Merc V12s.... and possible alternatives...

[Pete-M]

Pete-M, Autoshites one man Top Gear challenge!

I'm having that on my business cards, never mind my sig...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The trouble with the V12's is that there are NO secondhand parts around, so if the gearbox fucks itself as they like to do, you're into a lot of ££££. Any used parts will be mega dollars as the Merc breakers have you over the old Vaseline barrel.

I had a LHD 1995 W140 350TD diesel thing on Berlin plates. Bought it for peanuts and shifted it on for a couple of bags profit. The best Merc is a sold one. I wouldn't touch a V12 unless it was an MOT'd runner with no major faults and didn't cost more than £800.

W140's rust like buggery just like the shittiest C180. A 750iL is almost a good idea in comparison.

[Pete-M]

The best Merc is a sold one. I wouldn't touch a V12 unless it was an MOT'd runner with no major faults and didn't cost more than £800.

W140's rust like buggery just like the shittiest C180. A 750iL is almost a good idea in comparison.

Heh, this V12 might just squeeze into the first category.

 

As for 750iLs, I have been looking at a couple of those as well...

[Pete-M]

Hmm. Ok. I'll know what's going on in the morning, but I may just be placing a sneaky bid in a few hours on something even sillier....

 

Watch this space.

[ashmicro]

Ultimate V12, and only a 3 litre:

 

 

Caveat: from $5,000,000. Wing shields extra.

[Pete-M]

Right, screw the Merc. I've just bought an XJR.

[25v6turbo]

My mates got an XJR for sale,needs a bit of work,but still nice,i think hes put it on e-bay...

[Pete-M]

My mates got an XJR for sale,needs a bit of work,but still nice,i think hes put it on e-bay...

From what I've been told, all this one needs is a bit of cosmetic work, lacquer on the sunroof and a bit of grot sorting on the back arches. Hopefully it'll be as good as the feeling I get about it. I'm on the train going to pick it up now.

 

Appears to be a proper top spec job, phone, sunroof, full leather, cruise, etc.

[Peter C]

Right, screw the Merc. I've just bought an XJR.

Yeah, right, coz that's gonna be reliable and trouble free!

 

Having owned an XJ40 Sov for a couple of years back in the 90s, I can honestly say that I wouldn't buy another Jag for as long as....

 

I know that the X300 is better but they don't sell for peanuts without reason.

 

Any pics Pete?

[ashmicro]

Mates Dad has an X300 XJR 4.0. Bought 3 years and 20k miles ago for £1300 @ 115k miles. Has only needed a trans fluid change to sort out the shift. Hope yours is as good, Pete. They're smashing looking cars, too.

[Peter C]

They're smashing looking cars, too.

That I do agree with!

[Pete-M]

This is a 94M plate one. 148k with main agent history to 130k and a shed load of bills for stuff done since. Diff rebuilt, new shocks, new bushes, etc. From my brief chat with the bloke, he's been fanatical about it for the 6 years he's owned it.

 

Sold the 4.2 last night, added £50 to the funds from that and bought the Jag. So I'm happy with that.

 

Just a shame it's gonna cost me the best part of £200 today collecting it.

[warren t claim]

This is a 94M plate one. 148k with main agent history to 130k and a shed load of bills for stuff done since. Diff rebuilt, new shocks, new bushes, etc. From my brief chat with the bloke, he's been fanatical about it for the 6 years he's owned it.

 

Sold the 4.2 last night, added £50 to the funds from that and bought the Jag. So I'm happy with that.

 

Just a shame it's gonna cost me the best part of £200 today collecting it.

Where is the Jag? £200 gets you a lot of travel, even with an XJR.

 

I know I'm going to regret asking this, in fact I don't even know why I am but what is the least your mate will take for the V12? Quite why I need two Mercs, a 205 and a Rover 800 is a mystery to me but....... well, you know...

[The Moog]

Had an XJR for 6 months.

 

When i first got it I was disappointed as they are very quick but you feel quite removed. It is very easy to be doing silly speeds and yet be very quiet inside

 

Sold it for what I paid for it so got off easy

[Pete-M]

 

Just a shame it's gonna cost me the best part of £200 today collecting it.

Where is the Jag? £200 gets you a lot of travel, even with an XJR.

Great Bleedin' Yarmouth. 270 miles exactly, door to door. The train down was £103.

 

Chap left about £30 worth of fuel in it, which was nice, and I topped it up with £50. I think it's probably used, um, £60 getting home. According to the computer it averaged 23.5 mpg, and an average speed of just under 60. Seems to be ok on fuel at 70, not so good at 75, then good again at 80 (On the speedo, m'lud). Was a very clear run though, and the average dropped a bit once I was in town, so it must be 15 mpg territory in town.

 

Not the cheapest XJR out there, but the service history is immense with it and it's obviously been cared for. Chap had owned it for six years and spent grand after grand getting it spot on. Interior is mint other than a light scuff on the drivers door trim where feet have caught it. Rear arches need sorting properly on it. He's had a go at one and not done the prettiest job when looked at closely. Lacquer on the sunroof has gone a bit weird, so that'll need sorting as well. Headlining is slightly droopy at the very back. If you've had a 760 Volvo you'll know what I mean.. Alloys are mint with recent top quality tyres - P Zeros on the back . Both back boxes are new.

 

Basically, his ad was crap and the auction finished at 8:45 am...

 

Couple of things don't work exactly as they should - it is a Jag. Gear selector doesn't light up, neither does the stereo (which sounds lovely), cd changer doesn't work, but lights up and ejects as it should. Bloke reckons the wire from it to the HU must have a break somewhere in one of the wires, I think he's probably right. One rear window needs a control relay replacing, it goes down, but not up, so he's disconnected the switch for now. Outside boot release button doesn't work, but the key does, and the dash button does, so I'm not too worried.

 

This is it;

 

 

I know I'm going to regret asking this, in fact I don't even know why I am but what is the least your mate will take for the V12? Quite why I need two Mercs, a 205 and a Rover 800 is a mystery to me but....... well, you know...

It's in a rather comical situation at the moment. I've not actually seen it, but it's through a mate of a mate (who I know, but haven't seen much of for years). Bloke who owns it lost the key, but he can't be bothered buying a key until he knows someone wants to buy the car. He's like that. It's not no ticket at the moment, but he reckons there's bugger all up with it other than the fact it hasn't moved for 3 months because of the key issue. He'll pop a ticket on it, and reckons it's a nice sweet thing... it's a weird one, but it'd be worth giving it a good look over beforehand, and if you're seriously interested, he'll get a new key from Mercedes.

 

I bought the Jag instead, much easier.

[Lord Sterling]

Looks great Pete, very nice colour. Most of the faults seem trivial, but only time will tell.

 

Certainly a car on my wish list of cars to own.

[Pete-M]

Need to get the phone working. That's annoying me, it lights up, beeps etc and gets a signal, but I don't seem to be able to get it to notice the sim. Just get "Insert Sim"....

 

Hmm, anyone know about old Motorola car phones?

[ChinaTom]

you could probably recoup your travel costs in the value of that plate.

 

The XJ40 forum has a little corner for the X300 - for a single marque forum, it is pretty inoffensive and quite useful. There are a fair few XJR owners/experts on there and a few ex-Jag employees who provide a few helpful tips on fault finding.

 

http://www.xj40.com/viewforum.php?f=21

 

Looks very nice.

[Rocket88]

Nice cars. My Mrs has got one, apart from electric window silliness it's been fine, although 12 mpg over here.........only drama was a refusal to start one morning, but my pet mechanic diagnosed it instantly. Apparently, if you don't change the oil religously when you should the V8 gets in a right strop, to the extent that the hydraulic tappets won't "pump up", and it won't start. Never got a car to start before by changing the oil, but it worked...........

[warren t claim]

It looks really tidy and I'm impressed.

 

It's a nice colour as well. I was expecting it to be "Lottery Winner Turquoise".

[lancashireclamper]

Not a V12 but would this be of interest Warren;

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MERCEDES-560-SEC- ... 335fa7a2a4

 

560 SEC iin Ormskirk, originally owned by Peter Moore of Littlewoods

[ashmicro]

Need to get the phone working. That's annoying me, it lights up, beeps etc and gets a signal, but I don't seem to be able to get it to notice the sim. Just get "Insert Sim"....

 

Hmm, anyone know about old Motorola car phones?

Might be SIM-locked Pete. PM me the exact model number of the phone and anything else it says on any stickers that may be on it. I'll also need the IMEI number of the phone - you can get this by keying in *#06# and noting down what it says on the screen. I used to do phone unlocking, so I'll see what's what.

[The Moog]

Outside boot release button doesn't work, but the key does,

That is a result. Normally it is the other way round and once you get a flat battery it becomes a nightmare!

 

Mine didn't light up the gear selector either ..

[AnthonyG]

Nice Jag there Pete.

 

All you need now is a hard looking cockney called Roland to drive you to and from pig farms, gypsy encampments, illegal dog fights, bare knuckle boxing matches etc

[dieselnutjob]

I like that a lot.

Put a towbar on it you wanted a towcar didn't you?

[Pete-M]

 

Hmm, anyone know about old Motorola car phones?

Might be SIM-locked Pete. PM me the exact model number of the phone and anything else it says on any stickers that may be on it. I'll also need the IMEI number of the phone - you can get this by keying in *#06# and noting down what it says on the screen. I used to do phone unlocking, so I'll see what's what.

*#06# doesn't work on it without a sim. Arrgh. Gonna have a fiddle with it in a bit.

 

It's a Motorola summat. Turns out the car belonged to Cellnet when new! M1 CEL was the original original plate by the looks of things.

[M'coli]

If you can find the SIM slot, an O2 SIM will be the closest to Cellnet that you can currently get.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Nice Jag there Pete.

 

All you need now is a hard looking cockney called Roland to drive you to and from pig farms, gypsy encampments, illegal dog fights, bare knuckle boxing matches etc

Either that or Pete will have to buy a Pub. "PHIL!! GRANT!!! MUM!!!! JUST FACKING LEAVE IT!!!!

[ashmicro]

If you can find the SIM slot, an O2 SIM will be the closest to Cellnet that you can currently get.

+1.

[Cheggers]

Could it need a pre-GSM SIM??