Please, monitors, move this to the XJS thread started by slightlyfatdirector. I had to post this as a new topic - as usual, I've been away for a couple of days and the format of the site seems to have changed. No sign of the forum search any more.
Anyway, for those who are interested, I now have the XJS 6 litre V12 convertible at home after a quite fraught 5 hour visit to the UK and I can only say I am delighted.
Tuesday was spent in the neighbour's new Laguna (bought on my recommendation I'm almost afraid to say but quite nice if a bit plasticky) for a lift from home to the railway station at Limoges, then the train to Paris, then a nightmare transfer by Paris Metro because the one line we needed was closed for repairs, then train again to Caen, then a 2 euro express bus ride to the ferry terminal at Ouistreham, a very pleasant dish of 'tripe a la mode de Caen' accompanied by a litre bottle of cider that would be recognised as excellent in my native Somerset and the overnight ferry to Portsmouth. A quick after-dawn walk around a seedy part of Portsmouth to find a bank machine to recharge the UK mobile and a greasy spoon for a traditional English bacon sarnie. Then - disaster. The owner was driving the XJS down from west Yorkshire and found himself trapped in a queue on the M40 after an accident near Nuneaton that - as is the way with the UK Police - closed the whole motorway network for hours. This never happens in France but, as a former British Police employee, I won't comment on their methods. The upshot was, we completed the deal in the ferry port at Portsmouth with minutes to spare to get on the midday return boat. (Picture available!). But we made it. I then had to fend off questions from fellow passengers along the lines of 'yes, it is nice isn't it but I don't know how it goes or what it does to the gallon because I only picked it up just now and I've only driven it in the ferry queue, where the fact that the fuel gauge headed south and the temperature gauge headed north frightened me half to death'. I spent the crossing desperately reading the huge number of instruction books (all in a very nice leather case, I have to say). Many of our fellow passengers were D-day veterans - all you had to do was listen to the conversations if you wanted to develop a genuine lump in the throat...
So, we got to Ouistreham again in the late evening and spent the night at a hotel nearby full of people there for the D-day anniversary celebrations, and very interesting they were too. A couple of blokes there were members of the Swiss Army and had driven across France with (relatively recent but cunningly disguised) Jeeps, one a Hotchkiss and one (in spite of the fact that it said Willys on the side of the bonnet) one of the dreaded Mahindras! He got a bit shirty when I suggested it might have 'the taste of India' about it, but later recanted and we spent a very pleasant evening. Snag was, for about the fourth time in my life, I found myself with members of the Swiss Army and forgot to ask them for a look at the genuine knife!
I think there are more Jeeps and other military vehicles in Normandy at the moment than were ever there on June 6, 1944. Our ferry was carrying two DUKWs (2mpg allegedly!). I even saw an Austin Champ. Thank goodness that was never part of the D-day effort.
Anyway, we spent Thursday on a leisurely 300-mile drive south with the XJS, and it was wonderful. Every mile was a revelation and I could have just gone on and on. To my unashamed delight it does 22 mpg (which means I can countenance touring with it) and (after a carefully prejudged effort on a deserted stretch of autoroute near Le Mans) I am absolutely certain that 150mph plus is easily within its grasp. If I was being picky I would get the wheels re-laquered and it does need a new hood cover, which it will get because I don't like the colour of the present one anyway.
Now it's home and I've spent the evening fending off the neighbours - I could have charged admission, even in our little village - and I don't care if I never drive it again. It's wonderful and if the environmental nazis stop me driving it one day I won't worry. I'll just walk round it every evening and take a look at it, and the V12 badges on its flanks, and feel good.

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I have had an mot recently and asked to look at oil leak which constantly drips when engine has been running and oil is warm i was told it would cost lots of money just to strip down and inverstigate so i have decided to look myself have striped large component from top of engine and it is covered in oil on front face of engine but i dont think its a gasket but it is hard to tell with so much oil around something like the turbo fixed on front of engine of a gas recycling valve if it has one some things i have experienced oil leaking problems with in the past I am going to gunk down the engine block tomorrow and reassemble to see if i can pinpiont the source of the leak from a clean engine but before I reassemble and go through the hassle of then dismatling again has any one got any sugestions as to what might be the cause I have removed the turbo housing and the internal area and the plastic manifold that it connects to is very heavily soiled with oily deposits this is not right is it? and can you
disable the turbo and drive the vehicle without it ?

any advice or guidance would be gratefully received

thanks guys

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Some cars feature top hinged hatch which is very convenient.

Some others do side hinged hatch [rear door] which is too inconvenient.

Which one do you find more convenient?

I wonder why not all cars do top hinged rear doors. It's so easy to open in tight space and provides comfortable loading in rain!



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Im looking at an older 2002 S -class 280 petrol (newer shape). It has 164k miles on the clock and its priced at £3500. The car is in pretty good condition for the age and there are no signs of rust.
Are these engines good for a high mileage?

Any comments appreciated.
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When I bought my 3 year old Jazz, last year, I was pleased to see that I was getting consistently 53 mpg, according to the onboard computer. Subsequently this has steadily decreased and is now only 39 mpg. Neither my pattern of driving, or the fuel I burn (mainly Shell standard unleaded) have changed. So what could account for the deterioration in economy? Read more