MLW

Ultra is top SN spec, fully synthetic.

Basic and silly I know, but why not disconnect the battery for a day and see if it 'reboots' clear of any issues? Might be worth a cheap go.

When I bought a SAAB, it had all the service documents. That old trick of charging an outrageous price per litre of oil was there (who buys it per litres, the garage has a 100 litre drum out back), but they had also charged him for 8 litres even though the car took only 4 litres!

Actually that included filter and sump nut washer. This morning, with online discount, the oil is £26.78p! http://www.eurocarparts.com/basket

I think on an old car it is best to do as much as you can yourself, and find a good local garage for the rest. My local F1 Autocentre (Bury St Edmunds) changed all 4 pads + a brake clean-up, and did and oil and filter change (while it was up in the air) and balanced all 4 wheels for £155 all in. The young mechanic also said he has never changed pads that were so easy on any car! Look at a LEXUS service, it is an oil/filter change, plus 'a bit of checking'. Changing an air filter and cabin filter yourself takes 15 minutes and costs £20ish, and Bosch/Mann parts too. Plugs about £65 for the best iridium Denso's every 50-60K miles. I provided the Mann filter, Toyota sump nut washer, and 5 litres of Shell best fully 5-30 synthetic for £33. The 4 Pagid pad sets cost £57. The manager and team there are always happy to fit your bits (as they are cheaper than they can buy ,,,,,,, yes amazingly true). That means for about £250 I am set up for a years servicing and about 5 years of brakes.

I'm with your mum, but what I want is a radio that locks on to all the stations, and a usb slot to play downloaded radio/music programmes.

That is very interesting, but I am a little old school and like to 'get the gunge to flow out of the bottom'. Although in practice it probably makes little difference. You still have to get to the oil filter. Why not make a slot for the sump nut, and a flap for the oil filter?

I would love to turn my £1,800 (or so they say) Mark Levingston Hi-Fi into a £70 Amazon JVC player that could do it all. Someone please help us!

As Mr. Royce said when asked why his cars cost so much .......'The quality is remembered, long after the price is forgotten'.

I am happy to use OEM parts from anyone reputable, but on this very special part, i.e. the gearbox, I would only go for Lexus/Toyota fluid. The tragedy is that in the USA they pay peanuts for this genuine stuff.

Can only speak for my first 430. This is a 2002 car with 30,000 miles on it. It was a Lexus demonstrator, bought by a gentleman who did very few miles in his later years. He paid £45,500 in 2003, I paid £4,500 last May. It past its MOT easily on Tuesday. I simply love it. What do I love. The quiet (SAAB like understatement, no flashy bling bodywork here, the new LS had me choking!), 25-27 mpg (mostly motorway/dual carriage), the silence, the interior, the perfect air suspension, the comfort, the safety, the power of the engine, the gearbox which is almost unnoticeable in its changes., the reliability, (nothing has gone wrong in 12k miles), the paintwork and quality of the fixtures and fittings. Problems: I wish the boot opened with the central looking, it seems to be an anti-theft feature on most cars these days, but is a faff opening it separately, The Mark Levingston hi-fi. I live in Suffolk (an iffy radio area) and it is not sensitive to picking up channels. A £70 JVC from Amazon would be better. The '6 stacking CD player is also tricky. A single is better in my view. It is a big car to park, and the family have a panic in a multi-story car park, but big = limo= class and comfort. The engine under-tray makes oil changes longer than they should be. Lack of a car manual, but that is not the car's fault, it is true of many minority cars. Wish it had a cam chain, not a belt, although it is good for 90k miles. The key to running an old car is to over-service it. I have just bought 5 litres of top Shell synthetic plus a Mann oil filter for £31 from Euro Car Parts. As the car stood for a while I am doing the first two oil changes at 7,500 miles each, then at 50,000 miles I'll go over to 10k miles changes. Pagid pads ALL round are £57. Amazing price although they are a 2-3 day special order not in stock. I bought the car planning to do about 7k a year but a family sickness means I have done 12K in 8 months and 5k in 5 weeks. I can't think of a better way to travel if you have too. I think the 460 has a road tax of £500+. p.s. DHL has just delivered all by car bits. Free delivery at home, 2 days after on-line (25% discount) ordering.....and the sun is shinning too.

It is very nice, and looks good, but that is a lot of miles, probably too many for me.

Yes, happened on a SAAB of mine. If the radiator cap is just a bit weepy, (often not really visible) the fluid overflows and is lost. Tell tale signs can be dried pinkish stains down the side. Or.....it could just be a tad low and needs topping up. Monitoring is the key. If it just needs topping up and stays steady, that is fine. If not, there is a problem.

Doesn't that dim the dashboard at night?

Mine just past too. The pads are probably original at 42,000 and have about 4-5mm on them. I am having them changed at F1 Autocentres which is a world away in service from Quick-fit. Surprisingly the manager said they pay more from Euro Car Parts for many parts than we get retail, because of delivery. Online is even better with the 25-30% usual discount. He said get the Pagid pads yourself and I am more than happy to fit them for 1+ hours labour, about £80. They are not in stock so have to wait 4-5 days for delivery at home. Total price for all FOUR wheels, just £57. Suggested an oil change at the same time it is up in the air. No problem he said, Shell top synthetic, plus Mann filter (not in stock = 4-5 days home delivery), just £31 all in. Going to get the lot fitted next week, for 2 hours labour and have the wheels balanced at about £7 each. Great value, and very good service.

Looks a tad low. About 1/2 a pint will bring it up to scratch. Fill it stone cold and on the level. Any slope affects it. Watch/check it for a few days. Mine never drops an inch, after a few days of stabilizing/checks. If you can, top up with 50% red antifreeze. Cheap at Euro Car Parts.

If it looks iffy.... it probably is iffy.

That sounds better. One owner will know the history, e.g. how old is the battery. Do do an HPI check. You can do it from his house on the phone with a Visa for £20ish.

The last 5 cars I have bought privately, I have bought the first one I looked at. This is partly luck, plus a bit of a rigid approach. You can cover a great deal over the phone and on autotrader. I always ask..... Is the car, house, logbook and you all at the same address? The reason is 'normal' people buy a car and register it at Swansea and park it outside the house. If any of these are not there, then it is trouble. 'I'm selling it for my brother-in-law' spells trouble, because it is not normal, it is odd. Remember, you are buying the person as much as the car. Rough people and rough cars go together. Is the guy a normal family man? Is his approach, similar to yours. Is he straight in doing business in a friendly, dignified manner. I like all the paperwork present, old MOTs (who would not keep them) and as much service history and receipts as possible. A new MOT is also goodish. Autotrader is good as you can see so many pictures and save a wasted journey. Always always, do an HPI check. £20 is peace of mind, and helps when you sell it. In the past, I would say walk away, there are plenty more out there, but with our cars, the pool is very small. All the more reason not to get 'car fever'. Happened to me once. I bought a Vauxhall Cavalier because I just just wanted it. All caution, and the above went out the window. Got my money back, but it was a close call.

I've used Pagid in the past on SAABs and found them to be first class. Lots of bite and progression on the peddle.

I'll probably stike a balance and change them at 50K. At about £70 a set, it is not too bad for 6-7 years of no worry and good reliability.

LS 430 37,000 miles on a 15 year old car. I was going to change the plugs at 40,000 miles but I am a bit tied up at present. 60k is the book change, but they may have deteriorated a bit. Car goes like a dream. Last week did 1,200 miles at 25 mpg. Any suggestions welcome.

I thought the new arrangements only affected new cars purchased after 1 April 2017. All 'old' cars before that date stay the same.

That is interesting. We had a dusting of snow today and my wife was OK in her Mercedes SLK. She does not like snow and has a bit of a snow phobia. For me it is no problem, having driven my old SAAB and Mercedes 124 E class in 6 inches plus over the years. I am surprised that guys on here seem to be saving the LS is a no-no in the snow. Why is that?

Oh dear, that styling. What ever happened to the quite understated elegance. I am afraid great a car it might be, but that front and sides really do 'scare the horses' and me too.