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Mark Peter's Jaguar Ownership Thread
Hi, I'm Mark and I live on the Wirral, close to Liverpool in the North West of England. I'm the proud owner of a 1982 Series 3 XJ6 and, until recently, a 2000 XJ8 3.2. Two days ago, the XJ8 left my ownership and was replaced by a 2001 Daimler Super V8. The life of that car in the hands of it's previous owner Chris ( @c16rkc ) in his car ownership thread:https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-thread-256490
First, I don't know how to link to a specific post in another thread so here's what I wrote yesterday about buying the car in the "What did you do to your X308 today" thread:
Originally Posted by markdpeter
(Post 2608769)
Yesterday after breakfast, I drove through the Mersey Tunnel and up the M62 across the Pennines to Leeds. It was a comfortable and relaxing final journey of a little under 100 miles in the 2000 XJ8 3.2 which I've owned for almost exactly 12 months after buying it from Mike Brewer on his Wheeler Dealers show. At Leeds station I handed it over to the lovely new owner - Momi - who had travelled the 50 miles from Goole, situated on the River Ouse in the East of Yorkshire. He's got a great bargain. I've lavished time and money on the car and recovered a fraction of it - such is the way of the Jaguar owner.
The purchase of the XJ8 was a bit of a wallet accident but as soon as I drove it I loved it as a daily alternative to my 1982 Series 3. I've done the best part of 10,000 miles in the year of ownership and it never let me down or left me dissapppointed. It was, however, a little underpowered and I vowed that I'd buy a supercharged X308 when one came along. So, when Chris Clark @c16rkc indicated that he was ready to sell his 2001 Daimler Super V8, I dropped everything to secure it. I felt as though I already knew the car through Chris's lovely YouTube videos and his ownership thread on this forum, so it was a no-brainer really. Having handed over the keys of the XJ8 to Momi, I braved the UK's horrendously unreliable rail network and took the 90 minute rail journey from Leeds down to Peterborough where Chris and his lovely family met me with the Daimler. After a good chat with Chris, and having said hello to his son Aston (who graciously allowed me to buy his car), I set off in the dark to drive the 180 miles home. Driving across England on a Friday evening - particularly heading north - is horrible with heavily congested motorways. Google maps directed me across a mixture of serpentine B-roads and fast A-roads, finishing off with an 55 mile dash up the M6 and M56 which had pretty much cleared by the time I filtered onto them. It was a great test of the car and it performed flawlessly throughout the route. I managed to average over 50mph (pretty good for the route and the time of day), and 25mpg (as good, if not better, than I would have done in the 3.2). This morning I took my wife out and scared her half to death by showing the difference a supercharger and an extra 800cc make to the V8. Today I've been reviewing and adding to Chris's "To do" list for the car. Tomorrow, I will use a complex algorithm which will use the factors of urgency, simplicity and cost, to help prioritise what I do and when. Well, when I say algorithm..... A big thank you to Chris for making buying the car so easy and for providing a history of the car during his ownership which will help me so much. I'll feel guilty if I don't follow his example and create my own ownership thread so that's tomorrow too. The big question on my mind tonight is whether I can persuade my wife that we should use the 25mpg, 22 year old Daimler for our coming 3,000 mile round trip to Spain, rather than her 2 year old, 38mpg, BMW 4 series convertible. I've just worked out that, at French petrol prices, that's a cost difference of about £300 before we even talk about the reliability factor. I may struggle! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...e81528aedf.jpg In the cafe car park before making the 100 mile drive to Leeds. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...e208799ca0.jpg Handover in Peterborough with the Daimler behind us. Some guy tried to upstage us with his new Bentley Continental - some hope. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...542202f406.jpg Still dirty from the 180 mile drive but happy in it's new home, despite the new BMW challenger behind it. |
The Worklist
Chris has already provided a worklist in one of his posts and also emailed it to me so I have a great start. I've now driven the car 300 miles in the last two days so have taken Chris's list and added my own items (marked as *NEW). I've categorised it under who's going to do the work but it's also a rough idea of the order in which I'll do everything. Chris's original items are in italic.
Immediate - this week:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...014506313a.jpg Not a terribly professional job and it looks a bit scrappy but it's a very effective way of getting the lining tight to the roof while I wait 'til I get a replacement. |
Mark
I’ll look forward to reading and enjoying your thread as much as I enjoyed Chris’s. You should be able to link a particular post by clicking on the post number which will open a pop up menu with one of the options being “copy link”. Enjoy the new ride! Ken |
We are all proud of our cars. Maybe every forum member
have his own personal ownership thread. Maybe, if the forum member has more than one, he should thread all of them. |
Wow Mark, what a great start!
It was an absolute pleasure to meet you, and it was such a great feeling to know the car was going to someone else who would treasure it. Your to do list is exhuastive - so the Daimler will certainly be pampered! I found some more photos on my phone today, so I'll upload them to our shared "cloud" folder like the others, along with that guide I promised you. A bit of help with some of your items: - The electric aerial did used to go fully up/down, so I am thinking it has jammed from lack of use. You might find it will free up with some cleaning. However if not the X308 aerials are prone to sticking like this, but it is not the motor, it is the shaft that jams. New shafts are cheap as chips on Ebay (I think less than £50) and they are dead easy to replace. My last one came with instructions, but this video might help: - I did not do anything about the comments on the MOT about the floorpan. In the first MOT that it failed in November, it was not even mentioned, so I did not even ask the chaps at the body shop to do it, though I did tell them to check the car over and am surprised they did not mention it if it is needed. When it passed it's second MOT (after I had all the issues they stated in the first repaired) the garage added this as an advisory, so it appears it was something the first guy did not notice, but the second did. It is obviously not an MOT failure, but had I been keeping the car this would have been my next thing, as a preventative measure. Please by all means message me as much as you like if you have questions about the car. Best of luck, and I will follow with great interest and pleasure! |
Originally Posted by c16rkc
(Post 2609790)
- The electric aerial did used to go fully up/down, so I am thinking it has jammed from lack of use. You might find it will free up with some cleaning. However if not the X308 aerials are prone to sticking like this, but it is not the motor, it is the shaft that jams. New shafts are cheap as chips on Ebay (I think less than £50) and they are dead easy to replace. My last one came with instructions, but this video might help: I've lost the battle over which car we take to Spain so the Daimler will be going under cover from Friday and won't come out until April 1 so I'll just spend the next few weeks making sure I have a plan and all the little parts I need. In the meantime, I taking every excuse to drive it. I'm already on my second tank of super unleaded - thank goodness for Costco prices. Mark |
Wow Mark, you are clearly enjoying the supercharger then!
Have you noticed your MPG? |
Originally Posted by c16rkc
(Post 2610058)
Wow Mark, you are clearly enjoying the supercharger then!
Have you noticed your MPG? I’ve added one more item to my list after trying to pack some luggage in the car yesterday. I’m going to order a space saver wheel so I can drop the boot floor and increase the luggage capacity a bit. As someone said to me a couple of weeks ago - the XJ8 is the biggest small car I’ve ever owned :-) Mark |
Actually thats a good idea, you hardly ever need a spare anyway. Funny enough I did the opposite in my first X308, and swapped a space saver for an alloy, but it was a complete waste of money...!
You will probably gain over an inch of boot space, valuable when trying to squeeze luggage in. |
I lost the argument to bring the Daimler on our trip to Spain - the head (and the wife) eventually won over the heart and we brought the BMW. Over 1,400 miles in a relaxed 6 days, we left home after the Everton v Arsenal match (which left me in a great mood, despite having to leave Goodison Park 20 minutes early to get a start on the drive south). Two nights in London then through the Eurotunnel for a night in Rouen - the capital of Normandy - and another two nights in San Sebastian in Northern Spain before the final drive to our destination an hour south of Valencia. San Sebastian is one of favourite cities in Europe, behind only Liverpool and Barcelona and well worth a visit out of season.
The two long drives were from Rouen to San Sebastian (900km) and the onward journey to Javea (700km). We did both in single days knowing that we had loads of recovery time at both ends. The autoroutes/autopistas were all pretty quiet and we rarely dropped below 85mph, only slowing down for traffic and the well-signposted speed cameras. This resulted in a average speed for the journey of over 60mph despite having to navigate the congested UK motorway network, the centre of London, Eurotunnel and the cities we visited on the way. Fuel economy wasn't as good as it would have been in the equivalent diesel, but we still averaged over 39 miles per Imperial gallon of unleaded (32 miles per US gallon and 7.2 litres per 100km). It's hard to criticise the competence and efficiency of the BMW but oh, how I wanted to be behind the supercharged V8 on those roads. The Daimler was made for them and we would have arrived fresher than in the BMW. The heart will rule for the Le Mans Classic trip in late June although the argument then becomes do we take the Series 3 XJ6 or the Daimler. From a historical context, the XK engine will probably tip the balance. If so, we'll take the Daimler to Europe at the end of summer once the crowds have gone away! I think she'd love Barcelona and Barcelona would certainly love her. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...8239e2038d.jpg Unfortunately, the roof didn't come down on the journey - the boot/trunk is too small for two months' luggage and roof stowage. |
Too bad about the Daimler, but a long run in a new car is always a treat…I just can’t get past the new face on the BMWs. They used to be quite handsome.
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Yes, those radiator grilles are not things of beauty. Actually, this car is one of the few that is made more attractive by having a registration plate fixed to the front of the car - it breaks up the grille.
A hugely competent car but I'm afraid a BMW isn't a BMW for me unless it has the straight six engine. My wife simply thinks I'm an idiot when I say that, however :). |
Originally Posted by markdpeter
(Post 2614805)
Yes, those radiator grilles are not things of beauty. Actually, this car is one of the few that is made more attractive by having a registration plate fixed to the front of the car - it breaks up the grille.
A hugely competent car but I'm afraid a BMW isn't a BMW for me unless it has the straight six engine. My wife simply thinks I'm an idiot when I say that, however :). https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...6e0baae59.jpeg 12 cylinders on the left, 8 on the right and nary an inline six in sight…. |
Originally Posted by Ken Cantor
(Post 2614878)
I’ve met people who insist that a Jaguar isn’t a Jaguar unless it has the straight six engine! I’m curious how you would respond to that sentiment coming from the other direction in regards to the Daimler? :)
I'm a little jealous of your XJ12 and still yearn for a V12 either in an XJ12 or XJS, but my friendly Jag mechanic has told my wife to call a divorce lawyer if I come home with a V12 XJS. I ran one in the early 80's for 30,000 miles without any drama but he thinks that time has not treated them well. I think introducing her to some very happy owners at a show may convince her. So, I would agree with any protaganist that the XK engine is truly classic Jaguar but the V12's and V8's (and indeed the later V6's) are still the real deal. I'll reserve judgement on the 4 cylinder engine in the F-type until I've driven one... |
The torque of the inline 6 is legendary, but there is something about the extra
two bangs of the V-8 that appeals to me. 12 cylinders seem to deliver less than what would be expected from 4 more cylinders. |
I'm pretty happy with anything 6 cylinders and upwards, they all sound glorious!
Sadly the sound of a 4 cylinder never does it for me, they just sound a bit plain, or if not, forced. I have never driven a 4 cylinder F type, but I have been in one, and I found it a bit "fake" with all the pops and bangs they have given it. Nothing like the smooth cat like purring from a pre-2010 era Jag... In reality I would actually prefer a slower 1980's 6cyl Jag, to a faster 4 cyl Jag, because to me the older cars have more personality and style, and I don't really think you need the performance modern cars have if you are a real gentleman or proper lady... :D |
My first high school car was a BMW, many years ago, but I fell out of love with the Teutonic version of leather upholstery in BMWs whereas the butter-soft leather in Jaguars has enticed me every time. My current one is #9. And, OH! that abomination that used to be the double kidney. Don't get me started.
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Originally Posted by c16rkc
(Post 2615173)
In reality I would actually prefer a slower 1980's 6cyl Jag, to a faster 4 cyl Jag, because to me the older cars have more personality and style, and I don't really think you need the performance modern cars have if you are a real gentleman or proper lady... :D
Last time I really floored the XJ6, however, I bent three valves! |
Originally Posted by markdpeter
(Post 2614897)
Touché - you've really got me me there, Ken. I'd say that my comment about BMW was a little prejudiced, especially taking into account that their original reputation was built around four cylinder engines. I have to say, however, that their inline six is glorous both in petrol and diesel versions...
As for the abomination of the kidney grill on the new ones, there seems to be a race to ugly between them and Lexus and Mazda and Audi front ends… |
A Sunday on Small Jobs
We came home to the UK for five days to catch up on our house construction and do a couple of days’ work. I hadn’t had time before we went away to have a proper look at the Daimler so I decided to do some of the smaller jobs. Inevitably, I ended up adding some more to the list.
First, I’d left the car a little filthy after the miles I’d put on it in the first few days of ownership. I don’t know what Chris had used to wax or polish the car but it was excellent - the dirt just washed off in no time at all and it took just twenty minutes to get the car back into a presentable state. I then headed off to Costco to put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3’s on the front to match the almost new set on the rear. The guys there are always great and they put the car up on the lift and let me have a good look around under the car. It was all dry and I couldn’t see the rust referred to in the recent MOT advisory. The welding done previously was very apparent; some of it wasn’t the tidiest but was solid enough. The new tyres had an immediate impact on the steering and were a real improvement on the old, tired Pirellis. I headed off home to do some of the other small jobs. First, I removed the windscreen wiper to paint it and fit the new washer jets and wiper arm cap that had arrived from SNG Barrett. I also took the chance to remove the trim at the base of the windscreen to clean behind it - it’s a clear risk area for rust as lots of debris accumulates there. Sure enough, I found a nasty area at the end, close to the wing on the drivers side. I’ve posted a picture below and would appreciate advice on whether it’s something that’s a potential issue and needs sorting out. In the meantime, I scraped off all the rust, treated the area and painted with some touch-up paint. I did the same to a couple of areas of surface rust on the scuttle. The washers now work perfectly (there were two jets missing before) and the assembly looks great. I’ve been getting the occasional “suspension fault” message. It usually goes away at the next restart and the electric dampers appear to be working fine - evidenced by the fact that the system seems to do what it’s supposed to do and the ride becomes harsh when the fault message is live. All the guidance on the forums is that this tends to be a problem with the contacts on the top of the dampers. With the bonnet up, I removed the connectors and cleaned the pins with contact cleaner and a bit of emery paper. There’s been no recurrence of the issue in the dozen or so short journeys I’ve made since, so I'm hoping that’s the end of that issue. If not, I’ll next do the same to the rear dampers. Working backwards, I removed the instrument pack and replaced the two failed lights behind the tacho. Since I used some nice warm white T10 LED bulbs, I chose to replace the other two instrument lights even though they hadn’t failed - it’s only a matter of time and I wanted consistent lighting, so the investment of a fiver seemed to be money well spent. I also realised that the trip computer switch was supposed to be illuminated and the bulb in that had also failed, so I replaced both bulbs in that and the fog light switch with blue T4 LEDs. There’s a lovely glow now from the instruments. I also need to replace the lights on the transmission gate and the sports button so I picked up some T1 bulbs along with the others. The fitting of them is a job for another day, however, as it requires removal of lots of trim and some soldering. Does anyone know if the switch set between the rear seats on the Super V8 is also supposed to illuminate? None of the switches are currently lit so I’m wondering if that’s another job. Now into the boot/trunk to remove the electric aerial. It’s been sticking every time it’s switched off or on so I wanted to give it a good clean. First, however, as soon as I started removing the bolt fixing the aerial to the mounting bracket, that bracket broke away from the floor. It was heavily rusted away. I’m presuming (hoping) that this is a result of the drain tube not exiting through the drain hole in the floor which no longer exists as it’s been covered by heavy mastic. I also hope that this mastic isn’t covering up a bigger rust problem although all the indications would suggest not. For now, I've attached a small container (an old plastic spray perfume bottle) to the drain tube and will need to remember to check it from time to time until I address the issue properly. Having removed the whole aerial assembly, I took it apart and, sure enough, all the internals were clogged up with old grease and grit and this was what was causing the unreliable performance. I cleaned everything up, re-greased it and lubricated the telescopic aerial shaft. It’s now gliding up and down to its full extent. I’ll sort the mounting bracket out when I’ve got more time. I’m pleased with these results because I really didn’t want to replace the existing shaft with the cheap ebay spare I had on my shelf. While I was in the boot with all the lining removed, I extracted the CD changer for repair (it’s not loading CD’s), removed the full-size spare wheel and gave everything a good vacuum and clean (loads of filler dust in there from the repairs Chris had done, I think). I’ve now put in a space saver spare which allows me to drop the boot floor and create a useful amount of extra space. WIth the liner out of the way, I found a couple of stray connectors connected to the loom and some after-market additions about which I haven't a clue. I’ve attached photos below for suggestions. Finally, as I finished off with a quick look under the rear of the car, I noticed for the first time that it’s fitted with a tow bar and associated electrics! The hook itself isn’t fitted so I’ll have to ask Chris if he has it - I don’t recall any of his posts mentioning this. It might be that this accounts for the slightly soggy rear suspension if it’s towed much in the past. By the time I spotted the tow bar I’d already replaced the boot liners so I’ll do some more investigation in April. So, a very useful day in my Daimler journey. I’ve successfully removed five items from my to-do list but the addition of another four means a net reduction of just one! The new items are:
As I write this on the plane back to Spain, I can reflect on how satisfying it is to make these little improvements that don’t really make a massive difference, but do make the Jaguar experience just that little bit more pleasurable. We're back in the UK on April 1 so I've booked the car in for a small service and inspection on April 4 with a local Jaguar specialist who I'm using for the first time. I'll update after I've got the report from the inspection. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...9bcbeeb921.jpg Rust at r/h end of the windscreen scuttle. I've done some initial treatment to stop the spread but is there some welding needed here? There's a sizable (about 70mm x 35mm hole there now. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...470aa3e6f7.jpg WIndscreen wiper back to black and all lovely and clean under trim. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...d47ca6d3b2.jpg 21 years of accumulated grime in the aerial motor https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...5219b03030.jpg Aerial gears before I cleaned them up. Note the big ball of solid grease circled in red. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...72d9367963.jpg Instrument lighting before..... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...d6ec98bbe4.jpg and after.... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...e6fb390660.jpg Two control boxes (?) siliconed into the boot - they appear to be after-market - any ideas? You can also see the rusted aerial motor mounting. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...ca353a2b02.jpg I've got two of these stray connectors - one each side. I suspect they might be part of the rear parking sensors (which are a bit erratic). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...5c4080d066.jpg The space saver spare wheel has, indeed, created extra boot storage space. I find the extra depth makes a difference. |
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