Convert my LS460 into an Aston Martin (kind of)

[PeterTorbet]

One of my favourite cars - and also the most unattainable - is the Aston Martin Shooting Brake.



One week after buying my LS460 mk4, my other half decided we needed a dog(!)

Whilst we have a 'family car' (Seat Ateka(!)), I wish I had an estate car. Given my distaste for SUV's (thus buying the LS) and that Lexus don't make LS estates(!) - I've had an idea, but not sure where the heck to start.

Has anyone seen / heard / know how I might go about converting my motor to an estate (or Shooting Brake!) Off the bat, I'm imagining I'd need the 'rear' of a similar sized estate car (or RX) and a fabricator who is up for a challenge? 

[Malc]

just thinking of all the UK and EU safety issues you'd need to develop your new car into, to comply

say 10 years and a couple of £££ billion maybe

might be best just to set your sights a little differently and buy something that's already just like an estate ............ my neighbour has a S reg jaguar estate that looks quite commodius ..  alongside two other jaguar cars too tho, for when one or the other is at the repair shop ( maybe frequently )

Malc

[LexIS200Sport]

Problem sorted 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124133985382

 

 

[Malc]

that's brilliant then and it saves you just shy of £2bn too

Malc

[PeterTorbet]

2 hours ago, LexIS200Sport said:

Problem sorted 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124133985382

 

 

wow! didn't think on searching imports. Thanks 🙂

[PeterTorbet]

4 hours ago, Malc said:

just thinking of all the UK and EU safety issues you'd need to develop your new car into, to comply

say 10 years and a couple of £££ billion maybe

might be best just to set your sights a little differently and buy something that's already just like an estate ............ my neighbour has a S reg jaguar estate that looks quite commodius ..  alongside two other jaguar cars too tho, for when one or the other is at the repair shop ( maybe frequently )

Malc

That's the thing, just love everything about the Lexus, and nothing else is as reliable (other than Toyota obvs)

[Herbie]

The RX is classed as an estate on the V5.

Although I've had an RX300 and now have an RX450h, I think the luggage space is fairly disappointing for what is 'a big car'. OK, you can put the rear seats down and take out the luggage cover, which does indeed open up a lot of space, but that just isn't practical from a security (or safety) point of view, in respect of what's on view to prying eyes and scrotes breaking in to steal what they see.

If you want the contents of the 'boot' to be covered, the actual space available isn't much at all.

[Cotswold Pete]

On 4/19/2020 at 3:55 PM, PeterTorbet said:

That's the thing, just love everything about the Lexus, and nothing else is as reliable (other than Toyota obvs)

Lexus reliability seems to be available in most Jap cars, though I find the Toyota estates a little 'ugly'.  My choice of Jap estate would be a Honda, rock solid engine body work robust,  My wifes Honda was treated with next to no respect by her, but kept going until 200K, when a badger strike took some lights out (mind you we still got £250 trade in on an Jag X-type, lovely car the X-type, until it rusts and rusts and rusts at the age of 10 years old).

By the way I always loved the look of the Aston Brake (and the Lagonda - which was like being on your favourite chair with a steering wheel) much preferred to DB7 and DB9 I have been in (mainly noise and two fingers IMHO)

[rich1068]

Honda estate you say... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1215611

[Malc]

13 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

Honda estate

and there's a 2000 year one with 118k miles with MOT to November for £400 just needing new tyres

a good workhorse methinks if that's what one wanted rather than a classic to love and nurture and not use much at 10 x the price ..  £4k

Malc

[Cotswold Pete]

2 hours ago, rich1068 said:

Honda estate you say... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1215611

Lovely cars, a bit thirsty around town, but on long runs hot too bad, and lovely to drive.

 

[BigBoomer]

I liked the E-type hearse in "Harold & Maude".
I like the Lagonda estate conversions.
Yes I know they are a money pit, but I love the look and I fit in them.
If only the coachbuilders could continue the door/window line it would look so much better.
If I win the Lottery I could create an AM Lagonda Estate with a supercharged 3UZ. 

[rich1068]

17 hours ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Lovely cars, a bit thirsty around town, but on long runs hot too bad, and lovely to drive.

It's like a mini Q car.

Always liked the looked of the last shape Accord estate too.

17 hours ago, BigBoomer said:

I liked the E-type hearse in "Harold & Maude".
I like the Lagonda estate conversions.
Yes I know they are a money pit, but I love the look and I fit in them.
If only the coachbuilders could continue the door/window line it would look so much better.
If I win the Lottery I could create an AM Lagonda Estate with a supercharged 3UZ. 

An interesting discussion was had on Twitter the other day about the Lynx Eventer. In my opinion one of the best looking coachbuilt estates/shooting brakes. It just looks right. Rear window is from a Citroen Ami 8 apparently.

 

[Cotswold Pete]

On 4/22/2020 at 9:24 AM, rich1068 said:

It's like a mini Q car.

Always liked the looked of the last shape Accord estate too.

An interesting discussion was had on Twitter the other day about the Lynx Eventer. In my opinion one of the best looking coachbuilt estates/shooting brakes. It just looks right. Rear window is from a Citroen Ami 8 apparently.

 

It is the most beautiful estate/brake ever made, saw one once and nearly displaced my all time favourite car since I was a kid, which was the 7 litre Iso Grifo, and got to see one in the flesh when at a garden show in 2018 one parked in front of me.  Made my day.  Would have preferred it in blue like my Corgi model was, but hey

[rich1068]

Very nice. Straying dangerously close to Jenson territory...

[Howplum]

Aren't Volvos supposed to be reliable?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174207867047

 

[LexIS200Sport]

27 minutes ago, Howplum said:

Aren't Volvos supposed to be reliable?

Good point!

 

[Malc]

at that price it's really taking the p - - s

I remember many moons ago we ( my car sales )  bought one of these at Colchester auctions, a T5 red estate .....  like the proverbial sh - - off a hot shovel

wow, wot a car that was 

sold very very quickly to and to somebody who could afford the insurance premium too

Malc

[rich1068]

15 hours ago, Howplum said:

Aren't Volvos supposed to be reliable?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174207867047

I've owned one or two post-2000 ones and though I like them I didn't find them to be any more reliable than any other car.

[Cotswold Pete]

15 hours ago, Howplum said:

Aren't Volvos supposed to be reliable?

 

 

Built like brick outhouses (not so sure about more recent models), and I have mate who had a Volvo 240, used is a builders van, never went wrong in 30 years, my missus had a 440, (not an estate), but I recall it had a Renault engine, with some niggley faults, kept if for a year before going Honda.

T5 lovely car, so long as you could keep a petrol station in the back, always interesting to put your foot down and watch it tell you it was doing a shade under 2mpg (not even my LS gets that bad even when hammering up a local 20% with foot to the floor.

[The-Acre]

4 hours ago, rich1068 said:

I've owned one or two post-2000 ones and though I like them I didn't find them to be any more reliable than any other car.

I've had my 2008 V70 for nearly 5 years and mechanically it's been great, only let down by silly electrical things, nothing major, just annoying. It's on 61k now and it's a pleasure to drive and feels very tight and solid. Also very practical, especially having a dog as it has a built in fold down guard, and with the front seat folded I can get 3 metre lengths in.

[JamesIS220]

As you all know I had a 1989 240 GLT auto petrol estate for 10 years. Bought in 2009 for £350 and sold at 234,000miles for £500 . Put 78,000 miles with me and only recovered once in that time or broken down. The tail output bearing always leaked a bit of ATF and finally prop centre bearing went around 191,000, and had to renew the tail output bearing as well as a used gearbox mount as bent it!

The biggest repair job at a Volvo specialist. Just under £400. I had also replaced, tailgate looms, water pump, rad, hoses and service items. Its heater fan died 5 years after buying and never replaced as its a weekend of dash removal! Sold it a few years after buying my 1996 Volvo 940 for £250 as wanted AC and ABS. Again a reliable workhorse.

Both volvos have always passed the MOT straight through with no advisories in my ownership. Newer Volvos are very complex. My volvo Specialist said avoid Volvos after 2003.

James

[royoftherovers]

Was 2003 when Ford took over James |?

[rich1068]

1 hour ago, JamesIS220 said:

My volvo Specialist said avoid Volvos after 2003.

I had a couple of V70s amongst others. A bog standard '03 and a facelift bells and whistles '05. The '03 was definitely the better car. 

[JamesIS220]

1 hour ago, royoftherovers said:

Was 2003 when Ford took over James |?

Not sure. think 1999? Probably took them a while to influence the build spec. The Volvo specialist said electrics are terrible. Plastic timing gear.

55 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

I had a couple of V70s amongst others. A bog standard '03 and a facelift bells and whistles '05. The '03 was definitely the better car. 

Phase 1 V70 was as new the specialist would go. 

James