Greetings!

I'm an import mechanic (mostly German), long admired the looks of Jaguars, only recently considered getting one. While shopping for an E38 BMW, a seller happened to have an X308 I got to drive. Well, that sure threw a wrench in my works! I'm quite on board with the looks, the general feline theme, and the purpose. It's the only car I can think of that simultaneously has a handbrake, a suspended front subframe, and a steering rack (as opposed to a recirculating-ball box, which is the turd in the ointment when it comes to many BMW, such as my E34 pictured below). It suggests I'm on the same page as both the designers and the engineers, which means a lot to me.




Some homework later, I decided an X308 is a bit too rounded on the inside for my eyes, and the Ford parts a bit too obvious (gauges, switches), so I settled on the object of my dreams - a black on black X330 (X300 LWB) - only to have them shot down for lack of examples; I found two for sale in the whole US in the last few years, neither recently. Are they really that scarce? I'm certainly able to swap interiors, but I can't find one of those (except SWB XJR) in any color body.

The ideal find for me would be an immaculate body and interior, with everything else destroyed or missing, and priced accordingly. Why do I specifically want a lawn-ornament-grade example? Because I have the skills, resources, and inclination to 1. do a full suspension rebuild right off the bat, which has become my Standard Operating Procedure for any older nicer car, 2. go through the rest of the car piece by piece, electrics in particular, and sort it out to my liking as both user and maintainer, and 3... hopefully this doesn't ruffle too many feathers here... perform a powertrain conversion using a Mercedes OM606 turbodiesel currently on a pallet in my shop, and a 6-speed manual trans on its way from Europe.

I'm eager to hear comparisons of the X300 to any Merc or BMW of similar vintage, especially E32, E34, E38, W126, and W140.

I also have technical questions for anyone with an X300:
Are there a proper Electronic Parts Catalog and wiring diagrams that don't require a subscription?
Do LHD manual pedals exist?
Do any XJ40 or X308 interior parts fit an X300?
Could anyone provide the following engine and enginebay dimensions:
- length between firewall and radiator
- length between trans/block seam and subframe
- height between top of subframe (or top of rack, whichever is higher) and bottom of oilpan shallow section
- height between bottom of oilpan shallow section and top of engine
- height between bottom of oilpan shallow section, and bottom of deeper section or bottom of subframe, whichever is lower? Or height between bottom of oilpan deeper section and top of engine?
What are people using for suspension parts that appear to be NLA in genuine form, shocks and control arm bushings in particular?

I'm a regular on Bimmerforums, and an occasional on BenzWorld, TDIClub, YotaTech, 4BTSwaps, the Mazda Diesel board, DelicaClub, and others I'm forgetting at the moment. I hope to join you all soon, with something more substantial than the schemes and wishful thinking that're all I have for now.

 

Welcome to the Forums.

I also like the X300, and the LWB down here are counted on one hand.

I suggest a re-ask of that list in the X300 Tech Section, where answers and info will be plentiful.

Good luck.

 

I have a '97 XJ6L and I never realized how rare these models are. They do have a lot of rear seat legroom, almost like a limo back there. Critics will complain about the higher roof line and longer rear doors. I've never gotten the chance to ride in the back seat so I suppose that the standard wheelbase models would suffice for most people. These look very classy in white. Good luck on your search.

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums moroza,

Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

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Hello,
Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!!!

 

Welcome to the forums.