39buss

There's an adjuster under the dash in the foot well up near the pedal pivot. I've just had my parking brake done and the cable was siezed and casting broken. See my recent posting with pics, 'Strange Noise' on 5th June.

On the LS400 MK3 (and,I believe, the MK1&2)the radio code is the last digits of the VIN number. Does this not apply to the newer models.

The vibes and noise had to be sorted and the brake working ok to pass the MOT in a few weeks time. Shoes and springs were £50 and my regular garage charged £35 labour. Cannot grumble with that.

Bought a set of OEM 16" wheels with budget tyres and centre caps off the internet which were in good nick but dull so all they wanted was a coat of clear lacquer and now they're very acceptable. I had the 2 worst tyres replaced with Michelin Primacy's which went on the front and from a driving point of view, I think they suit the car very well, whether thats the smaller wheel or the rubber or a combo of both so pleased with the result. Now thinking of 2 new Falkens or Barums and fit them to the front.

Decided to test my new brake cable and shoes on one of the steepest banks in the area. From this angle you can't see the bricks behind the back wheels.

Driving along and when I reached about 30mph a noise and low vibration started which felt like a puncture so stopped,checked ,all ok. Set off again and all's fine. Over the weeks this happened a few times. These days, the thinking cap's not as big as it used to be, but when I stopped and set off again the noise and vibes had gone so it must be the brakes. Next time it happened I felt all the wheels and the O/S/R was warmish/hottish so a brake binding. My regular garage looked at it, found the caliper was fine but the parking brake felt wrong so off came the hub and shoes and the cable was siezed in the housing where it enters the drum. We decided to fit new shoes (Quinton Hazell) which came with all the springs etc but couldn't find a MK2 GS300 brake cable even though they were advertised at £50 (Blueprint etc)....and..yes...It keeps coming up on here....try Lexus first. New cable £60 + vat - LOC 10% discount. Pleasantly surprised. You can see on this pic the belled end of the outer rubber sheath that covered the other side of the cable fixing casting. When I pulled the rubber back the metal fell out in 4 pieces and the cable was siezed in the casting above the spring. Possible causes; water ingress or electrolytic reaction between the different metals. Working fine now with a dollop of grease to water proof it. PS...as well as the adjusters in the drum there's also an adjuster on the foot pedal under the dash.

Possibly the only LS in the North East!!!!...although I did see an early LS in the Freeman car park a few weeks ago. There was a MK4 and 430 for sale from 2 dealers recently and a MK3 in Old Washington Village but he sold that a couple of years ago. There's a MK2 GS300 exactly the same as mine, same colour,same year and only one digit difference on the reg. no. in Springwell Village

Have you given up on the 430 and traded it for an RX400 instead.?

ChrisM, there's a refurber in Sunderland just off the A1231, and to a lesser extent, a new business in CT Tyres yard in Birtley. I'm in Washington and have no connection to these.

Here you are Mike, just seen this up the road from you at Peterlee and he will P/X. On the bay, Item number...300905397456

Hope you get this sorted. I'm sure I've read on here you can fit normal shocks to the 430. Here is a number from ebay of a breaker who had 2 x 430's. Might be worth a shot. Dont know if they're still there.Have you tried 'benfur' on here. breakingcars20122012 08446639089

When I bought mine I extended it fully,polished it and every time I wash the car I rub it with a wd40'ed cloth and its still like new and working well after18months.

You'll find them on ebay for £15 with a little set of instructions included. Take the nut off the aerial, switch on the radio, the aerial and cable will wind itself out and reverse the procedure to fit the new one.

Are you selling or buying? There's a 430 on Autotrader for £2200 and another 3 or 4 under £3000

Another low mileage LS 400. Item No. 300898864261

10 miles from me. Tempted to have a look but fancy a 430 really. This was advertised, probably a couple of years ago with 60 odd thousand miles but never sold. No bids then and I can't recall the asking price. Wonder if it went through (BCA) Newcastle Car Auctions. That dealers' just around the corner from them. You can get a 430 for this price now. 3 x 430's on Autotrader for £2200, £2300 and £2495.

look where?

Where I live, near Sunderland, there's a long established wheel refurbisher who will lend you a set of wheels and he takes tyres off refurbs wheels and replaces tyres and balances them as part of his service for £50 a wheel. I've never used him so no connection but you should not have to faff on doing your own tyre removal/refitting etc.

Hi Mike, there is a lad on here with a 430 and lives on Teesside. I'm in Washington so not too far away. I had a MK3, same as yours, but running a MK2 GS300 at the moment. You'll enjoy it on here. Jim

I was thinking the same, never heard from you for a while and also wondered if you ever put the DHP's on and what tyres (size, make)are you using. Did you ever find any centre caps and the LS does look right on DHP's. Best of luck

The cotter pin did look a bit ropey but a split pin would do a safe job just as well.

Dont want to dishearten anyone about the weather but a few years ago, in the early 90's in April, it had turned Easter and I thought it a good time to get the 'Old Classic' out of its winter lock up and renew all the seals on the brake pistons so down to the garage with fully charged battery and 'vroom vroom' , started after 6 months laid up, drove it home, jacked it up, rear calipers off, ready to take to work and next morning opened the curtains to this view.

It may have been a simple case of balancing the wheels or has some body clouted a kerb and damaged the suspension. I wasn't going to take that chance and ...yes... why didn't he put it right before advertising it. If it drove as it should I would have bought it.

I saw it go through the local auction in January and the hammer went down at £4200 (approx £4500 with commission). The seller gushed on about how nice the car was and how it drove beautifully. It was probably as good as you'll get from new but on the test drive the steering vibrated and pulled to the left. On questioning him on this problem he got decidedly ratty and a bit aggressive, responding with.....'you can drive through it' and 'It wont cost 'YOU' much to sort out'. Bearing this in mind as well as it needing a cambelt and owners manual, I declined. A real disappointment but it's my money and he wasn't getting it. The irony is I bought my present car off him 18 months ago, lovely car and a good deal.

Hope you put plenty polish on before putting back on the car.