harrylime

Bob Flavin would be an inspired choice. He could resuscitate the programme. It would definitely be a nice, relaxed watch

I could not have described the classic car show better. nailed it Mike

Jodie Kidd is apparently hotly tipped to join Top Gear, having been seen lunching with Jeremy Clarkson. I can't believe it, she's painful to watch on the classic car show, I can't even watch it any more. That'll be the end of my viewing I'm afraid

It is a worry, although there are many cars from the 1950s still going, so people seem to manage. Also, as Malc's experience shows, globalisation and the internet helps

Kate Wolf is very special HarryL Tom Paxton John Prine Iris de Ment Blaze Foley Townes Van Zandt Nanci Griffiths Merle Haggard et al. Enjoy your music Harry. Regards John Should have added Townes Van Zandt and Nancy Griffiths to my list, they are also in my car. I have a spare CD cassette in the glovebox, which makes life easier, with quick access to 12 CDs. Feel like going for a drive now !

Bob Dylan (his lesser known works which are by far his best, e.g. Huck's tune, 2 soldiers et al), Bruce Springsteen, Led Kappana, The Handsome Family, Woody Guthrie, Thomas Newman etc etc. Almost anyone except Genesis or Simply Red or the boy band crap they churn out nowadays), and thank you for pointing me in the direction of Kate Wolf. Never heard of her but just found some on YouTube, just brilliant

About the only thing that could spoil a drive in my 400 is Genesis coming through the speakers. Phil Collins sounds like a long tail cat that's sat too close to someone in a rocking chair

Diesels are losing favour as they realise they were not as clean as the manufacturers claimed, as there are other emissions in addition to CO2. I suspect they will start to lose their tax advantages which, coupled to dual mass flywheel and DPF problems etc. may well see their popularity reduce dramatically. Perhaps Lexus were on the right lines from the start with their hybrid developments

No need to apologise, not a problem

Hmmm. What you say betrays a common misconception. Life is not a zero-sum game: it is perfectly possible to be equally upset about terrible disasters happening to other people and also non-life-threatening problems of your own. You don't have to choose, you don't have to rank these things in some sort of order. Being troubled by your own problems does not mean you are lacking in empathy or a sense of proportion. I'm sure you mean well but, in my personal view, you should not be telling someone else how to feel about their own difficulties. First of all, I did not tell anyone how they should feel. If you read my post more carefully, you will note that was careful to relate my views to the way in which I get stressed over what seems like major problems. It was not advice, just an observation. Your view about life not being a zero sum game etc. is true enough, but it does us no credit and is only the case because we have such privileged, spoiled, soft lives compared to many and have little to worry about, except the occasional family tragedy or health issues. We generally worry too much about trivial matters. I was watching the news about the plane crash as I read the OP's comments about being ashamed of a wrinkly seat and it seemed disproportionate, which in turn made me think about how I sometimes react to what are usually fairly trivial problems in the scheme of things.Your comment that my point betrays a common misconception is meaningless and irrelevant and assumes that I was discussing facts. I was not, I was discussing perception, which is 100% subjective. My perception of how we deal with specific issues is not wrong, and it's not right, it's just my perception, and my opinion. I don't care whether you think I meant well or not (although I did), and that comment is simply patronising. Again, if you read my post more carefully, you will note that I specifically made the point that it is not my place to give advice. I suggest you adopt the same view. I don't expect you to agree, and I'm definitely not going to get into an argument with someone who can, firstly, completely miss my point, and, secondly, contradict themselves by giving me advice.

You are clearly very upset about this, and I think you are right to follow it up. However, it's not my place to give advice, and what I'm going to say may sound trite, but events over the Alps yesterday demonstrate that what we perceive as big problems really are not. I speak as one who is probably much like you. I am a perfectionist and stress over anything that is not just so. Having seen the grieving relatives on the news today and thought about what the poor people on that aircraft went through as it went down, and compared it to the stresses I feel during my ongoing house renovation, I intend to try and keep things in perspective as much as I can.

I pay around £200 with RH specialist insurance for a classic car policy, 5000 miles pa and it includes rescue/recovery and European cover. parked on a drive, the area is not low risk in terms of insurance. No experience with LPG though

The police were informed and sent evidence together with the name and telephone number of a witness as to what went on with the car that did a lot or reverse driving and they couldn't be bothered. I know Ebay have no powers with relation to prosecution but they can make life difficult for those who break the rules but as long as they are getting money from them they are not bothered. As for those being annoyed by the thread Chris there is a simple answer to that.................... Mike I wasn't commenting that it was annoying me, personally i don't care one way or the other, i don't own a lexus anymore, (got me a better toy to play with) i was implying it was you and a couple of others that are getting annoyed, but hey-ho you didn't spot it. Again the devils advocate. I do not know why the police or ebay took no action, but they have their reasons which we are not privvy too. The crux of my comments were to get facts and give them to the right people, if they can't or won't do anything then you have to accept that, then you need to ask why won't they do anything, is it because the evidence gathered shows nothing worthy of prosecution or insufficient evidence, we don't know and they certainly won't tell us. People have had accounts closed by ebay for less then this chap has been claimed to have done, so what maybe the reason for their non action. We don't know if they have had a word with him, that is between ebay and the account holder. Constantly going on about it won't fix it nor will it make it go away and in all honesty it makes this forum look just as bad as a ford forum where they do this stuff all the time. I thought this forum was better than that, civilised and helpful, this topic shows a darker side to to this forum and some of it's members. And don't take it personally, it is not an attack against you or anyone else. When you look at this topic, form the bigger picture, it does not make for good reading for anyone. I am now an outsider looking in and if i can see it so can prospective other lexus owners, i know it is good to help each other out and give advice and pointers to where to go and what to avoid but this topic seems to go beyond that, and that in itself can be a detriment to prospective new lexus owners and members of this forum. I'm intrigued now, what's a better toy than a lexus?

That's why Michael Caine used Minis

Plus 1 for Guy, I'm a huge fan (and of Fred Dibnah) having started life as an engineering apprentice. Still think Chris Evans is more of a car fanatic. I also can't see Guy fitting in to the corporate world of the BBC as a regular. I read today that JC is a close friend of David Cameron's as part of the Chipping Norton set. So two bully boys together. Any sympathy I had has dissipated now. His tantrum was apparently over the catering arrangements and he got nasty with the bloke who had cocked it up. He's a big bloke but is probably as soft as s**t given the life he's had. Would have been more fitting if the bloke had floored him.

I think Chris Evans would be great on Top Gear. Definitely a car enthusiast, although they would probably need to steer him away from Ferraris. He is very personable and also is very good at what he does

Cameron is a superficial lightweight with no substance, gravitas, depth, ideology, character, integrity or genuine convictions. He is dismissed on the international stage as inconsequential and has no place outside the incredibly privileged bubble in which he has existed all his life. He is a cynical, nasty Bullingdon bully boy, with not the slightest concern for the lives of ordinary working folk. Personally, I think it is entirely appropriate that he should comment on the situation of soap stars and TV presenters. It is when he starts to talk about serious issues that I worry. Sadly, the alternatives seem little better.

I agree with that, notwithstanding the fact that we don't know what happened, the circumstances, whether he was provoked, who threw the first punch or whether anyone even connected. If it's as simple as it's been presented and he has thumped someone, it is obviously a criminal offence, and the police may take an interest. It could also go to a civil action, seeing as he's loaded. The Beeb can't ignore or tolerate that, regardless how popular he or the show is. They have a duty of care to all employees and presumably a discipline code that reflects employment law. On top of their responsibilities as an employer, he is a public figure on a show that attracts a lot of young, impressionable viewers. If it is as simple as has been said, he's gone, I would have thought, at least from the BBC

I don't mind him in short doses. I don't like some of his views. He'd probably appreciate health and safety more if he worked in a physical, dangerous job (6 miners killed in the year I started my apprenticeship at the pit - that concentrates your mind). I don't like his view that public sector workers who strike should be executed - he's obviously never worked in that environment, where your job is at risk at every annual reorganisation at cutback time (they often have to reapply for their own jobs annually), your workload increases because personnel and resources are continually being decimated and your conditions are constantly being savaged. I have no doubt his pension arrangements are not a cause for concern. That said, at least he has some charisma, is obviously a car enthusiast at heart and does have a sense of humour. It's not as if the bar is set very high by other programmes. Fifth gear is ridiculous - I'm sick of watching supercars being thrashed around a track - who cares, really?. The pairing of Quentin Wilson and Jodie something in that classic car programme is dire, totally lacking in any chemistry between them. I love classics, I have a Lancia Flavia coupe, a Mk 2 Jag and a lexus LS 400, but it is almost unwatcheable. It's cringe worthy in the same way that Alan Partridge is, except that with Steve Coogan it is intentional. I bet may and Hammond are worried.

putting polish over it does not help the minor scratches I want to get rid of. I'm thinking of T cut but the professional detailing, which does cut back the paint and then they polish it

Learned a few things there. Given that the 400 had so many coats of paint, has anyone any experience of having a detail / paintwork machine cut and polished back ?

Given that the 400 had so many coats of paint, has anyone any experience of having a detail / paintwork machine cut and polished back ?

That's true about the tyres. QW assumes he is speaking to viewers who know nothing about cars. He appeared to seriously be trying to convince usthat a 40 year old Range Rover is better than a new RX. Firstly, if I had a classic Rangie, worth 40 - 50K (realistically about half of what QW claimed they are worth), I would not spend much time thrashing it up hill and down dale. Secondly, on any journey, long or short, the Lexus would at least have an even chance of getting there and back without breaking down (every car I seem to have passed on the motorway awaiting recovery lately seems to be a land Rover or a range Rover). The refinement, performance, creature comforts etc are not even in the same league. I like Land Rovers, and appreciate the heritage etc., but I've never come close to buying one as I prefer to spend most of my time in cars than underneath them with a spanner. Be realistic, Quentin, the RR was great in its time and is good now, but don't try to tell us it's better than modern vehicles. I tried to watch the latest episode but the combination of the smarmy delivery of QW, the spectacular absence of any evidence of a personality in Jodie Kidd, and the spontaneous, scripted unfunny banter made me squirm and I had to delete it from my sky box. I prefer the other guy, who covered the military vehicles, he is OK. IMHO the way forward is to ditch the other two, and partner the guy with glasses with Guy Martin, who could also discuss the engineering and maintenance side of these gorgeous cars.

QW compared the old Range Rover against a RX450 in an off road test,completely missing the point of the RX

Radio in the other car is OK and aerial seems to be extending OK