The unexected pop-up headlamp escapade.- weld-a-thon 2 the rust strikes back

[philibusmo]

On Friday night I was to be found with a a few beers in me and a laptop on my knee with eBay open.

 

Today I collected my shite purchase, which was approximately 150 miles away from where I live. By an amazing stroke of luck the seller was in the next town along from me for the weekend visiting family and was happy to give me a lift up to Oxford to collect it from him.

 

My ride was a Range Rover P38 which was pretty plush inside but not as comfy as I was used to in the XM -

This was a mostly uneventful journey up the M5 and M4, then along the A49 to his units.

 

The seller is an Jaguar specialist and a very interesting guy. He suited a Jaaaaaag almost better than anyone else I've ever met.

Here is just one part of his lock up - Janspeed Turbo XJ40 in the foreground XJS in the middle with an XJC above then a Lynx Eventer behind.

There was about another 20 Jaguars around the site in varying states of repair, including two race spec XJSs, the carbon tub of an XJR-15 and a six liter wide arch XJS with some of the most beautiful wheels I have ever seen:

 

But enough of that very welcome diversion. Here is what I was there to collect:

This carphone:

Which is attached to this car:

A Toyota Supra 3.0i that has been laid up since the tax ran out in 2005 and has done all of 40 miles in that time. It was recently dragged out of storage and put through an MOT with just a new front caliper and a battery required.

It needs a bit of a clean inside and out but it seems to be nearly immaculate - I have found 2 small scratches on the rear quarter and that is it so far. The one majorly odd thing is the odometer which is showing 288,000 miles and yet no other part of the car is showing this sort of milage, it all looks as if it has done just 28,000 so I think there may have been a weird fault with that at some point but there is no service history so I can't confirm this.

 

Here it is driven out of the lockup -

The alloys are original and in excellent nick, even if the tyres have all the grip of banana skins.

What more everything works. The headlamps pop up, the cruise control cruises and even the air con works!

 

I set off with a little trepidation as this was to be its longest journey for a long time. I needn't have worried as it was perfect blazzing back at about 70-75 with the cruise control on. It was relaxing, comfortable, quick and generally superb. The only two issues were the radio, which was a bit rubbish and the tyres which desperately need changing.

Here it was close to home in a service station as I got back from a quick break.

I plan on giving it a damn good service. Oil and filter, air filter, cam belt and fuel filter, then change the tyres and just drive it about, wearing shades, pulling my cool face and impressing all the ladies with my pop up headlamps and remotely adjustable lumbar support.

[Shep Shepherd]

Awesome!

[wackywacerwill]

Hot dang, that's some quality shizzle. 

 

Jealous from Plumstead.

[Skizzer]

Oh yes, very fine.

 

I was watching that after it popped up on the tat thread - very glad it's joined the AS family.

[trigger]

Excellent, I haven't one of these for years now.

[stuboy]

thats nice

[inconsistant]

It's true, ladies love it when you 'pop up'.

 

I'd love a Lynx Eventer... when I'm King that's what I'm going to take stuff to the dump in. And get stuff from the garden centre.

 

Tip top shiteing all round.

[320touring]

Lynx Eventer *WOWOWOWOWOW!*

 

That shed looks like a Jaglovers wet dream.

 

Good work on the superduoopra- enjoy!

[dollywobbler]

Lovely. I've always had a thing for these Supras, and wonder if they drive as well as I imagine they do. Not that my imaginary benchmark is set too high.

[srad34]

Great big fast barges, love 'em! 

[Station]

I'd love one of these! I take it it isn't a Turbo?

[philibusmo]

No turbots, but it is a Manuel - which is the main reason I decided to go for this one.

 

Amazngly the insuracne on this is about half the price of the insurance on my 1.1 Fiesta. I don't quite understand how that works.

[phil_lihp]

I wasn't expecting to like this but actually that looks not half bad.  Does the car phone still work?

[TagoraSX]

I approve.

[Spiny Norman]

Like these old Supras, particularly that model when they still had a whiff of 80s chest wig medallion man about them.

[garethj]

When Gran Turismo first came out on the Playstation, I had a Supra as my first car.  Apparently you're supposed to get an MX5 or Mitsubishi FTO but I thought a 3 litre Supra would have more potential.

 

It went around corners like a Capri - sideways - sounds like it's authentic with the tyres you have!

[Lukas]

Nice! My dad owns a 87 Supra 3.0i Turbo too. I have to say, I don´t like it that much. They are nice to look at, but I was diappointed by how they drive. They feel very heavy in corners and you don´t fell the 235hp when pressing on. They are very nice to drive really fast on the autobahn though.

 

L

[burraston2006]

Can we have pictures of our shit car 'phones?

Mine in the mecr is just as fantastic!

Couldn't get the text below the picture! Having a monday moment! This ain't a piccy of my 'phone. When it stops phishing down I'll go and get one!

 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

Very nice. AS purchases have been getting progressively more Japanese of late.

Which is a good thing. As long as folk don't start having sex with squids.

[meggersdog]

I also approve of this purchase.

Looks a nice old thing.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Well done that's fantastic, in fact it's far too good for Autoshite. You must sell it to me and find something less awesome.

[brickwall]

I'm ever so slightly jealous. The front end of those cars is a very brave and awesome design.

[Twiggy]

Brilliant, what a delightful motor !

[cort16]

I used to really hate these but I think it was just the types who drove them at the time and the fact I had a Celica Supra at the time.

They rot like bastards so if you've found a solid one you've done well.

[cms206]

Hnnnnnnng! Would!

[Ratdat]

 I thought they were a little dull looking when new but on reflection they have aged tremendously well and don't really look particularly dated. I have had a couple of opportunities in the past to buy one of them at rock bottom prices but regretfully never did. I suspect a very tidy original example could even be good investment material.

[hairnet]

much better than mk3 bleurgh fest

 

not gonna be bent over for tyres are ya?

[Honey Badger]

Top piece of J-Tin, and extra points for saving it from being barried n slammed up to teh max by some 18 year old.

[xtriple]

Bloody love that! Had a Supra 2.8 a few years back (two tone.... blue/silver). It was an auto and went like a rocket. It only cost £500 then and was great. Nearly bought one like yours afterwards, but the bloke selling wouldn't do a deal on my old Merc....

[philibusmo]

Update:

 

Today I opened the glove box. There was a sponge, hairbrush and a tie wrap in there.

 

I then tried to close the glove box. It wouldn't.

 

The glove box is now held almost shut against the car phone.