plastic orange

It's been garaged kept from new until very recently. I think the person that got it from the garage owner's estate did the deeds. Current owner bought it on a whim, but doesn't need it now. It's not very long back on the road. Pete

It's a genuine mileage with full lexus history (was owned by local deceased garage owners wife). I don't know when the wheels or exhaust were tampered with though, but are easily sorted. I do feel it would be going backwards though as my current Lexus is nice too - but is on 163k and could do with a couple of things sorted. Pete

Whilst getting an MOT today for my 99 LS a chap came in and booked an MOT for his M reg LS prior to selling it next year. I naturally asked him about it, and as he stayed next door to the MOT station I went for a look. It used to belong to a garage owner and has lain unused for years. It is fitted with hideous aftermarket alloys and has 4 tail pipes and little in the way of silencing (very American V8 rumble) - nice, but out of character. Good points are that it's only done 36k and is in really good condition - no stone chips and super straight body and nice interior. It's dark blue with dark blue interior. If it was a MK 4, I'd buy it immediately, but it's not, although once I see it on the ramps I may change my mind. Asking price is £3k - should I? My problem is I've too many cars and have another modified Morris lined up to buy. Pete

I've not found anything yet - I need front springs for my dhp LS, but so far no luck. If you find anything, let me know. Coilovers are an option, but cost more than an insurance payout on any ls400 - sadly. Pete

I'd wait till winter is over before getting it repaired - sods law and all that. I'd also try T cut or similar to reduce the visuals (wd40 can do a masking job too), and then get it repaired at a reputable body shop and not go through insurance. Around £300 would have it repaired in my location. Pete

A lot are going as engine donors. This may be a source of spares for the rest of us. Pete

Over on the LS section, someone had good results with BC coilovers - and they do a kit for an RX: http://www.bc-racing.co.uk/applications/lexus-coilovers/lexus-rx-4wd-03/v1-series-coilover-type-vm-1.html No idea how they perform, but they seem a quality part. Pete

I was just about to post a warning about the UCA - as I was the original poster regarding the deteriorating rubber on my garage wall lol. The link posted seems to be the same supplier I bought from. Blueprint do UCA's for around £200 and you will get a decent warranty, but I've no idea as to quality, but they should be better than the cheap chinese rubbish. Pete

Well folks, I must be pretty unlucky with my Lexus and discs. It's the only car I've owned in over 40 years that requires them on a regular basis. Whether this be material build up that could be cured with a skim, or another problem I can't say. I'm meticulous about ensuring the mounting surfaces are super clean before fitting them too. Service history till my ownership (lexus till 120k) shows quite a few discs till then, and i'm on the 3rd pair since. Vibration is cured instantly a new pair is fitted. Pete

Check the springs very carefully as I have a similar noise and couldn't find it until I cleaned the bottom link of the spring to notice it was cracked and obviously moving slightly. I've still had no reply to my search for a replacement DHP item, so it will be left as it's not causing any real problems. Pete

Front discs really don't last too long no matter the make including oe. Last change I used pagid discs and ferodo pads and a big improvement over the blueprint ones which lasted 10k till start of slight vibration, to 20k couldn't put up with it any more, plus plenty squeal and dust. Pete

Cost of components to repair starter is under £20. Labour should be around £200 - I was £150 for the job if I remember. Pete

I view car Insurance as a donation. Pete

It's very wide across the heads compared to other V8's - I've used Rover, Ford 302 and Chevy LS before. Pete

I briefly considered using the engine out my LS when the rest of the car's time is up, but I feel it's a bit too wide for fitting in another Morris Minor. Good luck with your project though. Post up some build pics please. Pete

I've had an annoying rattle from the front N/S of my car for quite a while now. i suspected bushes, but it's not them, so I had a concerted effort to find the culprit. It turns out that the spring is broken at the bottom (very hard to see the crack, and only after wire brushing). It doesn't appear to be going anywhere and seems pretty secure, but you can hear the creak/rattle when turning at low speeds. I've looked at previous posts regarding DHP suspension and no one seems to have found a replacement for the springs - but has anyone had any success recently. I really don't want to go down the route of coilovers, or revert to standard springs, so will just put up with it if no solution. MOT tester would never notice the crack as he was helping me search for the noise in the first place lol. Pete

Yes Keith they are fun to drive. Chevy LS1 Minor does 0-60 in less than 4 seconds and gives 32mpg on the open road. I've done almost 4000 miles in it this year so far. Pete

Hi, Check out the following threads as they give full details on my 3 V8 Minors - a lot of reading though. Pete My LS1 powered Minor http://www.morrisminorowners.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=1082 My Rover 3.9 Minor http://www.morrisminorowners.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=1083 My Ford 302 powered Minor (now sold) http://www.morrisminorowners.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=1850

I've been really impressed with the Goodyear Efficient grip since i fitted them since i fitted them to the front of my V8 Morris Minor. I researched tyres for the best grip and these got top marks. Car has never failed to go where i want it in all sorts of weather, so I'd recommend. However, what works on 1 car may not on another. I've always used Falkens on my LS, but whilst they grip fine, they don't last. I'll be giving the Goodyears a go when the current Falkens wear out. Pete

Graham, I thought it was madness too, but that's the world of insurers it seems. They said if my son took it to his repairer that he would have to pay an extra £250 himself - first time i'd heard that one as I thought like you that he could have taken it anywhere. Of course, there must be some deal going on between insurers and their preferred repairers. He did come out of it ok-ish as he was thinking of moving the car on, but it was hassle he could do without. It does seem that there isn't much you can really do to get you back to the position you were in prior to the accident. Pete

An option that you may decide to take is to buy the car back and have it repaired yourself. Downside (notwithstanding the hassle) is that it will have a category (C or D) attached to it, and should you decide to sell, it will attract a lesser price than a non category car. I view Insurance as a donation as it never does what it says on the tin. I do however have agreed value on my hotrods, but i'd dread getting any sort of damage on my LS400 as it would written off for the slightest reason (value wise). Pete

Sadly, that's insurance for you. Similar thing happened to my son - his car ( 55 plate Vauxhall Signum Elite - low mileage and mint) was hit side on by another driver, so no blame attached to my son. Local repairer wanted £1500 to repair, but insurers said it had to go to their recommended repairer (Nationwide). They estimated £3k, so car was written off and they eventually offered £2300 for it. After a bit of haggling he accepted and bought a Lexus RX300. Best option is to haggle and provide evidence of what cars with similar mileage age and condition are fetching, but you will be tearing your hair out in the process. Pete

Our daughter in law just had her car written off (third party's fault) and needed another vehicle, so she asked me to source an RX 300 SE as she loves my wife's one. I'm just back from picking it up from outside Glasgow (99,000 miles with all Lexus and Toyota history with receipts including recent cambelt). Comparing it to my wife's one it is about the same condition which I'd describe as first class, and it drives very similarly, but one thing I noticed was when filling the tank, the read out on miles to empty was 342 as opposed to my wife's which reads 288. On the journey home (including a 40 minute traffic jam) it averaged 30.3 mpg (computer) whereas my wife's one on a similar journey can just get 27mpg. Has anyone else encountered difference like this between similar cars (2004 and 2005 models) - both well serviced incidentally and seem to drive the same. cheers Pete

I think you'll find they will all be in a similar condition corrosion wise unless they come from a dry climate. MOT testers seem to advise on anything these days to avoid comeback. RX's don't seem as well protected as other Lexus models from what I've seen, which seems strange - well certainly nowhere near as good as my old LS. Pete