Cotswold Pete

I would have a look at Nexen range, good wear, noise no worse than more expensive brands (from new I recall they were quiter than any others I had before). Not as grippy as Pirellis, or Dunlop in the wet, so be not good for pushing the envelope on a rainy track day, but good enough for nippy commute on Cotswold A roads with Z bends. I have found Nexen give good mileage, and as a result they last longer, and so the walls harden (as do all tyres) and this increases road noise as they get older, as well as noise due to lesser tread. Mine are Nexen N Blue, but not sure if they do them in your size.

Looks like £11K jolly well spent. Also on the trim, it might also be sweat and grease from fingers has attacked the surface, especially if you sit in the car with a bag of chips while tweaking with things on the console. Have seen how damaging chippy-fingers can be to paintwork (even when waxed). Best of luck getting it looking tip-top

My view would be to patch it up and make sure rust does not take hold, though would be a few years before the rust is really eating into the body work. I have same issue as this with about £400-£600 worth of respray needed for keyed doors, a tree strike on rear pillar (big dent), and pock mark on the bonnet, front buffer scuffs from inconsiderate numpties in car parks. I washed and waxed up the car a few weeks ago, and realised that the car has chicken pox (lots of small chips), and looks like really a almost full on respray would be the only way to get the car looking tip-top. I would say having shined the car up, it looks not that bad even though it has lots of damaged paintwork. Also the interior leather needs a good going over, the steering wheel needs a recover. So if I came into a few grand tomorrow, I would get it all done, as that would still be less of a cost risk than investing in another LS. So until I win some cash, I am coming to live with my semi-battered LS. When I had an Omega having jsut spend a few bob on suspension only to have the engine blow 10 weeks later, I know that feel of 'What the Heck'.

In my mind will any of the cars with spohisticated electronics be classics in the future, is down to two things. 1. Did Lexus, Audi, BMW, etc, use special IC chipsets in the control systems, if they did when these fail they would be hard to replace (in theory you could get someone to re-fabricate a chip). It would in theory be possible to build a new ECU that used more up to date software mapping techniques to 'copy' what the current electronics does. Neither option would be cheap. 2. The people who understand earlier generation firmware/hardware/software systems as they pop their clogs the new generation would have lost the knowledge and skill to even attempt to fabricate or scratch build such systems. This is why the Vulcan bomber does not fly, because the knowledge of its ancient electronics is making it hard to make do and mend. One could argue that if enough old lags pass on their knowledge then keeping LS400s (etc) running as long as a Ford Model T is possible, but not cheap by any means. I doubt whether in 50 years time there would be enough LS400/430/460 enthusiasts around to form a core of knowledge to keep these beasts going, but then again the valve stereo amp never quite died, and enough people revived the art of valve tech, (and vinyl, come to that), such that it is enjoying a resurgence. However there are probably more valve/vinyl lovers than there are Vulcan/LS lovers out there in the planet. A great shame, but no doubt any LS still around in 50 years time will be a classic, whether it would be better than the LS800 (or whatever is around then) is probably no different asking is a Triumph TR2 a better drive than a TR7, or a SC430.

Worst - Ford Escort Mk3 (was company car, and once it started stalling after first mile), I had 6 months of never knowing when I was going to get to work. Nearly got rammed a few times when stalling. Once has a Rover 200 series, no power steering, mechanically sound, but felt like I was driving a tank, (no power-steering). Thank god the company made me redundant and took the car back. Best - current Mk4 LS400, though used to think my Omega 2.5 was the best until Lexus showed me the error of my thinking. One I would like, a LS460, or GS450 (the missus knows, and just rolls her eyes, and says she needs to replace her X-type soon)

Phil, Amazing bit of research. Has helped me make sense of some of the names I have heard when talking to a few mechanics over the years

Malc, The front tyres are scrubbed, and just had tracking sorted, and will be getting tow new ones in next couple of weeks. Reason for thinking both pads and discs need doing is I get brake squeal (no ma Cheers. I suspect my tyres are a small part of the problem, just had bad toe in on fronts sorted, car drives and brakes in straight line, no judder or pull, but the fronts tyres well scrubbed on edges, so will be replaced soon, but probably have another 2k miles in them. Once all done hoping to get back that lovely smooth drive I expect from an LS when it has new rubber to roll on.

I agree with Garry some people are just not paying attention. However the problem has been amplified in the 10 years of driving an LS. I never beep, I just inch towards them, and eventually they get to here the gentle whine of the cam belt, or the crunch of gravel. I just love the look on their faces. The one thing is I think horse riders love a Lexus as at 10-15 mph, you cannot hear the car, and having (in the past) broken in cart and shire horses for working on roads, the quieter the vehicle passing by, the less stress on the horse (and its owner).

Phil, Thanks for that, the Shunitomo rings a bell. I have blueprints (and I think my discs are not OEM), and though okay, I feel the need to go 'proper' Lexus as on my Mk3 I had them, and the braking seemed 'better' than I get now on Mk4. I have not checked what make my calipers are, but might have a look over the weekend if the wife does not give me too big a list of things to do.

I saw a post the other day, which I now cannot find, where someone mentioned the company that Lexus use to make the pads for the LS (and quite possibly other Lexi). Just curious as to the name of the company, can anyone recall.

I am afraid the Toyota Century is no good for having a kip in the back, so the LS400 is a much better rear seat bed. Have kipped for 4 to 5 hours in back of mine a couple of times, and not too bad. I must say the Century seats look a bit like the 'naughty' seat the teacher would strap you into if you attended some well posh public school and had done something very naughty like support the labour party or got caught reading the Road to Wigan Pier. I once sat in the back of the Queen Mothers car on a private tour of the Jag Museum (just before Tata bought Jag), and it was a roomy and luxurious as you like, but not a place I would have liked to have been on a long journey. Not sure why it felt like that but the Century sort of reminds me of that feeling.

Malc, I echo your thoughts, was getting my tracking sorted on saturday so read a few mags while waiting, and one was a review of the LS500. Reckon on it being worth £47K after 3 years (assuming 10K a year), and I assume nearer 20K after 6 years or so. The interior is very 'aimed at the Park Lane set', but maybe in 6 years the level of bling will be even higher so the LS500 will seem a tad understated. Having given my LS a darned good wash and hand wax, I am now seeing more and more dinks and chips in my 18 year old LS, and so the appeal of a 6 year old 500 in 2024 might be too much, who knows.

I am not so sure they did, watched history program a few years back where they said the Ermin Street was twice as wide as the current M1 is. Thats a lot of donkeys/horses and sword carrying legions!!

I am no expert, but this is an interesting video to watch, might save a few bob if what the chap is saying works on LS You Tube - possible cheap boot cover fix

By 'eck, that looks like a car which suffered chicken pox Anyway that a professional dent puller can get rid of the ones on the boot, and maybe the others. Have seen hail punch holes in aircraft wings in USA not a pretty sight, and thank heavens I was not in the area when it happened.

An LS (no matter which model) will always lift the spirits, and attract the best of comments (IMHO). Went to a sculpture exhibition this weekend, parked up, and on my return found I was facing an Iso Grifo. Always wanted one when I was a little nipper, but this is the first time I have seen one in the flesh. My LS (uncleaned though it is) was not put to shame next to such a lovely supercar.I wonder if the Iso is as reliable as the LS?

MOT testers always amazed that my 18 year old LS looks pretty solid and no leaks. But I always worry they will pick up on something. The thing to remember is the Japanese MOT is so strict, that any car made for (and in) Japan is going to be a darn sight more robust than your average detroit dustbin, or euro-box. Just got back from Crete, I assume the Greek MOT standard is 'Does the car have a wheel in each corner, if answer YES, then Pass MOT'☠️

I wish I had the kind of money that lets you buy some expensive car just to drive to church and back. Wonder what the owners 'other' car was?

I assume your float in the washer bottle has gone, just disconnect it as it is (so I believe) an MOT fail. Easy enough to do, nearside front wheel arch job, with car jacked up and wheel off. Replacement floats not cheap, some folks have attempted re-sealing float, which one day I'll get around to maybe doing.

I did a heath robinson repair which is just about to give up after 3 years, but just got a 'proper-job' from SGS. It is well made, and will not rot like the lexus version. When the link goes your lights point so far up that they do not light the immediate road in front on you, so not only do you blind others, you cannot see where the heck your going (well old gi*s like me cannot see). I had a look at mine the other day to put the SGS part in, but the threads all siezed, and on mine the SGS thread is slightly bigger than original, so will need to drill out the brackets to fit.

My missus spend all her time in front seat, and my daughter (who sits in the back) says the ride is 'too wobbly'. I will check the anti roll bars, as I think my shocks are okay, and not keen on spening money where not needed, especially if it makes the ride harsher (which given the state of our roads is something to avoid at all costs) I have never suffered from car sickness, even if I sat in the back of a 2CV riding a sponge cake highway I am pretty sure I would be fine.

Just got back from hols, which involved a 100 mile trip to airport, and back. Had a great time in Crete, but over a few beers the good lady was saying how my car makes her feel queasy, as it seems to roll around too much for her, and she really cannot stand being chauffered around when she is in the back seat. So on the way back from airport I was paying a little more attention to the way the car wafted along on the M42/M5, and got me to wondering is it time to replace the shock absorbers. Having done 187K, the shocks will not be in tip-top condition, and doing the bounce test (press hard on each corner) the car seems to not rock about. I can still corner pretty hard, when called upon. So my question is do any members have comments on how replacing shocks made their WAGs feel better, or improved handling. I assume replacing 4 shocks is not cheap, but would not be wanting my good lady barfing all over the inside if we do a long drive down to Cornwall at some point!!!

Agree glass is better, but I assume weight saving means removing any glass you can. To date I have just been using T-Cut on the headlights about once a year, not as clear as new, but good enough, and becuase I do not re-coat with UV protector, they do go dull after about 6 to 9 months. One day I'll get around to to them properly, but suspect I would leave the lights in situ and just mask around the bodywork.

Danny, I used to use Gas & Go in Swindon, he was ex-Lexus technician, but he has stopped doing it now (shame). I live near Stroud and have started using Autocraft Services in Thrupp, they see the LS400 as old school mechanics, and in next year or so they will need to do my Cambelt. If you are prepared to travel, Japex near High Wycombe seem to get excellent reports. I would suggest best place for alignment/tracking is Chris Mullins in Glous (sort of opposite Pro-Tyres), he knows his stuff inside out. Also used Auto Trans Gloucester for a full flush and refill of gearbox (cleanest workshop I have ever seen, and the owner thinks only two cars worth owning are Lexus or Jag). I do keep a list on my PC at home of other places I have used (or come across), I had the dreaded Y-piece leak, and had that sorted by a place near Didmarton just off M4 (went for a walk through James Dysons back garden while they were doing the work). So feel free to PM with any requests I'll see what I have (Doing this reply at work, so do not have all info that may be useful once you land the LS of your choice.

Lets hope they do not come back and ask for your inside leg measurement👢, name of favourite pet 🐏, and best holiday 🛩️, which will only slow the whole thing down a little bit more!