TLW

Welcome to CL Tuddy


any more new members

i see a lot of new names

gserep1

Hello everyone,
I am Jessie Ramsey, AKA GSEREP1 which stands for #1 Ground Support Equipment Representative. Ground Support Equipment is the gear that the military uses to maintain its' fleet of airplanes.

I repair air conditioning equipment, gasoline and diesel sngine, hydraulic units, electrical generating systems with 400 cycle AC power and 28 volts DC. I also do gas turbine compressors that start the airplanes, and gasoline and diesel engined tow tractors for towing things around. I did this same job for 22 years with the Marines, and after I retired I took the same type of job working in San Diego at a local Navy Base. I travel the world over, but seem to keep going back and forth to Japan and Bahrain this year. I have about 35,000 frequent flyer miles in the last 6 months, with a lot more traveling to go before year's end. So I don't get to drive my car THAT much.
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I am 52, married with 5 grown daughters and 6 grandkids. I guess I am one of the oldest GS owners out there, but that should give you guys some hope....Hey old guys still like to drive nice cars too. Better than an old soft Cadillac.

I have 4 cars at home, since the last 2 daughters still live at home. There are no sons to help me with maintenance, so I go it alone. I have my GS4, the wife's 97 Explorer V8, a 2000 VW Beetle for one daughter, and a 2003 Hyundai Elantra GT for the other daughter. I am inspector gadget around here. I do all the work keeping them running. Quite a job, but someone's got to do it. Repair shops are out if I can help it.

I drive a 1999 GS4. This is my second GS4. The first one was my favorite, and it was an alpine silver and black one. I bought it in 2003 with 78,000 miles on it, and it was mechanically PERFECT. I did the timing belt and full service at 90,000 miles, and when it hit 97,000 miles, I had a terrible accident on the Coronado Bridge in San Diego. I survived the crash, and was able to get another GS4 about a month later.

The second GS4 is the burnished gold color with tan interior. I added a rear spoiler from Carson Toyota. It came with chrome 16 inch wheels, and so far it is just OKAY! It had 59,000 miles onit when I bought it from Arizona. Somehow, I am still making comparisons to the old car, and because this one was babied by the first owners, it just doesn't seem to perform as well.

Other than a slightly malfunctioning passenger side power door lock mechanism, I can't find anything wrong with it..I just wanted my old car back, but the insurance guys totalled it. THEN I find out that they sold it to someone who repaired it, and it is still on the road. Well it probably has a salvaged title, so I may be lucky after all. I just had so much money in it. Oh well.

I installed a new set of Bilstein struts on the newest GS4, which really firmed up the ride.

I am an AMSOIL dealer, so my car is done all over with AMSOIL. Engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, antifreeze, and differential gear oil is all AMSOIL. Plus I installed a large transmission fluid cooler up front. When I get the chance to stop traveling, I will begin the mods in earnest. Being an old guy, I probably won't drop the car as much, since I really like the smooth ride the stock Gs gives, but it should be made to handle a bit better and take out the floaty feel over bumps and cornering.

My car does not have the Daytime running lights, although the first one did. But they both had HID's with level control. I spend my time driving up and down the state of California, since I have a home up north in Vallejo, California.as well as one in San Diego

In closing, let me say that I find CLUBLEXUS to be the best car forum on the internet, bar none. The people are friendly and helpful, and you can ask a question wothoout feeling silly, and most of the times you don't get a smart'alecked answer.

I have owned so many cars over the years, but I can say that the Lexus is my best car. I wanted a GS as soon as the came out in 1998, but had to wait since I had 3 daughters in college. Now that they are all gone, I can afford to get what I want.

Thanks to all the people I've written to, and received positive comments from. We are like a family, and I visit this site EVERYDAY...even when out to sea on a ship overseas. GOTTA KEEP UP! I will be leaving for the Marine base in Okinawa, next Friday the 8th od june for 2 weeks. Got to help fix some down equipment to help support this war on terrorism. Who knows, I might see some time over in Iraq if I am needed.

I love to see all the cars in Japan. The Aristo's and SOARER's are AWESOME. Got a chance to ride in a SOARER with the 2.5L TWIN TURBO 6 cylinder engine about 2 months ago, and now I know what ALL the fuss was about. Makes my GS4 engine seem TAME by comparison. Next time I go over, I will take some pictures of what I see.

I have about 3 years more to work, and then when I turn 55, it is HASTA LA BYE BYE to work forever, I hope. The wife wants to trade in her 97 Explorer and get a GX470. Then it is time to hit the road in the good ol' USA and see much more of it.

I will be sure to contact everyone when I get back in the states. As it stands, I will probably go to Japan at least once a month until Christmas. I need to find a way to get some parts back for my car.

Take care, and THANKS for the opportunity to share my story.

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Mister P

Hmm, well since this thread has been somewhat resurrected I'll go ahead and add my info here.

I just turned 20 at the beginning of June '05, I live in Wichita, Kansas and my parents own a fence company. I'll be a junior at Wichita State University in the fall majoring in Accounting, and I plan to graduate by Christmas of '06. I got my GS last August 1, and I've put about 22,000 miles on it since I've had it. I have a girlfriend of a year, and plan on getting married after she graduates from college (hopefully).

I've been interested in cars my entire life... I have over 5,000 Hot Wheels from when I was a kid still in my room to this day. My dad sold Volvo, Saab, Porsche, Benz, and VW back in the 1980's and early 90's, and then when Lexus came to town, he jumped ship. I can remember him bringing home one of the very early GS's and me (at age 9-10) thinking it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I had figured up at that point in my life that it would be feasible for me to buy one by the time I was 18 if I saved everything--and it happened, just a few years late .

My first car was a 1986 Volvo 740 Wagon...I grew up in this car, and then I got to drive it. That thing was a beast, I could drive it as hard as I wanted and it would never miss a beat. (Partially because it was so slow, it didn't matter if you floored it--it had its own sense of time). My next car was a 1998 Dodge Intrepid, which is the car which will always make me think twice about looking at anything Dodge again.

I think this is getting long enough, so in closing, I'd like to just say that although I really haven't posted on here much, the search function has definitely gotten a workout. I've learned so many things in the year that I've owned my car, it's amazing. Kudos to all who contribute to Club Lexus; this is a really great place for great owners of great cars.

aznxguy714

hello everyone, i know i hardly post anything cause i have no mods done to my car n plus i haven't ran into any problems( mechanical or electrical or some of the weird problems i read about here). anyways here is my introduction.

my name is matthew kido, i am 26 years old n i am japanese. i live in huntington beach california. I drive a 2003 black lexus gs300. my first luxury car after a few rice rockets and one suv . lets see first car was a 91 honda crx than i went to a 95 jeep grand cherokee and than 95 toyota mr2 and than a 99 integra and than a 2001 honda civic n than finally my lexus. anyways i been in huntington beach for awhile now since 1985 to be exact. hmmm lets see what else oh yea lets see i am a field service/support/technician for fuji films. well that's about it gotta go n get ready. gonna be hitting up a club with some friends. laters

gserep1

HURRAYYY! I finally figured how to place somephotos on the site. I did not get them to post in the forum, but they are in the gallery. If you would like to see what I posted, you can go to GSEREP1's GALLERY.

Thanks a lot, and ENJOY the photos

flashbang

FLASHBANG.............................................................love cl

DrewGS350

iTrader: (1)

I would first like to welcome all the new members. I am a first time lexus owner Black 2003 GS 300. I am originally from Jamaica by way of Florida. I am currently serving in the US Forces stationed in Japan. My GS is currently in storage and I can't wait to get back and drive her again.

I am married with 2 children. My wife of 15 years has been bitten by the lexus bug and we may have another by the time we leave. Will be taking advantage of our location and will be taking back some "up-grades" when we leave in another 2 years.

I have a BS in Finance from USM and MBA in Healthcare.

oined CL in 03 and I log on to CL almost everyday. I have never been much into extensive Mods but will be doing a bit with my GS mainly customizing nothing extensive.

Love the information shared by everyone; learned a lot about other members; thanks for this thread.

TLW

ya dont say ....LOL

Gsrep i always wondered what that stood for

great story

great stories from all you guys

LS4fun

Man, talk about waking up dead threads tuddy.

Well..here's my original post below......i'm glad to see that the lexusless status has changed since then for me....

suge66

My name is Ray aka Suge. I'm 38yrs young and about to retire from the Navy. I did 20yrs right out of High School. Stationed in Norfolk, V.A, but I'm originally from Brooklyn N.Y.(RIP- Biggie). I currently own a 93 es300, 03 intrepid(Wife's), 85 Jetta(my baby) and the 99GS-300.
Always loved modding cars, my Jetta is currently in car shows with volks/audi. Still trying to find out about the lexus. There are a lot of hidden things you can do with this car and this site helps me figure what is best for me. I love this site for it's professionalism. I also want to thank all the fella's i bought items from on this site, all of us dont have that baller money, so thank you for saving me lots. The mods currently on the gs is in dash nav/dvd poineer. Dash wood kit. Just ordered the RMM cold intake. Sitting on dada 20's with toyo tires. Lowered on Tein HA Tech springs w/ KYB shocks/struts. Currently getting the l-sportline sides and rear bumper painted, and still undecided with what front lip/bumper i want to go with this kit. I want to invest in a better exhaust when money permits and front and rear stb's. The car is curretly diamond white, next year will be painting copper color. If there are any V.A boys out there in the area, give a shout out and maybe we can meet up. That's my story

gserep1

THANKS GTFM I enjoyed writing my story. I hope you got a chance to see the cars I photographed while in Japan.

NOW I get to go to OKINAWA o Friday July 8th. As always, my trusty camera will be ready to take pictures of nice looking cars on the island.

Wish me good luck, and I will see everyone in about 2 weeks.

KevinGS

I'm just going to cut and paste. LOL Here is a post in a thread I started in November 2004. It's the best narrative about me and my Lex.


Title was...'Ode to the Internet'
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Where to begin...

I stumbled across ClubLexus in the midst of deciding between a 2001 540i Sport and a 2001 GS430. I was torn, liking the style and ride/handling characteristics of the 540 more than the Lex, but the Lex was the winner in durability and reliability. And it was more comfortable.

In the end, since I drive literally 35,000 miles plus a year for work, the Lex won out due to its rock-solid engine and its stellar reputation for reliability. When you drive as much as I do, you need your daily driver car to be reliable and comfortable first...but it also helps if it has some pizzazz so work won't seem much like work, if you know what I mean.

During the decision-making process, I came across ClubLexus when I was looking for reviews of the Lexus on the 'Net. And CL was one of my most important internet discoveries ever. It made my decision a lot easier hearing you all discuss your GS, and then seeing all the pix in the gallery.

But the most important thing about finding ClubLex was that I was able to get such valuable information instantaneously about my probable new Lex purchase, including quickly being able to mod my car exactly to my liking with confidence, not with guesswork like I had done in the past with my Millenia.

Through ClubLexus, in the matter of about 10 days, I was able to get new ideas and various opinions on how to upgrade my wheels and tires, my suspension (a must since the Lex can be floaty, and rides too high in stock format), my engine (which I wouldn’t have even thought about upgrading initially since I was already buying a V8) and of course, all my lights…which had to get modded up right away since the lights are the one thing I don’t like about the exterior of the GS (too many lights and fixtures too big, IMO...just too busy).

The Breakdown:

Lights: I knew I was going to want clear corners and clear fog lights when I bought the GS. Of course, these were items listed under “future mods”. Well, because of CL, I was immediately able to swap my yellow fogs for clear ones (Thanks for everything, Panda, especially the fog light coloring advice…the Piaa GTX look sweet!). Swapping lights with someone from California???? Would have NEVER crossed my mind before CL. And of course, I got great info on the DRLs we all love to hate, and info about where to get clear corners and such. By myself, these items would have taken a lot longer for me to figure out, and probably would have cost me money in some shape or fashion. Thanks CL!!! You presented me a fast and inexpensive way to change out my foglights...via a swap.

Wheels/Tires: I have always thought that the GS had such a large body profile that it needs 20s to look “right”, or the right 19s. Unfortunately, 19s and 20s greatly diminish ride quality in areas of the country where the roads are pockmarked and potholed since the sidewall is miniscule. CL introduced to me a setup I never heard of….the fat setup. For me, it was perfect. I could get 19s but still maintain some decent sidewall to protect the rims. Now if I could just find 19s I like, I was all over the fat setup for my daily driver. And I did find some. So now I am able to ride on 19s with 34 psi, and have the look I want, and sacrifice only marginal ride quality. Thanks CL!!!!!!!! You gave me comfort AND looks.

Suspension: I have also always thought the GS rides a little high, so I knew I was going to get it lowered right away. Of course, spring and shocks were going to be my way to accomplish this, which was of course going to probably affect ride quality quite a bit matched with my 19s.

But CL changed all of that.

CL experts said coilovers can give you a good combination of handling and ride quality. And lo and behold, Tein’s give you ability to adjust the ride from the driver’s seat. After much indecision, I went with the Tein CS and the Daizen Sways combo (Todd from TMEngineering convinced me to try out the sway bars when I ordered my Tein’s since I definitely wanted to control body roll but not upset the quality of the ride too much)....I did this to maximize my daily-driver comfort, to minimize body roll and to be able to dial in stiffness when I am in the mood. Perfect for me.

And I would have bought regular springs/shocks if it weren’t for some lengthy threads in CL that gave all the pros and cons of each. Thanks CL!!!!!!! You gave me comfort, along with improved handling and improved steering response…and the car is lower.

Engine: Going into it, a Lex V8 was plenty for me coming from my small supercharged V6 in my Millenia. But, when investigating through CL who in Maryland works on Lexus besides the dealer…Swift Racing’s name came up in CL. Being only 30 minutes from my house, I paid them a visit even before I bought the car to see what they could do...and to see if they could install my Tein’s. Well, they can do a LOT since they are the home of the TT GS. LOL And Mo and Kellen are really cool, both filled with lots of info for me, a newbie GS owner.

Mo asked: “How many miles are on the GS you are buying?” I said, “28k”. Next thing you know, he tells me about the torque converter and the HFI and ECU upgrades. He quickly convinced me that both not only improve performance, but the drivability of the car. I stressed that this is a daily driver and I drive a LOT, and he said, these two mods don’t affect the reliability of the car, and have been shown to actually improve gas mileage just a tad.

‘Nuff said. I want both. LOL So I said when I bring in the car for my Tein installation, install the torque converter and HFI too.

[As I type this, the car is in surgery at Mo’s getting Tein's, sways, and engine enhancements, and I’ll probably pick it up tomorrow. Mo said, “Without a doubt, this is going to feel like a totally different car when you pick it up.” I believe him.]...And it did.

Thanks CL!!!!! I will gain speed and more importantly, a shop I can trust to work on my Lex for any future engine mods and/or engine related issues. That is certainly priceless. I would have eventually found SRT, but certainly not this quickly without the help of CL. Hec, my car still has 30 day tags on it. LOL And all the major mods I want will be done before I even get my real tags on the car. That's sayin' something.
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I can’t explain to you how much money, time and energy CL has saved, over the long haul anyway...'cause I will be broke as a joke the next few months. LOL But in the end, I will enjoy my GS WAY more than I would have, and I have gained so much knowledge about my car that would have otherwise taken months or YEARS for me to gain. Being broke but the car feeling and looking "right" is a worthy trade for me.

And in the end, I haven't spent much more than planned anyway. I luckily got a great deal on a GS which left room for mods since I was planning on spending more for the car itself [$27,500 with 28k because the car was in a front end accident that required a hood and fender replacement (but no engine/frame damage)]. Well, the blue book is like $33k (with no accidents of course). So, I figured I could get any remaining bodywork needed done for less tha $5,000 since my best friend is a painter. He told me to 'buy the damn car' when he heard the price, and saw the car. He confirmed no frame damage, and also concluded unfortunately that the repair job wasn't great, but that he could fix it for wayyyyyyyyyy less than their discount. So I was all over it.

I will take pix of my black cherry pearl GS soon. I have to admit, I was not in love with the car at initial purchase, the color nor those big azz lights…actually making a more practical decision than a heartfelt decision. But once Mo is done with it, I think I will love it.

I owe a lot to CL. And a special thanks to Rom for always answering my stupid questions I post in the forum. And thanks to bitkahuna for all the suspension advice. And Panda for his lighting advice, and for my clear fog lights. I hope one day soon, I am the one offering well-founded advice as opposed to the one always seeking it. My time is coming...

And much gratitude to everyone else for making this the best place to be if you own or want to own a Lexus. For me, I can truly appreciate this place…because if I wouldn’t have stumbled across it, it would have taken me a LOT longer to fall in love with my car....that's for sure.

And in the end, I gotta thank the developers of the internet who made this all possible.

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That about sums me up. I'll be at the East Coast Meet since I actually LIVE in the Washington DC area. Can't wait to see all the Lexuses, and hang out with some of the coolest automotive enthusiasts I know.

TLW

Damn Kevin get some sleep LOL

great story

KevinGS

That was a cut and paste from an earlier thread I started in Nov. right after I got the car, GT. LOL Took 2 minutes this time to repost it.

Bobby D.

I'm new here also. I just traded my 02 IS manual in for a blk/blk 01 GS430. Much more comfortable and still has some guts. Thanks to everyone for the info on the site.

bd
01 gs430
97 supra tt