Hey gang,
I've been lurking for quite some time, so I suppose it's time to step up and introduce myself. I'm Wes, 22, and from Louisville, Kentucky. I've been an owner from 16, and an enthusiast since as early as I can remember. Growing up my parents had '74 and '75 XJ series 2 cars which we all loved, for better or for worse.
The '74 was an XJ6 bought in 1989 or 1990, brown with tan interior, and a 350 swap we did due to a popped motor. Bought the car for next to nothing, rebuilt and put in the 350, and mom drove the car for several years. It eventually rusted away and was torn down for parts, and the body was crushed. Looking back, what was really sad was that the car was a short wheel based XJ. I really haven't seen many, and it may have been worth keeping.
As for the '75, well, she's the project car, albeit on the back burner. Again, originally brown on tan, currently has 94k miles on the clock. Suffered from the usual rusted rockers, wheel archs, dog legs, all the wonderful Jaguar areas. My father and I spent years doing the body work... shaving door mouldings, replacing rotted areas with new patch panels, and various other needed repairs. The car currently sits in a garage, primered, no glass, little interior, but starts/runs/drives on the original drive train. It's ready for paint and reassembly if we can ever get around to it.

Enough about those! So, come my 16th birthday, guess what I'm dying for? A series 3 XJ. Bug surprise, eh? Long story short, at 17 I ended up with an '86 XJ6. As for color, take a guess. If you guessed brown on tan, you're right.
Drove it for a couple years until maintainence just became too much. In just those two years we (ourselves!) reupholstered the headliner, all re-veneered all the wood in the car to dark birds eye maple, pulled the motor/trans (engine clean up and minor repairs, had the tranny rebuilt) painted the engine bay, dropped the rear end assembly (and replaced the calipers/rotors, shocks, the works), front shocks/brakes, radiator/fan, and countless relays, valves, and miscellaenous small boxes with various wires protruding from them than I can remember.
Come 2003, I received a brand new Nissan Sentra as a very generous graduation present. I happy drove my new reliable car comfortably for a couple years, until the Jaguar itch needed to be scratched once again. The search for an X-type began.
After about 9 or 10 months of shopping, I ended up with an 02 3 liter auto X-type, Quartz on Ivory. I bought the car and paid for it myself which again I'm greatful for having had the ability to do so. It's thrown a couple curve ***** my way (new trans, gotta love the 02s..) but overall it's been a pleasure to own.

If that isn't enough to classify myself as a Jaguar nut, well, perhaps a stroll through the garage or my room would suffice.. I'm constantly surrounded by Jaguar books, pictures, brochures, keychains, models, coasters, shirts, ALL kinds of things Jag related. Thankfully I feel no shame in admitting my addiction here. I'm sure many others here suffer from the same.

So, I'll try to attach a couple pictures here, and we'll see what happens. I hope to contribute as much here as I have already learned from these pages, and meet some new people. Anyone in the KY area? Anyone?....

Happy motoring

 

WOW........What an intro!
Good write up 310.
Hopefully you'll be around for a while to come and no doubt become one of our more regular and invaluable members.
Get yourself into the "mug shot" thread in the " off topic " section and you can see who's who.......post one of yourself while your at it.



Jim

 

Welcome !
Great to see another cool Jag nut in here

 

AWESOME intro 310! Welcome and hope you stick around for the long haul. Doesn't look like you'll be out of the Jaguar scene anytime soon, so hopefully you will be around. Get some pics up of the 75 xj...sounds very interesting.