I haven't lost the craving no, I love V8's but the reality of being able to afford to run one has altered somewhat, or at least the very real possibility of not being able to has appeared. I can't imagine it'd leave me much better off really. A bit perhaps.
So I am considering a new car, again! Lots of rambling inside.
- Thread starter Moeks
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Arhh yes, well I know that. I could have easily found an immaculate one and I wouldn't need to think about changing it.
I was just looking at E39s again actually, appart from the massive exagerations by the seller about what the car can do, this looks nice in the pictures, manual box, nicer looking leather than mine, great colour, latest steering wheel ...and apparently extended leather! ...shame about the wheels though.
530i's are not super rare in manual form, 540is are though and saying it has "near M5 performance" is what I consider optimistic at best, bare faced lying at worst. Which makes me question everything else in the advert.
I was just looking at E39s again actually, appart from the massive exagerations by the seller about what the car can do, this looks nice in the pictures, manual box, nicer looking leather than mine, great colour, latest steering wheel ...and apparently extended leather! ...shame about the wheels though.
530i's are not super rare in manual form, 540is are though and saying it has "near M5 performance" is what I consider optimistic at best, bare faced lying at worst. Which makes me question everything else in the advert.
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Soldato
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That caught my eye a few weeks ago, been on quite a while now, seems abit too cheap though given 1 owner and 03 plate, maybe the lack of sat nav is putting people off.
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If you do consider an XJ8 - do your best to get a 4.0. The 4.0 is usually more economical due to the addition of variable valve timing and more torque, whilst also being considerably faster. Post 2000 4.0's are rare though, and don't pay more than £4k for one unless it's a mint 2002 or an XJR.
And I don't blame you for scratching the BMW itch after the XJ - I did the same with a 740i. I was fortunate to only lose a few hundred though and got rid quickly!
And I don't blame you for scratching the BMW itch after the XJ - I did the same with a 740i. I was fortunate to only lose a few hundred though and got rid quickly!
It's not that simple though is it, you could break it down to that I suppose but really it's more of a case of degree of risk, or degree of perceived risk from me and then willingness to address any problems.
This particular BMW has issues, I know it does, they've been ongoing and it has had a fair amount of money spent on it and it needs quite a bit more really. I can see the writing on the wall so to speak, and I want to quit on this one now and let someone else pick up the task (I've given them a damn good head start really). Another car, such as a really well cared for Jaguar may very well work out quite a bit cheaper.
It's not the day to day running so much as all the extra costs. I don't believe this one is worth it anymore, and also as of yesterday I am now faced with the possibility of maybe not being able to spend money quite so liberally on car problems.
It's all a case of degree of risk, and this one is too risky now in my mind. It may very well go on until the end of days like it is and nothing ever actually breaks, I can't really know one way or the other. But it doesn't sound or feel right, I've had a nagging feeling about it for a long time now and I've had enough of feeling like I really can't rely on it.
I know it could all be restored to perfection with a total strip-down of the front of the engine and replacement of the timing chain guides, secondary tensioners (I've done the main chain tensioner already), VANOS units and then upper/lower timing case gaskets, intake manifold gaskets and the throttle body gasket. That would certainly do it, it could probably be done without actually going to quite those lengths but that's what I know would make it run like new. That's thousands of pounds worth of stuff though, very, very much less if you can do it yourself though, and it's not 'that' hard if you have a garage to work in (I don't) ...but it's not something you can do in a day as a lot of stuff needs to come out.
Also the rear suspension still needs addressing, it rides fine and handles fine it just clunks on the left. Then we have a little rist in the nearside rear wheel arch, some very slight bubbling inside the fuel filler cap and a bootlid that really needs respraying as it has a rust spot on the ended, damaged paintwork and soem cracked laquer. Then there is the issues of a few pixels out in the MID (radio/computer control unit in the centre console), so this needs to come out and either have the contacts painstaking cleaned and repalces or a new ribbon cable applied (that's not exactly plug and play either, but not really much of a problem)
Oh then we have one of the belts or pulleys making a ratehgr unplseant noise when the car is started from cold, this does stop after it's warmed up a bit though but even so, I don't like it. I know it's in the main auxilary system, so the main belt, alternator, water pump and power steering pump are all involved and it could be anyone of them or associated pulleys.
It could also do with a gearbox service, which again isn't quite as easy as it sounds, but also the main shaft seal on the input shaft is leaking, so the gearbox needs to come out to repalce this really (it's not a bad leak and could be left longer, but ideally it does need attention at some point) ...also the steering box has a minor leak, this is probably the smallest issues though as it's so minor I still haven;t had to top the fluid up since it was discovered on the cars Inspection II just after I had it, but if I did want to replace it, a steering box for a 540i is £2200.
See my point about this car now ? ^
It probably doesn't make sense at all if you simplify it to the point you did, but it's far from black and white to me. I well known and understand what cars like this are like and take to run, it's not as if I am going into something without any concept of what's involved. Make sense ?
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Stop Press: FOX AND JOSHY IN AGREEMENT.
But then everything Moeks has ever done car wise is utterly illogical and ends up costing him literally thousands of pounds as a result. He is unable to ever find a happy medium, either paying £26k for an E46 3 Series at one of the scale of buying the first nail of a 540i he viewed at the other
If there was ever a suitable candidate for just buying a Focus...
Yea but I love cars, I love owning different cars too. I could never be happy with a Focus, I don't like small hatches at all anyway.
I haven't exactly come in here crying about the woes of life though have I? ... I started the thread for some ideas about my next car, however I had to change the scope of the thread quite quickly but it still stands and I explained why.
I don't have a problem with some car issues, but there comes a point when to fully address every issue is just too much. And as it happens I bought a car which is like this. Had this all needed looking at over a 5 year period I wouldn't mind, it's been 7 months though! As you well know I quickly came to realise after buying the car what sort of a state it was 'really' in ...a mistake on my part for jumping the gun and buying this one, but by that point all I could do was make the best of it though.
This is the first 'bad' buy I have made really anyway, all the other cars were lovely. I simply chose to get rid of them because I felt like trying something else. The only car I lost more money than I expected on was the ST220 really. That was bad for 3 months motoring I admit (£2000). I suppose if I was making decisons based more on financial prudence then I would have kept that, but I wasn't ...maybe I should have been but I didn't have to at the time.
I suppose you could well say am I not doing the same thing again now? ...or talking about it at least. Well perhaps, but I have a reason other than 'I feel like another car' this time, i.e. this one isn't right and I have had enough of it because of that, rather than I am bored of it. And I also have to be much more careful with costs this time. No doubt I will keep the next car longer, I'd like to make it a year, but I need to buy one that I can see will be ok for as long as I need it to be.
There's no BS here though, it boils down to this;
I want another car, I have several reasons for this beyond I just fancy a change, but there is that too.
This time I have to be more cost concious and much more careful about the car I do buy.
Simple.
Edit: Believe it or not I have actually half considered calling it on this financial self destructive insanity and buying a nice looking diesel Mazda 6 I have seen for £4k not far from me, but I don't think I could ever be happy with that. Not with what I have been used to. It does have many advantages though, it's only 4 years old, it's got FSH, 1 owner from new, it will do 50mpg on the motorway apparently, and I assume more than 15-16mpg around town like I am used to, it's insurance group 8 rather than 19E (that's already paid for until next May though, so not much of a concern) and it'll no doubt be almost depressingly reliable. I am not there yet though! If my income holds out though I can't help but notice how much spare money I 'could' have with a car like that though. But to what end? ...do we not earn money to buy what we need and then what we like? ...no good just having money stacking up, I like having money ...it makes me feel more secure knowing it's there ...but if I am depriving myself of the things I like what's the point ? I dunno.
I haven't exactly come in here crying about the woes of life though have I? ... I started the thread for some ideas about my next car, however I had to change the scope of the thread quite quickly but it still stands and I explained why.
I don't have a problem with some car issues, but there comes a point when to fully address every issue is just too much. And as it happens I bought a car which is like this. Had this all needed looking at over a 5 year period I wouldn't mind, it's been 7 months though! As you well know I quickly came to realise after buying the car what sort of a state it was 'really' in ...a mistake on my part for jumping the gun and buying this one, but by that point all I could do was make the best of it though.
This is the first 'bad' buy I have made really anyway, all the other cars were lovely. I simply chose to get rid of them because I felt like trying something else. The only car I lost more money than I expected on was the ST220 really. That was bad for 3 months motoring I admit (£2000). I suppose if I was making decisons based more on financial prudence then I would have kept that, but I wasn't ...maybe I should have been but I didn't have to at the time.
I suppose you could well say am I not doing the same thing again now? ...or talking about it at least. Well perhaps, but I have a reason other than 'I feel like another car' this time, i.e. this one isn't right and I have had enough of it because of that, rather than I am bored of it. And I also have to be much more careful with costs this time. No doubt I will keep the next car longer, I'd like to make it a year, but I need to buy one that I can see will be ok for as long as I need it to be.
There's no BS here though, it boils down to this;
I want another car, I have several reasons for this beyond I just fancy a change, but there is that too.
This time I have to be more cost concious and much more careful about the car I do buy.
Simple.
Edit: Believe it or not I have actually half considered calling it on this financial self destructive insanity and buying a nice looking diesel Mazda 6 I have seen for £4k not far from me, but I don't think I could ever be happy with that. Not with what I have been used to. It does have many advantages though, it's only 4 years old, it's got FSH, 1 owner from new, it will do 50mpg on the motorway apparently, and I assume more than 15-16mpg around town like I am used to, it's insurance group 8 rather than 19E (that's already paid for until next May though, so not much of a concern) and it'll no doubt be almost depressingly reliable. I am not there yet though! If my income holds out though I can't help but notice how much spare money I 'could' have with a car like that though. But to what end? ...do we not earn money to buy what we need and then what we like? ...no good just having money stacking up, I like having money ...it makes me feel more secure knowing it's there ...but if I am depriving myself of the things I like what's the point ? I dunno.
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I wouldnt say the 4 litres are more economical, they just dont use any more fuel and have the bonus of a bit more power.
Thats not to say the 3.2 is underpowered dont confuse it with the straight 6 3.2.
As Rich says 4 litres are rare so the first 3.2 that is a minter you find, get it, dont search for ever for a 4 litre.
As for 4 grand for a mint 02, well its not happening, forget the age as long as its post 2000 just get a low owner low miles car.
I even for went parking sensors and got a 1999/V car because it was a mint 1 owner low miles car. condition is all.
Edit, as for that 540 you bought it just wasnt a great car, it happens, iv had loads like that, the secret of money pits is knowing when to put a lid on them and get rid.
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I think changing the 540i is not an entirely ludicrous proposition - it's costing you money, you're not happy with it, so why bother keeping it? You will lose money selling it, but at least you won't lose even more money keeping it.
I don't know your personal financial situation, what assets you have or even your age, but there does come a time where spending money hand over fist on cars is a bad idea. When I first got the 330i at 19 I was not on an income that could realistically sustain that ownership for long. I was lucky enough that my income changed to something that could, but the cost of that first year of ownership was huge as a portion of my income, and I was not taking it easy in terms of going out, buying nice clothes, taking holidays etc. It was a silly choice and I have some regrets about it.
I am very much a car enthusiast. I work in the industry and get hammered all day every day with cool cars and fast cars and eugh, it makes me want to own one. If I was really stupid I would walk in to Porsche and lease myself a 911. But, it doesn't take much to realise that's not a good idea, as I don't have or earn so much money that I can do that without restricting myself. If I were you, I would search for a good, value for money car that you do not stand to lose a huge amount of money on. It doesn't have to be a turd, but it just can't be an overpriced, unreliable V8 5 Series BMW. You will save money and that will give you more options. At a later date you may choose to have another unreliable V8 car, but at least you'll be in a position where it's far more affordable. In all likelihood, you will be earning more, too, and so you'll have even better cars within your reach.
We do indeed earn money to buy things we like, but sensible financial decisions early on allow us to buy things we like even more at a later date.
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If a fantastic 4 litre XJ with all the right history and the right price presented it's self to me now, I'd probably buy it. But that's highly unlikely, as Mark has said, the 3.2s are much easier to come by and still have a great engine, I think some of you were under the impression the 3.2 was a l6, well it isn't, the X308 3.2 is a V8 ...as is the 4.0 ...the older X300s 3.2 was a l6, as was the 4.0 in that and then were was a 6.0 V12 in the X300 as well. The X308 only has V8s the X300 only had l6s and a V12. The X350 has a V6 and V8s and a V6 diesel. Prior to the X308 I don't think Jaguar ever had a V8.
I'm not making any decisions right now, but it is most likely that I will look for the 'right' X308 Jaguar XJ8 3.2 ...it'll get blown into the weeds by the 540i in terms of power and pace but it'll be smooth, quiet and a fine cruiser. And I absolutely will not buy one that isn't in order, there is a lot more choice though than with the 540i.
I'm not making any decisions right now, but it is most likely that I will look for the 'right' X308 Jaguar XJ8 3.2 ...it'll get blown into the weeds by the 540i in terms of power and pace but it'll be smooth, quiet and a fine cruiser. And I absolutely will not buy one that isn't in order, there is a lot more choice though than with the 540i.
Ah but don't make the mistake of thinking the engine works as well in the Xtype as it does in the Mondeo. Doesn't the Xtype have 4WD and more weight? There is a topgear magazine test showing the 3.0 Xtype taking 20 seconds to reach 100 mph. Doesn't the ST220 do it in something like 16? And the 540i in something like 15?
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Well it is a demonstration of potential performance compared to previous cars the OP has owned, 0-60 is not so good in my opinion at expressing it. If all he cared about was the drive to work each day, his history of cars would probably have been less interesting.
Yea well I 'probably' wont go down the X-Type road, I'm not doing anything right now anyway other than an oil change on the 540i, trying a slightly heavier grade of oil. If that fixes the rattling it'll make me very happy, if not ...it was worth a shot.
I don't think Me/Fox/The sensible people in this thread (
) are telling you to stick with the 540i - If at the end of the day you do not want it anymore, you don't want it anymore, fair enough.
What we are saying is that if you've been put off by the potential of big bills you are not doing yourself any favours by buying a 10 year old Jaguar. I'm not the type of person who will sit here and lecture someone about buying "sensible" cars, but I cannot process how you think a Jag XJ is somehow going to be the "cheap" option?
) are telling you to stick with the 540i - If at the end of the day you do not want it anymore, you don't want it anymore, fair enough.What we are saying is that if you've been put off by the potential of big bills you are not doing yourself any favours by buying a 10 year old Jaguar. I'm not the type of person who will sit here and lecture someone about buying "sensible" cars, but I cannot process how you think a Jag XJ is somehow going to be the "cheap" option?