Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

Hey CL!

So I've been wanting a ct200h for a while now. I also currently own an ISF, why buy both? While the F is definitely my favorite to drive, I needed something more gas friendly. I sell real Estate in Charlotte and driving the F everywhere all day gets pricey! Plus I can keep the mileage off the F 😎

So onto the CT, I think I might have bought the cheapest CT in the country....possibly the world 🤔

It's in rough shape, but at the same time. Not really. I picked this up for $3500, 188k miles, I thought it was worth a shot. Needs a new front bumper, and has a dent above the driver side wheel, also has a nice scratch going down the driver's side, rest of the car is in good shape though.

I've already ordered a new bumper, new foglights and covers, lower front grill, tow hooks covers, new led bulbs, a dent puller, and some paint, all totalling around $500. So $4000 to put it back in order.

This thread will be here for my progress throughout the process. Day 1 I removed some extremely brittle rain guards and the tow hook 🤷*♂️ then I gave the car a much needed wash.

Before and after photos below,

phillymac

For that price you are way ahead!! Cant wait to see how the care progresses! What year is it? Any extras?

kentist

I just got a '12 base ct (no nav, base audio, no backup cam) with 100k miles for almost triple that price, with its fair share of dents, scuffs and paint issues. This is an excellent deal sir.

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

Thanks! It's a 2011, base model, no nav, no backup camera, basic sound system. Only extra I guess would be headlight washers? I'm not sure if they come with all base models or not. BUT with the new bumper I ordered I didn't not get the headlight washer cut outs. I would never use them anyways.

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

So the car had an extremely musty/moldy odor. I replaced the cabin filter and put a bunch of air fresheners around the car(seems to be helping so far).




did my first oil change





changed the headlight bulbs, and did some headlight restoration as they where pretty oxidized.









I must say, Changing the bulbs on the CT is so easy compared to the F!

kentist

did you get LEDs or halogens?
I've noticed on my CT, the DRLs are not matching possibly due to yellowing, one side is a lot more yellow/less bright.

E46CT

If you're a super-enthusiast, you can do a RX350 BI-XENON retrofit using all oem Lexus parts (ballasts) and german bulbs.

Makes for a very powerful setup. The projectors are a direct bolt on too (you just need to open up the headlights) which is easy.

I did this conversion twice, on two CTs. Also using dual relay wiring. About $500 total to do the job. Ballasts are OEM Lexus and I waterproofed them.

Some F sport wheels (pre or post facelift) would look good too.

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

I got LEDs 6500k output, they don't quite match the DRL strip but its very close.

Have you tried headlight restorer? The one I have isnt the best but it rubs on wet and then you wipe with a dry towel. It definitely helped the current lights on the CT. I'm going to try again but wet sand it this time to try and get them as close as possible to 100% clear.

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

When you say open the headlights, do you mean bake them and then open them? I'm assuming you have a thread I could follow to do this?

On the F sport wheels, aren't they the same as the ones I have but just painted gunmetal? Or do they have different specs?

E46CT

Nope they're not the same. They're machine polished (according to Lexus) and have a clear coat over them. The edges of the spokes are a lot sharper as well. The general shape and pattern is the same but they are cut differently. devil is in the details

as far as guide not really. they open up like any other headlights. glue and screws. and the internal chrome frame requires slight cutting w/ a dremel. see my build thread, i have some details in there. the RX-350 non-AFS bi xenon projectors are a direct bolt on (aside from the slight cutting of chrome material). Rare mod. probably less than 5 people in the country have done it. but it's a mod I am proud of and boast about.

I first did it in 2016 to my brand new CT200h from the dealer. Ripped it apart the next morning after bringing it home. Had the headlights on a brand new car in my oven and the bumper off. hehe.

E46CT

Oh and by the way, the ones you have aren't even the facelift wheels. those are the old wheels. If you are talking about the old F sport wheels.. i am not sure, but they could be painted. i haven't followed the pre facelift cars that much. I think though even the *old* f sport wheels are different from the old non-f sport wheels.

my car obviously has the full facelift update

b2884987

Definitely needs some work but that's fine. I'm thinking about buying a CT from Copart so I can pay as much as you LOL

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the info! I probably wouldn't do the headlight modification, I bought this car because it was cheap and looks pretty easy to fix with the current exterior issues. I don't plan on sinking a bunch of mods or money into it. Just want it to look in better condition than what it is now. I will end up painting the wheels gunmetal though to make it look more like the f sport, since that's pretty cheap to do.

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

It's really not that bad. I say you should do it! My current mpg.....

I love it lol!

Patton6964

iTrader: (3)

So this morning it was raining outside, it was the first time I used the windshield wipers.... and the passenger side basically exploded upon the first motion.

Pretty sure the idiot before never installed them correctly. Got new blades at the auto parts store.

Then I came home and test fitted the new bumper

I did this so I could find out,

A. How good it would fit
B. Find out any additional parts I may need
C. Find out why the fog lights didn't work

Fitment was great!
Only missing 2 clips surprisingly
And someone just disconnected the fog lights. No clue why?





While the bumper was off I decided to redo the headlights, this time I wet sanded with much better results!