Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 14]
Discussion
I'm shortly to be back in the barge fold after an unsuccessful and all too long dalliance with Wolfsburg's largest SUV. Two years of finance payments on a car, that whilst worthy, has never excited (apart from the day it snowed, I turned the Traction Control off and got it to drift around a roundabout at 6:00 in the morning) and has always left a sense of mild disappointment. It's noisy at motorway speeds, slow to warm up, squeaky sunroof when it's cold, unbelievably warm when hot. Purchased specifically to transport a golden retriever who took one look and refused to get in the boot and to commute to a job I no longer do.
Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Tom_Spotley_When said:
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
It must have a tape deck, right? All the best barges do.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cassette-Adapter-Aonokoy-...
trooperiziz said:
Tom_Spotley_When said:
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
It must have a tape deck, right? All the best barges do.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cassette-Adapter-Aonokoy-...
Tom_Spotley_When said:
trooperiziz said:
Tom_Spotley_When said:
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
It must have a tape deck, right? All the best barges do.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cassette-Adapter-Aonokoy-...
Find the Jaguar Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) on eBay, where they go for £300-£400+ now; or
Butcher the CD player to solder an aux input into some of the internal wires. It actually looks easy for someone with a steady soldering hand and I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-...
You could then use one of the little bluetooth USB recievers with an aux output, or just plug in directly.
ritch said:
Whats the barging concensus on W212 Merc E350 CDIs? Too new?
I'm seeing quite a few on Auto trader etc, now that they are within haggling distance of thread budget, albeit mostly private sales with >100K mileage, and feel strangely drawn to them....
My uncle has the estate version. Apart from having smelly, dirty fuel, it's been trouble-free though he does a fair bit of mileage at pace, so it's used well.I'm seeing quite a few on Auto trader etc, now that they are within haggling distance of thread budget, albeit mostly private sales with >100K mileage, and feel strangely drawn to them....
stickleback123 said:
I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
Semi-relevant, last week I used an old chap with a small electronics shop who repairs TVs/computers/other electricals to mend the seatbelt butler on my 124. He replaced a microswitch and soldered a load of wires, works perfectly, cost £20. He was actually interested when I took it in to see how it worked and seemingly enjoyed the challenge. Worth looking for a local man-like-that who could do such things.
stickleback123 said:
You have two options:
Find the Jaguar Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) on eBay, where they go for £300-£400+ now; or
Butcher the CD player to solder an aux input into some of the internal wires. It actually looks easy for someone with a steady soldering hand and I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-...
You could then use one of the little bluetooth USB recievers with an aux output, or just plug in directly.
He could also retrofit the Rear Entertainment System (Find the Jaguar Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) on eBay, where they go for £300-£400+ now; or
Butcher the CD player to solder an aux input into some of the internal wires. It actually looks easy for someone with a steady soldering hand and I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-...
You could then use one of the little bluetooth USB recievers with an aux output, or just plug in directly.
) in the armrest of the rear seat, then buy an RCA to AUX cable. 2 of my X350s had that and it worked perfectly.some nice classic barges, see 5 BMW's at the top.
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-2...
Bargains galore, probably, i will be bidding tomorrow - with the cars being in Norfolk (from N.Wales) a worthy trip.
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-2...
Bargains galore, probably, i will be bidding tomorrow - with the cars being in Norfolk (from N.Wales) a worthy trip.
stickleback123 said:
You have two options:
Find the Jaguar Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) on eBay, where they go for £300-£400+ now; or
Butcher the CD player to solder an aux input into some of the internal wires. It actually looks easy for someone with a steady soldering hand and I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-...
You could then use one of the little bluetooth USB recievers with an aux output, or just plug in directly.
Yeah, I was hoping to use a cheap USB receiver - that USB Audio thing will sort it perfectly, I'm just not sure I trust myself to do it. Find the Jaguar Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) on eBay, where they go for £300-£400+ now; or
Butcher the CD player to solder an aux input into some of the internal wires. It actually looks easy for someone with a steady soldering hand and I've been meaning to find an electronic repair person who will do it. Getting the CD player out of the centre console is easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoShbZHGhY
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-...
You could then use one of the little bluetooth USB recievers with an aux output, or just plug in directly.
Might speak to Dad's Man and see what he knows. Failing that, there's a bloke in Manchester who does similar things to Aston Martins so he might be worth a shout too.
Tom_Spotley_When said:
I'm shortly to be back in the barge fold after an unsuccessful and all too long dalliance with Wolfsburg's largest SUV. Two years of finance payments on a car, that whilst worthy, has never excited (apart from the day it snowed, I turned the Traction Control off and got it to drift around a roundabout at 6:00 in the morning) and has always left a sense of mild disappointment. It's noisy at motorway speeds, slow to warm up, squeaky sunroof when it's cold, unbelievably warm when hot. Purchased specifically to transport a golden retriever who took one look and refused to get in the boot and to commute to a job I no longer do.
Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Brilliant, the only trouble with X350s as barges is that they hardly ever go wrong.Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
Up the M6 from SW London to Blackburn with the in laws that were driving back to Glasgow, for an E63 645Ci that I found on facebook to replace my E30 325i Sport Tech 2. I have seen it on the evening of advertising, conducted swift due diligence before calling and leaving a deposit and buying sight unseen in the rain. FBMWSH, scans of invoices and prompt responses from the dealer seller inspired confidence.
Squeezing the throttle to join the motorway in a big manual V8 felt FANTASTIC and all the more exciting for the nature of the punt.
Squeezing the throttle to join the motorway in a big manual V8 felt FANTASTIC and all the more exciting for the nature of the punt.
Etypephil said:
Tom_Spotley_When said:
I'm shortly to be back in the barge fold after an unsuccessful and all too long dalliance with Wolfsburg's largest SUV. Two years of finance payments on a car, that whilst worthy, has never excited (apart from the day it snowed, I turned the Traction Control off and got it to drift around a roundabout at 6:00 in the morning) and has always left a sense of mild disappointment. It's noisy at motorway speeds, slow to warm up, squeaky sunroof when it's cold, unbelievably warm when hot. Purchased specifically to transport a golden retriever who took one look and refused to get in the boot and to commute to a job I no longer do.
Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Brilliant, the only trouble with X350s as barges is that they hardly ever go wrong.Now I work from home near the centre of the Kingdom and only need a car for trips to town and football, I've taken back my old Jag after 5 years apart.
It's a black X350, 4.2 v8 without nav but with a car phone and electric memory seats.
In the intervening period, it's had a good custodian in my Father, who used it as a second car for a couple of years alongside his Discovery 2. When that died, he used it as his daily for 3 years and has doted on it with the love and care one expect from a man of a certain age. Earlier this year his Jaguar Man suggested that he had something that might interest him. In order to maintain the friendship with both his Man and his local petrol station, he's now got a 5.0 XF with electric everything that's painted in a very peculiar shade of aubergine. One owner from new, with a specially made boot liner to protect both boot and seat backs from his model planes, which smacks of proper.
That leaves me with the XJ. Freshly serviced, almost everything works apart from the central locking, which requires a degree of speed and dexterity to operate that I'm sure will come with practice.
Stand by for the obligatory petrol station shot. Oh and if anyone knows how to get music from my phone to the frankly superb stereo without resorting to an FM transmitter, I'm all ears.
Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
Unfortunately during my tenure, using the windscreen wipers caused power to the engine to die, which was interesting. The doors sometimes don't let you out either.
Apart from the Central Locking issue though, all seems good at the moment. It coped admirably with a drive to Reims last summer, but then I suppose it helps to have a Man, which I didn't have when I owned it.
Etypephil said:
Brilliant, the only trouble with X350s as barges is that they hardly ever go wrong.
Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
In other words, precisely against the grain and purpose of having a Jag saloon? Hmm. I'm not sold on the idea I'm afraid.Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
tobinen said:
Etypephil said:
Brilliant, the only trouble with X350s as barges is that they hardly ever go wrong.
Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
In other words, precisely against the grain and purpose of having a Jag saloon? Hmm. I'm not sold on the idea I'm afraid.Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
stickleback123 said:
tobinen said:
Etypephil said:
Brilliant, the only trouble with X350s as barges is that they hardly ever go wrong.
Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
In other words, precisely against the grain and purpose of having a Jag saloon? Hmm. I'm not sold on the idea I'm afraid.Forget the music, replace the front siamese silencer with an x-pipe, and the rear boxes with straight pipe, and listen to the exhaust note.
I think they're better than 7 series / S classes of the same era, but still more of a "commitment" in terms of ownership than a 3 series or C class. I've had 3, which were all very reliable but equally I've heard a few horror stories. Having a decent mechanic or being willing to do basic stuff yourself helps enormously - I spent 50-200 on jobs which would have cost 800+ at the dealer.
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