Please, please,please let me get what I want sometime.
I went and had a look at one of these last week. It was a 1994 Jaguar XJS with 40,000 on the clock. Priced at £9,995, I was sorely tempted. I couldn't really have afforded it, but I almost convinced myself that I could with a series of spurious arguments that didn't hold water:
- It's an old Jag, it's bound to become a classic and appreciate in value.
- If I keep it in the garage and only drive it on dry days it won't rust (not much anyway).
- I can get one of those classic car insurance policies and the premium will be low
- The petrol consumption is really quite reasonable for a huge V12 engine.
I let myself sleep on it overnight and allowed sanity to prevail:
- Each new tyre will cost £220. That's £880 every 20,000 miles.
- If the front cross member rusts it will cost £1500 to replace.
- It has more electrical wiring than a Boeing 747. Bits of it are bound to fail.
- an annual servive will be £500 minimum.
- The petrol consumption will regularly be eight miles to the gallon.
So I didn't buy it.
I've always liked my old Jaguars. A proper louche cad's car that sits low and wide on the road. The new Forduars are a bit souless for me, even if they do build them so that bits don't drop off at regular intervals.
Maybe I'll have a look at one of the 4 litre, 6 cyclinder ones. They can do up to 28 mpg. Then again, maybe the whole ideas daft. There's something a bit chest wiggish about driving around in enormously long cars that only seat two people, even if they do 150 top whack. I suppose I could get a Ford Ka instead.
7 comments:
She's a beauty Sir.
I'm afraid you left out the argument -
"I can't afford not to buy it"
Plus, if you crashed it and died, the orbit in the paper would read - Garfer - died in his Jag.
Class.
Go back and buy it immediately. It's big enough to live in afterall.
'Garfer dies in Jag while indulging in jamboree with PJ'. Yes, it does have a certain ring to it.
I'm still humming and haing but I think it will have to be next year. Finances will be more favourable.
Garfer - it's like deciding to have a baby - it's never a good time - get it now!
Thing is, I bought a new Mazda last month. My bank managers already giving me Paddington hard stares. If I buy the Jag he'll have a hissy fit.
yeah...but just think how good you'll look driving it!
Yes, that's a point. The only drawback with driving a car with a huge bonnet (hood) is that people assume that you may be deficient in....er....other areas.
Look for one with an LPG conversion, 30p a litre. You know it makes sense.
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