Black beast

[mr2lad]

Cleaned and started the dye process...1st coat done will need another 2 or 3 i reckon but way way better than beigggggggeee 😂 

[Chris Skelton]

When I read "taking the carpets out", I thought of the little 2 sq foot thing in our Micra, that's under driver's foot!

Not half a car!

Intense stuff!

 

Saw an SC briefly the other day, here in Bristol/Shirehampton.....revived my interest (just after swearing NEVER to drive long distances again!)

[Bob King]

How you getting on with this Graham....now you’ve followed the “spray in a well ventilated area “ 😉😉

[mr2lad]

Heads still buzzing 😂 

did 2nd spray and will do a spray again in morning before i go away south in lorry 

so will take carpets back next weekend and then dye the little bit of carpet attached to front of seat at the company thats doing the rest of interior.....or see if they can delete that bit off seat and replace with leather...why the is carpet on seat is beyond me

everything is coming along just fine so outcome should be great

[mr2lad]

Ps had both garage doors open on 2nd coat...so well ventilated this time unlike 1st time just cracking open a window 😂 

[Bob King]

Maybe get yourself a breathing mask 👍🏻👍🏻

[Chris Skelton]

He needed that BEFORE he bought the car?   (-: judging on his ''I'll never buy a Black.....".etc., comments!

[mr2lad]

Little update

all beige parts now re-coloured black

seat leather changed to black and red

new custom steering wheel arrived

new headlights (1 arrived , other due next week

new coolant header tank arrived

bank balance slightly lower lol

car should be back on my drive in next week

will post up pics of full interior change hopefully next week

missing my car but should be well worth the wait 

[The-Acre]

I nearly replied to the wrong person then, you're not the only Lexus owner who's going to insane lengths! Impressive!

[cruisermark]

looks fantastic already.

[Neil E]

Looking good there Graham, lots of effort and attention to detail. 👍 Any thoughts to making it go quicker yet? Does it already have MeisterR coil-overs or is it still on the original shocks? 

[mr2lad]

Already on MeisterR coil overs and custom exhaust.... running wise its perfect, well will be when i change front brake pads as they squeal like a banshee at low speed until warmed up (not all that old but extremely noisy)

went to see car yesterday and was hoping it was going to be ready, but unfortunatly not, 

been promised it WILL be ready to be picked up Thursday 15th with extra discount on final price as hes already 2wks over the orginal finish date, due to staff holidays and a supplier cocking up a order

Should be awesome once finished

 

[Neil E]

Yeah, looking forward to seeing the interior. It should be quite dramatic. 

If I bought an ISF I would be looking to upgrade and enhance the interior. I know how much work is involved but seeing all of your pictures does bring it home.  

[mr2lad]

Not looking too bad considering now  it was all beige before hand

[mr2lad]

Sorry for all photos but am amazed at transformation from full beige interior to black and red, 

only parts being renewed are the leather seats and seatbelts everything else is orginal parts but been flexi plasti spray painted black

popped in by yesterday to take of mrear view mirror for it to be colour coded as no one could figure out how to get it off windscreen but with a little help from neil E, ive got it off (dead simple when you know how lol)

think once ive picked it up next friday (hopefully) i run it for a week or two before i park it up in my garage and start putting my parts i have in garage onto it new headlights steering wheel also get wood trim wrapped (humming n Harrington on colour to wrap yet)

either going carbon effect black/silver or piano black or match it with the wine red on seats, will wait till ive got car and get some tester sheets to see what merges in with rest of interior

was thinking of tint wrapping headlights but wow they look awesome as is so for time being no tint

also got some DRL combined indicator bulbs to fit but will need to get a relay fitted so i can switch drls off at night time as think they will be far to bright and dazzle at night, then again maybe i wont lol 

[mr2lad]

Ps car finish has been delayed as was expecting to pick up yesterday, but a supplier and a disgruntled ex worker (who hide some trim parts that never got colour coded and only found after rest of parts had been fitted ) so these parts still need painted up (rear headrest trim)

but everything in hand now so fingers crossed for pick up a week today (only because i work away from home and not back till friday)

[Herbie]

Loving the transformation!

Those DRL switchback LEDs you've got are expensive, more than twice the price I paid on eBay when I got them for my RX300. Anyway, if you want the wiring diagram for the switching relays just let me know.

Oh, and make sure that you bolt those resistors to a good metal base to act as a heatsink because they do run hot. I used some MX2 thermal paste on the bottom of them so that there's a very good thermal transfer. Alternatively, you could buy a flasher unit specifically for LEDs like this one and do away with those resistors completely.

[mr2lad]

@Herbie yeah ive learned from bad experience with the resistors, fitted LEDs to my lorry with these and melted the headlight casing, then i read the instructions on mounting them to metal base...DOH

reason these where expensive as it was only company that would post up to Scottish highland and islands rest stipulated they dont/wont post up my way...so bite the bullet and payed more to a company that would,

flasher relay ordered THANKS for that info

[Herbie]

8 minutes ago, mr2lad said:

reason these where expensive as it was only company that would post up to Scottish highland and islands rest stipulated they dont/wont post up my way

That's terrible!

And you're welcome mate, just keep posting the pictures because this is fascinating.

[mr2lad]

@Herbie lol cancelled my eBay relay purchase as was going to take nearly 3wks  to arrive so bought off amazon at over double the price but be here monday morning....to impatience  thats me lol

[oneflewover]

Bitten a lot off, well done for sticking with it and not cutting corners. 

Interested in DRL mod and how well it works. Taking the headlights out / change does not want to be done lightly. When i changed all the lamps on mine i gave the lamp covers a smear of silicon grease, it least then it makes removing the covers easier.

 

[mr2lad]

35 minutes ago, oneflewover said:

Bitten a lot off, well done for sticking with it and not cutting corners. 

Interested in DRL mod and how well it works. Taking the headlights out / change does not want to be done lightly. When i changed all the lamps on mine i gave the lamp covers a smear of silicon grease, it least then it makes removing the covers easier.

 

Im not known for my patience, but on this i have been very layed back as i can see a huge transformation and attention to detail,

be a different story if it was summer or my only car 😆 but wow what a car it will be for the summer once its fully completed

gone OTT and OCD over this car, originally cost me £10300 and already spent around £4500 with more ideas in the pipeline plus booked in for a 4K respray in the springtime

obviously wont see money back on this car but im not looking to sell anyway, i will have it just the way i want it... in time

i dont have any hobbies taking up my time and money apart from my 2 cars plus want to spent all my money before i die and kids squabble on whos getting how much 😆 

they cant fight over whats not there 😉 

bumper will be coming off completely when i go to fit new headlights anyways

 

[mr2lad]

New steering wheel fitted, got car back last week but not 100% happy as new leather looks baggy in parts and front headrests are shocking, car will be going away again to get this sorted,

happy with everything else and glad to see back of the beige, roof lining not been done at my request as i think it would make the car feel a bit too dark and cramped inside looking, and apart from that no ones going to see it anyway in summer as roof be down lol

also fitted new radiator header tank, and will fit the brand new headlights next week

oh and new bottom door weather seals just arrived as the orginal ones didnt take to well to being painted and beige starting to show through already

wood will be wrapped soon as well

[Neil E]

Great work Graham, it's good to see an SC getting some radical treatment. The leather steering wheel with red stitching is a nice touch.

 

[Chris Skelton]

Toyota spent years selecting leather from cows kept in barb-wire free environment (no scars). Get Yamaha to select special wood.......

But they STILL paint cars black!

 

Lots of good work here though.

 

I found a great low mile (original) Smart Forfour recently. It was ....black! Still looking......