front end on it... If I had a scanner, I would take a picture.. Anyways, its not my taste, but atleast it proves that mods from other cars shouls fit ours.. Just something to ponder!

Chris