by jimmm » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:01 pm
Thanks, TadS. Perhaps this revised posting from March 18, 2009 when I first jointed Solaraguy will answer your question: "Hello Everyone. I am the proud and very pleased owner of a 2004 Solara SLE V6 3.3 since January 28, 2009. I found it at a local Lexus Dealership and it was a certified one owner car with 59,000 miles and a comprehensive Carfax report. It had been used in Florida and came with a dark tint. It looked good on the car but it was too dark for my eyes, so i had it removed. It looked and drove like a brand new car. I've owned 2 brand new cars so I don't make this comparison lightly. My Obsessive-Compulsive Disordered personality is driving me to keep it looking and driving like it did the day I bought it. After hitting one very nasty pot hole I immediately took it to have the alignment checked, and much to my surprise and relief, it was still OK. I paid $30. to have the light bulb replaced behind the heated seat control button mounted on the passenger side dash because I could not tolerate anything not working properly on this beautiful machine. The oil had just been changed when I bought it, the tires were new, and the paint was flawless. I keep it in my garage and wash it by hand usually once a week. Even in the winter I wash it in the garage with just a bucket of water and a microfiber towel. Currently I wash it with Murphy Oil Soap and it does a fantastic job, better than any car wash I've tried. I've even used Meguiar's Clay Kit on it a couple of times and I have waxed it at least once a year. It's always smooth to the touch. Toyota calls this color Desert Sand Mica, but some call it Gold, as did the person who first registered it with the motor vehicle department. After a little research, I discovered that Solara means "brilliance of the sun," so I try to keep mine true to its name. Speaking of name, mine has the gold name and logo badges, so I bought a 24k license plate frame for my personalized tag. I have had three personalized tags on this car in five years. The first was JIMMM which, to me, means Jim in motion. So, I'm Jim and my Solara is Jimmm. Everybody says it's really me. I like that. Then I changed to ANON, and currently I am sporting an abbreviation of my last name, DONLSN. I chose this tag specifically because its colors go well with the car. Yes, the wheels are the same color as the car. I did that in March. I have recently painted the chrome center caps, the chrome hood trim and the grille Toyota badge the same color as the car. The lower grille is an after-market addition I found online. I liked the big smile at the bottom of the front end but it exposed too much of the cooling fins. I also painted this lower grille. No other chrome or silver remains except the lug nuts and the tail pipe. The interior is just as clean as the exterior, and so are the trunk and under the hood. After every car wash, both door are opened, trunk and hood opened and gas filler door, and every visible and unseen part that I can reach is wiped cleaned, even under the hood. I use only one rag for washing and drying, for body and windows, and when I am finished, the rag is clean too. Murphy Oil Soap is amazing. I usually wash it once a week, rain or shine, all year 'round. In the winter and inclement weather, I wash it in the garage with just a bucket and hand towel. There are very few times it has sat outside overnight and those times are when I am not at home. Otherwise it is garage kept. I replaced the timing belt, other belts and hoses at the 90,000 miles. I use the K&N washable air filter. I use Amsoil Oil which is good for 25,000 miles but I change mine every 10,000 and it is still honey gold at that interval. I've changed the transmission fluid and filter. I use Bosch wipers and I am on my third set of tires. It came with Khumos. I tried Michelins and now Nexen. I won 1st Place in my class in a car show in September 2009, my first year of ownership, and that was good enough. Current odometer reading is 161,588."
![Image](http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/jimmyota/492a184a-2ac6-4e23-ae23-3f19a7bd4dcc.jpg)
2004 SLE V6 3.3 Desert Sand Mica