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sounds good to me. have a nice christmas. cheers rod

Honorable other half says a new Cat House would be excellent, particularly as he has been known to spend the odd occasion in the doghouse. An XJ8 wasn't really in the equation, but this one popped up and, aware that they (the X308) are, along with the X300 XJ, beginning to become a little more scarce (in good order) than they were, and buoyed by some quite high prices in the Modern Classic Sales, we decided to add her to the stable to enjoy, fettle to tip-top condition, and, well, keep the other 2 company. We gave up on the Mk2 idea, as we looked at many; some were basket cases, some restored(but badly), and the top condition ones were at astronomical money and well beyond our reach. Add to that the fact that we both are more comfortable with an automatic now, as the left knees are not what they were!! Must say the XJ8 cockpit is a very nice place to be and the ride is amazing, as compared with our S-type SE which is much crisper but not such a smooth ride, and, of course, the XK with the CATS suspension, which goes like it's on tramlines. Fortunately, the timing chain issue for the AJV8 power unit is not present here, as the complete timing chain tensioner/chains etc set-up was renewed just 9K miles ago; ditto for the throttle body and the plastic thermostat housing, replaced at the same time with an upgraded aluminium one. Even the valley coolant hoses have been renewed, thus dealing with the usual AJV8 issues. Reference a recent thread concerning "naming the car"........as per your Black Bess etc.; we now have Myfannwy (the XK), Daffers (the S-type) and the XJ is named Ruby. Might have something to do with the Madeira Pearl paintwork?! Once again, we may be on the lookout for a good sized garage (Cat House) with a house attached. Or a Cat House with a reasonable attic for us! These Jaguars are definitely more involving than, say, a collection of Nissan Micras or, dare I say it, a brace of some of those well-known German makes (other makes may be available). Happy growling

Hi Graham, After staring the car it normally takes about 7 miles to put back the power you have just used, so short runs will take its toll. I do about 5,000/6,000 miles a year, and in the summer I don't have a problem, as being retired we can visit various National Trust and English Heritage properties. In the winter I change the car up once a week, using a Ring Charger suitable for a big battery and with a fast or slow charging rate, I will be doing it for this week in about ten minutes! CTEK is also a good option -- I have the connection in my boot which gives the battery status also. Regards, Peter.