Malc

... looks good there, I eventually removed my lower front black valance to the bumper, it just scrapes everything and gets very dog eared even when renewed, it's just toooooo low. Looks a nice car, well done. I'm sure you could have many many years of brilliant inexpensive quality motoring. Malc

Thank you, it's turning out to be an easy and comfortable to drive experience too BUT not quite so brilliant as my Mk3 in most respects apart from the high tech stuff which is all a little beyond me anyway the g/fs managed to get her bluetooth / mobile phone I Tunes stuff working easy through the radio and the speakers with a simple £11 plug-in thingy, the standard fix for this would have been about £300 she's been advised. Think she's going to work for NASA on the next space programme she's so good at teccy stuff now ( not sure what role tho', maybe actually into space ) Malc

... I have no choice in mine ... TomTom rules ok BUT I do wish the gender stuff would get right, being spoken to by a lady rather than " Tom " Now, the Honda Legend, well, that has upgraded satnav ( it cost @ £200 ) and luckily the g/f will be using that coz I've grabbed the TomTom that I found brilliant touring Italy ( thru' France and Switzerland ) last year and Spain etc. the year prior Malc

the Mk1s had 15" wheels and brakes to match, maybe the 16" of the Mk2 onwards makes a difference ! Malc

the very early cars don't have an interference engine should the cambelt ever snap ( unknown ! ) Malc

.............. I see what you mean The increases in mileage look amazingly little and cause for surprise I'm sure ! BUT there might be a simpler reason, let me explain my 1994 Mazda 323f at the last MOT showed 10k miles less on the Certificate than it had actually done on the speedo ............ and less than the previous year's MOT. ............. the MOT Tester had simply incorrectly filled in the digits I noticed it some days later, too late to remedy without some upheaval, i wasn't worried as I was keeping the car and it will show the correct mileage this new MOT time ( I hope ) however, the car might be scrapped or maybe not, lets see Honest errors can occur but where many traders are concerned that does beggar belief Malc

... see it's now down to £8500 Malc

me too and apart from mine I've only ever seen these with black ! Malc

Guys, just been browsing this ( as one does ) and thought it might be useful on here Malc How can you check your tyre age? The information about a tyre age is given on the sidewall.It is coded in the number beginning with DOT (Department of Transport).The last four digits in the DOT number denote the week and year of production. 3608 means a tyre manufactured in the 36th week of 2008. If the code at the end has only three digits, it means that the tyre was manufactured before 2000, e.g.529 means a tyre manufactured in the 52nd week of 1999. What is the safe tyre age? With proper maintenance and storage, most road tyres may be used for 5 to 8 years. When can a tyre be considered in perfect condition? In terms of selling and buying new tyres, only tyres no older than 36 months from the date of production may be considered to be in perfect condition so, older tyres shouldn’t be sold. You also shouldn’t use tyres which are older than 10 years even if they are not worn.

the red Lexus is a hybrid and a 2+2 ............. but the other two have to be beanpole thin matchstick men to get into the seats in the rear and actually sit down ............. even my 1932 Triumph Southern Cross Sports Tourer has 4 real seats ... and gets nought to 60 ( max speed anyway ) in about 10 minutes, or better if going down hill Malc

here we are then, on the third piccy one can just see my Mk3 thru' the looking glass Malc

" going round bends a lot better " . where he lives, Milton Keynes, it's renowned for causing front end collateral damage to cars with the huge number of roundabouts ........... just to get to and from anywhere. One of the reasons he says for the stupid costs he's incurred with incessant front end steering geometry failure and lots of £££££s spent on renewing front-end steering bushes stuff and quantities of tyres ...... I'm sure it's a " going round roundabouts " syndrome, probably coupled with the fantastic SH-AWD kicking in, BUT for which, that is going to be a great asset in the winter times snow and ice and in which my Ls400 .................. is usually an absolute dead-loss.

............... desperately trying to up-load the photos i took yesterday, both of the Honda Legend and also the very very fine looking red with red hide upholstery Lexus RC F Sports coupe that my bro-in-law has to replace the Legend. The Lexus is an amazing looking car, could be a 2016 Batmobile............ collected the Honda Legend, brilliant car, 106k miles, timing belt and peripherals just done, full Honda service and bits and pieces, just taken it to have the laser wheel alignment done too in Canterbury, the Toe was out on the front, the previous Pirelli P6000 17" tyres don't seem to have lasted long on this car and have cost a fortune and give a bit of a hard, non-Ls400 style comfy ride. Its nonetheless a quick and fast, very comfy car with lots of gadgets, electric rear window blind and side window manual blinds too ... a bit of a novelty. It's not as quick off the mark or as " soft " a ride as my Ls400 .... we are very spoilt But nonetheless it's a very very fine 3.5 ltr petrol car with impeccable Honda engineering. Lucky the g/f enjoys driving it ( me too actually ) and great value at £4k, servicing, tyres and bits and pieces my bro-in-law, the last owner for 4 years and some 50k miles, has spent this year alone ( 2016 ) some £2750 on Honda main dealer maintenance etc but bugger all in the previous 3 years ............ the car cost him £8500 in 2012, it cost £40k brand new in 2006 It's a fine car and I'm guessing / hoping, fingers xd, very little on-costs for unusual maintenance for me for some years ahead with a likely 5k miles a year limit I'll up-load the photos as soon as i get to understand my computer a little more Malc

Remember this is the guy who said he wanted to hear from guys who could help him get the car to a million miles. remember i wrote to him, didn't get any sort of reply at all ( discourteous i felt ) and offered to fly down to him, collect the car and take it across Route 66 and back and return it to him ............... last year or so As I didn't hear from him I went to Italy and did 5/6000 miles instead in mine and the previous year did Spain/ Portugal and a similar mileage then I fancied doing Route 66 in a Ls400 ....... maybe another time eh ! Malc

............ why on earth limit yourself to a Mk4 ? There are probably great value MK 1's, 2's and 3's out there somewhere and £1000 to £1500 is very limiting right now I'd have thought, especially for anything that's going to stop you putting you hand in your pocket for continuing and possibly long overdue maintenance. I think there are probably very many really neglected " basket cases " out there so take great care. Malc

..... I too have always found in my Ls400s that fully loaded, max legal speed and on cruise, gives it a tad over 30mpg It's brilliant for a V8 limo Malc

John, just an " M " reg. August 1994 Mazda 323f thats now covered 145k miles, one of the very last of the shape, had it since Dec 2007 at 65k miles and cost me £400. Really really useful little hatchback runaround, super in snow and ice, runs a dream, tight little gear changes and feels like when I'm doing 120mph in the Lexus when it's doing about 65mph ! ....... at 80 mph it feels like I'm on the runway with lift-off and about to take flight ! It's SUPER Malc

hahahahahahaha ................ this OAP rather prefers a little more oomph and risque in his life ............. the Legend will satiate my thoughts that were taking me towards a Ls600, but never though to replace my beloved Ls400 Malc

................... been trawling around for the comprehensive insurance and actually gone with Adrian Flux ( from here ) with the best value quote in all the circumstances, mirroring the full NCD earnt on my other policies ....... £427.68 and a 5000 miles limit............... ( we can't bear to part with the Mazda actually, it's near classic now ) I''l do some pictures when I get the Legend Malc

... he's possibly read this forum and changed it from the original specifying which I saw as 80,000 miles too Malc

... Moderators a Q ...... should the Forum have a direct link into Trading Standards please to Report these criminal activities intending to defraud the public ? What do you need to do to get this in train ? Malc

the Lexus actually goes like a rocket ................ the Mazda 323f just feels like it does

It will be interesting to compare to my Mk3 Ls400 .............. a replacement car for the g/f's 1994 Mazda 323f, which will possibly be MOT rust terminal in September. I said I was thinking of getting one ....... it's a 56 plate with 106k miles, Full Honda Service History and top of the range SH-AWD 3.5ltr ( + all the extras when new, and about £40k ) Looked after for the last 5 years like a baby, slate grey with rare white hide upholstery. Buying it from my ex brother in law whom I have known for about 53 years, he used to do the Pirelli Stelvio Pass Rally a few years back in a mini etc ...... when he was much younger Selling the Legend as he's just taken delivery of his brand new company car, a red Lexus RC ? which he's already telling me doesn't have all the super features as on " his " Legend ( but I guess a few more though ! ) paying £4k for it, about bottom trade price I think .. I'll let you know what it's all about, driving, comfort etc when I get to experience it ... but I do so like, and shall miss immeasurably, the tight little quick gearbox of the ancient Mazda 323f though Malc

.............. it often pays to buy the best quality one can, however, tempered with reality on price is also a good idea. If this one is good for you and you're happy with it all then just go4it BUT don't forget that whatever the condition, if it gets written off, however small the damage, your insurers will simply look at Parker's or Glass's Guide, Auction pricing and maybe slightly adjust for better condition/mileage etc ....... but only very slightly, and look at the cost of a full price insurance company repair ............. and then write it off possibly. I remember when my Mk2 was written off some five years back one of the ridiculous costs to repair was two wiper arm set-ups at Lexus pricing costing @ £1000 alone If you've got the spare readies and really want what seems to be an exceptional ( but 12 year old ) car, then gobuyit Malc

...... but really I guess it's all down to money too ..... defective roads and roads maintenance takes money ..... litter is often a cultural thing and I do despair when people here don't care where there rubbish goes; in italy on the other hand they told me there really is no money for any sort of regular dustcart or local collection and people in the south there have no place to dispose of rubbish, so, it gets tipped in the road until someone somewhere finds some cash to go out to pick it all up ( rarely ) It's sad Malc