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This is my first post but I have been reading and learning all I can here and a few other places for over a year. I was torn at first between a ls and gs 430 but happy I went with the ls ul. I'm going to use it for my 25 mile commute to work and family road trips. I live in Wisconsin which is a major salt state for winter roads which means rust galore. I used to live in San Diego so I reached out to a friend to pick up a so cal car when I found one I liked and fit my criteria. So here it is. I found a 2002 UL with 90k with a cosmetic salvage title for 4800.00 . I'm not planning on selling ever so the salvage doesn't bother me since I saw the pics it was from and ins report. I will fix the issues in process. ( minor cosmetic issues) E everything works as it should except one headlight cleaner sprayer and the drivers mirror is a little finicky. Here's the pics.
The only changes made so far.
1. 100 watt led fog light upgrade
2. Cleaned both headlights thoroughly
3. Changed out a few interior lights to led like dome light, door lights, trunk light with a few more I want to do
4. The biggest purchase I found some used staggered wheels MMR 19x8.5 19x9.5 chrome not perfect but for 250 could pass them up for now.insure of exact offset but did a test fit without tires and hope they fit without rubbing. I'll keep my fingers crossed until tomorrow.
5. 235 40 19 front 255 45 19 rear uniroyal touring tires new 425 for all . Went with a bit taller sidewalls to try and save the ride quality as much as possible. They look even nicer after I cleaned them up. Pics on car to come soon.
Got the wheels on and now I'm adjusting the suspension to the ride height I want. I think I'm going lower but I'm getting close.
That looks like a solid daily. How'd you go about the muffler and exhaust tips? The stock cutouts are quite low and I've been wanting to get something for my car but am not sure what to do about the rear bumper cover.
I also did the same thing you did to your LS when I first bought mine a couple of months ago. Here is a picture of my 2004 LS430 with 124K miles. I also came across this set of used 20's for $140 I could not pass that. I'm also running staggered wheels with 245/35/20 in the front and 255/35/20 in the rear. This weekend I will be switching out the stock suspension and getting some KYB Excel-G struts on some RS-R Super down lowering springs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this new setup won't sacrifice too much of the ride comfort. My goal is to minimize the wheel gap. I also upgraded the sound system (non mark levinson w/no navi). Replaced all 4 door speakers with some 4-way w/tweeters building as well as the 8" sub in the back. I did have some issues getting the aftermarket stereo to work because of the building amplifier in the trunk, you MUST get an interface and this can be a pain in the neck to get to work. Good luck with your built.
Last edited by Katch; 08-11-20 at 03:39 AM.
Reason: mispelling
07-24-19, 08:59 PM
2002 UL simple daily build on a budget
