Nice.

Was at Lexus just before Christmas with my wife's I.S. They tried to tempt me into an LS460 when I mentioned I used to have an LS400.
When I told them that I needed 4WD the tech said I should have a LS600h. I declined but went off to investigate.
TINY boot due to batteries and not any better 0-60 because of the extra weight and only a slight (5mpg) improvement in fuel.
Not even the silence of electricity is much of a benefit as these cars are soooo quiet anyway. Not that good for towing either - wouldn't look right anyway.

When I don't need to tow anymore an LS is at the top of my shopping list. Love 'em!

Happy motoring.


Andy

Thanks chaps...

Andy, the LS600 is a CVT and as such is slower than the 460 and according to all the guys in the US it does about the same mpg so I can't really see an argument for it apart from cheaper tax...!!! Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

See ya Pete, good luck with the new motor.

Might still bother you sometimes for advice pal. Dan

2002 Zambezi Silver

Men And Motors RR Quote - It's like having wheels fitted to your living room!

Well that didn't last long... the 460 had a mix match of tyres on it and a few other issues and as such drove pretty badly, well a few suspension arms and some new tyres and it was back to as it should be, we went away for the weekend and..... I hate it... my old 430 was great, it was so chilled out and had a very relaxing drive, they have tried to turn the 460 into a BMW, it feels like it's a puppy always pulling on the lead, all it wants to do is take off like a scalded cat all the time even when you breath on the accelerator... a totally non-relaxing and unpleasant experience...

So it's up for sale....

I need something that is easy to get in and out of, it needs to have big doors and a low sill, the A8 isn't bad but I don't really like them... So back to 4x4's or people carriers... Kids have left home so no need for 7 seats (not that we had 5 kids anyway..!!!) so a 4x4 it had to be...

Well you know what's coming next.........






















I bought a JEEP....

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it was a nice colour, and cheap, the salesman said I had to buy it, it was raining, Mercury had moved into my moons... it's not a leap year... and any one of another 101 excuses...

Actually it's quiet nice in a rugged sort of way, the interior plastics have come straight from a 1970's Datsun but at least you can jet wash the inside....

But, there is more bad news.... I've gone to the dark side.... it's a diesel....

It's a Jeep Grand Cherokee WH 3.0 CRD Limited, it's a Mercedes engine and box





It had two nearly worn out tyres and the diamond cut wheels had suffered after a few years...



So I gave Mr Kahn in Bradford a ring as he has lots of take offs from Jeeps for when he customises them, picked up a brand new set of 2016 Wrangler wheels with Nov 2016 tyres, Goodyear Wrangler, for the princely sum of £250...



I know, I didn't believe it either, you can't buy two tyres for that...

But there you go, black and white....



They did have loads of sets so I suppose they just want rid... they are 2" taller and just needed a 3mm spacer on the front to miss the caliper, they don't rub...



Had them swapped over on the rims as I don't like the white lettering and then rebalanced and gave the bloke my old wheels as payment...

Then on the way home I stopped at my mates, he plugged his laptop in and 30mins later it now has 265bhp and 600nm and goes like stink and should still do decent mpg...



Anyway, I had a Mk1 Grand Cherokee years ago and really liked it's chilled out laid back way of life and luckily Jeep have kept to that, it's just "nice to drive" and also built for fat Americans so suits me well...!!

I have a double din Android unit in stock so when that's in it will be what I want, will be doing a lot on motorway miles this year and it's a nice place to sit, not a Rangie but then it doesn't pretend to be, and it's a darn site cheaper... (to buy and repair)

Stan, I better get banned now.... :thumbsup:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

tempted to mate but i will move this rubbish to 'off topic ,other cars'......














 ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

4.2 ready when u want it pete (got me telehandler so not have to sell it)

I'm having a break from fattys...

I'll be back when the 405 is cheap enough to off road....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Is that a Quadra-Drive II system I spy Buddy?

I was tempted by one of those, but decided to get away from computers.. Do you have to plug a Jeep computer or an MB Star one to get at the engine ECU? If it's Merc and it starts throwing up MAF and Throttle Motor codes whip the air filter out and try again I learn the hard and expensive way  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Cheers for the tip, I was thinking of you, 600nm torque and three locking diffs should pull anything you want, bits seem very cheap as well....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Iirc only the centre is a proper locker. The front and rear are electronic limited slip diffs which need a bit of pushing usually to lock up. They can be very good but most prefer the original QD for lightnoffroad duty as they lock fully when they sense they are needs

There is a guy on YouTube who's done loads of mods to his and even drowned it once and I mean drowned and lucky that he drained t off and the engine was ok as he stopped it when it got too deep before it stopped itself!

Iirc injectors on some of those crd can be problematic and gearboxes if fluids aren't done.

I'm surprised you didn't get the 4.7, 5.7, or 6.1 Pete as they have come down in value a good bit albeit I think rfl is probably a smudge higher! FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Haylands wrote:

...

This is one of the many things I love about Lexus...The gearstick, cupholders, radio volume knob, and all other center console buttons have been swapped over from the LHD setup that every other manufacturer, irrespective of price, dumps on RHD cars....

kingpleb wrote:

Iirc only the centre is a proper locker. The front and rear are electronic limited slip diffs which need a bit of pushing usually to lock up. They can be very good but most prefer the original QD for lightnoffroad duty as they lock fully when they sense they are needs

There is a guy on YouTube who's done loads of mods to his and even drowned it once and I mean drowned and lucky that he drained t off and the engine was ok as he stopped it when it got too deep before it stopped itself!

Iirc injectors on some of those crd can be problematic and gearboxes if fluids aren't done.

I'm surprised you didn't get the 4.7, 5.7, or 6.1 Pete as they have come down in value a good bit albeit I think rfl is probably a smudge higher!

You're getting your Jeep 4x4 systems mixed up, the Quadra TRAC 2 has three lsd's the center one with an electronic lock, the front and rear ones don't lock, as you have described. The Quadra DRIVE 2, fitted to mine, has three locking LSD's the center one locks automatically in 4 low, they all lock when speed differences between them are greater than they should be in normal driving, it happens in less than a full wheel rotation, a similar system to the later fatties which has locking open diffs...

The 6.1 is just stupid and I'll be back driving a puppy on a lead again and does MPG in single figures, the 5.7 is OK but drinks petrol as well, the 4.7 is less powerful than the diesel and does far less MPG so is a waste of time... I'd have been happy with a diesel fatty if the TD6 had been better and not inadequate for it's purpose...

This one won't be doing much, maybe the odd gentle green lane, it won't be getting off road modified...

Graham, lots of countries drive on the right and make cars, only Lexus changes the center console for left and right hand drive....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

^^ " it won't be getting off road modified..."

Hasn't someone already increased the diameter of their wheels Or does giving it more ground clearance not count as modified.... If that's the case then my Classic is totally standard.... even if it sits 6" higher than any other standard Classic

Pete who are you trying to kid.. you'll get board, see an American modded rock crawler and you wont be able to help yourself... Didn't someone say that they were fed up with 4 x4's and wanted something faster.. how long did that last, a fortnight? Mate you've got mud in yer veins... it's a disease with no cure.. the sooner you accept it the sooner you can stop throwing yourself effortlessly into little cars and then struggle to climb out again.... And yes I am talking from experience, It's easier to climb in a car than climb out  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I guarantee it won't get modified for off roading, the increase in tyre size was because of the nice cheap price, not by design..

I haven't got time this year to do much off roading, we will probably do a South Wales trip in June as the lanes are easy and the views are superb but the other dozen or so will be missed... We missed the day and night run, which I organise, this weekend due to other commitments...

I have other projects to sort and just too much to do...

I wanted a saloon because I like them, not because they are fast, we did plan on a few weekends away on the continent but that is now not looking likely...

I do have plans for a few mods but not for off roading, just to make it a nicer place to sit....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

More come backs than Ray Wilkins.....hows that good ole yankee Jeep forum Pete

Father in Law had the one like yours. Loved it, never let him down. Sold last year as he is getting on a bit and bought a smaller caravan...and Ford Kuga.

Am sure it'll serve you well. Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........