Welcome to Jaguar number 3. My prior two Jaguars (here and here) were X350-generation cars, which were the 2004-2009 ones. I found them to be delightful, characterful machines, when they worked (which was fairly infrequently or never for the 2004). When I wrote about the X350 XJ, I mentioned that it was the first XJ with modern proportions, and the first clean-sheet redesign in almost twenty years.
Well, this car happens to be an X300, which is a couple of generations earlier than X350. The X300 lasted from 1994-1997. It was an improvement upon the XJ40, but was superseded by the X308. All three used the same underpinnings and basic bodyshell (meaning that Jaguar had itself a car with 1970s ergonomics as late as MY2003).
Furthermore, this one was a one-year-only special. 1996 was, of course, the year in which all US-market cars needed to support the full OBD2 standard…and Jaguar’s V12 didn’t quite do that. It used a Nippon Denso ECU that couldn’t do continuous emissions monitoring. Since Jaguar was soon to ax the V12 engine and didn’t want to do expensive re-engineering work, it applied for (and received) an exemption from the EPA for MY1996. When that expired, the V12 stopped being sold in the US. The other thing was that 1996 was the first year in which Jaguar sold a factory LWB body. At that point, all Vanden Plas and XJ12 models became LWB, and there was also an XJ6 L model.
In short, 1996 was the only year in which you could ever get a LWB XJ with a V12.
My interest was piqued the moment I saw it. And, as ever, I wasn’t specifically looking for it. But when it popped up on Facebook Marketplace in early August, I had to at least take a look. The car was in Dallas, which was 3 hours away. The seller had stated that it had received a bunch of work done by the previous owner, and indeed it had. The previous owner had rebuilt the steering rack, rebuilt the ABS sensor, fixed the LCD clock, replaced the spark plugs, redone the brakes, and various other things. It presented well. There was actually a YouTube link for the then-prior owner and all the work he’d done.
After getting in touch with the seller —who had been busy— I booked a one-way rental from Hertz and went down to see the car. The cheapest thing, by a substantial margin, turned out to be a hard-worn 2021 Tesla Model 3, so that’s what I got. To say that car was a massive disappointment would be an understatement. I’d driven one before, but not on the interstate. The seat made my back hurt within about 30 minutes and the sheer amount of noise that came into the cabin would’ve put a 90s Saturn to shame. But, after a stop-off at the Tesla Supercharger in Ardmore, OK, the car got me there.
The Tesla charging. The Supercharger network was about the only positive thing I had to say about this Model 3.
My friend Austin (a different Austin than the one mentioned in prior stories) was local to Dallas, and was supposed to be meeting me there to help me look over the car. He’s pretty mechanically inclined and drives a 1996 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur on which he does much of the work himself. But he ended up getting blocked in his employer’s parking garage by a stuck train and couldn’t make it, so I was on my own. The seller was a mid-20s gentleman who’d bought the car for his father, but his father had lost interest in it. They wanted $8,000 for it, and that was lowered from $9,000. It’d been for sale for a while.
When I got to their house and saw the car’s British Racing Green paint gleaming, I admit I fell in love right then and there. I asked them to make sure I got a good cold start, and—true to form—the engine was cold when I started it up. But it whirred to life without incident. While it was still cold, I went ahead and checked the coolant level (fine), and once it warmed up, the engine oil level (also fine). Despite spending the majority of its life in Connecticut until the prior owner had bought it and had it shipped to Texas, it had only surface rust on the bottom. The paint had one or two small patches where the clear coat was failing, and there were a series of tiny, almost-imperceptible dents along the right side. The rear CHMSL assembly, which should have been bonded to the rear glass, was just sitting on the parcel shelf, tethered by its electrical connector. And the coolant overflow tank had a loose sensor, which could trigger a false coolant warning (a common issue on these X300 Jaguars, it turned out). These had already been disclosed by the seller and would be easily remedied. There was also a fat ream of documentation going back to 2002.
Just look at that gorgeous car.
And that interior! (It’d be cool to get the car phone working).
Most curiously, this car had a different grille and rear plinth on it than would have been installed from the factory. The US-market XJ12 was roughly equivalent to the Daimler Double-Six that was sold in the rest of the world. The Double-Six had the fluted silver grille and rear plinth with a gold Daimler “D”, but our US XJ12 had a smooth chrome grille with black vanes and a gold Jaguar “growler.” It was our Vanden Plas model that got the fluted grille, which this one inexplicably had, along with the Vanden Plas’ silver growler. To this day, I’ve not been able to figure out who did this, and it’s not impossible that the original owner had it done upon purchase or even custom-ordered it that way.
The seller, his father and I all took the car for a very lengthy drive, and it behaved absolutely perfectly. Everything worked. The power-everything (including a power tilt-telescoping steering column) did what it was supposed to, the engine and transmission had nary a stumble, the suspension felt smooth, and even the radio was fine. All in all, it was shaping up to be the best test-drive I’d ever done on an older car. The only issues I found were minor: one of the button packs in the center stack was a bit loose, the car needed an alignment, and the position sensor for the gear selector needed adjusting. The latter meant that you had to often pull the J-gate shifter back and hold it there until the “P” indicator lit up, before starting the car. If you didn’t, the shift interlock would think the car was in gear and not allow it to start.
And that glorious 6.0-liter V12 with 316 hp and 353 lb-ft. With a 3.54 in stroke and a 2.76 stroke, this engine is undersquare… designed for high RPM and high power output.
We got back to their house, and I offered them $7,500, which they accepted.
After that, I dealt with the logistics of turning the Tesla back into Hertz and then catching an Uber back to the seller’s house. While I was there, I opened a classic-car policy with full coverage and a guaranteed value. By the time I got back, it was quite dark. I’d gotten both sets of keys from the sellers and parked the car around the block, just to be safe. I got in, put in my tape-deck-to-Bluetooth receiver, entered my destination home into my phone and set off.
I should have known it was too good to be true.
No sooner than I’d gotten onto the highway, the car began acting funny. I got a light on the instrument panel depicting a transmission with an X over it, which I later learned indicated that the transmission had put itself into failsafe mode, which meant you only had access to second gear. And, indeed, the engine was at 4,000 RPMs, not at all normal for a 6.0-liter V12 on the highway. I pulled over and restarted the car, then set off again. It behaved for another 800 feet and then went back into failsafe mode with a CEL to accompany it. At that point, and right as I was pulling into a gas station, Austin called me and asked how my trip was going.
“Uh, not so good,” I told him.
The classic Jaguar transmission failsafe mode light.
Austin told me to check the transmission dipstick, which was something I was ashamed to admit I hadn’t done prior to purchase. The transmission was basically a 4L80E in a Jaguar-specific bell housing. In fact, Austin’s Rolls-Royce also had a 4L80E in a different bellhousing. And just like his Rolls-Royce and just like any other vehicle with that transmission, the dipstick was on the right side of the engine bay, more or less against the firewall. Austin told me I’d better get it to his house so that we could look at it. Problem was, it was on the south side of Dallas, and I was near Richardson.
I got back on the road, sticking to the side streets, when I accidentally found myself back on the highway. At the same time, I got the failsafe light again and saw the temperature needle creeping toward the red. That could well have been because the engine wasn’t designed to run at such high RPM at that speed but could have also been a coolant problem… like a head gasket leak or a bad water pump. I pulled off of the highway and into a church parking lot, but left the car on and the heat on high. Slowly, the needle crept back down to a normal temperature. I was able to restart it and drive it like that, with the temperature on high and all the vents open, and it drove fine. The transmission shifted into all gears and the coolant temperature stayed at normal.
Austin was waiting for me when I pulled into his driveway. He did a double-check of everything he could, and said it looked fine. The only trouble code was for shift solenoid B. And then we went for a drive. The car drove fine, then, even with the air conditioning on blast. We couldn’t get it to act up… not until I looked over and saw the voltage meter, which should have read 14 volts, maxed out. And the battery indicator was lit up. At that point, we decided to park it and I resolved to spend the night at Austin’s house. That said, I hadn’t eaten, so we made a Taco Bell run in the Rolls-Royce, which I got to drive.
His resplendent 1996 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur IV. He calls it “Peppermint Patty,” because it’s white with a red interior.
The next day, we started the car up and noticed that the voltage meter was now reading 9 volts, the minimum, and the battery light was still lit up. There was no way I was driving this car home. I called AAA and arranged to use my one long-distance tow for the year, and booked a different car with Hertz to get me back home. While I was waiting for the tow truck and for Austin to be able to take me to the rental car agency, I pored over the car’s documentation and texted the prior-prior owner, John, who’d left his information. John said he’d only sold the car because he moved to Thailand and expressed dismay that the previous owners hadn’t fixed the few things that were wrong with it. He said he wasn’t sure why it had acted up.
The XJ12 on a rollback, not 24 hours after I’d bought it. This was a new record for me, really.
My rental car home turned out to be a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox LT, which was more comfortable than the Tesla costing twice as much. It took three hours to get home, and the car actually beat me there. Well…it didn’t go home; it went to the local Jaguar specialists I always use, nearby. They called and said they’d received it and that they’d get around to looking at it the next week.
The Equinox. It was either that or the EcoSport next to it. I think I made the right choice.
As for the XJ12, the shop confirmed that it needed a new or rebuilt alternator. This shop never likes to use aftermarket parts, so it was either a new OEM one for $2,200 or a rebuild for $400. Obviously, I opted for the later route and got the car back a week later.
This was my first time filling up the XJ12, and I thought the filler location was cool. Earlier XJs had two fillers (one on each side) and two tanks; you hit a switch on the dashboard to swap between them.
I had a lovely afternoon with the XJ12, driving 40 miles around town to run various errands. Just as I was almost home and coming to a traffic light after exiting the highway, I heard a nasty grinding noise. It sounded like something was dragging along the road. Hee-hee, someone’s hooptie is making all that racket! I thought smugly.
After proceeding through the intersection and 800 feet, my second thought was Oh, my gosh; that’s my hooptie! Fortunately, the Jaguar shop was a quarter of a mile away, so I limped it there in second. It just so happened that the owner (it’s just him and his wife) was available, and he went for a ride with me in it. At that point, it gave one great lurch and then refused to proceed in any gear other than second. It slipped in all the other gears. He told me to take it to the nearby AAMCO and see what they said, as that’s who he used for transmission work.
The XJ12 looking sorry for itself at AAMCO.
AAMCO called me the following Monday and confirmed—rather stupidly, I thought—that the transmission was slipping. I authorized them doing a teardown, when I really should have just sourced a new transmission. At the time, there was only one used transmission on eBay and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find one. But then, that same week, a reputable reseller began offering a used OEM XJ12 transmission for the car for just $1,800, with a 5-year warranty. I could have had that shipped straight to the Jaguar shop and they could have installed it. Alas.
By that point, AAMCO claimed to be $2,000 into the teardown. And they had me come in and showed me what was the worst-case scenario: the planetary gearset had more or less come apart in chunks, wreaking havoc on the transmission. The cost to rebuild the transmission started out at $3,900, but then ballooned to $6,500. And, on top of that, they were concerned about the rusty header bolts and so cut my exhaust off.
The XJ12 up in the air at AAMCO, sans transmission.
The cut exhaust.
It took them over a month to rebuild the transmission. The day I picked it up was the same day my current partner flew into town. He lives on the East Coast, so we’re doing a long-distance thing. I picked him up from the airport, then had him go with me to pick up the Jaguar from the shop. It sounded absolutely glorious with no exhaust on it, but I had no intention of leaving it like that. I had an appointment to get it welded back up the next day.
In the meantime, while it was in the driveway, I could tackle a couple of repairs. I had ordered a used coolant tank with a good sensor, and it was a cinch to swap that in, then top the coolant back up and make sure no air was in the system. At that time, I also went ahead and swapped the silver growler on the front grille for the proper XJ12 gold one.
The replacement coolant overflow tank.
The second repair was more involved. I’d noticed that the warning chimes didn’t work. That was a problem for two reasons: One, I’m a chime nerd and actually enjoy warning/seatbelt chimes when a car starts up. And, two, I’m a bimbo who will absolutely leave the lights on and run down the battery; this car didn’t have automatic headlights. The chimes were actually generated by a tiny 66mm, 0.5W, 64-ohm speaker on the right side of the steering column. I couldn’t find an off-the-shelf speaker like it anywhere in the country and ended up ordering an entire new steering column harness, which came with the left and right turn signal indicators. To do this repair, I had to take off the steering wheel, airbag and clock spring, then swap over the innards. But I did get working chimes at the end of it.
The replacement assembly.
Me installing the replacement assembly, part 1.
Me installing the replacement assembly, part 2.
The next morning, I took the XJ12 to my exhaust guy, the same one I’d used when someone stole the cat off of the 2006 Range Rover. The exhaust was there, but hanging with wire, so I had to be careful. He let me know he wasn’t quite sure if he could weld it in-situ because there wasn’t a whole lot of clearance, but he’d sure try. Sure enough, thirty minutes later, he came back into the lobby and said he’d managed to do it. $100 was all I paid. My first break!
All three of my then-current older cars, sitting next to each other. Of course, as of last week, the Audi is gone.
When Eric’s flight home got canceled and I had to pick him up from the airport, this is how I decorated the XJ12. He was highly amused.
The XJ12 was finally in what I hoped was working order. There were only a few more things to fix. The steering needed an alignment, and something screeched when you had the wheel turned at full lock. Unfortunately, when I took it to the tire shop, they said it wouldn’t take an alignment because the bearings were worn. These could be re-shimmed, but I didn’t have the tools to do that, so back to the Euro shop it went. They re-shimmed it, and also adjusted the power-steering belt to fix the screeching. I’d noticed some residue on the rear differential when the car was up in the air at AAMCO; that turned out to likely be fluid that had seeped out of the fill hole when it was serviced previously, because the diff gasket was new and not leaking whatsoever. And they adjusted the gear selector indication switch, which I’d tried and failed to do successfully. They had the car for another week. After that, I was able to get it aligned without issue.
The XJ12 in the rain, its natural habitat. It’s one of a handful of cars that, comically, just has one windshield wiper that goes across the whole windshield.
That weekend, October 21, I was going to a meet-up in Tulsa (1.5 hours away) hosted by one of my favorite car journalists and with about fifteen other people there. I thought I’d take the XJ12 and see how it did. After all, I had AAA and various other ways to get a tow if it turned out badly. I went the night before, just in case, and was pleased to see the XJ12 acquitted itself without incident. And instead of its usual 12 MPG, it managed 15! Not bad! The same was true on the way home, with nary an issue.
The XJ12. sitting safe and sound in the hotel’s parking garage. Everyone, including my journalist friend, was super impressed with it.
One thing that was starting to get annoying was the cassette-tape-to-Bluetooth adapter I’d been using. Not only did the Jaguar’s tape deck often spit it out because it had a cable that stuck out and kept the deck door from closing… it didn’t actually draw power from the tape deck. It lasted a few hours on a charge and then you had to take it out of the deck and charge it. Fortunately, a really clever fellow in England started a company for retrofitting these older Jag radios with modern technology. His main thing is JagDroid, which gets the touchscreen-era Jaguars Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. I actually had this done to my 2006 XJ. But for the X300, which didn’t have a touchscreen, Ben could only add Bluetooth streaming. I thought that was better than the tape deck, and so ordered a second OEM radio from eBay and then sent it straight to Ben, in the UK. I did that only recently, so I’m still waiting for it back.
The XJ12 came with all the original manuals and even the window sticker. Look at these hand-drawn illustrations. Now that’s what you call detail.
And then, a couple of weeks ago, I had another issue. I’d been lulled into a false sense of security with this XJ12. When I was almost home, I noticed the voltage meter creeping back down below its usual 14 volts, until it finally read 9 volts and then the familiar transmission failsafe mode appeared. I managed to get it home and it had killed the battery enough that it wouldn’t restart. Back to the Jaguar specialists. Earlier this week, they finally called me and said the culprit was the rebuilt alternator. This time, it couldn’t be rebuilt, so they are installing a replacement at no cost to me. They’re out of town on vacation, though, so I won’t get the car back until next week.
The voltage reading much lower than it ought to be.
Back on the rollback. Here, the X5 makes a cameo, as I’d moved it out of the garage in case I was blocked in by the rollback.
In the meantime, I did get my vanity plate for the car. Once I get it back, I’ll slap it on.
“V12PURR.” I like the sound of that. If you’re ever in the OKC area and you see me around, give me a wave!
So that’s where we’re at. The XJ12 has spent more time outside of my custody than in it, but there’s little else major to go wrong. I’m not sure whether the prior sellers knew there was an issue and were trying to get rid of it in a hurry, or it was just my misfortune that it broke two miles from where it was purchased…but I want to think it’s the latter. That’s just how these esoteric, high-end older cars are. A lot of the parts are no longer available (NLA) new and it’s rather specialized, but I think it’s still my favorite car, for sheer presence and character. It certainly gets a lot of attention and compliments. I’ve also found quite a few people willing to help me out with knowledge and experience. John, the prior owner who did much of the work on it, has let me know he’ll want to buy it back if ever he returns to the US from Thailand, but I’m not sure I’ll let him. At this point, I’m in it for way more than the purchase price, and it’s a rare collectible. Unlike other problematic cars I’ve had in this series, it’s actually worth keeping.
Man, I always wanted an XJ12 or XJS but I always stayed away fearing exactly the sort of chronic troubles you seem to be having. Hopefully it’s just growing pains and you’ve got everything sorted for trouble free cruising going forward….
*That* is the hope. But if not, it’ll be an adventure.
Nope! No ‘growing pains’! UK cars are CRAP! While they are nice to LOOK at, they fall apart continuously! That car will siphon every last penny from you, not to mention your precious time! It’s NEVER-ENDING BREAKDOWN and FIX-IT time for you, so get used to that! $280.00 for a hose should be your FIRST warning! I’ve known this since the 1970s! Unless you are a BILLIONAIRE, you would be wise to SELL it and get as much $$$ for it as possible…ASAP! Ask me why I ride an ebike now, at 70 years old! It’s 72 volts, and averages 55 kph. The only maintenance co$t is a new battery every 3 years and replacing brake pads every few months. E-vehicles is the future for us!
Despite all the troubles: Finest Sedans ever.
Agreed. I love it.
Congratulations with one beautiful car!
Compared to the X350, this one with the lower lines is (much) nicer to look at. Which has its disadvantages – less interior room, smaller luggage compartment. And being steel it is heavier which might or might not have effects on roadholding. Not that this is a sport car of course.
“In short, 1996 was the only year in which you could ever get a LWB XJ with a V12.”
The older series 1 XJ was available as SWB and LWB, the S2 was always LWB. So, a SWB V12 is the rare model. I once looked at a beautiful yellow SWB V12 S1 to buy – but I was too scared of the difficult ignition system (and the 4 carburettors!).
I have grown to become fond of the previous model to your car, the XJ40. Which is a little shorter at the front and the rear. Many Jaguar lovers dislike this model with the rectangular head and rear lamps. For me, it just has a better side profile and none of that “retro” vibe that the X300 has (just a little).
Back to your car, what a car. I hope you can keep it for a long time and that the positives weigh up against small problems. It is so much better to look at compared to the other luxury cars you had.
Wow, thanks for the info!
I actually know that dark red X300 XJ12 (technically the XJ12 is “X305,” but it’s part of the X300 range) with the ENE plate. Someone put me in touch with the gentleman who owns it, who was a major help in figuring mine out. His is a SWB and therefore a 1995.
This was a very enjoyable read.
One quibble – the caption under the photo of the engine says that the stroke is both 3.54″ and 2.76″. I think the first should be bore, not stroke.
If so, the engine is oversquare, not undersquare.
Correct on both!
Another great story which I am glad I did not have to experience myself! This would be my life if I were single, though, I am sure. My wife would never stand for these expensive random events/failures.
Yes, my adventures are definitely those of an unmarried man. Someone who was married would make more practical choices, or be too busy with their children to fool with this nonsense.
L0L I agree 100%! Owning a USED car is time-consuming, not to mention $hekel$, but you will LEARN to be a ‘mechanic’ soon enough! In my youth I spent many hours ‘under the hood’! FF 50 years, and my view from my living room shows an old beat-up, rusty Chev pickup, but there is also a nice vintage green Mercedes sedan parked on the far side of it that I get to see when the truck is gone! I Googled this… Do you see a ‘trend’? https://www.topspeed.com/most-reliable-european-cars-you-cant-ignore/#bmw-4-series
I really love reading your adventures, Kyree! You have a lot of gumption and resolve to be tackling these older luxury cars but you do it well. The BRG on this one is just stunning.
I am so glad I found one in THE color to have. I’ve always wanted a BRG Jag.
It is said that the line between genius and madness is made of gossamer, and thus, what one person might consider the former, another might call the latter.
To refine that idea for older (or posher, and not-so-old) cars, you’d be mad if you did, and jealous if you didn’t.
Well, I’m jealous, over the whole course of this series, and very pleased for your madness, because it means both that we hear these exotic tales and also that these crazy old snob-mobiles get to stay on the road.
You, sir, replaced a steering column to re-engage a buzzer most would gladly have had deleted. Actually, scrub that: you replaced a steering column on an XJ12. You merit a special place in the pantheon of classic car enthusiast greats.
I sincerely hope that the still-beautiful Jag returns your devotion. It is historically likely that it shall not, but when it comes to old lux and the brave who go and buy them, that might be the point. Try me, they say, so you do.
Either way, all power to you, and to your cars.
Yeah, I suspect most people would’ve been happy not to have the dinging, but I need all the warning I can get on that car if something starts acting up.
I’ve had 20 yr old $800 US beaters that were more reliable… not as pretty though.
There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap German car, except for a cheap Jag!
And I wouldn’t even call this one cheap. Cheap would be other X300s, which can often be found for around the $3K mark.
Kyree you have endless patience and likely good bank to confront these cars in their Grey hair days! I too fell for the XJ Series, before the retro look disappeared. My version is a 2001 XJ8 with enough Ford DNA by that time in the marriage to inspire a modicum of confidence in its driveability. So far, so good at 100,050 miles on it. The service records that were with the car at purchase did the trick for me, especially the timing chain work on the 4.0 engine. The ONLY thing I miss is a glass piece in the sunroof instead of the cop-out fabric covered metal slider. Otherwise, a great cruiser and so unique in the last of the breed.
I didn’t realize the metal sunroof carried forward into the X308. I suspect that, with vertical space at such a premium, Jaguar didn’t have the space to install a piece of glass and then a rigid sliding cover under it, and a soft one may not have provided suitable insulation.
Still, for that and various other reasons, someone buying an XJ in 2001 or 2003 was definitely making a choice.
I’d rather have the metal. I would either get sun in my eyes or annoying hot glass near my pointy uninsulated head, or both, so I close the shade with the glass.
If they both went on the test drive with you without a tailing vehicle, then maybe they didn’t know the puss was already sour. I don’t see how they could jury rig a failing alternator with modern diagnostic systems, but someone probably can.
CarMax sold me a DTS in 2013 whose driver’s side heat would turn cold after 15 minutes. I had wondered why they’d sent it from Michigan to Florida to sell, but didn’t make the connection until long after I’d paid them to bring it northward. I finally replaced the blend actuator last summer after taping over half the heat vents for 8 NC winters and wearing thick wool socks on rare long trips to Yankeeland. A parts company (TRQ) made a youtube showing how to fix it without tearing down the dash, but their mechanic worked skillfully with the lighted camera and didn’t have to shove his head under the dash for two hours.
You certainly don’t procrastinate!
That is one thing I have thus far avoided having to do…take a dashboard completely apart (knock on wood). What a fiddly and time-consuming job! And there are several, several vehicles where you’d need to do that if the heater core died or began leaking.
The paint looks great, but in the shot with the gas filler you can see the surface scratches one would expect with 27 years of age. Buy a good ($200+/-) orbital polisher from Amazon and use this, you will be amazed at the results after two or three coats. Hand buff with microfiber towels. I use this (or similar products) on the metallic black Range Rover, as well as my car which is a medium blue grey paint. Makes most surface scratches, swirls and small chips disappear. Note of warning: use plastic or latex gloves, it will tint your skin and fingernails just as well.
Yes, the paint could use refurbishing. That’s a good idea. Only thing is, the clear coat has failed on a spot of the hood and looks set to fail on the trunk lid. This is honestly a car I’d pay to have repainted.
The XJ40 was introduced in late 1987, so I’m not sure why it would have had 1970’s ergonomics. I recall the instrument panel and controls being pretty snazzy when I drove one of the first ones delivered to the East Coast.
Because the XJ40’s engineering began in the early 70s—and was delayed consistently because of things like British Leyland’s woes and the OAPEC oil crisis—and the hard points were set in the late 70s. I had written a whole section on the lineage of this basic chassis, but had to edit it out for brevity.
Sit in an XJ40, X300, or X308 again…and you’ll understand. It’s a very height-challenged car.
The tech was indeed snazzy, but it was soon eclipsed by other cars, chiefly the E32 7 Series, W140 S-Class and original LS 400. Like I said, anyone who bought one of these cars by about 1993 was making a specific choice.
In the late 80s, when Jaguar had shed some of its reputation for unreliability, I sat in a lightly used XJ6 for sale when I was in the market to replace my Turbo Sunbird (which I sold to my brother, who promptly killed it). Fortunately for my finances, the seat cushion was too small for my long legs, because I’d fallen for the shape when one dropped off some kids in 8th grade. They seemed to be even lower then (early 70s), and probably were.
My 2001 XJ8 in my favorite colour (Brit spelling!). It didn’t take on my prior post. Hope it works this time. I added thin WSW Continentals which this age of car deserves.
but there’s little else major to go wrong.
I could argue otherwise, but for your sake I certainly hope that’s the case.
Your dedication, abilities and willingness to commit are laudable.
Laudable or laughable?
Those qualities are clearly laudable. I didn’t include judgment in that list. 🙂
Seriously, I am impressed, and very happy to see these stories written up here, as I’ve never had a real inside look into what it takes to deal with all these cars you’ve bought. It’s been quite the ride you’ve taken us on.
First impression reading you got a V12 – was, “Man, that’s a real fuel-thirsty ride.”
But after reading through all your adventures and all the shop time your car experienced, it seems that you didn’t have all that opportunity to spend a lot on (premium) gas.
Keep it coming, love your stories!
As for your question on whether any of this predated your ownership, all I could imagine during the description of your test drive was the silent prayers that must have been streaming from the minds and hearts of the sellers – this would be whether they knew about the problems or not. “Please work, please work, please work” – it seems to have worked for them.
The transmission situation is maddening – I always wonder about the choice between a unit rebuilt elsewhere and one rebuilt on-site. You have to wonder about the relative experience level of both rebuilders, and therefore the quality of the results. The wide cost difference seems interesting for what is, essentially, a US unit that a shop in your area should have had much experience with.
Of the many things to be thankful for in my life, one is that I am not lured by cars of this kind. If I were, I could imagine approaching them much as you do, fixing even the little things to make them right.
I’m always impressed with your fortitude and humor in these articles; hope you have tremendous success with this Jaguar. Having always wanted one myself, you’re providing a great deal of vicarious enjoyment. Best of luck for reliable motoring to come.
I used to have a cassette deck to AUX-in adapter used mainly to attach a portable CD player back then. This one did draw its power from the tape deck, and constantly made whirring noises as the reels spun around to move tape that wasn’t there. Sound quality was quite awful too, even though I tried two different ones from reputable brands like Sony. I would rather had have one that needed a newly charged pair of AA batteries every three hours than the background noise generated by the adapter, which I think worked like a tape-winder-powered generator to produce a power supply. Curiously, I could barely hear any noise from the cassette deck when it was playing actual cassettes.
The in shop rebuild is better because the shop will stand by the repair and deal with any issues under their warranty. If you source a rebuilt or used transmission they will usually not cover any labor required for repairs to the unit. Maybe a dealer that works with a company like Jasper, might have a warranty arrangement with them. That was the overriding factor for having an in house rebuild of the trans of my ’07 Mustang. That cost me 3,500 bucks, a bargain compared to your Jag. I found a known. good used transmission from a Jaguar specialist and swapped it out myself for my XJS.
As I have said before Kyree, you are a brave man!
My ’97 X300 XJ6L was actually pretty reliable, and I used it as a daily for a year and a half. Only needing minor fixes and a radiator. I even drove it to Washington State for a vacation. These are really beautiful cars, every person that sees it, will agree. It was one of the most satisfying cars that I ever owned.
I only sold it because of some frustration with getting the front suspension rebuilt and because I wanted to devote more time to my XJS. I ended up bailing on the XJS a few months later. You have to make a real commitment to own these cars, it is a process. I once referred to it as an adventure and even a romance. If you can keep up with problems and fix them when necessary, you can have a satisfying relationship.
Jaguars on a roll back. This could be the topic for a very long thread, and a delight of Jaguar haters! Mine always brought me home, though I didn’t take the XJS too far! Good luck with the Jag.
Ahhh sounds like my Lincoln LS. It was a love-hate relationship for 5 years. I finally sold it this summer and I thought I would be really sad but I haven’t thought much of it. I have a new growing pain. I will do a write up on it soon. Nice Jag though. I want a 08 XJ Vanden Plaas edition in mint condition however.
I would love a 2008 or 2009 Vanden Plas.
Thanks for that insight into Jaguar life. It really helps to be able to do the repairs yourself. I am afraid changing spark plugs and emptying the ashtray is as far I get with the home maintenance. May I ask if this kind of effort is usual for this model? Some maintenance is to be expected. Coventry seem to have built in an unusual number of traps for the unwary in this car. By coincidence I have a copy of UK´s The Autocar 24 Feb 1993 with a review of the V12 XJ40. They compared it against the Mercedes 500 SE (why not the 600 SE?). The Mercedes was lambasted for its exterior size and praised for its spaciousness. The Jaguar was lambasted for its lack of interior space but praised for its svelte looks. Hilarious.
Wow this one looks really sharp .
I read ’12 cylinder’ and immediately began to wonder what it’s like to whip .
I too like all the little fiddly things to work, you’re a good care taker of this fine car .
I’ve had elderly British cars, all were small (the BIG one as a MK II MGB GT) and IMO, one you get them properly fettled they’re fine .
Certainly no worse than my beloved old Mercedes W123’s, they’re not money pits but they -do- require constant touching .
Motorvate happily Sir ! .
-Nate
This was one of the most intriguing things I’ve seen in ten or so years of reading CC:
“…drives a 1996 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur on which he does much of the work himself. But he ended up getting blocked in his employer’s parking garage by a stuck train.” (Was the train British-made by any chance?)
Until read this: “ … we made a Taco Bell run in the Rolls-Royce …” Though I did once go to Jack in the Box in a friend’s Lotus Cortina. Just before it overheated.
Priceless.
Oh man, this is giving me flashbacks to Jag ownership! Just when I think you can’t possibly get a crazier car, boom, along comes a V12 XJ! You sir, are an exceptionally adventurous human being!
That said, it’s a lovely car, and here’s hoping the teething troubles have worked themselves out and that you’ll have many miles of cruising ahead.
Great insight into older Jaguar life. All big cats need a bit of TLC and this seems to have found a good keeper and friend.
The single wiper on these was a personal choice of Jim Randle, Jaguar’s eng director for the XJ40 and a Citroen fan, as a nod to the CX. The J gate gear selector is also sometimes called the Randle Handle.
BRG, V12, tan leather, some wood – purr is the word!
Hi Kyree
I have a 96 xj12 and spoke at length to John Baker when I was planning the rebuild of my front suspension. He had put in all new front bushings and balljoints so I’m surprised to hear there were issues. He also put a shift kit in the transmission, not sure how wise that was based on what you’ve subsequently experienced. I’m on jag forums and have my car pretty well documented there.