Your fleet running reports

[Sundayjumper]

Probably similar power, maybe less even than the Alfa!

Times have moved on - both Aston and the Ferrari are giving away over 100bhp to the Alfa Quattroformaggio.

Although the Alfa does it by cheating and using turbots

[V8Granite]

The Aston Vantage V600 had a seperate caliper for the handbrake as it had fancy hydraulic calipers that couldn’t use a handbrake mechanism.

Dave!

[GG.]

Probably similar power, maybe less even than the Alfa!

Times have moved on - both Aston and the Ferrari are giving away over 100bhp to the Alfa Quattroformaggio.

Although the Alfa does it by cheating and using turbots

That's true. I believe your Vantage also made over stock on the dyno IIRC? Coasters 996.2 GT3 made 400+ didn't it?

I'd like to pop back down again sometime and do the GTS and see if it makes 424 as its supposed to or if Porsche have been fibbing again. Maybe you could take the 360 down?

[jamcg]

I seem to also remember that one production model road car had a double caliper set up for brakes (not handbrake) but I can't for the life of me remember which one now.

Maybach 62

See also old Rolls Royce silver shadow

[Sundayjumper]

I believe your Vantage also made over stock on the dyno IIRC? Coasters 996.2 GT3 made 400+ didn't it?

I'd like to pop back down again sometime and do the GTS and see if it makes 424 as its supposed to or if Porsche have been fibbing again. Maybe you could take the 360 down?

You have a very good memory ! Yes, it made 382.7 at Surrey Rolling Road, vs. 380 factory spec. Strictly that's "over" I guess but there's such a margin of error on rolling roads I'm not going to get hung up on it It's healthy, that's the main thing. Or was healthy at the time on... 28th April 2018.

I feel old.

Not a bad idea to take the 360 down there too. It should be 395 bhp (400 ps - but I've seen it misquoted as 400bhp). It wouldn't take much for it to be slightly down vs. the Aston. It's had a harder life and has done way more miles.

Coaster's GT3 did 403bhp. I remember there being some other punters there with normal cars, getting excited that they were close to 200, then Coaster rolling in, always the quiet unassuming chap he was, recording over 400, then we all went to Costco for hot dogs

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[Sundayjumper]

We possibly have a fix on the Disco. I possibly fixated on manifolds and ignored what was right in front of me. I'm possibly an idiot.

I'd had a general look at the top of the engine already, it's a horribly messy mess of pipes and cables, I'd noted oil in the vee near the oil filter between the manifolds (oil cooler connection being a popular cause of leaks) and oily residue all around the general area, but didn't think about it beyond "I'll clean that up some time". I fixated on the manifolds being the problem.

This morning I happened to watch some Youtube videos by "LR TIME". Very good. A German couple who do lots of fixes on Discos and Range Rovers. Sehr gut. I watched one about a Range Rover with what was believed to be a turbo actuator problem, the chap did a lot of analysis, rebuilt the actuator himself with a stronger spring (including machining new parts), and it eventually turned out to be some loose noise insulation partially blocking the air intake - fixable in about 30s for zero cost That video led onto another video of theirs when a friend had just bought a Disco and took it to them for a check over. One of the fixes they did was on the inlet side of the throttle body where boost hose connects, and often if it's been removed for any reason the incompetent main agent spanner f**kwit will fail to put it back on properly because there's a hose very slightly in the way and you need to shove it into place quite hard to make sure the securing clip actually secures it.

Oh look. Wonky. All that oil sprayed over the top of the engine was probably coming from here.

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Very simple job to take it off, clean it up a bit and put it back. It even looked as though it had been hitting the fan. There's an identical notch in every blade. The BOOOOSSST pressure must have been pushing it quite a long way off the throttle body ?

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I've only been for a shortish drive but that joint was very obviously leaking and the uphill drag near here that would reliably cause it to go into limp mode didn't. I'm hopeful.

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[Rich B]

i’d rather be an idiot with a 30s fix than the alternative!!! result!

[John]

Very satisfying fix hopefully

I've had something similar on the Mondeo bike wagon. It has been using a very small amount of coolant so I started simple and removed the expansion bottle to check it for cracks. None found but since refitting it I've had zero coolant usage. I can only guess that when the timing belt was replaced earlier this year one of the coolant pipes wasn't totally home, a couple of them are very small and a bit fiddly so I'm hoping that was the cause.

[DeskJockey]

Very satisfying fix hopefully

I've had something similar on the Mondeo bike wagon. It has been using a very small amount of coolant so I started simple and removed the expansion bottle to check it for cracks. None found but since refitting it I've had zero coolant usage. I can only guess that when the timing belt was replaced earlier this year one of the coolant pipes wasn't totally home, a couple of them are very small and a bit fiddly so I'm hoping that was the cause.

What engine does it have? The Ecoboost range is known for coolant usage.

[mik]

sounds hopeful @Sundayjumper

[John]

Very satisfying fix hopefully

I've had something similar on the Mondeo bike wagon. It has been using a very small amount of coolant so I started simple and removed the expansion bottle to check it for cracks. None found but since refitting it I've had zero coolant usage. I can only guess that when the timing belt was replaced earlier this year one of the coolant pipes wasn't totally home, a couple of them are very small and a bit fiddly so I'm hoping that was the cause.

What engine does it have? The Ecoboost range is known for coolant usage.

It's the tdci diesel engine built by Peugeot I think and seems pretty reliable *touches head*

[DeskJockey]

Very satisfying fix hopefully

I've had something similar on the Mondeo bike wagon. It has been using a very small amount of coolant so I started simple and removed the expansion bottle to check it for cracks. None found but since refitting it I've had zero coolant usage. I can only guess that when the timing belt was replaced earlier this year one of the coolant pipes wasn't totally home, a couple of them are very small and a bit fiddly so I'm hoping that was the cause.

What engine does it have? The Ecoboost range is known for coolant usage.

It's the tdci diesel engine built by Peugeot I think and seems pretty reliable *touches head*

Yes, I haven't heard any horror stories about the diesels in that regard.

[nuttinnew]

Good luck both, it sounds hopeful

[Sundayjumper]

I have a load of music on a USB stick in the car and just have it on random play all the time. The other day White Zombie’s “Welcome to Planet Motherfucker / Psychoholic Slag” got truncated and it felt like the car was just reminding me of the annual pain of owning a Land Rover

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[DeskJockey]

[Sundayjumper]

In turn, reminding me of this cracker from my old 530d:

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[Matty]

Quick QV update after 6 months and after a jaunt upto the Lake District.

It's an incredibly capable car. Fully loaded car and 500bhp still doing 38mpg is impressive. Very quiet, very comfortable, seats are great. I still absolutlely love how it looks, the incredibly quick steering and the anytime, anywhere power.
My main issue (which was highlighted when, at 8pm after a very very long day and drive home from the LD, I realised I'd forgotton something and needed to drive 1-hour round trip to go and get it so didn't hang around, as it were) comes from the fact that it doesn't have enough drama. No intake noise, muted exhaust (even with valves open) and the engine is, if anything, too smooth. Harry said in a video it 'lacks that last 10%' and he's right. An H-Pipe might be an option, but the exhaust noise isn't that great anyway due to the turbos (so I've been told). Busso V6 this isn't.

I can see why everyone loves these as daily drivers - but I do wonder if a well specced Veloce with 280bhp wouldn't be 90% of the car, with 20% of the running costs while basically looking identical.

Picture just because. While this seems like a negative review, it isn't. I still think the car is brilliant, but - as mentioned, lacks that 10% when you're in the mood.

[Sundayjumper]

I have to be honest - your updates always come across as trying to persuade yourself you love the car, rather than actually loving it and gushing about it.

I felt that way about my M3s. Very fast capable etc but - perhaps because they’re a souped-up regular car rather than a ground-up sports car - they’re missing a certain something.

[mik]

It's an incredibly capable car. Fully loaded car and 500bhp still doing 38mpg is impressive.

It's pretty astonishing - imagine what you would have returned in your not-that-much-physically-larger, 411 bhp VXR8 on the same trip. 25-27 maybe?

Sounds like a fantastic daily, but.... you are still keeping your eye on Evora 400's aren't you?

[integrale_evo]

Needs big snorty cone filters and a pair of noisy dump valves for all the whooshy hissy turbot goodness