The new news 24 thread

[Supernaut]

You're having to ask whether to get a T5?

 

Hand in your petrolhead card at the door.

[skattrd]

The 240 is probably worth more and easier to shift than an 850 T5.

[drum]

Re the xjs, my dad forwarded this email from the previous owner...

 

Good to see the XJS again. It was always much admired at shows, but I never really enjoyed the driving experience. In the wet it can bite back – be warned! I have ‘lost’ the back end on three occasions, the worst putting us up the banking still spinning round and round at this end of the M8. The previous owner advised controlling the upshifts by means of the gear selector, but I never bothered. The upshifts can be abrupt and the limited slip differential means both rear wheels lose grip at the same time. Much newer Jaguars inhibit upshifts on corners.

 

Might explain it?

[dollywobbler]

Not sure why an upshift would cause a loss of grip. Any powerful rear-wheel drive car has the potential to get a bit lairy in the wet though. You'd have to be an utter hooligan to unstick the six-cylinder I've got in the dry (I have tried), but it very much needs respect in the wet. To be honest, even a Sierra can be tricky in the wet if you don't respect it. Front-wheel drive is generally a lot safer in that regard.

[bub2006]

My reliant was lairy in the wet. It was breathed on a touch but I wouldn't say powerful. Mind you the power to weight ratio wasn't too bad

[bramz7]

Just got back from an hour of driving in the ZX, and had a two hour lesson earlier in the day. I am rather keen to get as much practice as possible….

ZX again drove well, and thankfully nothing out of the ordinary to report. I accidentally left it in third in stop start traffic and it still pulled away okay, if a little juddery! I did get some looks, but most had that 'why are they learning in that!' vibe.

 

Still a little confused by the damn fuel gauge, it started off at a quarter, filled it with a tenners worth and it went up to half, then hovered around that for a while, and then ended up nearly full by the time we were home. Methinks I will have to start writing down fuel trips and mileage intervals with this thing.

 

Also, I keep eyeing up Xantias and such like on eBay. My mum has already semi promised me her 55 plate C3 for £500 later in the year as a second car, but I can't help myself.

[dean36014]

It must be a zx thing as my fuel guage wanders all over the place too

[purplebargeken]

Old Citroens....... the only cars that fill themselves with petrol when no-one is looking.

[rantingYoof]

Mmmmm 230hp FWD through a four speed slushbox.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[drum]

Not sure why an upshift would cause a loss of grip. Any powerful rear-wheel drive car has the potential to get a bit lairy in the wet though. You'd have to be an utter hooligan to unstick the six-cylinder I've got in the dry (I have tried), but it very much needs respect in the wet. To be honest, even a Sierra can be tricky in the wet if you don't respect it. Front-wheel drive is generally a lot safer in that regard.

Absolutely agree on the respect element. I love rear wheel drive in the wet and on the loose stuff notwithstanding the need for respect. The author of that email was/is the secretary of the jaguar owners club or something and isn't a noob when it comes to powerful rwd cars having had a few before and after this particular jag.

 

Wasn't on the phone and the tyres are nearly new pirellis. As said, I want to try and induce the oversteer again to find out if I was being a tube or if there's something particularly weird about this jag.

[captain_70s]

During the winter I noticed that there were a lot more cars in fields than I remembered seeing in previous years. That trend has continued into the summer, at least three cars have landed in houses locally in the past week alone. It makes me wonder if something has gone wrong with tyres and / or road surfaces.

I too have noticed an increase in ditched cars, I think I've seen the aftermath more accidental off road excursions this year than I have in the last four! I've also seen the aftermath of more car to car crashes this year than the last four.

 

I'm not sure what lengths you have to go to for a crash to happen in a modern, the amount of effort and concentration it takes to drive the Civic is sod all compared to the Doloshites. You really had to watch yourself in the wet while driving the 1850, not sure how Sprint owners managed to live past rain showers...

[Richard]

Been offered a swap for the 240

 

 

 

I'm 50/50 on it at the moment. It will be motd this week and is in reasonable condition. Its an auto which isn't an issue.

Anyone know what they are like to own?

 

Sent from my 5022X using Tapatalk

 

They are great, they pull off the trick of handling well while still feeling like a proper Volvo to drive. I'm not certain that it's worth as much as your 240 at the moment. Biggest rot spot is the bottom edge of the front wing above the bumper, that one is starting to go there.

 

The MOT history looks ok https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/FreeCheck?vdm=k55dmr I'm not sure what a peppered exhaust is but if the headlights are buggered there's a pair in Upullit.

 

It looks decent enough but I'm not certain it's worth as much as your 240.

[tooSavvy]

..... OOfff

 

 

itchy 'buy now' finger....

 

Must resist till Aug MOT is passed...

 

TS

[MarvinsMom]

Absolutely agree on the respect element. I love rear wheel drive in the wet and on the loose stuff notwithstanding the need for respect. The author of that email was/is the secretary of the jaguar owners club or something and isn't a noob when it comes to powerful rwd cars having had a few before and after this particular jag.

 

Wasn't on the phone and the tyres are nearly new pirellis. As said, I want to try and induce the oversteer again to find out if I was being a tube or if there's something particularly weird about this jag.

diesel spilt on the road maybe?

 

that can make all sorts ot weirdness happen.

[Skizzer]

The Land Rover tool is only for taking the cap off the locking wheel nut. If it won't come off easily put a 27mm socket on it and turn it a few times to loosen it. The other 4 don't come off and if you can't get a 27mm socket on them you will need the hammer and chisel to remove the chrome caps then new wheel nuts.

 

Yup, hammering a 27mm socket on works.  This explains the round dents in the decorative* covers: that's from hammering the fuckers out of the socket afterwards.

 

Thanks again, Monsieur Panhard.  Enjoy Le Mans.

[HH-R]

Phwoar, some RED HOT XXX Bristol VR cab action up the page. Of course it has the obligatory missing centre cap.

[catsinthewelder]

I got a phonecall earlier that the Disco had pissed all of it's oil out outside the kids school so turned up with tools, towpole and oil in a big van.  Oil was overfilled if anything but the water had all escaped so had to beg some from the school.  Really hoping it's not HGF,  the water is a bit oily but that is probably residue from the oil cooler pumping oil into the radiator last year.  At least I didn't have to tow it.

[xtriple]

I had one XJ-S V12 with a TWR bodykit and all the goodies in it which I absolutely hated (I was always quite fond of the others I had) a friend and I used to lock it in second and then nail it down the lanes outside Kingsbridge which were always wet and muddy and see how much foliage we could get stuck in the spoiler! Bloody things are always wayward if you use throttle in an 'injudicious' style! You do have to watch them in the wet when pushing on, they always feel 'edgy' to me but I never really cared!   The red one with a TWR kit eventually died of hgf and when it was using more water than petrol I got rid. I seem to recall I swapped it for a Scimitar....

 

Funnily, the Bentley is quite well behaved in the wet: yes, it spins up for a pastime but doesn't seem to kick its botty out with tooooo much enthusiasm. I am a fucking hooligan and I am ashamed

[Coprolalia]

While we're on tail happy motors.

 

The new Dunlop blue responses on the front of the Scirocco are excellent and really feel planted in all weathers.

The old Runways on the rear.... eeehhhh okish in the dry... most amusing in the wet.

 

Keep stepping the rear end! For a FWD motor it's good fun, corner in the damp a bit quick and the rear end tries to catch you up the long way round. Back off the power or touch the brakes and shift the weight to the decent fronts and it corrects. Seems to be fairly predictable and progressive.

 

Famous last words

[bub2006]

What is wrong with the police up there??? Hope you OK. Its really daunting when someone tailgates. I can't tolerate it.

[MarvinsMom]

Cleveland police always have been, and will continue to be, an utter shower of shit.

[oldcars]

My reliant was lairy in the wet. It was breathed on a touch but I wouldn't say powerful. Mind you the power to weight ratio wasn't too bad

Mines a laugh in the snow, big sideways 

[Kiltox]

Need a new van

How shit are Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro/Nissan whatevers ?

 

(<2008, <£2000)

[dollywobbler]

I think they're meant to be pretty decent when they aren't ruining gearboxes or (like most modern turbo diesels) blowing up turbos.

[Kiltox]

Cheap/old/high mileage one likely to be doing both of those things then I guess

 

It's so hard to find a half decent cheap van 

[Supernaut]

Standing on Ashgrove road waiting for the shuttle bus back to Old Aberdeen earlier, and what do I see drive past making a fucking racket?

THE £8CAR! Driven by its slightly pissed-off looking new owner.

[Guest Hooli]

Forgive a newbie, what IS the £8 car?

[Supernaut]

Forgive a newbie, what IS the £8 car?

It's an S reg Honda Accord. It's silver with gold / beige bonnet and front bumper. Tayne (who is based local to me) won it in a raffle, after spending all of £8 on tickets.

 

He collected it from somewhere in northern England (I think) and took it up here. He then sold it for somewhere around £300 to some eastern European gentlemen a few weeks back. It also has a completely fucked exhaust manifold, hence it making a racket.

[dome]

Back off the power or touch the brakes and shift the weight to the decent fronts and it corrects. 

 

Famous last words

 

I thought in a FWD car if the back end came out you got on the power to pull it back into line? Lifting offtransfers weight forward=less weight on the rear wheels=Hello Mr Hedge

[dollywobbler]

I thought in a FWD car if the back end came out you got on the power to pull it back into line? Lifting offtransfers weight forward=less weight on the rear wheels=Hello Mr Hedge

 

That would be my assumption. If the front wheels still have traction, then use it to pull yourself away from the skid. Dab of oppo, obviously, then a Troy Queef write up on Pistonheads.