The Voices

I now have the 'yellowstuff' front brake pads fitted to match the rears, very impressed by the results. Pedal feel is improved, 'bite' from cold is fine and the car feels to stop better. The replacement intake pipe has arrived as well. Fitted it last week and car feels a bit smoother, may just be my imagination though ! I now have a rear door that sometimes does not unlock however, so need to investigate at some point.

Link below to a set of four replacement 'flush' valves and the adaptor. Dirt cheap compared to the other ones listed. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391636200742?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That looks grrrrrrrreeeeat ! (pardon the pun)

The majority of X100's will have fallen in bits due to corrosion by then ! Slight exaggeration, but make sure you have a really good look under the car if you still want one in 12 months. I can remember standing under one that was up on a ramp in the workshop and thinking 'that underseal looks really light coloured ?', I pushed it and discovered that it was actually the rubber backing on the carpet behind the drivers seat !

You could always buy the plate and use it as an excuse to buy a nice STR ?

Thanks Russ ! Looks better on my car than the 318i that donated the plate. There are stacks of number plates on the DVLA site that are STR related for not much money. Anything that actually has 'JAG' costs a fortune though. As an example, I thought of S400 GRR as a bit of fun, it is up for £250 including fees !

I work at Kentdale Jaguar in Kendal and live in Nelson near Burnley. Been ironing out a few minor issues before any modifications, now seems to be running sweet. My Impreza is getting neglected as the STR is so much 'easier' to drive.

Just put my 'free' private plate on the car. I don't think it looks too bad for nothing ? Prefer it to 'growl' rather than 'purr' but that's just me !

Probably worth trying some 'uprated' headlamp bulbs ? Might also be worth getting the headlamp 'aim' checked to make sure the alignment is correct.

Jaguar never offered the 19" size on the X-Type, we did offer dealer fitted 'Arden' 19" alloys however ? Returning to a smaller size will be straightforward. Just buy a set of used genuine alloys and ensure that, if they come with tyres, the tyre size is correct for your car. The 2.5 was offered with 16", 17" or 18" wheels from the factory. As the rim gets smaller, the tyre profile is increased to maintain the same diameter and prevent speedo errors. A 'taller' tyre profile will give better ride quality and less road noise than a low profile tyre but you lose a little steering feedback and handling. I probably still have some literature with the standard tyre sizes if you cannot find the information on this forum.

We had a trade- in car at work with the number plate P88 URR (PURR ?) It was on the car when the previous owner bought it and he didn't want to keep it. My boss said I could have it if I wanted for the cost of the retention fee. Seemed like a bit of fun for £80, as we are also cat lovers (as well as 'big cat' lovers !) Retention certificate has come back so just ordered new plates ready to do the online DVLA transfer. I think it should look reasonable ?

I wondered about speaking to the local Powerflow / Longlife exhaust centre in Kendal (where I work) to see about a price for custom back boxes ? I am biding my time on the used Milltek, I can get a new one for about £1,000, so £500 would be the maximum I would pay for the used one.

Hi Russ, I am still watching the second hand Milltek exhaust. The fact that it is still for sale suggests that the target audience is very small and the price is too high !

I decided not to buy the Barcelonas after all. Concerned that the lower profile tyres would make the ride a bit harder and then Sue would give me earache for 'ruining' her car ! I may regret the decision in future..............................

Hi Russ, I expect it will be very noisy without any silencing. Might give it a try at some point, the second hand Milltek would be my preferred option but only at the 'right' price.

Worth a thought !

Not a bad idea Russ. Our alloy wheel guy calls at work on Wednesdays which is unfortunately my day off. This would mean a 150 mile round trip to get them done but I should just get on with it !

Hi Joe, thanks for the tip about the pipe bends. My current exhaust is fine, just want it to sound a bit more like a V8. Another option is to replace the rear silencers with straight through pipes, I have heard a few sound clips and they sound okay ?

Hi Joe, thanks for the link. That is the exhaust I was considering. Might make him a 'cheeky' offer as I can get a brand new one for £1,100 or less ? I am also considering seeing what our local Longlife / Powerflow branch could come up with, possibly just smaller rear silencers ?

Good point, well made !

Now I have another dilemma ! Cheap set of 19" Barcelonas and second hand Milltek exhaust available ? This is how the Impreza started !

Garage is standard size but currently full of enough bits to build another Impreza ! Feel like I would just be spending money for the sake of it, I can buy them for about £600 including a good set of Sport contact 6 tyres. I know that it is bargain but only just spent £350 on the new rear tyres for the Vulcans. The 'budget' S-Type R is starting to get more expensive, my fault not the car however !

I really like the design of the Vulcans but you don't often see a set of Barcelonas for sale ? Worried that I would buy them and keep the Vulcans in the garage 'just in case' !

I have the chance to buy a set of 4x 19" BBS Barcelona alloys which were the factory upgrade for my S-Type R. It already has the 18" Vulcan alloys which are a very nice wheel anyway. My current alloys and the Barcelonas are in need of refurbishment so the costs balance out on that side. I could sell the Vulcans to contribute to what I need to spend on the Barcelonas, they are very rare second hand so might not see another set at a sensible price ? In theory, the 19's should offer a bit more steering feedback due to the lower profile tyres but ride quality and road noise will suffer slightly. Decisions, decisions !

I want one of those boards they have for nuclear facilities. 'x' days without an incident ! Just hoping the battery was at the end of the line rather than a charging or battery drain issue ?