StreetLexus

Hello,

I am the new guy I suppose, I am Jonny and live in North Texas I just purchased a 1999 ES 300, Diamond White w/ Ivory Interior, it is a certified pre-owned I purchased from a Dealer with 36k Miles.

My entire life I have driven (mostly) American Sports Cars .....

1. 1989 Camaro RS 5.0 V8
2. 1989 Pontiac GTA Trans AM 5.7 TPI 350
3. 1993 Nissan Maxima
4. 1995 Jeep Wrangler Rio Grande
5. 1991 Chevy Corvette L98
6. 1987 Buick Regal Grand National 3.8 Turbo (Fast,Awesome, Car!)
6. 1996 Chevy Camaro Z28

I have had several modifications on these cars ranging from performance mods, all the way to 5k stereo systems.

So if you guys could offer some assistance in regard to cool mods, K&N Filter, Mobil One, Stereo stuff, this would be a great help. Having used these produts in the past, I was wondering what Lexus enthusiast's use. Do you guys really only change the oil every 5 k miles? What is the deal with the sludge? Any cons with the pre owned certified warranty?

I have driven several awesome cars over the years, and this Lexus very well may be the best of the bunch. The GN was a 13 Second Car and was a very comfortable ride. The Lexus is just so amazing I can't believe it. When I drove the car I had to have it. It fit my price range and came with a 100k Factory warranty.

I hope that I haven't over looked these threads or answers, If so I apologize in advance.

Thanks for reading,
Jonny

meZoom!

As you probably have noticed, the ES handles much different from ALL of your other cars, especially the chevys. you will be able to turn tightly in places where your american cars probably could not. compared to your corvette, i think you'd be disappointed when u try to look for "cool mods." as far as i know, there are no easily available racing headers, cams, etc. Because my car has relatively high miles, i try and change my oil around every 2000-3000 miles. the sludge thing, you probably don't need to worry about especially if it's CPO. My thoughts on the ES is that when you punch(stab really) the gas, the car reponds very quickly. I don't know if you think the ES is fast enough or not, but i really do not overlook the lightness of the car (front wheel drive). Hope you enjoy your ES.

blange400

Yeah, I know it's a shock to the system.
After years of non-hyper quality cars, you get into the Lexus
and an alternate reality ascends.
I have a 91 LS400, it has 130,000 miles
and it's quieter than a room full of Worldcom execs.
It's body is tighter than Janet Jackson after a
three month thighmaster binge.
Oh yeah, people think its a '95 or '98 (non lexi-noste).
Because off the line, they are timeless designs.
---as to mods...Stillen has some parts you may be interested in.
Perhaps something from Toyota Racing? TRD? I dunno.

Y'see I don't judge the performance by the add ons,
I judge it by the "Combo Plate-Full Dinner".
Appetizer- Do I feel pampered when i get in..yes
Main course- How far back is the pack when I leap from the light after the first 5 seconds...10 car lengths or more..cool enough.
Desert- When the car has 130,000 miles will it squeak, rattle, fall apart, fade, of fail to be fun, will the power tilt away wheel stop making way for my every entry / egress? Will the Nakamichi stereo start to suck, will the heated seats fail me in winter? the polarized sunroof in summer?--NOPE, NOPE NO, Nope some more and that is sssSweet combo.

Welcome to the best part of your driving life.

1loudlex

I hope that you enjoy this car and do a lot of stuff to it. You can get anything you want as in stereo wise, it just depends how much money you want to spend. If you have quistions with anything just keep on posting!!

Adam "Lexist"

EGainer

Street Lexus, I like how you asked for some help. That was good. As loud lex said, the stereo is easily modifiable. And there are one or two performance parts that fit. Try RodMillen.com or Evolution Body Kits

SecPole14

Unfortunately for ES owners, there's not a lot we can do to our cars performance-wise unless you have bags of money to spend on custom turbo setups or whatnot. There's the usual stereo, lights, rims thing and there are also some very nice body kits out there. "Real" performace things that are avaliable include some exhausts, intakes, and suspension mods. Try the sites in Eric's post.

StreetLexus

Thanks for the advice!The help is appreciated.

What do I have to look forward to at the service intervals in regard to cost? Like the 60k mile tune up,etc.....

Do any of you use Synthetic Oil? Is it safe to do so? Any basic tips like this you can offer is GREATLY appreciated.

meZoom!

meee, my car is mobil1. at 60,000 miles i needed a new air hose and replaced the motor mounts because they were broken. now my car is up to 90k and i've recently replaced the front CV boot(leak), both rear struts (crack), valve cover gaskets(impossible to do it yourself unless you are quite, quite skilled), and some other minor things (power antenna, which i think u dont have). oh yeah i did the timing belt too along w/ spark plugs, etc.....but then again i had relatively low miles on it. its a 95. OH YEAH try and get the japanese toyota oil filters if u are that picky.

1loudlex

Yeah, like I said about all you can really do is a lot of interior sound and mobile stuff. Either way I feel that it is a luxury car anyway, not a riceburner...

Adam " Lexist "

StreetLexus

The car is fast enough as is. I may put a K&N Filter on it and that will be about it. I need to tint the windows because of this Texas heat.

My Leather looks new and I would like to know what works best to keep it looking that way. I read the great thread about cleaning the Leather in the LS400 Forum, and will try that out when my Leather gets dirty! In the mean time, What works best to keep it from drying out and cracking?

I also intent to use Mobil One 5w-30 unless someone can tell me why I shouldn't. What is the best Oil Filter?

Thank's very much for all of the help!

Jonny

StreetLexus

Where can I get some Seat covers? How do I select an Avatar?

Sorry for all of the questions, and again thanks!

meZoom!

the leather will easily become BAKED. trust me i'm in the so-cal heat and y'all in texas get just the same if not worse. get the tinted windows and get a window shade for the front glass when u park for more than say, 15 min. i can feel the difference when i come back to my car and try to sit in that darn heat seat...burns my back. i have used meguiar's leather care in the bottle and the wipes and i don't really like either. the wipes are too greasy and the stuff in the bottle is a semi-hassle and neither provide that outstanding of a result. my 7 year old leather is pretty rough now-not as supple as my dad's '00 GS.
as for oil filter i always try and get a toyota filter from japan (not the u.s. kind but can't be THAT diff't IMO). is there a good way to test the "goodness" of an oil filter if you're the driver anyway??
seat covers-i don't use them i am not the biggest fan of them although they are probably effective in keeping your seats clean. check the internet or pepboys i guess.
avatars-i think it's under "user cp" ---> "edit options". user cp is visible when you click "forums"

LexFather

Welcome to ClubLexus, the ES is regarded by many to be the entry-level luxury car benchmark.

bizarreRide

I just saw some seat covers on eBay...search for "Lexus seat cover"

Later,
bR

WILB3

Welcome to the forum. I recently got my ES too. Sounds like a very nice aquisition you made- I'd like to see pics once you get up and running. Just got out of a '95 Vette- the Lex is quite different- but opens up a whole nother world of peace/serenity while driving.