BMCWP

I washed it 😁 Going in for a Pre MOT this week so probably should have waited but was rather grubby. Still looks ok for an almost 17 year old car (just dont look too close) 🤣

Yeah I have used the hotfix for a while and as you say it keeps changing and currently does not fix the issue for me at the moment (they say its a "legacy issue" and I need to relink) really annoying as I actually pay for all of my PB accounts and even as a paying customer they dont care. Sad thing is I dont have the option or the skills needed to move or recode so many photographs in a phpbb3 database. 😕

Its not about the height its the amount of room you need when you go over a humpback bridge at speed that you didn't see the warning sign for 😳🤣

The photos are still there you just need to use a little workaround to get them. Its Photobuckets fault they changed everything and as a result there are boards out there with photos that just dont show up without the original poster going back in and relinking and in some cases that runs to thousands of photos (dont ask me how I know) 😭 Anyway - you need to be on a computer and if you "hover" your mouse over the dead photo link and right click on it then copy the text - you will see the photo link in there - starts with http:// and ends in .jpg just copy that bit in to another browser window and you can see the photo.

My 2006 has no sunroof either and I don't mind as I also like that little bit of extra headroom 😁

why (badly) photoshop out the k from kph on the speedo? I know that if I was to buy that I would have to change that dash display for a mph one to get an MOT over here (or put a crappy sticker on it) I have birdseye maple but thankfully not the Grey one 🙂

Oil and filter change, and new coolant - mostly as I also (finally) had the radiator changed. So that is all the preventative bits that I know of more or less done now 😁 next on the agenda (still!) is somehow get the drivers seat base refoamed so its actually comfortable (still not found anyone here in NI that will do it - or even answer an email!) then the other little cosmetic touches that need done (scratch removal, slight bit of paint loss on the bumper etc) and then maybe upgrade the original speakers to new ones as the old ones are now starting to show their age a little (odd rattle)

Car was used a bit over Xmas and was sitting at half a tank so I topped it up. £60 later I thought to myself it was not that long ago £60 would have filled both my Range Rover and Jaguar XJ8 and probably enough left over for a bar of chocolate 😳🤣

I am lucky enough that my own selector and the rest of the trim is in really good condition (even for a 16 year old car) I would like at some point to maybe see about refinishing the chrome surround - its not bad but has some scuffs - probably a silly idea as I would imagine it would not be long getting scuffed again.

I posted here when I did mine about 3 months ago and was impressed with the results for such an easy task. However despite using the "sealant" as per instructions they need done again. So, I will do them tomorrow and see if I get the same results as I did the last time and wont be using any "sealant" as I don't have any left and there is no point in buying anymore as it clearly doesn't work (for me anyway) just as an aside my car does sit outside all the time and does get the sun so that may have a bearing on it. Edit: It was in April and I used the Turtle wax headlight restoration kit

Finally after searching for some time I managed to pick up a little diecast LS430 at a reasonable price. Its one of the "rare" Motor Max models in silver/white and I grabbed it alongside a blue Matchbox GS430 on ebay for a tenner. Seemingly not a bad price as I have seen the Motor Max LS430 on line for more than that on its own. Ideally I would like a larger scale model but they seem to be like the drivers seat cushion for my car, and are few and far between at all sorts of prices. Anyone got any larger scale models and how much did they sting you?

I have such a "Unicorn" car My 06 LS430 is an early registered example and therefore is in the lower bracket 🙂 I live (as the crow flies) about 2 miles from the Irish border and literally across the lough from me the same car would cost 1809 Euro per year just to tax. 😳 that's about £1500 so I think that might put things into a bit of perspective. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/41c9cc-motor-tax-rates/#vehicles-registered-before-june-30-2008

I certainly cannot fault the (now 16 year old) system in my LS430 as it works flawlessly and still sounds far better then any of my previous cars (including the Bose system in my last Nissan) I have had great results feeding .wav files through Bluetooth but the best sound still comes from genuine CD's in the CD player. At the end of the day though there are far more variables now than ever so in most cases sound is subjective to the end user so if you feel your system is under powered then if you can afford it a trip to a proper car audio specialist would be on the cards - but be prepared for some eye watering quotes as a friend just spent the best part of 4 grand on his BMW 7 series and you would not even see it (new speakers, amp and wiring)

I use my LS430 as a daily driver. The fuel cost is only part of it with these cars actually going up in value now (so depreciation has bottomed out) and standard servicing and running costs are less than any of my previous cars (Jaguar XJ8, Mercedes S Class, Range Rover etc) I managed to sneak under the high tax bracket as well with my car being a 2005 model but registered in 2006 so tax is only half what the others were. The car often gets mistaken for a Merc (no bad thing) and yes its a bit plain but that suits me as it does not shout "look at me" as much as the others did. Just as an example, my S Class cost me more to fix and keep on the road in the 9 months that I owned it than I have spent on my Lexus in total. And that includes buying it and doing the timing belts etc. Beauty (as they say) is in the eye of the beholder. 😁

Speaking of that festival here is another video along the same lines as HubNuts (there are probably a lot more as a lot of YouTube channels go to the likes of that - and yes in the first 30 seconds there is a Lexus (can even be seen in the thumbnail)

Tested the tape deck still works. As I understand it, this was the first time that a cassette was ever played as the previous owner only ever listened to the radio (CD player had never been used before I got it either) 16 years later and I am pleased to say everything works fine and sounds great (even for a tape!) did not expect the graphics though so that was a pleasant surprise - although static and not animated still a nice touch 😁

If you are in Northern Ireland its been an MOT failure not to have MPH on your dash since 2013 (as I found out) I get the impression this is not the case over in the rest of the UK.

Also as an aside, on the page up until yesterday they had this: (highlighted text) It seems to have been removed now but not before somebody got a screenshot 🤣 EDIT: Nope its still there - must be a "cookie" related thing. 😳

I've not been keeping up with current stuff but the E10 "petrol checker" caught my eye by chance. https://check-vehicle-compatibility-e10-petrol.service.gov.uk/manufacturer/Lexus So most are ok but what does this mean for those vehicles that can't use it? 😕 In this case namely the following IS250 2.5 litre V6 with engine 4GR-FSE made between August 2005 and September 2007. GS300 3.0 litre V6 with engine 3GR-FSE made between January 2005 and September 2007. LS460 4.6 litre V8 with engine 1UR-FSE made between August 2006 and September 2007.

Light clean of the inside. For a car that was built 16 years ago its in remarkably good condition. mmm.. shiny 😁

I do remember seeing a post on site and the general consensus was it won't be happening any time soon. In fact it led to a petition (could be wrong maybe somebody with more info than me can chime in) https://www.change.org/p/toyota-motor-europe-develop-carplay-retrofits-to-lexus-ls-and-lc?

Finding VW parts stickers in my mates Bentley has been an amusing game for us since he bought it 🤣 It's a lovely thing and I would love one if I could afford it but to me the Lexus is still where my heart and head are at the moment and show no sign of being any different (unless I win the lotto) even then, it would be a shiny new LS and I would restore my 06 car and keep it. I also noticed the prices of the LS models going up and indeed the severe lack of them for sale here in Northern Ireland. There are a number in the south that could be grabbed if anyone is looking but even there they are getting scarce

On Rock Auto shipping I found the trick was to take the more expensive shipping option (Fed-Ex I think can't remember) as that pre-paid the duty and it arrived so much quicker - 3 to 4 days as opposed to 2 weeks - and cheaper as the post office and her majesty's customs charged me for "handling and clearance" than was more than the cost of the actual items I had bought! But also don't rule out local suppliers at least contact them and get a price you might be surprised.

I won't be spending any more money now and thankfully my hearing is still good even though I am knocking on the door of 60. From the early days of recording and live gigs we used hearing protection - from the humble foam earplugs up to the new noise cancelling headsets (that I am glad I am not paying for!) but like all things in life as we get older our hearing deteriorates anyway so new systems are not on the radar. I have a 15 year old Sony surround system at home and have no intention of changing it unless it breaks down. And I also tend to stick to high end headphones for home use (Sennheiser mostly) I often tell my friends when in the car its not how loud it is but the clarity. Yes you can spend thousands (and I know quite a few that did) and have the loudest window shattering system in your car but the novelty soon wears off and just because its loud does not mean its good. I suppose also I have been lucky enough to experience sound systems in various high end cars (Jaguar, Range Rover etc) and this car is by far and away the best I have heard. Especially when using genuine CD's there is a major difference with the "home recorded" ones both in level and sound "space". It's not obviously a home system by any means but certainly it stands out even now some 16 odd years later (a true testament to the build quality if you ask me) Oh.. btw the cassette test will have to wait I received the new Gary Numan CD in the post this morning and its getting played to death 🤣 🎹

Sadly I can (audio engineer for 30 years) 😆 I never use MP3 its either a direct .wav copy from a FLAC file and stuck onto an SD card or an original CD In other news I'm about to find out tomorrow if my cassette deck still works as I have been reliably informed (by the previous owners son) that his dad only ever Listened to the radio and its never had a tape in there in its life. I have a couple of tapes coming tomorrow (nothing that I can't replace just in case) to test it 😁