Fleet count is currently at 19. Time to make it a nice round number…

[NorthernMonkey]

Yes, I admit it. I have a problem. Far too many problems, in fact, and all four wheeled.

Unfortunately, I also have a fully equipped workshop, plenty of parking spaces and a fully comprehensive trader’s policy, all of which combine to only facilitate my problem.

Here we go again….

[davehedgehog31]

Safe travels squire. 

[NorthernMonkey]

First train and only three minutes late…

Preparation so far consists of a single rail ticket to ‘down south’, breakdown cover (including vehicles over 15 years old) and a couple of spare credit cards.

I’ve also packed a bottle of water and an iPad for test match viewing purposes.

[hairnet]

4 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

First train and only three minutes late…

consists of a single rail ticket to ‘down south’

 

Doncaster then 😛

[NorthernMonkey]

I believe we’ll be passing through the peoples democratic republic of South Yorkshire at some point.

Hopefully at around 125mph.

[Rocket88]

12 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

First train and only three minutes late…

Preparation so far consists of a single rail ticket to ‘down south’, breakdown cover (including vehicles over 15 years old) and a couple of spare credit cards.

I’ve also packed a bottle of water and an iPad for test match viewing purposes.

England going well….

[NorthernMonkey]

Train number two, currently on time.

We have free wi-fi and charging so all is good.

Due in Kings Cross around 15.00

[NorthernMonkey]

Currently approaching Peterboghorror, the final stop before old London Town.

As most people are probably aware, the object of todays mission is this…

The ex @RichardK, ex @PrinceRupert Jaguar.

Many years ago, when I had a couple of banger pitches in inner city Leeds, my smoker of choice was invariably a series 3 or latterly, an XJ40. I parted with my last one before heading down to live in the midlands back in 2000 and it seemed sensible at the time to run something a bit simpler to maintain (Ironically, I finished up working around the corner from Browns lane in Coventry for a division of JLR!) and despite my fondness for elderly Benz’s, have always fancied another bite of the Jag cherry.

I actually acquired that burgundy V8 a couple of years ago from @eddyramrod but unfortunately, it was terminally rotten in far more places than originally thought and just didn’t make any sense to attempt to save.

Fast forward to when this was roffled on here earlier in the year…tickets were purchased but the lottery gods weren’t smiling upon me that particular week. I’ve since been following the thread including the whole debacle with the so-called specialist trying to steal it for scrap money. In fact, it’s that sorry incident that actually reassured me it’s got potential to live on and so, when it was offered up here last week for £not much, it seemed rude not to throw my hat into the ring.

Messages were exchanged and in the early hours of the morning, a deposit was sent and train tickets booked.

All under the watchful gaze of man’s best friend who simply lifted his head and gave me that ‘what the fuck have you agreed to buy now’ look before sighing and going back to sleep.

 

More to follow…

[Flat4]

Um, is this the one that was advertised as slightly broken?

[NorthernMonkey]

2 minutes ago, Flat4 said:

Um, is this the one that was advertised as slightly broken?

Yep.

I like pre-broken ones. It cuts out all the hassle of having to bugger them up myself.

[NorthernMonkey]

Two trains and the northern line down, just got one more to go on South Eastern’s finest…

[bangernomics]

Twenty is plenty?


Could it get any worse?

[PrinceRupert]

1 hour ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Yep.

I like pre-broken ones. It cuts out all the hassle of having to bugger them up myself.

Long way to drive home with a slightly broken one though

I am sure it will be fine 😀

[skoda_fan]

Love a collection thread. So exciting. Good luck. I used to love venturing to "foreign" parts to buy a completely unknown quantity. Kind of ironic though that even owning umpteen cars we are still forced to resort to the rails to fetch a new one. Maybe you should've left the big reveal to the end. Or is it general knowledge on here?

[The Moog]

You got it yet?  Remember to give three rings when you are back! 

[NorthernMonkey]

3 hours ago, PrinceRupert said:

Long way to drive home with a slightly broken one though

I am sure it will be fine 😀

Just stopped off for a coffee and a comfort break at Northampton services.

What a tidy thing! It hasn’t missed a beat up to press….ok, maybe it’s a bit twitchy on uneven surfaces but it’s certainly no worse than the mk8 Civic that I’ve been using recently…it’s just not quite as refined as you’d expect a XJ to be.

Still got a couple of hours to go but currently, I really rate it.

Fuck knows what the so called specialist was smoking…

Oh yes, a full tank of fuel too. Top seller, would definitely recommend!! 😂

[stuboy]

lovely mota. well done

[PrinceRupert]

I'm half hoping it breaks down just so I don't feel stupid for giving it away cheaply 🤣

I'm increasingly thinking it only needs tyres, an alignment and a battery but wasn't willing to put a further 800+ quid into it to find out.

Nice to meet you this afternoon.

[Flat4]

Safe trip home! Hopefully you're nearly there by now....

[RichardK]

 

43 minutes ago, PrinceRupert said:

I'm increasingly thinking it only needs tyres, an alignment and a battery but wasn't willing to put a further 800+ quid into it to find out.

Nice to meet you this afternoon.

It needed those calipers sorting, but yes. You didn't waste money on bad repair spends IMO! Gutted the specialist was a twat and spooked you, we've all been there (i hope you left an appropriate honest review)!

[2flags]

Great to see this has gone to a good home. Once it is properly sorted it will make a cracking motor.

[cort1977]

These things are winking at me seductively.

Top bombing, looking forward to seeing your reports on it.

[NorthernMonkey]

2 hours ago, PrinceRupert said:

I'm half hoping it breaks down just so I don't feel stupid for giving it away cheaply 🤣

Sorry…it has chucked the air suspension fault light up but to be honest, it still drives just the same! 😂

Hopefully, it’ll have logged a fault code though so we may have something to start on?

Nearly home…the M6 is 40-50mph all the way from Brum to Preston though.

By the way, the multi changer in the boot works too!

[eddyramrod]

3 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

I can see we will have to get these together at some point!  Sorry about the red one, btw, I didn't realise it was beyond help.

[NorthernMonkey]

17 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

I can see we will have to get these together at some point!  Sorry about the red one, btw, I didn't realise it was beyond help.

Hey, don’t worry about it…you had no way of knowing as it wasn’t until I started to grind it back that the small holes turned into very big ones indeed. I’m not surprised that garage you sent it to washed their hands of it…it hid a lot of its nasties pretty well!!

To be fair, I stripped it and did pretty well financially too so all was well in the end 👍🙂

[hairnet]

10 hours ago, The Moog said:

You got it yet?  Remember to give three rings when you are back! 

So he's bought a broken Audi as well?

[PrinceRupert]

10 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Sorry…it has chucked the air suspension fault light up but to be honest, it still drives just the same! 😂

Hopefully, it’ll have logged a fault code though so we may have something to start on?

Nearly home…the M6 is 40-50mph all the way from Brum to Preston though.

By the way, the multi changer in the boot works too!

Ah, I never saw a fault light, but I also didn't have anything that could read the codes.  Wonder what it might be.  Hopefully nothing too major. 

I wonder if the multi-changer has fixed itself as I have given the battery a bloody good charge.  Next you'll be telling me the central locking has fixed itself too! 

[NorthernMonkey]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:00 AM, PrinceRupert said:

Next you'll be telling me the central locking has fixed itself too! 

Why, did that have an issue too? 😉🙂

edit…now fixed thanks to new fob battery 😉

[NorthernMonkey]

No playing with this today…too much work on so it got dumped in the village hall car park last night.

Friday is currently free in the workshop so hopefully we can get it up in the air for a nosy.

Plenty of pogweaseling going on in London yesterday though…spotted these two beauties on the walk from the station…

 

Finally for now, a moody interior shot at Charnock Richard services 20 minutes out from home last night 🙂

[NorthernMonkey]

 A little update…

The non working remote locking and associated buggering about with random alarm activations has been fixed with the installation of a new CR2032 battery in the key fob. Such a luxury to be able to get in and out with no faffing!

The knock on the nearside front is down to a knackered upper ball joint…new one will be here on Monday.

All four track rod ends have been freed off and will be correctly set up when the aforementioned upper arm has been replaced.

I’ve got a sneaky feeling the suspension fault is connected to poor battery voltage. I have a brand new Bosch S4 on the shelf that I’m going to try in it once the tracking etc is done.

The oil leak is minor and coming from the sump. Should be fun.

Coolant seems to be remaining where it’s supposed to…a little bit of residue near the pump but only minor. Will be kept under observation.

Got a quiet week coming up so I’ll update my main thread with the outcome of the above in due course 🙂