The Transporter

I guess that my IS is a Friday afternoon car 'cos it bucks the trend... at 39k the front tyres are half worn and have worn evenly... the rears are due for replacement in the next thousand or two

Ha! could be... I have a strange affinity for North Wales. I was up your neck of the woods last weekend, My beloved had never visited Wales and was amazed and impressed at how widely Welsh was spoken

Really, anything hat makes me a bob or two... I'm a refrigeration / air conditioning engineer by trade but I'm also registered for Gas, oil and electrics. Got a lad manning the other van. The Jeep is a cheap toy but it gets used If we have to work in a rough area or on a job that is difficult to get to in the vans. I've had to back off a bit last year and have limited myself to lighter easier work as I had two discs removed last year so I might have a holiday this year

Not got millions, but nicely comfortable, unassuming little house workshop and stores round the back. IS, Jeep Cherry and two vans on the drive. Don't smoke, not had a holiday for five years, up at six, don't sleep before midnight, don't waste my money on frivolities.. I fail to see why middlemen should make money from me, but when I buy I buy stuff that I believe that will last..... Got caught out with the VW vans What you have to understand is, in the main the slick willies in flash motors are just like the majority and are just two payments away from bankruptcy, cars on lease and mortgaged up to the hilt ... Plenty of genuine millionaires smoking round in old Volvos and battered Land Rovers. One day, you will figure it out.... In the meantime, when I bore you with my eccentric rantings, I'm bored out of my skull in the office typing out quotes and invoices... Any distraction is welcome when I can't be out doing what I love

Now then folks, you have to admit that this thread is a bit more fun then the usual "What is the snow button for" or "What colour do you think that I should paint my wheel nuts" ....... No?

Hmmm... I wasn't aware that this was an argument. I asked the OP a question, a question that was answered some time ago but the sheep of the internet decided to get on to the bandwagon. The right number might be a sound investment but a £200 plate that is "private" merely because the last three letters happen to be ones initials is hardly going to make anyone rich, especially once you deduct any transfer fees due when you change your car. My IS is used as a car, it was bought as such. I don't get all squishy about it, I don't buy it accessories or toys, I don't buy into the after market add ons silliness.... The customers who worry about the age of my car are those who worry more about appearance rather than substance and will spend too much of their cash on outward appearance and hence they cannot afford the services that I provide, Yep I have a bad attitude which goes against everything taught in business school, but no one owes me money, everyone is delighted with the service that I provide and business has never been better... When I see a car with a Paddy plate on, it is obviously mutton trying to hide it's age.

It could be someone from the Lorry Owners Club.......

I could understand it if you could buy a plate with "PETER A JONES" though I still wouldn't buy one myself but but R344PAJ on a new car is beyond me. Anyway, It's been a good discussion and I'm off to bed...... Night night boys and girls..

On the contrary... I'd rather buy something useful. If you would like to be silly about it, perhaps we could argue that there are some with more money than sense...

Yes indeed... If I was to suddenly inherit plate number A1 (Assuming that it ever existed) I would be most pleased and I would start looking immediately for the best way to sell it as only then would it be of any use to me. I'm sure that you would see it the same way.. I do get a little bemused at some of the plates that I see, clearly someone has paid good money for them to make themselves stand out from the crowd, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what it is they are trying to say... As stated elsewhere there are plenty of BMWs about with BMW in the reg number...... I'm sorry, I just don't get it, they paid X hundred pounds to have on their number plate what it says on the boot badge above and that badge came free with the car... Perhaps I'm just too old and grouchy to get what they are all about.

It could be done but it would be an awful lot of graft and I'm not sure that you would get the finish that you would desire. I'd try to find a local company that specialises in powder coating who could strip them of their paint and powder coat them in a colour of your choice. I don't know if all guys who do powder coating are as conscientious as the guy who does for me (He does a lot of stuff for my work) so you'd be best to ask around in your locale

Thanks for the clarification.... However you and I both know that any plate is only worth what someone will pay for it, however like many commodities that have no use, there will always be someone who will pay for the perceived prestige of individuality. So no I'm not saying that a plate off an old car is worthless, but other than the way that a reg plate identifies a motor car, it is pretty pointless.

looked like a brand new car ! not an old j reg ! unless i,m mistaken And?..... How does fitting a reg from a J reg scrapper on to a new car make it "Private". I'm sorry to sound like I'm being awkward but I just don't see how this number is "Private"..... Its a number off and old car This is abusive?

With all due respect, I did ask very politely in the second post of this thread but the guy became abusive...

No need to get all grumpy... All I want to know is why is a numberplate that has been transferred off a rusting heap "Private"? Is my plate private even though neither the numbers nor letters relate to me? Would it then be "Private" If I was to become interested in, well, say Nuclear Zone Reclamation?

looked like a brand new car ! not an old j reg ! unless i,m mistaken And?..... How does fitting a reg from a J reg scrapper on to a new car make it "Private". I'm sorry to sound like I'm being awkward but I just don't see how this number is "Private"..... Its a number off and old car

Forgive the dumb question, but how is J 19 LOC private?

I agree with Imperial on servicing your self... The IS200 is a very straight forward car to work on and you know that the job is done to your satisfaction. Whilst I work on mine, I tend to clean and spray grease on parts that I notice might need it as I go along so that parts don't rust up or seize through the winter... You can chose what lubricants you wish to use too. Just takes a decent tool kit and a bit of nowse

.... Thew only reason that I mentioned that my Winter tyres were on steel rims is because my steel rims came with the van and are rusting nicely.... I had them lying around when I bought the alloys... Surely in the case of the Lex a set of tatty IS wheels could be bought cheaply from the local breakers or on the bay... They fit right on and judging by the number of shunts that there have been this Winter, the wheels should be reasonably plentiful, sor ather than busting a gut to find steel rims, why not just get a cheap set of alloys?

Alloys on the van in the Summer, original old steel rims for the Winter tyres...

Swede, the enforced use of common sense would be an infringement of their human rights......

Swede, you may as well try to plat fog than try to teach the British common sense... They are totally incapable of thinking past the end of their current day... as long as it saves a buck today who cares if it costs them over a long term... I have learned to capitalise on this stupidity, I'm a heating engineer by trade, covering Gas, Oil,Heatpumps and Air Conditioning... You can guarantee that the Brits think nought about their heating untill there is frost on the ground and then panic when they cannot find someone to fix the heating that has been on the blink for weeks, even months so why do you think that they should concern themselves over something as trivial as the tyres on their car?... After all they wouldn't have the advantage of better traction, braking and steering would they? and as for the advantage of perhaps being able to get out of another drivers way before the other car slides haplessly into the side of your car.... we'll let the insurance sort it all out and complain about all those other drivers who can't drive properly.... Hell most of them cant even figure out how to demist their windows.. So how do I capitalise on the fools who cannot plan? Simple... Winter tyres on the van, a shovel and a bag of rocksalt.. If I'm the only engineer who can get out to fix your heating, then it aint gonna be cheap..... Fortunately for me, common sense is frowned upon in this country... And the foolish will continue to complain that "Somebody should do something"..... Take cover.... Incoming!

First thing in the am... Could well be a slipping PS belt.. either condensation on the belt and pulleys causing the belt to slip and not driving the PS pump or the belt is slack and needs tightening

Ha! My number plate has my full name on it.. All I did was to change my name to DU 05..... I'm not telling you my surname

Thats why we need to drive in to pedestrians.... To help slow us down..