SW03ES

Oh well, now we know they aren't plug and play! I wonder about the headlights... The chrome trim looks great BTW!

Stevie- They don't have the ES in the UK ;)

I'm not saying you are inexperienced, I'm just saying don't expect that experience to automatically kick in and save your butt in a pinch because it won't, too many people make driving a passive activity and it isn't, its an active activity. I wasn't so much talking about your testing the tires as making a general statement about the dangers of overconfidence in everyday driving. A lot of people spend thousands of dollars on performance driving schools thinking they can buy their way to being a good driver, they often do it for the bragging rights. True that you can learn some great skills but I think there's a law of diminishing returns. When you get off the road course in the skid car onto the track in a high performance car I think you've crossed over into an area where you're increasing your track skill but not your road skill. The two skills are different, the kinds of cars you drive, how you drive, and where you drive are different. Again, ask race car drivers they'll tell you. You pick up good stuff when it comes to knowing the physics of curves and balance of weight but beyond that, I don't buy it. Why don't they give insurance deductions for performance driver training? Because the risk analysts realize that taking performance driving training does nothing to lower your risk of an accident. Defensive driving training however, that consists of skid car training and instruction on how to handle a road car (one course I used had a taurus and a crown vic) on a simulated road, a skid car that they could use to create any driving situation, will get you a discount. Insurance companies are sharp, what they will deduct your rate for is a good indicator of whats worthwhile. If an alarm system for instance or safety feature doesn't lower your rates, its probably not worth buying. People make a living assessing risk for insurance companies. You also need to remember what these assesors have projected about your age. Your insurance rates are based on your age, not the miles you drive. Extensive studies have shown that new drivers take about 5 years to become as competent as the AVERAGE American motorist. This has part to do with experience and part to do with chronological age. At your age your reflexes, problem solving abilities, attention span, and the smoothness of your motor functions are not that of a 25 year old, they will still improve until they reach a point when they will begin to decline. Thats why you get a deduction when you turn 21. You get another deduction when you turn 25. You've only been driving for 2 years, 500,000 miles or not you've got a lot of experience yet to have and a lot of maturing physically and mentally yet to do. Not recognizing that is foolish IMHO. Now I will give you my opinion on the tire testing. I wholly frown on any kind of performance driving on public roads at any hour of the night in any kind of conditions. I think thats irresponsible, foolish, dangerous, not to mention wholly illegal. I think anyone who does that should have their license revoked and is certainly overconfident. Even at all hours of the night you can't control any variables surrounding you. You can't control the condition of the roadway, movement of traffic, pedestrians, animals, debris. ESPECIALLY with a passenger... High performance driving is great, its a lot of fun and a great challenge. It belongs on a track though. If a track won't accept you because of the condition of your car, theres a reason for that. I think driving that car with the problems that it has in the steering system and the suspension, on a public roadway in that manner with a passenger was an enormous error in judgement. I KNOW we have a lot of experienced and accomplished drivers on here because I've talked to them. Steve, Jim, Alan, vbDenny. These guys have decades of driving experience (some more decades than others lol) and I bet any one of them could drive circles around either one of us. I'd like to hear their input.

I remember my dad wanted an LS400 in 1990, I was young but I think it was $38k or so. I remember he couldn't afford it and got a Lincoln Continental instead. He looked at them again in 93 but got another Lincoln because of the same reason, again in 95 but got a Cadillac for the same reason, and finally took the plunge in 98 and got his first one. The sticker was 62k or so, and his 04 LS430 was $71k. He paid way less each time. I still have one of the original 1990 LS400 brochures from when he looked at them way back when.

No black onyx is a pure single stage black, his is either a UK spec color or its Indigo Ink Pearl.

Naa, I'd have it fixed by a professional.

I've taken driving courses too, one thing you'll learn is that what you learn on the track doesn't always translate as well to the street as you think it will. Overconfidence is the single most dangerous thing you can possess as a driver. It makes you slow and it makes you inattentive. When you're learning and on the track you're always 100% there, the mark of a good driver is someone who can take the skills they're taught on the track and still put them to good use on the street when they're distracted by other things. That can't be bought and it can't be taught, it comes from experience. Look at the driving records of pro race car drivers, you hear about them being involved in accidents all the time. They're excellent drivers on the track when they're 100% there, on the street they're overconfident. I was at a driving course once where a 45 year old guy made a similar comment about his skill. The instructor played it cool, put him in the skid car and asked him to do a little demonstration for the class. He started out on the road course well, obviously a well trained driver. The instructor lured him into a false sense of security by letting him to successive laps and increase his time. Then he pushed up the back end of the car to simulate oversteer in a tight curve and the guy totally lost it, did a 360 and would up totally off the track. He made a fool of him. He was overconfident. He had the skills but his cockyness put them to sleep. Had he been 100% there he could have compensated for that skid, that was first day defensive driver training stuff.

Thats a good deal.

Its not worth it. For what you'd wind up spending you could be in a GS300 at least that you could buy UK spec.

Any driving instructor will tell you to be careful with that one...

It depends on how you drive too. My dad has never had over 25k on a set of tires, on his 98 LS with 16s or his 04 LS with 17s and my last set died at 22k.

It may not be out for 2004 yet, I remember when I first signed up it didnt have 2003...

Actually many cars still come with a single stage paint, Lexus black, yellow, and red are all single stage (no clearcoat). The clearcoat isn't what stops the oxidation its improvements in paint technology. All clearcoat is is paint with no pigment, its chemically identical to normal paint.

Its garbage. All it is is a low quality polymer sealant and theres no way it lasts more than 2-3 months. Take the $500-$1000 they charge that should pay for regular detailing for years... If you keep the car clean and don't introduce marring to the paint then you can wax it regularly and won't have to clay/polish. Its best to find a good detailer who can detail the car at least every 6 months if its light, 3 months if its dark colored if you dont want to do it yourself.

Niether the new GS300 nor the IS have 280hp...

I don't blame the cops, I blame the legislators that write the law. The cops are just doing their jobs. Some of them enjoy it and get a rise out of stopping people, let them. Everyone should find the good in their work. Traffic patrolmen DO NOT protect lives though, thats a farce. If anything speed traps make the roads more dangerous with drivers clammoring to slow down unexpectedly and not paying attention to the road like they should be because they're searching for cops. Speed enforcement's only purpose is to make money. The "taxes being low" is no excuse, the government should be able to live within its budget just like we all do without having to set laws that in many cases are impossible and unsafe to follow just to make extra money.

I think you're a little backwards. All OEM HIDs are 4100k, thats the only DOT legal color. When you get substantially higher than 4100k you're getting a more purple light with LESS light output.

Go to www.alldata.com and subscribe to their service, there you can print off the TSBs and get all the instructions etc.

No problem ;)

Yep, there are three places they rattle, the rear doors, the moonroof, and the front windshield cowl. All of these are TSBs and warranty work.

Man thats a shame about the lamps, any way to modify them to fit?

But unfortunately you also get their unethical business practices.

Its a good product. If you have a Container Store near you they sell Novus products.

But they'll definately be a difference between the RX330 and the RX400h, just like there would be between an XLT and a Limited Explorer or a X5 3.0 or 4.4.

Just please, be careful with it. You don't HAVE to use any machine to remove the wax once its dried, using the orbital with a terry or MF bonnet to remove the wax is your personal preference but it doesn't add anything. I usually just remove by hand. No need to get defensive, you've got to be open to advice and criticisms thats why we're all here. There are several aspects of cars and mechanics that you are obviously more adept at than me, and several aspects that I am more adept at than you. When I see you or others making mistakes and doing things improperly I feel that its my responsibility to point you in the right direction, just as I would expect you to do for me if I were trying to tear down my engine and was doing something completely wrong.