mikeyv

If you cast your mind back Mike, I started a thread about a year back concerning this, and I think you posted on it. Select Lexus as the make, then type ls400 in the search box, and you get more results than selecting ls400 from the list on the left - no idea why, and I don't think anybody else did in that old thread either. I've just tried it, and sure enough the car is there.

I can barely get in to mine if the memory is on the wifes setting, so maybe it's to avoid crushing yourself against the steering wheel by pressing the wrong memory button?

I have never heard those tales as most of the cars that have them originally were Mercs and Lexus. I know a lot of cheaper models now have them so maybe its those. Mine works like a dream and is very easy to care for. Yes, I thought Lexus would be fine. I went to British Car Auctions looking for a Mazda MX5, and stumbled across a nearly new, top of the range Ford Focus CC in a lovely gold colour with cream leather. It was struggling to make £10k, and I was sorely tempted, so hit the internet for info. That was when I first came across the horror stories about leaking tops that couldn't be cured, despite numerous dealer attempts, and Ford actually taking some cars back - needless to say, I kept my wallet closed until I found a nice MX5.

Looks lovely. I've always been put off retracting hardtops by the many tales of incurable leaks, and mangled mechanisms. I'd guess that Lexus will not have these problems though?

I'd prefer my 100.000 miler at sensible money, thanks. Apart from exceptionally low miles not necessarily being a good thing, I'm happier running a car I can use anywhere without worrying about the odd parking scar. After a years motoring, it owes me nothing, so if it went bang in an expensive way, I could break/scrap it, and buy another.

I've seen two LS400 today in Newport (3 if you include my own), though they were both cars that I see about quite regularly. A couple of weeks back I was in Eastbourne for a funeral, and saw three on the same day, including a G reg, which must be one of the first imported I guess.

Hi Mike It is more complicated than leaning the mixture a bit - there are commercial ECU remappers who advertise a 20% improvement in fuel economy if you have them work on your car. I put an external chip (connected to the ODI port) on my car for a few months and it had minimal effect - it just seemed to get hot so I removed it. Bren Hi Bren, I seem to remember one of the main TV channels did a programe reviewing many of these Snake Oil products some time ago and not one of them worked. They came to the conclusion that if it was possible manufacturers would have included it in their building specs years ago. Mike. I think you'll find that many manufactures were going to supply new dual fuel cars this included Land Rover who about 6-7years were in talks with government The government, in their wisdom, discouraged the idea because if other manufactures followed suit & it caught on with the public (which it would) it would mean a substantial drop in tax revenue. The only manufacturer who I recall did offer dual fuel was Vauxhall but they have dropped it Volvo & Saab also offered it and you right about the U turn the government did, their loss our gain. Mike Ford, Proton, and Nissan as well I think. I certainly had a Y reg Primera that was an official conversion, though I believe they came off the line as standard cars, and the conversion was contracted out.

Don't like the look of all those drillings on the chrome wheels, there probably fine from a safety point of view, as I've seen plenty like them on ebay, but they just don't look very strong to me with all that metal missing from mainly one half of the wheel centre.

Can't help with the first part of your question, but if you end up needing the locking wheel nuts removing, go to an independant tyre fitting company, in my experience they had a few different tools for removing without the proper "key", and at reasonable cost.

I think bin is removed once a bid is lodged, though you can always just have a bin only listing, or a classified with best offer listing.

We were down in East Devon in our caravan, supposedly till Saturday, but after heavy rain and winds all day Thursday and all night in to Friday, we packed up and came home a day early. Bit of a hairy trip up the M5 in strong winds and torrential rain, but not in the Lexus, I tow with a nice heavy Hiace campervan. We love our campervan, but it's based on a commercial diesel vehicle, so it's great to jump in the LS after a week away, and enjoy a nice waft.

No age at all - Rip Tony.

The blue look bloody awful to me, but I'm old and colour blind, so make your own mind up would be my advice. Your car, your money, your taste and you're the one who will have to look at it every day, so don't worry what anybody else thinks.

Take the ciggy plug off and fit crocodile clips. Include an in-line fuse, then clip direct to battery to operate. That's what I did when I bought a compressor that was too powerful to run off the cigar lighter.

Put that to him, then see if his reasons are credible, and go from there. Leaving the car aside, do you trust the seller? If not, I wouldn't go any further - if you do, but aren't sure about the car, get it professionally inspected, either by a garage you trust, or AA or similar.

Sorry, I didn't see there was a second page, ignore my rambling above, and enjoy you're new motor.

I've had a cat D in the past, worked out fine. Subject to the car being "right", if you're looking to keep it for a while, I'd certainly go for it, but barter hard, as THE big snag with repaired write offs is reselling them, so he won't be beating buyers off with a stick. I do remember the ebay listing, and iirc, the cat C bit wasn't prominent in the ad, which I don't like to see, if I'm honest, as it's probably the most important fact about the car. Best of luck, whatever you decide.

Funny isn't it, when we were asked to approve the gravy train, known then as the Common Market, now the EU, the main selling point was that all these barriers would come down within Europe.

V 183 HAA in the pics, or am I missing something?

Nice looking car, and to be honest, I even like the wheels.

£250 with an LPG system? The bloke who missed that wants shooting.

Courtesy cars are great for helping you appreciate what you have. I had a Saab convertible today, bit of a shed if I'm honest, but boy was the LS a pleasure to jump back in to. I remember having a Civic 1.7 Ltr diesel when my Civic TypeR was in for a service - same shape, but as different as night and day. I also recall a 2.0 Ltr Avensis, which I quite liked, but was a bit ordinary - felt like a dragster after the deadly dull Corolla they gave me for a courtesy car. I've never driven a 430, but the longer I own my 400, the more I love it.

Apart from the harder ride, damage from potholes becomes a lot more likely with low profiles, both tyres and wheels. And most places I've been recently seem to have given up on road repair.

Just to clarify, I didn't consider the LS400 in my five, as I already own one.

Shelby Cobra for looks, go and gorgeous soundtrack, Cadillac for drop dead looks, Ford Thunderbird, 77 Sunset Strip model, again for looks, Honda TypeR for lovely engines and gearbox - Accord or EP3 Civic JDM, Toyota Land Cruiser for bad weather. If you asked me again in a years time, some of those might change, but the Cobra and Caddy are set in stone as absolute dream cars.