THE PERILS OF LIVING NEAR THE COAST

[robv12]

I have just saved from the crusher a 2000 XJ8 3.2 , 100K miles, drives well, has an mot remarkably, but lived less than a mile from the coast, possibly the rustiest X308 I have seen, and I have seen a few!!. any one wants parts pm me please

[BrianG]

That's a shame, it's looks otherwise in good nick and a nice colour. It's usual to get rusty outer wings but I'm surprised it got an MOT with all the serious corrosion around the suspension point reinforcing on the inner wing. When I got rid of my old girl the corrosion had set in on the usual outside (wheel arch) reinforcing plates but had not come through like this one appears to have done.

[robv12]

To be fair mot is nearly out, that is why it ended up here, no chance of ever getting another one, but hopefully parts will live on in other cars

[PeterDavisX300]

Hi Rob

How are the chrome waist trims? Mine are getting a wee bit 'powdery' inside and beginning to force the chrome strips out of the ends. They're tricky to get off without damage especially the fronts, having to remove the door-mirrors. I'd be interested if yours are good, but they would need to be very good because I'm considering buying new ones for mine. I will be down past yours a t least twice during summer!

Peter

[J44EAG]

Some might remember the V-reg X308R I made the mistake of buying a few years ago. Immaculate met black body work that would have not seemed out of place outside 10 Downing street. Not bad inside either with an estimated 395k miles covered. As for the underside, that was another matter. Kept for the vast majority of its life at Leigh on Solent down here on the South Coast and covering 50k miles a year for the first four years of its life, this car had the worst under floor and chassis i`ve ever seen when up on the ramp.

A crumbling rear A frame which you could pull lumps out of with your hand, almost none existent longitudinal sills to floor pan, two strips of rot, one under the drivers heals and one across the drivers rear seat mount, the classic holes on the front horizontal chassis legs, nothing left at the front of the sills to the rear of the front wings and extensive corrosion in the front suspension turrets. That was just the bits i could see! What else had reverted to nature and could not be seen can be left to the imagination. In short, having seen the condition of this car up on the ramp at Jagcare in Portsmouth, it caused John to exclaim "Where has this car been? Up in Scotland?"

That one was certainly a rot box and must have suffered a salt water swimming session to get that bad. The last I saw of it was being loaded onto a Poland bound transporter after I placed it on ebay for spares or repair. Hopefully someone had a good body shell into which all the decent gear from my disintegrating 308R could be transferred.

It is a huge shame to see such beautiful cars ending up in such a state. The X300/308 is in my opinion a wonderfully proportioned and balanced car. I`d say prettier than the X350 which superseded it. Maybe the ali body of the 350 will last a bit better than some of the 300/308 models that we now see denigrating so badly.

Mike K

[robv12]

Hi Rob

How are the chrome waist trims? Mine are getting a wee bit 'powdery' inside and beginning to force the chrome strips out of the ends. They're tricky to get off without damage especially the fronts, having to remove the door-mirrors. I'd be interested if yours are good, but they would need to be very good because I'm considering buying new ones for mine. I will be down past yours a t least twice during summer!

Peter

horrible, white , crumbly and swollen, that said feel fee to call in on your way by, kettle is always on if we are in, 07747 130139, call before to check

[robv12]

this car is slowly dissolving, be quick if you want any parts as it will be gone soon, there ARE some good parts, I have just posted pics of the worst stuff!!
I needed a used caliper for another car, amazingly this beast gave one up, but these are the pads that were contained within and the inner wing corrosion I found while doing the job