Cars of Crackers - Boat.

[wuvvum]

I have to say a facelift with the 3-litre diesel would be my ideal XF.  Sadly insurance says no so if I have another it'll probably be a 2.2 (which, having driven AnthonyG's example, is more than up to the job).

[Crackers]

Basically, not much to report right now. 

Jag took me to Germany and back this weekend. 828 miles for 43.6mpg - not bad considering a fair bit of GLF in France and Germany. 

Minor brake judder has become significantly more pronounced though, so that needs attention soon. There's also a click/creak from brakes when applying more pedal pressure at low speed, not something I've come across before so investigation required. 

Otherwise, only other issue is rattly speaker grilles in the front doors, so I'll whip the door cards off on a dry day to pack them out a bit and hopefully silence the buzz. 

Good car is good. Provides absolutely effort GLF ability - 100mph is around 2000rpm, it flies along without really breaking a sweat. Deserves a wash now. 

[Crackers]

3 hours ago, Crackers said:

828 miles for 43.6mpg

Lying swine. 

39.31 by my calculations. Never trust the readout 🤓

[Bren]

I have been looking at these in Sportbrake flavour. Obviously with the V6 diesel and not the agricultural 2.2.

[wuvvum]

22 hours ago, Crackers said:

Lying swine. 

39.31 by my calculations. Never trust the readout 🤓

Jaguar trip computers are notoriously optimistic when it comes to fuel consumption.  43.6mpg would have been better than the Rover managed on my recent Eurotrip, which would have annoyed me...

[Crackers]

And so begins an unscheduled collection. 

[Crackers]

Clapham, and prick seller has just told me it's probably not happening. 

Still heading for his, but likely I'll be wasting 5 hours of my life this evening. 

[Crackers]

Yep, that's off. 

Slightly stroppy texts attached for your pleasure.

It was a £300 Panda with a full year's MOT. Would have been my perfect winter hack. Guess I have to keep looking. 

To be clear, he said on Facebook that I should contact him an hour before I'd be there. My first text was at 18:30, and I told him yesterday I'd be there about 7pm.

[Crackers]

As usual, the train service along the coast is knackered. Therefore the remainder of my journey is being made on the only worse form of public transit than the train:

The bus. 

[Crackers]

Anyway, here's the car I haven't bought. 

£300, full year's MOT, and the heater fan stuck on. Genuinely my ideal winter hack. Never mind. 

[IronStar]

51 minutes ago, Crackers said:

Yep, that's off. 

Slightly stroppy texts attached for your pleasure.

It was a £300 Panda with a full year's MOT. Would have been my perfect winter hack. Guess I have to keep looking. 

To be clear, he said on Facebook that I should contact him an hour before I'd be there. My first text was at 18:30, and I told him yesterday I'd be there about 7pm.

A really shit situation, but rather decent of him to refund the travel costs for his fuckup. That’s probably half of what he got from selling the car.

[Mrs6C]

34 minutes ago, Crackers said:

£300, full year's MOT, and the heater fan stuck on. Genuinely my ideal winter hack. Never mind. 

How about this, for not a lot more and with six months' MOT? Floppytop FTW...

 

 

[hairnet]

mrgtis astra

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, Crackers said:

Clapham, and prick seller has just told me it's probably not happening. 

Clapham hasn't been 'happening' for decades. Sorry you had a pleasant wasted trip on public transport.

[Unknownfnch]

10 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

How about this, for not a lot more and with six months' MOT? Floppytop FTW...

 

 

I also have a seat Leon 1.9 pd150 that’s a bit scruffy if a flop top isn’t your thing. 171,000 miles, mot until feb and just had a cambelt change! I have just done 700 miles in it and returned a whopping 51mpg 
 

[chaseracer]

11 hours ago, Crackers said:

Anyway, here's the car I haven't bought. 

£300, full year's MOT, and the heater fan stuck on. Genuinely my ideal winter hack. Never mind. 

Would it help to suggest the MOT was done by phone and the terminally rotten rear axle is held on with zip-ties?  And under that off-colour rear bumper is hidden accident damage with bonus rippled boot floor? 😉

HTH!

🙂

[NorthernMonkey]

38 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Would it help to suggest the MOT was done by phone and the terminally rotten rear axle is held on with zip-ties?  And under that off-colour rear bumper is hidden accident damage with bonus rippled boot floor? 😉

HTH!

🙂

So it was you that sneaked in and bought it from under him? 🤨😂

[Crackers]

1 hour ago, Unknownfnch said:

I also have a seat Leon 1.9 pd150 that’s a bit scruffy if a flop top isn’t your thing. 171,000 miles, mot until feb and just had a cambelt change! I have just done 700 miles in it and returned a whopping 51mpg 
 

How much would you be after for this fine motor car sir?

[Unknownfnch]

3 hours ago, Crackers said:

How much would you be after for this fine motor car sir?

Offers around £650 is what I’m looking for. 

[Crackers]

On 27/11/2024 at 13:29, Unknownfnch said:

Offers around £650 is what I’m looking for. 

Hmm. I'm quite tempted by this for "actually a practical car and also economical" points, but I've got my eye on a 107 today which scores the "ideal for hammering to work with a hilarious noise and warms up quickly in winter" points.

I'm away for few days and will have a think if you've still got it. I have a horrible feeling that it might be entirely competent enough for me to never bother driving the Jag.

[beko1987]

On 27/11/2024 at 08:25, Unknownfnch said:

whopping 51mpg 
 

Is that all? My diesel shitbox does 73mpg 😂

[Talbot]

Question is does it do that on a couple-of-miles-each-way commute?

@Crackers and I have a similar issue in that we both have very short commutes but they are not really possible by anything other than driving, hence a large diesel engine is not ideal.  A tiny petrol engine (or indeed an electric, but they are ££££) would be a lot better.  Panda, smart car, original Fiat 500, classic mini.. something small that actually stands a chance of getting more than mildly tepid on the drive.

[2flags]

Electric cars are coming down in price, just seen this on ebay. Don't know if you'd be interested or not? £2500

2014 Nissan Leaf ACENTA Hatchback Electric Automatic | eBay

[Talbot]

Still about £2k above the price point I would be aiming at...

[lesapandre]

Sorry to read about the Panda. 

With really cheap cars - after some discussion with the owner on the telephone (not text) I have bought them sight unseen and made a bank transfer and then gone and collected. Some I have even had them post me my bit of the V5 with the key - and then just gone and collected in due course.

A risk? Yes. But for a few £ not much. They have all been fine - but if not a call to one of the scrapping companies gets the car then taken away for some £.

Just my experience of years of this kind of just missing good cars and being pissed off.

That Panda is ULEZ compliant which would have made it very desirable here in Da Smoke. 

[Crackers]

Oh cock. 

Turned over for an unusually long time on first start, but seemed OK after. Got about half a mile up the road and it cut out in the middle of a busy junction. Superb. 

Awaiting recovery... 

[Crackers]

I know what's wrong with it, it ain't got no gas in it 

No diesel getting up to the engine, fuel pump was running constantly so we put some more fuel in in case the gauge was lying. Unfortunately still no luck so it's truck time and I'll need to book it in to a garage. 

Bloody moderns! Never again! 

[Crackers]

Well I've got to give it to AutoAid - although the breakdown was less than a mile from home, you still don't know what you'll get. 

After the Van Men couldn't get it going, a flatbed arrived within 45 mins and had me away. Dumped it back home for now and will get it recovered to a garage when they're open again. 

After last December's adventure* with the Saab, this seems to be making itself a yearly tradition 🙄

[Homersimpson]

If the 3.0 diesel is the same as the 2.7 there is a belt on the back of the engine that drives the high pressure diesel pump of the rear f the camshaft.  Is worth checking that this hasn't broken.

I recall it not being a bad job on the 2.7 S-Type but you do have to do it blind/by feel.  The pump isn't timed so you just need to get the belt on.

[hairnet]

On 27/11/2024 at 09:12, NorthernMonkey said:

So it was you that sneaked in and bought it from under him? 🤨😂

no thats his merc