Scribe

Just wanted to say congratulations Steve on all your effort and persistance. It seemed touch and go for a while, so I can imagine how chuffed you must be to finally have the Lex back and looking so good. It just shows how much can be achieved in keeping an old but roadworthy car running if you really want to. I just hope the same thing never happens to me. Even a small bump writes our beloved cars off - on paper, at least.

Saga were by far the cheapest for me, too, for the Lex. Very competitive on home insurance, too, and about the same for my other car (a smart). But who knows what will happen at next renewal? The whole thing is so unpredictable.

I think we all have to accept that the world of motor insurance is not like it was when many of us started motoring 30+ years ago. In those days it was either cheap from the high street 'bucket shops' or more expensive from the bigger-name, supposedly more reputable companies such as Norwich Union, General Accident etc. Prices went up slightly each year but not by much, and as you built up your no claims discount the price you paid gradually went down. All that seems to have changed, partly because things like age, occupation, type of car and level of cover no longer seem to have such an obvious effect on the premium. The whole thing seems more random - prices vary wildly from year to year, for no obvious reason, which is why most of us change insurer every 12 months. I may be wrong, but I think this is connected to the expansion of the financial services sector. Now that we manufacture so little in this country, people are forced to sell services rather than products, which is why we're pressurised to buy all different types of insurance that we never bought in the old days - personal accident cover, loss of income etc. etc. And it's sold to us by generating fear and making us feel unsafe without it. The same is true of breakdown cover, which used to be either AA or RAC, and usually you stuck with the same company for years. Today, all these companies are desperate to sell us a service (which we hope we won't need), which is why the best deals are always for new customers, not loyal existing ones. That's another reason why we change insurer every year. When I had car insurance through the AA it was cheaper for me to take out a new policy than renew an existing one - until I complained, at which point they offered to price-match the new policy. The proof that this is more profit-driven than before is that there are no fixed premiums any more. If you ring for a quote, the company doesn't tell you its price. They ask, 'How much have you been quoted already?' and then try to match it. In other words, their best price is flexible, which means that some people MUST be overpaying for the same level of cover. End of sermon.

I wonder how many other cars of that age you'd contemplate doing such a long journey in? I still get slightly anxious before doing a 500-mile trip in this country, though the Lex has never given me any cause for concern. And tomorrow it gets serviced, so Brighton to Suffolk (return) next month should be a breeze. Last time I averaged 33mpg by wafting gently along at 60-70 mph.

Modern cars are harder to park than old ones because of their shape - they're bigger, all the corners are rounded off, and the windows are smaller (because of either styling, impact resistance, or both). e.g. I was following an Insignia the other day and thought to myself, 'I wouldn't want to try reversing that into a parking space.' The back window is tiny and sort of oval-shaped, and the boot drops down out of sight - like something from the 1940s. The LS400 is a big car but you can judge the width and length fairly easily because you can see the bonnet (if not the boot).

Right again Mike - unlike the people who scrapped perfectly useable older cars in order to get a £2000 discount off a new 'greener' small one under the Government's ridiculous scheme. I paid less than that for my Lex, which my mechanic says I can run for 10 years if it's maintained properly. Yet people still think 'Big car, environmentally unfriendly'. Or 'wasteful extravagance'. I don't think it is - when you factor in lifetime running costs (including depreciation). And meanwhile we have all the luxury and refinement we could want.

I know it helps to be over 50 when you're buying car insurance. But I agree with Mike that running an old 400 can be reasonably-priced motoring when you take into account lack of depreciation and MOT costs that would affect 'normal' cars. (See moriwaki's post on here about 400s being so much better-built than 460s - my mechanic, who's Lexus-trained, told me the same thing.)

When I've looked at adverts for LS430s (just out of interest) the vast majority have been Premium Pack models - therefore with the air suspension, which I'd rather not have because I read somewhere on here that it can cost £1800 to fix if it goes wrong. I read somewhere else that according to the JD Power Survey the most trouble-free 430s are the earliest and the latest ones. So if it were me spending your £6k I'd go for an early, non-Premium pack model with a full history, rather than a later one. Good luck with your search and let us know how you get on - many of us will probably replace our 400s with 430s one day (though probably not for a long time).

If nothing else, your story makes us LS400 owners who couldn't possibly afford a 460 feel a little better about that, though it also reminds us: 'What could I possibly replace my car with?'.

Hi there Stu. Was in Steyning not so long ago and looked out for you. One of these days we'll pass each other on the A27!

I think Lexus Brighton has closed too. It seems not enough people are buying new ones - just old ones which we hang on to forever.

I guess it depends on how much you're willing to spend and how far you're willing to travel to look for a nice one. IMHO none of the problems you've mentioned is terminal, but I'd expect to spend at least £500-600 putting them all right, which would double your expenditure. And you can get a decent Mk.III, with history and fewer issues, for around £1000 these days. My usual thought is: if it wouldn't cost much to get the car through an MOT, why doesn't the vendor do that himself and then sell it for more?

Stuart, if you don't manage to seal the screen yourself you might try Auto Windscreens on the corner of Camden Street and Wellington Road (on the coast road through Shoreham/Portslade). The guy there (with a silver Prius) was very helpful the other day in fixing the rubber skirt under my front air dam, and I imagine he'd make sure your screen is sealed. I don't know his name but the phone number's (01273) 439030.

From Wikipedia: 'Debuted in September 1997 as a 1998 model, the revised LS 400 was introduced with a five-speed automatic transmission, increased engine output (to 216 kilowatts (290 hp), with variable valve timing (VVT-i), and an added 41 newton metres (30 ft·lbf) of torque.[42] Acceleration times and fuel economy were improved as a result.[42] The suspension and steering also received minor tweaks to improve feel and handling.[55] Stylistically, the vehicle sported a new front fascia, side mirrors, and wheels;[42] a rear windshield diversity antenna replaced the conventional power mast.' No mention of any other styling changes, and I assumed that apart from the grille and headlights the bodies of the Mk.III and Mk.IV were the same.

Thanks for the advice. When the weather's dried up I'll have a grovel underneath the car and sort it.

The one on fleabay that Steve has put a link to has the DHP wheels - and presumably the lowered suspension that also goes with the DHP pack. I think it looks nicer but it's not the most important consideration.

I already have this one in my watch list ... On 4th photo down there appears to be a "flap" under front of bumper corner should that be there? That 'flap' is a broken skirt - see my recent post about this. The front airdam is actually quite low and can easily be grounded on kerbs. Not a huge job to fix.

You don't want to think about me in a rubber skirt (which I can't keep closed).

Yes, I'd consider that one if I were looking for one now. Considering the state of the wheels, 'near to mint' sounds like a bit of an exaggeration, but unless you're going to spend silly money (like the 1998 46,000 miler at £3950) there's going to be something that needs a bit of attention.

Cheers Steve, I'll check that out.

And Steve is right. Looks are important, but at around £1500 condition is more so, I'd say, so take your time looking for a decent one (it helps to be able to judge one car against another) and be prepared to travel if necessary.

Yes, the Mk.IV has a five-speed box, though depending on how you drive it, you probably wouldn't notice much difference in terms of noise and fuel economy. Re the look of the wheels: I prefer the look of the Mk.IV ones too but they often lose their colour due to oxidisation (?) and cost around £250 a set to replace with reconditioned ones. Bear in mind too that the nicest looking wheels (IMHO) come with the Dynamic Handling Pack which also includes lower and slightly stiffened suspension. You'll be lucky to find a good one with DHP for £1500. Yes, the position of the satnav is good on a Mk.IV but unless you have an updated CD-Rom it'll be an old system that doesn't work by postcode (street name only). Mine won't take me to my house even when I put the road name in.

The rubber skirt under my front bumper has split on one corner, probably due to kerbing. Superglue won't hold it together. Anyone had a similar problem and found something to stick it together successfully? I suppose there's always black insulating tape...

Prices seem to have dropped since I bought mine last August, so £1500 should get you a halfway-decent Mk.IV, whereas £1000 wouldn't. Having said that, I think I'd rather have a really good late Mk.III than a not-so-good early Mk.IV - there's less difference than between a Mk.II and a Mk.III.

Take your foot off the gas when you're going downhill and the 'current MPG' shoots up to the maximum on the display (99.9mpg), but it doesn't last long. Perhaps this chap only travels downhill. Or perhaps he never goes above 40mph on the motorway.