My New Lexus Gs300 Se-l lots Of Pics!

fozzyf · July 29, 2015

Hi all, I thought I would start a topic on my latest purchase. I've just bought a 2005 3rd Gen GS300 se-l, purchased it from a chap in Ireland who kindly drove it down to Essex for me (en route to picking his new car up!). I kind of bought blind having only seen photos and a video he took of it for me.

Needless to say I was very pleased! The aim of buying it was to be used as a daily runner to the station and back for work, however the modifying bug has already started to hit me and going to find it difficult parking it in a car park all day every day!!!

First impressions was how quiet it is inside! My other cars are both Mercedes (2008 C220 cdi sport and an sl55 amg) and this is leagues ahead in the comfort stakes. This one being the SE-L has the ML stereo which is great.

The car came with refurbed alloys in a darker shade, BC Racing coilovers which gave it a nicer stance and surprisingly comfortable, it also has a front splitter fitted which i've already managed to break!! (too low, hit a speed bump, now its being repaired!). It also has 15mm spacers on the rear, which I may switch to the front and add 20mm to the back.

In the last few weeks of ownership I have had a knocking noise at the back, believed to be from the BC Racing coilovers (common on them apparently), they have been temporarily removed (being fixed under warranty) and the standard rears are back on, hence sitting higher at the back in the pics! Apart from a squeak on the rear shelf (I think!) it seems perfect! Full Lexus History, 71k on the clock....

It was never my intention of buying a black car as they are a pain to keep clean (my Sl55 is black and gets filthy even in the garage!) so started vinyl wrapping her yesterday. One of the easier cars i've done to be honest, what you see in the pics took around 7 hrs in total. There are 2 small parking dings on the other side which I want removing before wrapping that side, then its just the front bumper, refitting the rear bumper / parking sensors and blacking out the chrome! The colour is 3M matt aluminium metallic, very easy to keep clean, having a metallic sheen to it makes it difficult to scratch compared with normal matt colours, plus it does sort of change shade / colour in certain light, from a bright silver down to a shadowy titanium.....

Few pics for you...

Beginning of wrap...

Start of rear bumper (pain!)

Bonnet done

Half a side!

Rear door and handles (rear handles a pain to remove!)

Will update as I finish it!

Connoisseur · July 29, 2015

wow, great looking car. Thanks for sharing your pics! What are the material costs of the wrap, if you don't mind me asking?

fozzyf · July 29, 2015

Thank you, I was a little unsure on the colour to begin with (originally bought the vinyl for the Sl!) but now its almost complete i'm really pleased!

Material cost depends on brand and type of vinyl, this one was around the £24+vat per linear metre (1520mm wide). I have 14 metres for the car but ideally 15metres would have been easier (I am keeping the roof black for now).

Bluesman · July 29, 2015

Great work, well done. Mike.

fozzyf · August 3, 2015

Bit of an update, the front end is now done! Front bumper was very tricky, ended up removing the headlights completely, refitting the bumper to wrap then removing / fitting lights back. Also repaired, wrapped and refitted the front splitter. Car sits very low at the front now, already scrapped the driveway pulling off of it! Tempted to remove permanently. Also made a new number plate and trimmed down leaving off the numberplate holder.

All that is left to do with the passenger side, got a dent man coming tomorrow to remove 2 small parking dings before wrapping, then it will be perfect!

Bumper wrapped headlightless!

Healights back in ready for refitting. (took a while wrapping each parking sensor individually!)

No more chrome at the front!

Splitter on

Slightly smaller but still legal front plate

Needing front wheel spacers!

Cheers

Chris

TigerFish · August 3, 2015

Looking good B)

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

royoftherovers · August 3, 2015

Very good indeed.Thanks for the reports Chris.

Please let us all know how the wrapping bears up against the elements.

Regards

John

fozzyf · August 3, 2015

Thanks John, I will do.... I'm expecting the front bumper to be the biggest pain in the butt due to the deep recesses into the headlights, plus it doesn't help it being plastic/fibre. Sometimes in extreme heat it can reactivate the vinyl and if it has been stretched into a recess it unstretches itself back to original state!! Fingers crossed it plays ball.

Bluesman · August 3, 2015

Looks really good. How much was the wrap and was there any wastage from not going on properly? Mike.

fozzyf · August 3, 2015

Wrap was about £22 or so per metre +vat. Nah no wastage, I've wrapped dozens of cars now so pretty confident in only ordering what I need! Used 14 metres of vinyl which also allowed enough for door shuts (have yet to do these).

Any ideas how the mirror covers come off, are they just clipped in or do I need to remove the whole lot to get to them?

Chris

Bluesman · August 3, 2015

Sorry cant help on the mirrors, it looks a really good way of refreshing

the car. Mike.

fozzyf · August 3, 2015

Indeed Mike it does freshen it up. The car looked lovely in black but a real pain to keep clean, especially as it's my daily car! A lot fit the wraps to cover up dodgy bodywork but thankfully this one is mint underneath (bar the 2 dents which are coming out tomorrow!).

Chris

Bluesman · August 3, 2015

I tried to tell my son about buying a black car but to no avail, although he loved the car he cursed every day of 4 years of ownership of a car you just cant keep clean, just been replaced with a light blue metallic. He has since said he of taken my advice at the time. Sometimes us dads do know whats best. Mike.

royoftherovers · August 3, 2015

Sadly Mike, us Dad`s would like to be as good as our wives, WHO ALWAYS KNOW WHAT`S BEST!

Regards

John

Connoisseur · August 3, 2015

Wrap was about £22 or so per metre +vat. Nah no wastage, I've wrapped dozens of cars now so pretty confident in only ordering what I need! Used 14 metres of vinyl which also allowed enough for door shuts (have yet to do these).

Any ideas how the mirror covers come off, are they just clipped in or do I need to remove the whole lot to get to them?

Chris

this pdf shows the mirror assembly and casing https://www.dropbox.com/s/vobg6e6sll8zm1b

/GS%20door%20mirror%20assembly.pdf?dl=0

....and this from You Tube shows the procedure; the car shown is an IS but the procedure should be exactly same for your 3 GS. Watch from 7mins 15 secs in. I'd caution that care is required, but you clearly know what you are doing........ :)

o

hth

Malachy · August 3, 2015

I love the wheels you done a brilliant job wrapping it!

fozzyf · August 10, 2015

Well the car is almost finished, al of the panels are done, had a dent man remove 3 small pin dents from the passenger side - did an awesome job wouldn't have even realised there were one there!

I've dechromed one side and the front grill. Splitter is back on although not sure for how long, its my daily car and have a feeling it won't last long being that low! All that is left to do are the door shuts, fit the new spacers (25mm on the rear and will move the current 15mm ones to the front) and wait for the rear coilovers to arrive back from the manufacterers.

Few pics.....