Lexus IS300h or BMW 3 Series Saloon?

[Dave748]

Loads of people are asking for pics but I want it to be perfect first and have all the bits I want doing finished first. I'm a ridiculous perfectionist to the point of OCD so even though it's been very well valeted I'm doing it all again inside and out and a proper wax too.

I've got a loads of stuff in the post like the calliper paint and DECALS (though I don't think they will fit as the callipers don't seem to have any large parts of uninterrupted surface area to put them) and the puddle lights.  Also I've had a quote for window tints so will be getting those done too.  

I want to do the ambient lighting too but worried about messing it up and damaging something as it's so new, I think I'd have a small breakdown if I did that just at the moment.  may have to hit up the guy that did it for some details instructions.

[Mudl04]

Good afternoon all!

Just placed an order for a IS 300h Premier  

I spent some time debating if I should go for the BMW 330e but I don't have an option to charge a car at work or at home for that matter! Once the Battery runs out in the BMW 330e, you are in effect driving a 2.0l petrol car with no further assistance from the electric motor. The Lexus hybrid made more sense for now.   I think I have made the right decision  Hope I am right?

[stevet]

If your doing regular trips over 20 miles the BMW just doesn't make sense. Is the IS your first Lexus?

[Mudl04]

Yes Steve, this will be my first Lexus.  I'm making a big jump up from a 2003 diesel VW Golf.  Most weeks I'll do two 80 mile journeys while the rest of the time I will be commuting & travelling in urban / built up areas.  

[Dave748]

Hi All,

So tomorrow I will finally be driving my Lexus for the first time since picking it up, it's been in the garage a while, while I've been doing bits and bats to it and I've been away on holiday too for 7 days.  So far I've tinted the rear windows, painted the callipers and applied DECALS (Looks great) and added some logo puddle lights, I've also cleaned it up to looking like showroom new.  I've got more stuff planned this weekend too, ambient lighting (got all the parts and tools just need the time to do it, LED foot well down lighting, extra boot lighting and maybe rear foot well lighting too if I can find a good spot to place the lights.  Also looking at ordering some of these from the US:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290837889369?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT 

in blue and got a few other nick naks on the way but their coming from china so may take a while.  

[Martin F]

Sounds like you have been busy.

Look forward to seeing the pics.

[Dave748]

OK, so I've spent all day wiring in some LED strips for foot well lighting driver, passenger and rear.  Took along time to find the best places to take the feed but ended up splitting the original foot well lights so the LEDs light and fade with the doors opening and shutting just like the standard internal lights.  

I've also wired in some ambient lighting as per Capese21 but using Blue LED's to match the car color and the foot well lighting, what a pain in the ***** that was to wire in.  Took the feed from the rear left cluster so the ambient lighting comes on with the head lights.  Because I used Blue lights they were as I suspected too bright plugged straight in so I'd also ordered a mini LED dimmer to put inline with a memory function.  Worked a treat, the light is perfect now and the switch retains the setting so when power is lost it still goes back to how I set it before I sealed it in.  

Got more stuff planned and stuff in the post, will upload some pics soon.

[dutchie01]

Wow Dave you know how to built up the tension!

love to read your messages can wait to see your pics.

 

  

[Dave748]

It was really hard working running the wire for the ambient lightning and even harder when I finally got it to the back of the car.  I was going to remove the rear light cluster to attach the wires but couldn't figure out how to access the back so instead I had to strip off the sheathing, cut the wires and put them through a block connector and just prayed they would still work when I'd finished. Luckily it all did so that was a relief, not sure how I would have explained what happened if I tried to claim on the warranty because I messed it up.  

I think I can still do a bit more to neaten it up, there is a small part where the wire is exposed as it comes into the boot, I won't be happy until it's completely hidden from view.  I may change the foot well lights to blue ones too, looks a bit odd with the mix of blue and white light in the front.  I've still got 4 LED strips left over too so I may put some extra lighting in the boot as it's hard to see to the back with just the standard lighting. 

[200h]

Hi dave this is what i have done in the boot ,this is the light finished

i have used a 16 LED panel light removed the end caps and fitted a w5w cap instead

so i could use the original lighting plug,the link below is a pic of the LED assembly

for the footwell lights

[200h]

12 hours ago, Dave748 said:

II think I can still do a bit more to neaten it up,

get rid of the block connector solder the wires instead.

to get to the copper wire you could of used an automatic wire stripper

to reveal the copper wire then soldered your wires onto them and covered with

insulation tape to make the job look neat.

since you have cut the wires get some heat shrink tubing slide it over the wires

solder the wires together & slide the shrink tubing on top of the join use heat to shrink the tubing.

 

[Dave748]

46 minutes ago, 200h said:

get rid of the block connector solder the wires instead.

to get to the copper wire you could of used an automatic wire stripper

to reveal the copper wire then soldered your wires onto them and covered with

insulation tape to make the job look neat.

since you have cut the wires get some heat shrink tubing slide it over the wires

solder the wires together & slide the shrink tubing on top of the join use heat to shrink the tubing.

 

There was a reason I used block connectors and not soldered, I did solder most parts of the circuits I made and insulated with electrical tape (shrink tubing would be neater but as you can't see those bits tape will do the job just as well).  I used block connectors only in a few places and only because the wiring was already in the car and couldn't be taken out, all the parts of the wiring I could do outside of the car I soldered.  I didn't want to risk taking the soldering iron inside the car, one slip and there would be a hole burnt somewhere or a big melted line in the trim or carpet so I opted to not take that risk and just use block connectors on those very few parts.

200h, I like the idea of changing the light for a brighter whiter LED and I was going to do that anyway at some point but that doesn't solve the problem that the light won't reach to the back of the boot it will just make the front of the boot a little brighter.  I've got some spare blue LED strips left over so I may put a couple of those towards the rear of the boot, or, I may order a couple of white strips and put those towards the rear of the boot to keep it all the same colour as there is no need for blue in the boot.  I'm also going to replace all the internal bulbs with LED ones as I prefer the crisper white colour.

 

[200h]

3 minutes ago, Dave748 said:

There was a reason I used block connectors and not soldered, I did solder most parts of the circuits I made and insulated with electrical tape (shrink tubing would be neater but as you can't see those bits tape will do the job just as well).  I used block connectors only in a few places and only because the wiring was already in the car and couldn't be taken out, all the parts of the wiring I could do outside of the car I soldered.  I didn't want to risk taking the soldering iron inside the car, one slip and there would be a hole burnt somewhere or a big melted line in the trim or carpet so I opted to not take that risk and just use block connectors on those very few parts.

200h, I like the idea of changing the light for a brighter whiter LED and I was going to do that anyway at some point but that doesn't solve the problem that the light won't reach to the back of the boot it will just make the front of the boot a little brighter.  I've got some spare blue LED strips left over so I may put a couple of those towards the rear of the boot, or, I may order a couple of white strips and put those towards the rear of the boot to keep it all the same colour as there is no need for blue in the boot.  I'm also going to replace all the internal bulbs with LED ones as I prefer the crisper white colour.

 

i will take a photo later on today and post it here for you to see what the boot is like now when its dark.

[200h]

the photo doesn't show how much the boot area is lit up ,it is brighter at the back in reality

 

[Dave748]

Thanks 200h,

I have already ordered a 36 LED panel that should just fit in the light panel that should give loads of extra light and I have also ordered 2 white LED strips to place near the back for even more if it needs so it should be good.

I was looking around earlier and noticed you can get an F-Sport Carbon Fibre bumper lip from the states for the bottom of the front, looks amazing but with delivery over £400.  I've been able to get away with ordering little bits here and there without the missus kicking up too much fuss but I think she would blow her lid at a £400 bit of bumper.  Looks good though if it fits the is300h.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181955967777?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[Dave748]

So, I got the LED block, the lights were compacted in but it was still too big to fit in the light hole, it was mounted on a metal plate which I had to sand down right to the edge of the LED block.  I snapped off the wires while doing this but soldered them back on in work.  Finally got it to fit just right and in the dark it does light a hell of a lot better than the standard light, even to the back of the boot so no need to use the extra strips.  

I also got a Meguire's clay kit from Halford's and some bilt hammer double speed wax that if I have time may do this weekend.  If I do I'l finally take some pics and put them up.

[200h]

8 minutes ago, Dave748 said:

So, I got the LED block, the lights were compacted in but it was still too big to fit in the light hole, it was mounted on a metal plate which I had to sand down right to the edge of the LED block.  I snapped off the wires while doing this but soldered them back on in work.  Finally got it to fit just right and in the dark it does light a hell of a lot better than the standard light, even to the back of the boot so no need to use the extra strips.  

I also got a Meguire's clay kit from Halford's and some bilt hammer double speed wax that if I have time may do this weekend.  If I do I'l finally take some pics and put them up.

hi dave

my phone didn't capture how the back of the boot lit up really well with just replacing the front light with leds.

and the megiuars clay kit is great ,you may only need to use it once or twice a year thats all it will take you 15 minutes to

go around your car,top tip for using clay bars break the bar in 2 pieces if you drop the clay DON'T EVER carry on using it

throw it in the bin then carry on with the other half.

here is a picture of my old ct200h ,i took a picture looking down the side of the car so half the picture is a reflection

this was taken after claying and waxing.

[Dave748]

Thanks 200h, I thought it would take a lot longer to clay be honest.  I'm a bit nervous about claying it, never done it before and as it was only registered and has only been driven since September but I don't really want to WAX it properly without claying it first.  If I do it this weekend then I may not do it again till late summer or I could wait till later on in the year and clay it closer to summer when it will look it's best and just wax it anyway this weekend after a good wash.  What do you think?

[rayaans]

54 minutes ago, Dave748 said:

Thanks 200h, I thought it would take a lot longer to clay be honest.  I'm a bit nervous about claying it, never done it before and as it was only registered and has only been driven since September but I don't really want to WAX it properly without claying it first.  If I do it this weekend then I may not do it again till late summer or I could wait till later on in the year and clay it closer to summer when it will look it's best and just wax it anyway this weekend after a good wash.  What do you think?

If its taking you less than an hour to clay with a conventional bar, you're not spending enough time on each panel.

You should have gone for the G3 clay mitt, its faster and can be re-used.

Id be polishing the car after claying - claying leaves scratches as its abrasive. And then wax on top. Depending on how much you drive you only need to do it 1-2 times a year at most.

Also 200h - I would bet that the car looks no different if it was just washed only without any clay or wax. clay or wax does NOT add any sort of shine unless it has gloss enhancers in it. Polish is what you need for the shine.

Here you go:

You'll thank me later :P

[Dave748]

6 minutes ago, rayaans said:

If its taking you less than an hour to clay with a conventional bar, you're not spending enough time on each panel.

You should have gone for the G3 clay mitt, its faster and can be re-used.

Id be polishing the car after claying - claying leaves scratches as its abrasive. And then wax on top. Depending on how much you drive you only need to do it 1-2 times a year at most.

Also 200h - I would bet that the car looks no different if it was just washed only without any clay or wax. Clay or wax does NOT add any sort of shine unless it has gloss enhancers in it. Polish is what you need for the shine.

Here you go:

You'll thank me later :P

OK I hear you, what would you suggest as an under wax polish?  I have some halford's polish in the garage and it does a good job of adding shine but it also waxes so not sure if it would be a good idea waxing again over the top of it.

[Dave748]

Never mind I read your PDF, very informative but looks like a lot of work, I will have a look tomorrow see if I can get some of the stuff I'm missing.

[200h]

mist the detailing spray on to the paintwork and gently move the clay bar over the paint surface

you can feel when the panel is free of contaminents as the clay bar will glide more freely

when the clay looks dirty kneed the clay so you keep using a clean part of the bar.

once you have clayed a panel give it a wax and put some wax on the next panel ,you will be able to

see a deeper shine and also the difference in smoothness between the panels.

i notice it more as i work in ellesmere port a stones throw from the stanlow oil refinery so loads

of rubbish is pumped into the air and lands on my car.

with regards to the timescale for the claying process if the paintwork is heavily contaminated

it may take longer to complete

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, Dave748 said:

Never mind I read your PDF, very informative but looks like a lot of work, I will have a look tomorrow see if I can get some of the stuff I'm missing.

Halfords polish is fine. No problem if it has wax in it and you wax over the top of it.

Hmm Ill have to disagree with Mark on this occasion, Ive tried it time and time again and waxed alternate panels and noticed no difference. Lets not forget that Polish is the thing that actually removes scratches whereas wax is simply a protective coating.

However having said that you do get some waxes which fill a lot of scratches in, they are hybrids in a sense but Bilt Hamber Double Speed won't do that.

[200h]

i feel on some colours like white & silver its hard to achieve a deep shine to the paintwork

the 1st car i clayed was a ct200h in mesa red ,when you put your hand against the clayed, polished & waxed

surface and compared to the next panel the reflection is clearer and more defined and shine is deeper

saying that i feel that dark colours always seem to have a deep shine to them.

[stevet]

12 minutes ago, 200h said:

i feel on some colours like white & silver its hard to achieve a deep shine to the paintwork

the 1st car i clayed was a ct200h in mesa red ,when you put your hand against the clayed, polished & waxed

surface and compared to the next panel the reflection is clearer and more defined and shine is deeper

saying that i feel that dark colours always seem to have a deep shine to them.

Mesa red is great for polishing and waxing. Looks like you can dive into the paintwork its so deep,