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Got some done this weekend and im happy with the progress, im gona have to crack on now because ive changed my job ive got to bring my toolbox home so i need the garage space. This means i need the engine back in the bay by the end of feb so i can pack the engine stand and crane away in the shed. So my new water pump has come along with the seals and i also got the oil pump fitted too, gave these a bit of paint just to keep the engine looking fresh. Water pump next to the old 1 before painting.... Oil pump painted ready for fitting ... And with them fitted, looking minty fresh.... also got the rear crank housing cleaned up and the seal fitted in the housing Tomorrow i will be taking the sump to have the turbo oil return boss welded in as i finally finished cutting the hole.. will post pictures tomorrow of this welded in 👍 May also be getting the head back tomorrow if its finished at the machine shop im pretty excited to get that back and see the results.

I didn’t think this was a problem for UK. Due our better petrol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

While working (cough, ahem) from home today I gave the GS a long overdue clean and polish. I don’t have any before pics as I was trying to crack on but I’ve plenty of after ones, I even broke out the SLR. Rubber mats for winter (£20 from eBay) are proving a good buy. Easy to vacuum and then wipe over and allows me to keep the Lexus carpet mats for summer. Having done that little (actually very big) job of cleaning the car, I did another overdue chore... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks guys. Eddiea1 I will look into that site you posted. Thanks Rich, yours look so much better than mine.

It is certainly not truth that they are time bombs. I wouldn't take what is said here to heart; it is a truism that you mostly hear about the problem cars because inevitably people go on forums to ask questions when something goes wrong. I am sure there are plenty of IS220d/IS250's out there plodding along nicely. Speaking from experience, mine has given me 28k trouble free miles and counting. Run it properly, do the little extra maintenance tips that are mentioned here and there's nothing to suggest it will give you any trouble.

Salut Etienne ! I love the mods you did to your car! I think the exhaust valve is a clever idea... I'm currently looking for an IS-F, but I won't be the first Frenchman driving an RHD IS-F then... (I live in UK though)

Lol, Oliver obviously hasn't twigged who the Big Rat is. You need to read some of the forum posts mate :)

My boy has been working at McDonald's for past year he has saved £6,000, I am willing to put in £3,000, so we have 9k to play around with. Got a quote for £3k for a Lexus CT200h which costs around £6k but not too sure whether the car will be right for him

All 300h have the same brakes and can therefore take 17" wheels. The Lux 450h also has the smaller brakes so 17" wheels will fit

Thanks Paul! Have you had one? I'd love a Ultrasonic Blue one but also considering other options. Pricewise, I'd say around 20-21k - ideally I'd like a post-2010 one. I'm not too fussed on mileage if I can get one for that price.

Ed, Beekeeper for a few years now, previous life was a Licensing Official with Glasgow City Council till early retirement deal 7 years ago allowing me to work with the bees www.edsbees.com

i can't resist using that stealth to put a bit of power down, up to the speed limit in the area of course. this is without power mode, i have avons, probably around 36 but I'd have to check, might be 34...

There is a coolant pipe next to the common rail and you need to remove every thing on that site! But if you are worried about the coolant you better not to start this job,because there are bigger things to worry about then drain the coolant or not to drain!

They can be repaired but should be x-rayed to make sure there are no fractures - which probably means it will go above your budget. These wheels are quite rare, be careful with eBay as most will be damaged wheels people are trying to get rid of unless someone is selling a full set from a scrapped car.

I’d sum it up like this, no one has successfully fitted and run a turbo setup that has been as reliable or generated as much horsepower as the RR-Racing supercharger kits. Simples! Drop the microphone!

Hi With this issue, i would first inspect your Carrier Bearing, its basically the bracket that is located in the centre of your prop shaft underneath your car (the big drive runs from your transmission to your rear differential) It has a bearing that keeps your prop shaft running dead centre, but common for the rubber around it to perish or to get worn and cause some play/movement under acceleration or load. My money would be on this Hope this helps! Mal

Hi Rayaan, yes, i took the shroud off and there was quite clear access to the bulbs, no different to replacing a halogen bulb, in fact much easier, none of those fiddly spring mechanisms that hold in H7 and H4 bulbs. Nitrile gloves are an essential, don't want to drop those expensive babies.

There is no restriction. There is just not enough electric power from standstill when petrol engine is idling or is off. While you are at speed and engine is running it is easy to generate electricy to fully power up electric motor and get full torque.

I can vouch for how fast these cars are!!! The acceleration is phenomenal thanks to the instant torque of the electric motor and seamless CVT transmission and not much can keep up with it. I had one briefly last year but ended up returning it to the dealer who gave me a refund after the hybrid system failed. I really enjoyed the car though and found it an extremely comfortable wolf in sheeps clothing. However it has to be said that the LS430 which I bought from Phil is now 17 years old and done 125k miles and doesn’t have a single creak or rattle anywhere, silence really is golden!!! I love this car.

It's a pity they didn't fit a LSD to these cars. I think off the line traction would be much better. Also doesn't the car restrict full power to a certain speed? It really accelerates well when your already at motorway speed.

My grandad also owns the GS450h and he absolutely loves it. Like me he's a Lexus enthusiast and has owned several over the years. This is by far his favourite. As @lockeyboy says, it's fast. Infact it feels very fast. My IS-F only feels slightly quicker from a standing start.

I agree that the boot lock is annoying every now and then, secure tho! I've not found traction an issue but I don't hammer it very often. I guess you're in Sport and/or Pwr when it gives? What tyres and pressures are you running? I really like the cars 'sleeper' style. Creaky dash? - nope.

I owned an S Type R for 2 years. I spent 3 times the original purchase price fixing and maintaining it. Comfy? Yes. Great to drive? Yes, but not like an M3 or ISF. Reliable. Absolutely not! I test it drove two XFR's before buying my ISF last year, one from the dealer that had supplied and maintained my STR. The service manager came out to see me after my test drive and when I asked him if I should buy the XFR he simply said "nothing has changed Mr Graham" . If you want to get one put the same amount aside to keep it on the road. Good luck!! P.S. isn't that your Dad's car?

Great cars. I bought a 2008 SE-L last July after lots of looking. No regrets. The GS450H’s came out in 2006 and had a facelift in 2008 (indicators in the door mirrors being the giveaway). There was another facelift in 2010 with a different grille and improved HDD based nav. Depending on what extras you want will dictate what model you need to look for. Up to 2008 radar cruise and sunroofs were standard on the SE-L, optional after 2008. All models have leather seats, nav, reversing camera, cruise control, keyless entry, etc etc so are well equipped relative to the equivalent MB or BMW. That said I use my radar cruise every day and wouldn’t want to be without it now. This is called ACC (active cruise control) in Lexus land. I also have a part wooden steering wheel which was an optional extra. Lexus will sell you a two year warranty for £1100 which is very well regarded and is what I plan to do in July after my car’s one year used warranty runs out. This means I enjoy a £50K car without too many worries of unexpected scary bills. Stipulations are the car has to have a full Lexus service history and be under 10 years old and under 100,000 miles. They are economical relative to their size and performance but still quite thirsty in absolute terms. I’m averaging mid to late 20s to the gallon. Others here manage more. Tyres are about £120 to £150 per corner for a decent brand. I have a 70,000 mile Service coming up in the next 3 months which I’m expecting to cost around £600 at Lexus Cambridge. I’d buy on condition rather than age, but would prioritise age over miles if that isn’t contradictory. In short these cars can cover high mileages and I’d sooner have a later car with 80,000 than a 2006 with 40,000, assuming both were in excellent condition with Lexus stamped service books. It’s a fast car but not one that wants you to attack every apex or be the last of the late brakers. It will do all these things but you get the impression from the chassis it would rather you grow up and drive properly. As a relaxed, quiet, comfy place to be it is superb, and has dragster like properties when you want it. Perfect for me and my commute but it’s not a BMW M car. Any questions feel free to ask. There’s a lot of knowledge on these forums and people are very helpful and enthusiastic. Good luck with your hunt! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sounds good we can watch Pete disappear at warp factor 9 😉

How can you tell! That was the only quiet part of the whole place. Did get a little video clip, sounds great in there. If there’s a few of us heading to the 10 year anniversary we’ll all have to try and meet up and run up together. Pete will have to give us an hour head Start!

I've the side steps fitted, or should I say they were already fitted to my f-sport I agree they look really good, but when I'm getting out the car in the garage I always end up getting the back of my trousers or jeans mucking. So I've been toying with the idea of taking them off. Has anybody removed them? What's everybody's thoughts?