Nickv

Yes! I want the front lights with the chrome, instead of the stock grey/black, on my 2000 RX300. Ok, so I do a search on ebay for TYC headlights for RX 300? Is it that simple? Uh...also! Re: your new grille. Is it a stock Lexus part and did you just buy it from a Lexus dealer? My stock 2000 grille is...ok...I guess. Though I have seen the new ones that have a vertical chrome strip down each verticle piece and that looks better than mine--without vertical chrom, but having a chrome oval outer ring. How much for the grille? Where can I get one?

I am just in love with my Lex... Can't wait to fix it up. Have the rear bumper strip coming via UPS on 7 July, have clear front sidelights coming in the next week. Want the pretty front/rear lights; then I'll be set...for a while... Well....I am coming to grips with the different ways to keep it clean and shiny. Right now I am overwhelmed with different choices. I want a pretty simple way for ME to do it, and not too costly. Suggestions? Or should I post to the different thread..?
NickV

badams

The headlights are for a 2001-2002, if you buy off eBay be careful because mnay sellers can take a picture that makes the older lights appear to be chrome on the inside when they are actually black/grey. My lights weren't listed under "TYC", just "RX300 headlights" or "RX300 headlamps", do a search on eBay for either of those. I think I got a fair deal on mine. Although I know a guy on here named "Hando" paid like $150 for both of his. Some people pay more, it all depends on how often to check eBay for them and how lucky you get I suppose.

The grill is just a 2001-2002 grill. I got it off eBay, it was used for about $70.00. It is just your standard 2001-2002 Lexus RX300 grill, any dleaer will have them alos, but I think they are like $200+.

I finally got some pics of my MacGyver'ed taillight socket bulb fix. After I took them apart to take the pics I realized how well it actually works.

I'll now post some pics. The first one is a pic of the bolt and what tools are neded to remove the outer taillight.

badams

badams

Oops, here are the bolt covers you'll need to remove first.

badams

badams

Here is my MacGyver'ed old bulb socket inside of my rubber gasket in the new taillight.

badams

badams

Here is what it looks like with the bulb socket removed from the rubber gasket and taillight.

badams

badams

Oops!

badams

Here is what the rubber gasket looks like removed from the taillight.

badams

The rubber gasket I used I bought at Kragen's. It was made by a company called "HELP!", came in a red blister package and said "Chrysler Master Cylinder Gasket" on the package. I had to cut a small part of rubber off this gasket to make it fit perfect. After that you just shove it in the hole of the new taillight and then shove/screw your old blinker socket into the opening. It fits nice and snug. Like I said earlier I haven't had any condensation get in either light.

This "mod" is only if you have bought the Lexus RX300 newer taillights from the dealer and didn't get the aftermarket wiring harness that comes with the light if you had gotten them from www.procarparts.com.

If I had this aftermarket wiring harness it obviously would have saved me some time. So I suggest if you can get either the aftermarket lights with the harness of if you can just the harness. The Lexus dealer said the 2001-2002 wiring harness wouldn't work, so the one coming with the aftermarket lights was custom made.

If anyone needs a better picture or has other questions let me know.

If I get a chance to run by Kragen's and get the actual part number for this gasket I will and post it as well.

badams

ederny

Great info! I'm definitelly going to link to it. Thanks especially for the detail pics and excellent info on how to obtain the part.

After doing the mod with the aftermarket harness, you may actually have a shortcut for those who don't want to open the interios side panels to get at the inner harness connector. That part is time consuming.

badams

Our RX300 got rear ended last night on our way home from dinner. My family is okay, as well as everyone else invloved. It was three cars in total, we were the front car (the last ones to get hit), there was a Toyota Camry behind us that hit our rear bumper and then the cause of the accident was a either a Subaru or Hyundai 4 door sedan. I thought it was a Subaru but the police report said Hyundai. Basically it was some girl who wasn't watching where she was going and smacked the car in front of her sending him into us. I think the one who sustained the most damage was the poor guy in the middle.

The two front cars, our RX and the Toyota Camry were both stopped at a red light. My wife was driving and I was reading to our 2½ year old daughter in the backseat (like a good dad should). All of a sudden POW, we were like "What the hell was that?", we looked back and saw the other two cars right up against each other and us. My wife got out and started making sure everyone was okay and writing down insurance infomation, while i stayed in the back with our daughter. My wife said "We're just gonna exchange info and everyone is going to be on their way". I said "No, I'm calling the police". I've been screwed before because I didn't call and get a report filed, I wasn't getting screwed this time. I have all the local police phone numbers programmed into my cell phone and got them there within 2 minutes. I guess they show up faster if you tell them you are blocking traffic, which we were.

They made sure eveyone was okay, then had everyone move to a side street because we were all blocking traffic and in the fast lane of a 4 lane busy street.

All three cars had very minor damage. Our rear bumper has some nice screw indentations from the front license plate of the Camry that hit us and a small indentation of his Toyota emblem from his grille, and a few other scrapes and dings. I hadn't removed the stainless steel trailer ball/hitch from the back (my wife is always asking me to because she kicks it) and it went right through the Camry's front bumper and smacked his frame, which probably kept his car from doing extra damage to our car. Our bumper was already scratched up as you can see in the above picture I posted of my rear taillights. Now we will have an excuse to get a new one and painted.

I called the dealer this morning and they said a new RX rear bumper is only $275.06, I said "No way, are you sure you are quoting me and entire bumper?", the parts person double checked and that is what they cost. I asked for the phone number of the body shop that does their repairs and asked how much for a new bumper, paint and installation and they said about $800 to $1000. Man, that is cheap! We HAD a Dodge Intrepid (junk) and it needed a new bumper and it was $1500 just for the plastic.

Any way, I figured I'd tell all of you about the accident since we've been sharing so much. The only damage to our car was the bumper and it seems cheap, the other guys insurance will cover it so we're happy.

I am very glad my daughter was okay though! I can replace cars and bumpers but if anything happened to my daughter I don't know what I'd do. My wife and I have sore necks, we will probably swing by the hospital tonight and get checked out, just to be on the safe side. I think it is probably from the stress of the accident more than it is the actual accident itself.

Now if I can just get someone to hit my ES, I need a new rear bumper on that too!

badams

ederny

Wow, sorry to hear about the shake up to your family! People just have to pay more attention to driving. Hope you smooth it out quickly. Funny thing, I too would be happy to have my rear bumper replaced by someone else's insurance company. Plenty of scratches in the old '99!

badams

Hey ederny,

Did you add your rear 2001-2002 spoiler? If so I am assuming you didn't have one to begin with. I wish I didn't have one at all, sure would make adding a newer type a lot easier!

badams

Nickv

Badams, Sorry about the wreck. It always saddens me to hear about the crunchers--large or small. As for those sore necks-- DON'T be too quick to sign off with the Camry's insurance company about your damages/injuries. You might have it crop up in the next week or two or so. My wife is STILL dealing with neck injuries from a wreck 14 years ago! Once you have signed off with the insurance company, you can't go back and ask for more...

Good to hear about the cost of the RX300 bumper. My wife (am I hearing this again...???) had a similar little bumper crash about 2 months ago in a 1990 Honda Civic. Scratched the rear plastic bumber, but the driver had pixxxx my wife off and so my wife wanted her car "fixed". Seriously, the scratch was nothing more than what happens when you leave your car in a parallel parking space. Cost to repair black plastic bumper? $800: remove and replace with new bumper! I couldn't believe that the company would pay for it, but they did. They also payed $1,000 for the doctor bills and physical therapy that my wife has gone through for the past 2 months... At least they stood up for it. The driver had tried to duck out of any responsibility, but my wife had insisted on a police report... Those do pay off.

Me? Just got back from the Lexus dealer, having picked up a second master key (for free) as part of my original purchase deal; now I have 2 master keys and one "wallet" key. Loving my rx300 even more, every day.
NickV

ederny

Nope, it's the one that came with it, although I bought the RX pre owned!

badams

You got lucky then! The spoiler you have came on the 2000 but not the 1999. I got stuck with the dorky one, but I think it actually keeps the rear window cleaner than the newer style. Forces the wind down over the window and keeps dust and stuff off of it. Still I'd like the newer one if I could have it instead.

badams