Omega Limo Collection

[sal]

Yesterday started off with this old beauty

 

 

My mate's trusty old Jag xj

 

 

Nice clean comfortable car complete with a V8

 

 

It's the perfect car to transport 3 lads over 200 miles from Glasgow to Yorkshire to collect a car. Except it's been laid up for a few months as the auto box only selects reverse and 4th gear. It's looking like an expensive repair and my mate had already decided to scrap it as he's bought another Jag. It's a shame but there's no reason why the old thing shouldn't have one last outing is there?

 

So after a jump start off we headed to Yorkshire with just 1 forward gear and reverse and a plan to collect a limo then subsequently dump the Jag off at the nearest breakers.

 

Seems easy. And to be fair to the old Jag it actually was. With the exception of a couple of hills at the beginning of the journey it drove fine and made it into Yorkshire without any problems and in good time. Unfortunately it started to go a bit wrong as we neared the location of the car we were collecting. The seller hadn't mentioned the number of hills around where he lived and the fact they would be a challenge for a 15 year old Jag stuck in 4th gear. Despite a heroic effort from the old thing, including taking a couple steep inclines in reverse, we had to call it as it was just not up to the task. Stil, we'd got to within half a mile of the new car which is in my eyes a success so the 3 of us headed off on foot to collect our transport home.

 

A 1997 Vauxhall Omega Limousine

 

 

It's a 2.0 litre automatic with just 35k miles and is in very good condition inside and mechanically with just a few bits of minor bodywork scabs needing attention.

With money and paperwork exchanged we drove back to the Jag and set about getting it somehow to the local scrapyard we had arranged to drop it off with.

 

We managed less than a mile before we got stuck again so the Jag was unceremoniously hitched onto the back of the limo with a tow rope and dragged the remaining 6 miles of its final journey to the scrapyard. I didn't get any photos but it must have been quite the sight to witness a funeral limo towing a Jag through rush hour traffic. Still we made it safely and with about half a mile to go, and on level roads, we unhitched and the old xj drove into the breakers yard under its own steam.

 

 

Where we left the old fella

 

 

Big thanks to the guys in the yard who stayed behind to help us out and to let us use their version of the toilet from trainspotting.

 

So it was now about half 6 and we had 200 miles or so to travel to get back home. After a stop for food, fuel and forecourt pics we headed back north.

 

 

Looks tidy

 

 

Limo drove well and got us home no problems. It is very comfortable in both rear and as driver. It has a few minor bits of switchgear and interior items that need replacing but I'm sure I have most of them already. I'll give it a good service and sort out what it needs but I'm not foreseeing any major problems from it. We have big plans for this old thing and I'll try to keep them updated on here as we go.

 

Thanks

[Supernaut]

Utter lunacy.

 

You are all massive winners.

[dollywobbler]

Brilliant! On all counts. Apart from the lack of towing photo. That must have been hilarious.

[oldcars]

Poor Jag  . 97 motor pulls newer car into scrapyard 

[beko1987]

Ha brilliant! Could the jag engine not have been translated to the limo?

[DVee8]

Ha great read,thanks for that fella.Some great pics there aswell.

[Pillock]

Remember folks, when advertising a car for sale always mention if you have any local hills unsuitable for a Jag stuck in 4th

 

Great collection, can't think how you could have made it any more AS.

[smellypoo]

much happiness for you, as you are the owner of a funeral limo Omega. 

 

much sadness for the Jag - I always feel sad thinking of cars being scrapped because of a 'not economically viable' failure, especially Jaguars.

[sal]

Thanks for comments. It was quite a day and we all had a good laugh throughout.

 

Shame about the old Jag being binned but unfortunately it had to go. At least this way it had a memorable send off.

 

We missed a couple of good photo opportunities with the tow rope and also me in full hi viz gear stopping traffic to allow the stricken Jag to reverse 100m uphill and off the main road. I can only imagine what the onlooking motorists were thinking.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Remember folks, when advertising a car for sale always mention if you have any local hills unsuitable for a Jag stuck in 4th

 

 

 

Yes, SOGA, Consumer Rights, Lawyers 4U OMG etc [continue for 97 pages on Pistonheads]

 

 

PS: fab collectioneering, rated eleventy eleven on a scale of one to ten.

[anonymous user]

Remember folks, when advertising a car for sale always mention if you have any local hills unsuitable for a Jag stuck in 4th

 

Great collection, can't think how you could have made it any more AS.

Surely the appropriate thing to do in such a situation is to reverse up any hills

[HillmanImp]

Surely the appropriate thing to do in such a situation is to reverse up any hills

 

 Despite a heroic effort from the old thing, including taking a couple steep inclines in reverse

[saucedoctor]

Epic stuff.

[mercrocker]

I wish I still had the stomach for this sort of caper!    Epic stuff.  

 

And is there anything more tear-jerking than a class old motor on the weighbridge with its interior light still working?    

[stephen01]

Feel gutted for the Jag

 

epic collection - would read again. What are the plans for the limo?

[Doctormop]

Excellent write up, really enjoyed reading it,

In 2007 I was a working permanent 6am-2pm shifts so had spare time in the afternoons, a local Funeral Director advertised for casual pall bearers/drivers so I went along, had a chat and said I could do any afternoon from 2.30ish onwards, they had a fleet of Omegas and I drove quite a few, always smooth and comfortable but the main thing I remember is them having a sport mode on the gearbox, even the hearse had it, don't recall ever using it officially.

Anyway, top story and purchase.

[Supernaut]

Excellent write up, really enjoyed reading it,

In 2007 I was a working permanent 6am-2pm shifts so had spare time in the afternoons, a local Funeral Director advertised for casual pall bearers/drivers so I went along, had a chat and said I could do any afternoon from 2.30ish onwards, they had a fleet of Omegas and I drove quite a few, always smooth and comfortable but the main thing I remember is them having a sport mode on the gearbox, even the hearse had it, don't recall ever using it officially.

Anyway, top story and purchase.

Sport mode on the 2.6 V6's gearbox was good fun! I had one in early 2016 for a couple of months. Didn't get on with the interior or anything else, really, but it went like the clappers if poked hard enough.

[sal]

Our car is also fitted with a sport button but it seems to be decorative rather than functional but to be fair the box itself gets the car moving along alright.

 

As for what we have planned for the limo. Well we were told by the seller that it is far too good to be abused and used for any charity banger rally events or similar. Being reasonable folk and sympathetic to his wishes we agreed that he was probably right. So accordingly we will soon be removing the middle row of seats and replacing them with a custom built bar complete with fridge, optics, speakers, flashing lights, and any other tat that comes to hand. Even a fish tank and disco ball were suggested last night but we were all tired by that point. A suitable boomerang spoiler, graphics on the outside and no doubt an air horn under the bonnet and we're then going to banger rally the bugger to Rome and back and enjoy every minute of it.

[sal]

Just been sent a short video of the towing which I'll try to upload

[NorfolkNWeigh]

That limo is particularly cool because of pov spec 2 litreness.

Although I do worry that brightly coloured paint, matching hilairious * outfits and a drive around Europshire may be in its future, just before the inevitable transition from Endurance events to short oval racing.

 

 

Edit to add; I actually started that post before sal outlined his plans- I'm feckin Mystic Meg, me.

[sal]

You are indeed psychic.

 

Poverty spec continues with no electric windows, no radio, and no heating / ventilation into the rear. The latter of which I intend to sort by incorporating calibra vent parts that I have into the new bar.

[Bren]

I like the omega. However, if somebody told me I would be making my final journey in one I would consider my life as something of a disappointment.

 

My 2.5 senator had a sport button - it was as useful as tits on a bull.

[eddyramrod]

the Jag was unceremoniously hitched onto the back of the limo with a tow rope

Back in 2003 I had a 1991 Ford Orion 1.6, and my mate Dave had a mk2 Granada.  Said Granny had a sick engine, so he bought a whole limo version to strip the V6 out of, and I towed it to a mate's yard using my Orion.  Sadly no photos exist from that mission!  But it must have made a sight almost as entertaining as your limo/Jag rig.

 

Sure you don't want a Rover 75 for your banger rally?

[UltraWomble]

but the main thing I remember is them having a sport mode on the gearbox, even the hearse had it, don't recall ever using it officially.

 

And this is why you shouldn't use sport mode

[eddieirvine]

I have always wanted to do this.  Buy an old limo, stick a massive TV and games console in the rear and do a european trip with a couple of mates

[Doctormop]

And this is why you shouldn't use sport mode

Hello Boots the Chemist?

I need something to stop my coffin...............................................................................................................

[bub2006]

Get your coat and get out

[Guest Hooli]

Poor Jag, I'd have spent the limo fund on a gearbox.

[sal]

Yes fixing the Jag may have been an option but paying a local garage to fit a gearbox is nowhere near as much fun as we had collecting the limo.

[bangernomics]

Much hilarity was enjoyed, thank you very much.