A straight six and a V8
Discussion
After a recent house move, I found myself in the very fortunate position of being able to cash in on the recent high used prices, and sell my car to replace it with two: a daily and a weekend toy.
But first, a little car history:
First car (actually my mother's, but it "felt" like mine at the time):
2002 Fiat Punto Active Sport (1.2) - the picture isn't actually 'mine', just taken from Google.
Then came a 2007 Renault Clio Dynamique (1.4) (again, my mother's, and image taken from Google).
The first car I bought myself, when I got my first proper job, was a 2007 Ford Focus ST-2 in Sea Gray (sic). I loved this car, but struggled to afford to run it, especially with a 42-mile a day commute!
I sold that, and replaced it with a 2010 Jaguar XF-S Premium Luxury. Again, superb car, but my job changed and my coomute dropped to 12 miles a day, knackering the DPF. Fearing a huge bill, I moved her on after a couple of years.
This was replaced by a 2014 Golf GTI PP. Utterly problem-free (dodgy boot drain grommet aside), but ultimately a bit 'meh'.
After 3 years of fairly uneventful motoring, and with a baby on the way, I decided to move the Golf on, and replace it with a Mercedes-AMG C43 saloon.
In case you want to do any further reading about the decision-making process: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
This had a superb noise, and was effortlessly, licence-losingly quick. Things turned a bit sour when we burgled, with the C43 apparently being the target. Luckily, it was quickly recovered without any damage.
Things turned even sourer when I managed to hit two potholes within the space of 4 months, both resulting in a new wheel being needed. Even worse than the £1300 these wheels cost me was the fact that it was the same wheel that needed replacing...
Anyway, used prices rocketing meant I cashed in on the C43: Cazoo paid me £5k more than I bought it for, after 18 months and 5k miles. Happy days.
The aforementioned burglary spurred a house move; to a property with enough space for me to have 2 cars... at last!
The first job was to find a suitable daily, but with a budget of £8k-ish. Thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I was after something interesting, yet big enough for family duties. It had to be petrol (low annual mileage), and fairly nippy. After a disastrous visit to a JDM importer in Bradford (car was a dog, and I realised I couldn't actually cope with all the error messages being in Japanese) to see a Volvo V70, I sought out a couple of Jaguar XJ8s: the first a 'Sport' model with a 3.5L V8, but I was put off by the amount of 'bubbling' around the doors. The aluminium panels make it trickier (thus more expensive) to repair than steel, and could lead to more issues later on. I did like the way it drove though, and it was exceptionally comfortable, so I didn't give up.
The second one was a 2005 4.2L in Sovereign trim. I bought this. It had 90.5k miles on the clock, and was bought from a small indie dealer about 3 miles away from where I live.
The wheel colour wouldn't be my first choice, but they were all in good nick, and the interior was in remarkably good conditions considering the age and mileage. The leather had worn far better than in the C43, and was 12 years and 71k miles older...
There were one or two issues though:
- the heating didn't work. A backflush didn't work, so the dealer replaced the heater matrix. It's still not working 100% (it's warm; not hot), but will suffice for the moment. I plan to have the dealer change the aux pump over in the near future (at their cost), but it's tricky to find the time...
- I needed a way of playing music directly from my 'phone, so I paid £175 for the Jagdroid bluetooth upgrade. I'm no expert mechanic or anything, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to fit. It now means I can stream music effortlessly (no bluetooth telephony, however).
- the gearbox has never been serviced. These are supposedly 'sealed for life', but common wisdom dictates the at least the oil should be changed every 50k miles or so. I aim to get this done ASAP, even if it's merely a preventative measure.
Things I love about the XJ:
- extremely comfortable: NVH on motorways is easily the best of all the cars I've owned
- the V8 has a slightly menacing burble. The dealer offered to straight-pipe it for me, but I think it would be unbecoming for a big Jag.
- it's hilariously easy to get the back to kick out, even with traction control on.
- it has a big boot; easily big enough to fit all the baby paraphernalia required for a long weekend, as well as luggage for two adults. Just a shame the seats don't fold down...
- it's just so effortless to drive. I feel relaxed nearly all the time, so much so that my average speed on drives must have decreased by 10 - 20 mph.
- the insurance is about a quarter of what I used to pay on the C43 (even before the burglary).
Only downside (so far, touch wood) is that it's a bit thirsty: my 6 mile, suburban commute averages about 21mpg. I can just about get to 30 on a long run though.
With the daily sorted, it was time to start hunting for a toy. I've always been a fan of TVRs, so it had to be one of those. But which one?
The long version: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The short(er) version:
After much research, reflection and best guesses at budgeting, I decided the biggest appeal of a weekend toy was how it looked. This drew me to the later cars, and a shortlist of a Tamora, a Tuscan or a Cerbera. Being able to go 'topless' was also a massive draw, as I'd be annoyed I couldn't for the 2 days a year the sun shines in the Northwest. This, along with tales of big bills, put the Cerbera out of the running.
This left the Tamora and the Tuscan. The Tamora was my first choice at this point, as it was slighlty smaller (easier to get on the drive), and was meant to be a better drive than a Tuscan.
A very kind PHer actually showed me round his Tamora, and I liked what I saw/heard. I lined up a few leads to test drive a Tamora, but they all seemed to sell just before I went to see them. I even bought temporary insurance for one test drive, only to be told on the morning thereof that the guy had sold his Tamora. Luckily I got a full refund for the insurance, but it was annoying nevertheless.
Struggling to find a suitable Tamora candidate, I posted a few messages on TVR/Tuscan Facebook groups. Several caught my eye, but the one I settled on was based only an hour away, was in a colour I really quite liked, and seemed to be in good nick. The slightly lower price was also encouraging.
After a test drive and an inspection at John Ashley, I paid £26k to a nice chap in Rotherham, and off I went...
What. A. Noise that thing makes! It's been de-catted, and I imagine it gets quite droney on long journeys, but for sheer smiles and attention-seeking, I wouldn't have it any other way!
The few issues I currently have (for when does a TVR not have issues?!):
- slightly weepy clutch slave cylinder. I strongly suspect the clutch will need doing in the next month or so, so I'm booked in to TorqueRVT for a new one.
- Linked to the above, I can't seem to engage reverse without a crunch, no matter what I do beforehand.
- the wing mirror controls don't work, but I'm told that's a design flaw (one of many), so I'm not so bothered.
- reversing light doesn't work: again, this needs looking at.
- the amount of fluid emitted by the washer jets is pitiful to the point of being unsafe: again, I'm told this is another design flaw.
In the near future, I plan to sort the reversing light and the clutch, as well as upgrade the rear screen clips and the washer jets.
Beyond that, I just can't wait for summer, so I can blast round with the roof off! Bring on the tunnels!
Happy to field any questions if anyone has any. I'll try to keep this updated as my ownership of my mini-fleet progresses.
Thanks for reading!
ETA: pictures of Tuscan!
But first, a little car history:
First car (actually my mother's, but it "felt" like mine at the time):
2002 Fiat Punto Active Sport (1.2) - the picture isn't actually 'mine', just taken from Google.
Then came a 2007 Renault Clio Dynamique (1.4) (again, my mother's, and image taken from Google).
The first car I bought myself, when I got my first proper job, was a 2007 Ford Focus ST-2 in Sea Gray (sic). I loved this car, but struggled to afford to run it, especially with a 42-mile a day commute!
I sold that, and replaced it with a 2010 Jaguar XF-S Premium Luxury. Again, superb car, but my job changed and my coomute dropped to 12 miles a day, knackering the DPF. Fearing a huge bill, I moved her on after a couple of years.
This was replaced by a 2014 Golf GTI PP. Utterly problem-free (dodgy boot drain grommet aside), but ultimately a bit 'meh'.
After 3 years of fairly uneventful motoring, and with a baby on the way, I decided to move the Golf on, and replace it with a Mercedes-AMG C43 saloon.
In case you want to do any further reading about the decision-making process: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
This had a superb noise, and was effortlessly, licence-losingly quick. Things turned a bit sour when we burgled, with the C43 apparently being the target. Luckily, it was quickly recovered without any damage.
Things turned even sourer when I managed to hit two potholes within the space of 4 months, both resulting in a new wheel being needed. Even worse than the £1300 these wheels cost me was the fact that it was the same wheel that needed replacing...
Anyway, used prices rocketing meant I cashed in on the C43: Cazoo paid me £5k more than I bought it for, after 18 months and 5k miles. Happy days.
The aforementioned burglary spurred a house move; to a property with enough space for me to have 2 cars... at last!
The first job was to find a suitable daily, but with a budget of £8k-ish. Thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I was after something interesting, yet big enough for family duties. It had to be petrol (low annual mileage), and fairly nippy. After a disastrous visit to a JDM importer in Bradford (car was a dog, and I realised I couldn't actually cope with all the error messages being in Japanese) to see a Volvo V70, I sought out a couple of Jaguar XJ8s: the first a 'Sport' model with a 3.5L V8, but I was put off by the amount of 'bubbling' around the doors. The aluminium panels make it trickier (thus more expensive) to repair than steel, and could lead to more issues later on. I did like the way it drove though, and it was exceptionally comfortable, so I didn't give up.
The second one was a 2005 4.2L in Sovereign trim. I bought this. It had 90.5k miles on the clock, and was bought from a small indie dealer about 3 miles away from where I live.
The wheel colour wouldn't be my first choice, but they were all in good nick, and the interior was in remarkably good conditions considering the age and mileage. The leather had worn far better than in the C43, and was 12 years and 71k miles older...
There were one or two issues though:
- the heating didn't work. A backflush didn't work, so the dealer replaced the heater matrix. It's still not working 100% (it's warm; not hot), but will suffice for the moment. I plan to have the dealer change the aux pump over in the near future (at their cost), but it's tricky to find the time...
- I needed a way of playing music directly from my 'phone, so I paid £175 for the Jagdroid bluetooth upgrade. I'm no expert mechanic or anything, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to fit. It now means I can stream music effortlessly (no bluetooth telephony, however).
- the gearbox has never been serviced. These are supposedly 'sealed for life', but common wisdom dictates the at least the oil should be changed every 50k miles or so. I aim to get this done ASAP, even if it's merely a preventative measure.
Things I love about the XJ:
- extremely comfortable: NVH on motorways is easily the best of all the cars I've owned
- the V8 has a slightly menacing burble. The dealer offered to straight-pipe it for me, but I think it would be unbecoming for a big Jag.
- it's hilariously easy to get the back to kick out, even with traction control on.
- it has a big boot; easily big enough to fit all the baby paraphernalia required for a long weekend, as well as luggage for two adults. Just a shame the seats don't fold down...
- it's just so effortless to drive. I feel relaxed nearly all the time, so much so that my average speed on drives must have decreased by 10 - 20 mph.
- the insurance is about a quarter of what I used to pay on the C43 (even before the burglary).
Only downside (so far, touch wood) is that it's a bit thirsty: my 6 mile, suburban commute averages about 21mpg. I can just about get to 30 on a long run though.
With the daily sorted, it was time to start hunting for a toy. I've always been a fan of TVRs, so it had to be one of those. But which one?
The long version: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The short(er) version:
After much research, reflection and best guesses at budgeting, I decided the biggest appeal of a weekend toy was how it looked. This drew me to the later cars, and a shortlist of a Tamora, a Tuscan or a Cerbera. Being able to go 'topless' was also a massive draw, as I'd be annoyed I couldn't for the 2 days a year the sun shines in the Northwest. This, along with tales of big bills, put the Cerbera out of the running.
This left the Tamora and the Tuscan. The Tamora was my first choice at this point, as it was slighlty smaller (easier to get on the drive), and was meant to be a better drive than a Tuscan.
A very kind PHer actually showed me round his Tamora, and I liked what I saw/heard. I lined up a few leads to test drive a Tamora, but they all seemed to sell just before I went to see them. I even bought temporary insurance for one test drive, only to be told on the morning thereof that the guy had sold his Tamora. Luckily I got a full refund for the insurance, but it was annoying nevertheless.
Struggling to find a suitable Tamora candidate, I posted a few messages on TVR/Tuscan Facebook groups. Several caught my eye, but the one I settled on was based only an hour away, was in a colour I really quite liked, and seemed to be in good nick. The slightly lower price was also encouraging.
After a test drive and an inspection at John Ashley, I paid £26k to a nice chap in Rotherham, and off I went...
What. A. Noise that thing makes! It's been de-catted, and I imagine it gets quite droney on long journeys, but for sheer smiles and attention-seeking, I wouldn't have it any other way!
The few issues I currently have (for when does a TVR not have issues?!):
- slightly weepy clutch slave cylinder. I strongly suspect the clutch will need doing in the next month or so, so I'm booked in to TorqueRVT for a new one.
- Linked to the above, I can't seem to engage reverse without a crunch, no matter what I do beforehand.
- the wing mirror controls don't work, but I'm told that's a design flaw (one of many), so I'm not so bothered.
- reversing light doesn't work: again, this needs looking at.
- the amount of fluid emitted by the washer jets is pitiful to the point of being unsafe: again, I'm told this is another design flaw.
In the near future, I plan to sort the reversing light and the clutch, as well as upgrade the rear screen clips and the washer jets.
Beyond that, I just can't wait for summer, so I can blast round with the roof off! Bring on the tunnels!
Happy to field any questions if anyone has any. I'll try to keep this updated as my ownership of my mini-fleet progresses.
Thanks for reading!
ETA: pictures of Tuscan!
Edited by bobsavage789 on Monday 24th January 22:07
That's a great pairing, will look forward to seeing how life is with the two of them.
My Dad's last car was an X308 XJR with the supercharged 4.2, so I have a real soft spot for that era XJ in particular, the X350s look almost as good though
I had been planning on getting a TVR as my weekend car some years ago (ideally a T350T) but had no parking of my own or a garage, so I settled on a Monaro instead as presumed it'd survive better!
Somewhat missed the boat on the T350T prices now, but would still love to have one one day.
My Dad's last car was an X308 XJR with the supercharged 4.2, so I have a real soft spot for that era XJ in particular, the X350s look almost as good though
I had been planning on getting a TVR as my weekend car some years ago (ideally a T350T) but had no parking of my own or a garage, so I settled on a Monaro instead as presumed it'd survive better!
Somewhat missed the boat on the T350T prices now, but would still love to have one one day.
2gins said:
Nice work. I like the idea of a 90s XJR with the supercharged 4.2 (?) but don't have the space for it or the testes for the bork factor.
TVR chimaera here, and a 530i to match your 14 cylinders
I think one of the reasons the XJ appealed was their reputation for having a relatively well tried and tested drivetrain. Obviously other components can and do fail, with unpleasant bills, but it’s one fewer thing to worry about I suppose!TVR chimaera here, and a 530i to match your 14 cylinders
Oh and pictures of your 14 cylinder fleet are required!
Cascade360 said:
Nice fleet, I have an X350 XJ6 joining me later this week to join my Tuscan. I did test drive a X350 XJR a couple of weeks ago and really wanted to buy it, but the front suspension was knocking and it was a bit toppy in price for that.
I’ve been keeping abreast of your own XJ adventure on the smoker barges thread. I haven’t driven the 6 cylinder one myself, but I’m led to believe there’s very little difference between that and the V8 variants.Thanks for all the comments/compliments thus far!
I’ve recently noticed a(n) (small) annoying feature of the XJ: the £99 limit on most petrol pumps means I can never fully fill it, especially when I treat it to a tank of super. I can live with it, but it’s an annoyance!
Meanwhile, it was the Tuscan’s first trip to school yesterday (as a Friday treat):
A colleague who’d been asking about the car ever since I first mooted buying one accompanied me on a lunchtime blast around the block, roof off and everything.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t drive through the school grounds in an unnecessarily obnoxious manner, but I view it as my responsibility to make teaching seem like an aspirational career! Needless to say, there was quite a bit of attention…
I’ve recently noticed a(n) (small) annoying feature of the XJ: the £99 limit on most petrol pumps means I can never fully fill it, especially when I treat it to a tank of super. I can live with it, but it’s an annoyance!
Meanwhile, it was the Tuscan’s first trip to school yesterday (as a Friday treat):
A colleague who’d been asking about the car ever since I first mooted buying one accompanied me on a lunchtime blast around the block, roof off and everything.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t drive through the school grounds in an unnecessarily obnoxious manner, but I view it as my responsibility to make teaching seem like an aspirational career! Needless to say, there was quite a bit of attention…
It’s been a busy week for the mini-fleet:
- the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
- the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
bobsavage789 said:
It’s been a busy week for the mini-fleet:
- the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
Bills like that remind me very clearly why I do my own work.. - the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
However, you can't lose sight of things like a clutch on a B8(?) Audi S4 is about £1500 alone.. Or the costs of doing the same on a same era Ferrari/Porsche etc these cars competed with.
bobsavage789 said:
It’s been a busy week for the mini-fleet:
- the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
Is a clogged heater matrix not a common problem on these? Can try to flush rather than replace. - the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
Cascade360 said:
bobsavage789 said:
It’s been a busy week for the mini-fleet:
- the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
Is a clogged heater matrix not a common problem on these? Can try to flush rather than replace. - the Tuscan has been for a once over at TorqueRVT, as well as a new clutch. The old one had a leaky slave cylinder, and the clutch plates were knackered:
Whilst there, Ian also fitted new engine mounts, stainless steel rear screen clips and some new exhaust clips. A spirited drive home reminded me why I can stomach the bills. £2246 on this occasion.
- the Jag went back to the dealer for a second time to try and sort the heating. The latest attempt at a fix involved putting in a new flap in the heater box (after a right palaver tracking down the part). Unfortunately, this still hasn’t fixed the issue, so it’ll be going back once again: a new heater box is the next step. The joys of barging!
The upside of all of this is that it’s still within 6 months of purchase and the dealers have been very good about it all, so I’m not having to pay anything (yet).
bobsavage789 said:
It is, and that was my first port of call. A back flush yielded no results, so the heater matrix was replaced; they then tested the aux pump (another common failure), but that was working fine.
The upside of all of this is that it’s still within 6 months of purchase and the dealers have been very good about it all, so I’m not having to pay anything (yet).
Update us with the solution, the heating on mine is pretty slow The upside of all of this is that it’s still within 6 months of purchase and the dealers have been very good about it all, so I’m not having to pay anything (yet).
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