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Everyone knows, or at least I thought they did, that Toyota, Lexus, Ford, VW, Nissan etc., etc., etc., do not make batteries/exhausts/brakes and the like. They just buy them in from the same sources we would and stick on a gazillion percent markup before selling them to the sheeple. Same goes for servicing/mechanical work, to a degree at least. Ok, I admit that I've never been rich enough to buy a brand new car (58 now and even if I live to be 100, I'll still never manage a brand new car) and I can see that if you're buying a high-value car you'll want to hold on to as much of that value as you can. But, if you're the kind of person who just buys a car and runs it until it dies (like I am), then there's no need whatsoever to keep servicing and other work in the stable of the main stealers. There are plenty of very knowedgeable and very capable independent guys out there who do a great job - plus you get a warm, fuzzy feeling in your tummy knowing that your money is going to a good home, rather than just providing yet another bottle of Moet & Chandon for some fat cat somewhere

Freshly polished.

Well as I say, I got a Bosch battery for £47 which no one else could match and a Koyo radiator for £85 which is now £135, and the Brembo brake pads for my Volvo for £30 which I can't match anywhere else so it seems good to me.

All is forgiven there are so many electronic system features on this car I'm still learning how to use them and how they work , the radar cruise control for instance is quite awesome in use to name just one.

Thanks doog, it is a shame that some people are unable to cope with different opions, without insulting. This will sometimes happen, but of course ultimately will stifle debate,

Thanks for the heads up john , but its all academic without the key number as I don't have an original key to photograph, actually I can get them cut with no trouble at all. I am hoping the lock/key No is secreted somewhere on the car other than the missing key number plate. I am also hoping the No can be sourced from the car ident No by the local Lexus dealer.

Thanks to all who contributed their thoughts and experiences, I'm still looking but have decided to wait until a decent low mileage example becomes available closer to me. In the meantime I have an old Saab that's being pressed into daily runabout duties whilst I wait for my Cressida to be finished. Thanks again. Anthony

Have been following this thread, think the whole insurance system is a con, we all pay a premium to protect our possessions and expect a fair/replacement value in return, one thing I do know is the ombudsman fee is paid for by the insurance company, something they don't want to pay, my car is a 58 plate with 53k, sunroof model and non mainland tax liable, so even harder to replace, I wouldn't contemplate anything under 20k for mine n fight all the way, these are not your normal run of the mill M3-C63 type cars, surely a rarity MUST come into the financial factor of replacing.......I thought insurance companies where now obliged to replace not compensate so to reduce fraudulent claims??......good luck with your battle

Possibly the pad retaining pins and anti rattle plate, this is available as a kit from Lexus part number 04948-0W010. Price around £30.00 a side.

14.2 is day light robbery. Hopefully somewhere around 19 which id be happy with if it were mine. Indeed I doubt mine is worth that but yours sounds better than mine. I've got kerbed wheels (my fault), stone chips (normal!) and the most annoying bit the leather in the drivers seat side bolster isn't great. Sounds fab though and hopefully some sod won't steal mine.

I'm quite a fan of Eurocarparts and they often have online deals at weekends. I got the radiator for my LS for £85 and the service parts for my Volvo at 30% discount last Bank Holiday. I don't have the same issue with suits as the last one I wore was in 1972, and the manufacturing location of my chosen outfitters garments has remained consistently far eastern, adorning me with the semi vagrant look!

op, can you get the dealer principle to write to fos valuing the car? Do they know you have the jag yet? how about we all out our cars up for sale for long enough to grab some more "used prices":?! my 08 70k okay condition, 25,0000 pounds for you Sir!

Thanks for that info, much appreciated.

Lotusdave - did exactly as you suggested. Sent them a list of all ISFs for sale.....not hard to do when the list is only 13 long, and easily reduced to show cars of similar year and mileage: Heres jist of what I sent: """have reviewed vehicles for sale in the whole UK, which did not take long as there is only 13 cars at present, out of which 7 are 08 or 58 plated cars. Below is details of these 7: 08 plate, 91000 miles, £15500 (this car is known on Lexus forums as a poor example, hence current price). 08 plate, 97600 miles, £16900 (modified vehicle hence valuation less). 08 plate, 97600 miles, £17500 (private seller - not main dealer). 08 plate, 68000 miles, £18990 (grey in colour). 58 plate, 70000 miles, £19000 (private seller). 08 plate, 63000 miles, £19995 (dealer car, white in colour). 58 plate, 58000 miles, £20995 (dealer car, red in colour)). Have also checked Pistonheads and there is only 6 cars for sale, but all are included in above list. As can easily be gauged, "insurer" offer will go no where near purchasing a replacement car of similar spec, mileage and history. Our car was a 58 plate, Full Lexus Service history dealer supplied car, in white, with a mileage of 66000 showing. It had just been serviced and had a full health check carried out by Lexus Glasgow several days before theft, during time no faults what so ever were found with car. Lexus stated car was in A1 condition. "insurers" initial reviews stated that we could "haggle" with used prices. There may be a little negotiation when purchasing second hand, but not near the £3500 that would be needed. If, as you mentioned, I remove the private adverts, plus the modified car and the poor example - the average retail is £19960 / average miles 63000.""""

Finally got the balls to do it was really easy in the end only removed the door one for now

**It happens, do the windows just need a reset?

I once had the idea of eliminating depreciation by changing my car every five or six months, buying at auction, then selling privately (this is a long time ago). It worked well for three years or so, after which I had lost nothing in depreciation, and possibly made a very small profit.As I recall, I packed it in because the fees for private buyers were getting silly, probably to put off private buyers and look after traders. I attended different car auctions, which clearly cater for different markets. Cheap cars go through because the cars are not fit to sell anywhere else. The cars that go through from lease companies etc can be good buys because the owners/drivers do not want to be penalised so tend to look after their cars for the lease period (they may have been driven hard, but that applies to any used car). Your legal rights are better than buying privately ,which perversely is my favoured method of buying a car, because it can provide a lot of information about previous use. However, buying privately is also getting very difficult. Most people part exchange their cars because it is easier. many of those who used to try and get a better price (not difficult given dealers' greed), now sell to places like Webuyanycar. Of over 407 RX450h currently for sale on Autotrader, only 14 are private sales. Take away high mileage cars, the private sellers whose asking price is as high as main dealers, and you are left with a few that may or may not be within a few hours' drive, and may be over described when you get there. Dealers have it made now. Unless auctions have changed, for all but the cheapest cars, you may get an hour after you have paid to drive and to find any major faults - this may have changed!. I would suggest going a few times to get a feel for it, know the conditions of sale for any given auction, listen carefully to the description, find out before about service history etc.,try to get there early and see the cars you're interested in outside in daylight to check paintwork etc. You probably will not have access to whatever book dealers use nowadays, so have a good idea what any given car is selling for. If you are targeting specific models, take notes on values for different years/models.Finally, do not get carried away and pay too much, bidding for a cars is exciting !

And here's a photo of the first ever IS I bought 17 years ago. I spotted it still on the roads last year so had to take a quick pic. It used to turn heads back then and still looks good now.