Cotswold Pete

Could it be a wheel balancing weight just clipping the calipers, though usually only happens after a new tyre fitted and it is an apprentice who does not know clearance on LS is pretty tight.

Was there a time when the government believed that oil burners were the saviours of the planet, so tax was very low. I do recall Ford back in the mid 80's saying lean burn petrol would be better than diesel, but one can assume that the experts were ignored (maybe Michael Gove was punting his beliefs that experts are dumb even back then???)

Well never thought of Delphi, they seem to have a choice and prices look good, not sure why any link is better than another, but maybe I will give them a call Links on Delphi site

I need new drop links on rear (for sure) and mat as well do the fronts. Having looked on Ebay I can see otpions, and on Amayama. Question - Has anyone used ebay ( Rear Links ) for example, as my research indicated this part is used on some Kia makes as well as Toyota. The price from Japan is not that bad, though I assume a drop link is not taking a huge load, so even if the bushes are not as good as original they will last a good few years. Any thoughts or experience with these on ebay most welcome.

The assumption seems to be that if you can afford a luxury car, you can pay a luxury tax (to drive on roads that have not seen the VED spent on them). The very reason why I went for a 400 Mk4 as the VED is okay to live with. At the time I could have got bought a 430 or 460, but it was VED that was part of the equation. Having worked around most of Europe I have never found anyone who is happy with either the yearly fee or the new registration fee, but it does seem most other countries spent these taxes making the roads look like roads not tank training grounds. Trucks do not pay anywhere near enough for the damage they do and though truck owners may complain, the damage to weight ratio is exponential. Though reasonably sure my 2tonne LS is not doing that much more damage than my wife's lightweight Mazda 2!!

Only thought is that there is a slight air gap when the window is up at full closure, and this is the right size gap to create a certain frequency of noise. I would maybe just get some masking tape over the seals, and drive to see if it goes. Then if it goes, maybe just peel off parts of the masking tape until the noise comes back, might indicate where the seal to glass fit is playing up. As the seals harden over time they do sometimes have little gaps that can whistle (had this on old Volvo - but not on any LS - so far)

I would add from lockdown experience of having let the battery run down four times that the Engine Managment ECU does take a while to stabilise. What I mean is that for the first few hours of driving the car behaves like the ECU is having capacitor failure (having had a Mk3 which did have ECU on its way out), and I was getting near stalling. But after a few decent runs the whole thing seems to settle down. It is now 3 months since I did a battery-out and full recharge, and all systems running like a dream in terms of RPM. Of course it could be other factors that cause the old lady to stabilise after flat battery which had been flat for a month or so each time.

Was watching Car SOS the other day when restoring a Hillman Imp (mate had one once, had the clutch come flying through the back seat - end of car. Anyway they said those cars were designed to last 7 years or so before they fell apart, good job that is not the case these days. Amazing that they got Ship Builders build the Minx, be a bit like having a Lexus built by Microsoft techs who knew how to fix a toaster!!.

Looks like a great car, I loved my Mk3, and I sort of agree about the satnav in Mk4, never use it and prefer the LCD on the previous marques. The Mk3 has much better fog lights, not quite such good headlights, and of course the Mk4 has VSC, and it was lack of VSC that made me stove my Mk3 into a wall. Hit some oil at 20mph about to overtake a truck, and the Mk3 was trying to spin itself under an artic, so wall seemed a bit safer to me!!! If that had not happened maybe I would still have my Mk3, though it would not be hitting 300,000 and no doubt needing another round of work to the Controls Arms etc.

Green light is usually saying that the battery when not under load appears to be fine, but when you start to pull a current if some of cells start to 'collapse' then the battery is not delivering full voltage. I have had this happen many a time and taking battery to local place they can see static the battery okay, but under any load it goes AWOL, and with LS it is needing a load of oomph to get that starter motor going. I am wondering if all the clicking that one hears are relays in the ECU(s) complaining at the same time???

I remember donkeys years ago when I did a lot of work in the city and a good umbrella was sign of 'well to do', I spent a fortune in some city shop (cannot recall name), and it never failed. I failed it by leaving in a train one night, and it never got handed into lost property. A good umbrella given the rain this month would be a real boon, but alas I manage with cheap and cheerful ones that get destroyed way too easily.

My Mk4 has tow bar fittings with full electrics, the only thing it does not have is the actual tow ball. Was fitted before I bought the car, and never failed MOT. Interestingly there is no extra gear box fittings, so I assume whoever had the tow bar fitted did not haul horse boxes with it.

I was in the Cubs for a few years, but then gave it up because this TV series called Star Trek came along and it was on Cub Night. I cannot remember what badges I got, but it was good fun

Have got my veg plots all dunged up, covered in black sheets to warm up, and ready soon to get the beans, carrots, courgettes (etc) going when the weather turns a little better. Did find a bicycle buried in the garden when I moved in, maybe that was some victorian who decided less dung, more bicycles that'll get the veg growing???

For sure use a exhaust specialist who can fabricate what is needed. I used Infinity Exhausts (just 1km from J18 of M4), did the job in two hours, and cheaper than having the LS part and fitted. I guess depends on where in Greater London you live as to whether Brighton or Bath is a easier drive. I would say this place is in the middle of nowhere with naff all public transport, so take a good book to plough through

Interesting video, adds to the debate of where we should go. On the other hand to paraphrase Keynes 'In the long run we are all dead, but 4 litres eases the journey'

I do believe that in Victorian London one of the reasons for the underground (and eventually buses) was that the streets were filling with horse dung, it must have been a smelly place, but then again they did not wash every day. I think we should all go back to walking and carry a Coracle around on our backs to ford the odd river that gets in the way

A bit of a rant, but it drives me nuts that all this new electric stuff is touted as carbon zero, as it the car and its batteries were drawn out of thin air by virginal nymphs and elves who tread lightly on the planet, rather than made from metal that needs coal to create the base material and batteries that are going to need a lot of time and energy being recycled and magnets that mean half of China or the USA is dug up as a result (by machines that probably consume 100 gallons per meter)!! I did wonder if and when the 'experts' were going to deal with the problem of lithium recycling (given lithium can be used to make small nuclear reactors), and so this link is interesting in that only 5% recycling going on so far. BBC News - What will happen to dead batteries. I guess we just move one problem into a different arena, and really we are all going to need boats (not cars) to deal with rising sea levels (well out grand children will). Me I am just going to keep pottering around warming the air rather than poisoning the soil and thank my lucky stars I got the chance to drive a 4 litre car before it becomes a crime.

Have same problem here, the motor is a bit of a pain to get to, but to be honest I would miss the up/down more if that went. Some USA folks have had a go at fiddling with the motor, but you would not know if that was an option until you got the casing off. I see it as the LS getting arthritis, bits keep giving up but the car still keeps going (mainly)

Not mad at all if you can find space to work on it. At 118K the front suspension might need a good look at (at the very least - new ARB bushes), if UCAs need doing then starts to get serious. So it is really a low mileage example that should be worth spending on and maybe you end up with a nice car that is getting close to classic and worth more than you paid and spent on it. A local stainless steel specialist might be able to sort out the back boxes (and check the Y-piece) for a fair price. VSC light might be my only 'uurghh' moment!!

Not sure if it is possible fit a Kleenoil by-pass filter system, back 16 years ago fitted one to a 50 year old Bristol bus (and it improved consumption by about 10%) and also fitted one to a 2 litre Isuzu (I recall) for National Trust and got extra 15% mpg (both owners were amazed). Cannot recall mileage but the bus was over 500,000miles. Not sure how much it costs these days and not sure if Kleenoil use their own techs these days or have regional installers. We did look at putting one in my Mk3 LS, but at the time the filter holders would not fit in the limited space. I do know that in USA they fit these filters to high performance petrol and diesel units, but they generally work better with diesels at improving fuel consumption. Kleenoil based in Leeds

But what if the pub is in the middle of the Irish Sea and you're with a mobile home on the ferry??? Or am I getting mixed up with Brexit

A new one on me, and as a result of searching for Belzona have come across Devcon (mentioned on Piston heads). Much cheaper than than JB Weld for decent quantities, and I have some around the house projects that would benefit from this stuff. Just need to jack the LS when I know weather is going to be warm enough for long enough. Currently working on restoring a pool table with my son, promised him it would be done in time for nicer weather, then its time for the motor to be loved

Very nice car, now all you need is some sunshine (without the showers)

If you are in Bridgend, how about giving Osaka a ring (in Newport) see what they say. may still not be cheap, but certainly not Lexus prices, from my experience they only use OEM for the Upper control arms, everything else just new bushes, which should bring the cost down (hopefully).