New member, looking for xk buyers guide / info.

1owner · June 29, 2014

Hi there,just joined club as looking at buying an xk mk2, pref. 55 plate low mileage ( under 60 thou.) & wandered if anything to look out for or later cars(06-07) are worth paying the larger road tax bill for.

Any info.would be greatly apreciated

Old Peter · June 30, 2014

Hi Andrew, and Welcome to the Club.

The Road Fund Licence is a factor in costs in any performance car. Being a pensioner it certainly affected my choice -- my S Type 2.7 diesel costs £285 as against over £450 or so for the 4.2 litre petrol.

There are several XK owners who will give you some good advice.

Regards,

Peter.

knightsmith · June 30, 2014

Andrew,

Just get one, they are fab, the road tax on them is unfair, as it should be done on mileage alone.

Also, welcome to the club.

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 5, 2014

welcome to the club andrew. you picked a nice car to go for. the xk is the best ive had. only trouble ive had is the rear parking sensors, 3 of them whent 1 after the other. got the dealer to check the wiring loom to the and all has been well. as ive said in the past ive had bmw s merc s they dont come close to the xk. bought mine from an approved dealer so got a years warranty, whitch expired in may. is thing you should do is check to see if the battery has been changed if not change it for a new one as your car would be 7-8yrs old. old batteries can cuse small elec probs such as locking setting the alarm ect so for the sake of 100 quid change it. get a garage to do it or do it yourself using jump leads that way you are not going to give onboard computer any probs. other than that cant think of any probs that you will encounter. but we are all here to help. peter&trevor are brill as are the rest so wish you all the best . ps you will love it charlie

jag2 · July 5, 2014

forgot to add £490 road tax. so what. charlie

knightsmith · July 5, 2014

Charlie,

Don't get me started on the unfairness of road tax, but just get one Andrew, you won't regret it, they're even letting the Scots drive them.

It is the sensible person's Aston Martin, in case you get any digs !

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 5, 2014

trevor i dont mind the road tax for the xk. ok its high but i was paying think it was£460 for the useless x5 before. me and HM took the jag to the bonnie banks of loch lomond . it was a nice sunny day today . the xk got lots of glances . got done when we whent for coffee&scones though. they must have though we were from devon. but enjoyed the drive charlie

knightsmith · July 5, 2014

Charlie,

Had the same thing when I went to Somerset last week, quite a crowd gathered around the car as I drew up outside a shop to pick the wife up, don't think it was anything to do with the Jag, more like it's the first time they've seen a car !

Taking it down my favourite road early morning shortly, The A303, one can really open up the taps there !

The Devon lot just skin the visitors over the Devon cream teas, they don't eat it themselves .

Also, I never eat when I'm out

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 5, 2014

trevor think i seen the news a while ago that they wer going to abolish road tax or maybe it was a dream. if its true prob replace it with something else to skin the car owners . if i was young again i would bugger of to ozz . yep the xk is a bonnie looking car . even the xk trevor. when you get arseholes to close to the backend. shift in to sport a wee blast away you go and away they go. bmw drivers are the worst they dont seem to get the message love burning them the best. regards charlie

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Charlie,

Think you probably dreamt that when you were day dreaming the other day when you were forced out shopping with the wife .

I've never noticed any particular make of driver being any worse than any other . The only BMW's we see down this way are the ones the scouse have nicked, the Devon lot are still on horseback .

Where driving does become a pain is in Summer. Some of the holidaymakers (Grockles) are taken aback just how small some of out dirt tracks that pass as roads are .

I try and avoid these lanes like the plague during the holiday season for two reasons.

1: Caravans!

what a joy to be stuck behind one of these, we build them decent hotels and holiday camps, but yet they insist on pretending they can tow the things, hence clogging up our roads .

2: The Highway code followed to the letter:

In Section 17, sub section 3, it states " Whilst in Devon it is against the law for any woman to attempt to reverse under any circumstances whilst driving down a narrow lane. It is a lot easier to make the other vehicle reverse a 100 yards (preferably uphill)" .

On the plus side, having a fast car I can overtake in the blink of an eyelid (providing the fields aren't too muddy)

ATB,

Trevor

Old Peter · July 6, 2014

Hi Charlie and Trevor,

They are not going to abolish the Road Fund Licence, but from September [i think] they are going to abolish the tax disc. Apparently new technology is able to detect whether or not there is tax paid on the car.

Speaking about caravans gong down south --- only a problem if they are towed badly. Some caravan owner do not check the weight applied from the caravan to the car - downward pressure - which can cause the caravan to handle badly so that it was to be towed slower than should be necessary.

The only reason that caravanners come from the North down to the south is basically to see what the southerners are doing with all the good we make up north. Add to that, if there was not much tourism down south, the economy would suffer so that shop owners could not charge visitors a different price from locals. No tourists mean that everyone is the south would have to take in each others washing to make a shilling or two.

In this area there are a lot of BMW drivers, many young women, who seek to believe that tailgating is compulsory. They have never heard of tyres and tarmac --- you should be able to see the tarmac and the tyres of the car in front of you when you stop. And you should always think that if the car in front of you stops quickly, can you do so.

Peter.

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

It is the narrowness of the roads that catches them out , and I think they all should be made to take test before they're allowed to tow them, then make them head even further north towards the Lake District .

The northerners don't spend that much down here ( most of them live here anyhow) their social doesn't spread that far .

Think you are correct about the road tax, it was just Charlie getting overexcited about independence that he's becoming a tad befuddled .

Off over Exmoor now.

ATB,

Trevor

P.S tell Charlie that Exmoor is BMW free

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

Talking about nutters on wheels, does the Tour De France come anywhere near you ? have you seen the speed they go ?, they are insane!

ATB,

Trevor

Old Peter · July 6, 2014

When I was into cycling, Trevor, I was stopped twice for speeding by the police --- once on a tandem for doing 52 mph on a nice downhill gradient, and one when solo for doing over 40 mph on another gentle gradient,

I got a slower motorbike after that!

Peter.

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

That backs up my theory, and they aren't even fueled by black pudding!

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 6, 2014

trevor exmoor is just a wee park, i quite fancy a caravan you get to invade the south twice a year. watch out for the haggas as you go for your walk they love the heather lol charlie

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

Not sure, but I think Exmoor is the smallest national park in the country, but with my heart it is big enough, still cracking walks though, and it is on the doorstep.

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 6, 2014

peter i like black pudding, as well as sausages bacon eggs haggis fried bread mushrooms yum yum regards charlie

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

The wife said she is willing to ride tandem down Porlock Hill with you, and that anyone who gets done for speeding on a Tandem must be as bonkers as she is!.

I think you must be her new best friend, I shall post her up to you!

ATB,

Trevor

Old Peter · July 6, 2014

I was well known in the Craig, Clydesdale, Gartcosh and other Scottish steelworks. I nearly had a job at the Craig.

I went up there often and I was known as "The Wee man" -- as I am just 5'6".

My favourite breakfast up in Scotland was bacon, eggs, square sausage, and black pudding, or indeed, smoked haddock!.

Old Peter · July 6, 2014

Peter,

The wife said she is willing to ride tandem down Porlock Hill with you, and that anyone who gets done for speeding on a Tandem must be as bonkers as she is!.

I think you must be her new best friend, I shall post her up to you!

ATB,

Trevor

My wife has thought that I was mad for 50 years. She started that chain of thought when we were eating peaches out of a tin at 3.00 am in a 'bus shelter in Bangor. She said " Why would anyone carry around a tin opener in his pocket?" I thought everyone did.

Peter.

knightsmith · July 6, 2014

Peter,

What is more worrying is that you were in Wales !

My mother, and the wife's mother both carried tin openers in their handbags, as well as clothes lines.

You are probably just left handed

ATB,

Trevor

jag2 · July 6, 2014

peter . your an hon scot. the 3 plants you mentioned are all within 5mls of me here in sunny airdrie. gartcosh is flattend and their bulding new houses, parts of clydesdale still their. the craig long gone but building thousands of new houses and a new town regards charlie

Old Peter · July 6, 2014

peter . your an hon scot. the 3 plants you mentioned are all within 5mls of me here in sunny airdrie. gartcosh is flattend and their bulding new houses, parts of clydesdale still their. the craig long gone but building thousands of new houses and a new town regards charlie

When they were closing Gartcosh, 9 0f the workforce plus John Reid the them MP marched to London to lobby the Governmen to keep the works open. I was rung up and asked if I could find somewhere where they could park their caravanette when they got to Corby [very Scottish town], a good place to get mince and chips, and somewhere to clean up.

I though I could do it and after a few 'phone calls, I rang back and told my contact that I had arranged for the town baths to be closed for an hour, accommodation was found, and there Council would put on a Civic Reception. Add to that I also arranged for a pipe band to meet them at the town boundary to march into the town. When I asked what kind of band it was, I was told that it was a good band. "Not enough" said I, and eventually I got the information that they would not wear their Orange sashes, and that Canon Dinny Collins had ruled that he would march behind the very devil himself to save jobs.

Peter.