MedigoFlame
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- Maine
- MedigoFlameX
Despite making a couple of posts in the "Post a pic of your real car." I figured I'd give this a proper thread as I figured my Mazda 6 wagon wouldn't last long after it's issues. So here's my...slight story about how a wagon lover ended up with a sedan.
After selling my 2004 Mazda 6 Sportwagon to a couple back in May, I found myself...without a car for maybe a month or more. At that time, during the sale, I thought I could get myself a 2004 Lexus IS300 Sportcross wagon. Wanted it badly and was trying to find family members and banks that could help out as I was a couple grand short. In the end, things went sour as the dealership was being a bunch of lazy 🤬 and being one of the worst I dealt with. It was a BMW dealership in New York (about a 4 hour drive avoiding tolls and taking some...rather fun backroads) that took it as a trade in, but for some reason never touched it for the three months they had it. Still had winter tires (in June...), no brake feel, was in need of new pads and rotors, missing headrest, and dirty interior. I will admit I didn't have good negotiating skills, so I couldn't get much off. After spending two whole days of driving down and back, I didn't end up getting it. Once again stuck without a car (my fault for selling my 6 rather early). So the search carried on...
The IS300 Sportcross:
For some odd reason I found myself still wanting a Lexus. Looked for an IS300 sedan with no luck between overpriced high mileage cars and sketchily modified ones on craigslist. Until I realized that I could look for a Lexus GS. Searched around New England and came across one that popped out a little bit more than the others. It was a 2001 GS300 with the L-Tuned package of which I had no idea what the package meant. Had aftermarket wheels that looked nice (personal opinion), but made it a little suspicious. Contacted the owner and discovered the wheels were replaced due to the curb rash. Took several emails back and forth, then finally ending with me driving nearly 3 hours (on backroads) to Massachusetts. And now...I've got myself a GS300 L-Tuned.
For those of you wondering what the L-Tuned stands for. It's basically the F-Sport of Lexus back then. Mainly exterior add-ons, however it did come with "upgraded sports suspension."
The curb rashed L-Tuned wheels:
After "camping" in it the night before a drift event in New Hampshire and driving on a friend's dirt road. I decided to get some photos at my go-to spot for a quick photoshoot.
Also...the headlights were a tad faded, so it was the first thing I tackled during my day off at my workplace. The benefits of working at a detailing shop.
Planning on doing some more work to the exterior with it's imperfections. So I'll be posting some more eventually.
A couple of random plans:
After selling my 2004 Mazda 6 Sportwagon to a couple back in May, I found myself...without a car for maybe a month or more. At that time, during the sale, I thought I could get myself a 2004 Lexus IS300 Sportcross wagon. Wanted it badly and was trying to find family members and banks that could help out as I was a couple grand short. In the end, things went sour as the dealership was being a bunch of lazy 🤬 and being one of the worst I dealt with. It was a BMW dealership in New York (about a 4 hour drive avoiding tolls and taking some...rather fun backroads) that took it as a trade in, but for some reason never touched it for the three months they had it. Still had winter tires (in June...), no brake feel, was in need of new pads and rotors, missing headrest, and dirty interior. I will admit I didn't have good negotiating skills, so I couldn't get much off. After spending two whole days of driving down and back, I didn't end up getting it. Once again stuck without a car (my fault for selling my 6 rather early). So the search carried on...
The IS300 Sportcross:
For some odd reason I found myself still wanting a Lexus. Looked for an IS300 sedan with no luck between overpriced high mileage cars and sketchily modified ones on craigslist. Until I realized that I could look for a Lexus GS. Searched around New England and came across one that popped out a little bit more than the others. It was a 2001 GS300 with the L-Tuned package of which I had no idea what the package meant. Had aftermarket wheels that looked nice (personal opinion), but made it a little suspicious. Contacted the owner and discovered the wheels were replaced due to the curb rash. Took several emails back and forth, then finally ending with me driving nearly 3 hours (on backroads) to Massachusetts. And now...I've got myself a GS300 L-Tuned.
For those of you wondering what the L-Tuned stands for. It's basically the F-Sport of Lexus back then. Mainly exterior add-ons, however it did come with "upgraded sports suspension."
The curb rashed L-Tuned wheels:
After "camping" in it the night before a drift event in New Hampshire and driving on a friend's dirt road. I decided to get some photos at my go-to spot for a quick photoshoot.
Also...the headlights were a tad faded, so it was the first thing I tackled during my day off at my workplace. The benefits of working at a detailing shop.
Planning on doing some more work to the exterior with it's imperfections. So I'll be posting some more eventually.
A couple of random plans:
- Buffing the paint
- Changing the all chrome grill
- Fixing the one foglight not working...
- Fixing the small dent on the hood
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I do know of two IS300's in Mass. One guy who used to help out and tech people's cars at the New Hampshire drift events. (He stopped going this year) And a friend told me about seeing one in that lovely blue in Boston.
There's actually quite a few IS300s around where I live, I usually see a handful each day. My parents owned one in fact, just sold it. I loved that car. 
