Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

So, apparently you need to plug in the service computer in order to align the Xenon headlights of a Focus. The wonders of modern technology.
 
you need encouragment, not therapy.

My main concern would be stuff like the transmission, etc, fitting in correctly. The "engine" itself, so to speak, would fit in just fine.
 
The Klankswagen Golf Mk4 just passed its MOT without problems. I managed to get it inspected at the cheapest possible place in the region, and the guy didn't complain about the worn tires or the tired exhaust. It's just a bit annoying that whenever you lift it up, you see the sills' edges are bent on both sides for 20cm, because some idiot has jacked it up from the wrong spots at some point in its life.
 
The Klankswagen Golf Mk4 just passed its MOT without problems. I managed to get it inspected at the cheapest possible place in the region, and the guy didn't complain about the worn tires or the tired exhaust. It's just a bit annoying that whenever you lift it up, you see the sills' edges are bent on both sides for 20cm, because some idiot has jacked it up from the wrong spots at some point in its life.

The condition of the exhaust doesn't really matter as long as it passes emissions and it isn't too loud.. How much did it cost?
 
The condition of the exhaust doesn't really matter as long as it passes emissions and it isn't too loud.. How much did it cost?

It also must not leak.
 
The condition of the exhaust doesn't really matter as long as it passes emissions and it isn't too loud.. How much did it cost?

67 euro. The handbrake was a bit uneven at 23% difference, but that's hardly major.
 
Yeeeeeah...I'm not so sure about a W124 E420 anymore...that thing is expensive to maintain if/when something goes wrong.

A typical fault is some wiring harness in the engine bay, which due to the extreme heat of the V8, tends to melt. Over 1000? for a sparepart.

Lower ball joints need changing ? Nope, you have to change the entire lower suspension arm with it, because the damn thing is one solid piece...around 400?/piece. Problems with the throttle body/-valve ? Beyond 1000?.

The M119 V8 is one expensive piece of engineering to fix. X300 Jag is a bargain compared to that :blink:

The X300 is a 'screaming deal' kind of bargain compared to the German competition. :p I had a 92 750iL and it tried to eat me out of house and home. :p At least with the X300, you actually can fix most of the components yourself without having to buy stupidly expensive subassemblies (for the most part).
 
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It also must not leak.

It can leak as much as you like as long as it passes emissions without having too much O2. I should know, my car first failed with an exhaust that leaked a lot, too much O2, and the passed after I patched it up a bit (not completely)
 
North Carolina still allows vanity plates with up to 8 custom characters. I want mine to be SMILODON.
 
TODAY MADE ME HAPPY.
I saw a riced out civic, it had this sticker:

japan-strange-2008-momiji.jpg



I have not laughed that hard in a long time :3
 
The X300 is a 'screaming deal' kind of bargain compared to the German competition. :p I had a 92 750iL and it tried to eat me out of house and home. :p At least with the X300, you actually can fix most of the components yourself without having to buy stupidly expensive subassemblies (for the most part).

This is the reason why the Jag is still my number one choice if it comes down to buying a car. Sometimes being an antique is beneficial, this being one of those times, since the AJ16 isn't exactly what you would call a modern engine, but that means I can work on it myself. Something the M119 V8 doesn't tolerate.

What I need first and foremost is mechanical reliability, because stuff like suspension bits or exhaust are fairly cheap to fix and they are wear through parts anyway but the insides of the engine bay is going to cost an arm an a leg, especially with Ze Germans.
For example a complete set of bushings for wishbones, ball joints and roll bar mount bushings for an X300 suspension costs a bit over 100? (+30? in postage fees) in the UK. Original shocks are 460?, that's all 4 corners covered. So basically an entire suspension rebuild for the Jag costs about the same as one balljoint for the W124 Merc: 400? to replace one balljoint/suspension arm in the Merc. And that's for the parts alone.

I need something that just goes with little to none maintenance outside oil changes, spark plugs and so on.. And this is where the Jag really shines.
 
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Well, it should... it had a twenty-three year development lead, including a nine year beta test period. :D
 
Hilarious comment from another satisfied X300 driver:

The authorities even treat one differently in a Jag. I got pulled over with a suspended license from failing to pay a violation, and the cop said, "I'm really sorry to inconvenience you, but I just wanted to let you know that your license is technically suspended, and I know those guys sometimes mess up, so just check it out when you have an opportunity." This sort of encounter has happened several times with the police.

:rofl:

Oh yeah...I have definetely been converted. I always liked Jags, but soon I might officially be a Jag-man. Fantastic.
 
I have not laughed that hard in a long time :3

I will 1 up you. I went to midas for new tires a little while ago, and someone was wearing a t shirt with only a picture of that on it. no words, no nothing. just the elderly driver sticker.
 
I've finished making an auxilary light bracket for my car. It took 2 and a half hours, and in the process I blew 2 fuses and chopped up my fingernail with an angle grinder. Only needs paint, fitment, and the wiring for the lights tomorrow. :)
 
How much stock does Spectre hold in aftermarket Jaguar parts manufacturers? :shifty:
 
I actually own one of those manufacturers, but I don't make any X300 or X308 parts. Series III and early (pre-90) XJS only. And I'll thank you to note that I haven't recommended either of those cars for a non-project vehicle. :p

Other than that, I own no stock in such companies.

Edit: Come to think of it, that company is temporarily on hiatus due to lack of orders and the fact that we're working on the MegaSquirt thing.
 
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Hehe, well your Jag-as-surprise-bargain gospel is really taking root on this forum, and with enough converts (speaking as one myself) it could prove a good source of business. I've found myself looking at last-gen XJSs, mostly out of idle curiosity, but their style is growing on me. BTW, any word on the fuel economy tips you'd mentioned sometime before?
 
I'd have a Jag if there were ever any available around here. There's two red XKR convertibles around town, a couple late 80's something or other models, and a nice woman with a white E-type coupe.
 
Hehe, well your Jag-as-surprise-bargain gospel is really taking root on this forum, and with enough converts (speaking as one myself) it could prove a good source of business. I've found myself looking at last-gen XJSs, mostly out of idle curiosity, but their style is growing on me. BTW, any word on the fuel economy tips you'd mentioned sometime before?

I need to write it up; I've had some work suddenly appear and I have to take care of that first. (I can take a couple minutes to reply to a forum post, but then have to go back to what I was doing, that sort of thing,...)

Essentially, the big tip is to set your multifunction display to show your instant fuel economy. You will soon find that you can let off the throttle a little more than you'd otherwise think and still maintain speed on a level surface. This will be reflected in your instant fuel economy and you can realize some surprising gains. Also, for a large car like a Jag, slowly trundling away from the lights is actually harder on overall fuel economy. Briskly move off from lights (don't floor it or anything, but use more than your typical sedate Jaguar driver), get to your chosen cruise speed, and stay there as much as possible. While cruising, use as little throttle movement as you can get away with. Something else - the sedans have some impressive kinetic energy, so you may find that you don't really need to use as much throttle to go up slight hills as you might think. Also, the cars are deceptive - you may find yourself unintentionally accelerating and therefore hurting fuel economy, so pay attention to your speedometer as well while driving until you get the feel of how much throttle does what. :D
 
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