***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 9 *****
Top Gear discussions !
Volume 7 is HERE:-
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 18 Jul 11 at 19:58
|
8pm BBC2
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0129r3z
Jeremy Clarkson celebrates the 50th birthday of the Jaguar E-type by driving a modern, half a million pound interpretation of this classic sports car before putting on a typically low key birthday party involving live music, classic fighter planes and a group of Royal Marines.
Meanwhile, Richard Hammond is in South Africa to test a bigger, even more rugged alternative to the famous Hummer, while James May meets up with gold medal winning British Olympian Amy Williams for a wintry test of the latest Mini rally car.
Plus, the power crazed BMW 1-series M is on the test track and another top celebrity guest takes their place in the Reasonably Priced Car.
Last edited by: Focus on Sun 26 Jun 11 at 15:23
|
|
It was everything I expected it to be. Well worth the licence fee IMO.
|
I want to take up skeleton bob sleighing!
Just to compete you understand! :-)
Only six episodes :-(
Last edited by: zippy on Sun 26 Jun 11 at 22:56
|
>>I want to take up skeleton bob sleighing!>>
The bravery of Amy, especially whilst notching last year's Olympics gold medal achievement, is quite breathtaking. Chin up zippy, you might yet enjoy the wish you have in mind...:-)
|
Seeing Amy and an Eagle Speedster a couple of hours before bedtime is enough to give a chap unhealthy dreams.... ;-)
Great show. Enjoyed it a lot.
I would love to have seen the the 1 series M coupe against the £10k cheaper 135i coupe. I wonder how much quicker it actually is? Lovely car, and of course I haven't had the pleasure of driving one, but from what I've seen so far, I can't shake the feeling that it isn't 'special' enough to be an M car when you can buy a cooking model with essentially the same engine, and 'just' a 40 bhp deficit, something I suspect is easily resolved with a £400 remap. Of course, the M treatment on the chassis would add something, but the cooking model is hardly a shabby handler.
On recent form, I would expect any M car to have at least 100 bhp more than the next most powerful model in the range.
Last edited by: DP on Sun 26 Jun 11 at 23:25
|
SWMBO said, on seeing the BMW, Porche and Lotus..........
"Oh aren't the colours nice!"
Honestly, I could swing for her!
|
40k for a 1 series?
I am in no way the target market for this sort of car, and without trying to sound like an old prude, they test these cars around a race track.
Probably higher than 99% of their time will be spent on roads, that is where they should be testing these cars and coming to a decision. Yes as a weekend track car then fair enough.
But lets see how they go in stop start commuting traffic. Lets see how they go on motorways. Lets see how they work as a supermarket shopper.
I accept your Ferraris, Lambos etc may be bought as second cars primarily for track or away days but I would daresay if you are spending 40k on a 1 series, you are not going to be keeping it for track action or away days only? It is going to be your daily commute.
|
For over 90% of the time, a cheaper 135i would be cheaper and as good. But I can see why they tested on a track to show what it is capable of. Because for most people you really don't need this car. A lesser one would do the job fine.
Comparing it to a Porsche or Lotus is not really valid though IMO. They are cars you want because they are a Porsche or Lotus and are paying for it. The BMW might be as good to drive on a track but on the road there are cheaper 1-series that will be just as good and cheaper.
The 135i M Sport is about £10k cheaper and the 125i cheaper again.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 27 Jun 11 at 12:53
|
That 1M, in my eyes, looks dreadful. No way could I possibly own one. An M3 yes, an M5 double yes...they look in proportion...as well as having the dynamics to go with it.
For me a car has to look right as well as go right.
|
Yeah, it's funny isn't it how some cars just shout "I couldn't afford the proper one"
X3s are the same in a way.
:-)
|
M1 vs. Audi RS3, can't help think Audi finally have a complete package that's better than the equiv BMW offering. To win here it needed to move the state of the art forward, and the m1 doesn't appear to. I don't feel like I want one.
I'd be in the Cayman for that money.
|
Aye me too probably. Although it also suffers a bit from being a slightly poor relation to a "proper" Porsche. I'd risk it though.
I used to love driving spiritedly. Had all sorts of nice-ish kit to do it in too over the years.
Maybe it's an age thing but it doesn't seem to appeal so much now. Too many cameras, too much traffic. Too much bother frankly. Fun seems to have been banned along the way somehow.
The ineptitude of the common denominator seems to reign victorious. I think it's because we've now had several generations who haven't had anything really scary to worry about.
|
A customer of mine was thinking of buying a 1-Series coupe.
I looked at him and said ' isnt that the kind of car rich men buy their wives while they drive a 3 or 5 series or the sort of thing Julian Clary would lust after - its a bit dainty isnt it?
He didnt buy one, no idea if it was because he would have had to explain that no, it 'wasnt his wifes car' all the time.
Id have thought you could get a pretty swift 3-Series Coupe for £40k, maybe not as fast, but fast enough.
|
Turn back the clock and BMW would have been convincing us that a forced induction engine was not the way to go and their 5.0 V10 in the M5 was superior to the turbocharged engine in the RS6.
Now the new M5 is using a turbo 4.4 V8... And I assume all top performing cars from BMW, Audi and MB will do so too.
I've always been in favour of forced induction engines though.
|
|
Well turbos make small capacity engines more powerful fairly easily, regardless of peoples like or dislike for them, they will dominate in teh drive to increase mpg/reduce emissions.
|
|
I was disappointed. Alice Cooper turned out to be a wuss that couldn't even use a stick shifter.
|
>> turned out to be a wuss
Usually the way with old geezers who are all mouth and trousers...
:-)
Edit - Make that "cheap trousers"
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 27 Jun 11 at 21:50
|
>> Id have thought you could get a pretty swift 3-Series Coupe for £40k, maybe not
>> as fast, but fast enough.
A Japanese colleague has just sold his mint E46 M3 ahead of his return home. 2003 model, 46,000 genuine miles, full BMW main dealer history, and literally as new condition. Got £11k for it.
I've been in this car as a passenger. It sounds and feels like it's just left the showroom, revs to 8500 RPM with a noise that makes your neck hair go prickly, and goes like something off a very hot, very well greased shovel. 22 mpg average, but hey, you can't have it all.
I'd personally go for that, a nice holiday, and enough left over to run and maintain it on a cost no object basis for 4-5 years over a 1M.
|
|
Also, comparing it to a MK1 Golf GTI was pretty spurious too. You could walk in to any VW dealer and buy a GTI - they're only importing 450 1Ms to the UK.
|
Well I enjoyed it. That orange Aston was simply gorgeous but even piggy bank allowing you couldn't actually use it could you? Not without being utterly insensitive to insults anyway.
I drove a Cortina around Lucca once. 1982 I seem to think and indeed on the same trip it went around Monaco but not on the closed circuit obviously. Still a bit of a buzz nonetheless.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 3 Jul 11 at 21:37
|
|
Nice to see a true petrol-head who's genuinely funny as well - Russ Noble.
|
>>went around Monaco but not on the closed circuit obviously. Still
>> a bit of a buzz nonetheless.
>>
I drove my Jetta 1600TD around the Monaco circuit in the early 90s. Didn't break the lap record, too much traffic. Also did it in a rental Cmax 1800 TDCI a couple of years ago, once again too much traffic. I must be unlucky. :-(
|
Yeah I know it's tame stuff but I bet ( like me ) you used too low a gear and opened the windows while going through the tunnel...
;-)
|
|
I still do that in the Conwy tunnel mind you - not quite the same in a diesel.
|
The Clio would no doubt be the fastest on track though May is a carp driver.
Star in a RPC is getting tedious ...
|
|
How did you guess. :-) The locals amaze me they drive around it the wrong way!
|
The Westfield was fun in alpine tunnels. Have I ever told you about....
:-)
|
|
You really need a Ferrari nearby when you are in a tunnel.
|
|
I'd settle for an M3 or M5 - even a VTEC VFR800 could Yowl in a tunnel like scalded cat......I used to slow down and drop a couple of gears in the Conwy Tunnel on the VFR just to hear that banshee wail from that fun little V4....
|
The Lada always sounded good when passing under the River Conwy, a lovely sound of a back firing engine echoing.
I really enjoyed the episode as it didn't take it self seriously, it didn't try too hard and I think that is why it was enjoyable. They even had a bit of Joy Division/New Order as a backing track.
I really like the Abarth, it would a toy if I was rich. I actually like the 500 a lot too, but I need five doors but FIAT did make a bigger version of the 500 back in the 1950's, it was a kind of early version of the Mini traveller, so it would make sense if FIAT launched a 5 door 500.
|
>> I used to slow down and drop a couple of gears
>> in the Conwy Tunnel on the VFR just to hear that banshee wail from that
>> fun little V4....
>>
Mate of mine has an R1, EVERY tunnel we go through he pulls the clutch and opens the throttle letting it bounce of the rev limiter. Brussels inner ring road is a real ear bashing.
|
>> You really need a Ferrari nearby when you are in a tunnel.
That sounds like a business opportunity ON. I'll do some work on the costings which will be high to start with of course in so far as the aquisition of a Ferrari would be fundamental to the thing but...
It goes in sketch form anyway something like this. You set up a booth at one end of a long tunnel and charge people an affordable but as yet undefined sum to be driven through and back again in the Ferrari with the windows down or the roof off if a convertible can be sourced.
I think it has legs...
:-)
|
Feel free, I will only require 20% royalty for each transit. :-)
Don't forget to have a Ferrari at each end of the tunnel.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 3 Jul 11 at 22:34
|
Transit wouldn't cut it. Too mundane
;-)
|
|
Stick a Cosworth V8 in it, a minibus version would provide more income.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 3 Jul 11 at 22:36
|
|
S'pose if you got it painted red it might work. Tell the punters it's a special edition Ferrari people carrier?
|
Take the exhaust off a route master.
Sounds like a Ferrari, red, but a much larger payload.
|
> You really need a Ferrari nearby when you are in a tunnel.
You should hear a Chevy V8 in a tunnel!
|
|
I love the sound of an American V8, Preferably with a short exhaust. On one occasion when I was working in Florida I was fortunate to be there for the Daytona 500, I gave myself a day off to attend, A pack of those V8 NASCAR cars at speed made the ground shake! I also had my introduction to tractor pulling while there.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 3 Jul 11 at 22:54
|
>>I also had my introduction to tractor
>> pulling while there.
Ah! All those Allison engines!
|
>> > You really need a Ferrari nearby when you are in a tunnel.
>>
>> You should hear a Chevy V8 in a tunnel!
>>
Rather have a Lambo
|
>> You really need a Ferrari nearby when you are in a tunnel.
>>
>> You should hear a Chevy V8 in a tunnel!
>>
>> Rather have a Lambo
Those are girls' car noises.
A Porsche 917 driven in anger... now that is true essence of sound. No tunnel needed (indeed a tunnel would probably induce bleeding from the ears and perhaps sudden death).
|
|
Saw Sunday's re-run tonight. Great fun! Especially when they squeezed Bernie into the DS3R with Clarkson for the Monaco lap. (Almost) priceless.
|
|
Going over the bay bridge in San Francisco, there seemed to be a constant stream of harleys with very, very loud exhausts rattling the windows of the SUVs ...
|
Last night's episode was interesting, although I didn't see all of it.
TSIARPC was amusing, Sebastian Vettel was the star, he came over as a very nice bloke. Excellent English and did the fastest lap - in the old car - although I wouldn't trust those lap timings one little bit.
Clarkson and Hammond did a two car test. Comparing what you would pay for a small new car with what you could buy for the same money secondhand.
The new car was a Nissan Something, three cylinder, 1000cc, £6900. For the same money, The Long and The Short of it bought a MB CL 600 and a BMW 850, a lot of motor car for not a lot of money.
It was said that they were going to keep the MB and the BMW to see how things panned out in the longer run.
|
>> It was said that they were going to keep the MB and the BMW to
>> see how things panned out in the longer run.
I presumed that was why the last letter of numberplates were blanked. Not sure it is a smart move to broadcast footage clearly showing law breaking on the high-way though although I can understand why it was done.
|
The concept of those luxury used car alternatives to the Nissan was interesting, but the running costs of those old barges would be eye watering in comparison. £460 pa VED on the Merc, for starters, plus maintenance and upkeep of an ageing, complex luxury car, and somewhere in the order of 25-30p a mile just to fuel.
An option for very low mileage drivers only, I suspect.
|
....or BBC/News International hacks..
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 11 Jul 11 at 09:44
|
Let's not mistake TG for a serious consumer programme. Its 14-year-old audience can't actually buy or drive anything that features on the show, but can pester their dads to improve their bragging position at school.
Incidentally, I passed one of those specially painted bright blue supercar things yesterday. No idea what it was and couldn't remember who owns them, but then I don't (yet) have a fourteen-year-old in the household to tell me.
|
"Its 14-year-old audience can't actually buy or drive anything"
Well this thread, written by regular watchers of the programme, is up to volume 8 which means that the age of most forum member including yourself WDB is a lot lower than I originally thought.
|
But that nissan lawnmower will be worth nothing in 3 years. Who in their right mind would buy a car without even electric windows?? You'll lose the same on the luxury cars in running costs and potentially maintenance but you'll be a damn site more comfortable while you do it. I reckon over the 3 years and 10,000 miles pa it won't be that different when depreciation is also taken into account. The BM and Merc have already lost 90% of their original cost. The nissan still has a long way to drop. Over 6 months it would be even worse as the bm and merc will probably cost nothing but fuel but I'd bet you'd get no more than £5k for the nissan after 6 months. Probably nearer to £4k.
I do think that MB at £7k is moody though. Ditto the boxster at 6.5k. There's a boxster locally and that is £12k for a similar age.
|
|
Dunno that I'd go as extreme as buying the Merc or BMW featured but I would definitely not buy the roller skate new when I could get a half decent second hand car for the same money.
|
>> There's a boxster locally and that is £12k for a similar age.
A colleague of mine who has owned several Boxsters maintains anything for sale under £10k is pretty much guaranteed to cost you half that again during the first 12 months of ownership. Not a lot needs to be wrong with a Boxster to get to that kind of figure.
|
Aye but a 7 grand MX5 or Mondeo or Focus or even a slightly older 3 series or Audi A3 or.....
Not hard is it ?
Pixo schmixo...
:-)
|
|
MX5....a nice 12 month old one. You'd never need another convertible, even that dreadful Clarkson fellow from Top Gear agrees.
|
Of course the typical Pixo owner ive seen is a 65+ woman - quite why he thinks she should ditch a small easy to manage car for an expensive to run V12 coupe lord only knows.
By that logic, anyone with £20k should buy a Ferrari instead of a Mondeo - because they can afford to buy one.
I admit though, IF I could afford the fuel bills, that Merc looked awesome, can keep the 850 though, looks old hat against the techno whizz Merc.
|
There have always been people, self included, prepared to risk having a really nice old motor for the same sort of price as joining the repmobile rat race. Running costs v finance and depreciation-who would you rather have separate you from your money - the garage or the bank?
While waiting for the weather forecast the other day I was flicking through all the French freeview channels I don't watch and came across James May on some sort of extreme sports thing, dubbed in French. That was a laugh.
|
|
I hope those Jaguar XJS lovers are not watching it this week!
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 20:59
|
I cringed.
Really impressed with Rowan Atkinson....a genuine pertrolhead, a good writer. He'd make a good replacement for Jeremy C.
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 21:01
|
>> Really impressed with Rowan Atkinson...
Not surprised, he does classic car racing.
|
|
He wrote briefly for CAR magazine - very good.
|
I loved the railway thing, it was so daft but very funny.
The fire of course was very predictable and you could tell it all was scripted, but I found it funny.
|
>> I loved the railway thing, it was so daft but very funny.
>> The fire of course was very predictable and you could tell it all was scripted, but I found it funny.>>
They're all scripted Rattle, mainly by Clarkson with the assistance, if needed, of another writer..:-)
|
>> with the assistance, if needed, of another writer..
Not suggesting someone associated with News Corp somehow? Do tell.
|
The entire thing made me laugh, because I bought a similar car, a brand new Panda for £6500. I could have bought a Merc or a BMW, but not only could I not afford the repair bills, I would not have been able to afford the insurance or fuel bills or even tax it.
My Panda costs me £128 a month for the loan, £35 a year tax, £130 a year servicing. And in three years time I will own it.
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 21:39
|
My Qashqai's a Nissan. 4x4 with traction control and stuff. Does this mean it's better than a Jag now? ( polishes knuckles on imaginary lapel )
:-))
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 21:45
|
>> And in three years time I will own it.
After paying the balloon payment off mind. Your calculation makes it sound like you will have no more to pay but it's a PCP deal. In three years you have to pay the remainder or walkaway.
I assume you're saving the thousands of pounds this will cost you! :-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 21:50
|
Scripted, set up, rigged, whatever. It had me in tears. Especially when Clarkson, having come face to face with that shunter, muttered "some poo came out". I don't want to find this stuff funny, but I just can't help it! :-)
Nissan GTR is a masterpiece. A truly worthy successor to the legendary Skyline.
Rowan Atkinson proves yet again that he has the funniest face in comedy. Tidy lap as well. :-)
An hour of truly enjoyable entertainment, IMHO.
|
I wanted to see how long that Jag would take to stop at 70mph!
(he wasnt doing 70 anyway, no where near)
Still hilarious tho, I would love to do that.
|
That is a good point, with near zero friction on the rails how the hell did the cars stop?
Also with those wheels, if it did reach anything like 70mph it would have wobbled so much it would have probably derailed.
|
>> That is a good point, with near zero friction on the rails how the hell did the cars stop?
In the same way a train does I imagine. Ease off the power, a bit of engine braking - along with applying the brakes gently. And make sure allow plenty of time to slow down.
>> Also with those wheels, if it did reach anything like 70mph it would have wobbled so much it would have probably derailed.
I would have thought the steering was either locked, or the rack and steering assembly taken out and a fixed axle mounted in its place.
He was either tanking it, or he was following a wind machine (no, not the guy on the toilet) as his and the two passengers hair was blowing about. Knowing Jeremy, he was probably tanking it.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 18 Jul 11 at 01:45
|
>> In the same way a train does I imagine. Ease off the power, a bit
>> of engine braking - along with applying the brakes gently. And make sure allow plenty
>> of time to slow down.
Yeah but a train has bigger wheels, more of them, and a lot more weight.
>> He was either tanking it, or he was following a wind machine (no, not the
>> guy on the toilet) as his and the two passengers hair was blowing about.
Not enough. Didnt seem to me they were being hauled at 70mph.
|
As soon as the Jag was spinning it's wheels I thought it was due to a lack of weight.
I also don't think they were going anywhere near 70mph.
|
>> As soon as the Jag was spinning it's wheels I thought it was due to
>> a lack of weight.
>>
>> I also don't think they were going anywhere near 70mph.
>>
Even if my previous calculation is too pessimistic then braking distance from 70 mph has to be 300yds. plus, so you'd have to be really careful at level crossings etc. (not sure if the GCR has any TBH), so I don't think they were really going anything like that fast; assuming the Jag could maintain adhesion with that much power to the wheels anyway.
|
The thing about trains is... don't they have relatively low power but lots and lots of torque. The Jag had no chance really.
Funny how they did this sketch this week (well it was scripted) and we had the link to a VW Golf being used on train tracks via a link to a Youtube video only days ago.
|
>> That is a good point, with near zero friction on the rails how the hell
>> did the cars stop?
>>
>> Also with those wheels, if it did reach anything like 70mph it would have wobbled
>> so much it would have probably derailed.
>>
I would imagine NC could give you a proper answer but IIRC the coefficient of friction between a steel rail and a steel wheel is about a tenth of that between a rubber tyre and a tarmac road, so multiply the 'normal' stopping distance by ten and you're probably in the right ball park. So that's about half a mile to stop from 70 mph.
|
That was the Jag I saw on the M1 a few weeks ago - VX11DFL - and described on the "Unusual sightings" thread. What a beast in the flesh - worth of the "What would you do with £161m" thread! For balance, a customer has a 59 reg Nissan - a hugely muscly car in the flesh but still hard to take in the sheer depth and breadth of its capabilities.
I only watched the first 30 minutes of tonight's episode of TG as something came up, but I got several proper belly laughs just from that much. It's running at 100% right now, deservedly the BBC's best show IMO. Nice to see the Great Central Railway (very near me!) being used - luckily I was recording the show so I can watch it in full tomorrow.
|
|
I also liked the line about even on a train you get held up by caravans...
|
|
The final payment is just £1600, so its not really a problem.
|
>> The final payment is just £1600, so its not really a problem.
It is if you dont have it.
|
Shouldn't be a problem, I have £800 saved up now, but I was going to use that to pay for my car insurance, then use the money I am saving each month to put towards paying the car off a bit a bit early.
Then hopefully I will have a decent 3-4 year old car which is mine, but will keep me going for another six years or so.
Anyway this has got a little off topic slightly, although highly relevant to last weeks Top Gear and the Pixo.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 22:32
|
>> Shouldn't be a problem, I have £800 saved...
You need £1600 when they ask for it. So have it an account at the time. £1600 is a trivial amount to have to get hold of at the time.
|
|
Think back Zeddo we bullied him into saving the balloon payments into an ISA when he bought the car...
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 22:32
|
Which is more less what I have done, although I intend to use each year to pay for car insurance, I will then use the savings to pay off the car.
The interest savings (from not having to take out a loan for car insurance) will save me over £600 over the next three years.
|
|
Me dad had a nearly new 95N Passat in 1996 - he ran it for 3 years and then weighed up his options. He could have bought a new 98S Passat on the same kind of deal as you, but instead he put an equivalent amount to the S reg repayments in the bank each month, kept the N reg Passat until it was 9 years old and then in late 2004 bought a Feb 04 (53 reg) Merc C270CDI estate outright.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Sun 17 Jul 11 at 22:49
|
Great TV!
Six episodes only! Way too short!
|
|
I have to confess to have enjoyed this one more than past ones.
|
Reading this Rattle will be driving his dad's Fiesta in a few years because the Panda went back. Save the money needed for the car over the next 3 years and it's there.
I hope it doesn't sound like robbing the fund to finalise purchase of car to pay insurance. Surely the day job pay all that. And if it doesn't then as said many times on here... evaluate what you're doing.
|
|
g clarkson pulling face g-force ..bit old hat
|
>> g clarkson pulling face g-force ..bit old hat
>>
An old hat that doesn't look right.
|
>> I have to confess to have enjoyed this one more than past ones.
>>
A Excellent Show all round - I even watched SIARPC I'm a big fan of Rowan Atkinson. and the Train bit was brilliant.
Partner and I where in tears at the whole thing, and Loved to see and hear the D123 take out them caravans. I hear that its just got a minor scratch, and it was due a re-paint anyway
Good publicity for the GCR and good for them for being good sports in this H&S world we live in.
|
>> My Panda costs me £128 a month for the loan, £35 a year tax, £130 a year servicing.
News for you - second year service is more than twice that: circa £270
Camshaft cover off and adjust the gaps - shim shuffling.
Third year service apparently includes brake fluid change, but actual cost remains to be seen next June.
It's an expensive thing to service (for what it is) - I know, as my daughter's Panda is a year older than yours.
|
>> News for you - second year service is more than twice that: circa £270
>>
>> Camshaft cover off and adjust the gaps - shim shuffling.
That's pretty poor at 2 years. The last car I had with adjustable valve clearances was an old Mondeo 1.8 TD, and the check / adjust interval on that was 10 years or 100,000 miles. Mine were still within the factory tolerances at 130,000 miles.
|
|
It's an old engine design in the Panda (FIRE) and it's non interference. So at least it won't damage the engine if you don't replace the cambelt and it snaps.
|
|
Cars with belts and valves needing adjustment under 100k miles are labour intensive...No wonder so many older Pandas sound like a quieter version of a Ka...
Last edited by: madf on Mon 18 Jul 11 at 13:26
|
My mates 2 year service cost me just £130 because it was low milleage (his was on 7500).
Mine will should be on about 10k by its second year so I may have to get the full service done.
Long term my engine can be fixed by any back street garage, where as a more modern engine might still need to remain in the dealer network.
Many people on the Panda forums have taken the engines above 100k with nothing but routine oil changes and a new belt at 5 years old. The biggest problem with Pandas seem to be the electronic power steering motor.
|
|
I thought heritage rails had a speed limit of 25mph anyway?
|
>> I thought heritage rails had a speed limit of 25mph anyway?
>>
Yeah, I have no idea how you apply the limits of a light railway order to an XJS, the mind boggles.
|
|
I wonder if it is closed to the public, the law doesn't apply? I know the Manchester Metrolink run their new trams which can't be used in public as it doesn't have the old signalling equipment, but when its closed then run them up and down the track to ensure they don't seize. They would not be allowed to run them when its open, but apparently at night when no public services are running they can do what they want.
|
>> My mates 2 year service cost me just £130 because it was low milleage (his was on 7500).
My daughter's Panda has done less than that, and the garage knew - I asked about a low mileage service when the car was left with them.
I think if you want to comply with the book it will need to be done, also the spark plugs and an "examiner" check, which are more reasons for the extra £100+ on that service.
It's an old school engine with an expensive service regime.
>> The biggest problem with Pandas seem to be the electronic power steering motor.
It's not all that expensive, and I have a suspicion that if you keep the suspension alignment correct so the motor is working hard just keeping it in a straight line, and don't abuse it too much, the life is respectable.
|
The problem with FIAT is their dealers are just a bit crap. The one I use in Stockport have been ok, but I do have to play the haggle game with them.
There is a new dealer opened in Salford now, so that should give me more haggling power.
I think it is just look too with the steering, I don't use the city function as I suspect that might increase wear.
|
>>I hope those Jaguar XJS lovers are not watching it this week! <<
What's the problem? Mine goes like a train...
Actually, I wasn't watching because the Prom (Havergal Brian's 'gothic' symphony) was being conducted by someone I know, but my sister messaged me while falling about with laughing so the music, which I was 'taping', had to take second place.
|
New series starts tonight - Focusless
