Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I've actually always wanted a black mid 2000's XJR with massive rims just for LOLS.

This would be the one for me

https://www.motors.co.uk/car-70657534/?store=83471&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9BKbmD7odvEDWJ_olmf0acaXTvr&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_Lv_g-PviQMVjJRQBh2wsQ_REAQYAiABEgJVFvD_BwE

Well, we're all talking about Jaguars now, so I suppose the rebrand has worked!

I'm not so sure, the only people who've said they want one so far want them to be 20 - 30 years old..

Although, I'm becoming quite attracted to a S-Type V8... the car is so deeply uncool and unattractive yet the idea of it having a big engine stuffed into it is quite cool to me.

Out of interest does anyone know what drives sales for the very top end - S Class, 7 Series, A8?

A8L's seemed to be more popular Mayfair limousines in the 2000s, but generally the S Class has always been the default, yet on the way to the tube in Canary Wharf I walk past a massive bank of new 7 series.

Is there any market share in that top tier for Jaguar? I'd expect not. In which case it feels like you want to make a cooler sporty 5 series, 3 series and a coupe. But who knows.

I’d imagine that a long wheel base Range Rover fits that bill, bearing in mind its JLR.

But maybe come 2026 there will be a fleet of these?

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ICE ones and at least a decade old.

Love the a8

Just EJ207 things

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😭

Found the turbo waste gate port was 5mm undersize, which resulted in undetected boost creep. So this is what happens if you run 22psi on a tune for 18psi.

Despite this, it managed to finish 2nd in class at a two day national rally, and didn’t actually start running on 3cyl until we entered a hillclimb a couple of weeks later (and let go about 2km in to the first run)

So what's the next step, can you fix the cylinder at least? Or is the whole block borked now? Can you sleeve it?

In EJ205 news, the spluttering has stopped for now, Valvoline injection cleaner to the rescue?

You're local to Possum Bourne's workshop right? Just drop in a fully built crate engine....

Yeah so, the block is toast, also maybe one cylinder head and the turbo. We found debris including shattered sections piston rings inside the sump.

However, the Impreza we acquired to put a H6 in came with a brand new EJ207 short block - you can buy them new from Subaru and Tom has this “in stock”. So the plan will be to rebuild that brand new block with the forged rods and a new set of forged pistons.

The next step is stopping it happening again, so the wastegate housing has been reworked to stop the boost creep, and the fuel lines to the rails will be re-worked to be in parallel not in series to reduce the chance of cyl 4 getting the least fuel pressure, some more mapping and some extra ECU protection put in

Unfortunately PBMS is in Auckland which is the opposite end of the north island to us down in Dunners, and also way out of budget

Took the work Trooper to an offroad quarry today. For £25 you can drive around all day and get into lots of trouble. At first I was scared things would go wrong, then realised that was the fun bit. Didn't get stuck but the car popped the front driveshafts which we sorted. Nice to see cheap motoring thrills do still exist.

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Has the piston holed?

How come the drive shafts popped out?

Used to love off roading, but took going to the midlands to play in a massive quarry.

The car has larger springs so as I understand it the wishbones can over extend when articulating up and down. They popped out at the wheel end so lost front drive. We drove to Stamford which was about 50mins from us.

Just a small one

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"danger to manifold"

That's quite the melted piston.

Ah so a full lift system hasn't been fitted.
My few words of advice about off roading (that was told to me) is the muddy water in mechanicals is like a grinding paste so best rinse it off gently as pressure washers are more likely to force the gloop in to places you don't want it. Also if your in water above the gearbox/final drive breathers then drain the oil and refill unless you seal the breathers with one way valves or just seal them. Don't forget to unseal them when back on the road.

Oh and maybe some straps to limit travel and the drive shafts popping off. As it is a fear of mine of damaging something and not being able to drive home.

Mate that is not a hole, that is destroyed.

So modern art?

Cheers. The car belongs to the master mechanic at work so he's pretty blasé about these things.

Those Isuzu are quite reliable off roaders with minimal mods.

So he did the repairs then. Easier when it is someone else.