WeatherDon

A really good interior guy is Kevin Gentry: 206-380-6730. For mechanical work I always took my SC400 to Lexus of Seattle in Lynnwood where I was always satisfied with the work they did. Plus, they always gave me a free loner car to use while my car was being worked on (if kept overnight).

My '98 SC400 has 110k mi. and I am going to Lex dealer next week for timing belt & water pump change. While there I am also going to have them replace the fuel filter, serpentine belt, replace the power steering fluid and clean the filter(s). I did recently change out the trans. and diff. fluids. Is there anything else that should be replaced, inspected or changed while there? FYI: I bought the car about 2 years ago with 87k mi and I don't know what preventative maintenance was done before I got it.

See eBay Item#8028378992

Call Dave at Village Transmission in Edmonds 425-778-0194. They have done custom engine mods, they do things right and are reasonable with their rates. Don't know of they can do your project but it's at least worth a call to find out. Tell him Don Carson sent you. Good Luck. Don

Which Lexus dealer is that? I live in the Seattle area and also need those things done.

Addendum to the above (for clarification): Option #1 is assuming the deflectors are not installed. Option #2 assumes they have been installed.

Regarding the last post above....Being a smoker too (21st century leper) and since you have them installed on your car, I'm wondering which is the lesser of the two evils: 1) Cracking the window a small bit while smoking and it's raining and have the rain dribble on your leg, window controls, etc?...or 2) Dropping the window to just above the lower part of the deflector?

Go to: http://www.luxurymods.com

Head up to Everett and see Wayne Deline at Muffler & Brake Service, 9701 Eveergreen Way, Everett 98204. Ph (425) 347-8714. Wayne does great custom work and is very reasonable.

Try Wynn's Air Condition Treatment, 10 bucks + S&H. I've tried it and it work great. Go to: http://jemdistributors.com/s-cart/form.phtml?g_intCatID=4

I hope somebody knowledgeable can answer this because I've been wondering the same thing for years.

Liberally apply a good antiperspirant to the car and that should take care of the problem.

Try Auto Trader Online. Go to: http://www.autoextra.com/ Also: Vehix.com

Let me know where you can get a timing belt replaced for only $500 and I'll drive to your area (Louisville, KY) from Seattle and still come out ahead.

What about tensinor? I've heard that the tensioner frequently fails shortly after belt replacement and wipes out the new belt.

As of this writing that eBay seller has had 22 negative postings to his feedback in the past month alone, 113 negatives in the past six months. As the old saying goes, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).

Please tell me the Lexus dealer in your area (Indianapolis?) where you can get a timing belt & water pump replaced for $375. Hell, I'll drive there from the Seattle area and I'd still come out ahead moneywise factoring in gas, motels, oli changes, etc.

This is the second posting in the last several days from someone disappointed in the performance of their new SC430. So I'm wondering, don't people test drive cars before plunking down $60k for them?

Take it to your nearest Lexus dealer and have them check it out, it usually only costs about $100, well worth the investment.

A classic/muscle car is like a beautiful woman...fun to look at but high maintenance and potential heartache may not be worth it. Buy a classic and enjoy it on weekends so that when (not if, when) it stops running for no apparent reason at least your livelihood wont be in jeopardy. I love my bottomless-pit-of-expense '70 Dodge Challenger 440, but come Monday morning I like getting in my Lex knowing that the engine will start and the heater works.

I made contact with a Lexus service manager at a local dealership. I asked about the 90,000 mile timing belt replacement recommended in my '98 SC400 owner's maintenance manual. Here's what he wrote back: "A Lexus timing belt at 90,000 miles frequently looks practically brand new. Fortunately, the Lexus V8 is not an "interference engine." If the belt breaks, the engine stops but the valves do not crash into the pistons. Your belt is just as likely to fail from leaking oil seal contamination or a failing belt tensioner as # of miles. That said, age (heat) is a major enemy. If you don't mind the engine possibly quitting in an unsafe traffic situation & the extra cost & inconvenience of a tow job, you can just wait for belt failure. If that sounds too risky, pay someone a couple hours labor to inspect the belt, tensioner, seals, water pump etc...By the way, tensioners & belts should be replaced together, otherwise the tensioner frequently fails shortly after belt replacement & wipes out the new belt. Same goes for the water pump." Does anyone have a different opinion?

Mobil1 oil has come up in several recent postings, so I went to their web site. They show three types: 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 mile oils. My question is this: Do I really want to run the same oil for 15,000 miles in my car without changing the filter?

Just curious...Has anyone ever used a product called 5 STAR SHINE? The product has been around a while and it claims to lay down a shine that lasts for years. Their site is: http://www.5starshine.com

My owner's manual for my '95 SC400 only mentions changing it for shedule A, which is like hard use conditions, at 60K miles. For normal driving, it doesn't even mention it, implying it doesn't need to be changed at all.So where do these 90K recommendations come from? ← The owner's manual for my '98 SC400 specifically states that the timing belt be replaced at the 90,000 mile service.

The Erebuni web site lists several dealers in the Atlanta area. Go to: http://www.erebunicorp.com/usdistributors.htm