Hey all.

Just going to lurk here to get some info.

Currently driving an '06 Volvo S60R (pics below). The front runner in my purchase decision was an S-Type R, but the price on the Volvo sold me. Not to mention the wife gets Ford Employee discount on both cars, so I'm watching the S-Type replacement very closely: C-XF. I'm liking it a lot, especially since Volvo is dropping the R line.

Anyway, hope you don't mind me lingering around. Hope to learn lots.

 

Welcome !
Hope you get your Jag so soon

 

Looks like you don't really want a Jag! If you did, then why would you have your name on a JAGUAR forum, be of a volvo.[sm=WTFsgign.gif] I understand why you would go with the S60R considering it's like 30K cheaper than the S-Type R...but it's not a Jag. JAJAJA! Lurke, and update periodically to see if you're finally going to get the Jag!

 

Welcome along S60.......Nice ride.
You sound really keen on the Jag though, hope you get one and enjoy it as much as we do. Feel free to linger, ask questions, hell, answer them if you can. Having said all that mate, Biggies got a point, not the best name for membership of a Jag forum is it?

JC

 

Well...being that I don't own my Jag as of yet....using a Jaguar-based sig would be kinda silly. This is the sig I use on several forums, so I'll just keep it until that time comes. And with another year before the C-XF hits the showroom floors, and 2 years left on my S60R lease...that's the resonable timeframe I'm considering to change over. Also, since Ford owns both companies, I thought we were all "family" anyway. Except the Aston Martin fellows, who left the nest!

Thanks for somewhat of a warm welcome.

 

Ford owns what company? Jaguar...really. No way! I refuse to believe such blasfemy!

 

LOL...there's many a thread on the Volvo forums against admission of this as well. I've neve been on the Range Rover or Aston Martin forums, but I'm sure there are many anti-Ford factions there as well. The Mazda people are usually just dumbfounded when they discover this.

I'm not a fan of any Ford products, other than the extremely overpriced GT, but they own quite a few reputable companies. And they're smart enough to let them do their own thing, rather than reinventing the wheel.

That, and the fact that my wife gets the discount on any of the products helps.

 

Its all good S60............Surely it wasn't that warm a welcome?....lol
I gather you're a member of a few other forums, Any major differences you've noticed between the forums?
I

dont know why so many of you guys, especially Americans blast Ford all the time. I've had 4 Mondeos over 11 years or so, and what a fantastic car, well priced, nice n easy to drive, reliable, as over the timescale in question I never had any real major issues. Those that I did have were dealt with quickly and under warranty wherever that arose, no question.
I also think that the new Mondeo looks like a great new addition to the Ford stable.
Ok. so Fords not a luxury brand and probably never will be, but, remember Henry Ford's dream? To bring affordable motoring to the general public!
Anyways S60.........sorry, didn't mean to rant, these thoughts just sorta entered my head as I was replying and I thought I'd tag it on, maybe you can answer me, cos for the life of me I can't understand it!

Jim C

 

JimC64...

I haven't had a chance to read too many threads here yet, but the layout is nice. Navigation is easy. And yes, I'm on a few forums:

2gstratus.org (1st one I ever joined - I had a 2001 Dodge Stratus R/T that I invested quite a bit in rebuilding the motor and supercharging)
socal3g.com (3rd gen Mitsubishi Eclipse forum...same platform as my Stratus was, but nicer folks in Soutern CA)
volvospeed.com (National Volvo boards...lots off OT and b.s. ranting. fun site to just linger on)
swedespeed.com (best overall Volvo enthusiast forums - great tech tips and advice...more mature crowd)
acurazine.com (Acura boards. ended up there after coming across a long "I killed an S60R with my TL" thread. Very nice people there though.)
socaleuro.com (Southern CA European car group. Mostly BMW, VW, and Audi people. Host great weekly meets though.)

I'm also on a few tech and A/V forums...and one cooking board.

The internet is a wealth of information.

As far as Ford goes...I'm just not a fan of the desing team there. I have no problems with their products overall..just not appealing to me. Kinda sad that they dropped the SVT group too. They made excellent performance lines of what they did offer.

Anyway....I've always been a fan of several Jaguar models. The Volvo is the highest end car I've owned. As my wife and I have launched into successful career paths recently, we are leaning more towards luxury markets, while keeping a performance feel. That is why I'm here now. I hope to learn as much as I can from real owners and influence my decision to become a Jaguar owner myself.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Apart from the crappy designs, for most of the 90's and through 2000's the cars reliability was horrible, with the exception of the mustang and their trucks! They had the most recalls of any automotive company, and have you noticed that the interior on our cars SUCKS! Maybe that's why I hate ford!

 

Good reply socal......plenty of info there too.
I got a feeling you're gonna be able to contribute as well as learn from members here.....always a good thing.
There's a lot of OT here too, sometimes even when on topic, but usually always good natured. There's a lot of knowledge here too, so its all good.
Sense of humour a must...lol

Look forard to seeing more of you around...........maybe even drop a few recipies in here n there.

JC

 

Thanks JimC64.

That's what I'm hear for...to learn and contribute. Never one to flame war or have the inevitable e-pissing match. LOL

I've turned many a wrench and been without my daily driver for months at a time. I'd rather get past all that and drive a luxurious beast with 400+ horses that you don't see on every street corner in Southern CA. All without having to open the hood unless I'm cleaning. Then again....who am I kidding. 2 days after picking up my R, I was at the performance shop getting the muffler ripped off and some custom piping done. Expect the same would be true in a Jag if I were to get one.

As far as the recipes go...I have a sleu of good ones. If the cooking thread exists...I'll be a regular there for sure.

Speaking of...time to fire up some coals...daylight is fleeting. TTYL

 

Sounds all good Socal.....
Re the recipies.......i can recommend a nice salmon fillet, wrapped in tinfoil smothered with butter n white wine, cooked for 20 mins at 200 degrees then accompanied with baby new potatoes, Julienne of baby carrot and tender your brocolli.........mmmmmm
For full recipie..go to http://BigJimsKitchen......lol

JC

 

Link didn't work, nor did BigJimsKitchen.com or Google search for it.

Sounds good...and since this is my thread, I'm good with taking it OT. I make a similar recipe on foil over charcoal..but using EVOO vs. butter. Wifey's super fat/calorie conscious, and I'm working on cooking healthier with history of colon cancer on both sides of my family.

Speaking of good seafood...I'm a huge chowder fan, but had to find an option with no heavy cream. Made this one last week and got 5 star approval from the wife...one of my top 10 creations ever...

Enjoy...

[blockquote]Ingredients
4-5 slices bacon, chopped I didn’t have bacon, so I cut up a small summer sausage and rendered it in my largest deep skillet. I like crispy summer sausage, so I snacked on that while cooking. Not nearly as much fat as bacon either.
2 stalks celery, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced I used a whole bulb of garlic, minced very fine.
1 medium onion, diced I used ½ of a Vidalia onion.
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste Kosher Salt. I also used black pepper, but wish I had used white. Will make that change next time.
3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes I only used 1 large sweet potato. I diced it into very small cubes. I didn’t want huge chunks.
4 cups stock - either fish, shrimp, chicken, or vegetable. [I use whatever combination I happen to have in my freezer, starting with the seafood ones.] I just made chicken stock from the powdered bag type.
1 cup white wine Happened to have an open Pinot Grigio. Perfect!
1.5 pounds bay scallops I had a small 12 oz. bag of bay scallops. I added 1 lb. of frozen cooked shrimp and 1 15 oz. can of clams with the liquid. The additional seafood and clam juice really made the flavor!
12-13 oz. can of coconut milk (most of one 15 oz. can) I used the “Light� Coconut Milk and added the entire can.

Instructions
Put the chopped bacon into a soup pot and cook on medium until crisp and all the fat has been released into the pan. Once it's cooked, remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and then dump in the celery, garlic, and onion, stirring to coat everything in the bacon grease. Let cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 10 minutes or so.

Add the minced fennel seeds, curry powder, Old Bay, and salt and pepper to the pot, stirring to coat the onion mixture with the spices, and then let cook another minute or so.

Add the sweet potatoes and the liquids (stock and white wine), making sure that the liquids barely cover the potatoes. Turn up the heat, and bring the chowder to a rapid boil (uncovered). Once the liquid is boiling, it should take about 6-8 minutes to cook the sweet potatoes. Don't overcook the sweet potatoes, as they can become mushy.

Once the potatoes are done, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the bay scallops. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes, allowing the scallops to cook.

Pour in the coconut milk (just less than 1 can) - it will probably be somewhere between 1 and 1.5 cups - and stir, making a thick creamy chowder. Let sit for another 10 minutes to make sure the scallops are completely cooked. The chowder will get better over time, so feel free to let it sit even longer before eating. I recommend re-heating by putting the chowder on the stove top and simmering. Do not bring to a boil or use the microwave.
[/blockquote]

 

Hey Socal..........I'm sorry bro, I was just kidding with the BigJimsKitchen link
I do cook a little, but nowhere near as much or as good as you by the looks of your recipie....lol
I'm commin over to your house for dinner!

Cheers bro

JC

 

Oh...sorry 'bout that. LOL. I've been linked to many a recipe home page or cooking blog.

If you get a chance, check out http://www.cookingforengineers.com/. Some pretty good stuff on there, and moderated by seriously **** retentive engineers. Recipes are precise. Good hearted folks though.

 

So Socal............not sure, have you wandered thru the S type forum and made yourself known? Maybe dropped into the X forum even?
If not you should, maybe ask any questions you have.........probably even help to answer a few. The best way to get to know everyone a lot quicker.........Not too many drop by the newbie section I don't think.

Cheers

JC

 

Shot you a PM SoCal, Volvo 4 Life ~

 

Dang, at least 1 of our mods are welcoming new people into our domain! I'm a Ford fan don't have a problem with them as a matter of fact...everyone has there own preference...don't understand why you bought the s-type biggie if you hate the inside and ford so much there buddy!

Socal welcome and it seems as though you can take sarcasm pretty well...good luck with the rest...you need em to back off a little let them know...biggie and I started out rocky at first!

 

LOL...no problem. I've never gotten into my e-Dad can beat up your e-Dad arguments. I take anything with a grain of salt. Comes right down to the fact that I'm a Jag fan, and I'll more than likely be an owner in the next year or so. And its exactly this type of conversation that I'm looking for. I will take extra time to examine the interior and take that into consideration when choosing a Jag. I think even the highest end luxury lines have gone to some crappy fit & finish options lately. I've been in some Mercedes with a plasticy feel inside. Honestly, I think Lexus is one of the best interior finishes on the market, outside of the supercars, of course. Volvo did an excellent job in the R, but when I took it in for warranty work on the ECU, they gave me a stock S60, and it was like a rental. I hated the interior. All depends on the package I guess.

I've yet to go for a ride or sit inside an S-Type R. I might have to crash a Southern CA meet sometime and take a look-see myself.