Car swap - who wants an AMG Merc for 3 months?
Discussion
So the first trial has arrived!
The L322 has had a new steering rack, and somehow that has caused something else in the system (we think pump) to throw a hissy fit. The power steering gave up the ghost yesterday and I discovered the joys of parking a 2.7 tonne vehicle without power assistance, in a busy London street!
After making sure it was parked somewhere safe and where it could stay (no parking restrictions, not always easy to find in town), I jumped on the phone to the owner who, being a good chap and generally nice fellow is having my car delivered back to me on a low loader, and the Rangie taken away. No harm done - it is parked outside a friend's house a mere mile from home, safe and sound, and I got a lift back (and thus proceeded to have a few glasses of wine as I was no longer driving - every cloud has a silver lining, right?).
We are hoping to get it sorted, but I am obviously a little wary of the vehicle now. This happening in a residential street in London was no big deal, but would be a bit more of an issue on a steep, icy mountain road, or indeed the Autoroute.
Just in case no fast solution presents itself, I have e-mailed a couple of you other chaps who offered cars. Herbs' Q7 looks very appealing right now, for its size, seating capacity, and some Audi reliability...
But the idiot in me (who has undeserved faith in JLR products, it seems) is wondering if NDA was serious about his Supercharged RR...
The L322 has had a new steering rack, and somehow that has caused something else in the system (we think pump) to throw a hissy fit. The power steering gave up the ghost yesterday and I discovered the joys of parking a 2.7 tonne vehicle without power assistance, in a busy London street!
After making sure it was parked somewhere safe and where it could stay (no parking restrictions, not always easy to find in town), I jumped on the phone to the owner who, being a good chap and generally nice fellow is having my car delivered back to me on a low loader, and the Rangie taken away. No harm done - it is parked outside a friend's house a mere mile from home, safe and sound, and I got a lift back (and thus proceeded to have a few glasses of wine as I was no longer driving - every cloud has a silver lining, right?).
We are hoping to get it sorted, but I am obviously a little wary of the vehicle now. This happening in a residential street in London was no big deal, but would be a bit more of an issue on a steep, icy mountain road, or indeed the Autoroute.
Just in case no fast solution presents itself, I have e-mailed a couple of you other chaps who offered cars. Herbs' Q7 looks very appealing right now, for its size, seating capacity, and some Audi reliability...
But the idiot in me (who has undeserved faith in JLR products, it seems) is wondering if NDA was serious about his Supercharged RR...
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 3rd December 14:18
Sorry to hear all of that.
LR strike again... and I say that as a LR fan. I’ve had an RR fail near Geneva, and the car was repatriated via Land Rover assist (AA Europe). Whatever you take over now, I’d suggest getting European breakdown cover - just in case. These are all complex beasts
LR strike again... and I say that as a LR fan. I’ve had an RR fail near Geneva, and the car was repatriated via Land Rover assist (AA Europe). Whatever you take over now, I’d suggest getting European breakdown cover - just in case. These are all complex beasts
Edited by LDN on Monday 3rd December 17:55
Harry Flashman said:
the Merc’s aniline leather, premium plastics and milled aluminium vents/switchgear
This isn't a dig, for EG sales people often spout terms which they don't understand. It can be important to know what type of leather you have, as they require different care methods.
akirk said:
So, just out of interest - had it been your car what would you have done?
Having owned 5 range rovers I would have seen that as a minor issue - fixed it and carried on - with any LR product - a fix usually makes it better than new for that component
I think Hoolio and I are both planning on fixing and carrying on, actually. We get on well with each other and cost isn't an issue. He wants the car back rather than letting me get it done as the garage who did the original work need to rectify this. The challenge is whether it can all get done in time (with testing time - I don't want to test the repair on the trip down) and if not, I'd like to take up someone else's kind offer, if it still stands, as a backup plan.Having owned 5 range rovers I would have seen that as a minor issue - fixed it and carried on - with any LR product - a fix usually makes it better than new for that component
The irony of all of this is that this RR really has been loved and had money spent on it. As you say, fixing a known car is probably the way to go.
Worst comes to the worst, the Merc comes to France...and I hopefully borrow OscarIndia's Espace when he's not around. As he said, it's like those old Top Gear challenges...
Fermit - I think you're right on the leather point (this is your area of expertise, after all!) As it's cream leather it is hard to tell, but it definitely doesn't feel porous. I'll have a look when the car comes back this Wednesday.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 3rd December 20:31
Harry Flashman said:
Fermit - I think you're right on the leather point (this is your area of expertise, after all!) As it's cream leather it is hard to tell, but it definitely doesn't feel porous. I'll have a look when the car comes back this Wednesday.
If it's cream then it's 100% pigment coated. Leather is much like wood in many ways, one way being that you can only ever dye darker than original - a hide being a sort of caramel colour. Be glad, Aniline is gorgeous, but by god, it takes some looking after.Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Monday 3rd December 20:37
Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Monday 3rd December 20:37
The mission continues. No lack of drama, here. My car was delivered by Hoolio and his kind friend on the same trailer this morning. The blue RR Sport in the photo apparently had the same issue, so we are rather hoping that it is a common fix.
However, time is now running way with us as Christmas and numerous obligations/events approach so on Hoolio's sugestion, I have tried to organise something else. Will update you if this gets anywhere, but the chap I have chatted on e-mail has other cars, and probably won't use my car in bad weather as it's not great at the mud and water you get in his rural location. However, he is going to Spain in spring, and I have to say that the CLS is absolutely made for such a road trip - so I hope he takes it!
In the meantime, a couple of other folk on the thread have also kindly responded to my appeals for a second round, and both LDN and OscarIndia have very kindly re-iterated their offers of using the cars they keep out in the mountains. I will respond properly chaps, but thought it would be worth thanking you again, on here...PH, as I have said, really does deliver some great generosity sometimes, and I fully intend to repay it when able.
Sometimes, you really only get the measure of someone or a situation when things went wrong. This whole situation has been dealt with by Hoolio (and, I hope me) with a sense of humour and relentless efficiency. Definitely a bloke I will be having a beer with in the future.
In the meantime, somewhere in SW16...I hope the boys made it home!
2018-12-05_05-10-46 by baconrashers, on Flickr
However, time is now running way with us as Christmas and numerous obligations/events approach so on Hoolio's sugestion, I have tried to organise something else. Will update you if this gets anywhere, but the chap I have chatted on e-mail has other cars, and probably won't use my car in bad weather as it's not great at the mud and water you get in his rural location. However, he is going to Spain in spring, and I have to say that the CLS is absolutely made for such a road trip - so I hope he takes it!
In the meantime, a couple of other folk on the thread have also kindly responded to my appeals for a second round, and both LDN and OscarIndia have very kindly re-iterated their offers of using the cars they keep out in the mountains. I will respond properly chaps, but thought it would be worth thanking you again, on here...PH, as I have said, really does deliver some great generosity sometimes, and I fully intend to repay it when able.
Sometimes, you really only get the measure of someone or a situation when things went wrong. This whole situation has been dealt with by Hoolio (and, I hope me) with a sense of humour and relentless efficiency. Definitely a bloke I will be having a beer with in the future.
In the meantime, somewhere in SW16...I hope the boys made it home!
2018-12-05_05-10-46 by baconrashers, on FlickrAh, the alleged JLR curse strikes again. Having, as you know, very reluctantly parted with my faithful AJV8 FFRR recently after 7 almost fault free years, lest it's age catch up with both it and me, I find myself this evening sitting at home whilst the replacement Touareg languishes back in the dealers for the THIRD time since I bought it about 6 weeks ago. I'm told it now has to go back to VAG themselves for a full software refresh or something. It's a nice car when it's working but I'm already trawling the JLR listings in the classifieds.
Hoolio said:
Nanook said:
Harry Flashman said:
THE UGLY
I am a bald, brown man with a shaven head, and so people seem to assume I am a drug dealer. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gives way to me in this car. I’m OK with this sort of racial profiling. Until I get pulled over by the cops.
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