Spacewagon52

I find it quite hard to judge if it would be too distracting. A heads-up night vision display might be better as you will see both images together .... if you can get my drift?

Wow! What a great tip! I have struggled for ages on this at times. Many thanks!

Excellent colour combination IMHO

Did the red mist come down when he overtook you?

It is still a bit gut wrenching for him after putting all that time, effort and money into the project. A friend of mine treasured his MG Midget, cleaned and polished it all the time - it was immaculate. His pride and joy was written off by another car hitting it while it was parked. His attitude to cars completely changed overnight. He no longer cared about his next car. He has bought new 4x4 pick-up's for his business but he does not pamper or worry about dents and scrapes any more. When he gets a scrape, scratch or dent - he says it adds to the patina! I struggle with the efficacy of trying to keep a car immaculate. I am drawn to Malc's philosophy of just keeping it mechanically sound and safe.

I liken it to appliance insurance they try and sell you at Argos / Currys etc. You can spend a lot of money insuring for very little return. The bottom line is how much are you prepared to lose? If it is your home, then the risk is not worth it, but for a bloody £12 kettle?

It has a decent MOT history! 98,000 miles in April this year

I am not mechanically literate - what is a rear toe arm?

Cool beans! My first car was hijacked by Harry Potter! 1.0 litre Ford Anglia with drum brakes.... how times have changed!

Sorry Dav, I am a bit confused and out of touch - where is the ISF? Traded it in for am Opel Kadett?

F Stickers? How rude!

Are PROPER (cough cough) Lexus owners ( LS 400) also invited?

A great looking car - good photography!

The warranty will give you peace of mind financially. A good move.

Be very interested to hear what you think of the car.

They still look fantastic cars even by today's standards. A little conservative perhaps but the car has lasting style.

Personal experience confirms the quality of 1999 BMW Diesel - a wallet full of expensive repairs by the previous owner - and the gearbox went on mine AND it had a full BMW service history! Once I have been bitten I am reluctant to go back for more - Volvo the same. It is down to personal experience for me.

I think Malc was referring to European make, particularly German.

Valid argument I am afraid.

I agree, heavy read unless you have a LS400. I found it very informative. Not sure a car of today would go through the research and testing that went into the 400. They are very special cars.

Never a waste of time, a problem shared helps everyone learn. Great result!

As I have said, it will not make the car feel any different to drive. Is £260 worth spending on cosmetics? Again in one way it makes no sense but in other ways it does! A Lexus LS 400 is not about getting from A to B - It is the journey that is the most important part. A Trabant will get you from A to B but who wants to travel over 1 mile in one of those? Owning a Lexus LS 400 " ....it is not a matter of life or death ..... it is much more important than that."

A really interesting topic and discussion. When you decide to repair or say goodbye to a car is a very personal choice. The bar can be quite low for some people (ashtray full!). I think the key questions to ask yourself are:- 1) How much will it cost to get the car to a condition I will be happy with? 2) Is it worth spending that amount when another similar car can be purchased? 3) Can you be bothered to chase parts and wait for repairs? 4) Your own “gut” feeling will tell you if it is time to let go. I like Malc’s attitude – blow the cosmetics, if it rides well and is roadworthy then keep it. I only remember driving one classic car, which was in very good condition. It rattled like an empty tin can and I thought the brakes were faulty (non-servo). No matter how it looked I could not live with driving around in that car. The LS400 IS something special. I sold my Mk3 after one year of trouble free ownership and I always said I would have another. But there must come a time, when for the individual, the car is no longer acceptable. In the cold light of day Malc’s approach is the sensible one but I am not sure I could let my LS go to the point it looked shabby. I have great admiration for those that spend hours on their cars and to those who choose to pay others to bring them up to a good standard. My next job (just had front discs and pads done) is to get the wheels refurbished. Will it make the car run better? Frankly no, but to me I think it will be worth it. It is all down to personal preference. I am far less concerned about my RX300, as I know that I can get a later model if it goes pear-shaped. The LS400 is getting old now and good examples are hard to find - and at a cost.

Have you cleaned the throttle body - common problem on the LS400?