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Shortage of decent cars?


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On 11/2/2017 at 12:52 PM, MNP said:

I was looking for a 1997 or later.

Is there any particular reason you want a '97 or later? I mean it might mean your ruling yourself out of a perfectly good, older, car

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To be honest, I'd like another Mk3, so I wouldn't rule out a 95 onwards, as you say, they are scarce so I can't

afford to rule out slightly earlier cars.  I just don't want rust!!!!

Mark.

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3 hours ago, MNP said:

I just don't want rust!!!!

Is there any reason you don't have confidence in the anti rust treatments? it's when corrosion sets in the serious problems start to the point where areas are 'significantly weakened'

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19 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

Surface rust might be relevant to a near 20 year old car, no matter HOW well made? But you can get good anti-rust sprays to deal with it. (Vactan-?- )

 

I wish I'd kept my Citroen CX Turbo-Auto I sold for this reason!

ACF-50 is good too I believe.

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I  think this one is worth the money .......https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-LEXUS-LS400-ONLY-43-788-MILES-FROM-NEW/232529455743?hash=item3623d5ea7f:g:JVIAAOSw43hZ6Mgz&utm_source=LexusOwnersClubUK&utm_medium=ForumLinks

in my view.....thousands of people buy a new "average" car and lose the same money in depreciation in 1 or 2 years....if I did not have the dogs it would be mine.

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On 12/11/2017 at 2:32 PM, MNP said:

Oh dear, I've now started considering a Mercedes S class as they seem good value...the dark side of corrosion and lesser engineering, but

there are so many more to choose from.  Mark.

So I'm not the only one looking in that direction.  S430, S500 or S350 V6  .  There are some good (and bad) examples around.  OK the Suspension is a possible issue but I've been happy with W123, W126, W140's especially the V8's.A bit more roomy.  Only thing that puts me off is that everything around is Silver which is not a colour - imo. Can't drive two cars and possibly/probably  the illness will pass?

 

ps Burnt Silver or Beige (like my Lexus I like)

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Yes Stuart, even mid 2000's with around 100k miles seem good value and another attraction for me is that there is

an independent Mercedes specialist a mile away! 

Nevertheless, I have been so excited by some possible LS400's (even at high prices

around £3k+)  but if there is no evidence of cambelt change I'm back in the same place as my last Mk3,.  I bought

her cheaply but knowing that the cambelt needed doing and so much else was uncovered as the work progressed,

she cost me a fortune!!  Sadly, my wife hated driving her so she had to go before my extended trip abroad.

Mark.

Edited by MNP
typo
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My mark 4 as no rust anywhere when I got her at 14 years old the underside was immaculate and the only suspect point was the area on the floor side of the cills  where the paint meets factory applied underseal the weld points were showing slight rust.

I applied Dinitrol to the metal exposed parts on the rest of the chassis and treated the suspect floor area with anti rust and applied Dinitrol .

Today five years on there is no rust anywhere and I believe the suspect areas mudguards and rear cills that were a problem on my Mark 1  have been addressed by the engineers over the years of development so rust never gets a start.

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1 hour ago, MNP said:

Nevertheless, I have been so excited by some possible LS400's (even at high prices

around £3k+)  but if there is no evidence of cambelt change I'm back in the same place as my last Mk3,.  I bought

her cheaply but knowing that the cambelt needed doing and so much else was uncovered as the work progressed,

she cost me a fortune!!  Sadly, my wife hated driving her so she had to go before my extended trip abroad.

Mark.

I've been there Mark. Spent two thou to get this lovely looking car into good shape.  Still have two rear springs and two  OEM Rear Upper Control Arms  gathering dust which so far I haven't had to fit.  Rust on the Drivers wing is annoying and the leak from the Power Steering I think I have cured. Capacitors on the list to be done shortly.  Don't recall any similar items (with the exception of rust) needing raplacement on the various Mercs I've had, so it does make you think that maybe a W220 will not be any more expensive.

Inrteresting that your wife hated driving the Lexus. On foreign roads its one of the joys to me. 

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1 hour ago, runsgrateasanut said:

Capacitors on the list to be done shortly

If you don't know where they are located already I suggest you send Lexus the VIN Number & ask them for the location, thats what they wanted from me to locate the flasher place, which contained some of the capacitors, I 'assume' they needed the VIN because  they are in different places on some cars

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I take your point 100% Phil, my 1997 Mk3 had no rust underneath...at all.  Conversely, my 1999 Land Cruiser

(also sadly sold whilst I was away, too many problems for my wife to keep on top of in my absence) had

much corrosion and was 50,000 miles less to boot!

Stuart, the reason my wife hated driving the Lexus was because, despite an almost identical footprint

to the Land Cruiser, she found the visibility much more difficult, being much lower to the ground.

We now have a Suzuki Swift (slow??) and despite owning major shares in both the Suzuki and a Mini

Cooper (eldest daughter is paying back the Bank of Dad..albeit slowly!!!), I derive no pleasure in driving

small cars.  To be fair, the Suzuki, 1200cc petrol, did 55 mpg to Northampton and back at the weekend...

but..........no soul!!!!!!  Mark.

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5 hours ago, MNP said:

  I bought

her cheaply but knowing that the cambelt needed doing and so much else was uncovered as the work progressed,

she cost me a fortune!! 

Yes 'but', in context, anyone buying a second hand car of any age & mileage  knows there is always risk ranging from 'no risk presented itself after purchase' to 'everything which could be wrong was wrong'

The only way to 'probably' avoid these risk factors is to buy new!

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To take the title literally.....perhaps a lot of 'decent' cars are held onto? This club an example?

Plus, I'd guess that there aren't THAT many Ser 3 + 4 LSs available? They weren't popular at the time of issue (relative to Merc/Beemers/Audis)

so choice a bit limited. Plus; the newest LS Ser 4 is now 17 years old. The chance of finding a low mile one must be negligible.

.....Though if you find a shopping-only car it may only have done  17X 5000 miles. Good luck on that one!

 

Strange that Mrs Mark found the visibility reduced in an LS, but then a Mini and a Swift are mentioned, that are even lower?

The modern trend for ever-more wraparound bodies and slooing slit-like windows won't appeal. (Try a 17 year old Micra for glass!)

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for a " keeper "  the prospect of spending say @£600 for a cambelt, peripherals and waterpump change, to last 100k miles / 10 years or so, is a mere trifle :winkiss:

Malc

 

ps.  I love trifle btw :wub:

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Going back to the Irish car, mentioned at the top of the thread as having no mot.

The seller says it has got mot, and the mot check, using regisearch, gives expiry as march 2018, though oddly, doesn't show the actual mot below.

Looks the best buy of all the above bunch, to me.

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Forgot to mention, some of these corrosion advisories are BS.

Mine had an advisory a few years back, not been mentioned since.

If you're looking at a car with advisory for surface corrosion, get it in the air and look for yourself, would be my advice.

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