Wherryman Sam

Malc - good idea. My plan is to try different local places and decide based on the advice given. Steve - that's a bonny looking bus! The wheel colour does look like what I had in mind, like a gunmetal grey colour. It's interesting that you mention bodyshops - I hadn't thought to try them, so thanks for the tip.

You're right Malc, but only on the drivers side (had to go out and have a look 😄) Passenger side is silverish bar a scuff here and there. Maybe they were repainted at some point? Maybe drivers side was starting to be prepped for painting but never followed through? I have no idea. I know that people attempt wheel refurbs on their own, with varying success. Here is a chap's car I happened across in 2021. He did a respectable job, all on his own. Dunno what he used to do for a living, but he had some skills. Either way, mine need a good dose of looking at...

So, it's fair to say that The Duchess was in a sorry looking state when I went to bring her back from storage. Although it was very secure, it was in the open air and four months sitting in salt-laden mists rolling in off the Dee Estuary, coupled with a crack squadron of Welsh seagulls using her for precision bombing practice had taken their toll. She was back on the road from yesterday, so the first order of business was a trip to the valeter's. I was pleasantly surprised at the result. You will remember me posting about the manky wheels? Well, we can probably downgrade that to "A bit tatty". I'm still going to get them refurbed, but they look nowhere near as bad as the photos I posted a week or so ago. I think she scrubs up quite well, for an old girl...

Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that and with no tyres, transport and storage becomes less of an issue. I'll ping you a PM. 😀 James, this makes me so happy, thank you. I know the thread is a bit TL;DR but I decided against posting a new thread with updated results for exactly this reason. The next guy faced with his own Lexus dilemma might read this and have the benefit of the huge amount of wisdom, knowledge and experience which has been freely given by so many kind and generous people. My independent garage is Dan, the owner of Autoserv, Walkden M28. He's had quite the steep LS400 learning curve over the last 4 years and tells me he even joined this forum to get info on my car. He's sourced parts from all over the shop - some outside the UK - and has diligently trawled Ebay in his quest for bits. He really has gone the extra mile, bless him. 😍

Malc - yes 3x but I don't see mine catching yours anytime soon!😀 Paul - glad I could help. They came recommended by my guy and Scott is the bloke to talk to there, apparently. It's a bugger to get to though - you have to queue behind a bunch of numpties turning right into the household waste recycling centre, and you can't undertake or go on the wrong side of the road to pass because of parked commercial vehicles on both sides of the road. Thanks very much for the offer of your spare set, but I don't have anywhere to store them. I'm sure there'll be someone out there in dire need of them. There's a couple more in Bolton who offer wheel refurbs - one on Tonge Moor Road and one in Kearsley. Google (or your search engine of choice 😉) is your friend...

Malc - thanks for that, powder coating is what these guys do but you got a bargain there. Here are the wheels as they are right now without a clean:- So today's Malc lesson to me is - shop around! George - thanks for that. The 20 mile trip is certainly doable and kind of confirms what an AA Patrolman told me about six years ago when I had a Mercedes doing similar short trips and low mileage. I'd already had a new battery fitted and it failed two years into the 5 year warranty. Number one - there is a minimum mileage requirement to the warranty which I'd nowhere near hit. Ergo, no warranty. But but but I'd said to him, I was doing 75 - 80 mph for 20 miles on the motorway in third gear every few weeks just to bang a charge into the battery, and yet it STILL failed! He told me that "modern" cars - and the Merc was only 11 years younger than my Lexus - don't work like that and haven't since they fitted alternators instead of dynamos. He said if you insist on doing short runs, just make sure that every week you go out to it, start the engine and let it run for half an hour. That won't sort your warranty issue, but at least it will maintain your battery in good condition. So, I'll keep doing that, but I'll also try to use her more on longer runs. My wife moves job at the end of July, and perhaps you'll understand why I've not been using The Duchess more when I tell you that in her current job, she has a fully expensed company car. That means she doesn't pay for fuel. So it's always been a no-brainer to use hers on longer journeys. The job she's moving to next month doesn't offer that benefit, so the whole thing becomes moot. Regards, Mike.

Thanks guys for the info. I have no experience of Yuasa batteries, apart from in security alarms so I'll spec one next time. I was a little dismayed to discover they'd fitted a Varta - I've always gone for Bosch on German cars in the past. I had a chat with Wheel Gods in Bolton yesterday. They do some amazing things with trashed alloys and if that sort of thing interests you, you should check out their website. Long story short, two of my wheels are showing signs of corrosion in places around the rim, and all four are looking tatty. He told me they can't remove the corrosion entirely, but they can mitigate it and suggested that the best colour to spray them so they look pretty much new is Anthracite. I think that would look reasonable against the Jewish Racing Beige body colour, so that is a possibility. They'd need the car for three days (or I get the wheels to them) and I was quoted £75 per corner plus £20 per centre cap plus VAT, which doesn't sound unreasonable and keeps the old girl period specific.

Hi Malc I had a feeling you'd ask that 😉 and it's a good idea to keep abreast of current costs as these dear old ladies age. Here you go: Specials / Steam clean the underside - 40.00 MOT - 49.00 Varta Blue battery - 101.90 Rear brake pads - 36.85 Nearside Rear shock absorber - 98.82 Nearside Rear CV Boot - 22.89 OSF Top Upper Suspension arm - 115.00 NSF Suspension arm - 220.00 Rear Coil Spring - 58.48 Links - 56.26 Labour 6h standard rate @ £90.00 = 540 Sub total - 1395.46 VAT - 269.29 Invoice Total £1664.75 No mention of welding the subframe, but that's either been covered under specials / MOT or once they steamed 30 years of crud off, it wasn't as bad as first thought. Hi Tom and thanks. Driving home from the garage was sublime. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel. 😎

Hi again Malc and all you other LS enthusiasts who gave me such brilliant advice on this thread. Good news - The Duchess has been fixed, passed her MOT and is parked outside on my drive! She was repatriated back onto English soil in April. We stole across the Welsh border on a dark, moonless night (not really, it was a damp & dreary Saturday afternoon) 😂 and sixteen hundred quid later, she’s good to go. Next up is a visit to Wheel Gods in Bolton for the alloys tidying up, and we are back in business. My guy Dan actually found, made up and fitted a new original set of number plates without me even asking and I have to say they make a huge difference to the appearance. I collected her and brought her home on Friday, and as always, she put a HUGE smile on my face! She’ll be taxed and insured within the next two weeks and back in daily use. I can hardly wait! Once again my sincere thanks for all the advice and offers to help you guys gave me. You are a wonderful bunch of gentlemen. Warmest regards, Mike.

Thanks Ben - she's a lovely looking girl. That is a superb colour for these beasts.

Hi Paul, thanks for your reply. Yes, back oop North now on the borders of Bolton and Wigan, not too far from M61 J4. Sorry, but I'm pretty useless when it comes to identifying the undersides of cars. I assume the first photo in your post is the corrosion on n/s and o/s integral body structure. The lower suspension arm ball joint you mentioned in your second photo I assume refers to the dust cover no longer preventing the ingress of dirt? Hope that's right, but they're only assumptions on my part. Thanks for your kind and generous offer to have a gander, but I think where she's being stored at the moment is going to be too much to ask of you. We currently have her in a secure car park at my wife's place of work, which is in Chester. That's well over 100 miles round trip from Darwen and travelling / looking /travelling back hours of your time. I can't ask you to do that. Best regards, Mike.

Pete - I hear you Loud and clear. Car regrets have been many over the years, but only because of other idiot drivers writing them off and me not being able to replace them. Worst was a 2.9i V6 Scorpio - God I loved that car! I remember selling a shotgun for a newer model in the eighties - fitted me like a glove. Nothing I've ever owned since has come close. That's one I'll take to the grave! Ben - Nice Scimitar! My wife was offered one in the Nineties, and very nice it was too. Her reason for not buying (despite my protests)? No power steering ha.🥵 Bill, I don't intend for her to become a costly money pit, and what's been spent on purchase and repairs -when factored into cost of replacement - is not a whole hill of beans. Malc, you always knew the answer. 😄 I can't and I won't let her go without a damn good fight. So thank you, and the others for helping me regain perspective. It's been quite cathartic. Nigel, thank you so much for your generous offer and if I was still in Norfolk, I would definitely take you up on it. Free advice AND a garage that has some knowledge of these exotic beasts is rare indeed. You gentlemen are blooming marvellous. I'm blown away by your knowledge, experience and willingness to help. Thank you all so very, very much. I'll keep you updated as to progress, but please don't expect too quick a fix. I think this will be a bit of a slog. Warmest regards, Mike.

Malc.rves I'm not worried about outside observers, it's more a case that she's a completely original 1994 car. Andrew - you've no idea just how much your words - and others - have cheered me up. I'm feeling much more positive now, so thank you. Howard - thanks for this. It makes a lot of sense actually, and probably what Malc was referring to when he said not much £££. The boot carpet does seem dampest under where the aerial comes in. I've decided to keep her and get the work done, as time and funds become available. You've all made it sound much less of a biggie than I'd originally imagined, and I'm a lot less worried after reading your excellent advice, common sense and pragmatism, so thank you all so much. I feel like a weight has been lifted.

Thank you both for some excellent points. Howard, it was never about the money for me (well, within reason). My wife and I were shown this car by our family friend, small time fixer upper, trader and MOT tester when I was in need of a replacement vehicle. What enthralled us both about her was not only that she’d been saved, ( I for one had completely forgotten about them - you just never saw them on the road anymore) but that when we were married 30 years ago, my young 21 year old bride worked in Admin for a Toyota main dealer. Many of her colleagues were invited to the wedding, and in a generous gesture, her boss offered to us the use of a brand new LS 400 as a wedding car, with the Workshop Foreman ( a wedding guest ) volunteering to be our chauffeur. That was my first and only experience of the marque, until 26 years later. Buying her was, for both of us, a romantic thing to do. So, she’s never been an investment, although I’m happy that prices are rising. Would I have another one? Not sure. I don’t have the skill to work on them and my network of acquaintances who might has diminished considerably over the years. Malcolm, I think she’s always been under-used, not just by me. I have the service record book and a stack of paperwork which attests to that. I like your idea about the welding, and that could be well worth considering. I understand your belief in the marque, and this breed of beasts needs loyal defenders like you in their corner. I had originally thought about selling the reg, but think about this: that plate was issued on the first of August 1994, it is the original larger size plate,was fitted to the car by the dealer, and has stayed there 30 years. That, to me at least, means something. The interior is okay for her age, the tachometer and speedometer have gone dark and the boot is manky. There are some worrying rust spots on the door sills, getting slightly larger each year. Unless those issues, along with the more pressing ones, are addressed, it’s very unlikely she’ll ever be in showroom condition. lots to think about guys, thank you so much for your help.

Thank you for your considered replies. Taking them in turn: Lex eleven - it is low mileage, but has been kept outdoors on the drive, at least in my ownership. I know your suggestion makes sense, but the thought of some oilk ripping the engine out and discarding the rest just to soup up a drift car fills me with dread.😟 Cs150 - an independentl opinion could be one avenue to explore, although my MOT guy is a longstanding friend of the family and it is he who originally sold me the car. It had been destined to go into part ex with the previous owner on a newer car, but my guy insisted that he buy it himself to stop it from being sent to the block. That said, nothing would surprise me these days. Malc - 3 months, I know - sad isn’t it? I suppose I was in denial, and Christmas is not the best time to be trying to move her on. Then of course comes January, when most people are skint. I suppose out of sight out of mind might have also come into play. We got her moved a couple of days before Christmas Eve to secure parking (outdoors, unfortunately) at my wife’s workplace. Anyway, that’s where we are. The reg is L400 LEX and if that rings a bell with you, you gave me some excellent advice on my introductory post four years ago. If you find that post, you should be able to see photos of The Duchess. HPS13 - you seem to know what you’re talking about with regards to MOTs. As mentioned above, I have no reason to doubt this guy but I do believe he’s cut me some slack over the years especially regarding brake pad wear knowing my annual mileage. I absolutely agree with you about the corrosion and oil leak, and I’ll attach some photos he took. When she was up on the ramp. Once again, thank you all.