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New Member Area - Intro a MUSTNew to Jaguar Forums? Drop in and tell us about you, your ride and location. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the forum.
Greetings fellow Jaguar affcianados! I'm am so pleased to have joined this forum, although I put the cart before the horse and posted a question before realizing that first, an introduction is required. Regardless, it is fantastic to be among enthusiasts.
My car of interest has always been the XJ40 because of my age. As beautiful as the XJ6 Series 1, 2, and 3 are, they seemed a bit common growing up and if you can believe this, I took them for granted. The 3 is my favorite of the original. I think of it as the one time when a facelift was an improvement over the previous models; of course this is open to dispute, but I only share my perspective here.
But I remember waiting what seemed like an eternity for the XJ40 to be introduced Stateside for the 1988 model year. I wasn't aware it was in development since 1972; I only started following it around 1984 or 1985 in the UK car magazines sold at my local drugstore's magazine stand. I remember well the spy photos of the XJ40 win hideous disguise testing in the Arizona desert, and the photos of the car in Northern Ontario. I know the XJ40 doesn't get as much attention as other XJs, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the values are so depressed that these can be one of the biggest collector car steal there is.
Jaguar really never made a car that doesn't appeal to me, with the exception perhaps of the X-Type.
Again, very pleased to be here among friends, and thanks for any help and camaraderie along the way.
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Thank you for the welcome, Jim. I very much like your motorpool! The XJ6 Series II models in the US always seem to have a Chevrolet engine conversion. It's not something I would do being someone who likes vehicles as original as possible / bone stock.
And the XE! Such a beautiful color combination! I greatly appreciate Ian McCallum's work on the XE and XF models especially. I find the interiors of the current vehicles to be the right balance of style and simplicity. They truly reflect modern British design.
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Enjoy the forums.
Graham
Thank you for the words of encouragement and directing me to these forums. I gleaned most of my pre-purchase information on used XJ40 models from the jag-lovers website prior to buying that car, but of course there always remains maintenance questions / issues, etc. The great thing about the XJ40 is that it is like not only finding that your dream woman is beautiful, but smart and talented as well. The XJ40 not only is jaw-dropping gorgeous to me and I can look at it constantly seeing something new each time, but the vehicle is robust and built to a high standard of excellence. Again, many thanks, Graham.
Hello Jerry in the previous message and Elinor in the earlier message,
Many thanks for the welcome. Actually Jerry, I purchased my '93 XJ6 a year ago. It was a 35 year wait as I admired these when they introduced in the USA when I was in high school. I fell away from car interests for a period and then started to gravitate towards cars as they interested me from childhood. I started researching XJ40 models on what to look for in a good one, and came across the right one (right condition, etc.) last year. I wasn't really even in the market, but after years of research, I knew it was time to pounce. The car is magnificent, I am so used to this type of car from that time period, and though I don't feel like it is old, it feels a bit of a time warp in modern traffic with taller trucks AND cars. Added to this the autonomous features on cars that have people driving one car length behind at 50 still makes me uneasy. Regardless, I love owning it.
I see you have lots of experience having owned two. The '66 looks like great fun.
Our wet climate combined with liberal use of road salt in Winter brought an early rust death to most XJ40's in the UK. My 1989 XJ40 had replacement bonnet, luggage compartment lid and sunroof panels by the time it was four years old. USA examples don't appear to have such serious rusting issues and Australian ones just go one forever.
This was mine on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans in 1992. It's a public road for fifty weeks of the year.
In those days the Gendarmes turned a blind eye to speeds well in excess of 100 mph but things are very different now.
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It didn't occur to me that road salt was much of an issue in the UK, but of course you are in the North according to your location (Durham). I also presumed that the rust would more likely be on the sills. As I am in the Northern USA where road salt is used from November to as late as April, local examples driven in snow are not in the best of shape. Fortunately there have been many cherished models that have been coddled and driven only in nice weather, or in my case I stumbled upon an an example that spent most its life in Arizona. As someone pointed out to me, it is so dry in that part of the country that airplanes are stored there.
I can't find photos of the sunroof panel or the boot lid but here's the bonnet. Once it started to show, it rapidly got to this stage:
These early ones had a lot of body and electrical problems because they were rushed into production. Your AZ example should be entirely rust-free but the leather could have taken a pounding in the sun.
I can't find photos of the sunroof panel or the boot lid but here's the bonnet. Once it started to show, it rapidly got to this stage:
These early ones had a lot of body and electrical problems because they were rushed into production. Your AZ example should be entirely rust-free but the leather could have taken a pounding in the sun.
Graham
I love the Solent Blue and Westminister Blue. Those colors and Signal Red seem to be the colors that I would prefer had I been offered an option. Mine is white, which seems to have been pretty common in the USA for whatever reason. From my perception, a white XJ40 gives it the look of a wedding car, but how can I complain?! The car checked all the right boxes in every other regard, so I have no legitimate reasons to complain. Yes, one of the deciding factors in buying was its previous dry location. The driver's seat had some cracking, but I have treated it with the Connolly Hide leather food and it cleaned up very nicely. The rest of the interior looks excellent. I suspect the car was garaged / kept out of the sun as much as possible because there are no issues with the clearcoat, and one of the knowledgeable people at a repair garage believed that the paint and bodywork are all original (of course about three or four "dings") and the undercarriage has the original undercoating. That's what I wanted to hear!!!! And as you mention it, if the leather is in rather good condition, I would think it was kept out of the sun as much as possible and / or properly treated.
This '93 fit the bill because I thought it best to start with one of the later models where most of the irritations were eliminated. A 1994 model with its larger 16-inch wheels would make my life easier in finding proper tires whilst still maintaining originality, but I can deal with that. Actually I like the look of the pepperpot wheels best.
I took a long hike today, and briefly engaged in a pleasant and civil conversation with a gentleman who has a lovely 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. I was asking him how he dealt with it in modern traffic, and he was saying how he has to watch out for other drivers. The year 1993 doesn't seem that long ago, but between the changes in automotive technology and people's behavior in general as well as behind the wheel, driving this car requires some true vigilance to "protect her honour"!
I don't want to say "never", but I honestly can't imagine parting with it. I have told both my sister and my nephew that they can fight over it. I think they are the only ones in my extended family who would treat it as well as it deserved.
Thanks for the photos, Graham! I am very fortunate not to see any sign of that on mine. My sister was looking it over one day when I first acquired my XJ40, and noticed a small brownish streak near the left front wheelwell. The urged me to address this "rust". It was a big relief to learn from the repairman at the garage that it was probably tar or tree sap, and that using a clay bar / surface lubricant would remove it. That did the trick! A big relief it wasn't rust and and easy "fix"!
New member from New York State
