Scribe

Sorry, my premium is £190, not £250. The Honda costs more, for some reason, despite being worth less and slower.

Great result Malc!

The other cars I'd consider at £1000-2000, although they're not as good as the LS400, are the Honda Legend and the Toyota Camry. But prices for those seem to be rising too.

Hi Aaron. Many of us on here have had LS400s for a while, and advice about buying one has changed over the years because they're older and rarer than ever, and prices have risen for decent ones. But it's still worth being patient and waiting for a good one to come along, because otherwise you could end up with a money pit. If you're looking for a good Mk.IV (1998-2000), which is the latest and arguably the best version, you're looking at around £2000 these days, whereas a few years back you might get one for £1500. For that money you could also get a cheap LS430, and there's plenty of debate on here about which is a better buy!

Why not? It's more tasteful than some of the modifications we see on here.

Hi there Asif and welcome. My Lexus is covered by a classic car policy with RH Insurance. There's no No Claims Discount and you have to have an additional car covered on a 'normal' policy. In other words, if your Lexus is your only car you'd have to look elsewhere. I pay about £250 a year, I think, and for that premium, mileage is limited to 3,000 per year. What constitutes a 'classic' car to RH seems to be for them to decide. They also cover my 1999 Honda Accord V6 Coupe for a similar premium.

Slight corrosion to brake pipes (front to rear) that will need attention within the next few months. But another MOT pass - that's six in a row. 'Drives beautiful', said my mechanic when he brought the car back afterwards. 'Unlike the new ones - they're rock hard.'

I bought a wireless transmitter so that I could play MP3 files in my Honda, which doesn't have a CD player. Have since discovered that I can't tune to a blank signal in either the Honda or my Smart car, because the radios will only search to the next station.

Malc, if you get a Legend let us know what you think. They've always appealed to me.

If I could have either model and both were likely to be equally reliable I'd definitely have a 430 because the cabin seems a nicer place to be in - it's roomier, I think. But if old 430s were as reliable as 400s they would probably be more expensive than they are, which would rule them out anyway for some buyers. If you have a reliable 430 there's probably not much point changing to a 400, which will be at least five years older than your car. There are so few really good ones around these days (at sensible prices, that is).

John, we knew you'd be back before long!

Yes, I'd immediately take a different route.

It's the same as 'Baby on Board'. What's the significance of that? The way I drive doesn't depend on my perception of who's in other vehicles (unless it was Donald Trump, perhaps). Or maybe I need to be aware of flying nappies, sick etc.

Isn't this like the problem someone had with an LS400 a while back, where it was nothing more than the steering locking? It's easy to move the wheel slightly and lock the steering (without realising it) when you take the key out.

The car comes up on the MOT history site with a mileage of 33,980 rather than 140,000. At the 2006 MOT it had done 101 miles, so presumably had a replacement speedo shortly before that. The offside doors have been repainted because they don't match the front and rear wings - but that colour's very difficult to match, I understand. The history sounds good, though. Maybe you've got room for another one?

Fingers crossed Mike. I'm sure you'll let us know what the problem was, once it's fixed. I wonder when that RAC man last attended an LS400?

Well, I never thought I would, but I've managed to track down and acquire (at an expense I can't really afford) an ultra-rare LS Compact. I don't know how many were made, but I've never actually seen one in the flesh before. I'd have liked a different colour from my LS400, but that doesn't really matter. As you can see, the bonnet, boot and rear doors are shorter, but the front doors look the same as on the 400. Wheels too. Under the bonnet is the engine from the IS200, I think. Of course it hasn't got the room or refinement of the 400, but I feel very lucky to have such a rare machine.

Ambermarine, I remember this problem being discussed before. I had a version of it after my battery was recharged and reconnected. The revs would occasionally drop at idle to the point where the engine almost cut out, but after a day or two this stopped and it has been fine ever since.

Another reason for insurers using approved repairers is the loan car system they operate. The cost of this to the insurer is more consistent and easier to predict, and there's less admin involved because the insurer doesn't have to deal with paperwork for car hire that a claimant will submit for reimbursement. (Believe it or not, at Norwich Union we used to deduct a mileage figure, on the basis that while the damaged car was off the road being repaired it had less wear and tear on tyres etc.)

Well said Mike, though I'm sure greenness is the last thing that concerns insurers. This was one of the issues that arose when the government introduced the £2000 scrappage scheme - taking roadworthy cars out of circulation and replacing them with more economical ones that had a huge carbon footprint because of their manufacturing costs. Maintaining and running thirsty old cars is much greener than buying new ones, plus we continue to give work to local/indie mechanics rather than being at the mercy of main dealers - who probably make most of their money from repairs and servicing. Mark, I don't think it works like that. As I understand it, insurers operate on the basis of reinstatement to condition at the time of the accident or a cash settlement if repairs are uneconomic - based on the market value of the car, which we know is difficult to determine with ours. At the same time, claimants have a common law duty to minimise their claim, so even if you're not at fault you can't claim for whatever you want. This is why an insurer won't usually give the go-ahead to any repairer the claimant wants to use, because it could increase the cost of the claim. (This is said from my experience of working in the claims department of Norwich Union, but that was about 200 years ago.) Insurers use approved repairers because, even if they're more expensive, they work to a particular standard - as Robb has explained above. And this is important with newer cars. On the other hand, it means that most 400s or 430s are likely to be written off. So the alternative is to negotiate by demonstrating that you'll accept a cheaper repair - and, if necessary, doing what Mike suggests and keeping a Cat D car. In which case, photographing before and after is a very good idea. I'd obviously rather not have the 'stigma' of a Cat D car but I think I'd prefer this to scrapping what is otherwise a perfectly good and much-loved one. I think I'd just have to accept the situation as part of running an elderly car.

Robb, you're the expert here so no argument with what you've said. I was basing what I would do on what Malc has suggested - accepting a less than perfect repair, or part-repair, in order to keep the car, or even running it as it is. Although a real bummer, I'd rather do that than lose the car. I suppose it's a risk that all 400 and 430 owners face, because our cars aren't worth that much, except to us.

If that damage had been done to my car I would be extremely peeved but I wouldn't accept that it was a write-off. I think you'll have to get a much cheaper quote - which must be possible. I've recently had one for un-denting and respraying a front wing on my Honda and that was £150. Comparing the damage (on the basis of the photo you've posted), the cost of fixing yours would be £500 max, but not through the insurance company's approved repairer.

Insurers seem to do what they want these days. They always ask for the value of the car, presumably to help set the premium, but I'm sure that has no bearing on what they would pay out in the event of a claim.

Yes, it looks amazing.

Result!