Cotswold Pete

I see more 400s than I do 430s, but I am not in centre of Glous, out in the sticks near Stroud. Saw a 400 on New Years day heading north past the Woolpack in Slad, woman driver, so surprised to see one, and still half awake after late night (totally sober though), did not get time to even think about the Headlight Flash greeting. I also see more 460s around than 430.

I assumed it was a mobile phone connection, did not know they were pre-wired. I guess it was from the days when mobile phones needed a brick sized charger and cradle in the boot and connection to external attenna. Forwarding thinking chaps these Japs, shame they did not predict the rise of Bluetooth when building the Mk4, as it was around at that time.

I would say worth a drive, certainly going to be a different drive to GS250, and though 6 years old, will not feel 6 years older. Price seems fair, but a bit of a long way from Argyll, but if I was in market for a bit more luxury I would be off to Bedford ASAP

I did have a real mini drift the other day, single carriageway (nothing coming the other way), suspect it was diesel or oil on the road, and I did notice that VSC did not come on, which surpised me as one country lane I use with a cattle grid on a slight camber and 12% incline the VSC always comes on if I do not take foot off the pedal as I traverse the grid.

As he says, they made one of the best cars. Cannot argue with that. I would like to see this video redone with Jacob Rees-Mog, that would be less American😬

From my experience the changes like this are caused by tempature changes affecting the stiffness of bushes. I would have punted on UCA bushes gone or going. I have same issue, I know it is off-side UCA and some days at 20mph it vibrates, other days it is 50mph, other days it is okay (mainly when it is about 12centigrade and a little damp. This UCA has been slowly going for about last 20K miles, but now got to point where it needs doing, and I get some weird tramling, which is probably UCA as well. Brake judder - had issue on my Mk3, that was drop links. One other thing might be checking tranmission mounts, but I would assume if you get teh vibration and then go into coasting mode, and it is still there, less likely to be transmission mount. I would get a good indie to have a prod, and not just with a crowbar. I had a read UCA picked up as MOT failure, but with that one noticed no vibration or impact (as a far as I could tell) on the handling of the car. As you know it can get expensive repalcing running gear on these motors.

Totally agree, I think the original LS was an experiment never to be repeated in terms of quality and build (as it was known in the late 80's when this beast was on the drawing board) and British Leyland were still churning out the Montego/Maestro and your average Rolls was a money pit from the start.

Re-reading this thread makes me think I never want a car with TPMS, especially given the Lexus part costs more than I paid for my LS in the first place. My Mother In Law had a GOlf with TPMS, became a real pain once it started to play up so she got rid of it.

Most modern cars seem to be built to sound quite (ish) up to about 40mph, and then after that you have to crank up the stereo and forget about having a chat with the passengers. Done to Stroud to Gatwick run a few times at 70+ and with mother in law in back (deaf old bird), and me (deaf old g*t) we can still have a chat. Try that in any other car! My next door neighbour as Hyundai Tucson, at 70mph, there could be a pair of mating elephants in the back🐘🐘, but you would never know for the cabin noise.

Not heard of her, will be searching out her music some time when not at work. On the full tank measure, only did it once on trip from Stroud to Aberdeen (in dead of night so no hold ups), drove at 60-65 most of the way (very chilled out cruise). Got 36mpg out of one tank. Those hills, Shap & Beattock do not help the mpg. I find my LS only slightly thirstier than Omega I once had (which on similar run, similar conditions, but running at 70-75) got 38mpg. LS is a much nicer car for such a trip. I still reckon for the money I paid for my LS, and the petrol I have put in it, I am better off than if I was running a younger motor with smaller engine.

I would over to able to wall mount the Thorens, but have a wife with other ideas. Have set up 3 point suspension using Linn setup technique, and damped the platter and subframe as well. Also mounted some rere earth magnets to pull the motor's magentic field down, as I use a Goldring GX1022, which with a Pocan body has no inherent magnetic sheilding. Stills sounds blooming good for a 40 year old deck. Been using a inner tube to good effect (not at all floppy when inflated correct) for last 20 years, just getting fed up with every 6 months having to re-inflate.

Did not know that fact, is this why ATS try and get you to have Nitrogen in tyre for a few more £££. I wonder if they would inflate a 16inch bike tyre to 10PSI for a few pence? Good idea will be buying some to try out. In past tried squash balls - cut in half - but they did compress eventually. Also they look naff as it was hard to get a decent 50/50 split straight cut and get the platform properly level.. On speakers, have Kef Q35 (in dining room) only 20 years old, still working nicely (not the most HiFi but good enough to enjoy a roast dinner with a nice wine on a Sunday). Main speakers are SEAS units (DIY transmission lines - based on design and cross-over from Aussie outfit) , still look like brand new, and no sign of surround failure or stiffening. Must say I liked the Isobariks, but always found they needed to be driven hard to sound their best. Preferred sound of Spendors, and the lovely veneer finishes, but just never got around to splashing the cash.

Okay, that knocks my idea on the head, did wonder if the tube was permable. Shame!

Now this may seem like a bonkers question, but here goes. If I seal the valve on an inner tube (bike, schrader valve) with - say - some J&B weld, will that mean the tube will never deflate. Reason for asking is that I have both my Thorens Record Deck and Marantz CD player mounted on Asda Solid Marble Chopping board, with 16inch inner tube underneath to act as a isolater. this really improves quality of the bass, and does not cost the fortune something like a Stratbase, or Townsend. Problem is the air leaks out, and I assume the valve just needs sealing once I have got correct PSI in the tube. Any thoughts.

Sounds like a great idea, I assume a stop is needed in the bottom of the bottle (or some decent waterproof tape) to keep water in while using the car. I have had mine disconnected for about 18 months now. The only issue I see with one from a scrapper is that it will be on its way out, so a repair would be needed at some point. From prevvious research I found that they are not cheap to buy new, and I always carry a spare 2 litre water bottle and screenwash for when I run out.

When my rear o/s UCA was replaced so many corroded bits and bobs, ended up with car in garage for a week. So a pitta (and a wallet emptier - as i recall)

Totally agree, my wifes Jag is only 13 years old but has more corrosion than you care to know about. She managed to get the welding done really cheap (by chap who welds trucks) and he said, in another 2 to 3 years be prepared to scrap the motor. On looking Jag forum I have decided she is not having a another Jag. Maybe back to Honda for her, though she was tempted by a GS300 a while ago. On Kens comment, I have never owned a Merc, but my mates who do have deep pockets, and all the other marques mentioned I would have said Vauxhall was better than the rest, but not anything like as reliable as Lexus. Appreciate LS versus your average Vauxhall, at a price level is not fair, but know of two VW Phaeton Owners who have deep pockets and car in garage more often than not. This forum is like a gentlemans club, it's quite, all its members are gentlemen and we we all know our cars are rock solid (maybe like 67 Pall Mall), and so we can just get on with reading the Times and smoking our pipes (or in my case, the gardening, DIY projects and listening to vinyl records - when my teenage lad is not hogging the best stereo in the house).

Agree with the above (though they did sort the Steer Ahead out), looked at my last sheet done by Chris Mullins in Glos, and only had fronts done and Toe In and Forward Steer was way out. Now the old lady steers like a dream and the tyres looking fine. Rears mildly out, and so not needed doing. I paid about £50 as a I recall, and would have been £70ish for all 4 corners. My only thought for finding someone nearer Merseyside is to chat to enthusiasts who pimp their motors and have their wheels set up 'oddly' for want of a better term. Whoever they use is probably a better bet. Using ATS. Kwik Fit etc, is such a hit and miss affair even when I have had so called experienced operatives.

I have heard that an electric car will be simpler to maintain as it has fewer moving parts than a fossil fuel burner. But it sounds like hybrid or pure electric you need DC/AC convertors and if these bits of kit are going to fail then it might be simpler to get hybrid/pure electric car on the road, but it is going to be a case of $$$$. The one thing about good old fashioned tech is that you can pootle about with it (in most cases) at a reasonable cost to coax some movement. Or is that just that at the moment anything hybrid is $$$$ as it is all new. I wonder what ScrapHeap challenge would look like in 50 years time, more soldering irons than welding rigs!

I wish for a ski hatch in my 400, its the only fault with my Mk4 that I cannot forgive it for.

Malc, A worthwhile saving. Shame about all the add on charges that eat into the original saving. Wonder what it will be after Brexit, hopefully no worse.

I have a wobble, around 35-40 mph, seems to fade to a barely noticeable wobble at 50+ and I run my tyres at 34psi. Will try pulling back to 30psi, see what happens. Need to jack up the front and prod some bushes, as at 191,000, some stuff is going to getting a little tired.

You have not seen my steering wheel, really scabby, need to get off my backside and get it sorted. Probably going to get mine recovered at some point, means some down time while being done. All the second hand LS400 steering wheels I have seen on ebay and elsewhere have the early-onset skank setting in. All those years of finger grease wearing at the leather. However with Xmas coming up (and a roof of house in need of repair) might be a while yet before I get this done.

This is something we have been thinking for a few years now, but I suspect with petrol now at £1.35 a litre (compared to 90p not so long ago) only nutters like us would run a big engined motor. But as we have all discovered these tanks are light on petrol (considering). I know more modern big engines are fuel efficient, but why spend £60K+ for a frugal merc when the £54K would buy you a shed load of fuel. I think I have the biggest and cheapest car in the office and driving a petrol head to garage last week (so she could pick up her motor), she was gobsmacked when I put the beast in PWR mode and put me foot down. As good as a Chimera that she once owned but a darn sight nicer to be in.

Agree with the above. Does the wobble get worse still if you go above 75, to me that indicates tyres or wheel (could be UCA - though I had worn UCA replaced and had no such symptoms before). I wonder if it could be pads/shims, though does not present as 'wobble', (well not for me), sort of a feeling of a unbalanced wheel, but once it kicks in it does not get worse with speed. One other thought, had a tyre with seperated layers years ago on Omega, it presented like I was sort of driving on a slippery road at low speed only when turning a corner and then at motorway speeds felt unbalanced, but when you put it on wheel calibrator it showed as perfectly balanced. This was with brand new tyres, which is why it took a while (and pure chance) to diagnose. Cannot remember how tyre depot confirmed the problem, but it was me that asked them to suss out if that was the issue. Is this a job for the chaps at Japex to have a look at?