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Na, they walk to work mainly once they've visited the animal sanctuary and helped old people cross the road....

Estate agents cannot afford the RCF, GSF because 40% of their salary goes to good causes... So they're stuck with the old ISF.

Thanks for the replies. I pulled off the front drivers side wheel and it was the same as one of the American Youtube videos. I wasn't sure whether the brake pads were removed through the back of the caliper, as is the case with the Isuzu Trooper. I am surprised that all the bolts and the rear caliper are all aluminium. It was very easy, as it turned out, to undo everything, and I finished all four wheels in two hours or less. The hardest part was actually getting the wheels off, they were a bit stuck on the lip of the hub and it took a bit of persuasion to get them off. However, job done and as easy as any other newer car that I have changed the brake pads on. Parkman.

Some wonderful pics, looks like it was a great day, perfect weather for it as well....

@FTBBCVoodoo Nice motor Lee heard a lot of good about them.... NHS Blue........ better name her scrubs then 😉 🐀

I also had something else turn up a couple of weeks ago, ive completly forgot to post it up on here. I decided to order my Tial 44mm wastegate and Tial Q blow off valve, i ordered with real street performance again as the previous experience with them was exceptional and wanted to avoid the huge amount of fakes doing the rounds. Once again Robert Del Angel sorted me out and just like before my parts came in 3days from florida!!! Also threw in a couple of decals too. The wastegate came with every spring available, v band clamps, spare v band flanges and all the fittings required. The blow off valve also came well packaged also with the weld on flange, clamps and fittings. Cant wait to get the wastegate fitted, blow off valve will have to wait though until the intercooler pipework is sorted.

Just spent this evening nursing this around the roads of Dorset (Well I say nursing. It was in an N+ mode all the way which I think stands for nursing). After I steered him away from the VAG group and pointing him in the direction of Hyundai (GASP!!!!) a friend of mine picked this up today. Cost 22k and has 700 miles on the clock. The dealer basically F'd the price up as it was up for 25k and the salesman made a slight mistake. Brand new they are 28k. Needless to say he snapped the guys hand off. He then showed up at mine and handed me the keys and thanked me for recommending the I30N Performance. I have to say.... I wasn't surprised as I have read the reviews and saw them at the launch weekend in Germany but...... I am in love. Look past the badge and it is solidly put together. Goes really well. Not as outright fast as the ISF but around B roads and tight tracks I have no doubts that this would leave me for dust. And the sound..... the sound.... In N+ mode (May stand for Nurburgring come to think of it) she (it's called Hayley) comes into it's own. Lovely exhaust crackle on overrun. Some nice audible pops when changing down gear (rev matching is great). But... full blown upshifts.... it sounds like a shotgun going off. Then you put it in normal and it just plods around like a normal hatch (which is how he managed to get it past the wife). Did I say that I am in love. We can't both have one in NHS blue surely.

I think the current generation of Golf is dull Inside & out even the R .- much prefer the Mk6 TBO. The I30N has had really good reviews & I much prefer the way it looks to the Golf for the above reasons. Good to have some new kids on the block showing the others how it can be done. Good choice 👍🏻

I’ve pondered about the whole snotter for daily use and something special for high days and dry days setup but it’s not for me. I’m a few days into it now, I’ve started to enjoy tunnels again 😄 The Yokohama V105s on the rear aren’t my cup of tea, managed to get it sideways without even trying. Whilst a dab of oppo is fun every now and then it’s not what I want all the time so I’ll have to get them changed. Performance seems better than I remember, maybe it’s down to driving a few turbocharged cars after my last ISF and then 6 month in a Renault Zoe. The sound when the secondary air intake opens is still just as fun. I’ll be getting a mate to drive it whilst I stand outside to get a better idea of the exhaust note.

I like that Hyundai, if it came with an auto box I might be tempted to trade in the F!

Little did that Blue car know, but the time being spanked around the Grand Tour track was just a minor warm up for life with @Mark G 😂

Does this help? I took a punt on your model/year; https://lexus.7zap.com/en/eu/lexus+ls/431230/ucf30r-aeagkw/4/8718/874332d/ Check the engine bay section too as that look like where this mid/rear section hooks up. Good luck.

If you have the use of some ramps then that's all you need to take the exhaust off and re-adjust yourself. I would strongly suggest you do this sooner rather than later as the bolts / connection between the boxes and centre section will rust together quite quick and will become hard to disassemble over time. The boxes are not made of the same material as the centre section and will rust quicker. There are two bolts on the centre to box joint and there are two hangers on each box. Removal is, removing the two bolts, separating the boxes from the centre section and sliding the boxes off the hangers (WD40 is ideal to enable the boxes to come off the hanger easy) Place the exhaust on the ground and you can easily straighten them up by eye - it will not be hard to bend them. Take the measurement between the centre of the exhaust cutouts to ensure you don't bend them too far. You can actually bend it back into position while on the car if you had secure ramps. I have made the rear section which was the boxes and the connection to the centre section on my last 250 and I can tell you it is really easy to adjust ... The box in the picture above looks like it has been bent in, carrier damage?

Ahoy! Part II of Stealth Mode.. Black Pearl Front and Rear Badges and OEM Lexus Rear Spoiler.. Thats it.. Skint now... :( Enjoy

I dont understand the reluctance/avoidance of using supermarket petrol, unleaded is BS EN 228 wherever it comes from. I almost always use supermarkets and in 40 years driving have never had a problem or noticed any difference. I have read that most unleaded in the UK is E5 (5% ethanol) but I have never noticed this on the pumps but will check next time I fill up. Maybe I have had E5 and E0 but as I said can never tell any difference in the perfomance between different filling stations. I cant remember the last time I didnt use a supermarket

Shocking. Absolutely shocking. Being a VXR8, I’m surprised there are no Kangeroos etc!

You may not need a bolt to remove the disc. Often the disc will pull off once the caliper has been moved clear. Any standard 8mm bolt "preferably two" an inch long or longer, and available from any hardware store or places like B&Q will suffice if the disc proves stubborn to remove. John

I once had an IS300 Sportcross and have owned an RX300 SE I would say make sure you get one with sat nav and reverse camera, you may not use the sat nav but the interior looks a lot better with it. As others have said avoid sel, air suspension too expensive to fix, buy pre March 06 otherwise you will get shafted on VED/ road tax Make sure it comes with the luggage cover, these are expensive only available from Lexus and a lot had them missing when I was looking Belt change is every 90k or 10 years whichever is first, get water pump done at same time. Don't know much it is, mine had already been changed. The IS300 liked a drink, the RX300 is even worse, fuel economy is shocking, you won't see 300 miles to a tank and it's a big fuel tank nearly 16 gallons. I only do 5k a year so don't really care but have owned V8 cars that were a lot quicker and more economical. I used to get about 26ish in the IS300 Sportcross, gen 2 GS300 25ish, gen GS300 about 32, the 6 speed and direct injection make a huge difference. Performance is not great is about 9ish seconds 0-60, gearbox is not quick to kick down and a bit dopey, no buttons on steering wheel to change gear, have to use gearstick. The car rolls a lot in corners and doesn't like being chucked about, the is300 is a lot more fun to drive. It's not all negative though, the boot is huge, lots of space, nothing ever broke, the heated seats get really toasty, loads of toys, super build quality, the xenons are a lot brighter than the IS300, drop the rear seats and it's like a transit van, invest in an up to date nav disc (£25) and it will do the job. I didn't the like the OEM Bridgestones, too much road noise, the Dunlop SP270 is a much better. Hope this helps

'No'..... salary, estate agents give the commission element of their earnings to animal welfare. In addition, GSF' s are dangerous to animals, as seen on 'the grand tour'.

You mean commission don't you 😉

Did someone say estate agent? 😉

No. You will look like an estate agent who couldn't afford a Golf R 😉 As for reliability... 5 year warranty helps but also fairly sure they beat VAG group hatches in various surveys (accuracy TBD).

Even Stevie would see the horror of that!

Over the 40 odd years I've been driving I've gone to the cheapest there is over a vast array of cars never had an issue

Won't make any difference for an RX400h apart from cleaning out the engine a bit more. As above though, better off using Redex or similiar instead as its a cheaper way to do it. I generally use a decent brand of fuel, BP mainly just because they're all BP around here and they're usually cheaper than Shell/Esso around here anyway. Not a fan of supermarket fuel as Ive had issues with it in the past.

Hideous is a polite word!

I only use BP Ultimate in both of my cars, I never use supermarket fuel.

Hi ,as previously stated ,this is likely to be wear ,I ran my previous sportcross to nearly 100 000 miles and the shoes and linings were fine ;I would give the shoes and linings a good clean out with brake cleaner as excess dust tends to cause problems.If you are concerned about DIY ,it will not be expensive ,in among the receipts when I bought my IS 250 was a handbrake adjustment at £50 .On my SEL ,if I have a senior moment and try to drive off with the brake engaged I get a loud alarm !! Dave

On the Aston it’s more than suspension changes to change to steel. Apparently the car needs to be be reprogrammed some how. There is a thread on PH around it. Not as simple as one would think. Ask, they warp!

Hello All, Thought I would post up my 3 year long hunt for a V8! I first registered here 3 years ago! Within my sights were the usual suspects: 1. E92 M3 2. Lexus ISF 3. Audi RS4. So after reading and watching tons of reviews, I was convinced that the M3 was the one to go for, due to the usual stuff - how exciting it is, that it's the best car on track, that it's the fastest. Also to me it was the best looking. Slightly cliched , but I loved the coupe in white with black Competition pack alloys, and I was set on getting one in manual. As I was 100% determined not to have an automatic. So cue test drives on the manual V8 M3, now it may well have been the examples I drove but I found them a bit uninspiring and also very unsettled. The car didn't get going til higher up in the rev range (but I am used to VTEC, as have owned virtually all of the Type R models.) I also was not blown away by the sound either, and how it sounds is very important to me. Maybe I had too high an expectation, as I somehow thought all V8's would sound like a Ferrari V8. During this time, I on and off looked at ISFs. And actually bought other cars such as the Z4MC, E46 M3, S2000. My first test drive with the ISF left me disappointed, it was at a Lexus Main Dealer but the example was poor and slow. (No Sports mode, or in to manual) The auto kick downs when i put my foot down was really slow in that particular example. Anyway, I gave up with the ISF for a bit and started to look at RS4s. RS4s sound great, but there was something that I couldn't put my finger on, I had this feeling that I would get bored with it very quickly, coupled with the fact that maintenance costs were eye watering. DRC = Talking £3k upwards, unless you go Bilsteins. Carbon Clean and Stage 2 map = £2.5k. Clutch change = Over £1k. Everything just costs an astronomical amount of money for the car. And then there was the theft factor which put me off buying it altogther, it was a magnet for break ins - due to the desirable recaros, which I actually didn't get on with: gave me back ache. So I thought it was back to the M3's then, maybe get a DCT one. everyone raved on about how good they were, and I've warmed to automatics ever since my back injury about 1.5 years ago, and driving them in USA - hmm actually pretty good in traffic. In the mean time I bought a 335i in manual. And this cemented it. The ergonomics of the car made me realise the M3 is not for me. I just hated the small footwell space in that cabin. So now it was back to the ISF, but in the mean time another contender had entered the fray the C63 AMG had dropped massively and was within my budget. However the hunt had been long, and I was set on the ISF. In summary M3 Positives: Looks great with comp alloys and in certain colours. Thrilling in high rev range. Sound better with modded exhaust, otherwise doesn't sound like a V8 IMO. Manual was poor. (probably me spoilt by Honda gear boxes) Maintenance not too bad apart from rod actuator, usual cost on brakes and tyres. Negatives: People do moan about the MPG. I couldn't get this car because I didn't like the noise or the ergonomics of it in the main, and didn't like how the back end can squirm quite easily. Also, too many M3s about. RS4 Positives: Sounds really good. I like the way it looks too. More comfortable than the M3. Felt planted with the quattro system. Nicer manual than the M3. Quite fast. Negatives: I was struck by how many Audi A4s look just like the RS4 (not so much in sprint blue, but black ones, meh they all look the same, especially with the alloys speced up.) Maintenance costs was silly and really put me off. Lastly was the theft thing, I couldn't get over this poor chap on the M3cutter forum (only last year) bought a RS4 within a week it was off his drive and into a container somewhere. C63 AMG I was tired from looking at cars by this stage, and was fed up with driving my wife's Mazda 6 (even though I do quite like it) So even though a test drive on the Merc might have swayed me but in the end reading up on them - MPG/Tyres and people shifting them on quite quickly made me forget about looking at a C63. In conclusion: Getting older and deciding on an automatic. Maintenance costs. Comfort and ergonomics. Rarity. Still fast! :) Sound. Made me decide on the ISF. And after driving it some more on Friday! It was the right decision!

Paul Frost is Lexussparesdirect, I have dealt with him. Found him very honest and straightforward and would recommend him.

Yep - great reviews Not a looker however 😢

Is the battery in a good state of charge? Windows needing resetting indicates that voltage was lost or too low for auto window system Also if power was lost to power steering system ( Electric ) then steering will revert to no assistance. paul m.

Oh ok hadn’t realised that. I thought that braking was supposed to be better when they were up to temperature as well as having the advantage of being fade free.

I’ll need to check mine as the car can get sideways very easily at the moment. I think that’s more down to the lower mid range Yokohamas fitted on the rears by the previous owner.

I think I have read in a previous post on the forum that some of the lights coming on can be associated with a blown brake light bulb ... worth a check

+1 to Johns comments above. Easy to take a drum off to inspect but if you are experiencing extended brake travel then it will be worth your while replacing them. They are only used for the handbrake so if you are experiencing this, they have obviously worn quite a bit (if it is wear) - MOT failure... I have put up a walk through on changing the rear shoes on the tutorial section - its an easy process and you can wind the cog in to take up any slack if that's what you want to do - I am pretty sure I have indicated on the tutorial what direction to wind it up to tighten and loosen...

The parking brake has adjusters in each rear drum. Adjustment may be all you need, but while the wheels are off to adjust the brakes it only take minutes to remove the drums to check the brake linings. The linings are thin even when new because in theory they are never in contact with the drums while the car is moving. John.

Heard lots of good things about it, Hyundai have a waiting list for test drives in my area as a friend was interested. Lots of settings to play with. certainly a leap forward from that brand 👍🏻

Well it seems my search has unfortunately taken a bit of a wrong turn. More or less throughout this I'd intended to buy this one https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201805086299597?logcode=visc&fromSA=true Just like my IS but in RX form. Full Lexus history, one lady owner, low mileage, spoke to the previous owner, spoke to Southend Lexus. Best colour for one too I thought. A few calls and messages back and forth between myself and the seller, all good. He even dropped the price a bit because the cambelt is well overdue. Then tonight while discussing deposits etc I get a really offensive racist video from him via Whatsapp that was clearly intended for someone else but came to me. My jaw nearly hit the floor. So, Essex Car Centre in Billericay (a family run business with a great reputation) is run by a guy called Chris who thinks it's OK to share racist videos. Thanks but no thanks. Gutted.

Please re read the first post 🙂

Yep it was a great day out and the weather gods were certainly there for us as well, Lexus Cheltenham had a great display of cars and seeing the LC, Quicksilver RcF Yaris GRMN and the GT86 going up the hill was very impressive. All bodes well for the as yet date in July for the 'F' 10th Anniversary, a few pics of the day Pleasure Russ you look like you enjoyed yourself, that Yaris is a little beast, Tim Huxley is a very talented wheelman 😁 🐀

Because of the lowered suspension it wouldn’t be unfortunately

The LFA is a very special thing. I’m meant to be meeting up with an LFA owner at some point soon, rather excited!

Come on... Admit it. s*x wee? 😉

I agree with you Nickyt211... the RX350 was originally top of the list for me, but emotionally, I just can't live with that level of car tax, a real shame as it's a lovely car (a relative of mine has one)... although the slightly better mpg over the Rx300 would go some distance to compensate. On another matter on what to look out for on the RX300... are you (rich1068) looking at either the SE or SE-L... I'm sure you are aware the SE-L has air suspension which can become an expensive problem. I've noticed a lot of sellers who are clearly aware buyers are trying to avoid the air suspension model are advertising their RX300 as an SE version, but looking at the pictures you often discover it's the SE-L with air suspension. Here is an example https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201805106366717?seller-type=private&keywords=Lexus RX&price-to=12000&radius=1500&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&postcode=pl219da&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=distance&page=1

Just a little update. I've started rebuilding the sub and amp rear seat arrangement and in the process trying to better match the leather colour. Cutting a sizable piece of vinyl and dying it to dry overnight. Wet it looks a very close match. Dry, it looks quite close to the arm rest colour on the door card and on the centre armrest but not close to the darker shade of the seats and the main pad on the door card. The light plays its part but it's difficult to find a good compromise ivory shade. Recovering the newer sub enclosures. Reassembly commenced. More to do to finish it off but the top cover hides the ICE beneath it. Looking at the side profile. I must try to find a better looking side skirt.

Not surprised to be honest. EBay is full of fake goods. If I wanted spark plugs or any other spares I would order from Lexus Birmingham. At least you know your getting the real deal.

Interesting stuff but yes, if its too good to be true, it usually is If you want spark plugs from ebay - buy from the Green Spark Plug Co or recognised seller.