Handsome bastard, fighting me all the way...

[eddyramrod]

Handsome has gone to a tyre place in town today for tracking, because obviously there's been a lot of stuff messed with in the front suspension.  And tbf, I have no idea when it was last done, so it's worth doing.  And, erm... they couldn't start it.  Battery, obviously.  Three months of doing nothing hasn't helped it any.  So Tom's gone down now to see about getting it started.  When I do get it back I'm going to need to give it a bloody good run.  

But, it's progress!  This time last week it was still up on the hoist, in pieces.

[eddyramrod]

Well I've looked in on Handsome again today.  Seems it was overheating when it got to the tyre shop.  Tom's had a look and there appears to be some sort of blockage in the system, as if the thermostat isn't opening.

I'm beginning to think this car's sick of me and wants a new home.

[DirtyDaily]

Well I've looked in on Handsome again today.  Seems it was overheating when it got to the tyre shop.  Tom's had a look and there appears to be some sort of blockage in the system, as if the thermostat isn't opening.
I'm beginning to think this car's sick of me and wants a new home.

Let's hope it is just a thermostat. Very easy on the V8s in these jags.

[eddyramrod]

Yes I hope so.  It's just annoying: I wanted it back to use on Friday and Saturday this week but that's looking unlikely now.

Actually no, it's more than just annoying.  Aren't I spending enough fucking money that I don't really have on this ungrateful shed?  All the suspension work, four new tyres, plus labour which is going to be "not insignificant," and now it decides it wants tickling under the bonnet too?  This car has a role in my life, or rather, any car I'm driving that isn't supplied by Motability has the role.  That role is as my Mental Health Therapy, to give me a hint of sanity in a world seriously limited by health and finance, or in fact lack of both.  This particular car is about as competent in that role as I am under the bonnet.

When it does come home it should be up to scratch for three or four years, probably longer at the paltry mileage it'll do in my hands.  Probably double that!  But I'm exhausted with it.  

I was round at the garage yesterday, and the chaps were discussing a Passat that someone had brought in.  Apparently the bill is going to look like mine (on a 2006 Passat) and the owner has baulked.  It looks like they're going to make him a scrap offer for it and strip the shell.  I can understand where the owner is!  OK, I've got a vastly better car, that should be a pure joy to drive when it's finally done, and that will be worth much more than the Passat.  But with no income outside state benefits, I'm pouring money into the thing.

I don't think I'll have it long.

[SiC]

47 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Aren't I spending enough fucking money that I don't really have on this ungrateful shed?

100% annoying. But better to have it do it while still in their hands than you just getting it back and it doing on an immediate run out somewhere then spoiling the day. 

[mk2_craig]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

I've got a vastly better car, that should be a pure joy to drive when it's finally done

Enjoy it briefly Eddy, it sounds like long term it’s not likely to be making a positive contribution to wellbeing and could end up as more good money after bad. Get a month or two gentle pleasure from it then offer it up with long MoT in the new year, it should sell quickly with all those faults sorted out. 
 

And after a while if there’s still a car-shaped hole in your life, replace it with something simpler and less needy, buy with the head not the heart much as I’m sure you would always gravitate to another wafty barge. Or at least something that’s likely to go up in value quicker than its maintenance costs! 

[eddyramrod]

2 minutes ago, mk2_craig said:

buy with the head not the heart 

You speak a lot of sense there, and even the clip I've quoted is probably correct - for most people.  I have actually done that, several times.  It never works.  Have you seen my Life Of Shite thread?   "Head" absolutely, reliably, totally fails to look after my sanity.  "Heart" is supposed to do that but often fails too.  Slim as it is, that means there is a chance of success; a hope I can and will cling to.

Saying that, there is a nagging voice in my head, which is getting louder by the day, suggesting that I accept that I'm entitled to a Motability car.  That might be sensible, but really - brand new?  I mean... look at the bloody things!  Even the better attempts are ugly enough to redefine the word, bloated to hell, and if you can get a petrol engine at all instead of diesel or electric, you get a piddly little thing that tries to make Jaguar levels of power.  Ride comfort, in fact comfort in any form, is singularly absent.  We have one already, in my wife's name, which I'm currently driving exclusively, so the review above can be trusted.  We have what is clearly "one of the better ones" - a Suzuki Vitara - which is adequate as long as we don't need to carry passengers (fortunately that's most of the time).  We even managed, by some miracle, to get it in an actual colour rather than the dismal greys that everyone else settles for.  But it does nothing for my wellbeing, except keep going.

[Dave_Q]

A few cars ago my wife wanted me to help her choose a new car. 
She wanted it to be small outside, but decent size inside for carting around children and stuff, small petrol engine, reliable etc. 

So I applied logic to the situation, and we got her a Honda Jazz. 
She hated the poor little thing.

So yeah, head over heart is sensible advice but if you go too far towards head, you end up with a grey Honda Jazz and TBH even a broken Jag is better.

[DirtyDaily]

Hope you're okay eddy. Nothing worse than sinking money in to an ungrateful car. Fingers crossed it gets sorted soon.

[danthecapriman]

I keep saying it… but you need an old Volvo Eddy!😆

Tried and trusted bullet proof simple engineering makes them the only car you’d ever need for life. And fantastically comfortable too. But you already know that! 
 

You’ve got to follow through at the moment and get the Jaaaaaaag sorted, you’re in too deep with it now to not I think. As said above, run it until the new year and see how it goes, then make the call. If you can, sell it with a long test and list all that stuff you’ve just had done. I doubt you’ll struggle to sell it tbh. 
But, above all, don’t buy a modern!

[eddyramrod]

12 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I keep saying it… but you need an old Volvo Eddy!😆

There's an idea!  Do you know anyone with, say, a 740 auto estate in a good level of trim (GLE for example) and about 35 years old?

[danthecapriman]

3 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

There's an idea!  Do you know anyone with, say, a 740 auto estate in a good level of trim (GLE for example) and about 35 years old?

Just me!

Although if your looking for one, there will naturally be absolutely none around!

 

Have the garage said anything about the new problem yet? It seems strange how it’s happened.

[eddyramrod]

It's not like 2006 when I last bought a 740.  Back then I could have my pick on ebay under £500, and indeed got exactly the spec I wanted: 740 GLE estate, with velour upholstery, sunroof, towbar and automatic, and as a bonus, a third row of seats.  It was even a good colour.

Tom seems to think the thermostat has seized up with the engine not being run for weeks.  This time yesterday that was the basis on which he was proceeding.  I haven't heard anything today so either he's waiting for the part to be delivered, or it's done and he's at the MoT station, or it's something more expensive...  I know which of those I'd like it to be!

[Datsuncog]

Fingers crossed it gets sorted quickly and easily, for once!

[danthecapriman]

I’m sure it probably is just the thermostat screwing around. If you’ve driven it around and it sat through its last MOT without overheating it can’t be (I hope!) anything more serious.

Hopefully you’ll have it back in a day or two.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Once you get it back and it's (hopefully) right I'm sure you'll fall in love with it again. They're a nice thing these...

[eddyramrod]

Handsome is home!  Not only that - with a Pass.  I might need a holiday to recover from the bill though.  £1400, on top of the parts I already had.  It still needs four-wheel alignment, which Tom isn't equipped to do, but he's booked it into another garage for Wednesday.  I don't think I want to drive it very far until that's done.

[SiC]

🎉

Pricey but everything is nowadays. You'd be looking at that sort of money for a clutch on many moderns now, especially automatic cars (e.g. DSG types). 

I imagine you'd get that back come selling it on quite easily? Must be a 2.5k to 3k car easily all day long?

[SiC]

For just over £3k of your PIP every year (tbh I don't really know how it works) you could get this 66bhp beauty:

https://www.motability.co.uk/find-a-vehicle/cars/search-results/kia-picanto/682483/

Or spend half or so of that repairing the Jag.

[Mally]

On 22/11/2023 at 14:01, eddyramrod said:

 

Saying that, there is a nagging voice in my head, which is getting louder by the day, suggesting that I accept that I'm entitled to a Motability car.  That might be sensible, but really - brand new?  I mean... look at the bloody things!  Even the better attempts are ugly enough to redefine the word, bloated to hell, and if you can get a petrol engine at all instead of diesel or electric, you get a piddly little thing that tries to make Jaguar levels of power.  Ride comfort, in fact comfort in any form, is singularly absent.  We have one already, in my wife's name, which I'm currently driving exclusively, so the review above can be trusted.  We have what is clearly "one of the better ones" - a Suzuki Vitara - which is adequate as long as we don't need to carry passengers (fortunately that's most of the time).  We even managed, by some miracle, to get it in an actual colour rather than the dismal greys that everyone else settles for.  But it does nothing for my wellbeing, except keep going.

Eddy, I've been in your position. My late wife had a Motability car, I was main driver.

We chose one that suited both our needs. She needed to carry a mobility scooter in the back, I needed to tow.

Grand Scenic's, Grand Piccasso's, Alhambra.

I also dabbled with my own cars as you do.  Rickman Ranger, MGB x 2, Rover 75 x 2.

Sometimes I didn't have one of my own.

When the time comes to let Handsome go, I'd advise just running your wife's for a while.

I'd never consider having 2 Motability cars. They are a godsend, but that is absolutely throwing money you haven't got down the drain.

Save the cash for a while, then dabble at the smaller, hopefully cheaper end if you must.

 

[danthecapriman]

Glad you got it back Eddy!🥳

That bill is enough to make the ring pucker though!

 

Did they say what the issue was with the overheating?

[DirtyDaily]

So glad you've got it back. I'll be honest the suspension components are probably the x350s biggest issue, struts and control arms. The rear chews the rear bushes up bad and if they haven't been changed they definitely will need changing at this point in its life.
Waft around and appreciate all that newness!

[brownnova]

Great to hear you got it back!! Now hopefully you can enjoy it again! 

[2flags]

Having a car you enjoy and can feel some kind of sense of achievement driving is so good for the soul. I know people advise you to be sensible and frugal, but if we all did this then this site would not exist and we would all be trolling around in the Kia or Dacia. While I'm sure they are worth budget cars they do not get the blood racing or give you any sense of enjoyment. We pass this way but once.  Enjoy your Jag while you can.  

[FakeConcern]

Enjoy it, you're a long time dead...

[eddyramrod]

3 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Glad you got it back Eddy!🥳

That bill is enough to make the ring pucker though!

 

Did they say what the issue was with the overheating?

It was, as suspected, the thermostat.  In off-the-car testing it wouldn't open, so they put a new one on. 

I've been out in it this evening, just into town and back.  It's so easy to see why I've missed it.  Driving is effortless in exactly the way the Suzuki isn't.  The suspension is a bit slow to pump up; we think the pump might be on its way out.  For the moment it doesn't matter, I can live with it.

@Mally: don't worry, two Motability cars was never the intention.  If I do go for one, it'll be instead of MrsR's, not as well as.

Unless I get a sudden good offer, I'll run Handsome for the winter and weigh up my options in the spring.

[DirtyDaily]

It was, as suspected, the thermostat.  In off-the-car testing it wouldn't open, so they put a new one on. 
I've been out in it this evening, just into town and back.  It's so easy to see why I've missed it.  Driving is effortless in exactly the way the Suzuki isn't.  The suspension is a bit slow to pump up; we think the pump might be on its way out.  For the moment it doesn't matter, I can live with it.
[mention=20532]Mally[/mention]: don't worry, two Motability cars was never the intention.  If I do go for one, it'll be instead of MrsR's, not as well as.
Unless I get a sudden good offer, I'll run Handsome for the winter and weigh up my options in the spring.

2 things they are slow to pump up the suspension at the best of times and if it does need a compressor I'll refurb yours for £70 including removing and fitting. I've become very good at it now and I always do a full rebuild including the cylinder bore. I'd rather that and use OEM parts than buy a Chinese replica even though I've heard many people go down that route with little issues.

[eddyramrod]

Bloody hell... I'm watching Bangers And Cash, where they've just sunk £30k into a 1.6 Capri.  Maybe I got off lightly!

[666jjp]

7 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Bloody hell... I'm watching Bangers And Cash, where they've just sunk £30k into a 1.6 Capri.  Maybe I got off lightly!

have you seen the land rover episode yet  £££££

[Dobloseven]

Good to see the Jaguar is back up and running. Of course it's madness, but everyone's got something they waste their money on. Enjoy it while you can and keep telling us about it! Old cars are great. Especially if you've got a modern one to use as well. Mind you, I'm currently using a 34 year old as a daily driver, with a modern in bits on the drive!