Had to let it go

[Stupot]

My rather battered 1998 Mk4 LS400 went to a dealer for not a lot of money just before Xmas. As some of you may have gathered, this was my second stint of ownership with the same car. I first owned it in 2011 when it was only a 13 year old car at only 85,000 miles that cost a little over £3k.... I was blown away by the car in every respect and had three and a half years of trouble free motoring, every MOT a straight pass. I sold it to my mate in 2014 with 120,000 miles on it because I had moved house and it did not fit on the steep drive very well and ground it's bottom on the high spot heading out onto the road. It also was not very practical for the local lanes and remote country car parks that were really 4 wheel drive territory in our new location. So, I manged with a Honda CRV. Then my mate upgraded to a smarter lower mileage LS400 and he was selling it... I wanted it back... and although I have enjoyed the last year of re-ownership, I've had to face up to it not being the same car I once owned. My mate had given the bodywork a good beating in car parks and a low speed non insurance bump in the snow producing a mangled wing. It now had 160k miles on it, is now 22 years old it did not feel as smooth or as a quiet as I remember.... but the main thing is even though I adapted the driveway with strategic concrete humps to ease egress, the car still ground if the boot was loaded or the fuel tank full. It was a nostalgia re-purchase... a good blast, but I have had to admit defeat and now have a Lexus RX300 which I rather like and is more suited to my zone.

I'm sure I will keep poking my head in here, but just to say a big thank you to all the LS400 forum contributors, especially the long term LS400 owners on here (you know who you are) who share their knowledge which has been and will be invaluable to past and future owners of these amazing cars.

All the best, Stu

[Cotswold Pete]

Stu,

Totally get that the LS is not your thing with current geography.

There are days when my (206K miles, Year 2000) motor seems as quiet as a mouse's f*rt, and other days when it seems be allowing too much road noise into the cabin, which makes me think about a GS450, or RX, and I am sure if I did try either it would tempt me to consider leaving the LS family.

Enjoy your RX, at least it is a Lexus.

[ambermarine]

Good luck Stu and enjoy your new steed.

[Malc]

best wishes .........  I'm still with the Ls400 after nearly 20 years ( 3rd one ) and happy 

Malc

[Stupot]

Just spotted my old friend, up for sale already... can't tell if they have sorted the various bodywork issues. Photos are a bit aloof.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/lexus-ls400/1362636089

[ambermarine]

Hi Stu

I would be interested in how your ex got a tow bar when they have no UK designated safe example for the Mark 4, Lexus quote it as no towbar available as vehicle not designed for towing.

And non of the recognised tow bar manufacturers support one.

[messi]

I

4 minutes ago, ambermarine said:

Hi Stu

I would be interested in how your ex got a tow bar when they have no UK designated safe example for the Mark 4, Lexus quote it as no towbar available as vehicle not designed for towing.

And non of the recognised tow bar manufacturers support one.

I had 99 V reg ls400, that had a towbar on it . The towbar had the lexus logo on it too. 

[Stupot]

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

I would be interested in how your ex got a tow bar when they have no UK designated safe example for the Mark 4, Lexus quote it as no towbar available as vehicle not designed for towing.

My  friend who I sold it to had it fitted (much to my disapproval) so it was there when I got it back. He bought it second hand on eBay, looked old and well used...advertised as an LS400 tow bar I believe. He got his local towbar shop to fit it.

An ex-Lexus salesman came to my house last year, he worked for them when the MK 4 LS400 was a new model. He marvelled at my LS400 until he saw the towbar and his faced dropped as he said "that's not good.... that's what they made the RX300 for!"

[ambermarine]

20 hours ago, Stupot said:

My  friend who I sold it to had it fitted (much to my disapproval) so it was there when I got it back. He bought it second hand on ebay, looked old and well used...advertised as an LS400 tow bar I believe. He got his local towbar shop to fit it.

An ex-Lexus salesman came to my house last year, he worked for them when the MK 4 LS400 was a new model. He marvelled at my LS400 until he saw the towbar and his faced dropped as he said "that's not good.... that's what they made the RX300 for!"

Thanks for the reply and it more or less confirms my findings I was originally considering fitting a towbar for caravan towing but came up against a brickwall trying to find one. When I delved deeper it turned out Lexus did not approve the Mark 4 as a towing vehicle.I suspect the towbar on Qamar's 99 model was originally fitted to a earlier series car.