Cotswold Pete

Derek, some of the links do not work I assume you can use Blackberry Gateway and for Isolator Ground Loop Isolator

Comments put into DRIVING IN SPAIN Thread

I must say I enjoy being a passenger, happily let my wife drive up to Chester or down to Cornwall. As to Andalucia, my wife hates me driving in Spain on those quite roads. I love the A369 from Gaucin to Ronda, but the missus panics that I'll end up going off the road, as no traffic and a nice bunch of sweeping bends to 'whizz' through as well as some lovely reverse curves as well. I think if I was to drive all the way to Spain, the wife would have murdered me before we got to be half way through France, probably the boredom setting in, and she just wishing she was their. Have talked about driving to Picos de Europa sometime, but maybe flights and hire car safer for the marriage!!

All in all a lovely looking car, love the interior, much nicer on the backside on a cold winters day. Not so good for going to the tip - as you can see I do not treat my LS with the respect it deserves, but not enough room where I live to keep a beatup runabout. Enjoy (as our Amercian cousins would say)

Matt, Only just seen the thread, best of luck. I would say be yourself, be armed with knowledge of the product and then it is as much luck as hard work/effort. I have a mate who used to be chief purser on QE2, and he walked into the Aston Martin dealership in Los Angeles and got a job in sales there and then. He got the job becuase he had an english accent, and he made top salesman within 3 months. Mainly becuase he knew little about cars (a shed load about ocean going liners) and so he listened to what the customer was saying and trying to find out what the client thought they might be wanting to drop a load of $$$ on. A good salesman has two ears and one mouth, and should use them in that ratio. The customer will have a WANT list and then there is a seperate NEEDS list which can be different. (Read Rob Jolles book - Customer Centered Selling) I assume Lexus are not looking for the Smooth-Approach salesmans, but the conversationlist sales person who engages with the customer. I would imagine most people looking for a car in a Lexus dealer are not looking for a deal (initially), but more a discussion of what might suit them. Also treat all prospects the same, I have noticed that going into a Lexus dealership dressed like a man on how way to a DIY shop, I kind of get ignored, maybe they think I am not carry a big enough cheque book. I was looking fo a car for the wife at the time, and decided I did not like being ignored. However at the Ford dealership nearby I was talked to death by a salesman until they could not actually work out how serious I was (not really listenting to me), so then ignored me. You may well get profiled by something like a Myers-Brigg test, so see whether you are too extrovert or too introvert and so on, as part of a filtering process Be interested to hear what your experience is after Wednesday. I would say that I spent 12 years training Hi-Tec sales people around the world, and I think it is not an easy thing to say 'what as salesperson is' other than the right fit for the right company and the right culture. Fingers crossed for you

30K on Michelin primacy is that a record, also I would suggest the tyre walls are not as good as when new, so no doubt tyre noise/rumble will change when you get some new tyres on there.

Yep, in 1974 Dukinfield was put under Tameside. Cheshire cars by name, but not by nature. Maybe they are grinning like Cheshire cats they way they seem to get away with it, lets hope the battle can be won on this one.

Heck, seems like a lot of engine lights coming on once the car is a few miles off the forecourt. Google reviews are either 5 star or 1 star, which I have never seen before. seems like a lottery buying a car from them.

What was the cost of doing that. When you say insulated, is it more wafty, or actually more secure ride and less jiggy on rough roads. My missus finds car too wafty, and roll bars have been suggested as key to her comments.

Matt, You kind of describe how I feel about my LS, which is soft but harsh (very dependent onroad surface), and my wifes X-type is the same. However having been in new cars of recent I would say Audi Q7 - seems never to be harsh, but never totally smooth like my LS can be Mazda 6 - worse than my LS on just about any road, no good for having conversation in above 40mph due to noise from road. BMW X1 - less noise than LS, but feels as harsh on som surfaces (earlier X1s were naff on just about any road surface) Range Rover - okay on really rough surfaces but no better than my LS on your average road Merc CLS - Seemed like the best for ride but not my kind of car (though my mate would not drive anything else), but it is 14 years younger than my LS. I do think modern cheap(ish) cars have better designed running gear than was around in the first two decades of the LS, but a cheaper car will probably get more ragged in ride before it is 20 years old. My dad's Peugeot 406 is same age as my LS, but a lot more clang-bangy than my LS on rough roads.

Cannot see how that link would snap and then cause a crash. Bet he was miffed at such a short time driving that around. Each to their own, but that style was not my thing.

Totally agree, my house is a mere 250 years old, survived a few wars and neglect in the past, and never have I claimed, and will I still insure, YES, just in case. Also never needed claimed on my car insurance ever, so someone has made a nice profit out of me over the years.

There are times when mine sounds like it is pinking. But it is not pinking, not sure what it is, and only occurs from time to time. Been happening on and off ever since I had the car.

Excellent news.

Just dug out paperwork, and spring was £85 +VAT, and labour one hour - (as part of 5 hours worth of jigging around with other bits of suspension

Had a single rear spring replaced two years ago (hit a big crater). Not had any problems with other rear spring (since hit smaller craters). LS on 189K, so I would say just get the one replaced, and though I cannot recall price, was nowhere near what you're being quoted. If I get a chance I will see if I can dig out paperwork, but may not be at home until Sunday

A bit of a project, does not seem to have done many miles of late, but never seen such a long history of advisories on an LS. (unless it is a over zealous MOT tester in Nottingham) I would not be touching it unless I need a lot of spares. Shame, I love this colour more than the blue.

Interesting that you have to look under Toyota brand, but a useful site for part numbers, and ability to look at the scary prices of some parts. Touch wood I will not need anything any time soon.

Nick, You post got me roaming the Interweb, as I need roof rack about once or twice a year, but not for a roof box. Came across these (not seen them before), Soft bars. Some sites imply you can but a box on these (not sure how). Ebay price - Soft rack on fleabay Also I use Saris bones, and much prefer bikes in rear of car. I know it makes getting in the boot a faff, but in past when I have carried bikes on roof, the wind noise is higher, and fuel consumption higher than carrying on the rear. Plus in my head I always worry that putting the bike on the roof I will drop the darned thing and make a big dent, not that I ever did when I used roof bars, but that was 15 years ago, when I had muscles in my arms (and light road bikes, rather than mountain bikes)! Seem like LS roof bars (good old solid ones) are almost as rare as hens teeth.

I know what you mean, when the wife had an Accord, a lovely car for short drives, but not for long haul, though bullet proof as you like for a car that would have been a lot cheaper then an LS off the production line. Sounds like the LS 400 is tempting you back into the fold once more, and looks like a bargain for lugging music gear about. Hope whatever decision you make is one you remain happy with

Totally agree, full price MOT while using a good indy is the way to do it.

I would have a look at Nexen range, good wear, noise no worse than more expensive brands (from new I recall they were quiter than any others I had before). Not as grippy as Pirellis, or Dunlop in the wet, so be not good for pushing the envelope on a rainy track day, but good enough for nippy commute on Cotswold A roads with Z bends. I have found Nexen give good mileage, and as a result they last longer, and so the walls harden (as do all tyres) and this increases road noise as they get older, as well as noise due to lesser tread. Mine are Nexen N Blue, but not sure if they do them in your size.

Looks like £11K jolly well spent. Also on the trim, it might also be sweat and grease from fingers has attacked the surface, especially if you sit in the car with a bag of chips while tweaking with things on the console. Have seen how damaging chippy-fingers can be to paintwork (even when waxed). Best of luck getting it looking tip-top

My view would be to patch it up and make sure rust does not take hold, though would be a few years before the rust is really eating into the body work. I have same issue as this with about £400-£600 worth of respray needed for keyed doors, a tree strike on rear pillar (big dent), and pock mark on the bonnet, front buffer scuffs from inconsiderate numpties in car parks. I washed and waxed up the car a few weeks ago, and realised that the car has chicken pox (lots of small chips), and looks like really a almost full on respray would be the only way to get the car looking tip-top. I would say having shined the car up, it looks not that bad even though it has lots of damaged paintwork. Also the interior leather needs a good going over, the steering wheel needs a recover. So if I came into a few grand tomorrow, I would get it all done, as that would still be less of a cost risk than investing in another LS. So until I win some cash, I am coming to live with my semi-battered LS. When I had an Omega having jsut spend a few bob on suspension only to have the engine blow 10 weeks later, I know that feel of 'What the Heck'.

In my mind will any of the cars with spohisticated electronics be classics in the future, is down to two things. 1. Did Lexus, Audi, BMW, etc, use special IC chipsets in the control systems, if they did when these fail they would be hard to replace (in theory you could get someone to re-fabricate a chip). It would in theory be possible to build a new ECU that used more up to date software mapping techniques to 'copy' what the current electronics does. Neither option would be cheap. 2. The people who understand earlier generation firmware/hardware/software systems as they pop their clogs the new generation would have lost the knowledge and skill to even attempt to fabricate or scratch build such systems. This is why the Vulcan bomber does not fly, because the knowledge of its ancient electronics is making it hard to make do and mend. One could argue that if enough old lags pass on their knowledge then keeping LS400s (etc) running as long as a Ford Model T is possible, but not cheap by any means. I doubt whether in 50 years time there would be enough LS400/430/460 enthusiasts around to form a core of knowledge to keep these beasts going, but then again the valve stereo amp never quite died, and enough people revived the art of valve tech, (and vinyl, come to that), such that it is enjoying a resurgence. However there are probably more valve/vinyl lovers than there are Vulcan/LS lovers out there in the planet. A great shame, but no doubt any LS still around in 50 years time will be a classic, whether it would be better than the LS800 (or whatever is around then) is probably no different asking is a Triumph TR2 a better drive than a TR7, or a SC430.