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When I'm Cool

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Eric Carmen said:

WI like the Bentley GT and they're supposed to be coming out with a cabriolet version this year, but I suspect that one will also be in the $200,000 price range and I'm just not goin' there. A BMW Z8 is a possibility. I've entertained the idea of an old Jag XKE Series 1, as well. The only problem with the Jag would be that the Lexus has spoiled me with all it's creature comforts, and the Jag was engineered in the 60's. The new Jag's aren't bad but they seem a little bland to me. My brother just bought a new Mercedes 500 SL. Great looking, but Mercedes quality control has been lacking in recent years. I owned SL's from 1978 to 1998 and they were darn nice cars. Then there's the BMW 650 ic. Kinda cool, but the back end looks like a Camaro. I don't know. The jury's still out on this one. :blink:

I also have had SLs on and off for the last 10 years. I just got rid of my 2003 SL, which had many shaking issues, and things got loose too quickly, including the drive train. I just bought a 2006 last month, and it is night and day from the 2003. Very tight (they claim they have elimitated 65% of the loosness. how they got such an accurate percentage, well .... anyway, it IS better), and the electronics are much improved.

The Jag is nice, but after you go hardtop convertible, it's hard to go back.

The new Bentley cabrio will be early to mid 2007. I put a deposit just in case it is really nice. They are only supposed to be $20-25,000 more than the coupe. But, I am number 84 :D ! at Beverly Hills Rolls - now they are up to 150! Who knows how long that will be!

PS Tony -- that Citroen was one of the most interesting styles for a car ever ... kind of Frances answer to the Beetle -- both broke the mold of common car design of the times.

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Eric, it's a shame you had such an abominable experience with the Jaguar XJ6, but, from the timeline of your description of cars owned, it sounds like you experienced the wretchedness of owning the a 'Series 2' XJ6 which encompassed the time of Jaguar's worst quality control period, during which, among other things, Jaguar was taken over by British Motor Holdings Group, there were many strikes & work slowdowns, & jaguar had a very difficult time making their cars run well under the rigorous emissions guidelines in the US set by the EPA.

Now, if you were to have purchased a Series 3 XJ6, from 1986 or 1987 model years, your experience would be quite different.

I live in Southern California, I have a '86 XJ6 in 'cirrus grey', my wife has a matching '87 in 'crimson'. I bought the '86 ten years ago, the '87 six & a half years ago for my wife's birthday, and believe me, we've had no serious problems with either car.

I also have a 1967 Mark 2 sedan, but that is a real 'weekend hobby car' but even so, I bought that one in 1989, & no horrible surprises ever befell us.

The Mark 2 achieved brief fame several years ago when my car was used for the photo shoot on the cover of the Boney James 'Ride' cd. If you still consider the possibility of the series 1 XKE, you are well situated to own one. They appaear in Hemmings Motor News & ebay regularly, and Cleveland is not too far away from Steubenville, Ohio, home of Welsh Jaguar Enterprises, a great source for all the parts you could ever need. (no affiliation.)

My good friend Ira whose posts you've probably seen on this site visited us several months ago, & I'm sure he'll vouch for the enjoyable-ness of the classic Jaguar experience. When he was out here, we did plenty of 'driving around.'

By the way, in January 2005 Ira & I met up in Chicago & caught your January 15th gig at the House of Blues…fabulous!! If you need more info on classic Jags, let me know…

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Kirk,

I could imagine the stories you'd tell based upon others I've heard from Jaguar owners. I'm not saying they are as maintenance & attention free as most of today's modern imports, but in most cases problems were the product of insufficient attention, no indoor garage space, or living in the 'rust belt.'

Many new products have come on the market to enhance the reliability of these older cars while not disturbing their original character. My Mark2, for example,no longer has the points & condenser under the distributor cap. No sir, these items have been replaced with a 'modern' electronic ignition which fits hidden under the distributor cap & rotor, but which allow the car to start 'first time every time.'

The Lucas prince of darkness hasn't visited our series 3 XJ6's because the factory fuel injection & ignition systems were designed by Lucas in conjunction with German Bosch. Whatever Lucas might have gotten wrong, Bosch corrected....

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That was my favorite Cadillac of that era. Based on the 1976 Oldsmobile Omega Brougham sedan (which I owned), the Seville had some classic lines which still look good today (if you can find one in decent shape). Kirk.

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  • 4 years later...

A four-year bump for one of my favorite threads.... Where else can you read about Eric's earliest cars: a "gutless turquoise Corvair" and a "black Thunderbird that my brother dubbed the 'pimpmobile'"?

Back when this thread was current, in 2006, my daughters were 7 and 4 and I was mainly driving a "Mr. Mom" Dodge Sport Caravan :wacko: .... Four years later, I'm still driving that minivan, but not really embarrassed about it — at least not as much as I was at first. It's roomy, nice sound system, great CDs (the best of my Beatles, Beach Boys, World Party, Raspberries, and Lennon and McCartney collections), and I can keep it as cluttered as I like. And it's paid off. :-)

That said, maybe it's time to get a mid-life crisis car.

Or, I suppose, a hybrid would be in order....

And what are y'all driving these days?

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My wife and I insisted that both of our kids (19 and 16) drive Volvos, which they do. An EMT client of mine told me once that he has worked may bad wrecks where the only people walking around at the scene had been in a Volvo.

My wife and I both drive s-type Jags, with the high compression V8s, of course. Mine is jet black with 19 inch wheels - street cred, ya know. I catch a lot of crap from friends because I set my driver's seat back at a shallow angle. It's more comfortable - and angry spouses of clients can't get a good angle on me!

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raspathens said:

My wife and I both drive s-type Jags, with the high compression V8s, of course. Mine is jet black with 19 inch wheels - street cred, ya know. I catch a lot of crap from friends because I set my driver's seat back at a shallow angle. It's more comfortable - and angry spouses of clients can't get a good angle on me!

Aww raspathens...you are totally gangsta and have much street cred!!

So do you roll like this?

:cool:

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Great thread! I currently drive a 2010 Chevy Suburban. It's great for road trips(which we do each summer),pulling the camper and hauling band kids & Girl Scouts!

We also have a 2007 fire engine red Chevy Impala that my husband drives back & forth to work. He's still waiting on getting his truck though(they do come in handy).

HT

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I missed this thread first time around. Currently we have a two week old Camry, an '07 Camry and an '08 Sienna van. Last year I got rid of my beloved 350Z convertible Booyah-mobile...and have been looking for a replacement since. I miss the convertible during the winter nights in SW FL.....still don't know what to get/afford. My oldest daughter starts to drive in July (Oy Vay). I'm making her partially pay for her car (of course I've hired her this year to earn some extra scratch). I actually miss my license plate....see below

BooyahCar.jpg

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