Mr Vlad

I was watching Rip Of Britain last week. This particular programme asked why has car insurance gone up so much. They had a guy from the motor insurance body who came out with such rubbish for reasons on the increases. Reasons were: Cost of electricity. Maintainance. Other reasons too which I can't remember but those two reasons stuck. What a load of rollocks. Insurance price hikes happened sometime between January and July this year I think. The quote for my now dead is250 in January was £450. After my accident I searched for quotes on a replacement is250 in July. Cheapest was £735. I thought to myself expletive expletive. I wondered even if the writing off of my car had anything to do with the price hack but I doubt it. I'm dreading what my insurance will be next January. The thing also. Insurance underwriters are refusing point blank to insure EV's !!!!!!!

I wouldn't dream of converting any car to electric. From memory a kit from that vintage voltage place is in excess of £30k and that's for a small battery and motor kit. For 30k one would be able to totally refurbish a V6 or V8 etc etc and still have change to run it's fuel bill for years.

I use to watch vintage voltage as I was initially interested. However after a good few episodes I started to go off it. The attitude of the bloke 'moggy' in the programme started to grate me. He's just so blinkered in his 110% belief that electrifying classic cars is the way to go. The quality of work is 2nd to none I grant that. However the range of those conversions is shockingly low. Those who get the conversions done, to me, have much more money than sence.

Mmmmmmmm. Looks like a thread that's gonna get shut down at sometime down the line lol.

The ad states a 12 month MOT so it sounds like they'll get one done. RSR system. 2 former private owners. I personally can't see a private person having that car. I think the owners were business types with chauffeurs. Therefore a proper well cared for car.

Hello Geoffrey and welcome to the best Lexus forum there is. Why do you need replacement headlights? Usually headlight faults are bulbs or the lenses have become dull or damaged. Which is your issue?

Well that is a shame. Could you not let your son have lessons in the is250?

Excellently put Bill. I agree 110%. My personal experience is that when I searched for quotes for another is250 the prices I was getting were nearly double to that I paid last year. Yes my is250 got written off and I have over 20 years NCB protection.

Hi Russell and welcome to the best Lexus forum there is. Yes the ES is stunning looking car. Colour is an objective subject. Hopefully you've seen the ES section of this forum. So. What do you know about the ES apart from how it looks? Do you know it has CVT transmission? What's your car ownership history? Have your cars been manual gearbox or automatic gearbox? If auto then good. Manual not so good. Why? Well my 1st Lexus was the is300h. Loved the car but couldn't get to grips with the CVT gearbox. All my previous cars were manual gearboxes. So unfortunately I swapped it fir an auto which I had for a year then I got another is300h and boy oh boy loved it. It's good that you see there's a stigma around Lexus ownership. The thing is, as I see it, Lexus cars are just oh so wonderful to be in and drive. Yes the reliability of them, especially the first few generations of models, is second to none. But from what I understand is you'll be getting new so reliability won't be an issue. I don't understand PCP as I've just gone HP but I believe that one can return a vehicle and cancel the PCP and go for a different vehicle. I may be wrong but I'm sure I'm not. Maybe look into it.

Hi Zorb. Do you have Techstream? If not the Get It. Its the best diagnostic program you can get for your car (next best thing to Lexus/Toyota diagnostic equipment they have and Wipes The Floor with Any garages generic readers they have). As Linas stated C1201 is a basket case of a code. One thing I recommend you do. Ok you may not have any codes now but disconnect the multiplug from the ABS unit. Why? Well my experience was that somehow water got in there and rusted away a couple of the pins. So basically have a look at the condition of the pins on the unit. Oh Techstream is available on ebay. Everyone here will tell you to get it. Enjoy your car and drive careful in rainy conditions.

Hi Alex. WOW that exhaust looks wrecked with rust. If you can afford it then go straight to a replacement exhaust system. No need to change the headers as they're made of better metal. You say you've bought O2 sensors already. Are they genuine or none OE? Why I ask is because where O2 sensors are concerned Genuine is the Only way to go. None genuine work for a bit then pack up. Got that info from a local specialist who works with them.

Now for a loooooooong answer. Just what Rayaans said above 😊

Nice bikes Gray. Not bad top speed from the FZR Exup. Me and a friend tweaked my FJ1200. Ported, bigger cam, bigger jets. Definitely got 180 out of it. Oh what happy days the 80's were.

Yes

As a family we didn't get a car until a sister passed her driving test and my dad bought an Austin 1100. I'd have been about 6 or 7 years old. That car was kept for over 25 years. I learnt to drive in it as did my two brothers. I'll never forget. My eldest brother had friends (hells angels) who were mechanics. Huge guys. The guy selling the car drove it to our house (no one drove in out household as we didn't have a car) and when my brother and his friends went out to inspect the car the owner looked like he poo'd himself lol.

Sorry. But because I'm a bit thick lol I don't know what you're actually asking. How I see your 'question ' is more like a comment. Please be clear and not vague. Thanks.

OMG what has this tread turned into in just it's 4th page. My not so good brain is now frazzled lol. I wish you well in your search for a small luxury car. I really do. You know what Linas. In a couple your posts I read with great interest and thought 'you know what Vlad he's effing bang on'. My current steed (Ford focus Zetec S 1.5 ecoboost) isn't a luxury car. No leather seats but dya know what? The cloth type material seats are amongst the most comfortable I've ever had in a car. The plastics in it, and boy oh boy there's tons of it lo, feel quite ruddy good. The door shut sound is a solid thud, nowt better. At the end of the day it's a really really nice place to be in. I've had premium is300h. F sport RX450h. SE-L is250. Loved being in them too. Am I a closet snob? Ruddy hope not. At the end of the day surely it's how you feel when you get into your car. You set your phone down. Start the car. Look at what lights come on and go off again. Look at the instrument cluster and give a wry smile. Engage drive then set off. Listening to the music you like, or listening to an audio book or the radio, and driving to your destination. It's how you feel whilst you're in the car. It's how you feel when you get out of the car. It's only in the last couple of decades I've actually appreciated my cars. Yes older cars but they're the ones I like. Never skimped on them. But the way I've felt about the cars and feel about my cars. You know what I do every time I get out of my cars? I pat it and say 'thanks bud'. So if a cars got shagpile carpet or a rubber floor mat so what. Leather seats aren't the be all and end all. What IS important to me in a car is a ruddy good sound system. That's me. Sod 'him' over the road. A good few weeks back the missus and me got a taxi into Leeds centre. Blow me it was a newish GS300h. We both said to each other 'hey this is a really nice place to be in' oh so smooth on the road. Because of the mechanics you just can't get the same in a small car. The weight and size matters. So downsizing inheritantly impacts the 'luxury ' of a car. I need a coffee. Am off.

Hi Alan. You are in almost an impossible position. You drive what is arguably one of the most very best cars built Ever. You want to downsize but you're gonna find it ruddy impossible because you've been 'spoilt'. You say you've sat in a Takumi spec UX and didn't like it! Shock horror. My strong suggestion to you sunshine. KEEP the GS because you'll regret for the rest of your life if you go 'smaller ' However if you sell the GS and keep off owning a car for a month or three Then start to look for a smaller car then you really would have to consider the UX. I've had a couple as courtesy cars for a day at a time and one on loan for 4 days. They are absolutely cracking cars. But you really must take a break of car ownership or else you'll be rolloxed and with an almighty head ruck over finding a suitable replacement car. Sorry for being blunt but black is black and white is white with me.

I actually saw a Toyota Alphard when I was in Bowness in August. I was pleasantly surprised just how good it looks in 'person'. Photos simply don't do it justice. Although it was a Toyota the interior looked very very Lexus. Definitely though this car is a Marmite car. Some like me really like how it looks. Probably a majority won't.

Video done in 1993 Stephen.

Ah I see now what you mean.

What a superb video. Showing just what Snobs sales guys were. Oh the 90's. Fabulous times.

Eh up Linas. That hotrod IS clean. Units of emissions, which escape me, from the hotrod are nearly half of the very best from small ICE engined cars. There's another unit which takes over at 50 something which is dream land territory but they are looking at making that hotrod a 20. So please tell us where the hotrod isn't clean. It's a high power V8 that sounds ruddy awesome and the stuff that comes out of the zorst is beautiful noise and water.

Eh up Linas. You're a bit wrong me thinks but never mind. Both engineers stated quite clearly even thicko me understood. Yes they, for now, have 16 injectors that's because they're trying to get more power. They're working with Bosch to make larger injectors then they can turn up the wick on the supercharger which is basically on tick over at present. That truck presently has over 500bhp. The tank on the back holds 3kg (if memory serves). Oh and the range was near 300 miles. And in california they have many many hydrogen filling stations. All this krapp about green hydrogen blah blah blah. Shed loads of electricity is used to make petrol and more. It's the negativity towards something simple and good that spoils things. Remember. Dirt is Good. What's green about a coal fired generator of electricity? So please Linas. Don't be a spoil sport.

hey look what I saw today on YouTube. Bye bye EV's lol Hydrogen is coming oh yeah.