cfoster

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 an upgraded Mark Levinson stereo sounds 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!

Farmer Giles

look great..

you just can't help yourself can you.. LOL..

Get the rear coilovers back on and some new wheels and jobs a goodun..

you leaving the Irish plate on it ?

cfoster

lol I know, was meant to be a daily smoker!!!!!!!

Coilovers are back at manufacturers being fixed so hopefully should be with me within a week or 2, wheels are ok tbh i just want them spaced out (until the tyres need replacing then will go for 19's or 20's!

Not sure on the plate at the mo, looks ok for the min! ( nobody knows the age of it! )

Farmer Giles

cool..

not sure if it was an 'old wives tale' but I was always told that if you have Irish plates your more likely to get pulled at customs, border crossing etc..

time will tell I guess and plenty of cheap private plates on DVLA if you ever wanted to change it..

cfoster

very true, i think i'll only be driving it 3 miles and back each day so should be fine!! I've heard that if I contact DVLA I can get it put onto a uk plate for nothing (normal 55 one) but indeed a cheap priv.plate would be nicer....

JasonPD

Love the wrap - great colour. I've got a 3m matte metallic wrap on my van so I know what you mean about the colour change.

Nice car and with a fresh wrap on I bet it doesn't look like a 10yo car - I'd stick a cheapo ageless plate on there rather than a 55 plate and job done