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Addie, the Adequate Vehicle, failed me this morning.
How Could She?!
Upon turning the key there was a momentary Grunt and the tell-tail, Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.... that says, "Dead Battery."
Well, Drat it all anyway! It's worked faithfully since I got the car in January 2016, how could it fail me today of all days, when I have a full schedule, places to go, people to meet, things to get done?
Date sticker on the battery said, 8/13. It was a 44 month battery from WalMart, which lasted 74 months. I think I got my use out of it, but still I had to get to town.
Trucklet has a vacuum leak I can hear, and has a miss on one cylinder, which is Very evident when there are only 4, so I couldn't take him (I've made an appointment to have that fixed) and time was so short we Had to leave NOW! No time to fool with dead battery. Later!
That left Nix. What a good girl; the most reliable thing on the place. So I loaded up the cold boxes and off we went to town for the weekly supply run. As usual, and as I've come to expect, she ran Flawlessly.
Later upon our return, there was the battery to replace at the Red Bluff Walmart Superstore. On the way to the store (dead battery safely in a box in her trunk), Nix got the attention of a 20 something male, driving a Hot little Mazda (BLACK), who fell in line Right behind us and followed us for several blocks until we had to turn off for the store. At that time he changed lanes to our right, craning his neck Way beyond comfort range I would think, to give Nix a good and proper once-over accompanied by much Vroom-Vrooming.
We were all highly entertained.
New battery installed, Addie's back on the road, Nix has had her bath, we're expecting rain over night, all's well.
(';')
I have a pal who really likes Porsches and has a 911. He's used to constantly tease me about about my foolhardy love affair with those 'unreliable Jaguars' and brag about about the 'superiority' of German engineering and quality.
Ha !
Twice his 911 conked out on him a few miles from home and twice he called me to come rescue him. I'd attach a tow strap to the Jag and drag him home......taking the extra long route and spending plenty of extra time dragging him through the side streets so all the neighbors had ample opportunity to view his mortification.
I'm still driving a Jag every day .......and his 911 hasn't been running in years.
Elinor: Absolutely a great tale. But, alas, my faith in my lump is shaken. My ATT cell. let me down. .No service in the spot that the Jag failed. After a travail, I got my road service on another phone and got home.
Then, the @@#$#%#$$ ATT cell went dead. So, Jeep only...
Shopped and no real help from ATT, I found another. Consumer Cellular. Looked good. but, contacts suspect.
So, as of now, I'll go sans cell in the Jeep, but not Jaguar. It cranks up and purrs, but...
Sans a working cell, I am not going anywhere in it..
OtH. the Jeep sports anew WS and is clean and shiny, in and out...
No errands for today, tomorrow, Eye doc. He to admire surgery on left eye. new spec's?? but, ugh, poke in the eye, macular control...
Blessings? Oh for sure, I see so much better... DL renewed!! And, I am up on top, not under pushing up daisies..
It seems to be similar here, Fireball has been the last resort a couple of times and always does her duty.
I'm firmly convinced they only need care and regular exercise; nothing special at all.
You wouldn't believe (well, you probably would) all the flack I got from friends and family when I appeared with this Most Beautiful, "Unreliable," "Temperamental," " Expensive to repair," "Hard to work on," "Gas Guzzling," "Piece of Junk" (those were the polite terms) Jaguar!
Not too long ago I met up with one of these acquaintances who asked as I got out of the car, "Are you still driving that Jaguar?"
I'm thinking, No, I just found it parked here and thought I might try it on for size. Why do people ask such stupid questions??
My reply, "Yes, actually, and I will still be driving it long after you've traded in your Hot Spit PLASTIC Toyota Highlander (White of course) because the backup camera doesn't work and the ash trays are full of gum wrappers."
(';')
Heh heh. It never fails. If you are (let's say) replacing a water pump, or starter, or muffler, or master cylinder, or wheel bearing on a Jaguar you'll get inundated by all the dumb remarks about how terrible Jaguars are, how they require constant repair, how you need to own two of them, etc etc.
If you happen to be doing the very same repairs on a Camaro, well, hey, that's just normal repairs on a car that has reached a certain age. Nothing remarkable at all!
I gave up trying to reason with people on this subject long ago. I simply reply "You don't understand" and leave it at that.
Took a wrestle. new consumer Cellular phone activated. ATT not cooperative so I could keep my old number... needed a swap in of a SIMS. Miniaturazation a challenge for my eyes and fingers. but patient tech walked me to it.. On the air!!!
Now, to study how in h... to deal with it's extra bells and whistles. It is a "simple" flip....
Not today... Make lunch and hibernate.
Side bar" The "Lumpp" fired right up and purred... Ugh, SMOG next for it + hewfty registration, THANX ex Guv Jerry... .
I love this thread since I am a new 86 XJ6 owner and my daily driver will never pass smog in my county due to an engine issue. I have been driving rogue out of registration for 6 months and HAVE TO come up with a new ride. I really want to drive my beautiful new Jag but have fears of .. well.. all those things people bring up in conversation. But "damn the torpedo's" I believe I will give it a try. Besides a lumpy idle and a start that sounds like someone trying to vomit (you know.. ughmphh.. ughmpph.. brnnnnn), she is a joy to drive. Of course I have about 6 hours of total experience behind the wheel but what the hell.
So I finally found time to tag her properly and rescued her from her horrible prison. When I got her in July I had no place to keep her. I live in a bloody town home and a friends elderly mother said I could keep her in her shed for free... joy.. then I saw shed... depression. But it was good enough. I finally rented a (non-free) storage unit where she will be stay, dry and accessible. I rescued her just in time because this 1920's era Model T storage shed started dropping rafter boards. One fell since last visit and dented my otherwise perfect body. Oh well...
Couple pix and I will report my progress on this thread.
My main response has been, "well when I get mine fixed I'll have a beautiful Jaguar with style and you'll still have a bland disposable car ! " Even in a junk yard Jags stand out where all the other sedans blur together once the grill badges are removed ( spent a day parts hunting for a friends Toyota ---was like ==== here's one, no Kia - crap, here's one, no Honda -- *$*&, Ford - @#$, ............ you get the idea !!! )
My other go to reply is "at least it was designed to be repaired instead of being designed to wear out and be throw away as soon as it's paid for !"
Cheers,
Brian
PS On the stupid questions, I flew at airshows as loadmaster on a friends old Polish AN-2 "Warbird". People asked ALOT, "Did this plane fly here?" Our favorite answer was "no, actually we carry it in the trunk of our car and inflate it after we arrive" !!
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer !
Hi Randy, just saw your post. Is it the XJ6 with the engine / inspection problem or another car ? If it's the Jag I have a few "tricks" to help it pass inspection ( NOT cheats, just ways to help the emissions machines be happy with it ! ). If the Jag is good but you are worried about being stranded, join AAA and get the upgrade to include free 100 mile towing ( really rollback only, towing is bad for the transmission ). The more they are driven the better they are -- just like old planes, being parked is what breaks stuff !
Cheers,
Brian
PS I'm not an expert mechanic but will give whatever advice or help I can ( I'm near Lincolnton NC ).
Hello, Randy, I'm glad you have enjoyed this; I certainly enjoyed writing it up.
Someone just asked me, "If this is your most reliable car, why don't you drive it more? Why do you even have the Hyundai? Why did the Jag have to act as Backup that morning?"
Because, husband has a skeletal problem he inherited from his mother, that has nearly fused his spinal column rather like a stalagmite-stalactite formation in a cave. He has a Very hard time bending enough to get into Nix and an even harder time getting out. She's also quite low to the ground for him. (Series 3s have larger cabins I think, and I know they're higher off the ground)
Addie's doors open nearly 90 Degrees from the body, and it sits higher off the ground making it much easier for him to enter/exit. So whenever we both go somewhere (except for Jag Club drives) we go in that.
However, Any time I go Anywhere alone, Nix is my Go-To ride. Any excuse is sufficient! And as I turn out onto the main highway, a smile slowly creeps across my face and we're off to terrorize the Passing Lanes!
(';')
Kudzu - problem is with my DD 2007 C230. A very nice ride but in the intake manifold they put swirl vanes that rotate into the air/fuel flow when the engine is cold. They used to make them out of steel but changed to plastic. Well after many years of hot cold cycling, the one on cycl 6 exploded one day. Some of the bits either bent a valve or scored the cylinder or damaged a ring. As such, it misses a beat once in a while and the check engine cam/crank sensor codes always light up. My county has smog inspection for 35 years, so I need to sell to a person in a non-smog county or scrap it. What really annoys me is that it runs nicer and cleaner (even with the problem) than probably 50% of the junk on the road. But the damn rules are the damn rules.
As far as my Jag, we have 30 year safety in my county and I actually went to tag the car and was sent away for safety inspection to my surprise. I never considered that - ha ha. But the guys at the local Jiffy lube were so taken by the car they passed it just fine. All the checklist items passed but I think they must have overlooked the nice tread but 20 year old date code tires... which is very next item on the list.
I like that old shed. Worth bracing up for safety... But, later than "T" era. No plywood then.. Just boards... Circa 1947, my parents up graded. Two car garage. Dad and I persuaded Mom on that house. she liked another, up the street, but no garage!!! It was stone. Separate.. One side had a concrete floor, the other just Texas dirt. Guess which one I got for my 23 "T". But, a definite step up from none!!
Elinor:
My neck is kinda that way, as to back stretch... And a bit on l to r. Backing camera!! Neat, but not likely. True enough, easier to mount the higher jeep than the lower jaguar, but, one way or another, I do it,.as your hubby does... .
Football in a bit., and perhaps work on the phone toys. Battery for one cordless. new fangled amp for the cell, via "Blue Tooth" !!! Might be a bit too clunky to be practical..
The Consumer cellular is up and running... Yeah...
My main response has been, "well when I get mine fixed I'll have a beautiful Jaguar with style and you'll still have a bland disposable car ! " Even in a junk yard Jags stand out where all the other sedans blur together once the grill badges are removed ( spent a day parts hunting for a friends Toyota ---was like ==== here's one, no Kia - crap, here's one, no Honda -- *$*&, Ford - @#$, ............ you get the idea !!! )
My other go to reply is "at least it was designed to be repaired instead of being designed to wear out and be throw away as soon as it's paid for !"
Cheers,
Brian
PS On the stupid questions, I flew at airshows as loadmaster on a friends old Polish AN-2 "Warbird". People asked ALOT, "Did this plane fly here?" Our favorite answer was "no, actually we carry it in the trunk of our car and inflate it after we arrive" !!
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer !
An AN2 doesnt fly as most people know it really, its more like aerial ambling.
Heh heh. It never fails. If you are (let's say) replacing a water pump, or starter, or muffler, or master cylinder, or wheel bearing on a Jaguar you'll get inundated by all the dumb remarks about how terrible Jaguars are, how they require constant repair, how you need to own two of them, etc etc.
If you happen to be doing the very same repairs on a Camaro, well, hey, that's just normal repairs on a car that has reached a certain age. Nothing remarkable at all!
I gave up trying to reason with people on this subject long ago. I simply reply "You don't understand" and leave it at that.
Cheers
DD
Why does this silly myth linger in America? Yes, it's really only here that I hear it. In Europe it doesn't exist.
10-16-2019, 10:18 PM
My Most Reliable Ride
