Chris Skelton

:P Hmm, not sure about the black bonnet! (But then, I AM middle aged now so....)I've been toying with the idea of doing my (LS400) wheels body colour, so this would be great to try the idea out on, to get to see what it would look like (especially as you've blacked YOUR wheels out) Are we at the cusp/crest of fashion's wave? Chrome wheels out! Matt/colour wheels IN! Like the flames too! Wonder if you could print a 3-D effect reclining woman on there....... :) :) :)

:zee: Hey Man! Chill out! But I would say that? Mortgage paid off, no children (That Anyone's told me of)No drink problem, no debts. So under £20k is fine. My house goes up in value more than I earn each year! If only I could spend THAT! But then,a reason I HAVE a LS400 is because it's reliable (touch the wooden roll top desk here!). It's the pleasure you get from the car; you can't put £££s on that?

:P They may not be Fuel efficient NOW! But soon, when the new Hybrid model comes out thet'll be quids in! Electric or petrol..... Now, if I only knew how to tap methane from my compost heap........

Seen Wednesday, 3.30 p.m. in Bristol, Hotwell Road Champagne LS400 with L8XVS plate! Are we jealous? Of course we are! Are you looking in Mr/Ms L8? (No I wasn't in my LS400, I was in my Nissan S-Cargo, which gets LOTS of looks!)

:mat: But why post in the 400 section for an IS200?

Also, don't forget, when parking in the sun (try and find shade!) to put up a front (and back if poss) screen cover (or whatever they're called; the things with Swiss mountain scenes printed on, or pics of people lounging on beaches...perhaps we should sponsor a Club one?) I used to use Neets Foot oil on an old MG Magnette seats 25 years ago.....it's classic leather workers stuff; conditions and softens leather. But IS rather sticky until it's well soaked in! You have to leave it for a couple of days and then polish.How about Connolly leather Hide food too? But need an answer to this 'Plastic coating' puzzle though. I thought I had LEATHER seats, not Plastic covered!!

Depends on just HOW much is done. Tha' dussn't get owt f' nowt, lad! Oil, fluid, etc all cost ££s. And don't even THINK how much 8 plugs are at £10 each.......er...8 times 10.....plus fitting, assessment, realignment, testing, (I once tried a girl out for a job (I run a cafe) who, when faced with two items, one 60p, one 40p, got a calculator out!!! (Needless to say, didn't get the job!) :winky:

:zee: I fancy having my (LS400) wheels re-furbished and done in body colour (plus laquer protection!)...even though I have a Graphite grey car! Hope my e-bay bid succeeds on the spare set of wheels.......

B) YES you DO have to carry a spare bulb set in France; also you have to have TWO warning triangles in case of breakdown. Carry your Green card... get one from your insurers. (In Spain you need a Bail Bond certificate too, or did last time I went.)Radar warning machines are illegal (but then, you're on holiday!! Just cruise and enjoy the sun and countryside.!!!) Don't forget that priority is different on roundabouts. I think you may find all this (and more??) on an AA or RAC site? I've just been reminiscing about my first trip to Spain, 20 years ago. Went for 8 weeks in a 1955 Citroen Traction Avant Commerciale, camping mainly. People outside bars would stand up and applaud when we drove through their village. We'd wake at dawn in a remote valley, to look out of the tent at sheep, bells clanging, passing by, shepherd and sheepdogs looking curiously at this apparition in their valley..... Have fun! :zee: B) :zee:

B) Now all you have to worry about is....whether you should have waited for the new, hybrid model that's due out soon! Get ecological, man! :zee:

:P ah, but the mk 2 LOOKS so much better!

:zee: Hey! My hi-fi turntable and sep. power supply (Townshend Rock, for you hi-fi cognoscenti!) I had resprayed in black/glitter (and special designs) Looks good when the light catches the flecks.... It's hard to decide, isn't it? Don't forget to get all the chrome done in brass! (I saw this done years ago on a Pick-up and it looked great!!) Wonder if my LS400 would suit a Pearl job (and the concurrent drop in bank balance!) ??

....But, for people with older, but low mileage cars....you may be advised to change your cam belt. It's not JUST mileage related but age as well. I had my 95 LS400 with 52k miles belt changed 'cos it was 8 years old. See comment elsewhere about frequent fluid change being advisable....

:zee: Well; I suppose I could sleep in the back seat of the LS400 with the aircon on....(-:) once I get it re-gassed! Yes. it does get hot down south, here in Bristol! I once spent 6(summer) months in deepest Andalucia, where it was 35-40 every day and @ 28 at night! Now you know why people there don't have 'picture' windows! you lie there wishing the thin sheet was even thinner...and don't even THINK about s*x! :o

I recall in the days when I was spending ages researching getting my Lexus (took me about a year!!) reading, probably a USA review, that Lexus had a database that kept details of ANY work done by their affiliated dealers on ANY car! So, in theory, given twodogs wondering about what work had been done, if the same system applies here? Any one know? (Should I have put this out as a separate topic, perhaps?) Would be easier than ringing every known Lexus dealer....!!

:P :P Ho-ho...Mr Pedant here! I hope that Davis (the sellers of the 430) were better sellers than spellers! The ad had some wonderful errors ; Satelite for one...(2 'lls' please....and you'd think that someone called Davis VEHICLE wouldn't mis-spell vehicle!! Offer 30k cash; have it in your hand -take a bodyguard!-butI guess REALLY check it out. If you're spending £30k+, have a detailed AA check.

:zee: Hey! Chill out babe! You're driving a 430, the envy of (some of)us all! You're supposed to cruise imperiously along. Sorry; can't help on yr query though. I have my lissom partner besides me as Personal Nav guide! Chris, in his Ser 3 LS400; cruising to perfect sound of Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave'......

Do you NEED a Lexus specialist (your ex-technician) to fit new discs/pads? Or just a normal mechanic. (My MOT man once said 'These cars are pretty straight forward underneath' i.e. not some convoluted design-no transverse engine being prised in with no access....or, like my old Citroen DS; having to take out the engine to change the handbrake pads!!!!!) Good tip, re parts, though.

AGREE TOTALLY with previous input. On a general level, changing fluids always pays off, long term! When you think of all the craziness that goes on inside an engine, it makes sense that the lubrication etc., is kept spot on. It's so easy to think 'oh, it'll last a few months longer (as I do when Lexus send me a kind reminder..it's only done 4.750 miles since last service, etc...) BUT oil etc., DOES degrade. Just imagine how YOU'D feel with a complete blood transfusion ...(Hmm? Not good analogy, given the dodgy state of Blood in NHS....O.K. a nice dose of re-oxygenation!) Also; do basic things like...flush out your cooling system, replace the fluid with DISTILLED water, not tap, plus correct % of Anti-freeze. I change my auto box fluid each year, no matter WHAT the Lexus rec is, mileage wise (I don't do more than 6k miles, it's my 'Treat' car.!) to get back to topic! My local service man said the same. They'd only ever changed one engine, even; blown up by idiot rushing into a Ford (the wet type, not the supposed car!!) and ingesting water into the engine.

Couldn't we gat a deal arranged somewhere as a Club? % off/discounts, low mileage/collectors cars/second vehicle etc all seem to be relevant. (Don't highlight the big wheels/hot-rod element!)

why not e-mail 'import sensations '(see photo) and ask?

:o As the owner of Bristol's only vegetarian cafe/takeaway....I guess I'll have to start saving for one of these environmentally positive machines! If I can get one to run on bio-fuel now.....

Colin: let us have more details on your plug source? What type/kind were they? Where from (site address? etc.) All helps in our ongoing life as Lex owners.

The Soarer had multi-spoke wheels I seem to recall. There were a set on e-bay 2 days ago for £25 (!!??) Good luck I think I prefer more solid look for the wheels myself.

:o What size tyres? I always felt that comfort (which iis a major reason for having a limo like ours?) would suffer. Interested to hear about the change and how it feels. I had 35 profile tyres on a BMW 850 and it was awful, except at motorway speeds (and the Lexus is steady as a rock at 125, so no problem there!!) That 430 is like a different car somehow, isn't it? Wouldn't like to leave it on the street at night! My Graphite grey 400 doesn't attract attention in that way!