Gareth Rose

Stav, did you do the flocking yourself? And have you covered the horizontal bit just below the passenger airbag? My dogs got a nasty habit of standing on my girlfriends lap and has got loss of small scuffs on it.i wouldn't mind wrapping all the bits that are usually gold in carbon and then flock the top of the dash.have you got any close up pics of the bit by the airbag. Thanks Gazza

What did you do to the boot spring to make it pop up again. Mine is terrible now. Barely lifts it up from the rubbers. Gareth

What year is your IS? I've got an '03 so the later stereo, have you got any pics of the dash lit up? Gareth

Thanks for the reply ormi. Right so at least I know it has an amp. Its going to be fitted by my friend who installs police/ambulance radios and sirens, as well as the odd parrot kit, but problem is he just gets given the right loom for the car and has never done an IS, other than mine which we only put a Nokia one in with a seperate speaker so we didn't need a loom. He has found a Toyota SOT lead that hes aquired at some point tho, so hopefully Wednesday or Thursday were going to 'borrow' my mums car and pop the stereo out to see what the plugs are like. Thanks again for the reply. Gareth

Hi guys, My dads getting a parrot kit for my mums W IS200 Sport for xmas so we need a sot lead. I've never had the stereo out of its so don't know what the plugs are like. All I know from reading on here is the stereo leads are different to my 03 IS200 Sport. What do I need to check before I get the SOT lead. Did the early Sports have amps? Is it behind like the glove box like the later ones? If any one has got part numbers or photos I would be most grateful. We want to try and fit it in secret before xmas and just leave off the screen to save messing about after xmas. Regards Gareth edit - Just checked her car and its the stereo with the tape at the top and cd at the bottom.

They'll be fine mate. Youjust have to make sure you get the right size tyres on the 16s so that the rolling circumfrance of the wheels stays the same so the speedo with real correctly. Im not sure what size tyres the IS should have on 16s but Im sure someone will be around soon that will. Gareth

Have a look for XK Engineering on ebay. I bought a few of us bought brand new grills from them a while ago and i think they had quite a few sets. And I recently bought a brand new painted (in te right colour luckily) bumper fitted with washer jets for 180 delivered so had a bit of a bargain. Car looks good in black. Mines silver and looked gorgeous day before yesterday, then the snow and ice came and now its covered in grit and crap. gareth

Brilliant thanks for the guide.bit of luck il have a go at it this week sometime. Thanks again

Hi guys, a long long time ago the missus bumped my car, nothing major just a dented wing and a scratched bumper. I managed to get a brand new painted bumper for little more than it would be to paint the old one which just left the wing. I searched for ages and finally found one painted the right colour but with a little bit of damage right at the top which is barely noticable. I've been putting it off for ages but need to get it done now as its annoying me. Has anyone swapped a wing for a used one or a new one? The replacement one I've got has had the filler underneath the stone guard stuck chipped out to get at the bolt, what can I fill this back in with? Would decorators caulk be ok, so that I could spray over the top of it to hide it? Are there any other difficult bits involved? Is it an evening job or a wekkend job? Is it a case of a few bolts off, wing off, bead of silicone, new wing on bolts on? Thanks Gareth

According to the owners manual, its to reduce wind noise at cruising speed, and it does seem to help. Gareth

The sport has got 'Sport' written on the back windows. The back windows are also tinted on a sport. I know some people have retro fitted sport windows to SE's or S's, but its a bit more difficult to do than pedals or wheels, so should be a good indicator. Gareth

Did you change the rear disc/drums as well. When I changed mine a couple of years ago, I had a noise like you describe, but I did the fronts as back on different days so new it was at the back somewhere. When I took it apart there was scraping between the dus shield as a groove at the rear of the disc hammered it away a bit and it went away. In fact, thinking about it, before I changed them, the originals used to make a noise only when I turned right, so I guess its cos of slight movement in the bearings. Gareth

Hi guys Thinking about getting a panel filter as a nice cheap mod to keep me interested. Im not looking for any extra performance, just a bit more throatiness when I put my foot down. Would something like a pipercross filter make a similar noise to an induction kit (obviously quiter but loader than standard filter?). Regards Gareth PS, still trying to get used to this new layout,lol

I bought one off ebay the other day, off XK Engineering, the people who where selling some TTE grills a while back. My front bumper was gonna cost 90 quid to respray, plus the car off the road for a few days, but I bought a brand new one, in the box, complete with washers, and factory painted, for 150 quid, so had a good deal. I was lucky, I went on looking for a cheapo bumper to put on my car while mine was repsrayed, and the TTE one had been listed an hr before so I bought it there and then, now all I need to do is get round to fitting it, then my old one will be up for sale, just need to find the time, new kitchen for the missus is higher up the list at the moment,lol. Gareth

the is200 never used pzero rossos they used bridgstones from factory...... I've got the styling kit 18's on mine, and I've seen a few other IS's with the same wheel and the same tyres so assummed thats what they came with, but I well be wrong cos I bought my car second hand. Gareth

+1 for not skimping on tyres. Since I've had my car i've always pu Pirelli P Zero Rossos on it, not cheap, but its what Lexus intended, and they usually come 1st/2nd in tyre reviews. I agree on budget tyres looking bad when you try to sell a car. My father in law had a Mondeo ST Tdci when they first came out, and all that tourque meant he needed tyres 8k later, he put a set of 75 quid ones on instead of the 130 quid Contisports, and it just seemed wrong, luckily he part-exd it not long later so didn't have to answer any questions about them. Gareth

Hi guys, Saw a current shape Celica today, and the steering wheel looked very similar to the one in my IS, but it had black perforated leather instead of the gold bits, anyone tried fitting one or out of a different car. I'd want to keep the airbag so a Toyota would probably be the best. Something like this wheel Regards Gareth

Looking at the anti glare bulbs, would these work with the ebay ballasts to save a few bob. How glary are the ebay ones? I fancy getting some, but really don't want to get pulled, especially as the GF drives the car more than me. Gareth

I never noticed the corner bits on you r bumper before either? How did you do it? Did you cut up a splitter and screw them on? Wouldn't mind doin that to mine, are they sprayed black or is that the plastic colour, don't know if it would right on a Plat Ice car. Billnick, I know what you mean about the Beige interior, my dads 99 Sport has got it, they look stunning when new, but way to light for the real world, my Black seats are probably just as filthy, but at least you can see it,lol. Gareth

What about the black/silver box tho, would that like being switched off? Or would it have to be an aftermarket one designed for the job? If everything is already in the pully, but the wires arn't connected, how does it work? Is it disendaged when energised, or is the TTE setup just bolted together, negating the pully, I've only ever seen a supercharger as an onlooker, never fiddled with one,lol. It would be cool having a switch like this, especially at the traffic light Gran Prix,lol. Gareth

lol, is it only worse when round town, cos my daily commute is 25 miles of motorway and duals, so no stop starting. Im trying my best to save, but the missus always finds something else to spend money on, for some reason she wants me to finish the kitchen I started in September (started as a change the doors, then change the units, the replaster the walls, then new ceiling, then the floor was uneven so we dug that up,lol, now were having new windows, and the room looks like a disaster zone) but I will keep trying. Im in 2 minds on getting a kit car to build, or the charger, or keep the Lex forever with a charger, then save up for a kitcar,lol. At least chargers depreciate. :D

Hi guys, I'm saving up (well at least trying to) for a TTE supercharger kit, but Im a bit concerned about ruining whats fuel economy I've got. I know the supercharger is the same as a Merc, and I think I've read somewhere they've got electric clutches controlled by the ECU. I only thought about it in work the other day when I was sea trialing a customers boat with a Volvo Penta D4 in it, which has got a supercharger and turbo, but only brings the supercharger in when you put the hammer down, otherwise the revs just build slowly till the turbo comes in. I wasb't thinking of getting that complicated with it, but was thinking of using a switch and some relays to be able to turn the charger and block on and off. Can the clutch from a Merc supercharger be fitted? And would the black box be freaked out by being switched on 'on the fly'. Regards Gareth

Hi guys, After reading the other night about changing the dash colour, I've decided I wouldn't mind changing the colour of mine, but I'd only want to do it if the stereo matched. I know I could change to aftermarket, but IMO it they don't look as though they should be there. Im pretty sure someone changed the colour of the LEDS in they're stereo a few months back, I've tried searching, but can't find anything. Don't supppose anyone knows who it was, or if theres any one/company that can do it? I'd quite like everything a nice crisp white to update it a bit. Regards Gareth

Hi guys, My car has had a styling kit on since new and its never had the headlamp washers. I know the Sport should have them so would have come into the country with them fitted, so what would the dealer have removed before fitting the styling kit? Would they have left the pump there? Pipes? Bottle? I've now bought a brand new TTE bumper fully sprayed complete with grills, badges and best of all, the washers already installed. I've also found a washer switch so I've bought that. What else do I need? Does it run off the same bottle as the screen wash, just with an extra pump? My parents have got a Sport as well but with out the kit, so when I have see them next I'l have a poke about to see if I can see anything, but just thought I'd ask on here if anyones retrofitted them. Regards Gareth

Just been having a browse on ebay and came across these. Don't know if they're any good, but the seller says they have them in RHD or LHD. Lights 400 quid is a fair lump on cash tho, but it says they're designed for use with HIDs. Gareth