Going to look at an XM tomorrow - any advice

[messerschmitt owner]

Good luck with your inspection - I hope the owner has remembered the keypad code!

Ken

he does have it ...

he mentioned the last time he tried to put a battery on and the car screamed at him (loudly) so he knows he needs him in the car to punch the numbers and me connecting the battery to get it up and going.

How does one prime the pump on the epic cars?

[xmexclusive]

I suspect that there is a risk of dissapointment here.
Its current value in the garage is nil.
The owner thinks very differently about its value.
Why else would he have kept it for so long.
Round here the scrap man might collect it for free but most likely would ask for £20 to get it out of an akward place.
Getting it started and out is the first stage in servicing it.
His local garage would most likely charge £80 (2hrs) labour and probably £80 for a new battery.
Doing that for free just adds value for the owner.
That will also reinforce the owners view of its value.
Try the "it will go to an enthusiast and be saved" line.

John

[messerschmitt owner]

I suspect that there is a risk of dissapointment here.
Its current value in the garage is nil.
The owner thinks very differently about its value.
Why else would he have kept it for so long.
Round here the scrap man might collect it for free but most likely would ask for £20 to get it out of an akward place.
Getting it started and out is the first stage in servicing it.
His local garage would most likely charge £80 (2hrs) labour and probably £80 for a new battery.
Doing that for free just adds value for the owner.
That will also reinforce the owners view of its value.
Try the "it will go to an enthusiast and be saved" line.

John

John

at the end of the day, I am not too bothered - I certainly wouldn't be buying a new battery to get it out - it'll be the 095 out of my motorhome, borrowed for the occasion. If I pay to shift it, that's going to be £100 plus cost of buying, whereas, started and day insured and booked for an MoT at my local garage round the corner, I can get it home for the use of a battery and £15. I don't want to spend real money on it as I know it's not worth it. The above also assumes the brakes aren't seized on or the clutch isn't sticking. I'm pretty decided on what I think it is worth - and if I don't get it, I don't care too much. It looks too good to break, and I don't need another car! Mind you, I don't want to see it lying much longer - it's already been in that garage for more than a third of its life.

Would we all rather see it on the road - course we would, but that requires the following:

tyres all round
timing belt/water pump
full service
brakes checked over and probably replaced
almost definitely a set of suspension spheres

There are some niggly things that need sorted - the sunroof tilts but doesn't slide so will need a good clean, plus whatever else needs sorted.

As I said, I showed him a £600 XM - taxed and tested! A result would be it back on the road and if he decides to do it himself, I'd actually help a bit - after all, I'd rather see it on the road than scrapped.

[kenhall]

How does one prime the pump on the epic cars?

There is a small bleed nipple on the pump - I would connect a tube, open the nipple and use the squeezy bulb to flush the old diesel out of the lines and filter. It will also prime the built in EPIC transfer pump. It might also be worthwhile to crank the engine for a spell before entering the code just to get some oil pressure and circulation.

Ken

[andmcit]

Before condemning the car for things it needs listed like tyres, brakes and belts bear in mind
these would likely be things you'd want to do first off upon the purchase of ANY new to you car
and something that is done as a rolling service upgrade in the 'honeymoon' period of your ownership
- the fact this car is more likely to need these things doing sooner rather than later shouldn't
be used as a beating stick...

Yes, in the end a result would be seeing it running again with yourself, the current owner or anyone
else here on the forum; I'm sure many here would hate seeing a car like this going to scrap.

Andrew

[messerschmitt owner]

Andrew

I'm not condemning it - just stating that all these things need done (and more) - I agree wholeheartedly about the rolling service but to roll, this one needs a few extra things done (battery, tyres all round) to it and after a five year lay-up, my thoughts are that I wouldn't want to spend any money till I'd had a couple of weeks of use out of it so that I could judge what else it needed. In its present condition and position it is worth scrap and I wouldn't invest in a battery for it till I knew it was going to be a worthwhile proposition and to know that, one has to start it and drive it. Ordinarily, we'd buy a car with some tax or test, and could run it while doing the work - not starting, stuck in a garage, this one is a major recommission with money being spent on unknowns that you cannot check until it is out of there.

I'm determined to see it out of its garage and back on the road though - that's the priority, I feel. Doesn't matter to me if it is me, the current owner or someone on here who does that! I hope that to get it out of the garage would take an hour - but if it shows major signs of brakes seized on or clutch seized then it is almost a non starter, if you forgive the pun.

I guess when buying I'd like to be a pessimist but be optimistic once I own it, if that makes sense.

Campbell

[Peter.N.]

Look forward to hearing the results.

[andmcit]

I guess when buying I'd like to be a pessimist but be optimistic once I own it, if that makes sense.

Sure does - there's less scope for being disappointed! I always say there's a fine line between between pessimistic and realistic!

Andrew

[jorgy]

My clutch was slightly sticky when I bought it -with a couple of episodes of severe stickiness happening a few 100s miles later, i.e. u almost couldn't pass the gears-, but after that it gradually totally sorted itself and I now flick the gears with the fingers -that's 5k after-. Lucky?

cheers
G

[Dieselman]

My clutch was slightly sticky when I bought it -with a couple of episodes of severe stickiness happening a few 100s miles later, i.e. u almost couldn't pass the gears-, but after that it gradually totally sorted itself and I now flick the gears with the fingers -that's 5k after-. Lucky?

cheers
G

Mine is sticky and slips if I don't use the car but the more I use it the better it gets. A week ago I couldn't provoke a slip at all, then on Saturday after a week laid up it was slipping under full load for a bit, then after the run to Warwick it was back to being perfect again.
I think that if a car is idle for a long period (years) and especially if there is an LHM leak into the bell-housing the clutch gets a bit impregnated with oil so slips, but the heat dries it out so it is OK until laid up again.