Malc

I'm a bit late to this one .. just returned from a mini cruise around the UK Lexus/Toyota OEM batteries seemed to have incredible longevity from NEW with the cars ......... maybe 13 to 18 years life span ....... I do not jest here. Whether the replacement OEM batteries will last so long is another matter BUT maybe OEM replacements could be the best way to go ... and their pricing ( at least on my Mk3 ) was very competitive Malc

I have this free European cover for my cars plus lots of other benefits by using my Nationwide FlexPlus account .............. it's very good value for money especially if you can take advantage of the interest they pay on your current account which significantly offsets the £10 a month fee. And the free personal worldwide travel cover too Then they also pay 5% pa on a max £500 a month savings account but ONLY if you have the FlexPlus account. It's an all-round great little account in general to my mind Malc

2CVs had rather more practical seating arrangements but I'm not so sure they ever came in pink Malc

........... sadly doesn't look dissimilar to the Micra that hit the rear of my Mk1 Ls400 some 10 years ago ............. I stopped at traffic lights, she didn't ..... and the nearside rear corner of the Lexus bumper was left hanging a bit loose ............ but it got fixed ok ...... not so sure about her Micra, it looked a wreck Malc

............. how dark can Guinness get ? Malc

not to replace, just to re-sit it if possible When i had a new screen the wind noise thankfully vanished Malc

we've experienced this on the Ls400 forum and from personal experience too .... the windscreen just might need re-fitting Malc

ah yes, I know about this too .......... without the http stuff the site is potentially more hackable .... but I know we have had lots of Russian hackers trying to bugger up my travel business website even with the http stuff ( they failed of course and we have " disabled " their IP addresses from getting to us ).......... ...... you can't take card payments without http they tell me ! ...... lucky I have very clever teccy guys in my Back Office ........... and the potential link through by hackers to LOC and then into our private IP addresses needs to be thought about I'd have thought Bluesman ?? Just a thought Malc

ok, £168 per hour ..... my indy charges me £30 ( or is it now £40 ) per hour and no vat ( he's below the threshold ) ...... and I pay his cost price for the consumables too..... and I trust him totally. You may remember i mentioned before looking at the Honda Legend bills that came with my purchase of that car that Honda Main Stealer charge £12 a litre for the engine oil ( x 6 ltrs ) alone but a really low cost £120 per hour labour incl vat Heaven knows how any normal soul can afford to use main dealers for anything Malc

............ what is the Main Stealer hourly rate + vat ? Malc

my Tom Tom is brilliant .......... my Mk3 is sans SatNav anyway I can live without SatNav quite easily ... 22 years and going strong. Wouldn't know what to rep[lace her with anyway too, so i guess i shan't Malc

I thought insurance is void with no MOT ( if it's required ) Malc

,,,,,,,,,,,,, but you've got to spend £45k to get £10 road tax and 68mpg eeerrrr first year's depreciation say £20k then £8k a year thereafter ............. servicing about £1500 a year after the first year when the repair costs start kicking in just out of warranty '''''''' my Ls400 Malc

I hope the waterpump is easy to get to, we all know that on the cambelted Ls400 it's a mammoth job but the waterpump lasts about 200k + miles ( touch wood ) well, that's the next mileage time/line that I will be changing mine, when the cambelt is due at the next 100k miles ( fingers xd ) Malc

the costs are absolutely criminal coz the strips are about twopenneth worth of metal ! Those prices look about right from what I was quoted. The new windscreen I had fortunately the strips could be re-used ok, the insurers were very unhappy should they have been called upon to pay for the trims too...... they actually told me to make sure the fitters took huge care to leave the existing in re-usable condition.

that looks awful ............. I know the side strips cost a fortune from lexus and if the guy is quoting £185 incl the strips then that's a good deal. I think lexus quoted that sort of price for just the side strips Malc

sat alongside a mini estate the other day ..... I and my Ls400 felt a little intimidated ...... the mini " countryman " ( is it ? ) is HUGE . long, tall and anything but mini Malc

............. amazing views, reminds me of some I took similarly trekking in the Himalaya but about 30 years ago ! Well done to you, brilliant piccys Malc

.......... a while ago i was selling my 1932 Triumph tourer and a prospective purchaser sent me £1000 deposit, his wife went mad, refused to let him have yet another car and he cancelled the deal. No amount of persuasion could convince him to take a refund of the deposit from me so I kept it ! and the car too which is in fine fettle and can often be seen around the local roads in Newmarket at the weekends in fine weather Malc

absolutely .......... hey, I saw on Sheppey today a Ls430 on a private plate R50DES, a black car, looked brilliant BUT the offside brake light wasn't functioning ......... does the Ls430 not show this up on the dash like the Ls400 does ? ( 16 years is about the life of a " stop " bulb on a Ls400 so i won't say " told you so " . hahahahaha ) Is the owner a LOC Member on here ? Malc

well there we are, it's providence, hang on in there ......... welcome back to LOC, hope you enjoy your car for many years to come .... you know you don't really want to be without it ! Like losing your right arm I'd have thought Malc

long way back on my Mk1 Ls400 I had an issue with the coolant tank level and it was a slight crack in the cap washer that was aged and not doing it's job properly ... 6 squid or thereabouts then for a new one, which remedied ............. not from Lexus though Malc

I think it's becoming a more common problem but only after about 125k miles / 15 years tbh .......... fair wear and tear no doubt, like the " stop " bulb in the rear cluster, only lasts about 16/17 years, that's common too at that age ............. not a lot to worry about in the great scheme of life methinks Malc

I'll hazard a guess it's Argyllshire Malc

no stress over this one eh ! remembering that you only really have to open the bonnet very rarely to top up the washer bottle ... and usually nothing else at all, ever,....... so, you can get a brilliant high class half a broomstick for about a squid .................. Malc the service engineer does the rest