A new game... Post pics from your cel phone V.1.0

[BruceK]

Is it?

[MPlayle]

So, where were you running around to find that one?

[BruceK]

So, where were you running around to find that one?

Saw it on my run to Austin last Sunday. It's on a road we've traveled before going to COTA, north of Wimberley.

[BruceK]

Who knew the Europs could get a big Jag with a 5 speed manual?

[MiniDave]

I knew, but my remembrance is only with the 3.6 motor, not the 4.0. Getrag 5 speed. Not available in the US tho....

They also made a VERY limited number of XJS with the 5 speed manual for the US, I had a coupe for a demo for about 6K miles and I loved it as I had my E Type then too, and it just felt like a brand new version of that car, but modern of course. If only it wasn't $50K+! And that was in '92....

They even made a very few (50?) convertibles with the 5 speed and 4.0 6 cylinder, great combination. They never offered the stick with the V-12 here, tho.

[MPlayle]

I was at the same British car show where Bruce spotted the 5-speed Jag.  I had my new toy there.

[BruceK]

Nothing lasts forever. My 14 year-old Optima Red Top AGM battery in my Mini finally kicked the bucket a couple of days ago.

It was still performing fantastically and I had no plans to replace it. That battery lived in my daily-driven (at that time) R53 Cooper S for five years and then I transferred it for another nine years of use in my classic Mini.

Electrically it was doing great as it was pretty much constantly on a battery maintainer. I unhooked it to work on my fuse box and when I was reinstalling a battery clamp, the negative terminal just snapped off. 

Had that not happened I think it would've lasted another several years at least. I've heard the quality has gone down on Optima batteries, but they sure used to make good ones.

[cstudep]

Yeah I wouldn't waste your money on a new one. They once were great, when production moved from Colorado to Mexico the quality took a hit, but once Johnson Controls sold them off several years after that the quality took a huge hit.

Interstate are also not what they used to be and i believe most are no longer made in the US. I have been buying Deka batteries of late, they are supposedly pretty good, I have not owned one long enough to know yet but they are US made.

[94touring]

I wonder if you could tap and die that terminal?

[BruceK]

I wonder if you could tap and die that terminal?

The thought definitely occurred to me. But it was already 7 o'clock in the evening when it broke and I had a big car show to go to the next day. Plus the battery was already 14 years old so I decided just to get a new one quickly. 

[BruceK]

Here's a photo I took of my Mini on the way to the local All British car show early Saturday morning. Just noticed the price shown on the big sign in the background shows $2.37 a gallon for regular. I don't remember gas being that low for a long time. Probably won't last.

How much does gas cost where you live?

(By the way, for our Canadian friends that's about CAD$0.90 per liter.)

I'm lucky that gas station also sells non-ethanol fuel I like to use in my Mini, but unfortunately it's not as cheap at $3.21 per gallon.

[94touring]

2.47 here today. It's been steadily coming down all year.

[MiniDave]

I paid $3.67 for non-ethanol premium last time I filled the Mini, two weeks ago. We only seem to fill the two Audis about every 2-4 weeks, so it's not a big drain on the finances and I haven't been there recently to see what it's at now.

Plus too and also, the Audi's only hold 13 gallons dead empty and I rarely get even 5 in the Mini.

[BruceK]

I paid $3.67 for non-ethanol premium last time I filled the Mini, two weeks ago. We only seem to fill the two Audis about every 2-4 weeks, so it's not a big drain on the finances and I haven't been there recently to see what it's at now.

Plus too and also, the Audi's only hold 13 gallons dead empty and I rarely get even 5 in the Mini.

The non-ethanol gas here is only 90 mid-grade. But the Mini and my lawnmower seem to work well with it. 

I'm guessing your Audis take only premium, like my '02 MINI. Those Germans. I'm not a fan of that.

The difference in price between regular and premium is usually quite large, often 60 cents more gallon. Put 12 gallons in and you're paying $7.20 additional for that fill up.

[MiniDave]

Don't I know it, every car I've owned for the last 30 years takes Premium. I don't even pay any attention to the price per gallon anymore, it would just piss me off. The good news is our miles are down so low that like I said, it's rare to fill up more than once a month on either car, and also rare to put in more that 8 gallons or so.

Benefits of a modern car that gets incredible mileage for what it is, and the fact we're not driving much any more.