I took the XK8 out to Petersburg again and it ran beautifully there and back. BUT I really need to fix the damn cruise control which was working last time I went. Was to cold to have the top down at 8am but had it down the entire way back and was a very nice trip except for getting stuck in construction traffic for 20 mins on RT58.
If my medical bills leave me enough money after next months check I'm finally going to break down and do the tensioners.
Then the next project after that is replacing the entire stereo as I am very tired of no tunes while driving.



Dave

 

Unfortunate turn of a phrase.

 

Too funny!


Congrats on the trip!

 

Yep and with my luck thats the way it will happen. Even when I do finally get the tensioners done I'm still not sure I'd trust this thing on a cross country trip. Thats my main complaint with the car and other complex cars I've owned is there is always that little nag in the back of your mind when you are driving it that something expensive can (and often does) break at any moment.



Dave

 

The more I drive my XK8 the less I feel that way. This past summer we put over 11,000 miles on the Jag and it was flawless. (knock on veneer) That included a couple of 2000 mile trips. It was a process getting her to that point but well worth the ride.

 

I'm hoping I can get my trust level to that point soon as its my only car and have nothing to fall back on when this one is down.

When I got my '58 XK150 it broke down every other time I drove it. Things like phenolic ball joints literally falling apart etc and of course the curse of LUCAS (I shudder every time I think they wired airplanes also). So I finally replaced all front end stuff with upgraded all metal ball joints etc and spent a couple weeks rewiring the car and eliminating all the "bullet" connectors. After that I drove the car 50 miles to work and back every day for years and no problems at all.


Dave

 

Over many years of driving very high-mileage (and unique) cars very long distances, I have developed a contingency plan that has served me very well in the case of break-downs or precautionary shut-downs.

1. Get Roadside assistance on your insurance policy, AAA or some such coverage to get your vehicle towed (if necessary).
2. Put the national phone number for Enterprise Car Rental in your phone's contact list.
3. In the case of a break-down, call for the tow first, then while the truck is inbound do some research to decide at what shop you want . Make sure your policy allows you to go to the shop of your choice, AND NOT the shop that your insurance chooses, which will probably have no experience with Jags.
4. After choosing a shop and calculating a reasonable ETA, call Enterprise to pick you up at the shop.
5. Explain the situation to the mechanic, transfer your luggage AND HOUSE KEYS(!) to the rental car, finish the paperwork at Enterprise (for a long term rental), and be back on your way.
6. When repairs are done, drive back to Enterprise, drop off the rental and have them drive you back to the shop, pay the mechanic (cringe!), transfer luggage again, and head for home.

I've only had to use this plan a few times in decades worth of long distance driving, but just having "a plan" ready has placed those misfortunate events much less in the "catastrophic crisis" column and a bit more in just the "oh well, looks like we'll miss dinner" column. I've had a break-down with my kids onboard, and even they've commented on the difference between when things happen to Daddy (calm and matter-of-fact), and when things happen to Mommy (NOT pretty - lol!).

Considering that one of the greatest stresses we put on our systems is just "starting them", it's quite likely that failures could actually be MORE likely (i.e., fewer Miles Driven between Failures) on a car only driven ocassionally and only for short distances, than it would be to a cross-country car.

Enjoy your sweet ride. DRIVE IT!!!!
:-D

 

1997 Jag, I would not go more then 30 miles trips much less 300, that baby is ganna let loose on you at the wrong time if you are driving that much/far.

 

I had an '84 BMW 633CSi that I bought in '01 and retired just two years ago. Bought it with 103K miles, put another 120K on it. Over the eleven years I owned it, I never had any hesitation launching it onto a long road trip. Over all those years and all those miles - One breakdown on the road; one breakdown around town.

Preventative maintenance is the key! Take control of whatever variables you can. Other failures will come when they come. Know your car. When something doesn't feel right or sound right - hunt it down and address it asap. My Kitty is laid-up right now awaiting a rebuilt rear hub carrier to be installed this weekend. The symptoms were minor, but I wouldn't let it go any farther. After the fix, she'll be road-trip worthy again! However, your prayers for my transmission would be be most welcome! Molto Grazie.

Just take care of your car, be prepared for maladies, get a good night's sleep and leave the rest to fate/luck/Zeus.

Oh yeh, ....... you can tell I'm REALLY risk averse (...... wrong ). Might have something to do with being a Navy / Airline Pilot for 30 years. (ya think? - lol!!!)

How can you enjoy your car if you're always worried about it breaking down?

OK - I'm done with this Soap-Box. Sorry for the lecture. Ciao Y'awl!