Sisters - XJ8 and S-type

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Aah well, looks like the XK X150 and the S-type have a sister.    The 1998 XJ8 X308 was found whilst casually looking around, and at just 65K miles and in rather lovely condition with a factory sunroof, and at a very good price, she has joined the stable, coming complete with the private plate, which doesn't hold any particular significance for us but looks nice!

Needless to say, the XJ is a different drive altogether to the XK, also the S; not so nimble but a lovely floaty ride and very comfortable.     At the moment we are happily moving through the various odds and sods which we have found, such as weak door check strap, and we need to add a set of mudflaps, but we think that the XJ8 X308 is just on the turn towards rising value and so nice to have around.

Does, however, give us the quandary.......what to go out in on any particular day.   The XK ('07 and only 9K miles covered, living in a Carcoon) is definitely high days and holidays; the S is, almost, a daily driver, so the 8 is, for the moment, reserved for occasional wafts around the countryside when we feel like a good chill.  Well that's the theory!

Mr Prescott, move over.

 

 

[Guest]

Hello Gorgeous; You're gonna need a new Cat House.

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Honorable other half says a new Cat House would be excellent, particularly as he has been known to spend the odd occasion in the doghouse.

An XJ8 wasn't really in the equation, but this one popped up and, aware that they (the X308) are, along with the X300 XJ,  beginning to become a little more scarce (in good order) than they were, and buoyed by some quite high prices in the Modern Classic Sales, we decided to add her to the stable to enjoy, fettle to tip-top condition, and, well, keep the other 2 company.

We gave up on the Mk2 idea, as we looked at many; some were basket cases, some restored(but badly), and the top condition ones were at astronomical money and well beyond our reach.  Add to that the fact that we both are more comfortable with an automatic now, as the left knees are not what they were!!

Must say the XJ8 cockpit is a very nice place to be and the ride is amazing, as compared with our S-type SE which is much crisper but not such a smooth ride, and, of course, the XK with the CATS suspension, which goes like it's on tramlines.

Fortunately, the timing chain issue for the AJV8 power unit is not present here, as the complete timing chain tensioner/chains etc set-up was renewed just 9K miles ago; ditto for the throttle body and the plastic thermostat housing, replaced at the same time with an upgraded aluminium one.     Even the valley coolant hoses have been renewed, thus dealing with the usual AJV8 issues.

Reference a recent thread concerning "naming the car"........as per your Black Bess etc.;  we now have Myfannwy (the XK), Daffers (the S-type) and the XJ is named Ruby.  Might have something to do with the Madeira Pearl paintwork?!

Once again, we may be on the lookout for a good sized garage (Cat House) with a house attached.    Or a Cat House with a reasonable attic for us!

These Jaguars are definitely more involving than, say, a collection of Nissan Micras or, dare I say it, a brace of some of those well-known German makes (other makes may be available).

Happy growling

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

As an afterthought, interesting how the light changes how Madeira Pearl (which replaced Carnival Red) appears.....the two photos here were taken within minutes of one another, one with the sun just behind a cloud, the other in full light.       The paintwork certainly "pops".

[Guest]

Will you just stop it Carole!

Putting such temptation in the way of this weak (willed and minded) man is just intolerable. I've fought the good fight for so long and resisted any number of come-ons from Jaguars of almost every variant  - even to the point that my better half has noticed and started to trust me to go to the Classics Auction unaccompanied. Now though..................when the next sale???

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Oh dear, what have best partner and myself done??!!   How weak willed we all are.

The next sale at that well known place not very far from your domicile, and ours, is March 07 (Classic & Vintage) and April 18 (Modern Classics).    Although our Ruby didn't come from there; she was spotted whilst on our travels after the last Jaguar Spares Day at Stoneleigh, when we were touring the countryside in the XK.   Private sale too.

The aforementioned sale does a good full english as well, just to increase the temptation!!

Sold to the Jaguar fan from Shropshire.    As always, happy growling.

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Aha, food for thought Ron!   We did consider the factor of concentration/dilution as we have known a few folk in the past who have carried on buying everything in sight of their chosen marque/model, then ended up with a yard/garden full of "not-so-goods".         Fortunately, we have the time and thoroughly enjoy our tinkering and cleaning/carnaubaring (is that even a word?!), not to mention riding around in our favourite Shropshire/Herefordshire/Worcestershire/Welsh Marches by-ways.        We have set ourselves the task of keeping well up to speed on all 3, and, of course, although they are all Jaguars, they are 3 very different ones.     They are all under strict instructions to behave whilst in the Cathouse, and get on very well. Purr, purr, purr.

So far, the jobs identified are the weak driver's door check strap, a non-standard windscreen washer pipe (clear rather than black, and way too long), need to fit a set of mudflaps (which somehow improve the look of the model) and the usual antifreeze strength checks etc.   MOT is due in February; we always use a local authority site where we always have the same tester (who is an ex-Jaguar technician and knows all the models inside out) and get an excellent report without any of the potential for unecessary jobs, as the local authority site doesn't, of course, do any repair work, and is, therefore, totally impartial.

We sympathise entirely with regard to supermarket car parks etc.  We never cease to be amazed by the abandon with which folk park, completely oblivious to the damage which is caused by carelessly opened doors etc.    The S-type is, of course, with its unprotected doors, quite vulnerable whilst our XK, which is all aluminium, would damage very easily.     Fortunately (with regard to parking) I have a blue badge, having had both knees done and it is essential to have doors fully open to enable getting in and out of any car, otherwise I am in trouble.    Consequently we have the advantage of the large spaces with plenty of clearance, with the bonus that nobody can ding the panels.    Needless to say, no blue badge spaces and we don 't park!

Absolutely right with regard to the Mk2 and early S-type.  There were some pretty poor restos out there, plus we are well aware that taking on a basket case effectively means an open cheque book and a very depleted bank balance!   Significant other remembers doing all sorts of jobs on his '65 S-type back in the 70s with little more than a basic toolkit and a Jag workshop manual which he found in a closing-down dealership.    You are definitely right with regard to the heavy steering etc etc. and my partner harks back to the late 90s and 2000s when he piloted his 1950 Wolseley 6/80 around which was VERY heavy, not really an option now.

We shall all grow old gracefully, aided by PAS, servo brakes and parking sensors!!    Rest assured we don't have a closet collection of Nissan Micras so the men in white coats can look elsewhere.    One problem we do have though......how do two people get 3 Jaguars to the Breakfast Club meets or similar?    Hmmm.

As always, happy growling

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Just an amendment to the Classic sales at Leominster........the next Modern Classics is Thursday February 01, followed by the Classic and Vintage on Wednesday March 07.  The next Jag Spares day at Stoneleigh is Sunday March 18.  Sorry, Cubist, you'll have to get the typex on your pass-out chit!

As always,happy growling

[Guest]

Apologies for the tardy riposte but The First Lady insisted that I put aside my insular proclivities, abandon the hermitry(?) and partake in the annual family hostilities, again, but this time hosted in sunny Plymouth. Wisely, before setting out, I checked the weather outlook and decided it would be best to leave The Second Lady wrapped up for Christmas - but not, I hasten to add, of the YuleTide type - that kind of wrapping typically leaves  me with sellotape knotted fingers, a pile of now less than jolly paper scraps and a determination to re-discover my love of a good single malt and a comfy armchair. My foresight this season, unusually, proved unerringly accurate insofar that: -

1. The inclusion in my travel wardrobe of the trousers I used to wear while sporting an extra couple of pounds (ok - stones) proved much needed as it seemed our hostess was determined to add us all to the Weight Watchers legions - I think she's a recruiter.
2. The addition of pain killers and antacids with my toiletries proved essential to overcome the over-stuffing on thoroughly stuffed turkey, mince pies. etc. and to ameliorate the headaches induced by the hubbub of pleasantries offered and received, the constant questioning if I'd like something to eat, screaming juniors and pontificating just-grads - and, to be fair, a liberal supply of wobbly water.
3. Taking along a paper-back edition of 'Famous Familial Axe Murders' also served to guarantee me a quiet corner from time to time and no-one noticed the book of puzzles hidden behind same.
4. Best of all though was saving Black Bess from being transformed into a boat on the trip back home yesterday.

Of course I checked when I got back and she was still comfortably ensconced and this morning greeted me with a friendly growl when I turned the key - It's nicer to be back these days.

Having said that though Carole your message re the next sales was most unwelcome. Don't these people understand that as some of us get older the very concept of deferred gratification is inimical? Dammit, even turbo lag cheeses me off and don't get me started on fly-by-wire accelerators that seem to be asking 'Are you sure you want to go faster, are you really, really sure? Time for a letter of complaint I think.

Christmas - Humbug.

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Aha, having read and enjoyed your last post on this thread, we think (due to the extensive use of words no longer in regular use, and replaced with "sort of you know like and I was like totes amazeballs" etc etc) that we have found the scriptwriter for the compere in the old BBC "The Good Old Days".      This may, of course, be an erroneous assumption and unfounded, gadzooks, but gives rise to much mirth and another excuse to partake of victuals rather than heavily processed Welsh water.  Looks like we have, also, joined the Lexicon club.

With regard to Christmas (such fun, as Miranda's mum would doubtless say), well, we don't have the usual trials and tribulations of the family hostilities etc etc etc., not to mention the deep joy of yet another game of Monopoly, Scrabble or Gin Rummy.   With no juniors and offspring to keep happy, neither of us drinkers of anything other than tea/coffee or elderflower cordial, we do our own thing!

Last Christmas we had a bonus, in that the weather was bright, crisp and dry (as opposed to deep and crisp and even) and so we spent the day out in the XK, tootling around the countryside with odd stops to admire scenery etc, followed by a festive dinner of our choice on return.      No re-runs of "Singing In The Rain", "Sound of Music" or "Best of You've Been Framed" for us.  Sadly, this year the weather was rubbish, so the XK stayed in the Carcoon and even the S decided to lower masts and rigging on account of the b.... awful downpours.

Friday before Christmas was a joyful time as our Worcester Warriors Premiership Rugby Team beat London Irish at Sixways giving us a helpful push up the table, followed by announcement  of a new and respected Head of Rugby.  Yay.  See photo below.

Ref the Classic Sales, the principle of deferred gratification is understood (unlike the Dalek as it was dismounting from the dustbin), although it goes hand in hand with the principle of "Too many Jaguars won't fit in the cathouse" as, whenever we attend, there is usually something tugging at the purse strings (or in the case of significant other , wallet straps); that said, it is also a good place to detect bodge jobs and less than perfect restos and, thus, learn the tell-tale signs.  We should have caught a definite cold (even flu) had we gone for a '89 XJS some months ago, whilst the ex-Japan V12 XJS more recently looked lovely, but close inspection under the bonnet proved it to be a real dog (or should that be tomcat?).   Never mind, the already open catalogues for the first two sales don't, at this moment, have any Browns Lane/Castle  Bromwich products listed.      It is also interesting to get a handle on the auctioneers' parlance........."Use and improve" usually means drive to the garage and await a big bill.   "Find another" usually means why would you want to or, this one has survived but only just.     "Subject to a historical restoration" can mean that there's been a typo and for historical, read hysterical.    And so on and so on and so forth (or, in these days of inflation, so fifth).

Similar concurrences with regard to the fly-by-wire items found nowadays; we aren't so sure either, having memories of the fly-by-wire Airbus aircraft which thought it best to take to the woods at a French air show some time ago.  In a similar vein, we were puzzled whilst, recently, looking at battery chargers in our local Halfords (just in case, although our  Carcoon has an inbuilt trickle device which, amazingly, we haven't had to use........the XK had stood for 6 weeks until this morning and fired up instantly) we noticed that they can't be used on vehicles with auto stop/start....you know, the ones with the inbuilt stall device!!      Also reminds us that if you go flat with an EPB, you are basically tatered....charge or jump, but definitely no pushing to a more convenient place.    We have looked everywhere but definitely can't find the starting handle for the XK!

Onwards into 2018, enjoy the rest of 2017 one and all, and don't forget......reading "Famous Familial Axe Murders" could be offered in evidence showing intent, although Judge Rinder is easily distracted by the offer of a pink gin.

As always, happy growling 

 

[Guest]

Arrgh, ‘Stage Instruction - retires to armchair and single malt to compose suitably pithy reply……over several days’

Alas you have me. Why I should be surprised I know not. Too often that oh so prevalent perspicacity of the female of the species turns transparent masculinities Machiavellian machinations to reveal the poor benighted male creature beneath. Indeed, you force me to confess, I am a lover of languages. But my ill inspired aspirations to conquer all such before me have led, sadly but inevitably, to my mangling of not only my mother tongue but also French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, German, Russian and a particularly poorly considered venture into Flemish. To these I could also add a cornucopia of programming languages including Assembler, Algol, Plan, Cobol and many others that even a modern-day programmer might recognise and could, with only a little memory dredging perhaps, recall how to curse in Hexadecimal.

So ruinous have been my linguistic efforts that my travels around the world, resulting as they so frequently did in affronted sensibilities and social unrest, led to my name being added to that, not so mythical, list maintained by the Foreign Office of those UK citizens who should not be permitted to travel unaccompanied. In a perverse fashion, I quite enjoyed this lacklustre honour as it helped me on occasion to avoid some less than thrilling assignments. Sadly, that list has been further lack-lustred, and my personal achievements surpassed and paled into insignificance, by a certain Boris whose diplomatic skills, when added to those of that White House squatter with whom one should never board an elevator, are much more certain than my paltry efforts to produce the long-awaited apocalypse.

I must therefore adamantly refute any similarity to, or association with, the venerable Leonard Sachs. All such is purely coincidental and entirely attributable to the BBC and typically while awaiting the appearance of favourites such as Tommy Cooper, Ken Dodd, The Clitheroe Kid, et al, or making a hasty exit when Danny Larue took the stage – not that I have any issues with the Trans Gender community - I just couldn't stand his/her singing voice.

However, I must admit that I was much influenced by the verbal terpsichory of the said Mr Sachs and have worked tirelessly since the Good Old Days to use a thousand words where others would claim ten would do. Nevertheless, reluctantly and sadly, I must also rebut any suggestion that my skills are sufficient to in any way rival those of Mr Sachs, his writers if there were any, or for that matter anyone else capable of stringing together a meaningful sentence or two using words consisting predominantly of multi-syllable words. Rather, I would be a defender of the sanctity of all our mother tongues, and would protect them from the ravages of the eGeneratons and Millenials who conspire with their text-speak to usurp natures given and grandiloquent languages.

It may be quixotic of me but I would also happily tilt at that other monstrous and deeply annoying linguistic incursion from the West – no, not Welsh – that causes me to check which dictionary my word processor is using before composing even a simple letter of complaint! I refer, of course, to that insultingly labelled American English the blame for which resides with the so-called ‘Founding Fathers’. It’s a little-known fact that those, again so-called, escapees from British tyranny were not in fact ‘Puritans’. In truth, they were labelled ‘ImPuritans’ by much of the British populace which epithet resulted from their consistently poor performance at the Spelling Contests of the time; need I say more?

OK; diatribe over, well almost.

Carole; you will have no doubt noticed that but for a friendly aside I make no mention of the Welsh language. There are several reasons for this.

Whilst I have always regarded the tongue of the valleys as one of the most melodious it has always posed an insurmountable challenge to both my head and my vocal chords. A consequence of which is that I am forever grateful to Dr Beeching for closing that railway station before I ever had need to order a ticket for that destination whose name consists of three mouthfuls of consonants and too few vowels.

A second reason is that you may, if slighted, send the ineffable Claude, for whose breathy ministrations I would certainly have been grateful while assailed with the recent snow and ice but not if directly applied to my person.

My third reason results from a recent aside you made in one of your posts regarding your fellow Cat Lover and life partner. Having some considerable experience of the Criminal Justice and Defence organisations around the world I happen to know that, aside from those that pay for the experience, there are typically only three groups of people that receive Pursuit and Evade training. These being; Close Personal Protection Personnel, Spooks of both varieties, and those darker forces with close ties to Hereford. You will appreciate therefore that my safest assumption would be that a visit from Claude would be preferable should I by chance offend the honour of the Welsh.

All that said; I must again remonstrate with you for your teasing ways. The inclusion of the photo of your XK goes much too far. Given the resistance of my First Lady to all my most recent blandishments concerning the acquisition of something similar such careless provocation and tantalizing actions can only lead me to grief if I cannot come up with a cunning plan. The last, which roughly translated into ‘I’m off to get a kitten from the RSPCA’ fell on not so deaf ears and The First Lady saw through my obfuscations with a perspicacity and alacrity similar to your own.

I am therefore now trying to find an XKR Coupe equipped with Active Stealth Technology but this does not appear to have been a factory option. Thinking about it though that plan is a little self-defeating – how would I know I’ve finished polishing the damn thing!

And finally; Famous Familial Axe Murders has a certain relevance for my family and adds a particular frisson of doubt to their minds whenever it appears at a gathering. My nowadays bucolic lifestyle has led, for reasons best explained another time, to the contents of the boot of my car to typically include a chainsaw and a couple of examples from my collection of felling axes – they have been warned so intent would never be in doubt.

[Guest]

A well turned phrase there from the Maestro and the Porters lines have, in recent years, been on my mind.

Sadly, advancing years have similar effects so the odd single malt provides a little consolation if no respite.

 

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

Brilliantine in the first degree, Steve (Cubist).     I shall compose a suitably suitable response in due course, once my other half (MOH) is sat with me.     At this moment he may be somewhere near Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwndrobyrllantysiliogogogoch scouting out another addition to our collection..................or is he?  Watch how you go when you put the cat out (or in, in the case of Bess).        Indeed, Claude would be a far safer bet as a visitor.  Or would he?

And don't forget, the barman said "Sorry sir, we don't serve time travellers."

A time traveller walked into a bar.

Watch this space.  Or that one.  What about that one.        

[Carole Simpson-Hadley]

On 31/12/2017 at 7:24 PM, cubist said:

aside from those that pay for the experience,

MOH says he certainly didn't pay for the experience, other than if you count his PAYE from years previously.     Any further requests for information may result in the Hon Cubist of Shropshire becoming a customer, black plumes et al, and, of course, Claude is always there to lend a hand.     He (Claude) would, of course, tread extra carefully in view of the litigatious nature of your extended family but does, apparently, hold concise and detailed plans of all oak-timbered residences in the Marches and beyond, whereupon you may be surprised to find that there may be a hitherto undiscovered(by yourself) entrance to your understairs closet.   He is well-versed in the intricacies of silent approach, although he does, occasionally, give the game away when breaking wind after a particularly nice single malt accompanied by hot chilli pepper crisps.    He can be distracted by TV (or VHS) re-runs of London's Burning, and particularly likes the episode where that big house by Westminster Bridge is seen to be engulfed in flames whereupon the entire government has to reconvene to the Welsh Assembly and do as they are told by the descendants of Owen Glyndwyr, and all wear black pointy hats.

With regard to your apparent similarities to Mr Sachs L, we wonder if, also, somewhere along the line there is a connection with the venerable lexicographer Mr Pepys S who, apparently, apart from having a way with words, was also very good at secreting himself in closets and pepysing (see what I did there?!).   Lord Clarendon walked quickly on, but naughty Samuel Pepys etc etc. Neither MOH nor I shall attempt to match your versatile verbalism which surely may result in a veritable verbiage, and when it comes to the programming languages, you are indeed speaking Dutch twice to us.        

Finally, just to annoy you :     MOH says that if you look carefully, you might just pick him out in one of these photos.......or will you.      Claude, get your running shoes