MAT_8N

trying to insure mine at the mo and i'm struggling to get it under £300 fully comp(£225 last year). i do less than 3k miles a year but i cant get limited milage or classic insurance, i've tried them all. its a 97 mk3. rh couldn't get anywhere near an acceptable figure. think she'll have to go the journey. not worth keeping at these prices.

just flew through the mot today. a few queations answered. i dont really have anywhere to keep it sorned, its a bloody big car! i've had it about 5 years now(done 17000miles in it! another reason to let her go,or then again a nother reason to keep her! lol). all i've done is put mazda rx wheels on, chrome grill kit, white lights instead of yellow,wind dflectors and tinted the windows. not a lot really(still got all the original parts). and i do service it myself. here she is as was....or could still be easy enough.

big difference, dont forget the side repeaters. mines a 97 too

i dont need to sell the car, things aren't that tight. i'll probably get a bike instead as its cheaper to keep and run. i only do about 3000miles a year and thats just to and from work and the odd trip to the shops, and thats just because its there! as a family we use the RX. its a big car and takes up a lot of space too! these modern housing estates weren't dsigned for big car familys! i dont want or need to sell it. i just dont need to keep it, if you know what i mean? but i'd rather keep it than let it go for peanuts.

yea, but do they actually sell? i'll see, gonna get it tested this month and see how things are then.

i'm thinking about selling my 400 as i dont use it enough and we need to pull the belts in a notch! the problem is, is it worth selling? its a 97 with 121k miles with ok history. its inn good nick with no faults apart from my heated seat doesnt work. but is it worth selling? i'd like at least £1800 for it. but in todays market i dont think it would sell for much over £1k? and i dont think i could let it go for that kind of money!! the mot(will fly through) and insurance are due and i'm thining about moving it on or just parking it on the drive, but again thats a waste! what do you all think is a REALISTIC price? i've still got the original wheels and lights to go with it.

it wont work out any cheaper. i used to get my parts from USA but now with the exchange rate and postage its not worth it. UK parts dealers are not really any cheaper than your local independent who'll do the serviceing can get them for. unless you are doing the work yourself just let the independent service gargae supply the parts.

17-18mpg!!! i get around 25 around town. i honestly thinki have an exeptional car as far as mpg goes as i seem to get a lot more than others! it does much much better mpg than my wifes rx300 and her display averages 19ish around town and 26-28 on a fully loaded run, where mine easy beats those figures. as for power/economy i only use pwr for overtaking or a bit of fun :D

just had a quick clean, could have spent more time making it look spangly but didin't have time. could do with a clay and polish, this was just a wash and wipe over! it comes up nice and shiney 120600miles registered 20/1/97

here's a nice one ;) http://www.thenortheastvwclub.co.uk/chat/v...opic.php?t=1558

yea, just checked and i can get it just as 'cheap' over here now. do you really need to change tensioners? you can get a belt for about £25 but a kit costs about £135. then there's the waterpump for about £90. + say £200 for labour, thats working out around £400!! does my head in! i don't know wether to just leave it or spend silly money on a car not worth much more!

i'm about to get my waterpump and cambelt done, and i'm thinking about getting some aftermarket stuff from rockauto in the US. i got all my other service stuff from there before and it was fine. i just cant justify spending a load of money on a 12 year old car with 120k on the clock! i was thinking about £100 for the belt,tensioners and pump? then whatever my workmate is going to charge to do it.

i think mine are 245/40/18? i should have gone for 245/45/18 as i think they are to small. i think you'll end up getting bigger wheels but they will look smaller. go here to compare your old and new tyre sizes http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html judgeing by old tyres which were 225/60/16 i think?(i think yours will be pretty similar) the 245/45/17 should be okish but the 225's will be way to small and need changing, dont forget to figure that into your pricing. but if your old tyres are 235/60/16s then they'll all be to small(i'm away so cant check my old tyres) just tyring to help buddy, i know how much of a nightmare it is!

i've got 240x 45x18's?, cant remember exactly. but i did need to steer away from a low profile as it was a lot smaller than the standard 16" tyre. i should have gone bigger on the profile or width as the are still slightly smaller rolling radius. if you are going for 245x45x17 then they will look tiny in your arches and you'll be reving a lot higher and your mpg will go even lower! i did try a 225x45x19s and they were minute!!!! i looked into it long and hard before i changed mine as they can look so wrong. also i'd double check they do go over your calipers? and check the offset. the LS is a lot bigger car than the IS so the wheel set up will be quite a bit different. just because its the correct pcd and off a lexus doesn't mean they will go straight on.

just got an email from national numbers (01642 363738) MAT 77Y reduced from £6995 now £2335!! still a lot of money but i would be seriously temtped if had another car for it to go on!

face book is internet hell

i enquired to dvla about MAY 70N(M AYTON) and MAT 8N(MAT AYTON) and they said they hadn't been issued. low and behold about 2 months later i got an email saying MAY 70N was coming up at auction. wish i'd bought it because it went for £800-£1400ish? next thing it was on a site for £15k!! a month later MAT 8N came up!! as you see i got it. not cheap but perfect for me. its worth asking even if its not on thier online database. there was a decent MAT plate on ebay the other day for a good price....M4T** or something

we got an ebay liner for our rx, its got a raised 2"-3" lip all the way around. it sounds like the lexus one? i took it out the other day to give it a clean(the dog goes in the back) and it came up like new. its black hard plastic. can't tell from the links but it does look like a better fit than them.

the passenger seat heats up but mine doesn't? is this an easy fix or is it not worth bothering? ta Matt

i looked right though ebay and never saw one? can you find it and post the link please? i love my car and it isn't worthless to me, but its reached the point where its not worth spending a lot of money on. for example i could probably get a tow car with towbar for £150!! which would proably be more economical!! so my theory is to start classing my car as an old banger( which it is NOT!! i think its one of the best mkIII's around) and spending money accordingly.....you catch my drift? it also is going to need a cambelt soon and i don't really want to pay to get that done as it'll cost nearly half the cars value!! but its a lexus and it looks,goes and will last another 100k miles yet at least!! its only got 118k miles at the mo. it'll look awful with a towbar too!!.....here's a rubbish picture....plan on lowering it soon too

cheers for that. but i'm going to try and find a second hand one somewhere!!? i can't justify spend £220 on a towbar for my '97 400 which is not worth anything!

you've got what i want!!! i've got an older LS and the wifes got an older RX!! us teesside folk do it properly

i need to tow my sons kart in the trailer and would like to use my 400. its not worth tupence in these times and i know its a good car so dont want to change. i can fit a towbar myself so thats not a problem, but where the hell do i get one from?? or maybe adapt one to fit?? Ta Matt

when you gonna take me out for blast!

why the suspension upgrade? whats wrong with the early ones? i'm not after sporty, my old ls400 is quick enough!