Chris Skelton

I was always an outsider! A United fan from childhood-living IN Liverpool then! (But it was -the original- Busby Babes I started with. It was, (Colour comment) of course, a tease!

LS400 gets 2 Golf bags in, I believe. certainly I fitted two big speaker boxes in ....but this is no help to you! Fridges? Life was simpler in the old days.....not so much to go wrong! (The 2CV philosophy!)

Anyway, it's definitely Man Utd Red?

Well.Folk who know me tell me I was always 'chilled' (except when dealing with Council idiots!) As to seeing things (around the world). Rather than doing a 'Pret a Manger' with my business -it WAS possible-we did it before them!) I chose to take time off, so I DID see places at leisure. Been to NZ several times/ New Mexico for New Year dances -Taos. Lots of Iberian trips, including 6 months once! Sat in near empty Alhambra in full moon(-try THAT now!) Canada for 3 months..... Happy to trundle.

Possibly my age! Am so familiar with our small car these days, that am content to trundle in that. Plus various joint aches that I get...... The car is perfect; only 42K miles, fat service file, smooth, quiet, powerful-when-needed. Had a chain of big Citroens: Traction Avant. DSs.CXs. Had decided to leave Citroens as happy memories when this-almost mystically low mile version appeared to tempt me away from constant viewing on-line. (As we know, after an LS 400, it's hard to contemplate others. The style of the XM suceeded, with my Citroen innoculation) Maybe I'll mellow into it....but then, maybe I should mellow into retirement!

I liked my Cherokee as well. Had a '90 one from 94 to 01. Trolled across Spain -with hiccup at 50K. As 50K rolled across the speedo, I said 'This is the time things go wrong with cars" Sure enough, the Alternator packed up an hour later! Had an MOT days before I left.9/10th way through trip, found a wheel bearing was completely shot! Some MOT station! But it was like driving an armchair. Know the feeling about 'not taking' to a car-I'm not happy with my 42K mile XM 3 litre-though it's probably the best one in UK!

Glue? Or 'proper' repair?

Never mind the pics-you need to change your name to Keithls460 now! (-:

As a hoarder....still got 3 boxes of cassettes; plus sit next to circa 700 CDs.......look on them as 'hard copy'! (Use HDD/itunes at home-folk here know I'm rather into hi-fi. spent more on set-up than any car!) As to spending money. Worth it every time, as long as you don't get itchy for that 'something new'. Depends on the heart really? It's so hard when we're bombarded with 'get this new ***** wonderthing' all the time. But the pleasure of being in something comfortable, smooth, special. Plus VERY well made, with no sign of all those 'aids' that can go wrong. e.g. why would you 'need' tyre valves that tell you the pressure? You've got eyes, hands and a gauge! Simple is best-and easier to maintain. A good (ideally Ser 4?) LS should motor on for ages. The only thing 'wrong' is the conservative shape-which is why I drive an XM Citroen-but then, I had Citroens for 35 years before Lexus, so was innoculated/indocdrinated? Bought the only one I could find that was half decent. Not a patch on Lex build quality though, but smooth and quick enough.

Tony Bones! 'Wheels in Motion' are ace. True professionals. I'm sure there must be others, but where? Apologies for my Euro comments! (But a comment saying we've sent 'all our money to Europe' was guaranteed a response?) Especially seeing how our wonderful govt behaves.

No, not so! We contribute less per capita to Europe than some. It's just us! The Tory policy of reducing 'debt' meant severe cuts in EVERYTHING, yet still we vote them in. Governments in Europe seem able to maintain their infrastructure better, whilst we waste BILLIONS bailing out dishonest banks and paying Private/expensive firms to run things. Don't fall for that stupid/kneejerk concept of "It's all europe" (Ironically, quite a lot of regulations from Europe originate HERE!) If we put the tax income from road transport back into infrastructure we'd have gold plated roads by now!! Most of the Tax/VAT from vehicles is siphoned off to support other stuff. 80% of fuel is tax, for example. Anyway; great write up. I thought washing my car was an effort! I recall getting Dunlop tyres from Japan to get correct tyres for the Ser 3 400. I have fond memories of cruising along empty highways in Andalucia-and in SUNSHINE!

You guys! One with an SC430 lusting after a LS460. One with nice LS430 wanting.....etc.! I guess the LS400 Ser 4 is now becoming a 'classic'? Let alone the older ones.

Talking about Paint reminds me of the tales about Lexus painters. Apparently (LS 400 days) they were required to be up-trained every few months. There was a man with 3 sets of fingernails to check switches.......the paint shop was beyond SOTA......

This was suggested decades ago. The reason for NOT doing away with tax discs/tax was that it would cause unemployment in Swansea!

With special brush to extricate dead pigeons from the huge grill? Bet you still have to watch banging your head on entering as driver? The slope of the screen ensures this.

I never set my alarm on my Ser 4 car. But this sounds more serious than my 2-3 week drain hassle. Strangely, given Citroen's reputation for electric glitches, my XM 3 litre currently seems to be happy sitting unused for several weeks (AND in cold!) without losing too much voltage. (He said, touch wood) New Year greetings, all.

Citroen DS wheel change? Loosen wheel nuts. Put car on 'high' setting.......up goes car. Put supplied stand under jack point. Put car back to 'normal' setting......wheel is now off the ground. take off wheel etc., etc.. Easy peasy! I once had to change THREE wheels -thanks vandal with screwdriver! Luckily I HAD 3 spares! Took about 10 mins! Spend next ten minutes looking at beautiful DS23....then softly cruise away! Memories of youth!

Send him a pm; he'll get an e-mail telling him there's a message.......? As to economy/ecology. I guess the ultimate car would then be a Citroen Mehari (or 2CV) with electric power? Plastic body weighing 400 lbs......fun to drive. (No leather/air-con (open the windows)/but, hey, it's the economy!

Well, as Ser 4s are now at least 16 years old, take 8K miles as 'norm' that's 128K miles minimum. We all wish to find the car that has been 'mollycoddled' and has only done 50K. (They DO exist! I own a Citroen XM 3 litre - Y2000, with only 42K miles on it!)

Your £5 should be in the post! (5? More like £50! for this!)

....and the back of the 2CV VAN had two handles instead of bumpers, so you could just 'bounce' the car across into a VERY narrow gap! I know-I did often! Your aunt would be OK with a late XM; it doesn't 'sink' too far!

Seats firm? Large US customers are target audience. And the boot (trunk!) opens slowly as it takes them longer to move out of the way? I used to love parking my Citroen DS, as the front was curved, so you just swung it in (AND the bumpers were metal!)

Getting out,maybe; you have to get IN to start the car,remember! And, beware. Once in a ser 1 Citroen CX, in response to a 'Is this one of those cars that go up and down?", I put it on 'Low'. And it wouldn't come back up!! AA lift to garage, after red face! Later ones didn't hang the switch under in the rain, etc..!

No don't! Enjoy it now! I just 'went back' to Citroen, getting a pristine 3 litre XM, after 8 years away. But am getting to the old git stage, in that my knees and feet, after near 30 years standing up in my cafe, are failing. But hopefully , my 42K mile car will join CXs and DSs as investments!

But it has reversing sensors? so do I; called eyes! I nearly had similar incident with my (still pristine) 3 litre Citroen XM 2 days back. Luckily I was standing next to it, as idiot-who-can't-tell-how big-his-car-is was about to keep reversing until he heard the bang! Twice! I had to actually stand in his way to dissuade the 3rd attempt. But......B+M? Should park in distant corners?