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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.

Please see here: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/102250-my-new-lexus-gs300-se-l-lots-of-pics/

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

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).

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!

Well looks like I found the knock at the weekend, it was coming from the coilover itself. I swapped both rears out with the standard rears and the knocking has now completely gone! Thankfully they are only a few months old so under warranty so will be sending them back to Driftworks today for inspection. Just the squeaky rear shelf to sort now!

Well collected the car and very pleased with it, the chap had described it exactly as it was! I've changed the clocks tonight to some MPH ones I found on ebay, I just need to get the mileage adjusted back to as it should be. Only a small knocking noise on the rear pass.side to sort and it will be perfect!! He even gave me the standard suspension if I found the coilovers too bumpy (which they arent!).

Thanks for the diagrams but they don't show the rear setup :(. I've had a look underneath and cannot find anywhere, stripped the tailgate down from the inside and nothing rattling there. Only thing it could be is the coil in the coilover? Think i'll get it booked into my local specialist (Westfield) for them to have a look on the ramp.

I dont think it is, its not overly loud and definitely not a 'bottoming' out sound... it does sound like a bush, just need a diagram of ones that are under there so i know where to poke!

I picked up my 2005 Gs300 SE-L yesterday and very pleased with it! Anyway a couple of small niggles that need ironing out to make it 100%, one being a slight knocking noise from the passenger side rear wheel/suspension. It sounds like possibly a bush could be worn / tired. The car does have a set of BC Racing Coilovers which probably hasn't helped the life of the bushes. Does anyone have a diagram of what bushes are at the back and where the knocking could be coming from, I don't think it is a top mount as it sounds too 'low' but on the other hand it only happens when going over rough surfaces / bumps so may well be that. Thanks

I have spoken to my insurer and as it is classed as a European Import it is classed the same as a UK car (ie - not a Jap import) and for insurance purposes it is the same as the UK (even he said the cars are identical which surprised me - quite a knowledgeable chap!). I have now put a deposit on it and collecting it next Wednesday!

Hi all I am after some advice please. I am on the lookout for a Lexus GS300 and found a lovely 2005 example SE-L with good mileage and full main dealer history. The car itself is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland but was originally from Dublin so technically classed as an Irish/European import. As the current owner lives in Belfast he has fully registered it with the UK, has the V5C, is HPI clear, Lexus conformity letter etc. The only thing is that it reads in KPH (has an MPH sticker). This isn't an issue for me as I will source another set of clocks to primarily read MPH and swap them out and get the mileage corrected (I used to SVA cars many years ago!). My main worry is that as it is a European import would this have an effect on the value? The specification is exactly the same as a UK one (Mark Levinson, correct wheels, boot spoiler etc). Are there any negatives regarding the purchase I should be wairy of? Thanks

Thanks for all the replies guys, tbh the additional options over the ML stereo doesnt really worry me. I gather the ML stereo has an amplifier in the rear and to upgrade the speakers I will need to use Line Out converters etc which isn't an issue. With the standard non-ML stereo is it a conventional 'speaker wires into the back of the stereo' type thing? Hopefully both are straight forward to upgrade! Thanks

Hi all, i'm on the lookout for a 2005/2006 GS300 SE or SE L, what i'd like to know is what extras the SE L has over the SE? I believe that the L has the Mark Levinson audio but what else is there, active cruise? I've had a search but can only find info on the IS range..... If I were to upgrade the stereo in whichever one I buy am I likely to get any problems from one over the other (compatibility with aftermarket amps/speakers etc? My other car (SL55 amg) has the Bose system and its a real pig to upgrade the audio without ripping it all out! Thanks

Hi all, new member here from Essex currently looking for a GS300 SE L as my daily station car. Is there a buying guide on here at all, I cannot seem to find one. Any major issues to look for? I have heard about them burning oil etc (I am looking at a 2005/2006 model) but is there anything else I should be looking at? Thanks Chris