Malc

might be time for a Lexus original new part then ! Malc

have you found the tray under the front passenger seat ? that could be filled with ££ tenners Malc

Blimey, just seen the video ..... wot a load of codswallop ..... these are stainless steel exhausts and will literally last the life of the car ... there's a minor leak somewhere that needs a slight tightening I guess ........ The Pirelli tyres, well, the price seems a bit steep and i for one wouldn't use Pirelli, I have them on the Honda Legend and personally I think they give a goddam awful ride on that car. Cambelt, well, when was it last changed ? 10 years and / or 100k miles is the norm for the Ls400 in my book ! The oil leak I have no idea. The ball joints, well, that's the way my MOT tester checked mine and my indy mechanic I've been using for 10 years didn't spot it on the rear, he couldn't provide the necessary pressure in situ and on the ground, it looked all ok. ........ the MOT tester who has always tested the cars pointed it out ....... I trust him, he has no axe to grind on supplying parts or getting work... and at 193k miles on the original ball joint, well, nothing lasts forever, not even on a Ls400 so what's the car's mileage ? Malc

well I don't know ............ BUT what I do know is that there were ZERO symptoms for the ball joints in both the UpperCAs at the front ( at 173k miles ? ) nor at the rear ( at 193k miles ) ( both nearside ) when they failed their respective MOTs The car drove quite as usual in all that time and I guess only under pressure when tested at the MOT station, up in the air, were they found " wanting " Malc

hey, neither did they 22 years ago Malc

trouble is those piccys can't show you if there's any teeth missing ! and for another 4k miles .......... I'd do the change quite soon Malc

well, I can almost guarantee i won't see another Ls400 Malc

OMG then I'll hunt the bright sunlight and be in places above 5knots wind speed ........ but that's usually rain and a gale isn't it ? go to bed really early and avoid the woods I've stood on a loch bank nowhere near trees and windy but dull and had to flee the swarms a'biting Thanks for the advice ... mid September is good but I thought maybe then is the on-set of a good Scottish winter ? Malc

hahahahaha............., I stand and fill mine, watching all the others that come and go in the time it takes to put 70+ ltrs in the tank Malc

I only ever sometimes pre-book the first night somewhere, the rest, well, I hate being subjected/pressured to meet a target at the end of the day, having to get somewhere. The adventure starts and from experience, wherever I go, wherever in the world, there's ALWAYS somewhere good or ok to stay, wherever I land for the evening ! The world is full of B & Bs or places to rest one's head at the end of a long day's adventuring, that to me is part of the adventure, starting the day and being able to adjust one's very loose itinerary en route ............. and the sodding midges, well, going end August / early September I like to think there's a few less around by then ... what's their life cycle ? Malc

can't you leave the kids somewhere ? like a cattery or kennels maybe Malc

............... hey, we're proposing doing another tour of Scotland this end August/early September for two weeks. We did this in 2012 and travelled 2800 miles in 15 days, home and back ( Kent ) and had a fantastic tour.... mixed weather, a few midges and brilliant B&Bs along the way including a couple of YHA stops ........... BRILLIANT First overnight in Yorkshire then into Scotland, up the west coast, along the top and back down and around and our final overnight in Northumberland near Lindisfarne. The Ls400 is the best Grand Touring car ever. Can't wait for the day to approach, just stuff all we need in the boot and off we go, another adventure. Malc

ah, so when cruise control is engaged the speed actually fluctuates ? The only time I have experienced this phenomenon is when I'm going downhill and lock it into 30 mph and I find it varies a little, trying to maintain 30 mph but slightly edging away. It's struggling to maintain that 30 mph, but it's so rare, like when in roadworks with a speed limit and downhill, otherwise my Cruise Control does just that, controls Malc

do you really think that any Trader is going to " take-on " a potential money pit at anything less than a bombed out price ............ if BCA / We Buy Any Car ( the owner ) isn't going to sort it out then why would a Trader ......... ...... I know Traders work to a very quick turnover profit and holding stock of this specific car probably isn't in their psyche ......... No Lexus Main Dealer would buy it in, and no sensible car showroom would invest into this car either as it stands ... and a private buyer, with any sense, would run a mile ...... there's enough other Ls460s out there to choose from that aren't " at fault " Black Cap poor / Below ..... price is with the car actually fully working I surmise Money Pits don't often find ready buyers unless they are unaware of the pitfalls But hey, what would I know eh ....... a somewhat successful car trader for many years, buying and selling cars at auction, and retail, and to the Trade too .................. there we are, the effective "auction " will sort out it's true value eh ! Malc

I guess the Ls460 has a Trader value about £2500 with the known power steering fault, the 51k miles Ls400 is a dopey price why would any one want an old Ls400 to keep unused, coz that's the only way one would preserve any value like that .................when you can get just as good a car for offers on £1300, now, that's the one to have in my book ! .regularly serviced, not overused over nearly 20 years and ripe for another 2/300,000 miles. and a very usable car too Malc

it's a bouncy needle then, affected by the vibrations of the car ? Shouldn't worry about it, it won't be an MOT failure I guess. Idiosyncracies come with age and are allowed with these cars, my 1932 Triumph speedo bounces a lot within a 5mph range but is about 10/15 mph " out " anyway on a run, 50-55mph actually means it's doing 40mph but feels like I'm doing 90 in most other cars .............. wind through the hair and all that .................. Malc

you maybe have a Mk2 ? the Mk3 came in 1995, From August 1st 1995 I believe on a N plate is it the speedo or the rev counter that's playing up ? Malc

not on my 1995 Mk3 ..... Malc

now back to airbag recalls ................. maybe I'm fortunate not to have that issue with mine ! BUT my 56 plate Honda Legend had the front airbag recall completed in May ( this year ) and it's just simply that not enough new airbags have been made to fulfil the needs of the marques. Rome wasn't built in a day and the new replacement airbags haven't been made in enough years since the problem came to light. Not much good pressurising any car makers, I'm sure they are all going as fast as they can with tiny supplies becoming available. In the event one gets a disaster befalling them with an erroneous airbag just join the Class Action that I don't doubt is going-on right now somewhere. If the airbag manufacturer and their insurers won't pay up then the car company will be the next point of claim. I was reading that the car makers are covering the costs of the airbag recall anyway until they can wring some money out of anybody else. ................... the bust bag manufacturer is in throes of being absorbed into another USA car safety provider, probably to continue the beneficial contracts, and that element of the business is being sold-on for $1.5bn I shouldn't worry too much about Toyota and Honda and Ford, GM and everyone else not getting paid out for their own costs in covering the airbag replacement debacle ... they can afford it Malc

I think I remember reading here somewhere that this was mentioned recently and Steve 2006 was maybe having a look at it. Prior advice was that it wasn't possible to recondition them but hey, live in hope eh ! Malc

looks as if you're running with the continental headlight changeover ............... is it for an imminent trip or a leftover ? I think it might actually be illegal in the UK Malc

M

I've not seen that before but it just about sums up my feelings too about these magnificent beasts. I'm expecting mine to last forever. My bro-in-law to be ( in July ) has just bought that 1964 Austin Cambridge estate that's advertised ( there's only the one ) for £9950, full asking price, coz that's the car he now wants ....... forever ... not sure how he'll cope with NO pas but hey .... that is truly a magnificent almost final example of that marque. I'm expecting our Ls400s to end their days like that too .......... any thoughts guys ? Malc

I remember reading from long back the huge Toyota Land Cruiser 4 ltr whatever was the vehicle of choice for Oz outback ( that's actually out AND back ) traversing. I wouldn't trust any other vehicle. Malc

I think he may have been somewhat embarrassed at showing his car's lack of superiority ! Malc