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

Not that shocked surely?. We both like British cars with a less than stellar reputation for quality and roadholding, because we are both primarily motivated by how a car makes us feel, rather than what their ultimate limits are.

On that very note, the first DB9 I drove underwhelmed me totally. It was a high-mileage example, with black paint and black interior, I drove it 26 miles up the motorway and got back thinking 'hmm, that really didn't wow me at all.' I was looking at alternatives (but could I really see myself in a Ferrari 456? Is there such a thing as a reliable XJ-S?).
The second one I tried was a low mileage Pentland Green example from Park Lane Aston Martin that I drove round Mayfair and Regents Park. I bloody loved it. I now cannot stop thinking about that car.

A car that makes you feel good, when the drive doesn't, that's the car to buy.
That's why I don't want the Porsche. It makes you feel great when the driving is great, but is utterly boring at all other times.

A car that makes you feel good, when the drive doesn't, that's the car to buy.
That's why I don't want the Porsche. It makes you feel great when the driving is great, but is utterly boring at all other times.

I agree the shit out of this.

not really shocked, I was just poking fun...

try one of the baby Astons.

Much fuel economy, so parking.

whatever car makes the other boys in the changing room regret ever laughing at your winkle is the car you should get.

[drunk edit]

Fucking van broke down again. All the hallmarks of an intermittent electrical fault of the worst possible kind. Gah.

Wonder how hard it would be to turn a normal smart car into one of these?

Fitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ-JJocYjfU&feature=youtu.be

Driving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKggmVPxZfY&feature=youtu.be

(Not my car).

Very.

Mainly because they're modified Toyota IQs.

I just need to get round to putting the gearbox back in my 914

Gearbox and engine back in. All just needs hooking up. I need to have a sit down, I'm never this productive.

The aim is to be able to tax it and drive up the road by the new year.

Merlin Motorsports version of that connecting pipe:

3 Attachments

As beads go am I alone in thinking that this verges on the homeopathic?

Crikey, i saw a few 914 / 916s when i lived in So Cal for a short period, always really them.

I keep setting fictional goals for getting my car back together, the reality is there is much to do and restricted access to garage time, although i am currently facing un-picking the roof skin which is somewhat daunting

Is there such a thing as a reliable XJ-S?

http://www.kwecars.com/about-kwe/

If I was spending the money you're looking at spending I'd call KWE, get them to find me the perfect XJ-S for me (or hunt it down myself) then get them to do their re-engineer and restore it on it. It would be much cooler than a DB9.

That said, most XJ-S owners seem to reckon that if you look after them properly and drive them regularly they are considerably more reliable than Dammit's Volvo/Porsche, as long as you don't mind minor hiccups.

A car that makes you feel good, when the drive doesn't, that's the car to buy. That's why I don't want the Porsche. It makes you feel great when the driving is great, but is utterly boring at all other times.

Nail on the head there.

Basically why I still want an XJ-S and why Indra loves his landie so much.

Also a car that makes you feel good when the drives doesn't is good in traffic jams.

I'd have expected the bead to be a bit more prominent than that to be honest, did they make it custom for you or is it off the shelf?

After watching. Serious videos and reading posts online I've decided that the noise my 300tdi is making is definitely more of a chuffin than a tapping so I'll be replacing the head gasket in the new year.

Can anyone think of a reason not to go with the thickest available? I'm not sure what's currently in there but as I plan on turning the boost up a little at some point I thought that lowering the compression ration slightly couldn't hurt.

more reliable than Dammit's Volvo/Porsche

I think when comparing 20 year old vehicles level of reliability the Volvo and the Porsche don't come out badly at all, they require stuff to be done- although not very much now- but so will any car of this age and mileage. If you buy a mid nineties car don't kid yourself that you'll escape the requirement to extensively service and fix.

I'd have expected the bead to be a bit more prominent than that to be honest, did they make it custom for you or is it off the shelf?

Standard off the shelf. Looks nothing like the picture of said part which had a prominent swage.

always check your insurance details. noticed today the hopeless twats at churchill had put the wrong model on my policy.

Not serious. It's actually pretty hard to gauge what people mean by very reliable, it's all relative. I have spoken to the owner of an '88 XJ-S which put me right off.

I'd always thought even slightly older Volvos/Porsches would be more reliable than that and that's probably a wake up call too. I like the idea of owning various cars but not sure I really have the time/money/inclination really for anything fun :(

I hope your Porsche requires less time/money/inclination in the near future.

One thing I should probably mention- of all of the things I've had done to the Porsche (probably £7k of it) has been non-essential, the only thing that was "have to do" was the brake servo. But if I'd not done everything else it'd have driven in a way which meant the purchase price was wasted. As TRA said earlier in this thread, a lot of people would likely have left stuff until it broke, then fixed it.

The Volvo puts out 165bhp/litre. I drove 180 miles today in total comfort with two cats, bags of Christmas presents, luggage in the boot and three bikes on the back. It cruised at 90 unflappably, and it'll keep on doing that or as long as you keep filling the tank up.

Considering what it is, and that I service it every five thousand miles, it's costs are very low.

I had a 1986 4.2 XJ6 (similar mechanicals I guess) for a couple of years 2011-13. Did 6,000 miles and not a thing went wrong, air con, trip computer, many electrics, all working perfectly.

There was a hole in one of the fuel tanks, but I just used the other one.

If you fancy one, get one. If it's a pain just get rid of it. It might be awesome...