Cotswold Pete

Nice room

May I suggest that if you get a Dacia, that putting wheels on church pew might be step up on the luxury front

I ended up with E350 (W212) - nice and pokey, jumpy auto box (as someone else said makes you behave like a nodding donkey, much more fragile than LS 400, boot right shape to get a bike in (LS 400 was larger but not as deep). Seats as comfortable as a Scottish Kirk. For sure it needs more repairs, but parts do seem cheaper. Seems as fast and as quite as LS 400, and not so heavy on tyres (possibly) I did think of S-class, borrowed a mates, but still seemed like a pretender to a Lexus Limo. Son just bought a 2013 Mazda 3 impressive little car, pretty quite not too many fancy gadgets so maybe when my time for larger cars expires something like a Mazda will do it.

That looks spot on, the streaks from my experience are just residue that sits in the pipe and rub off the end of the dipstick as it twists. My Merc dip stick is way worse, you almost feel like some major surgery is being undertaking as you wiggle it around. On the overfilling, if a smidgen over the second dot okay, anything else I would be nervous as experience of overfilling has never been a good outcome

A balloon pump is just as good for blowing outthe dust, but with that house of horrors a darned good hoover first

Indeed some of us do, and when I had LS even opened sun roof. There is nothing more refreshing on a cold winters morning of opening the windows for a few seconds before letting the AC do its stuff.

Do not forget to add the nearly £300Billion outstanding student debt which is growing faster than most students can ever pay off, so that bill will get called in at some time. As a country we are well bankrupt in so many ways (not that any politician really cares, that is for the next lot to sort out !!!)

Just run in the. I woud love to experience a nice low mileage model for old times sake. Last time I did was a Mk1 in 1994 with less than 10K on the clock. Bliss

I had a tow bar on my Mk4 (was fitted by first owner) I recall it was a Witter. Was not told that there were not approved. Only thing I used it for was the electrics to for a number plate to my Bike Carrier (boot mounted). As to getting one, the Mk4 was better than Mk3, apart from the Touch Screen fade in winter where the flourescent tubes degrade. I got rid of mine coz the tin mice were gonig mad in the rear arches, but at 250000 miles it has done me proud for 10 years. If you can get a well sorted one, you will not regret it. Getting all the running gear bushes is a must to save on tyre wear, and makes the beast so much more stable (passengers get less sea-sick). Never worry about fuel costs, what you spend on fuel you are not spending on garage bills

Qamar, sorry to hear about your challenges. Been there a couple of times over the years, and sometimes felt the hill was just getting bigger no matter how much I tried to climb it. I always found sharing with my close mates (not a thing blokes are always good at) helped even though they did not 'cure me', it felt like a load shared was a load halved. I did at one point after Covid go through exactly the same feeilngs about how overwhelming my LS was (not really sure why it got to that with a car), but worked out at the time I was worried retirement in 2024 and whether I could afford to run a decent car. I hope that whatever support you find can keep you safe in your head, and as suggested maybe park up the LS, and do what I do which is bird watching or something that takes your mind to some other 'nicer' zone. All the best

The DM (sigh). I am assuming they expect our MPs to freeze to naffing death when they spend a night in their second home which if they live in Bolton/Truro/Newcastle (where ever) they either stay in expensive hotels of sleep on the streets when they work in London (which from what I can see is a fair bit of their time). I assume Ted Verity will not be claiming anything from any government that he is not 'really' entitled to, and neither would Paul Dacre. I get that some entitled MPs (of all parties) try and bend the rules . With the daily rags you have to dig around to get the proper context. But I am glad my mother in law buys the DM, it is just amazing for lighting fires. I am a pensioner in 2 weeks, and maybe in 20 years time I will need the heating allowance when my pensions have all dried up (and the state pension will be enough to buy one copy of the Big Issue a week, and some dry bread to dip into my cold soup) , but we have a few changes of government to get through before we get there.

Slept in the back of Sunbeam Rapier many years back, went to the Top Rank had a bit too much and back seat of the Sunbeam was okay. Sunbeam - not sure if this was the car? It was this colour and had the overdrive and the funny little wind down rear lights and the valve radio. And Just remembered about 10 years ago did a stint of kipping on back seat of LS400, up in Lancs to then get up at 05:30 to a bit of early Bbird watching at Leighton Moss. Was not so bad - better than a tent (probably)

Tried that 44 years ago in a Ford Escort Mk 3 on a weeks hols in North Wales. Ended up doing B&B towards the end, so at least me and the girlfriend could get a good night kip before trekking up mountains.

Was told at a Lexus dealer a while back estates and saloons a thing of the past, everyone wants a UV of some sort.

Looks good. Had some friends who have done something similar and in first 15 months got a house that could be used, but taken 3 years to completely finish, and not yet started on the garden additions. I admire anyone who does this, but spent first 3 years in my current house just living on a building site (as it is 250 years old but not looked after for 100 years - was a heck of a state), and managed (well my wife did) to bring up two kids run a business from home for a while. Only got the final major works completed 10 years ago, and now it's time to start working on redecorating what was done 28 years ago. By the way a house like yours needs a stonking sounds system to go with that projector / TV. Looking forward to the final photos