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MBoom

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Everything posted by MBoom

  1. Thanks, but given the amount of time this ate up, I'd have to charge about a thousand bucks a copy. I can appreciate now how much time the design and tooling of those aftermarket wood/carbon fiber dash kits entails. One would think that it's not that big a deal to create a template, but just this one little piece required 19 cutouts, which have to be very accurately placed to make the finished product look right. It's a pain in the neck.
  2. Did you read my reply to your other inquiry about the radio presets? I'm fairly certain that your problems on FM1 were due to the fact that someone had programmed that set of presets using the RDS system. Here's how it works: If you're in one of the sets of FM presets (FM, FM1, or FM2) and you push the RDS button, the radio will seek out FM stations that carry Radio Data System (RDS) signals. These RDS signals identify the station's genre (talk, rock, etc.) and allow the station's call signs and the current song title to be displayed on your radio. Once these stations have been locked in, pushing the lower part of the rocker switch marked "Type" will toggle between the different genres and you can select the pretuned stations by using the numeric (1-6) buttons. To clear the RDS stations, push the RDS button and hold it down until you hear a beep. At that point, the RDS stations will be cleared and you can use the buttons to manually preset the stations you wish. Other than this, the programming is pretty straightforward--tune to the station you want, either manually or by pushing the "seek" button until you get to it, then hold down the numeric button you want to program with that frequency until you hear a beep. Or ask an eleven-year-old to do it for you.
  3. I was just re-reading the owner's manual because I have the same issue. I think it's because the RDS system has been activated on that setting. Try pushing the RDS button down until you hear a beep and see if that clears it up. Check out this URL for more info on the radio system: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ost&id=4019
  4. This project consumed hours and I don't have the final version done, but I've got an interim fascia cover that looks pretty good to me. This is a camera phone photo, so the quality isn't the greatest: The size and placement of the cutouts around the knobs isn't quite as good as I'd like, but everything else fits perfectly. In a nutshell, this is what I did: 1. I took a photo of the factory fascia, then cropped and resized the photo to the exact size of the actual fascia. 2. I pasted the photo into SmartDraw, a drafting program, then using the software's tools I drew the appropriate shapes over the corresponding openings (buttons, display, CD slot, etc.). I deleted the photo from the resulting diagram and had a pretty close actual-size diagram to create a template. Because of the parallax error that resulted from taking the photo so close to the fascia, the size and placement of some of the openings wasn't quite right. I did some measuring and adjusted these. 3. I printed the template to actual size, then taping the template to a piece of .015" thick, adhesive-backed carbon fiber, I etched the outline of the openings with an X-acto knife. 4. I then cut out the openings in the carbon fiber sheet with the X-acto knife. This took forever. 5. Comparing the cut-to-measure sheet with the actual radio, I then adjusted the size of the openings with a Dremel Moto-Tool with a shaping attachment. When I created the template in SmartDraw, I had made the openings as close to the actual dimensions of the buttons as I could, so the fit around some of them was a little too tight initially. I figured it would be easier to expand some of the openings if it was necessary, than to try to make the radio look good with too-big openings in the carbon fiber fascia cover. It was really easy to adjust the openings' size with the Dremel. 5. Once I had the openings sized to my satisfaction, I used some rub-on Datamark letters for the POWER/VOLUME, AUDIO/TUNE and PUSH/MODE letters. These were sprayed with Datakote spray. 6. Once everything was dry, I slapped that puppy in place. Eventually I will . . . at my leisure . . . work on a piece that's perfect. This one is about an 8 or 9 on a scale of 10, and it's a vast improvement over the worn fascia. I probably spent 30 or 40 hours on this, though someone who's not a complete ham-fisted knucklehead could do it a lot faster. Much of that time was spent researching materials, buying supplies, and creating the template. The cutting of the carbon fiber sheet was tedious, but not all that difficult. Thanks again to Howard, my LS-driving pal, who helped a lot. I probably would have given up on this had he not put so much time and effort into this himself. I do like the look of the carbon fiber. It's dark gray in color (described as graphite) and adds a not-too-flashy bit of a high-tech look to the dash. Since I've got some left over, I've been thinking about adding a bit here and there to dress up other interior bits and pieces. However, I'm mindful of the fact that it's but a small step from "tasteful accent" to "wretched excess," so I'm trying to exercise some self-control. ;)
  5. The SC430's windshield pillar construction should provide a high degree of protection against deformation in the event of a rollover. But every crash is unique, involving a multitude of factors that can render any safety system ineffective. As you can imagine, in a convertible there are any number of things that can go wrong, ranging from ejection to the intrusion of objects into the passenger compartment. Assuming that the windshield pillars hold up in a rollover, you'd still have to hope that the seatbelt pretensioners were activated. This would cinch you into your seat, and minimize the chances that you'd flop against the ground, rocks, guardrails, or the like as you embarked on your tumble through space and time. In some cases, regardless of whether the pretensioners activated, centrifugal force would keep you pinned into the cockpit, but the accelerative and decelerative forces in a crash are often unpredictable. Sometimes it's more like a tumble than a roll. Having the roof up would add to the overal structural integrity of the SC, and would also reduce the likelihood of objects penetrating the cockpit. Nonetheless, it's best not to roll the SC, top up or down. :) So, I think the answer is yes, the windshield pillar provides quite a bit of protection from deformation, but it's no guarantee that you won't meet your maker. However, you have to view the SC in terms of the total safety package offered by the car. First, while not impossible, rollovers are not really all that common an event in auto crashes. Your Lexus has an advanced stability control system (VSC) and a well-engineered suspension that, acting in tandem, significantly reduce the chances that you'd ever flip the SC. It also has an fairly low center of gravity, which makes it an inherently stable vehicle. Additionally, you have to look at the rest of the safety package, bearing in mind the likelihood of various types of accidents. With well-engineered deformation zones, front and side airbags (knee airbags also in the '07), seatbelt pretensioners, a strong body structure, ABS and VSC, you've got a lot going for you from the perspective of safety. Mama Lexus is taking care of you.
  6. Well, I think we're getting closer to a solution. I've been working on a template and a friend of mine (an LS430 owner who is also mentally ill) has been scouring the local hardware and hobby stores for a material that will work. I've got some thin (.015") adhesive-backed carbon fiber sheet on the way, but in the meanwhile the best solution may be to cut some thin plastic, then coat it with a plastic-friendly spray paint that's a close match to the factory fascia. I want to end up with something that is up to the aesthetic standard of the rest of the interior (other than this, everything else is perfect), and I have to keep the overlay thin enough that it won't interfere with the retracting cover panel. Once I hit on a final solution, I'll post the info here.
  7. Could someone walk me through the procedure for removing my 2002 SC430's headlight assembly? It's time to replace the high beam bulbs.
  8. Well, it's good to know that there's at least one person out there who understands my despair. :cries: As of this morning, I've located one company, a place in NJ, that has committed to having their designer look at an SC and see if they can do a custom job. I'm sure that means it will be somewhat pricey, but we'll see. I've also located several sources of adhesive-backed carbon fiber film that I think would look good. The problem is that any overlay would have an inordinate number of cutouts and I'd have to get it "just right" or it would look like crap. I don't want to screw up a nice car with a tacky piece of work. So, right now I'm on hold.
  9. I'm a complete noob, and this is a pretty trivial first post, but here goes . . . I just bought a 2002 SC430. Mechanically, it's perfect. Cosmetically, it's in near-perfect shape, but there's one thing that's nagging at me. The previous owner must have fiddled with the volume control constantly, because the metallic finish around the volume knob is nearly worn off in one area, revealing the black plastic underneath. Now, this is hardly the end of the world, but I have a sickness. Things like that bore a hole through my psyche and I must find a way to fix it. I checked with my dealer's parts department and, as I suspected, the fascia is not sold separately; it's part of the stereo head unit. I've searched for dash kits, thinking an aluminized or carbon fiber piece cut to fit would look nice, but, alas, none of the kits I've found include that piece. Can anyone recommend a way to address this horrific situation? :cries: I'd like to restore it to a factory-new appearance. However, failing that, a laser-cut overlay (as found in dashboard kits) would be fine. Thanks.
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