Matched RX grill to SC
04-04-06, 07:21 AM
#1
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Matched RX grill to SC
Thanks to the info I found in this forum, when I recently acquired an RX330, to provide the utility that my SC430 is conspicuously lacking, I replaced the original RX grill with the "Thundercloud" grill. Not only is it, in my opinion, an elegant upgrade, but now my two cars match, at least when they are parked side by side facing the same way.
This is an easy modification to make, and I think improves the look of the car, although I may just be used to the horizontal grill from my SC. Highly recommended.
This is an easy modification to make, and I think improves the look of the car, although I may just be used to the horizontal grill from my SC. Highly recommended.
04-04-06, 10:07 AM
#2
MultiTasking Mom
i agree 100%! looks sharp. i got mine a few months ago during the CL group buy and couldn't be happier. it was my first "mod" ever - lol. then i got more adventurous and did the DVD hack on my RX. 
04-05-06, 03:39 AM
#4
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Nice Grill!
Hey! Really like the grill. But then again, I have the Thundercloud Edition. That was one of the things that drew me to the TC over the regular RX was the horizontal grill lines. 
04-06-06, 11:15 AM
#7
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Sorry. If I told you (or is it u) where I bought the grill, or even where I bought the grill from, then everybody would get one and my car would cease to be distinctive.
I don't want that.
I don't want that.
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04-06-06, 06:06 PM
#8
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no hard feelings, but tis is only a common grill wat is there to be dinstintive? i thought forums are for people sharing infos?these grill is so common in my place
then maybe in 1st place u shouldnt recommend?
then maybe in 1st place u shouldnt recommend?
04-06-06, 11:19 PM
#9
Originally Posted by sharpener
no hard feelings, but tis is only a common grill wat is there to be dinstintive? i thought forums are for people sharing infos?these grill is so common in my place
then maybe in 1st place u shouldnt recommend?
then maybe in 1st place u shouldnt recommend?
heh...just ask lexuslover since he has one too...i mean a grill is just a grill...heh
...unless you start putting on a kit, rims, exhaust and all those goodies its all good... 
04-06-06, 11:41 PM
#10
MultiTasking Mom
i don't mind sharing the info! after all, i got mine on the group buy on this forum last year. (p.s. for the record, i'm a female )
since it is a factory part, you should be able to get it from any lexus or toyota dealer near you. it's not aftermarket. the group buy was sponsored by one of CL's vendors, carson toyota (http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=728 ). it took about 6-8 wks to get them from japan. but i think they are readily available now at some dealers that carry good parts inventory. i was at service recently and saw them on the wall for sale.
it's a nice touch. from me. although it's probably more noticeable to me b/c i love it. i doubt to most people they notice it at all given how many RX's are out on the road these days (wheels or other more prominent mods are probably more "distinctive") if i really wanted a distinctive car, i probably wouldn't have chosen the RX given it's the #1 lux SUV!! 
there are a lot out there, but i don't mind that for some reason, maybe because i love the RX in general.
)since it is a factory part, you should be able to get it from any lexus or toyota dealer near you. it's not aftermarket. the group buy was sponsored by one of CL's vendors, carson toyota (http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=728 ). it took about 6-8 wks to get them from japan. but i think they are readily available now at some dealers that carry good parts inventory. i was at service recently and saw them on the wall for sale.
it's a nice touch.
from me. although it's probably more noticeable to me b/c i love it. i doubt to most people they notice it at all given how many RX's are out on the road these days (wheels or other more prominent mods are probably more "distinctive") if i really wanted a distinctive car, i probably wouldn't have chosen the RX given it's the #1 lux SUV!! there are a lot out there, but i don't mind that for some reason, maybe because i love the RX in general.
04-07-06, 06:11 AM
#11
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Thread Starter
The point of my reply was to refer back to my original post where I mentioned that I learned of the "Thundercloud Edition" grill here on this forum.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
04-07-06, 09:17 AM
#12
by the way , how's the installation process? does it really fit the rubber gasket between the chrome grill? is it a diy job ?
Originally Posted by tfischer
The point of my reply was to refer back to my original post where I mentioned that I learned of the "Thundercloud Edition" grill here on this forum.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
04-07-06, 09:32 AM
#13
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Thread Starter
It was so easy a chimp could do it.
Open your hood and look at the grill. It is held in place by 5 nuts. If you have a metric socket set or a metric set of wrenches, these come off in 60 seconds. If not, an adjustible wrench can be used, but might take you twice as long. At the bottom of the grill, there is a black plastic locator pin. Push that out of its locator hole (I think I used a pliers to push it through), and then slip the pin itself out of its u-shaped holder and attach it to the new grill in the same place. This takes no tools, unless you want to use a pliers, just for the heck of it.
Once the old grill is off, you have to unscrew the Lexus Logo from the center of the original grill, which is held in place with one phillips head screw. Put it onto the new grill the same way.
Now affix the grill to the car with the same 5 nuts, after pushing the black plastic locator pin into its hole.
Elapsed time: 10 to 15 minutes the first time, because you are going slow. I could do it a second time in 5 minutes because I know what I am doing.
And you can do the whole job standing up. No effort required, no bending, and no heavy lifting.
Piece of cake.
Open your hood and look at the grill. It is held in place by 5 nuts. If you have a metric socket set or a metric set of wrenches, these come off in 60 seconds. If not, an adjustible wrench can be used, but might take you twice as long. At the bottom of the grill, there is a black plastic locator pin. Push that out of its locator hole (I think I used a pliers to push it through), and then slip the pin itself out of its u-shaped holder and attach it to the new grill in the same place. This takes no tools, unless you want to use a pliers, just for the heck of it.
Once the old grill is off, you have to unscrew the Lexus Logo from the center of the original grill, which is held in place with one phillips head screw. Put it onto the new grill the same way.
Now affix the grill to the car with the same 5 nuts, after pushing the black plastic locator pin into its hole.
Elapsed time: 10 to 15 minutes the first time, because you are going slow. I could do it a second time in 5 minutes because I know what I am doing.
And you can do the whole job standing up. No effort required, no bending, and no heavy lifting.
Piece of cake.
04-07-06, 09:54 AM
#14
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Thread Starter
By the way, Lexuslover, that Thundercloud grill really looks good on your silver RX.
My recollection is that the Thundercloud Edition RX only came in two colors, both of which were dark colors, but I'd have to check on that. (By check, I mean so a "search.") One reason I like the TC grill is that it has chrome slats rather than black ones, which look really nice on the silver car.
My RX is "Savannah Metallic," which we used to call beige. I like that color because it is pretty close to the color of road dust, and the RX gets parked outside, at least until I get a second garage added to my modest estate. (My black car gets parked inside.) Although I don't understand the origins of "Savannah Metallic," I do understand that it sounds better than "Road Dust Metallic," and much, much better than "Metallic Road Dust."
Is Savannah beige?
My recollection is that the Thundercloud Edition RX only came in two colors, both of which were dark colors, but I'd have to check on that. (By check, I mean so a "search.") One reason I like the TC grill is that it has chrome slats rather than black ones, which look really nice on the silver car.
My RX is "Savannah Metallic," which we used to call beige. I like that color because it is pretty close to the color of road dust, and the RX gets parked outside, at least until I get a second garage added to my modest estate. (My black car gets parked inside.) Although I don't understand the origins of "Savannah Metallic," I do understand that it sounds better than "Road Dust Metallic," and much, much better than "Metallic Road Dust."
Is Savannah beige?
04-07-06, 12:13 PM
#15
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Originally Posted by tfischer
The point of my reply was to refer back to my original post where I mentioned that I learned of the "Thundercloud Edition" grill here on this forum.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
A "search" quickly discloses several threads indicating that the Grill is available from any dealer, since it is a standard Lexus part. I got mine from Carson (I tuned parts) because they have a huge inventory, very reasonable prices, and I have bought parts (eg: NAV data upgrades) from them before.
It arrived in less than a week, and I installed it in about 10 minutes.
There, now nobody has to "search."
It is a nice look for the car, I think, but hardly turns heads. I did it because it's virtually the same grill as on my SC430, but nobody knows that but me. But then, I'm unusually self-absorbed.
but thanks for the attitude