Malc

breathalyzer test kit compulsion was abolished in France end 2013 ............ I didn't need them for last trip thru France. yes, the headlight stickers, kept the cut-outs from last year ............... thanks Malc

,, Streetview ,,,,, well, I'll only have a rough idea of how to get there .. probably head for Turin over a couple of days and then let Lexii decide the best route to take .. that's how she worked it out in Spain and Portugal .... an adventure ................... never let's me down ,............. life's full of great surprises and happy times eh Malc

.................. if it fails the new MOT on Thursday then buy it with the essential work done I guess ..... if it just has Advisories then you will know what to expect for the future ........... the brake pipes won't be expensive to change anyway ........... . they may just look " rusty " of course and be fine for years to come. Advisories have a habit of sometimes just falling away, being the Testers opinion on that day and safeguarding himself. Seems a ok buy at £1800 is it ( or your lesser offer no doubt ) There aren't many good ones around now and if an Oil Man has used it then he hasn't worried about the cost of repairs etc maybe. Malc

OK guys, just about made up my mind to do a tour of Italy, probably starting next week ..... after the 15th April. Never been to Italy before....... might have seen it from Zermatt tho'. 15th April is the cut-off date after which you don't legally need to have winter tyres or carry snow chains so the rule book says ! Warning triangle .......... and hi viz jacket in my door pocket then. Anything else I need to know ? Route66 seems to have passed me by this year ( I had some heart beat trouble, well blood pressure collapsed in February, all OK now they tell me ) and the euro is a tad weaker than last year with my 6000 mile trip round Spain and Portugal...............seems a euro trip is called for. Been a bit dogged these past weeks so starting my trip a bit later than thought ....... also new gas boiler this week ( old one conked out / died Monday ) and drains blocked today .......... nothing else to go wrong at home then .............. hahahahaha ( hopes ) ................ fate has kept me here so far. Any good tips guys ? Malc

............. I was always under the impression ( probably totally wrongly ) that number plates with a Z in were from Ireland ! Not that it matters I guess Malc

.... sorry, forgot to say ................ . FRONT UCAs Malc

Guys, just looking around in case I need some soon. Just seen Arnott Industries, USA coy with a Dutch distribution centre. Been around 25 years and warranty on these parts seems to be 10 years and discounted to $181 for the PAIR + shipping, tax etc. Are they a good buy ? Malc

.... are you telling us that the issues with this new car are the same as with your old one apart from maybe more extensive lacquer finish issues ?? Malc

......... very cheap motoring then, well done, but tbh it's only what we have come to expect from the Ls400 ....................... these are just amazing cars, can't see me ever being without my Ls400 ....... or if I " lose " it, a simple replacement like for like. Malc

............... going back to 2008 I had new plates prepared at a local garage ......... then many garages made up their own ( do they now ? ) , they have to have special authority too ...... and I needed V5C and ID and the cash ..... was quite instant and not expensive. Malc

............. what is the mileage for all this work to be done ?? Malc

..... internet banking not for me tbh .... Malc

.. brilliant result and well done with your perseverance ........... just beggars belief the cost and inconvenience such a comparatively simple happening can result in Malc

........... and the moral of another event in the long chequered history of this guy..................... . ripping that poor guy off in stealing ( was it ? ) his personalised numberplate ! Malc

..... might create a little more clutter with road closures clearing debris and dead bodies too .............. Inexperienced drivers getting caught up in 100mph chases on motorways would cause mayhem .............. and quite frankly, very few stretches of UK motorways are capable of sustaining such speeds imho Malc

.... hahahaha ..... maybe his dad gets a new car every week or so !!! Malc

...... the cambelt should last you 120k since the last change ............ you would be incredibly unlucky for it to go " snap " otherwise ...... Malc

..... they do seem to have some quite unusual stock .......... mostly imported I guess and some with no warranties ......... and not inexpensive either maybe ! I like the Merc 600 2002 but wow, it's quite pricey but just a mere fraction of its new cost......... but the potential bills would be a " killer " Malc

...... my simple understanding is that if and when the Govt brings in specifics for MOTs then that which existed in the vehicle manufacture prior to the introduction of the " legislation " is ok. Henceforth the new vehicle changes and delivery are required to conform. e.g seat belt rules, lighting and brakes rules too, installation of tow bars for instance ....... older cars that were built to comply with the then rules are ok for the future without reconfiguration. What the MOT regime might be for vehicles having been adapted since manufacture, say with the installation of post vehicle production LPG systems, well, it's anybody's guess until that rulebook is produced ! It might well transpire that the Govt will require modifications to existing installation profiles. Malc

...... not too unusual for comparatively ancient electrics to be a bit challenging, often from underuse sadly, Malc

hahahahaha .................... i was going to say summat quite rude, but I'm tooooo refined for that ............. hehehehehe Malc

............ and my exhaust is still fine with the only work to keep it that way was that buggering about with the £30 welding of the flanges or whatever it was a couple of years ago ! Just turned 168k miles today too Malc

...... and does it need changing or servicing ever ? I know many think it lasts for ever on other cars but quite frankly, they just don't. The Ls460, lovely car BUT it has a mild steel exhaust ? Malc

.................. and Lexus developed a kevlar timing belt for the original Ls to remove the excessive noise effect from having from a timing chain.......... the pursuit of excellence. Timing chains often need replacement too and when they snap, well, it really is catastrophic. And as for diesels, a particulate filter in many marques, a regular service item, can cost several £000's. I'm ok with my V8 petrol and nigh silence Malc

................ I understand this is not uncommon in the Mk3. My driver's seat hasn't worked since before I bought the car. It is not an economic repair, neither to fix the busted element nor to replace with a new seat. ACLex from whom I bought the car in 2011, the then Parts Manager at Lexus Poole Dorset, didn't find the effort worth doing for the reasons: !. cost of a replacement seat ( at cost price ) and 2. It would just go again, the fault is so common and recurring. My bum doesn't particularly need warming, even on a really cold day. Malc