Hello Everyone!
06-09-09, 11:12 AM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
Hello Everyone!
Hello everyone!
I am new to the board, but have lurked for years on end around here. It has been on this very forum that I have found some of the greatest ideas to use on my own cars. After completing the work on my most recent Lexus, I have decided to join the club!
As a new member, I will share some of my automotive history with you. My first car was a used 1985 Toyota Corolla, which I received in the 12th grade as a reward for receiving a college basketball scholarship. That car was fantastic and surprisingly roomy for someone my height (6 feet 6 inches). When I finally landed my first “real” job, I decided to purchase a new 1995 Toyota Camry. I still remember it to this day! It was black with tan cloth interior. How I dreamed of owning that car for years and it was finally mine! Not long after that purchase I tried my hand at my first ever mods, if that is what they could be called. I remember tinting the windows and adding 16-inch (yes, you read that correctly) chrome wheels and tires. Looking at that car is like looking at some of the clothes I wore during those days….quite funny.
I eventually took a job in North Carolina to gain some interesting experience in my profession, but the salary was so low that I could not continue paying for the car. Lucky for me, my father was looking for a new car and wanted to get rid of his 1990 Camry. He gave me his car and took mine. I remember that the first thing he did was get rid of those wheels, ha-ha! That car was kept stock until I traded it in. After years of working and dreaming of owning a luxury car, I began doing my research ….. much of it on this site. I had always dreamed of owning a Lexus, especially after my awesome Toyota experiences. I remember like it was yesterday seeing cars like the GS 300, SC 300/400, and even the LS 400 cruising down the street and wishing they were mine.
When the time came to make a move, I purchased a used 2000 GS 300 in 2003. I kept the car until this year. This was when I dreamed of getting at least a fraction more serious with my mods. My brother was always big on cars and at the time owned a Subaru WRX STI that was modded and raced at the track periodically. He got me started with my new car. Looking back, it was an improvement over the mods I had on my Camry (not very hard, ha-ha), but not perfect. It was Cinnabar Pearl and the mods were as follows: tinted windows, custom install XM radio, K&N filter, Borla exhaust, Tein lowering springs, 18 – inch wheels and tires.
As we all know, life catches up to you eventually. As I have aged and matured (I am 40 years old), I have taken on new responsibilities. The most important responsibility was the birth of my daughter. While my wife drives a RX 330 that works great as a family vehicle, the GS 300 was too small in the back seat. With that in mind it was time for something with much more room. I looked at the new Infiniti M45, a 2005 BMW 530, and the ES 350. My mother drives an LS 430 and my father drives an ES 350, and it was great to use their cars as a starting point. The M 45 was great, but I hated the exhaust options (I know, picky me!). The BMW was great, but I was worried about buying it used and I was not a fan of i-Drive. The ES was also fantastic, but for less I could own…… a 2005 Lexus LS 430!!!!!
The car had to grow on me, and it did. My wife is 6 feet 1 inch and we like our room/comfort, so this car ended up being a great choice. With that out of the way, I was faced with the next dilemma. Based on my age and profession, how do I mod this thing without looking silly? I wanted a factory look for sure, but I wanted it to be nice! I wanted to learn from my past mistakes and create something I am proud of. I also had been a wimp when it came to wheel size in the past, so I wanted to go big this time around. My goal was based on cars such as the S430, A8, and BMW 745 in terms of a clean look that can be spiced up with factory options. Well, the mods are done now and I think that I did quite well for myself. Here is the list: Aftermarket floor mats, integrated VAIS XM install, baby seat (ha-ha!), Garmin navigation, tinted windows, Tanabe NF 210 springs, 20-inch TSW Vortex wheels, Toyo tires, and Flowmaster exhaust tips ( thanks for the idea Tee, I have seen you out and about at least twice now and your car is nice!). I hope that you all like the work that I have done with regards to the look I was hoping to accomplish. This has been a great forum and I am glad I finally joined. While I may not ever be the guy with the most posts around here, I will jump in as I can when I get up to speed. Thanks for having me around!
El Toro
I am new to the board, but have lurked for years on end around here. It has been on this very forum that I have found some of the greatest ideas to use on my own cars. After completing the work on my most recent Lexus, I have decided to join the club!
As a new member, I will share some of my automotive history with you. My first car was a used 1985 Toyota Corolla, which I received in the 12th grade as a reward for receiving a college basketball scholarship. That car was fantastic and surprisingly roomy for someone my height (6 feet 6 inches). When I finally landed my first “real” job, I decided to purchase a new 1995 Toyota Camry. I still remember it to this day! It was black with tan cloth interior. How I dreamed of owning that car for years and it was finally mine! Not long after that purchase I tried my hand at my first ever mods, if that is what they could be called. I remember tinting the windows and adding 16-inch (yes, you read that correctly) chrome wheels and tires. Looking at that car is like looking at some of the clothes I wore during those days….quite funny.
I eventually took a job in North Carolina to gain some interesting experience in my profession, but the salary was so low that I could not continue paying for the car. Lucky for me, my father was looking for a new car and wanted to get rid of his 1990 Camry. He gave me his car and took mine. I remember that the first thing he did was get rid of those wheels, ha-ha! That car was kept stock until I traded it in. After years of working and dreaming of owning a luxury car, I began doing my research ….. much of it on this site. I had always dreamed of owning a Lexus, especially after my awesome Toyota experiences. I remember like it was yesterday seeing cars like the GS 300, SC 300/400, and even the LS 400 cruising down the street and wishing they were mine.
When the time came to make a move, I purchased a used 2000 GS 300 in 2003. I kept the car until this year. This was when I dreamed of getting at least a fraction more serious with my mods. My brother was always big on cars and at the time owned a Subaru WRX STI that was modded and raced at the track periodically. He got me started with my new car. Looking back, it was an improvement over the mods I had on my Camry (not very hard, ha-ha), but not perfect. It was Cinnabar Pearl and the mods were as follows: tinted windows, custom install XM radio, K&N filter, Borla exhaust, Tein lowering springs, 18 – inch wheels and tires.
As we all know, life catches up to you eventually. As I have aged and matured (I am 40 years old), I have taken on new responsibilities. The most important responsibility was the birth of my daughter. While my wife drives a RX 330 that works great as a family vehicle, the GS 300 was too small in the back seat. With that in mind it was time for something with much more room. I looked at the new Infiniti M45, a 2005 BMW 530, and the ES 350. My mother drives an LS 430 and my father drives an ES 350, and it was great to use their cars as a starting point. The M 45 was great, but I hated the exhaust options (I know, picky me!). The BMW was great, but I was worried about buying it used and I was not a fan of i-Drive. The ES was also fantastic, but for less I could own…… a 2005 Lexus LS 430!!!!!
The car had to grow on me, and it did. My wife is 6 feet 1 inch and we like our room/comfort, so this car ended up being a great choice. With that out of the way, I was faced with the next dilemma. Based on my age and profession, how do I mod this thing without looking silly? I wanted a factory look for sure, but I wanted it to be nice! I wanted to learn from my past mistakes and create something I am proud of. I also had been a wimp when it came to wheel size in the past, so I wanted to go big this time around. My goal was based on cars such as the S430, A8, and BMW 745 in terms of a clean look that can be spiced up with factory options. Well, the mods are done now and I think that I did quite well for myself. Here is the list: Aftermarket floor mats, integrated VAIS XM install, baby seat (ha-ha!), Garmin navigation, tinted windows, Tanabe NF 210 springs, 20-inch TSW Vortex wheels, Toyo tires, and Flowmaster exhaust tips ( thanks for the idea Tee, I have seen you out and about at least twice now and your car is nice!). I hope that you all like the work that I have done with regards to the look I was hoping to accomplish. This has been a great forum and I am glad I finally joined. While I may not ever be the guy with the most posts around here, I will jump in as I can when I get up to speed. Thanks for having me around!
El Toro
Trending Topics
06-09-09, 05:43 PM
#8
Moderator
Congrats on a sweet lookin LS and welcome to the forum!
Okay you have seen me twice?! Next time you see me blow the horn or something if you can. BTW thx for the kind words sir.
Finally we can get some more LS owners representing in Atlanta's SELOC, right now i'm the only LS430.
Okay you have seen me twice?! Next time you see me blow the horn or something if you can. BTW thx for the kind words sir.
Finally we can get some more LS owners representing in Atlanta's SELOC, right now i'm the only LS430.
06-09-09, 05:54 PM
#9
Rookie
Thread Starter
Congrats on a sweet lookin LS and welcome to the forum!
Okay you have seen me twice?! Next time you see me blow the horn or something if you can. BTW thx for the kind words sir.
Finally we can get some more LS owners representing in Atlanta's SELOC, right now i'm the only LS430.
Okay you have seen me twice?! Next time you see me blow the horn or something if you can. BTW thx for the kind words sir.
Finally we can get some more LS owners representing in Atlanta's SELOC, right now i'm the only LS430.
The second time I saw you was maybe two Sundays ago in the St. Mtn. / Lithonia area. I own a rental property out there and I saw you coming lights first. I would have flashed you, but I was in a loaner GS 350 and would not had much to talk about without my actual car.
By the way, no need to call me sir! Even though I will turn 40 in a few weeks (at this point I just say that I am 40), I am still feeling pretty young..ha-ha!
06-09-09, 06:52 PM
#10
Moderator
HA ha no disrepect on the sir, hell I will be 38 in two months so right behind ya.
I work in the Dunwoody area and live in Lithonia near Stonecreast Mall, so yeah that was me man small world. Now I will be on the look out for your ride, which won't be hard b/c I have not seen any modded LS430's.
I work in the Dunwoody area and live in Lithonia near Stonecreast Mall, so yeah that was me man small world. Now I will be on the look out for your ride, which won't be hard b/c I have not seen any modded LS430's.
06-09-09, 09:19 PM
#11
Lexucanafer
Very nice introduction and very nice LS! I wish all intros could be as articulate and interesting to read, but everyone has their own style of presenting themselves, I'm sure.
06-10-09, 07:14 AM
#14
Rookie
Thread Starter
HA ha no disrepect on the sir, hell I will be 38 in two months so right behind ya.
I work in the Dunwoody area and live in Lithonia near Stonecreast Mall, so yeah that was me man small world. Now I will be on the look out for your ride, which won't be hard b/c I have not seen any modded LS430's.
I work in the Dunwoody area and live in Lithonia near Stonecreast Mall, so yeah that was me man small world. Now I will be on the look out for your ride, which won't be hard b/c I have not seen any modded LS430's.
06-10-09, 07:16 AM
#15
Rookie
Thread Starter