Well, after deciding to take the ZGT rebody plunge and selling my 2016 Jag F-Pace (which had p!$$ed me off royally with needing not only a new engine but a month later a new turbo and DPF) I finally purchased a fairly crusty 2002 3.0i for £2.5k which had been SORN'd and left standing outside for a year and a half. It's cost another £1.5k to get running, serviced and MOT'd but I have now paid the deposit on a ZGT Tribute coupe which will be completed by Classiccoachworks in Basingstoke.
I wanted the end result to be as liveable with as possible so I wanted an Auto, 3.0 with air con and cruise control. Well it didn't have cruise but I've managed to fit it which was a remarkably easy upgrade with a switch and interface from the USA.
After I got it home and had a proper look over, I realise it was crustier than I thought and, in retrospect, probably paid over the odds. Buy in haste repent at leisure, I guess.
I am a little worried about the spot welds as it seems that many, if not most, I can see under the bonnet seem to show rust bubbling through. I've attacked many that I can get to with a Dremel grinder and painted with rust killer then satin Hammerite but I can't hope to get all of them which worries me as I have read about the spot welds in the boot giving way eventually, especially with the larger engines.
Also there's no underbody cover which means there's much rust underneath and the underseal is starting to peel and show rusty edges, though the sills were really bad at the front but I think I managed to get to these with the grinder, rust killer and Hammerite before it's managed to get structurally unsound.
Anyhow, it is what it is and as, when finished, it will become my daily driver for the remainder of my driving years I will have to suck it up and get on with it! At least I've saved it from the possible breakers and hopefully I'll be able to provide some entertainment along the way
And this is what I hope it'll look like when finished
I wanted the end result to be as liveable with as possible so I wanted an Auto, 3.0 with air con and cruise control. Well it didn't have cruise but I've managed to fit it which was a remarkably easy upgrade with a switch and interface from the USA.
After I got it home and had a proper look over, I realise it was crustier than I thought and, in retrospect, probably paid over the odds. Buy in haste repent at leisure, I guess.
I am a little worried about the spot welds as it seems that many, if not most, I can see under the bonnet seem to show rust bubbling through. I've attacked many that I can get to with a Dremel grinder and painted with rust killer then satin Hammerite but I can't hope to get all of them which worries me as I have read about the spot welds in the boot giving way eventually, especially with the larger engines.
Also there's no underbody cover which means there's much rust underneath and the underseal is starting to peel and show rusty edges, though the sills were really bad at the front but I think I managed to get to these with the grinder, rust killer and Hammerite before it's managed to get structurally unsound.
Anyhow, it is what it is and as, when finished, it will become my daily driver for the remainder of my driving years I will have to suck it up and get on with it! At least I've saved it from the possible breakers and hopefully I'll be able to provide some entertainment along the way
And this is what I hope it'll look like when finished
