Stu76

As you may know from other strings my car has set up camp on the drive for the last few weeks due to a broken road spring. Anyhow I recently bought a replacement from Sewell Dallas as well as one for the other side and two new shock absorbers. Anyhow they've turned up and they aren't the same. Firstly Sewells have accidentally sent front shocks and rear springs, I spoke to Darrel Diller of Sewell who has offered to send out the two front springs FOC. Now that I have the spring off the front I can see that they are colour coded with two orange spots of paint. I asked Darrel what colour coding was on the springs he was going to dispatch and they are different. Does anyone know the significance of this? I understood that it was to do with the stiffness of the spring, but Darrel suggested it's simply a way of marking which corner of the car they are for. I don't recall what colours his are marked as but will find out if required. Secondly does anyone think it matters? I was of the oppinion originally that if I get replacement shocks AND springs for both sides from the same source then it wouldn't really matter if they are a different spec to UK. I can imagine that they might be a bit softer than a UK spec but it should still work shouldn't it? Also Darrel doesn't want the rear ones back due to the cost of postage, so I could replace the rear springs too so that all four are now US spec. Only the rear shocks would then be Euro spec. I would appreciate any advice with regard to the significance of the colours as I haven't asked Darrel to dispatch them yet until I know whether I will use them or not. Cheers, Stu

Sorry, I don't understand the terminology so don't know how to vote for the one I prefer. I'll give you a clue though, that one of them looks to me like it belongs on a mondeo!!!!

To the courier - actually to the chap in the van? Thanks for that. I'll make sure I bring my cheque book into work with me from now on. I wonder where it is?!?

The sale Darrel said he "never had any complaint about" was for ball joints and various other parts. Probably was you then! Is it correct that UPS will bill me with the delivery for the import charges and VAT, and that I'll have 30 days to pay it?

I'm 29 and got mine when I was 28. I must admit that I do think of it as on old man's car, but I don't care. It's quiet, smooth, reasonably cheap to run compared to two litre cars, it's got a good sound system and it's reasonbly quick. I must admit though that although many people tell you how quick they are they don't feel it as they are comfortable, but setting off as this car want to 'normally' seems to usually put you in the lead. When I first got it I used to drive slow as I didn't want to get where I was going!!

I can do that even if he's not a paid up member? I followed the hyperlink and that stated that one of the perks of being gold member is access to other gold members e-mail addresses. Is it not limited to them? Thanks for the advice,

Seems Mr Larkin would have to be a gold member also in order for me to talk direct? Also seems that having just written all about the work I'm doing on the car at the moment that I should've joined last week if I was going to join at all!!

News.....I eventually got bored of trying to decide what to do and went for the US original stuff option. It's therefore getting two new springs and two new shocks. I phoned the chap at Sewells to make the order as I was a bit shakey about the possibility of the parts being the wrong ones. Although he was very nice and explained that he was suppling as suggested by the chassis number, he did mention that he thinks he's sold once before to the UK!! This bothered me more, as I thought I got the impression from this site that you guys use them all the time!! Anyhow I now have a tracking number and the parts are in Kentucky having travelled the first few humdred miles of their trip. Hopefully they will arrive before too long so I can get the thing back on the road again. Some prat has left the reading light on though whilst looking for CD's one night and now the battery's flat!!

Once mines back on the road I want to sell it and it seems similar to what you are looking for, including location. I think I have to be a gold member of this site though to give you any more info and I don't know how to do that and what it entails. Can anyone advise?

I was told of a tow-bar that you can get fitted that not only is removable but retractable. It's alleged to be operated from a button on the dash, I have never decided whether to beleive this or not though, but do really fancy the idea of one!! I'm just concerned that I'd press it one day whilst towing and end up needing a new rear bumper.

If your recent bump that wasn't your fault hasn't been settled then the insurance company might still hold you as having no NCD, and worst still a recent claim. They seem to think it's fair to do this until they get all the money back off the third party's insurance company, then they will rectify your premium and pay you some cash back. When I first took out insurance on my 1993 LS400 I was 28 with full NCD and I paid something around £650 3PF&T. Didn't bother with the fully comp, I think that was via a broker called Adrian flux. When the renewal came they insisted that I had an immobiliser fitted to honor the theft, but I didn't want to pay for one of them or have my dash hacked to shreads and left with rattles. I don't think the car is the type to be nicked so I didn't bother. It's now effecitively insurance 3P and fire!! Hasn't moved for weeks though....see my lastest entry!!

Just been onto the Customs and Excise people (0845 010 9000) and found out that the items I am looking to import would be charged at 4.5%, but that's on the total bill including insurance and P&P. Then VAT is charged on the total amount inlcuding the import duty. Total bill now therefore is £271.65 Why do the government get so much of our money? People who have the courtesy to pay as much in in duty on petrol as LS400 drivers should get a discount somewhere shouldn't they?!?

The car's sat on the drive and seems to be getting lower and lower! I didn't think it would do that? I had to move it on Sunday just to get the car out from behind it so I can get to work and it's awful. I reversed onto the road, got the Cavalier out the did a turn in the road and reversed it back up the drive. It feels rough!! Anyhow, It looks like I could do with the strut to go with the new spring now, and probably therefore both sides. So the local dealership want £85 + VAT for the coils, £70 + VAT for the shocks and about £350 for labour. Even though it shouldn't have costed more labour was glad to hear them confirm that. I've had the parts quoted from Sewells also, their they are $78.27 and $62.92 respectively. Postage is $138. Total bill therefore, £221.24. A saving of about £140, but I don't know anything about import tax etc that I have heard you all talking about. Interestingly the postage didn't increase with the addition of the shocks, therefore I wonder whether I could increase the order more and more. There was once talk of a syndicate of buying on here, now I see why. Did it ever happen? How do I join? Meanwhile the Cavalier which I paid £100 for a few weeks back from a chap a work as I couldn't resists whay appeared to be a bargain is laughing at the Lexus every night when I get home!! Thanks, Stu

New news. I have spoken to the local Toyota dealership who want £70+VAT per spring and £350+VAT labour to fit them. The also didn't recomend that I drive it so offered to pick it up and bring it the five or so miles in for another £50-60. I then phoned Lexus in Bolton and they wouldn't commit to a price until they've seen it however the chap I spoke to did ask a few questions then reckoned that if I check that the spring isn't sticking into the wheel or anything then I could drive it if I take it easy. So I've had a look tonight and driven it the 2-3 miles home. Indeed the spring has broken (I found another bit of it by the side of the road this evening) but I don't think this was the problem. It looks like the flange on the strut has failed which has caused the spring to suddenly release, thus causing the damage to that. So do I need a new strut as well as a new spring, or even two new struts and two new springs? Odd feeling driving it home. I didn't go above 20mph and stopped every half mile or so in the name of my brand spanking tyre. The car felt really awful though. I e-mailed a couple of US places I've seen mentioned on here and wait for some prices. I need to ask them for struts now too. Surely heavy items aren't much cheaper from the states are they? Stu

I've had contact with this guy too and although I haven't used his services (as I've run into mechanical trouble which is more pressing) I can say that intial contact and prices seem very good.