Brian R

Sometimes you really struggle to see who owns who! You'd like to think better the devil you know but seems not to be the case in this instance. Personally, I've always accepted that insurance is a necessary evil and I have no expectations they will ever pay out! Mercifully I have never put my pessimism to the test but just this morning I've taken out travel insurance and excess insurance for a forth coming trip so who knows.........

Strewth that is high! Is that down to policy more than market?

Looking the mutties right now, so I can only guess what it will look like next week.

The problems stem from when the UK government offered all manner of incentives to switch to diesel, and then promptly created a cost differential between it and petrol. That differential is now reducing and so it should given diesel is an easier fuel to produce. Demand is of course dropping like a stone, further pushing the cost down. Sadly, diesel was demonised by the VAG cheat system when in practice it is a much more efficient fuel than petrol and that the emissions "problem" was a long way down the road to being completely solved. Even now I believe there are some Mercedes diesels which have cleaner emissions than their petrol counterparts, but I suspect their days are numbered. Basically an irrational fear of diesel now exists, when in reality petrol in itself is not a saintly fuel.

As Colin says the barrel price has been steadily rising from circa $70 to $82 but mind you I don't feel we reaped the full benefit when it fell to $70 and less for a while. Having been in Dorset some of this week, they must have some of the most expensive petrol in the south! Ironic, given Europe's largest onshore extraction facility is located not too far from Corfe. Then again their output of, 13500 bpd is a spit in the ocean and nowhere near enough to satisfy UK consumption. Personally, our local Sainsbury are the petrol champions and charged me £1.409/litre when I filled up just yesterday. I'm afraid a degree of price volatility has returned, but I think it will be reasonably short-lived. Having said that, I doubt we'll see less than £1.40/litre again.

Wow, that looks fantastic! Love the colour and can't wait to see the finished item.

You are absolutely right and I'll be pressing the ignore button straight after this post.

Are you actually going to buy one, or are we obliged to suffer the tedium of your market muses for ever and a day?

Regretfully Malc, you may well see cost increases in the very near future. Our local supermarkets are already upping their cost/litre. I presently pay circa £136/£137 from either Sainsbury or Tesco and will be brimming the car in preparation for a longish trip next week, by which time I would fully expect at least another penny or two on the foregoing figures.

Exactly so, and in reality I used my policy with the longer NCB to insure the LC and the shorter to insure the other "lesser" car. I do feel aggrieved that I cannot possibly drive both cars at the same time, but as you say insurers are past masters in shafting their customers.

Very similar situation to me and this is how I believe it works. For most of my life I drove co cars and somewhen around 2012 I bought a "personal" car and that had to be insured from scratch i.e. with no NCB, albeit I think the insurance company gave me a 1 year token NCB. In or around 2017 I bought a second car and like you, I nearly fell foul of the rules and in practice I again had to insure this from scratch and once more build up a separate NCB. Importantly, the NCB on each car is transferable to any subsequent cars one might buy to replace those previously insured. NCB is not car specific but recognised simply as two policies. So for example, I kept my first car and built up a unique NCB and in the same way built up NCB on the second car. Both cars have since been replaced and I'm still running two distinct insurance policies, each with their own accrued NCB from the cars they replaced. Hope this helps, and I'm sure if you look around there may well be some multi car policy, but I'm sure that too will come with its own slant on matters. Perhaps I should also add, don't let your NCB lapse, given some insurers like to see continuity from one year to the next. Again, some insurers are "happy" to perpetuate NCB even if you haven't insured for some years. Something you need to factor into matters.

Just a word of warning, not all Faraday pouches are born equal. I bought 2 highly rated pouches and one proved ineffective in less than 3 months, the other still works as it should a year or more after purchase. As Len says, you really need to check they still perform as intended and do so on a regular basis. Essentially, the more a pouch is used, the more chance the foil within it will get damaged and allow signals to pass in/out. Personally, I always switch the fob off to prevent a relay theft and for good measure also pop them into a pouch.

This nonsense dreamt up (or so it seems) by insurance companies has often left me wondering as to whether there is any lawful validity to some of the suggested absurdities of motor insurance. I do feel that in a court of law, an insurance company would be hard pushed to justify the non-payment of a claim based on, for example, the colour of a brake caliper, but I stand to be corrected.

I think as Colin says very carefully check the warranty which does on the face of it seem exceptional for a 16-year-old car. Then also check just what is covered by the warranty, and I'm sure you will discover that certain items are not covered, which of course will be those you now think could/should have been covered. Sometimes the "quit while ahead" approach serves one well!

Hilarious and one to remember.😂 It's one thing to be scammed but believe me it's another to try and report a scam. A (sadly) known to me individual who lives on another continent opened two accounts with a well known UK bank using an address to which I have a connection. He deposited a 6-figure sum by effectively using a false address. I wrote to said bank by e and snail mail upwards of 6 times, and phoned them on 2 or 3 occasions to report this "scam". Each time I was promised they would be in contact "within 24 hours", but I never heard from them, not once. Even their head of complaints department couldn't be bothered to reply to my letters and my entirely justified concerns. In practice, I suspect the individual was trying to fool various authorities by suggesting he lived in the UK and milk the tax/benefit system for all he could. All duly reported to the HMRC and the DWP, given the bank simply didn't want to know. Now, call me old-fashioned, but perhaps the bank had north of £100K on account and simply didn't want to know its origins? Just a thought........

I suspect in the cabin, yes, but the thought of manhandling one into the rear would not be for the faint-hearted. I guess you could put it on the passenger seat and then house your passenger in the rear. In fairness, they might have something to say about that especially if they are any size. As for the boot, then most definitely not. For me at least, I think I would be looking to Green Flag to get me out of trouble. 😀

Very good point and 100% spot on! In a word no, it will not go in the boot but maybe in the rear seats area, albeit I would imagine a real game and a half. These wheels are not light weights, and the prospect of lifting one in/out of the rear seats would be daunting!

I've just collected the car and overall the experience was not too bad. Parking was not as easy as it was in Flemming Way but having arrived at around 8.30, I was able to pick from a couple of spots and in the event I parked about 2 spaces away from the front door. A little disjointed when I arrived and I sensed the staff might have been a little overwhelmed having to contend with 2 marques. The reception staff were looking a bit "homeless" but I was duly invited to take a seat in one of those god awful Lexus chairs that look like something out of a James Bond film, definitely more style than substance! Upon collection, I settled up and the car that had been secreted somewhere was driven round for me to then head off into the wide grey yonder.

In a word, yes, they are different. As I recall, the front wheels are 8.5J and the back 9J. The stud pattern should be common to all Lexus models. In practice, I shouldn't think it would matter if you had a wrong width wheel given the space savers tend to be "skinnies". Clearly you need the right wheel if you intend to motor distance and at speed but as a get you home, a slightly wider or narrower shouldn't present any problem. I stand to be corrected here, but as I said if a skinny space saver is okay then why not?

Mine goes into Toyota/Lexus Gatwick this morning and for another "major" service at just 11600 miles. I have a feeling I am going to find the experience a tad stressful, given there is next to no parking at the site, and it looked extremely crowded when I swung by earlier in the week. Good to see the Lexus staff have migrated to the new site so at least there will be some continuity. Will report back as I find.

Ah, I had the telex machine in my office and used it more than anyone else. The equivalent to copy/paste were numerous tapes I would feed through the machine to answer customer queries. My office looked like the BBC April fool spaghetti tree had successfully taken root!

Just had it confirmed it is indeed the Toyota site, mores the pity.

Thanks Nick but curiously earlier this morning I phoned Lexus Gatwick (at the original location) and having gone through the obligatory push button exercise I was put through to various numbers that were not answered! I then contacted Lexus direct and they said the original location was still operating and to take my car there. I'll be honest and say I was less than convinced the fellow knew the facts. Long story short, I've again asked by mail where I should take the car. Must say from what you said it rather sounds like the Toyota dealership, a place I really do not like visiting!

Drove past the Gatwick site yesterday and could see the Lexus signage had been removed from the building. I assume the building is now closed and my forthcoming service/MOT will be at the Toyota dealership just down the road. Have to say the email I received this morning wasn't entirely clear as to when the move takes place but I guess it must have now happened. A bit of a pain because the Toyota site is not an easy place to park, and especially given I think they may well keep my car for a few days.

About 1 nanosecond, or less?