lordturns

Hi Michael, they are a Vauxhall dealership and that's why the price is high....the tech V8 enthusiast works there though although not for that money I think. My reliable mechanic is getting the job regardless.

Spoke to my reliable mechanic and he is going to do the job once the sparks have arrived.....should be around 40mins to an hour tops.

That price was for supply and fit although I was told the price 'could' increase!! As suggested I have purchased the NGK iridiums for £57 incl. delivery from fleabay via Steves link. An hours labour? really? my neighbour years ago had a Jaguar series 3 V12 saloon and he always said the plugs at the back of the engine block were a pain to reach...you could see why - plumbing everywhere! simpler on a Lexus then?

Plugs are ordered! any idea how long the job should take to change them? I have been quoted an approx price (could be more or less I am told) of £264.43 for the job....seems OK? or is it a rip off? Lexus wanted around £15 per plug if you went their route - just goes to show you how the shared knowledge from everyone on here works time and time again. Brilliant.

Many thanks for your help everyone - looks like it will be NGKs then :outforcount:

Hi Malc, I don't know.....suppose the only person to ask would be a car restorer? or a metallurgist (don't know of any) who could give a proper diagnosis on the condition of the material. For MOT purposes, I would hazard a guess that the inspection constitutes a 'prod around' and a visual check although not much more.

Hi everyone, as my Lexi appears to be running a bit rich (MOT test) and you can smell it - I was wondering what sort of spark plugs to give her? it is likely that she hasn't had her plugs changed since new and I do not have any knowledge of what's good or bad etc. All I know is I would like good quality and not duds. Many thanks in advance, Jeremy

Thanks Gentlemen, Iain - like you I need to do something with my subframe and have done some research into various treatments and read quite a bit on forums - opinions vary wildly as to what works and what doesn't, trouble is what to go for? on my advisory it states 'corrosion to within 30mm of chassis legs' oh dear . I was thinking a strip down and rebuild with replacement of overly worn parts (ouch! expensive) although the other route is to remove all rust and coat/protect, see the photos below: Run132 - love the E23! classic sharknose styling that is typical of 70's and 80's BMWs. You just never see them any more and I cannot recall the last time I did which is a great pity. Would love an alpina version which if I am correct is the B10 3.5. BMW did make a 745i of the E23 which was turbocharged, left hooker only and pumped out 252bhp which in its day would have been a stormer.

Hi Jeremy-thanks,and good luck tomorrow! Thanks Iain, she failed plus some advisories too.....see below: Rear parking brake imbalanced - failed O/S rear brake binding - failed Both rear tyres are now quite low but passed - I am changing these regardless as they are nasty barum bravuras? which as I understand are very cheap. My rear subframe and associated components were also advisory as they are corroded. The emissions are quite poor and only just scraped through, the tester carried out the check four times before he could pass her! he said that is very rare for one of these. Thought I could smell petrol too on startup, so that must mean she is running too rich? The MOT was done at my local Vauxhall dealer and the tech came out and clearly not the usual franchise technician! his dad owned an S reg LS400! His father was formerly a mechanic and as a family they had had a raft of V8 SD1 Rovers the Tech had a very interesting car history - Chevy day van 5.7 V8, Camaro, Corvette Z28, Dolly Sprint, Carlton Gsi, restored 3 RS Cosworth Sierras, the list goes on. To say he loves his cars and is obsessed with detail is an understatement and needless to say, I know where my Lexus is going! Brilliant :)

I am with you there Iain - have my first MOT with my LS tomorrow at 2pm....fingers crossed :outforcount:

I purchased some Bosch Platinums from fleabay and they are very good....

No worries, let me know if you need any further help - hopefully you'll stay nice and dry!

Hi Martin, since I did the repair to both of my doors with the silicone, my car has been dry as a bone since with no further water ingress. Happy days :outforcount:

What do you guys think of the BMW F650 CS and GS? are these any good?

My MK3 has a very badly corroded (dry rust) rear subframe and associated suspension components - it would suggest that the car had been stood for a long time seeing little use and this may explain the low mileage when I bought it at around 65k miles and now on 72k. Also there is some rust on one of the front wings and also a little on the rear quarters that will need repair. I would also be curious to remove the plastic sill covers that run the length of the car including the wheel arches to see what is going on behind them. Other than that the condition of the panels is very good with no rust whatsoever. Having owned many BMWs with the aforementioned plastic sill covers, upon removal they have often yielded many a surprise with rust and fortunately this has been superficial, therefore easily treated and protected.

The front seats in my MK3 don't work either and yes I would like to be toasty too :) is there a definitive answer to the cause and fixing? One of us on here must be a secret auto electrician? :)

Hi Neil, thanks for the advice and yes I am fairly new to motorbiking....the key hook for me with a machine is that I have a cross Europe trip planned to see the Pyrenees and the Alps, so it has to be capable of doing this being comfortable and without any drama. Plus now and then I will use it on the odd commute when the weather is decent....weekend trips etc.

My rear brakes have now been fitted for some time and I did buy genuine Toyota parts in an effort to keep things to spec. Only thing is my front brakes squeal very loud - I have checked them and they have plenty of life left yet in pads and discs, I can only perhaps attribute this to them being aftermarket parts and possibly cheap at that. It is odd - when you start the car and roll forward, gently touching the brakes - the fronts begin to squeal and then after a few minutes, the squealing disappears. There is then no noise at all when braking during the rest of my journey - squealing only happens when the car has been stood for a while.....strange

Mark, I really like the VFR and agree that it should be a strong contender - not been able to sit on one yet....are you now a bike dealer over here by any chance?

Thanks for the suggestion Neil, Quite like the look of the V Strom and a friend of mine has recently bought one - I will go and try it out for comfort....had a look on ebay and there are plenty around. Choices, choices....

Hello Jon, I bought my rear brake discs, pads and air filter from a guy who is based in Bristol - he is a specialist in Toyota parts and all you need to do is email what you are after - include the usual things such as chassis number etc and he will post to you. He gives good, reliable service. chris@cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk http://wp.cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk/ Cheers :outforcount:

Not yet - I sat on a Suzuki SV650, liked the bike although the riding position was not that comfortable, also Honda Hornet - liked the bike but no wind protection at all and lastly a Fazer which I liked the most in terms of comfort although it was a 1000! a little too much.

I take your point but would agree to disagree - just as you can 'give' offence physically, you can do so with language either written or verbal.....If someone were to walk down the street shouting and hollering at individuals using foul language and generally being verbally abusive, then that person is 'giving' offence are they not? they are choosing to cause annoyance or displeasure by acting in such a way. If everyone chooses to ignore this guy, he is still 'giving' regardless. My opinion of course :outforcount: Ah, yes you speak the truth on 'eejits' haha :D

Mikey taking, sarcasm, banter, humility and self deprecating humour is a good thing to have in life - and it does keep you sharp. IMHO, an insult is a whole different ballgame and I don't think they are good for the soul OR make you grounded - does anyone like being insulted?? on a personal level?? I would wholly beg to differ. An insult by it's very definition is 'speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse' (Oxford Dictionary)

I don't disagree that healthy debate is a good thing and opinions should always be aired - some 'debates' on here are becoming more of an argument between members with a few of the comments bordering on quite personal to the point of being a little insulting....Lexus Owners Club, perhaps rename 'Fight Club' haha :lol: