December 2004 Featured Car

 Screen Name: EL GATO
 Age: 27
 Profession: Internet sales manager for Honda
 Car model: Lexus ES 300
 Car year: 1997
 Engine size: 3.0 Liter
 Color: Black

Modifications:

1. Engine:

1. K&N drop in filter
2. Future modifications: TRD supercharger

2. Suspension:

1. H&R 1.2” lowering springs

3. Exterior:

1. 2001 oem red & clear taillight conversion
2. Custom clear corner lights
3. Custom painted monotone black bottom cladding
4. 2001 oem front grille
5. Piaa ion yellow fog lights
6. Smoked license plate cover
7. 35/20 window tint
8. High intensity discharge lights 8500k xd7 violet in color

4. Brakes:

1. Brembo cross drilled rotors
2. Custom painted calipers (Gunmetal)
3. Coming soon: stainless steel brake lines, ceramic pads and high performance brake fluid

5. Wheels:

1. Three-piece 18 inch MHT reverb silver with chrome lip

6. Interior:

1. 2001 door sills with Lexus badge
2. Coming in spring: custom black suede headliner

7. Audio:

1. Two 12 inch Rockford Fosgate P-series subwoofers
2. One Rockford Fosgate 700s amplifier

What led you to buy a Lexus?
Having spent some time working for Toyota, in 2000, I came to realize what a great company this was and how dedicated this Japanese manufacturer really is on their workmanship. It was then when I decided I would own a Lexus vehicle.

Goals
One of my goals was to have my ride featured on ClubLexus’ Car of the month One day I will like for a tuner magazine to do a feature article on my car. Future modifications are inevitable for this hot ES; maybe someday my ES 300 will be the sickest ES in the U.S.

Why you chose to modify your Lexus?
Modifying a vehicle is a personal taste. It is like personalizing your ride from your own sense of fashion and style. Different strokes are for different folks. I have been hooking up rides since I was 16 years old. As of matter of fact, I have won several awards from a previous ride. It was nothing big, just a different movement back in the day. I believe modifying cars runs in my blood. My father, who has always modified cars, has one probably the reason why I have this big passion for automobiles. My father had anything from his wild looking vans in his hippy-days, his muscle Mustangs in the 80’s all the way to his now modern day highly blinged Yukon. As a kid I remember him showing me how to wash and wax a car without scratching it. He has always kept his rides impeccably clean. Maybe that is why you will never see my ride dirty…except on rainy days.

When I purchased this ES four years ago, I was only 23 years old and could not afford the GS or LS. Therefore, I ended up with the ES. Sure, it is an entry-level Lexus and parts and accessories are very hard to find. However, I have learned that it does not matter what you own because with a little bit of imagination and a whole lot of passion, we can create our own dreams.