Chris Skelton

Cream naughahide might work? (-: But then, I like White cars (AND I'm not from Essex!)

Yes, I'm getting tempted as well. Just read through Craig's pages-and Lexus quality is hard to match! I've been 3+1/2 years away......

Do we assume that, as you have an SC430 in your details, that you finally bought one? If so, did you answer your own queries?

A bit! A reason I shifted my LS-added up price of bushes and it was more than car value! (Chicken!)

Yes; just PUSH them closed?

Hooray!.....though I always fit my own batteries, ought direct from Bristol Batteries! How the he** can you NOT connect the same thing that was originally connected??? Or see it later.....

Yes, that's right. I've used them.

Feature of my -now gone- Nissan El Grand van! ZOOOOM!! Shut!

Red is nice! For sale-where?

Careful gluing?

Prices will rise!! http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/news/classic-car-news/1509/you-wont-believe-the-development-history-behind-lexus/ had e-mail this morning.....

Mk 1 for occasional/historical outings. Mk 4 for more general usage? I like lpg too.....saw a Smart Forfour with lpg! 90mpg?

Agree about modern complexity. I've mentioned before about an old 2CV advert that had a list of features of other cars that the 2CV DIDN'T have; at the bottom it said "Nothing to go wrong"!!! This echoes my situation currently. Am running a 10 year old Micra that-touch wood- just trundles on. And the LS400 has spoiled me for anything else really, though I nearly bought a 65K mile Citroen XM this week as I love the look. But it'd still be lower quality than the LS. Smart Forfour next i think -like the design - as I have little need of a limo now (did I ever? Just a 'treat' when I worked!) Or, I guess I'll just hire a car when needed. (The Googlecar concept?)

I guess, in reality, we insure BOTH car and driver, as Companies take consideration of the car details and owner?

OK 'Mr Insurance' (I know you're there!), try this one. Whilst investigating importing a car from Europe (Citroen XM, since you ask) I discovered an interesting fact. The SELLER'S insurance covers the car until midnight on day of sale! ( SO if you can get to ferry in time, it saves a lot of fuss!) Does this apply to the UK as well? So, if I buy a car I still can drive it home before self-insuring. Would certainly make tentative buying easier-no more arranging Insurance/pending, then not buy car etc! We await words of wisdom! (Thank you!)

That's because they are selling 'product' and probably don't know their a**e from elbow in the order room? It's just a number on an order form.

Mike. Lesson from this is....don't assume-the + 25 years! as to Insurance Companies suspending your insurance for the 6 week period. Why did you bother telling them? as you weren't going to drive for 6+ weeks anyway? I've left car for 6 weeks untouched. Then, if your Doctor tells you you're fit to drive, then, surely, you are fit? Am amazed at the mention of treadmill test for HGVs. If you'd have seen to size of my bus driver yesterday! No WAY could he do one! Just about dragged himself off the step-down! Sitting here looking at this screen for too many hours can give a person back ache though! (It rained today.....)

.....and....tell your insurance company?

I had similar reservations. Wouldn't you fix stuff if you wanted to get a good price?

I've still got a set of Citroen DS23 (Stainless!) wheelcovers in my loft! I say 'wheelcovers, because they are more than 'caps'!

Try this string to see an ongoing RANT! http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?! Always fun!

Strips of silver paper to pad out......?

I agree that the LS is so quite, it is only road noise at 60mph you hear, and that UK roads are so naff the harsh surface creates too much noise. I will say that went out in a Golf Blue Motion the other day (one of my sales teams car), and the road noise was almost as good as the LS (but then it has narrower tyres) One thing to remember is that the LS was designed before the advent of computer technology used extensively in car design, so I suspect newer Lexus cars will have the upper hand in better acoustic isolation, and there would be 60 computers working on the problem, not 60 engineers. Not that that would make any difference? (60 computers). Japanese folk can get quite OCD about stuff. I saw a Parking assistant picking up cig ends with chop sticks-white gloves on.......once. Place is clean! Computers are only as good as the input. No substitute for experience? The Ser 4 is pretty silent; no amount of computers can deal with our grit-grade road surfaces. I live 100 yards uphill from A4 and it's like the sea! No engine noise, just tyres. When I asked what had happened to the wonderful 'Silent surface' they had trialled about 15 years ago, I was told it hadn't proved durable! Yet they resurface every 2 years..... Whilst in Germany.......properly made roads. I suspect 'Fixed contracts'/Lowest quote comes in here somewhere?

Tyre blow-outs? drive a Citroen CX/XM/DS. No problem then!

That's 'throe' not 'throw'! throw is for .....'a wobblie (or wobbly?) when you see the needles jump! (-: