Welp, it finally happened. Driving the XJR up the mountain the other day, just after a short hard rain (so the roads were extra slick from the grime and oils rising up but not getting washed out from long rain), and pushing the throttle way harder than I should have, probably not thinking the most clearly... Rear end went out on a left-hand curve, oversteered, and nosed me into the inside of the turn, and onwards into a guard rail... Slammed the front/left quarter in and mostly bounced, then caught a bit of the back/left quarter and taillight for good measure as I rotated away from the guardrail. A completely preventable accident if I had minded the conditions and driven calmly, not like a hothead.

Casualties: front bumper and bumper shocks got pushed rightwards pretty hard, and the front/left area behind the headlight got pushed back slightly, so the radiator carriers and inner wheel well on that side are slightly closer towards the engine... Front/left skirt cover got ripped off completely. Bumper shock mounts partly torn (and noticeably in areas where a past accident repair was done). And some dragging and long dent across the rear/left and scratches/cracks to the taillight.

I wasn't hurt, my friend came up to calm me down and follow me as I drove it home, mostly okay except for some wheel rubbing. Suspension and engine seemed unaffected as far as I could tell, no leaks or damage like that. That being said... I don't think the damage is justifiable to repair, considering the condition of the rest of the body, past accident history, mileage on the car, etc... So I'm not really sure what the future holds for it. Maybe a partout makes the most sense, I don't know yet, still processing the situation and have a lot of other things going on at the moment.

I guess the lesson is, mind your mental state, and respect your vehicle and the roads you're on.

 

I’m glad that you’re ok and that’s what matters most. It’s of course sad to hear about your car. Sometimes it is difficult to drive level headed whether it’s from another driver’s conflict and/or life’s other factors on your mind. I to have learned this lesson…

 

Glad you were not injured. Maybe tlme to start looking for another XJR. Assuming you have collision coverage, it would be of interest to know what your insurance offered for a totaled vehicle.

Maybe buy this one back for parts.

 

That's a bummer for sure. As the others have said, glad you're ok. Cars/things can be repaired/replaced. It's much harder to do that with people.

 

We are sorry for your loss. If the car still drives straight and otherwise
operates as intended, it could be repaired if you can find another parts
car that has what yours needs...or vice versa.

 

Glad only metal parts were dinged, not you. There are still a fair number of XJRs out there. Heck, I think I've seen a couple within the past few weeks in our area. Best of luck getting this sorted out.

 

Sounds like scrap. I did similar with my XJ40, it seemed to drive ok to get it home but closer inspection showed the inner wing had buckled further back too mean the front wheel was about 1" too far back.

 

If you end up deciding to replace it, mine may be available.

Sorry to hear about your incident but glad you're ok.

 

Appreciate the kind words from everyone. I don't think I'm planning to replace it with another xjr at the moment - declining parts availability etc has me a bit hesitant to keep up with these old cars... but we'll we what the future holds. My living situation wouldn't work with buying a second xjr and keeping this as a spare parts car in my lot either, unfortunately...

I've also had my eyes on a first gen Panamera GTS to itch the scratch of a fun sports sedan daily, so hopefully that works out well... I'll be travelling to hopefully buy it this weekend.

Finally, because everyone loves a bit of carnage, here's a few photos of the damage... I'll try to get more detail stuff of the bent frame when I have more time.

 

Glad you’re okay even if the XJR is not.

If’s not a Jag but I always thought the Panamerica a worthy successor to the underappreciated 928, particularly the late GTS version...

 

I was expecting a lot worse from your description of the crash.

 

Subject to frame being bent, this looks repairable. But likely in excess of vehicle's worth.

 

There is probably a lot more there than the pictures indicate.
If it were me, I might consider a X308 with engine or tranny
issues and do a swap.

 

I bought a 2001 XJR with similar front end damage and a rear bumper needing refinishing. Body shop estimate was over $4,000. I used the Asteriods and the interior for my swap project. I've sold about $6000 in parts off it and still selling a part every other week. Engine with 105K miles went for $2750.

 

That's great...if you have room and a place to park it while it gets
picked apart. I would have to put up with significant grief while
attempting to part out a vehicle onsite.

 

Unfortunately my living situation doesn't lend itself to doing a drivetrain swap as such... even the partout may be a bit tricky, I'll need to pull all the high value parts myself somewhat quickly and then push the rest off to a yard or maybe a buyer. Also means I can't really sell suspension or wheels, gotta leave it as a roller so it can be pulled onto a flatbed without much headache.

This is an interesting idea, though pulling the engine would be a bit involved... was that price for engine complete (including SC, throttle body, accessories)? I was thinking to take the small parts off it and leave the rest, even though it's a solid engine, but i mean if there's interest...


Few more photos, maybe it's not terribly damage, but the left crush tube is definitely buckled in a bit, and there may be further damage I'm not aware of... and I'm not sure my heart is in it to go into the depth of figuring it out with this car at this point.

 

See if a junk yard will buy it; if there is any insurance money, find another. (Maybe reverse order: find a new one and pillage the old cat for newer kit!).

 

.
That was for fully dressed engine (PS, Alt, A/C, etc). I see you're in Maryland. I've bought from a Jag salvage yard in eastern PA. Guess they could give a better price than your regular salvage yard even considering transportation. PM if you want their info.

 

nilanium,

As others have expressed, I'm thankful that you were unhurt.

The photos suggest that your car could be repaired, but it would certainly take a lot of time and effort.

The Panamera GTS is a fine machine with the added benefit of all-wheel drive... :-)

Cheers,

Don

 

Just north of Hagerstown, across the M - D Line (Greencastle?) there is a huge auto auction. Might find one there. Not sure if you need a dealers' license to buy.