The-Acre

Thanks Scribe, I've PM'd you to get that mechanics details in case I need him. Stu Curious to know where (ish) you are in West Sussex, I'm in Worthing so may be able to offer help if ever needed? Phil

She can do what she wants just...please don't sing!!!

Yes it was only supposed to be a temporary car while I got the MR2 fixed, but now two and a half years later I've still got it and drive it much more than the MR2! These cars certainly get under your skin. Same here. 2year old Merc went back at the end of the contract and the LS was a 1 month stop gap until i decided what to have next. £950 and 3 years later i wouldnt have anything else. Give me an 18 year old Lexus any day. :P Well I think I've mentioned this before, I bought mine in September 2007 expecting it to last a year. It still drives like new and has had less problems than my 7 year old Vauxhall! 18 years old this year. Mind you, I paid a massive £1,500 for mine!!!

Hi Dave, A friend of mine who's won awards for car preparation at classic car shows says he always uses 0000 grade steel wool and metal poish on stainless steel exhaust ends. Did it on mine and it was fine. Phil

Ditto! And I just thought I'd mention this. I parked my 93 LS in a fairly tight spot at a customers house yesterday and she said: "I don't suppose it's got power steering has it?"!!!!!!!!!

One thing I know is that time clouds the memories. When I think back to a car I had in the 70's, a big Chevrolet, the things I did to that were ridiculous. The point of all this is to remember what history has taught us. Many moons ago the great and wise Sage Enright said (and this is from the original Greek version) "Snuff thy candle on bright days, lest it be considered large and trick like") In other words: TURN THEM OFF!!!!!

I hope you find the LOC as invaluable as I have! :D Phil

Makes sense. I suppose when you're not there listening to the conversation in the first place, and only getting it secondhand it's not so easy to comment.

All possibles, but to be told your head gasket is about to blow? As other have said, it's either gone or it hasn't.

Chavs are just people with more money than taste and nothing to do with how they drive. Older, wealthy ones can live behind electric gates and own a big Audi SUV with black windows and chrome alloys. Younger ones aspire to this lifestyle starting with older quality motors polished to within an inch of their life. For formal occasions and Court appearances both wear expensive suits of inappropriate shiny material elegantly cut in the 1960s London Gangster style - often set off by a brilliantly white shirts revealing multiple thick gold chains. Good luck to them! Tastelessness is their free choice and their Right and also serves to give the rest of us a laugh and feel a bit superior. There is a completely separate group (mainly youngsters) which maybe includes some chavs, who like to hoon about in flash motors with every light ablaze to attract flash girlfriends with quick-release clothes. They don't think they are doing any harm or making driving a bit more dangerous because their minds are elsewhere and anyway thinking is not one of their strengths. They are just A**eholes. Finally, there are those who know quite well the way they drive and use their lights annoys other drivers, is sometimes illegal and makes the roads a bit more dangerous. They even enjoy doing so and will seek all sorts of spurious justifications for it. Chavs may be included in their number, but there is actually a special name which defines them - which I am not going to write down. Not a bad epistle. Probably, I would think, that most people would agree, that like me (10.45 pm) this post should now be put to bed. Good night Chavs and discerning gentlemen (and ladies) alike.

I did realise that. BTW what's wrong with Mini Mouse? Better than Kylie

Actually, I think the young Japanese are real Chav types. As far as I know the LS was aimed at the American market first, and I think fog lights in the US were, or are yellow. Any Americans to confirm that? The LS is the least Chav like car you can get, it's for the middle aged discerning gentleman like myself, pipe and slipper types!

Well someone needs to take on a leadership role!! Personally, I think it should be someone with (correctly aimed) yellow fog lights. No Chav would be seen dead with them.

Because it's been agreed that fogs without fog is illegal, we go in the garage together and have a little car and owner moment. Oh yes, I confess I sometimes put them on when it's just murky!

It's been interesting and amusing to read the comments over the past weeks, and I can't help thinking if this was going on in a pub near closing time blood would be spilt!! I've always got annoyed with fog lights when it's not foggy, but it's really the tip of the iceberg isn't it? I get just as annoyed with drivers that don't indicate at roundabouts, drivers that tailgate, drivers using mobiles, drivers with children not strapped in, music up so loud it makes my windows vibrate, loud exhausts, a certain age group driving Rover 25's, dogs on the back shelf, most Audi drivers, darkened rear lenses so I can hardly see the brake lights, supermarket carpark dings in my doors, drivers hogging the middle lane on motorways....the list is endless. HOWEVER....the front fogs on an early Ls400 are yellow and they look the biz!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy new year! Have you had any bad condensation? Damp caused havoc with mine, although I did have a leak from the sunroof which didn't help

Well I used a 320 grit when I did my grille and it came out a treat, it was a paper designed for wood use though, and I did use a Scotch pad for getting in the corners. Don't forget to use a plastic primer or you'll be doing it again before long!

Very helpful, thanks My cooling pipe is really corroded so I plan to replace it with copper when the weather warms up. Do you know if it's 8mm or 10? Ta Phil 10mm without question. If i had had more time i would have soldered olives to the copper pipe ends and the cut end of the pipe i have just cut down to replicate the original. But the copper cooloing pipe behind the bumper i replaced about 18 months ago without olives and i dont think it has leaked yet. PS; when bending copper micro bore, "think and then bend". If you have to play about bending and rebending it, it will become hard and brittle very quickely and crack. Excellent, thanks.

Very helpful, thanks My cooling pipe is really corroded so I plan to replace it with copper when the weather warms up. Do you know if it's 8mm or 10? Ta Phil

Although my car's not an import, but I've never paid over £250 fully comp with full NCBP. It may be because it's older (93) but Churchill cover it under their classic car policy. Swift were also much cheaper than anyone else. I found the best deals by going to one of the online compare the market sites. The difference however is vast, last year the cheapest was £245, the most expensive £1,700!!! I have tried the comparison websites but my problem is when I try to enter the make and model i.e.Toyota and Celsior in the drop downs it isn't listed on most sites. I see what you mean. Maybe best to make phone calls rather than trying online? Don't know if this link will produce any results, they're supposed to be Jap import insurance specialists. www.nipponautomotive.co.uk/insurance

Although my car's not an import, but I've never paid over £250 fully comp with full NCBP. It may be because it's older (93) but Churchill cover it under their classic car policy. Swift were also much cheaper than anyone else. I found the best deals by going to one of the online compare the market sites. The difference however is vast, last year the cheapest was £245, the most expensive £1,700!!!

I have to say, whenever I've had condesation problems to that extent it's always been from a leak, and it doesn't have to be a major leak. I don't know if the IS has a sunroof as standard but with my LS water was coming in from the sunroof because the drainage holes were blocked, a common problem it seems, it caused really bad condesation. Worth checking maybe. Does it get worse when it's been raining?

If you changed the O ring and it's now even worse, doesn't that suggest that it was the O ring but it's either dislodged or it's the wrong one? Before I did mine I cleaned the pump all round and then checked every day so I could be certain where the leak was. I bought the O ring as a part on it's own and it seems fine 2 years later.

A couple of years ago we drove from Sussex to Lands End in my LS and we averaged 30MPG. Another time we took my wife's 1.4 Corsa auto and I don't think fuel economy was any better, certainly there was a lot less room!!!!

I had the same thoughts when I bought my LS in 2007. It was 14 years old with 109,000 on the clock. I thought I would keep it for a year if I'm lucky. I've now had it over 3 years and I use it daily. 17 years old now and still the most reliable car I've ever had. Repair bills (apart from new front discs and rear tyres) have come to less than £5!! That's due to the great info found here. Power steering pump repaired for less than £3 and instrument lights (which you mention) 20p (helped by a friend with a steady hand and quality soldering iron) Take the others advice and just enjoy it.