OzAristoV300

Thankfully most parts are compatible with other local Lexus or Toyota models. The Toyota Supra has been a permitted import to Australia (along with the Soarer, Surf, Harrier, Nissan GTR, Pulsar GTI, Silvia, FTO and a few others) so there is an established network for the 2JZ-GTE. New legislation that comes into force 1 Jan 2003 will reduce import models and volumes by about 75%, thanks to the Australian car industry and their political muscle. The only part I had to import was the throttle position sensor, which took about 3 weeks. Having 2 friends who work for Toyota Australia certainly helps (eg getting access to the Toyota Intelli-Tester).

I had a similar problem with the left rear (we drive on the left in Australia). The local tyre place used a 4-wheel optical aligner and located the problem. He fitted a snail-cam bolt to achieve the correct camber and the problem went away. Don't know how it got bent in the first place, but we did buy the car second hand.

We use my wife's RX300 for towing a boat (approx 1500kg) as well as normal "kids to school" work. I change the filter every 15,000km with a genuine Toyota version and fully synthetic oil (Mobil 1 or Shell Helix). After 60,000km there is no evidence of sludge and the car runs great. (I couldn't prise it from my wife with a crowbar) The previous post highlights the perils of changing the filter. You must have an end-fit removal tool (not the old band type), attaching to a standard 3/4" socket ratchet drive. They cost about AUD$25/US$13/BP9 at auto accessory stores. Keep a few rags handy to wipe up the spills down the side of the crankcase!

Please excuse the length of this post (my first). Owning a 1999 Aristo V300 Vertex in Australia is a lonely experience. Mine is one of three, brought in as personal imports. The government here tightly controls Jap imports, bowing to pressure from the majors. Lexus/Toyota in Australia refuse to help. Dealers are threatened with de-registration if they are caught even selling spares, let alone buying or selling an import. After 2 years of driving, I can offer the following: PROBLEMS 1. Drive-by-wire throttle suffered increasingly regular failures until throttle position sensor replaced, lightening wallet by AUD$650/BP250. Turns out to be known fault with local Lexus GS300 also. 2. (major fault) Japanese spec not well suited to hotter Australian climate and lower grade fuel. Knock sensor often shuts down fun by dumping boost and retarding timing by 25+ degrees, whenever: - Driving for longer than 30 mins in all conditions. Suspected to be caused by heat buildup in engine bay. Jap fix is to replace bonnet with carbon fibre unit with built in vents. Expensive. I removed the plastic tray under the engine with limited success. Next step is to design an air duct system to cool the turbo area, similar to brake cooling ducts on race cars. Anyone else have this problem? - Air temp over 18C/75F - Fully loaded with passengers and/or luggage. - Using any fuel less than 98 octane (Oz spec). I've tried Nulon ProStrenth octane booster with some success. Down side was build-up on spark plugs, causing misfiring after 20,000km of use. 3. Warped RR brake rotor. Isolated problem, fixed by machining. 4. Radio frequency convertor and external electric aerial from Camry fitted. 5. Shocks and springs replaced with stock local GS300 units on arrival in Oz. Japanese owner lowered with HKS springs, same spring rate but so low that destroyed shocks within 5000km through continually bottoming out on bump stops. PLANNED ENHANCEMENTS The time has come to make a few improvements. I would welcome thoughts/ideas on the following: 1. Fit 18*10 rear and 18*8 front wheels with suitable tyres. 2. Replace rear steering unit with solid mount to reduce "nervous" handling characteristics caused by unwanted rear wheel steer. 3. Replace diff centre with limited slip unit from Supra, hopefully with slight higher ratio to improve acceleration and provide drive out of corners. 4. Deactivate the VSC. On the web I found after market units in Japan but at horrendous cost. The wiring diagram for the local GS300 shows a pinout on the ECU but I have not tried to find/exploit it yet. 5. Upgrade shocks and springs to reduce limo float feel and improve handling. 6. Increase power output by around 30-40%. Still exploring the best/cheapest ways to do this. Fixing problem 2. above is a prerequisite. Any and all input gratefully appreciated. Thanx in advance.