Fully Fledged Member Again! :-)

MrADeveci · February 11, 2008

Nice anees .......... well done :)

Gord · February 11, 2008

Have to take the whole family to Derby today - now common sense says I take the Diesel for the economy but I think the Aristo will be making the journey.......
What I do like about it is that not many people know what it is; so no one bothers with it while its parked up and I'm not as worried leaving it places as I am with the BMW; I'm more relaxed with it as a result.

@Dave - I am going to keep the BMW because while I am at a point in life where I am lucky enough to be able to work hard enough to afford them both I will; I don't really spend money on anything else :)

@Gord - Ok Whatever! Its a Toyota; but it came with the Lexus GS300 handbook and the Supra Engine workshop manual :P

@Everyone else - Thanks for all the kind comments; and like others have said its got an amazing amount of technology for such an old car; especially that touchscreen head unit.

Also, never noticed this before; but do all Aristos come with a BMW-type shark fin on the roof? Look at pic two.

How was your trip to Derby mate hope you didn't fall asleep everytime ive been in Dave's ive fell asleep :o

Anees · February 11, 2008

Thanks everyone for the nice comments :)

One of my mates that we went to see in Derby is a big BMW/German car man and he was dissapointed I didn't come in the 330D. I let him have a drive of this however and he was amazed at the performance- even more so when I told him the price. He loved all the gadgets and the way when you put it in manual mode and hold on to gears manually it really does take off. The car makes a nice sound too. His kind of dream car is an M5; but this made him think twice! It cannot go like the M5 round the corners, but in a straight line its great and the e39 M5 (which is a fairer comparison then the new M5) is 400bhp and this is around 320bhp for now.

I like that fact that this is a talking point in that everywhere we went I was asked "whats a V300??."

@Dave - Thanks for the tips. I'm sure you will have the chance to empty my wallet soon enough! :P I agree wholeheartedly on the suspension. I don't want to loose too much ride comfort with this car however; its a big luxery cruiser afterall :D

@Stav - I'll look into the Ring trip; but I want to uprate the brakes and get some new tyres (but if I am going to do that then I may as well get some new bigger alloys that fit with possible new brake callipers properly) before I would want to take it to the Ring. I think a few bushes might need changing too - the backend was sort of "shimmying" slightly at the back.

@Geoff - No Car PC being fitted to this one so hopefully I won't blow anything up :P

Anees · February 11, 2008

How was your trip to Derby mate hope you didn't fall asleep everytime ive been in Dave's ive fell asleep :o

Sorry mate, you posted while I was writing the other post.

Trip was fine, but your right about the "nancy-boy" auto as you call it. I do prefer the feel you get from a manual and I was thinking of things to do with my left arm and left leg I tried to drive economically but I enjoyed the car power too much. Done about 190 miles from £40 V-Power which is alright I guess - and some of these miles were by my mate from Derby was hammering it HARD so I know I can get better.

Derby has some nice roads........ :D

Gord · February 11, 2008

How was your trip to Derby mate hope you didn't fall asleep everytime ive been in Dave's ive fell asleep :o

Sorry mate, you posted while I was writing the other post.

Trip was fine, but your right about the "nancy-boy" auto as you call it. I do prefer the feel you get from a manual and I was thinking of things to do with my left arm and left leg I tried to drive economically but I enjoyed the car power too much. Done about 190 miles from £40 V-Power which is alright I guess - and some of these miles were by my mate from Derby was hammering it HARD so I know I can get better.

Derby has some nice roads........ :D

Told you, you would like it mate :P If only in a manual B)

Anees · February 11, 2008

The Auto is not that bad Gord (then again you know more about this car then me anyway!) - I do like the manual shifting option it has on the steering and in the realword the auto is probably quicker. The auto fits in with the original use of the car as a high-power cruiser. Didn't someone look into a 6-spd manual conversion for one of these?

Maybe when you sell your IS and you still want two cars you could get one; that way you still have your Altezza for when you want to feel your stick

Gord · February 11, 2008

The Auto is not that bad Gord (then again you know more about this car then me anyway!) - I do like the manual shifting option it has on the steering and in the realword the auto is probably quicker. The auto fits in with the original use of the car as a high-power cruiser. Didn't someone look into a 6-spd manual conversion for one of these?
Maybe when you sell your IS and you still want two cars you could get one; that way you still have your Altezza for when you want to feel your stick

Yer its only 4 speed auto, When i drove Dave's is350, thats a 6 speed auto, that was lots better, i could live with the is350 auto :winky: :D

Geoffers · February 11, 2008

..... i could live with the is350 auto :winky: :D

So you'd be a nancy boy just like us then? We knew it all along.

I'm really pleased for you Anees. (About the car, not being a nancy boy. Well, if you like being a nancy boy then I'm for you about that too).

aido · February 11, 2008

Good lad mate, well pleased for you - these are nice cars aren't they :)

As for the sensation you're feeling at the back - it could be a side effect of the ARS - the active rear steering system. When I first drove the car it does feel like the backend is doing it's own thing - you do get used to it eventually but I believe that fitting the TOMS ARS canceler cures this problem, although then you lose ARS!

goodoldgrandad · February 11, 2008

Great stuff mate.
Just don't set it on fire.

Watch how you go !!! Drive it for a while before you consider fitting the performance parts, and maybe think about upgrading the breaks at the same time (or before) - better to be able to stop than just to accelerate.

goodoldgrandad · February 11, 2008

The fin on the roof is not "standard", but was fitted for the freeview TV - allowing you to watch it on the move (unless you are in a poor reception area or have the thing switched off !!).

DJ Wozza · February 11, 2008

Need to see you and Aido round the Ring in March :D

Anees · February 11, 2008

Great stuff mate.
Just don't set it on fire.

Watch how you go !!! Drive it for a while before you consider fitting the performance parts, and maybe think about upgrading the breaks at the same time (or before) - better to be able to stop than just to accelerate.

@Goodoldgrandad - Hope your not too sad to see your car go ;)

Geoffers was talking about my habit of blowing things up (literally on FIRE!) when they get near a car NOT ANY KIND OF QUICK DRIVING , I tried to fit a Car PC a few years back and Geoff was kind enough to help me - I went through two 7" touchscreens, a Parrot phone kit, Two CD-Rom drives, one CD enclosure and two Car DC-DC Power supplies and about a pint of blood......

Brakes are a major priority; since the ones on the car have judder and don't inspire any confidence at all, so my first job is new pads/disks or if I source a reasonable priced BBK; the tyres need sorting too - will probably get bigger alloys too however since the standard ones are tiny considering the size of the car and pay for tyres at once.

@Geoff - thanks mate, since I drive a auto sometimes I would prefer to be called a "part-time" or "hobby" nancy boy rather the a full time one like yourself with your auto :P

@Aido - could very well be the ARS :) On a BMW when you get that kind of sensation it feels like the rear rear trailing arm bushes are on their way out/gone so will have to get it checked if its the Toyota/Lexus equiverlent or just the ARS as you say. I've been reading your old Aristo threads too to trying a learn a few things ;)

@Gord - Excuse my lack of knowledge but why is the is350 autobox much better? Obviously its a much newer peice of kit so does it change quicker? Is it smoother?