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japanesebob

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Everything posted by japanesebob

  1. Hello Kevin, we bought a 2003 (98-03 model, the old one) in April this year. We rushed into it a bit for various reasons and it came with no service history whatsoever but in comparison to Mercs I had been looking at that were three years newer, the RX was like a brand new car. Get a f/s/h if you can but to be honest I loked at one with a fsh and it was a bit of a shed - interior was knackered and it didn't feel right. Gut instinct led me to buy the one I did. Few minor niggles with the brakes which the dealer did some work on followed by a local garage, this was merely due to its having been stood a while. I have just had it converted to lpg and it is the loveliest car I have ever owned, superb and economical with the gas conversion too. Go for it, just try to know its history and check if the cam belt has been done.
  2. safety in numbers then, that will do for me. Where do you keep your by the way? Mine is taking up space in the kitchen, where it will stay until she who must be obeyed demands an explanation.
  3. I think you are probably right, something to hold some wires in place and not the end of the world. Thank you for the reassurance.
  4. This item appeared in my driver footwell the other day, underneath the parking brake. Does anybody know what it is? I have had a good look up where it appeared from but I can't see anything obvious. The car hasn't fallen to bits and still drives and feels the same.
  5. Thank you, I bought the, on ebay for fifty quid of a chap who bought them years ago, second hand, from America. I will buy some t channel nuts off ebay and they should do hone trick.
  6. I bought some roof bars for my 03 rx300 on ebay, my car has the two channels in hone roof. The bars and star headed screws are there, but whatever nut or washer the screws attach to are missing. Does anybody know what I need?
  7. My bonnet and wheels are fine, by the way. I had a small patch of rust on the tailgate, caused by one of the bolt holes for the reg plate. It was only small but I had it filled and re sprayed anyway. I would suggest the important thing is advisories on the mot and mot history - that should show up any serious corrosion issues.
  8. hmm...rust. That was my big worry, after I had bought the car I looked at the mot advisory - I know, I know, should have done so beforehand but I have already explained why I was hasty. My car had an advisory for minor corrosion, "not considered excessive" in a couple of places. One of which was the rear sills due to the car being jacked up on both sides without regard to the correct jacking point, thus crushing the sills and allowing a bit of corrosion to set in. I also noticed that the car's underneath looked horrible, particularly in comparison to a peugeot I own that is even older than the lexus. I asked at my usual, very highly regarded garage and mot centre, and the mechanic said that the mot tester should not have put the advisory on, and it was nothing to worry about. He told me that most Japanese cars of that age look dreadful underneath and that I shouldn't concern myself too much about it, which did put my mind at rest. I have read on this forum that the mark1's didn't have the best under chassis protection, so just have a glance underneath before you buy one. Also check the boot floor underneath the spare wheel and make sure that it isn't rusty there either. My spare wheel was like brand new and had obviously never been used, or even removed from the well, but the boot floor had a tiny bit if rust, I sorted that with hammerite kurust before having my lpg conversion and it appears to have stopped it in its tracks. My intention when I have the pennies is to pay a visit to a rust protection company in Spalding, they use dinatrol and as I intend to keep the car for as long as possible I think it will be worthwhile in the long run.
  9. I rushed into buying mine earlier this year at a time when my wife was about to go into labour and I really liked the car - I wasn't at all cautious and bought a 2003 rx with about 95000 miles and no service history whatever. It is a 98-03 model with the spare wheel in the boot and does not have roof bars. I can get some after market ones for it though, the lexus ones are like hens teeth. I had to have a bit of work on the brakes, I think because it had been sat for a while, and it is currently being converted to run on autogas. We had looked at merc ml's and found them to be rusty sheds, the lexus by comparison, although older and with higher mileage, is like a brand new car. If I had had a few more pennies I would have gone for a lexus approved used, but that is in hindsight and I couldn't have afforded it anyway. Since buying it I wrote to the previous keeper and he has given me the detachable towbar and the lexus boot liner - restored my faith in humanity actually, he could have just ignored my letter but he took the trouble to get them to me! Check if the cam belt has been done, I have no idea if mine has so I will have to get it done next year. Also check if the sat nav computer is present, it should be in the boot under the floor. If it isn't he here the screen for the sat nav will say "external device not connected" or something similar. There is loads of help on this forum as to what to look for, best of luck.
  10. Worley, eh? I shall have a look at them before I decide then. I'm quite convinced now, despite numerous horror stories!
  11. hmm...I was worried about the underneath of my 03 rx300 being rusty but it looks just the same as yours. A mechanic told me that the underneath a of Janese cars always look 'orrible, perhaps he was right. Good set of pictures, I think I'll have a bash at this myself. Did you just scrabble underneath or put it on some sort of axle stands?
  12. Im having mine done in the next couple of weeks - the poor fellow who started the thread has had a rotten experience by the sounds of it, fortunately as I live in the north I am on no danger of using the same installer that he kindly warned us of. I will be going to leyland lpg as recommended elsewhere on this forum. We bought our rx300 (03 model) with 95000 miles earlier this year. We could only afford a car like this when it is this old and with this sort of mileage. My intention is to keep it for as long as poss, it's a lovely car. It was always my intention to have it converted, and I imagine that if I could ever afford a newer model, or indeed a brand new car from lexus. I would be in a position to buy enough petrol for it. I shall of course start a new thread to keep everyone informed of what leyland lpg do to my car...
  13. Yes, get yourself some 303 aerospace protectant and apply it to any plastic or rubber bits after removing the headlight to clean it - that will preserve the seals and prevent it leaking, and you get a nice clean light. I think so anyway. Failing that I think you might try some sort of mould or mildew killer, perhaps a mild solution of it, that will kill the green stuff making it easier to remove.
  14. Is it a mark 1? I need some roof bars, I bet I can get 'em off for you...
  15. Billygarret's car sounds like mine - perfect bodywork but the underneath quite alarming. The mechanic at my local garage said it was nothing to worry about.
  16. Hello Chris, I am in the same boat - or a very similar boat, anyway. My 2003 rx300 has a horrible underneath, all flaky. A small portion of it has started to creep through to the boot floor, and the towbar which was already fitted isn't too clever either. The last keeper was in the north east and used to go fishing a lot, perhaps this has something to do with it, although I don't know what. When I have the pennies I will definitely use the services of one of the professional rust outfits. There is one in spalding who used dinatrol, but that is a long way from Manchester. I am going to have a look at the one in knutsford, I wasn't aware of them.
  17. I jus thought some stuff called 303 aerospace protector, yet to try it though. I will try to do I some before and after pics.
  18. Steve2006 - how much of this stuff can your mate 'get?'
  19. That looks superb - really plush. It would be so simple for them to install this combination when they built the car, why didn't they? I am impressed.
  20. Was that centre console easy enough to remove? I want to give mine a good clean. (I'm very thorough where valeting is concerned.)
  21. Corks, hope I haven't caused a row between you all about handbrake cables - the car has been fine since and I've been enjoying cleaning every nook and cranny of it all day.
  22. I'm going to have another look in my boot before I invest in a new towbar then, I need one to tow a caravan.
  23. Jason, many thanks for your advice. Neil, yep, skoda with very plush interior! I looked at a couple of skodas 'superbs' and was very impressed. Even after driving my lovely Lexus for a few weeks I would still consider a superb in the future. Not a white one, obviously, that would just look like a taxi! But seriously, if occurred ever get chance, cast your eye over one, they really are luxurious cars for the price. As for travelling to view potential purchases, I agree, previously I have driven from Manchester to South of Leicester to view a car. Unfortunately at the time I was considering buying the RX my wife was days from a C-section, I was trying to finish building a patio and the truth is I rushed things and didn't do the checks I usually would. I did return the car to the dealer, they have furnished me with new front brake disks and pads and new rear brake shoes. The rear callipers still look horrible and I suspect they may need replacing at some stage, but the dreadful noise and grabbing rear brakes seem to have been solved.
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