harrylime

It's not just this site. I decided only yesterday that the amount of ads and the level to which they intrude, sometimes obscuring what I am reading, was totally ruining my internet use. I looked into it and found a free download called Adblocker Plus. I did some more research and the consensus seemed to confirm it is safe. I installed it yesterday and it is a revelation. I am seeing no ads as I write this, and the icon tells me that 10 ads are currently being blocked on this page. It is free, and they request donations (which I will probably do). I have no connection whatsoever, just a very impressed user.

Actually, that model may work for our ads. An honour system in which people could donate as much as they want, if they sell their car or parts.

Just to correct my first post, I believe the last car advertised on the forum was February 2013, not February of this year, Enough said.

Ha, you could not do any worse than the coalition of doom !

Good point, Phil. That 400 looks like a hell of a good buy for someone. Pity you had to pay to advertise it though

Ian

Talk about putting a spin on things. You're not in politics by any chance? I think most on the forum will have correctly interpreted my comment that It is the site rules that exert subtle pressure to become a paying member, not the moderators, whose time and effort is appreciated by all, I am sure. I, too, have seen the results of members being able to sell items for free on a forum. The buyer was happy, the seller was happy. Result, mutual benefit, which is what forums should be all about

The almost total absence of any cars or parts appearing for sale confirms it is not a good excuse, as any income is minimal. I dislike the subtle pressure for members to upgrade to paid membership. The club is unique in charging, as far as I know. It does not look as if the policy will be reconsidered, which is a shame.

Slightly contradictory there, Neil. Are you saying they over value their cars or that they know the true value of their cars? In either event, I tend to disagree, because regardless of where the cars are advertised, reasons for selling are usually the same - change of circumstances, upgrading, wife won't drive it, moving home so losing the garage, want to try something different etc etc. Enthusiasts are more likely to look after their cars properly, be more knowledgeable etc. and will have researched more before buying in the first place. The price of a car will always be what someone will pay for it, the seller will always want more, the buyer will always want to pay less. I can see where you are coming from, and I have seen cars stupidly priced by private and trade sellers alike. I don't believe it's forum related though

Ian

I think you are probably right, I have some spray silicon oil as well. Anyone ever experienced this?

My steering wheel has developed the occasional squeak when I turn it. It is only now and then , but it is annoying. Has anyone experienced this? is it a case of some judiciously applied WD40?

thanks in advance

Does the forum not benefit financially from any of the huge companies that have advertising banners on this forum? Mike

Unfortunately that isn't how it works. Those huge companies are not advertising directly, it is through AdSense type of advertising services, we aren't talking about £££ here it is pence.

The fact is the club struggles to pay its hosting costs. The vast majority of members are not gold members so alternative sources of income are required.

Fair comment, but charging to advertise is not the answer, because nobody uses it. Even paying £5 makes little sense because the audience is so small, Pistonheads, Gumtree etc are free. Also, if selling parts, it makes no sense for the smaller/cheaper items when postage etc are taken into account. hence, cars being scrapped. If it is only pence for those ads btw, I would tell them where to stick it.

That's a very good question, Mike. They are increasingly intrusive and my popup blocker does not stop them. I imagine the host website must have to accept them? - Hugh

Charging still defeats the basic principle of providing a mutual benefit for all members. BMW, Jaguar, Audi etc, forums seem to manage without charging. If web space costs money, and an ad could, presumably, be posted just like any other post, using that logic, why not charge for discussion forums as well? Should those who post more often on discussions be charged more than those who do not? I am against charging in principle, and the amount charged is not really the point, in my view. Good to see an open discussion, though. Too often, we accept the status quo, even when it defies logic and common sense.

It may not be PC to say this, but I try to make sure that if any of our cars need work, it is me that takes it in and not my wife. I would not be surprised if some garages take advantage of the ladies, assuming that they are less tech savvy than mens. Some of our experiences bear this out (other experiences disprove it, as my wife has received very fair treatment from some local, small garages). just a thought

Can't seem to avoid the ads now on any website, they are beginning to spoil the internet experience, as they are taking it to excess. Youtube is ruined already. In the past 30 seconds I have ads for Bridgestone and BMW appearing on the Lexus forum - Adchoices? It's part of my original point really, the priority always seems to be making money and maximising profit now and everyone seems to have their hand out. There is more to life.

Glad you agree about the GM for advertising, it seems a no brainer to me.

This has been discussed in another thread - how much success selling on LOC?, but I thought it appropriate to open this out for others, should they wish to comment.

In my view, advertising on the forum should be free of charge. There are enough people including main dealers, insurance companies, eBay, autotrader etc trying to get their hands in our pockets without being charged on our own forum. BMW, Jaguar, Audi forums et al do not charge to advertise, are they looking after their members better? A forum should be run be enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. In practical and economic terms, charging to advertise also makes no sense.How much revenue does it bring in? The last car advertised on LOC was in February of this year. The posts in the for sale section do not even appear as they have all timed out, they are so old. i never even look on there to see what is available.

If advertising is free it would result in less moderation as fewer "inferior non Gold members" would have the gall to mention that they have a car for sale in the wrong forum. A lot more ads would definitely appear in the for sale section, for cars and parts, this would stimulate a lot more interest, a lot more traffic from external visitors. It is simple commercial sense, and would provide a useful resource for those who participate in the forum. It would increase the likelihood that cars are passed from one genuine enthusiast to another, would make parts much easier to find, keeping some cars on the road and out of the scrapyard or banger racing track. It would also reduce friction on the forums and the apparent sense of superiority felt by some Gold members (and tempting as it is, that is not a euphemism). For those who want to pay a membership fee, having worked out cost vs benefit, that is fine. I do not use theme parks, and for me, it is not worth it.

That's all well and good. Members can work out whether it is worth it for them. In my view, advertising on the forum should be free of charge. There are enough people including main dealers, insurance companies, eBay, autotrader etc trying to get their hands in our pockets without being charged on our own forum. BMW, Jaguar, Audi forums et al can do it.Are they looking after their members better? How much revenue does it bring in? Make it free - less moderation as fewer inferior non Gold members will have the gall to mention they have a car for sale in the wrong forum, lot more ads in the for sale section, for cars and parts, lot more interest, lot more traffic from external visitors. Simple commercial sense. It would also reduce friction and the apparent sense of superiority felt be some Gold members (and tempting as it is, that is not a euphamysm). I may start a new thread on this, to open it out for discussion, as I am slightly off topic here.

Lot of pettiness creeping into this forum in my humble opinion. Personally, I don't understand why it is necessary to pay to become a member, in order to advertise a car. I haven't been on every other car forum, by any means, but I'm not aware of any other forum on which you have to pay to advertise. I believe that BMW, Jaguar and Audi forums are free. Any forum should be for the benefit of all, and run by enthusiasts. This is why cars are almost never advertised on our forum. I believe the last was in February of this year and a quick look just revealed no posts, as they are so old they do not show up. I am considering changing my LS400 (no details, this is not an ad) and there are plenty of places I can legitimately advertise. The policy of having to pay just demonstrates a stingy, non inclusive attitude, in my view, which serves only to reduce the amount of traffic, and of people who will even take an interest in Lexus and look in from time to time. Who will bother on the off chance of a car coming up for three or four months? I never look to see what's available. No wonder people surreptitiously drop hints on other threads, I don't blame them.

Name and shame the selling garage to prevent others using them?

Just enjoyed the first few days of my first holiday in the 400. I travel to South West Wales from Yorkshire once or twice a year. This trip actually took longer than usual, as we stopped at Aberfan Cemetery to pay our respects, something I've been meaning to do for years as I was the same age as those children who lost their lives and remember it happening clearly at the age of 11. One girl victim actually shared my birth date and it was quite moving. Not a jolly start to a holiday but something I felt I should do.

After arriving at my family's place in Wales after six hours I have never before felt so relaxed after that trip (and I have had some good cars). . I was not as tired as usual and could quite easily have made the return trip the same day. The car is so comfortable, quiet and responsive I can only think that it is noise, vibration and lack of refinement that cause tiredness.

Now driving around Pembrokeshire, the aircon working well in the 22 degree heat, this is exactly what the 400 is all about and why I bought it. I do not dread going out and driving after the long trip down, the narrow lanes are not a problem, as I just take my time. I have been up some very steep hills and put my foot down just to see how the car would respond. It is as if there is no hill, the power is phenomenal. The dog is happy, because the cold air routed to the back seats seem to be more effective than previous cars I have had. All very relaxing and not the usual experience in modern traffic.

This car really is something else. The attention to detail is incredible and falls down in only one area. Given the obsessive attention given the car during development, it is surprising that this was overlooked. It is not a major issue, but the outside door handles get hot in the sun. My daughter complains, but it is not really a big deal, if a bit surprising it was not picked up during the development stage. My wife did not want to bring the lexus. She distrusts it because it is fifteen years old. I think she is now glad that I did not bring the Octavia.

I have just cleaned the front mats in my 400, the first time since I bought it last year. They were really grubby, so I vacuumed them, hosed them down, scrubbed them with diluted carpet shampoo and a nail brush. After a full day on the clothes line they have dried out nicely and have come up really well. Pretty sure they are original so the quality is incredible - probably a high wool content

I remember touring California, Nevada etc and being impressed with the quality of the roads. It was a good few years ago but the USA is as broke as the UK now, as they spend it all on the military. Those drones don't pay for themselves and everyone is desperate to wear a uniform of one sort or another. Still, although thousands of American lives were lost in Iraq, at least the Iraqis have total stability now .

I know almost nothing about road surfacing, but the roundabout that had been surfaced with a different material may may have been surfaced with a high grip surface, which is used at high risk locations, sharp bends, accident black spots etc.. It is very expensive apparently.

I forgot to add, if you want a smooth ride, take any road on which the Tour de France is running. We appear to have many millions to make these roads like billiard tables, so priorities have shifted from roads which are full of potholes and potentially dangerous to those on which a sporting event is being held.

Quite right. More traffic, more tax, but less spent on roads. It's a quality of life issue and does not factor into politicians' priorities. Their obsessions includes financial growth (which benefits fat cats and not the working classes), savage spending cuts, looking after the bankers and big business interests and destruction of the public sector on ideological grounds. Quality of life for average people is not even an issue. hence the closure of sports facilities, the selling off of school fields, insufficient spending on flood defences, the relaxation of planning laws resulting in the loss of swathes of green belt, which are being lost forever. As this lot have increased the national debt by £800 Billion since they came into power, do not expect it get any better. In fact, as interest rates have been kept unnaturally low for years (how can borrowing money possibly cost .5 of one per cent? it is ridiculous), almost certainly by the government, who can't afford to service their debt, expect it to get worse. In my humble opinion, the recovery is an illusion, the increase in employment is also an illusion, being made up of crappy jobs with zero hour contracts. Everything is aimed at creating an illusion for the next general election. I believe that, within a few years we are likely to see a crash and a squeeze on people's wealth like nothing we have seen to date, perhaps on a par with Greece. The depressing thing is that the "Labour" party have lost any semblance of socialism, which appears to be a dirty word now, and are just as bad.

So in five years we will all be looking for cars with suspension that is softer than a Lexus, a Citroen C6 perhaps ? - if we can still afford a car.

By, I feel better for that rant.

deceased

Only kidding, it's all down to personal choice. I had a Volvo XC90 in white with a bodykit on loan for a day. First impressions were it looked like a pimp's car, but it really grew on me over the course of the day