Shameless car floggage. (My car spam).

[Pete-M]

Right, I've decided it's time to pretend to be sensible. So before I do that, I'm giving you lot the chance to BYE MOI CHOD.

 

 

 

As photographed after doing two under-24hr 1100 mile cross European trips in a week.

 

It's brilliant this thing. I bought it from a Jag Enthusiast Club geezer who threw tons of money (about £9k) at it for six years. He'd fixed almost everything on it when his wife 'persuaded' him he should sell it and buy a Z3 instead. It's done 156k now but is still a damn pretty thing. The rear arches need doing on it, as he'd had them filled a couple of years ago and that doesn't work with Jag arches and to be honest it was never the best of jobs as it was coming through last year when I got it, I can get them cut out, replaced and painted (along with the beginning to look tired sunroof panel) for £400. The interior is bloody gorgeous in it, oatmeal leather, black carpets with red Jaguar overmats. The infamous Motorola carphone works - I use an o2 PAYG sim in it, it still comes up UK CELLNET' but to be honest it's not the best quality phone so it's like being on a mobile in '95. The aircon is blob on in it, occasionally get the '23' faultcode which means it's time to wiggle the hot/cold control on the middle vents a few times and clear the code. Cruise control works. Digital Clock doesn't often. Front left doorspeaker doesn't work, I've meant to look at that for ages, probably just needs plugging back in inside the door. CD player works when it feels like, another common fault with the head units in these. O/S/R window doesn't work, think the switch is kaput. Middle vents in the rear have been kicked or prodded with something, probably an easy fix but I've not got around to that either. Oh, the headlining is beginning to get saggy at the back, but it's mint...

 

Everyone who's been in it loves the thing. I want £1500 for it as it's not one of those ones that's gonna blow up on the way home. I'd do a deal on a decent big estate with a towbar.

 

In fact, if the Jeep sells and the Jag doesn't, I may well fit a towbar to it and use it to collect the Escort.

 

 

Shameless plug No2.

 

 

The Heep.

 

'96 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd auto on LPG. MOT'd til Jan and I've just taxed it for six months. 119k, rust free and very very straight. Black with black leather. Infinity Gold stereo with six disc autochanger. Tons of service history for this as well, including a grand for a new rear diff from Chrysler, £400 for a new immobiliser and a few other biggies. Basically, most of the stuff that always goes on 'em has been fixed on this.

 

Not all of it though, it needs a few bushes at the front end doing - I've not bothered to look and see which ones, I greased 'em up when I got it and it felt a lot nicer for a few days, never went back to investigate further. Exhaust manifold is cracked - again, they all do that. I'd fix it, but it's a pain in the arse stripping both the inlet and exhaust manifolds off to get the bastard thing to the welders. The rear discs have seen better days, but it stops fine and there's still a bit of meat on the pads so I've left 'em for now. I bought it to tow the 604 from Diss to Wigan, and initially to take to Czech to tow the Escort back with. Unfortunately, I've just used it as my daily driver for months and not got around to doing the bushes so it wouldn't be much fun doing a couple of thousand miles in a week towing in. Fixing the exhaust manifold would be adviseable before doing that kind of trip as well as it's bloody irritating on the motorway. Not stupidly loud, but it created an irritating resonance at 65ish.

 

I want £1200 for it, but I'd do a deal on a big estate with a towbar.

 

They're not the very cheapest ones out there, but what I've said is wrong with 'em is what's wrong with 'em. If someone can be bothered to do the jobs on 'em they'll not lose the cost of putting 'em right. I just have too much shit to do at the moment and don't have the time (or disposable) to get people to fix them both, and couldn't choose which one to keep.

 

If the 604 was done, that'd be for sale too, but it's been at the welders for ages and I'd feel bad taking it away before they've started.

 

Just thought I'd offer 'em here first. If anyone's interested, PM me.

[dieselnutjob]

If the 604 was done, that'd be for sale too,

+

[sporty-shite]

Right, I've decided it's time to pretend to be sensible.

 

 

Never gonna happen

[mk1_4dr]

I'd vote for flogging the HEEP, fitting a towbar to the XJ and renting a trailer.

Then, to get around the need to pay for a trailer space on the ferry, couldn't you find someone on the same ferry crossing with an unused towbar and stick the XJ on the trailer until the otherside?

[dieselnutjob]

Pete I don't get it.

Why do you want to buy a large estate car to tow across Europe when you already have an LPG 4x4 to tow with?

surely the 4x4 is far more suited to the job.

Sure it's got some problems but it must be cheaper and easier to fix them than to buy a whole new car that won't be as good a tow car and won't impress the German police the same.

Then when the job is done you can flog it, and you'll get more and sell it more easily because you fixed the issues.

I just don't understand.

[Pete-M]

Pete I don't get it.

Why do you want to buy a large estate car to tow across Europe when you already have an LPG 4x4 to tow with?

surely the 4x4 is far more suited to the job.

Sure it's got some problems but it must be cheaper and easier to fix them than to buy a whole new car that won't be as good a tow car and won't impress the German police the same.

Then when the job is done you can flog it, and you'll get more and sell it more easily because you fixed the issues.

I just don't understand.

 

Time, Phil. I don't have it. With the jobs done it'd not be a bad thing to do the run in, but at the moment it's not something you'd want to go 2200 miles towing across Europe in. Mainly because of those bloody bushes. Local Chrysler stealership parts department is useless too, so I've not bothered investigating getting bits for it to put it right. I'd rather just flog it on and buy a disposable old Scorpio estate or summat.

[revolting peasant]

[Pete-M]

Mmm. Xjr.

I have had the horn for those since they were new.

Now I can afford one, and pez is six quid a,gallon.

FUCKSTICKS.

don't suppose a feather foot would see anything kike sensible mpg?

60 mile a day round trip on mostly on m-way.... Argh.

 

It averaged 24 mpg on the Czech trip, and I averaged 70 mph according to the trip computer. Left my house at about 2am, arrived at my mates house, 1000 miles away at 8.30pm the same day. That's including the ferry, heavy traffic in Holland and a good few hours at 90-130 in Germany (when it was still doing 18-20 mpg according to the TC). Aircon was blasting away too.

 

It's pretty dire in town though, I do a five mile commute in city traffic in it and it only does 14ish mpg doing that. Anything out of town and it'll piss 20 all day. 23ish on the way to / from Chodmongely. Record best was 27 mpg following Billy and Mark in the 309. Luckily, it doesn't need Super Unleaded. It's a-ok on Tesco / Asda / Sainsbury's stuff.

[Pete-M]

Pete I don't get it.

Why do you want to buy a large estate car to tow across Europe when you already have an LPG 4x4 to tow with?

surely the 4x4 is far more suited to the job.

Sure it's got some problems but it must be cheaper and easier to fix them than to buy a whole new car that won't be as good a tow car

 

Been thinking about this, I may just throw a few quid at it and do exactly as you say.. Won't be £1200 when I have though....

[trigger]

DNJ talks sense, this is what i would do, chuck a couple hundred quid at it, drop it of at a local garage and get it sorted.

 

I couldn't think of a vehicle which would be much more capable of the job than the HEEP TBH.

[dieselnutjob]

if you took the Jag to tow with (or the 604) it would cost you at least £600 in petrol to Cz and back.

 

take the Jeep and you probably save £200 in fuel costs alone in comparison.

 

So have can spend £200 on having some bushes fitted without it costing you anything (if you see what I mean), and you'll have a much safer trip without any hassle from trailer hire companies or German plod.

 

Then flog the Jeep when you get back and maybe you won't have to sell the Jag.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I don't think Pete is open to suggestions, he just wanted to make a thread, about his cars.

[dieselnutjob]

I don't think Pete is open to suggestions

I think you are probably wrong

 

he just wanted to make a thread, about his cars.

That's kind of the point of this site isn't it?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I think a diesel Vectra would make an ideal tow car. They are also a thrilling and sensuous drive, fulfilling Pete's need for a 'fun' car.

Pete's entire fleet should be diesel Vectras. A 2.0Di when economy is in mind, and a 2.2Di when he wants a bit of fun. The fuel pumps are very reliable you know.

[Tayne]

.

[mk1_4dr]

I think a diesel Vectra would make an ideal tow car. They are also a thrilling and sensuous drive, fulfilling Pete's need for a 'fun' car.

Pete's entire fleet should be diesel Vectras. A 2.0Di when economy is in mind, and a 2.2Di when he wants a bit of fun. The fuel pumps are very reliable you know.

 

Ah, but the windscreens crack if the heater is used during particulally cold weather.

[Pete-M]

Why not go onto Shuply as a carrier and try to get a load from Liverpool to CZ (or somewhere in between) to offset the cost of your trip.

 

Shitly wanted bloody fortunes to shift the 604 for 200 miles. I'm not gonna ask 'em how far to shift something across Yewrope.

[Tayne]

.

[Pete-M]

You don't understand.

 

You sign up as "man with heep and trailer", you then look for someone needing a car shifted from Liverpool to CZ/DE/FR or any point along your proposed route. You then charge them the cost of a return ferry ticket (or something) to avoid doing an empty run from Liverpool to CZ.

 

You're right, I didn't understand. Hmm. That could be an ok idea that. Ta(yne).!

[Pete-M]

Don't suppose any furrin' Shiters want some old chod dropping off (en route) end of July / possibly end August do they?

 

My route will be going this way, so if it's any use.

[KruJoe]

Has Stoterstangen(?) got that brown Ital back to NL yet?

-or-

Could you put a listing on eBay.de for tat-hauling from the UK? Prbly a long shot, that one.

[Tayne]

.

[Craig the Princess]

I know this is off-topic, but that Ital is beautiful.

[forddeliveryboy]

I know this is off-topic, but that Ital is beautiful.

 

Yes, the Italians have a way with car design, don't they.