DaveEdin

Fitting an aftermarket stereo is actually simple - even I managed it myself :) Essentially you need the fascia to fit around the new stereo, and an amplifier bypass lead (if you have a Sport or SE model, the S model has no amp to bypass). To fit it, you take one of the white plugs out of the standard amplifier and connect it to one end of the amp bypass cable. The other end fits into the ISO outputs of the new stereo. Can be a bit fiddly since the amp is behind the glovebox and bolted in but it's not a big job to do. Here's what mine looks like now:

Assuming the Sport was 2002 or later then yes, the springs became 15mm lower than the SE or S models at that point...

Have a look for ormi's project thread, or stav's - 2 of the most modified IS200s on here, and you can see how they went about it... But modding is pretty individual, so where to start is different for everyone. For mine, it was because I had a wee bump and dented the standard front bumper. Found a TTE front bumper to replace it with, which was followed by a bunch of other stuff, including uprated ARBs, aftermarket stereo, TRD Side & Rear Skirts, 18" wheels, stainless steel dials and a bunch of other stuff... Slippery slope modifying a car - ormi's thread is titled "the car I said I would keep standard" - should help you find it...

The fascia comes with a bit on trim that fits into that gap, to make the whole thing more snugly fitting, did it not fit correctly with your stereo or something? Also, I sanded down my fascia to lose the texture, and sprayed it with some Halfords satin black so it matched the rest of the interior a bit more closely:

While I might consider trading in my IS200, it wouldn't be to get the 2nd (or even 3rd) gen IS. I don't like the styling and there are a huge number of posts from IS220/IS250 owners who were disappointed with mpg, performance, build quality or reliability... Just my own opinion - but I'd stick with the IS200 if I was you :)

Think Jase is in the middle of moving house at the moment guys - a spot of patience may be required, but I'm sure he'll resurface soon...

Mine is a manual 2002 IS200 sport and it idles around the 750rpm, but from a cold start it's around 1200rpm, then comes down fairly quickly.

As in if you're female you need a closet full of them?

IS200 PCD is 5x114... Not sure how big a problem that is?

Yep the fascia is off eBay, it's an Autoleads one. This is the one I bought. In order to match the dash properly though you need to sand off the texture on the frame, primer it and give it a bash with some Halfords Satin Black paint... You haven't said what IS200 you have, if it's an SE or a Sport you'd also need an amp bypass cable to bypass the stock amplifier (Don't think you need one for the S model though). Looks like there is someone selling them as a package these days too. Hope that helps!

It's the fascia you need to match the dash, and you can do that fairly easily. Mine looks like this:

Sure ormi had a cracked rad at one point and he picked up an automatic radiator replacement for something like £90... But he would have fitted it himself, does your price include the fitting cost?

Silverline Racing are fairly good from all I've heard - they were responsible for the 1G-GTE swap that's in Sparkystav's IS200 Turbo. http://www.silverline-racing.com/

Ormi's was once standard as well matey - get the pics up, and welcome to the best driving car you'll ever own...

I just had my wheels refurbed, and was warned explicitly not to use wonder wheels as it destroys the lacquer..? Warm soap and water was the suggestion, plus regular waxing of the wheels to keep them nice

Why be quick, it's a Buy It now, so it's not ending any time too soon unless someone else buys it... And it's fairly scratched... Oh, and you'd have to make sure from the seller first whether it was from an auto or manual - as the gearknob threads are different for both and it might not fit if it's the 'wrong' type.

well done Dave ! yup that was exactly it - how are you by the way ? - only answer to all this is declare everything and be legal and safe and drive what you can afford to - thyesedays you cant get away with old loopholes like this ( i did for many many years but no longer ) - if you do come up with a foolproof solution id be interested as well as my insurance is about £3k this year due to a **** driving up my arse when i was parked Can't complain matey, thanks for asking... Car's looking ever better now it's got the side/rear skirts, front bumper and 18" wheels on :) How's yourself?

Been a bit of an ongoing discussion about it on another forum, and how it's just another way to rip off consumers etc by making you pay out for a car you might not even be using more than a couple days a week or only in the summer etc...

Is THIS what you are thinking of Nik?

Sorry, I don't think there is such a thing, no...

It's more likely that the bulbs themselves have gone - if it was a fuse surely the whole unit would have failed? If you happen to be VERY handy with a soldering iron it's possible to get into the unit and replace the bulbs, otherwise I'd say it'd be easier to change the unit for another one (eBay is pretty cheap for these kind of things, just make sure the one you get isn't suffering from ERR3). Or of course live with it :)

Hi, I don't own an RX, no, but the point I was (possibly not very clearly) trying to make is that purchasing from eBay is fine as there are some good deals - generally though I would only buy from a seller operating as a business with plenty of positive feedback, as you're safer that way with anything like returns etc. And as ACLex has pointed out, the genuine parts are significantly cheaper from Lexus than from KwikFit.... so if I was you I'd not trust them with your car. Ever. Not even to pump up your tyres to the right pressure.

Kwik Fit will say an awful lot of things... I bought my brake discs (and pads) from eBay and had them fitted by a Toyota mechanic, all good :) Ask your local dealership if they would give your brakes a quick inspection for free (don't ask, don't get)...

Try your local toyota dealer... They're often cheaper than the Lexus equivalent and they all work for the same company in the end...

Less than an OEM one if Lexynik paid £38... Just checked, and it cost me £25 on a group buy on the "other forum" :winky: :winky: