Davie's french attraction.

[daviemck2006]

Its a 4.0 litre v8

[Michel]

It's a Range Rover or a Lexus.

[daviemck2006]

1999 e39 BMW 540i

[Michel]

1999 e39 BMW 540i

Nice motors Davie, now that I would travel to buy

[daviemck2006]

It's in geordieland right now, we are meeting somewhere in the middle on Sunday. I certainly couldnt afford the running costs of it for a daily, but it will be a toy for a while. I hate 3 series and would never buy one of them, but I have had thoughts of a 5 for quite a while now. I always thought it would be a 530D probably touring, but I have always wanted a v8 of some kind too. The v8 was going to be in a rover sd1 though! The present owner is selling as he has changed his commute and needs economy, and amongst the type of car he said he would consider was smallish diesel estate, so the 307sw is just what he wants. I think it will soon need a clutch/DMF, the guy knows this and is not worried about it. The last thing I wanted was to get a garage to do a clutch for the 3rd time on different motors within 6 months. I'm quite looking forward to the 540, according to all I have read on them the e39 5 series is supposedly the best 5 series.

[white exec]

You should have fun with the V8; a long time since I had one (a P6B 3500S), and do sometimes miss that V8 burble and whoooosh.

[van ordinaire]

Obviously I like V8's (blame a misspent youth subscribing to Hot Rod Magazine - still want a hemi, preferably in a Road Runner) but the only BM's I considered were 7-series (they were all metallic fawn, all right, champagne) so I got my 1st XJ40, then when circumstances changed, an 840 (because the V12 has a bit of a reputation for poor reliability). Because the Cadillac Northstars are transverse FWD they don't seem like real V8's, so I'd like another "proper" one, I've move from BM's, so (said Road Runner aside) a blown & injected Jag V8 ticks all the boxes, then again the original Tatra 603 has always appealed - or a GAZ 66 camper. Sooooh, an XJ308R is actually quite practical or, at least, attainable.

[Gibbo2286]

This is the only V8 I've had in my hands, apart from the trucks of the time.

Also my first accident when one of these came the wrong side of the keep left signs and hit the company's three months old A40 pick up head on.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fo ... &FORM=IGRE

[daviemck2006]

The V8 has arrived. It's slightly unloved looking, needing a good wash and scrub up, but what a car! It's by far the quickest accelerating car I have owned, but then I'm used to diesels of 1.6 to 2 litre or a 1.0 petrol. Comfortable and refined at 70 on the dual carriageway between Dundee and Aberdeen and overtaking power is awesome when passing slower traffic once on the winding road from Aberdeen to home. Behind lorry at 45mph, floor the throttle, instantly passed and up to seriously illegal speeds. I can see this thing getting me points on my licence if I'm not careful.

[white exec]

Look forward to some photos, Davie.

[Zelandeth]

Very much remember that impression the first time I borrowed my old flatmate's Jag.

That and the discovery that flooring it at 50mph would reduce in a kickdown which would light up both rear tyres even on a dry road in a straight line. That woke me up quite abruptly the first time I went for an overtake on the A96 just past Kintore!

[daviemck2006]

Photos in its unloved state will be taken if it is dry tomorrow so I have a record of how it is before it gets a going over. It will have to be doing with the local Polish roadside wash and hoover place with its severe traffic film remover they use, until it is warm enough for me to do it properly. They do not get near my Leon. It has a ceramic coating on it which will get damaged by them. The ceramic coating is the best thing I ever got done to a car. It just needs a hose down with the pressure washer with clean water, nothing else.

[Zelandeth]

There's a guy local to me who does that ceramic coating thing, have heard good things about it, so the Jag may well get that tested on it when it arrives... it's black after all!

[daviemck2006]

Well as you know the Leon was a damaged repaired car when I bought it. There was little bits of overspray and the whole car, apart from front wing and bumper was covered in car wash swirls. Too much for me to sort out, and the worst colours for showing it are red and black, and the Leon is solid red. I have pics somewhere I can dig out and show. So I got a local guy whose business is valeting and detailing and doing other stuff to cars to sort it out. He had to wet sand it in some bits it was so bad, he reckoned that it had been through a roller washer every week of its life. In all it cost me £500 but the car came ba k as if it had been totally resprayed, and in the 9 months since I have never done anything but hose it.the effect is wearing off now, the guy told me it would do and to keep it do a top up coating once a year which will cost £50. It's worth that to me for a car I am keeping and that I need next to no effort to clean. He said to just hose it, but if I did want to wash it use a good quality wash n wax, use a micro fibre mit to wash it and a micro fibre towel to dry it. No chamois leather, they remove the coating.

[daviemck2006]

Theres a before and after of the bonnet to show what it did for the car