2003 Toyota Camry Exterior

marc780

Well you've got some brake dust on there already probably, so just pick up some alloy wheel cleaner at the auto parts and an old toothbrush and scrub those wheels. I usually do mine right before I wash the car because this stuff has to be rinsed off the moment you are done scrubbing. That ought to take off that residue.

2003lev6

Wow, I finally discovered a home for my closet hobby of making my Camry special.

I've suffered too long with "That's a nice car", "I heard it's really reliable" comments.

So far I've managed to "bling" up the exterior (with the help of e-bay):
-Get a Chrome Grill for my Phantom Grey car (Wow, that looks so good)
-Get Chrome Covers for the outside mirrors that have turn signal LED lights on them. (Wow, more chrome)
-Get Chrome frams for the tail-lights (Wow, even more chrome)
-I saw some chrome door handle covers, but I think I have enough chrome for now.

Fog Lights:
-I managed to get a set from e-bay and am grateful to Canoe2 for his detailed instructions on the install, since my car is also a Canadian model (which was built in Japan BTW).

Stereo:
I got Best Buy to replace the stereo with a JVC unit that plays WMA & MP3's.
The dash kit they use looks very OEM, with a small cubby above the DIN unit for CD's and the like. It even looks good with the Carbon Fiber Dash Board Kit I got for the interior. They also put in a 12" Pioneer Sub & Box and Pyle Amp.

Surprisingly, the stock speakers (Non JBL) sound very good, with only a bit more frequency response on the high end needed. I'm looking into getting a set of add on tweeters firing into the windshield on both dash corners to complete the set up.

With this simple but effective sub-woofer I get noticed because it's not the anti-social type of noise many Camry's make !

pillman

where didi you get turn signal covers and how much

2003lev6

"where didi you get turn signal covers and how much"

Search on e-bay, I got most of my Camry stuff from them with some really good results.

Good Luck,

grsteven

Good Evening

Has anyone replaced the lip spoiler that goes on the Solora? I just purchased a SLE and was wondering if they bolt on so I could put a different one on?

Thanks

andrelaplume

I am in panic mode! I have a 2002 White Camry. I assume it is clearcoated...? For years we have only bought WHITE cars. At times we have suffered with those nasty streaks you tend to only see on white cars. My 1989 Topaz was NOT clearcoated and in addition to the those streaks dirt got in the paint and you would need to compund the car to get it out. In 1996 I got a new Mystique that WAS clearcoated and the problem (sans some easily removed streaks under the outside mirrors) went away. I usually wax my 02 Camry 4 times a year with NuFinish...it always has worked well for me. Well, its spring so it was time for a wax. After washing the car I noticed some streaks and dirt in the paint over most of the car. I started waxing but immediately noticed the NuFinsh shined the car but up close you could see the dirt...like the car had a bad complextion. Scrub as I might I could not get the dirt out. It brought back memories of my old Topaz but that car was NOT clearcoated; I assume the Camry is! (It is kept outdoors but it does not appear the paint is oxidized or anything---unless Toyota paint does not hold up outside - I'd expect it to though after only 3 years)

I went to the auto store and found a Meguiars product called Clean and Wax. It appeared to bejust what I wanted: Safe for clearcoat, Removes swirls, removes dirt, waxes to a gloss shine, may be applied to the entire car at one time - no need for a section at a time, just cover the car and wipe off with a terry towel. Sounded simple enough.

Well I worked the back end of my car first. I started an hour before dusk so I was in the shade and the car cool. I applied the wax and had to rub hard but it appeared to remove the dirt. I ONLY applied it a section at a time even though it said you could coat the whole vehicle at one time. I did the trunk and rear qaurter up to the rear doors. After wiping on and 'cleaning' I applied another coat and wiped off with a clean rag. Up close it looked shiny and clean. At one point I stepped back and almost fainted. The entire rear of the looks like it is covered in some sort of dull haze--in the paint---ie you can not wipe it off, even with a bare finger! From a distance it looks shiny but as you approach at a certain angle it looks like it has been coated with something that does not rub off. Night has fallen and it has started to rain. The water appears to bead. I am afraid of what I may find in the morning! There is a tech number on the wax bottle for whatever good it will do.

Does anyone have any experience in this area? I am really scared I will not be able to get this junk off? Should I use my trusty old NuFinish over it? It just seams as though there is a coating of something on my car that should come off first!

HELP PLEASE!

Thanks!

210delray

Maybe the gods of Toyota are angry with you for dissing the Camry too much (rattles, poor traction, etc.)

Meguiar's cleaner wax should be okay. I used to use it all the time before I got lazy. Now I use Eagle 1's Wax-As-You-Dry. It's great in that you spray it on while the car's damp after washing and then just dry the car with a chamois (fake chamois in my case) or soft towel. The big advantage is you can do this every time you wash the car, because it's so easy.

To take off the wax, you could try hand dishwashing detergent and water (like Ivory, Joy, Dawn, etc.) It won't hurt the finish, but should remove the wax.

The white paint, like all of Toyota's colors, is clearcoated.

andrelaplume

Yes, the rattle police sabataged me!

Anyway, the rain appeared to 'wash off' the haze. I recoated with NuFinish and it is ok. Wheeew!

I guess I'll use the rest of the Meguiars to clean the rest of the car and then try the Eagle stuff you use from now on. Thanks!

andrelaplume

Well I have spent my lunch hour (nice weather in a secluded section of a parking deck) getting the dirt out of my paint. My process has been to apply the Meguiars Cleaner Wax in a scrubbing fashion, wipe off, apply again, wipe off, wash car with water to get the dull haze out and then apply two coats of NuFinsih. The car looks MUCH better but I have never needed 6 hours + to get a car clean. For whatever reason the clearcoat is not a thick (or something?) as cars I have had in the past and lets dirt into it. There are still smudgy spots here and there if you look at the car at just the right angle. Next time I may just have a professional do it unless there is something on the market I can spray on that easily takes the dirt out. Reccomendations are appreciated!

andrelaplume

what do people do with these. Can they be washed and reused? Thrown out in the trash? I washed one once but it still smelled and I certainly did not put it in the dryer for fear some chemical still in the cloth would catch fire!

ycz

I haved been using NuFinsh(one-a-year polish) on my 96 Camry. Looking for something better and easy. Any suggestions? Thanks.

dekester

I use products form Griot's Garage almost exclusively. Their prices are good, shipping fast and their products are among the best I've used - and I've been waxing cars since I was 12. I even bought an orbital polisher from there that uses foam pads for polishes and waxes - the foam does not build up friction, and thusly heat, that burns your paint. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to making my cars look good, so I tend to go a little overboard.

Go to www.griotsgarage.com and check out their products.

Deke

ycz

Thanks for the info. I will check the site. I am a perfectionist too when comes to
my car. I have my 96 Camry almost 10 years. It still looks and drives like new.
Wife bought a 05 Camry LE last month. Drove the new car few times, I still prefer
my 96. Have a great weekend.

bringer

Anyone know why the gold packages (gold exterior emblems) were discontinued for the 2005 Camry? I talked to a dealer in New York and he told me they are no longer made. Out of curiosity, what do most of you think about the gold emblems anyway? :confuse:

210delray

Gold package? Tacky, in my opinion.

andrelaplume

Looked platicky....you might find some on Ebay....thats where folks sell the silver or black ones they replace.

lmacmil

I think the gold looks nice against white paint but not so good against other colors. I personally wouldn't spend the extra $ on them.

210delray

...is that the spread between invoice and retail price was much greater than for other options. Tells you something, doesn't it?

dekester

Our 03 LE has the black pearl package. Was on the car already, we didn't pay extra for it. Looks kinda stealthy against the Aspen Green Pearl. I think the gold would have stood out better.

I'd never actually order a car with any of the emblem finishes. How many gold emblems do you see with the chrome peeking through?

Deke

andrelaplume

I am sick of struggling to get them streak free! I should sue Windex for their false claims (kidding)! Seriously, is there a procedure, a method, a product....ANYTHING to make this simple.

I guess I am talking about 2 things:

1)Cleaning the grime off the outside (includes dirt, wax, oil overspray (the dealer lubes all weatherstripping to keep the rattles and pops down on my 02 Camry--I AM SERIOUS), sap, rain marks etc.

2) The inside. You would think this would be easier but I get a film on my wondows. The dealer said this is normal for a newer car.

So what product do I use or what concoction do I mix up? What kind of towell / cloth should I wipe with? Is it best to wipe in circles, vertically, horizontally etc. Whats the secret! Thanks!

lmacmil

"...but I get a film on my windows."

Vinyl vapor. Nothing you can do about it other than clean them periodically. Windex works ok but you have to wipe twice, once to get it off and again with a second dry towel to remove that last streaks.

toyotaken

You'll probably laugh at this, but the best solution I've found was something I found/saw on an infomercial. It's a microfiber cloth on the end of a wand that is triangualar shaped. My wife drives a Tundra (replaced Camry with it) and I drive a Corolla and I've always had trouble getting into the nooks and crannies to get the windows clean. This just uses plain old water and the wand and the windows come out spottless. I think the whole works ran me about $15 or so. I've been very happy so far, and has worked better than windex, glass cleaner, cotton cloths, newspapers, etc... all of the stuff that I've read about or heard about to clean them. Hope this helps.

Ken

loucapri

Just wipe it with newspaper.

Simple and easy, you will be surprised. Sure you can go ahead and use windex to clean it first but the newspaper, works like magic. Try it

andrelaplume

I bought one at Wal-Mart for $6. It works ok on a rather clean window but only until the cloth is wet. If the window is already 'vaporized with film' it does not appear to work as well. Perhaps now that I have them clean if I use the wand once a month I'll be ok. Also, the wand is starting to fall apart, perhaps mine is an inferior knockoff..

I will try newspaper next time. I would think the ink would smear off the paper onto the glass....

210delray

For the inside, I just use plain water and a small sponge. Just keep rinsing the sponge in clean water as you go along. Use another sponge if it gets too dirty.

Do not allow the water to dry on its own, or you will get water spots. Dry thoroughly with a clean soft towel. Do one section at a time. It helps to see what you are doing if the window is facing the sun.

On the outside, I use regular car wash soap and a sponge, rinse with a hose, get the excess water off with a good squeegee, and then dry off the remainder with a fake chamois (the Absorber in my case).

sn1cko

I picked up an '02 Camry LEV6 a few weeks ago (used) and am looking into adding a spoiler. I'd like to keep to genuine Toyota parts, but I've only seen one type of factory spoiler here in the US. I've browsed through Camry's made outside of the US and found that Toyota in Australia makes a high mount spoiler for the Camry. I wanted to know where I'd be able to purcahse this spoiler in the US (assuming it fits the US-made Camrys) and get it painted to match my car. I've included a link and some pictures: the link is to the Toyota Australia accessories page which lists the spoiler (at the bottom).">

http://camry.toyota.com.au/TWR/vehicle/content/0,4216,721_204,00.html

lmacmil

Don't know where you can get it but in my opinion, that spoiler would have extremely limited appeal to the typical Camry buyer in the US and would probably lower your resale value and/or marketability. I know beauty is in the eye... but I think it looks ridiculous.

ycz

I was told (by friend) that not to wax a new car the first year since the new car has been applied a special wax (???). I bought a new Camry LE two months ago and hand washed the car only twice. Now when I touched the paint, I did not feel the smoothness of the new car. Should I wax the car or wait till next year?

Thanks.

toyotaken

All new cars now use water-based paints for environmental reasons. These paints cure within the first 24-48 hours. So there is nothing wrong with waxing it whenever you want, and it is probably going to benefit you in the long run.

Hope this helps.

Ken

lok888

I was wondering if there is a front license plate bracket for Toyota Camry for 2002 to 2005 model years. I remember I saw one on the road. But I am not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket. It custom fitted the front bumper.

210delray

There is no original equipment front license plate bracket. The plate is bolted directly to the bumper cover. There are 2 tiny depressions indicating where the holes should be drilled.

mwatanabe

Our cars paint serves a protectant, and as such saccumulates a lot of grime, some of which stick to the surface of the paint. Your comment about the paint surface not feeling smooth attests to that.

Before applying any more wax or other agents to the surface of your paint, you need to get the car's surface cleaner, and prepared to receive the wax or polish you will apply. A high acid based car wash is most often used. (And this is not done regularly, but only when the car's old wax needs to be striped off) I use Dawn Liquid Detergent, the blue stuff. Yikes! you say! I know. but it gets the surface clean, and I don't use it but once every year to strip off old wax and polish.

Also, get a hold of what is known as a clay-bar. This soft putty like bar is used in conjunction with that washing to remove grime and rough spots from the paint surface. Spending the extra time to "clay" your car's paint will leave a clean smooth surface ready to receive the next polish or wax.

I happen not to use wax anymore, although I've tried many of them. The polish I use leaves my car sparkling like new. And yes, it has that new car smoothness. Not because of the polish, but because the surface has been prepared and cleaned (clayed) before I applied the polish. The extra work is worth the effort, and you won't have do it every time. Once a year is probably it. I have 4 more months to go before my year is up, but the car is still lookng great with regular normal washes. (No, I don't use the Dawn detergent every week!)

I hope this helps.

A fanatic about car polish and appearance,

Mark53

mwatanabe

Part of the problem you are having is the the "multi-purpose" product you are using has some conflicting objectives and doesn't achieve any of its results very well. First, the matter of cleaning the surface of dirt, and getting the best possible surface on which to put your new layers of polish or wax should be the first objective. The product you are using may remove some of the dirt, but because it is also trying to cover swirls and polish at the same time, it is not able to clean thoroughly. You are essentially moving the dirt around. Also, if the all in one product purports to "remove swirls" it is either abrasive, or it is using a heavier coat of something to fill in the swirl marks. Either approach at this stage of having a "dirty" surface is a self defeating proposition.

Strip off that old, dirty stuff, yes, even the newly applied stuff. Use a claybar to remove the 'rough' surface dirt. If at this point the surface still looks 'dirty' you have deeper problems that only an abrasive cleaner can resolve. Here, it is a toss up as to whether or not a professional may be easier. However, there are products out there that can remove this dirty look and obtain a smooth, clean, clear surface. It takes either a lot of elbow grease or a good random orbiter (along with some skills).

Only after the surface is prepared and LOOKS good, should the final step of applying the polish/wax of your choice be considered. Notice, each objective required a separate, different approach to achieve. Not a single, all in one product. At this stage your car's surface should look absolutely GREAT. It just doesn't have the deep gloss that is associated with a great polish or wax. It is clean and smooth, ready to drink up that protecting layer of the last step.

Yes, it might take 6 hours to get the job done right, but the results will be worth it.

The good part is that once you've done all of that, maintaining a great looking car is MUCH easier. Simple washing (no not with Dawn), light wax or gloss enhancing is pretty much all that may be required.

I hope this helps.

kangarue

My teenage son has a cracked front bumper on a 97 camry. We'd like to just replace the bumper cover and styrofoam piece...but are not sure what we're getting in to. Where should we get a cover/styro piece? How do we go about getting it painted? How difficult is it to install? Thanks for any help!

210delray

It's not hard to replace the cover; it's just held on by screws and plastic clips. Depending on the design of the clips, they may be reuseable. The foam is just held between the cover and steel bumper bar (no fasteners).

The big problem is getting a quality paint job on the replacement cover. If the cover is not prepped properly, the paint will start peeling off in a relatively short time. So ask around about quality body shops, and try to obtain a guarantee on the paint job for as long as possible.

scrugz

I have another soulution--cheaper! My 96 camry had a crack in the front bumper and it was going to cost about $600 to fix--I just bought a car bra from autoanything.com and it looks sporty, covers the crack and cost less than $75.00. Plus you are talking about a teenaged son aren't you? This won't be the last bumper mishap--I have a teenaged son myself!

ycz

Thanks for the tip. I stopped by local Wal-mart and could not find the clay-bar. I guess I need to order it online somewhere. Can you share what kind of polish you have used? Thanks again.

210delray

I wouldn't advise a bra, as it can trap water underneath and mess up the paint if left alone (and this would include the paint on the hood).

But depending on how bad the crack is, you may want to leave it, as young males do tend to get in crashes more frequently.

Another alternative, if you must replace the cover, is to try to locate one at a salvage yard in good condition and in the proper color. Any 1997-99 Camry front cover will work. Then you won't have to paint it, and the cost of the used part would be much less. Even if you had to get one of a different color, the total cost still would be less, but my earlier caveats about painting would have to be taken into account.

loucapri

yes, getting the bumper from a salvage yard is a good idea but it's not easy. If you are luck to get one, it's the best way to go though.

brother

i have a1989 toyota camry i bout off of a junk yard for 350 dollars. i bought the car
about 10 months ago . i understood i was taking a chance so i tested it . my wife and i went to kentucky to truck driving school . it was a 6 and a half hour drive
that to me was the test drive that made us want to breath a little bit of new life
into that old girl . what i need is to find out what i can use as in body kits
and what will enter change as in body kit wise and performance :confuse:
i new at metric cars this will be my first

bloodviper

Hey I'm kinda new to these forums so I wasen't sure where to post this.

I wanna make my 96 Camry painted to a dark blue color and I was wondering how much this could cost?

fresh2def05cam

ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO GET LED SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FOR AN 2005 Camry SE in silver.

abn_bluezman

How much did it cost for the chrome mirror covers and the light frames? Did you get them all on ebay?

sn1cko

I saw something like it on Ebay. Supposedly you can get them painted as well, here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-02-03-04-05-Camry-Mirror-LED-Cover-LE-SE-V6-XLE_W0QQ- cmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33649QQitemZ7991634811QQrdZ1

trekman49

Yeah, I have a 2000 Solara and it started a while ago. I was going to replace it but the dealer said it was $168 for the part! Wow! Expensive plastic (or is it argent)!

fresh2def05cam

These are Covers tho..
Tks

lovecd

I followed with the instrutions on replacing the turn sinal and tail light bulb and encountered the following issues:

1. I found the tail light, but how to pull the bulb? Should I simply pull it out? It looks like the bulb is quite tight.

2. I removed the plastic pin to hold the front turn signal housing, according to the instrution manual, I should rotate it toward me in order to reach the signal bulb. However, it looks hard to rotate it. I just don't want to move it so hard to cause it broken.

Can anybody share their experience on these? Many thanks!

lmacmil

Usually those bulbs (or their holder) require a slight twist, perhaps 30-45 degrees, before pulling them out. You also may have to push it in slightly as your are turning it. Once you figure out what kind of push/twist it needs, it should come out quite easily.

gardner5236

I want to put side marker lights on my 05 Camry just like you would see on Audi or BMW. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should use and where to purchase them? Thanks everyone!

haefr

Yep, the very name says it all. (Frankly, I'm a little suspicious of any make car that comes with push handles already mounted to the trunk lid.)