Neo

I hope so. I actually think the pic is somewhat misleading. The shot is take top down which hides how high the car is a little and reduces the fender-wheel gap a little. On top of that, it is a dark colored car and the middle of the car (where the sideskirts area) blends in with the dark shadow underneath. This gives the illusion that the car is not as high off the ground as it really is. Ultimately, it comes down to personal tastes. I am with the guys who think that 20s on a GS needs a bit of lowering. I would add that I think 20s need at least a mild kit. Again, that's just me. :) If you think it looks OK, then that's fine too since it is your car to mod as you please. (This is just in general and is not directed at blue06gs. :D)

A Much more modded GS400 and a C2 996. How's that? Nice beater Dave. :D

Probably because they want to focus on the new models.

It will all depend on how anal you are about the trim. :0 Here is a popular one that fits OK: http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/LEXUS_GS...DIN_p_4803.html There is also a JDM one that goes for about $45.

Congrats on the find. :)

ebay or junk yards.

Showing off again huh Dave. ;) Man I wish I can go to the meet. Too far. :(

No more production. You will need to see if a local dealer can track down one for you. Maybe you will get lucky. Near the end, the 430 was usually built per order and most dealerships did not stock the lot with them.

It is not catback.

Speedo/odo has to do with the wheel outside diameter. There really is nothing you can do about it. Going with 1"over spec is a problem but it is nothing new. 99% of owners who go with 20" rims have the same problem. The tires that go on the 20s for the GS is 1" over spec. I have 20s so I know. ;) You just have to be aware and be careful in those situations. If you are the type that does not want to deal with any of that, then this size is not for you. There are L-Tuned Springs ad L-Tuned shocks. They are sold separately or as a set. The only way to have full control of the gap is to get coilovers as you can adjust the height separately on each corner. Coilovers that have decent ride quality, however, range from 1300 - 4000 new. I am not sure what your budget is. I have the Tein CS coilovers and love them. There are talks/rumors of these being discontinued though. :( The L-Tuned shocks are one of the better units to get in terms of trying to maintain OEM ride quality. You have to keep in mind, though, nothing will ride exactly like OEM, especially if you come from a cushy OEM suspension with 16" rims with 60 series tires.

You are probably not getting a lot of response because this kit is too aggressive for most Lexus modders. There is the genuine Vizage kit which from what I hear fits pretty well. There are also clones of this kit out there that fits horribly. I only know a couple guys with this kit (not to say there are not more) but they said they grew to like the kit. Do you want the kit to be this "busy" and aggressive or do you want cleaner lines? As with many Lexus aftermarket parts, the cost is not cheap. If you like polyurethane, there are a couple of other kits come to mind: RMM and L-Sportline.

Your car now looks like it is a 4x4 ;) because of the reduced sidewall and increased "metal" visibility. As you have figured out, the 245/40 tires on your 18s are the same outside diameter as the OEM wheels. Going to 245/45 will reduce the gap but that is because the outside diameter is about 1" more. The result is 1/2" gap reduction and 1/2" more ground clearance. Because of the extra diameter, your speedometer and odometer will also be slightly off. Depending on the rim offset, you may also have some rubbing problems when you do full turns and reverse. You may also rub the top of the wheel well liner if you are on the freeway going fast enough and hitting a big dip. A nice thing about the 245/45 size is the extra sidewall to give you a more soft ride. With all that said, your best bet is to go with a mild drop with aftermarket springs and shocks. This is the most economical way to do it. There are also coilovers but these will be more in the $1k+ price range. The L-Tuned setup is good if you can find it since the L-Tuned division is now defunct. If you are OK with the current ride quality, the shocks/springs will be fine. You will notice the car handles better and the car won't feel so floaty. You have already taken the biggest hit, in terms of ride quality, by going with the smaller performance sidewalls on the 245/40.

I don't know of any FI for the car that is CARB legal. :(

Yes.

oops, i meant tein coilovers.... ← LOL. Tanabe is working on lowering springs right now.

Sorry, but if the license plate was put on the standard way, there will be a black bracket there but that bracket is attached to the bumper with screws. You will find holes in your bumper.

Hmm. I got mine out from underneath. Anyway, there will be spillage. You can try to put a plastic bag around the filter and use the bag to unscrew it. Wipe down wha you can before putting things back together. Then spray affected areas with brake cleaner and wipe down. I know it is a bit more work but I have not had any residual dripping (post oil change) yet by doing this. BTW - Save cardboard boxes and use them as ground liners when doing oil changes. This will catch the "in process" drippings.

He did that, neo :P ← Oops. My bad. :whistles: So how is it now p3style?

If 225/60/16 is the stock size, it has a diameter od 26.6. Here are diameters of the sizes posted above. The size that is closest and has not been posted is the one with the *. 225/60/18 - 28.6 235/50/18 - 27.3 245/45/18 - 26.7 * 245/40/18 - 25.7 Hope that helps.

Try resetting the ECU. Also, are you feeling accelleration decreases at low speeds or high speeds?

I've only seen the two styles new big400 posted. They are both somewhat cheaply made. You will get condensation in them and eventually, the chrome reflector inside will wear away. The quality of ones you get is the luck of the draw. I'd just save my $ and buy the ones on eBay since they are pretty much the same ones. Then if it goes bad, you can just get another.

You can try TM Engineering in Carson or Luxury Motor Works in Monrovia.

http://www.l-tunedparts.com http://www.lexus-parts.com

There will be Tanabe lowering springs available soon and possibly even some Tein coilovers. I also believe there is a replacement grille from Japan.

The 06 GS 18" wheels will fit nicely on a 98 GS.