Hi everyone,
I’ve been a member of this forum for around 16 years now since I bought my first XJ8 Sovereign in 2009. Since then I’ve had a few different X308s with my last being a 2000MY XJR which I never really bonded with and was glad to wave goodbye to when someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The reason I never bonded with the R was, and this may surprise you, it wasn’t my 2002 3.2 Sport aka Jessie Jag.

Jessie was a special car to me and I put a lot of work into her which can be seen on this thread and in other posts around this forum. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...vation-166459/ However, because of some problems I was having at the time I sold the car in 2019 and instantly regretted it. She was probably the best example of a 3.2 Sport in the country, maybe even the world when I sold her. After my renovations she led a pampered life with me and the paint was so good you could literally shave in the reflection.

A month or so after selling my problems were unexpectedly resolved and I contacted the buyer practically begging to buy my car back but he wouldn’t and I had to reluctantly accept she’d gone. Fast forward six years to a couple of weeks ago and I received an email from the “new” owner telling me he was buying a new car and the dealership he was buying from wouldn’t take the Jag off him and did I want her back. I was there as soon as I could be, but I was confused why the dealership would accept her as a part exchange as they are now officially classics.

When I arrived I got my answer, simply put I was horrified! In six years and 30k miles he’d managed to destroy my once beautiful car. Her body is covered in dings and battle scars, the bumpers have definitely been bumped, the paint is ruined and clear coat has been scorched, he’s not kept the arches clean so corrosion has had it’s wicked way and my once immaculate SVO real leather sport interior was dirty, scuffed and in places ruined. I was almost in tears. But her core was still strong, all the preventative measures I’d taken had worked. Her chassis is good, transmission and engine still strong and despite all the abuse she still smelt the same. I had to have her. So I lowballed him an offer which he accepted and 5 days later I brought her home, smiling all the way.

So for now she’s just sat in my barn patiently waiting for me to have the time to start sorting her out. But the main thing is she’s back safe and it won’t take too much to bring her back. She may have the smallest engine, she may well be slower than my Volvo, but she’s a car I built for me and together we had lots of adventures. Hopefully we will again!




Front wing corrosion, there’s a hole in this now where my finger went through it.

Clear coat destroyed and corrosion creeping through.

Clearly the parking sensors weren’t any help to him. corrosion creeping through below the taillights too!

This is what happens when you don’t keep your wheel arches clean.

 

STUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU ...good to see ya back with your favorite gal. She's a bit rough, but like any true love she should clean up quite well with some TLC. Very sad the PO was such an inconsiderate sod to such a nice automobile, absolutely disrespectful care.

 

It’s a very strange thing about the previous owner. He lived on a busy road through a village in Cheshire and the car was street parked, which is why her body has suffered. She’s been bashed by parking accidents, clipped by passing vehicles and likely peppered with salt from passing vehicles and gritters in winter. Plus I don’t think he was a particularly good driver either and it looks like he’s used a Brillo pad to was her with.

But despite all that he’s spent almost £5000 ($6800) on maintenance and garage bills. To be honest a lot of the work has been done by the garage for the sake of doing it, basically scamming him a bit. They’ve also carried out work that I’d already done like changing the gearbox fluid or changing the thermostat tower, both things I’d already done to future proof the car but they did it again and charged him crazy prices.

Anyway, glad to see you’re still here Highhorse!