fboukari

This weekend I did my first DIY on my car, it was the chrome grill DIY. I bought some stuff similar to nail polish remover and started to scrub the grill. It took me six hours and to my surprise the chrome paint almost came off. I was so tired after staying awake the night before, have a daughter that have trouble sleeping (12 month old) . I forgot to close one of the car doors so when I came back to mount the grill and use the car, the battery was dead When I mounted the grill I noticed that I had broken the thing that you use opening the hood. I was so clumsy this weekend and feel so ridicules. Please feel free to write about any DIY gone bad to make me feel better. I’m going to buy a new grill from that Lexus grill guy, I think.

/Fredric

fboukari

Pictures

http://hem.passagen.se/fboukari/chrome.htm

2Lexos

i broke a rear seatbelt clip on my LS putting a new sub in the rear deck.

JYOO

How bout a DIY tire change. hehe
When i had my Mustang my jack broke on me, and i dropped my front brake onto the ground. But it still didnt get damaged, amazing isnt it?

///MDex

If you are going to buy a new one, get a 2001 (I think), which has the chrome already showing.

If not, simply repaint your current one glossy or flat back. Its pretty easy, and order a new clasp assembly to replace your broken one.

HTH

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

If you're interested, I have an extra factory grill (from my 2000 GS) in perfect shape. Not sure what it's worth though!

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Taken from an earlier post, I totally screwed up my caliper painting...

" I had a pretty bad caliper painting experience last night... I used the silver G2 paint and cut it in half as I didn't have time to take off the back wheels to paint the stock ones.

Just before the second coat of paint, I went out to the garage to stir the paint and WHAM, the bottom fell out of the double plastic cups I'd mixed the paint in (I guess something in the paint activator had eaten through it). Silver paint on my leg, pants, garage floor, etc. The worst part was that I had to rush the second and third coats since paint was drying in a puddle on the garage floor (I was dipping the brush into the puddle to get the paint ). Ended up with a half *** paint job, and you can see the brush strokes. I'll want to re-paint them again."

I've still got a big silver puddle of dried caliper paint in the middle of my garage that looks JUST LIKE the silver liquid Terminator 2 from the movie. The paint that went on my leg eventually came off, but not without some paint thinner, pumus and pain. I think the leg hair will eventually grow back over time .


I'm guessing part of the problem is the paint removal product you used, sounds a bit suspicious.

salimshah

War stories time ....

My wife ran over a nail and rear tire was leaking air (first flat on GS). The car was in the drive way and it was a nice afternoon. I thought what better time to do a show and tell for my 11 & 13 year olds. I took off the flat tire and was feeling very confident. I manage to prop the the spare on the lugs but just could not get it on as it was full of air. As I explained to my sons that, I have to raise the jack to compensate, the car rolled on me. Luckily the propped up spare held the car up, and I could repostion the jack.

I heard the replay for a year or so, till I out did that while running network cables. That story belongs in another forum.

Salim

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

My wife STILL pokes fun at me for a DIY screw-up I made in 1986 with my Honda Prelude!

I was trying to remove a leaf stuck in the inside heat/AC fan which sounded like an aircraft when I'd turn up the fan speed.

I read in a manual that the fan was behind the glove box. But in classic Japanese car making "good luck putting it back togerher again" fashion it said "remove glove box cover", then something like "lower the console by removing center ashtray and removing the bolts on the center, left and right". Once I did this the entire radio/AC controls and everything dropped down on the floor! I never found the fan, I let alone the leaf and I considered renting an octopus that was the only creature I could think of that might be able to hold the center left and right side of the console and put the bolts back in!!!!!

I ended up driving the car to the dealer with the dash on my knees and sheepishless told them "er, fix this please."

LS4fun

I was replacing the passenger side visor and using an electric screwdriver......I guess I wasn't paying too much attention....the screwdriver slipped and I made a pretty big hole in the beige ceiling fabric interior.

I felt like an idiot!

Hole is still there....not an easy fix I think....

fboukari

Tanks Bitkahuna. but I think I will go for an already chromed one. I really liked the chrome look and I don't intend to make another DIY chrome grill
/Fredric

fboukari

I will probably get this one
http://www.lexusgrill.com/images/mycar1.jpg

fboukari

You are probably right. I didn't exactly know what to get since I couldn't get the US stuff from the DIY description. The stupid thing is that the paint would hardly come off it took me 6 hours!

futuregs

I don't recommend you purchase from that site (lexusgrill).

fboukari

Can you be more specific?