nickmoul

Hi, There is quite a lot of room in back seats of soarer, even my SWMBO fits in. I've never fitted child car seat, but reckon it would be OK.

As far as getting in and out, if you use the passenger side of my 4.0 limited and use the quick access handle, then seat rolls forward out of way, seat back leans front ways and access to back seat is great. After removing object (child I assume!!), just before you slam the door shut, push the seat back back and it all resets itself back to where it was when it started. Sounds a lot more complicated than it is!

Hope that helps, any other queries, gi'us a shout,

Nick

I may be old, but I'm 53 not 54. Toughy about our age are we Soarer owners. The wheels still look great and she still goes like a dream. Car is good too!

nick moul

I know nothing about this but found this link

http://www.carworldhq.com/salvage.htm

which seems to confirm what you have been told. It lloks like you need to take all the vehicle details and do a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check) with the DVLA (or whatever they're called now).

Other obvious one is to check under the car and to ensure its not twisted. Also, try and find out why it was written off by the Insurance Company. Are you SURE you can get all the bits you need to repair it.

Oh and as its been written off its on some kind of register which means it could be hard to get insurance on it AFAIK. Check - using the actual reg no - by asking for an insurance quote from say Norwich Union Direct. This also means any car on this register is usually much cheaper than exactly the same vehicle not on the register. A quick chat to any used car dealer should put you right.

Lastly, because its in NI, be aware that all sorts of strange stuff including to do with EU borders with Eire could have gone on.

But, it just could be the greatest deal on earth :)

Best of luck

Nick

Depending on the age, check the headlamps are all working. There was a guy on here said one (yes one) headlight bulb cost £158. Uh-HUH!

Th engine should be smooooooooth. I mean no shake rattle or roll. Check the A/C has no effect on engine speed but cools the car. It needs to be on all the time in these big cars in this damp country.

Heck you know more about cars than most of us here..... :D

Nick

Fujitsu-Siemens are good, I bought 16 for work and they are great. If you haven't found it yet MS XP has a neat method of moving your files from your old pc to you new. Basically involves a floppy disk, a network or other link cable and select

Programs/Accessories/System tools/Transfer and settings wizard

in new pc

If you need any help pm me. It does NOT move programs, but everything else.

Anyone wanting these PC's in UK should check out insight.com/uk as they do great deals for me. Just make sure you specify a tower or desktop to get right shape.

BW

Nick

Have a deco at this

http://www.lexus.australia.as/hayden_forsale.htm

Some vehicle. About GBP 10k equivalent and it could be shipped to UK for about GBP 1,500.

Dream on.......

I have a 91 Soarer with the famous blinky dash, does anyone know the part number of the transistor that needs to be replaced?

Also where can I source bulbs for things like the Hazard Light Switch from?

I'm based in Southampton.

Any advice on these problems would be appreciated

Hi there, I'm a fellow owner. They are a lovely lot here, but not as many Soarer owners as I'd like B)

I suggest you look at the www.toyotaimportsforum.co.uk and I found you these links too.

http://www.hotkey.net.au/~cheets/combination_meter_fix.htm

http://www.jkwebdesign.co.uk/lexusclub/combinationmeter.htm

As you are "darn sarf" you could also check out the Soarer Sanctuary. This is based in London and "Smiffie" who runs it is a founder member of the Toyota Imports Forum.

Let me know how you get on.

Best of luck

Nick

I love my Nikon Coolpix 3100, BUT I'd specifically check out the following whatever I got

1. Buy from a Camera Company, they make better lenses.

2. Optical Zoom produces better results than digital

3. If it isn't comfy and easy to hold don't buy

4. Test to see how long recharageable Battery lasts - VERY IMPORTANT

5. See if you can take photo's quickly. This a fault with the Nikon and means you miss action shots.

6. Check out size of Memory card. You need at least 64 Mb and will probably havbe to buy a bigger one for about £30 ish.

7. If you intend to manipulate photo's you need a 500+ Mhz PC with a decent (20 Gig or bigger) Hard Drive and a spare USB port

Best of luck. Do try price on internet after you've chosen at Jessops, you could save alot.

Nick

A/C light on means A/C available, not necessarily ON! In summer A/C Cools, in Winter it removes damp. It can also heat as well as cool depending upon design, but usually not in cars.

IF you turn A/C off then Climate Control won't work as its not available, thats why Auto goes off if you turn it off!!

HTH

BW

Nick

As I have 2 Lexuses perhaps having "MY OTHER CAR IS A LEXUS" on both is showing off a bit..............?

Unless one of the Club's electric ghuru's are online, I suggest a call to your local Lexus Garage is worth a try. Also a query to LOC US should produce some replies as they are on Thanksgiving weekend and I bet there are loads of bored LS400 owners online.

As far removing the fuse, it might be that its got itself welded in there - 120 amps is a big load and anything thats "broken" it musy be very close to a dead short. Suggest gentle persuasion and best of luck!

Nick

i am aware of the tv mod , might go in for it myself , i was specificly refering to the sat nav situation of which both you and i know works on an obsolete jap system , however it has been implied that it may be possible to run a modern sat nav system which could use the emv screen as a vdu ,using the required converters of course to change the veiwing system.

You are right, I should have read your post properly, sorry!

Sadly my Soarer is not EMV, but it'd be fun for those with EMV.

Am I allowed to be naughty and post the 2004 Pirelli Calendar somewhere here? I've got it parked at work and its just such a shame not to share with those who appreciate such things.

If thats offensive to anyone, sorry, but thats why I am asking first.

Nick

and just before that happens there will be dual layer - and + discs next year that will make all the recorders that are out now all be useless.

I think Philips are due to launch a dual layer machines early next year. 8.5 GB - 4 hours recording at top quality.

Ah but unless you need it NOW, wait for Blu Ray (yes its American) I think it will have capacity of 30Gb on one DVD R or DVD RW (no + or -). Out 2004 they reckon. It uses blue lasers!

clubbing

type in ,,,, planet soarer ,,,, and all you will ever want to know about soarer headlights and other things are there, most of it is from the australian site as they appear to be the most active in sorting out problems on the soarer ,certainly from the point of view of making otherwise obsolete bits work another way , unfortunately the sat/nav is a no no at the moment, but moves are afoot to see if an existing system can be fed into the emv screen in the centre consul .

Not true any more, read this and the link = from toyotaimportsforum.co.uk and Oz

This was advertised on the ALSC a few days ago. Not a drive in, drive out deal but a DIY solution for the TV Tuner in the Limited V8s (which also works in the UK):

http://www.alsc.aus.as/messages/4/1...77884#POST82520

This is best left to professionals, but if TIFBITZ orders a few (he offers discounts on bulk purchases), perhaps you could find a capable electronics whiz who can make it a complete service??

How cool is this - using the TV with all the touchscreen functions intact!!

It worked on mine.

If cloudy inside, then there is damp. They need removing, cleaning carefully then resealing.

Try www.toyotaimportsforum.co.uk or look in the ALSC web site in Oz.

Best of luck

Nick

Quote from the Lexus Soarer FAQ for the ALSC (Oz lexus soarer club)

My heater doesn’t seem to work. How can I fix this?

There is a control valve in the engine bay. The correct replacement can be sourced, but is relatively expensive.

You can replace your old VSV with Toyota part # 88690-32280. It's from a Camry (I believe) and is virtually identical to the original stock one. Only thing you'll have to do is cut off the leads from the old VSV and attach to the new one with solderless connectors. Again, follow the previous article to see how to do this. The new unit comes with a bracket that you can discard, and mount the new one to the stock heater diaphragm valve just like the old one. Oh, and it only costs about $70 (2001).

The $ are Oz so = about £30 tops.

To find these answers and more look using google.com and put in ALSC or whatever!

Happy hunting.

Oh and don't forget www.toyotaimportsforum.co.uk for a very active UK based Soarer mad forum. Soarer Sanctuary is the place to get stuff done very cheaply but its dahn sarf!

BW

Nick

Quote from toyotaimportsforum.co.uk

So now I will drain mine and put the red stuff in instead of the green thats in there.

How do you drain the coolant? I've seen the cap at the bottom of the rad, but will that get the lot out?

Any tips?

You also need to turn the heater on before switching the motor off. Remove the heater hose from the valve under the bonnet, and shove a hose in it for flushing when the engine is cool.

Also, remove the bolt on top of the top hose mount on the engine. Replace that last as you refil to let air out.

There is also a block drain on the passengers side of the block, but not easy to get to, so I didn't bother.

Hope that helps

BW

Nick

Soarers are great and now are less unusual than 10 years ago when I had mine for 4 years. I found then 2 problems

1. Police watch you alot, alot alot.

2. You need traction control if you're going to use it in icy weather. We get that here in yorkshire and I nearly wrote off my 2 day old one (Jap Import) on a straight road doing 40 mph. it went thru a hedge backwards and cost 000's to repair (thanks for insurance). I found the lack of confidence that no Traction control creates was a a real bore, especially in Winter.

3. Back is quite good, esp for a coupe

4. Mechanically I loved the V8, it was ssssoooooo faassst.

5. I remember boot wasn't too bad either?

I'd be interested in a V8 fully loaded in good nick at under £5k.....

well i have a strange noise mainly on start up and soem times when im pulling away from stand still.. it sounds like a liquid, gurgling noise and eminates from under the dash it sounds like..

oh what can the matter be...

just a thought, I guess you have A/C? If so its worth checking the water drain hole isn't blocked. I had one andf eventually I got ice cold showers!!

Can of coke in the glove box? Air in cooling system?

Best of luck!

Just heard of this, have signed up and installed. It does use a bit of power but nothing I can't put up with.

Thanks for letting me know, it may save someone's life, perhaps even mine.

Happy to support. Anything else we can do to help?

It was sons wedding reception next day. Otherwise, well who knows? I was out getting stuff.

Yes Tarmac. about 100 feet by 25 feet straight line.

Look you just got to put it down to experience after all this time. It put my blood pressure up for Months!! I have a really good friend yet he teased me about it for AGES, which was almost worse!!!

Its still there and my gold RX-300 (1999 new to me 20k miles) looks great on it!

Whatever you call them, they are bad news. Wife got me done up for £5k last year (was going to be on a Lexus car, had to save up another year for that), I was out "he was a nice man in a dayglo jacket and we needed the drive doing"....... And they asked for £10k. After.

Anyway she knows she pays for any more flights of fancy like that again.

:shutit:

thanks for info but if youve got an rx 300 whats 70quid to you,you must have a few quid 

Nasty, how about a 4 year old Harrier Import? Not £40k, but less than an IS, so just check first perhaps green eyes?