GaDawg

I think I'll go with DASH USA in Michigan who refurbishes the cluster as the stock appearance, but with better, brighter, longer-lasting lighting. I will have the LCD repair company's contact info at home, so I'll have to get it later. They repair the units for dealers, as well as the eBayer who sells them for $335. You send them your HVAC (pay for shipment to them), then they replace every single bulb, as well as repair the LCD for $195 (includes shipping back to you). They said they can turn it around in a day. You could send it to them on Friday, they would have it back to you by Monday. I got their name from my Dad's Lexus dealer in Atlanta who has had success with them = reputable, trust-worthy; they're out there in Cali (Bay area). They didn't used to deal with individuals, but decided to change their practices and help some of us out without the middle man. If you would like their contact info, I'll gladly pass it on. Hopefully, I'll be able to send mine in for repair sometime next week.

JIBBBY, More great stuff...keep it coming. I planned on going with the white lighting from Lextech as well, but I read about some bad experiences. I read that some folks who had to send their clusters to someone else to fix whatever Lextech did. I LOVE the look of the white lighting, but I don't want to pay them $200, then turn around and have someone els efix their mistakes. How was it dealing with them? How long did they have it? BTW, I do have the number and address of the guys out in Cali who fix the HVAC bleeding LCD if you or anyone else needs help with that. They only charge $195, includes return shipping. They're actually the ones who repair HVAC for the guys on eBay that charge $335. I thought about having Lextech "whiting" them out after I get the LCD up and running again. Where are your pics? I found the one of engine bay, but not the interior. Found your pics JIBBBY

That's what I read as well. I had NO idea what the heck these folks were talking about when they mentioned Seafoam. Then someone as confused as I asked the question. I found it at AutoZone for both the fuel and the transmission. Do you think it would be OK to use Seafoam's transmission cleaner in the oil, or stick with actual transmission fluid? I plan on buying all new spark plugs, caps, wires, oil, oil filter and air filters, then accomplish the cleaning...feel the HUGE improvement all at once! I found some good stuff about the oil cleansing as well. You just have to plan on replacing spark plugs, oil filter and oil after your done. So, if you have some nice new stuff, they recommend using older or cheaper stuff (or stuff that's due replacement) in to gunk up, then once its finished burning off the crud, replace the aforementioned parts with the good stuff. I read that the best success was both. Let me know how it goes and any recommendations. Here are the threads I found for Seafoam... http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155469 http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185227 I'm THRILLED that I was actually able to help you out for a change!

You ROCK JIBBBY!!! Now I have a solid game plan, I'll be sure to keep you in the loop...if you care. I'm sure I'll come a callin' again sometime soon. Thanks again for taking the time.

Thanks for the help JIBBBY. If you don't mind I'd like to pick your brain some more. I saw those rotors on another site, so I'll look inot those. I will also look into refurbing my torque converter. Do you have a contact for getting the work done? What about the cat-back and mufflers? I read your comments earlier, but what would you do to improve performance for the best price. I am willing to pay for quality, but I don't want to spend anything more than I need to. It sounds like this is a mod that I can take care of myself. Where did you find those Megan mufflers? I think I found the Y Magnaflow 2-to-1 Cat on the web. What about air filters? I think I know what type, but I'm not sure. See attachment. Nor do I know the best brand to go with other than each company's rep. I bought some Seafoam and plan on cleaning things out, then replace my plugs with some good ones, as well as new oil, oil filter. What's your experience with Seafoam? Should I replace my spark plug cables and distributor cap, or are they generally fine as they are? What about my battery? Other than weight, do you see any real improvement with a more expensive battery? I bought a JuiceBox from eBay in an effort to bump things up a notch. Unfortunately, I read that the Toyota ECU learns, so the improvement will be short lived. Sorry to bombard you again, but I don't have anyone locally that I can bounce this stuff off of. I saw some sets for Quick Pro for $290 for just the rotors, but I'm unsure which ones I should go with. I found this on eBay...whatcha think about this for $190? YOU'RE BIDDING ON: 2 Front + 2 Rear R1 Concepts' E-Line Performance Brake Rotors 4 Front + 4 Rear R1 Concepts' Premium Semi-Metallic Brake Pads R1 Concepts' Premium Semi-Metallic Brake Pads Our premium, semi metallic with Kevlar formulation brake pads combine durability with solid performance for worry free stopping. This semi-metallic material is formulated to provide economy, medium to high level friction. While it remains disc rotor friendly, it has low wear rate, minimal noise and low dust characteristics. R1 Concepts' E-Line Performance Brake Rotors Cross-drilled and slotted rotors give the maximum braking for performance cars under all necessary braking conditions. Precision machined holes or slots on the rotors will allow hot gases from brake pad to escape quickly to prevent skidding or locking up. It also provides quicker response to improve faster stopping power and enhancing the look of your car. Each rotor is also zinc plated to prevent rusting and made of the best quality metals. Cross drilled and slotted patterns are precisely CNC machined for perfect fit to OEM specs for use with stock calipers and stock wheels. No other modifications are needed. Then there are these from CQuence for $170... Includes 2 Front + 2 Rear Ultimate Cross (Cross Drilled & Slotted rotors w/ free silver zinc plating): Our rotors are dynamically engineered for maximum stopping performance. Our rotors will improve pedal control, reduce braking distance, and give you that extra braking power that you are looking for. The Cross Design rotors are the exact same size as the factory default rotors and meet all required OEM specifications. There is no modifiation to your existing brake system needed! We gurantee them to fit! Our rotors are precisely CNC machined for maximum durability and performance. The Cross Design rotors offers a cooling effect by allowing air to freely flow thru, which allows fast heat dissapation, avoiding rotor deterioration. Our rotors also help dissapate water, dust, and dirt that is built up from braking. All our rotors come with free silver zinc plating to keep them looking new and free from rust. The Cross Design rotors are precisely Chamfered to keep them lasting longer. Each rotor is drawn to scale and engineered with a specific scaled pattern. You can get any of our rotors in silver, gold or black plating. The default Silver zinc plating is free. Gold or Black zinc plating is an additional $30.00.

Great write-ups JIBBY! This is exactly what I've been looking for. Keep it up! My Dad just bought a new IS300 and I asked to take his '94 400 off his hands to fix up. I'm traditionally a Bimmer guy, and always will be, but I like the SC and it has a lot of potential. The market is tough to find stuff, but guys like you have made it easier. My biggest complaint, other than cosmetics I'm working on (e.g., new leather from leatherseats, some LexTech work on the gauge cluster, etc..), is the off-the-line performance. It is not a low-end torquer as you well know, so I want to get the most out of it as I can. I'm not a street racer, nor do I care to beat mustangs or camaros around town, but I do want the pice of mind that I can get off the line in a hurry when need be. I plan on going with the muffler and cat-back set up you've described, the airflow issue, possibly the battery/electrical upgrade and some Seafoam claening among others. I do have a question about the brakes...they're HORRIBLE!!! They're REALLY indecisive and mushy. He put the car through the 100K reconditioning via a dealership ~38K miles ago, but this thing doesn't seem to want to stop with any authority. The rotors and pads look good, and I assume the lines are fine, but I think the rotors, pads, calipers and possibly the lines need a serious upgrade....any suggestions of what to go with and where to get them? I would like to upgare the wheels and tires eventually, but for now I plan on making the stock rims work. This is a hobby car and I don't plan spending huge amounts (at once), so with that in mind, what order should I refurb/mofidy/upgrade my car? I have a good idea based on what I've read, but I wanted to see what you thought about my specific plans. Thanks again.