Hi everybody. I wish to have Jaguar for almost 5 years. Really'd like to buy XJ40 but in Russia because of the climate all cars are so rusty that tou allready can see a holes in the floor. So i decided to buy a X308. I was searching for a daimler, but all where really bad so i looked up on a XJR and bought it.
The big problems with Jags in Russia that spares costs much more than in Europe or US. It is not problem of the customs. It is more problem of Russian mind and wish to have more profit for nothing. Likу a Jag is something more exclusive and more expensive. Anyway i can order everything from eBay so it's not so big problem for but sometimes it takes more time to have some spares.
The car was in a pretty good condition when i bought it but 14 years old car naturally claim for some extra attention.
First pictures after buying

 

I bought a car with a few problems.
1) Rusty front archs


2) Rusty rear archs

3) Different badges on the boot (chrome and black)


4) driver seat was looking very bad


5) Sunroof needed some adjusment. When i was closing the door sunroof jumps up a little bit. Allready solved.

6) Side chrome V8 badges must be replaced

7) Steering pump was leaking

8) Floor was a little bit rusty. Really a little.

9) Interior roof saged a little bit.

10) The biggest problem was vibration from 80 to 120 km/h.

 

First what i've done was replace oil, filters, cooling hoses (they were inflated like a ballon so they can blow up very soon).



Than i bought a new wheels for the winter tyres because i was thinking vibration was caused by the old rims.




But vibration stays. So i went to the Jags dealer and replace right driveline on a used one. Vibration become much more less to fil. So i replace joints in the drivelines and vibration almout completelly dissapear. Almost becouse the find some backlash in the propshaft connection. So i must buy a new propshaft.

 

I recieved new XJR chrome badge from UK.


I know that on EU XJRs those badges must be black but i really like how chrome badges were looking on the silver car so i order a chrome badge.
And recieved a new J-gate surround


I bought it because on my surround all the pins were broken. I bought one used and they were broken there too. I bought anothe one. And the same all were broken there. So i decided to repair mine.






To prevent any more rust шэв take my car to the antirust preparation.





The funniest thing was when i want to take my car out of the building where antirust was done it won't start up. You just want to start the engine and nothing happens. All the electricity falls down. First what i was thinking about is battery. Put there a new one but nothing. And cars shows so many faults on the screen: Suspension fault, electricity fault, gearbox fault, engine in the safe mode etc.
Called a previuos owner and he tells me that he had something similar in the past and it was inertia sensor. So i start to find this sensor and i found it where the passenger put their legs on the right.
Thanks this forum that i find the description here where it is exactly because russian forum sucks in this way. You can't find a lot of information there. Pushed this sensor and car start up without any problem. It looks like inertia sensor is becoming faulty.

 

Next step i take my car to the interior restoration.
They clean everything and repair seats and door covers (they have cracks in it).

 

After the dry-cleaning a get a few problems with Jag.
First was broken interiot rear view mirror. I get a bubble inside the mirror.

And than i saw some small bubbles coming inside the mirror. I remember that somebody was telling me if this liquid drops down on the plastic it will dissolve the platic.

So i was trying to collect this liquid by napkin but than i decided to qiucklн removed mirror. This everything happend in the traffic jam

When all liquid comes out the mirror became like ussual mirror without electrochromatic.


And the second problem that passenger seat stop to move forward. And again this forum help me to solve the problem! I took out the seat module and find broken link on the board.




I'm posting some links if somebody need it:

JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource
http://www.jag-lovers.org/include/i...LAvkQBpiWBgrNEQef4M8LyAsBnpcOCMoJ/paYyDO5FA==

 

Now car is in the paint shop to respray all rusty things what it have on the body and after it would be polished.
In that time i take out the headlamps and fog lamps to make some restoration. I take it to the guy who is polishig the glass and he's made my lights looks like new.

 

Great work. Great pictures !

 

Nice work!!

Anyone know where to look to get the headlights polished here in the states?

Chris

 

Great Job Rostman! Show us when you are completed.

 

Awesome and great job!

 

You've out a lot of effort into the details and the results show in the photos.

Your X308 is looking great.

Graham

 

Restoring them is the fun part of owning them. I like it with the original 5 star wheels!

 

A lot of work was done at the paint shop.


First of all were replaced two rear arches. It was completelly rusty.



Front fenders has some rust on it.


Everything was restored.
Then i started to look up where to find all new side windows. I can't find it anyware so i collect piece by piece the info how eurocod for side windows looks like.
4324 - It's Jaguar XJ
----------------------
R - right
L - left
F - plain
----------------------
GN - green
----------------------
S4 - 4 door saloon
----------------------
F - front
М - middle
R - rear
----------------------
D - sliding

What W1A is i still doesn't understand but it could be thiсkness because Daimlet uses thicker glass (6 mm) than XJ8 (4 mm). XJR has 5 mm glasses.

And i get the right codes for all glases
4324LGNS4FDW1A - front left
4324RGNS4FDW1A - front right
4324LGNS4RDW1A - rera left
4324RGNS4RDW1A - rear right

And find all four glasse in the middle of Russia in Siberia. Pretty strange where sometimes you can find different parts but i find it.




Bought a new steering pump.



Bought a set of new BBS RS 19 inch style wheels 8,5 front and 9,5 rear for the summer.


And new rear tyres 275/35 19


Then i want to restore the interior wood. It takes me a lot time to find where i can do this and i find one guy outside Russia. So i come to the paint shop to take out all parts what needs restoration.








I have ordered a new wodden gear knob



And after a few weeks a get all the parts back. Looks very nice now.









And i find that something was wrong with rear high mounted stop light. When i take it out i founв that one holder is missing.



Gets a new leaper on the hood because my was rusty and the bonnet needs some restoration too.





Bought a new prop shaft because my was crashed in the connection and thу whole car was vibrationg a little bit.









Remote control stop working good. To open the car you must press open button at least 10 times. I take out the remote control board and finв where the problem was. Clean it with alcohol and now work everything fine.


Repair the center rear vents.


Then i said guys in the paint shop that i do not like how rear bumber seats on the place.


They take off the bumber and find that right mounting was cracked.
So i bought a new one.



And then a saw some cracks on the rear bumber.


It was caused by bad repair in the past.


I was trying to find a new rear bumber but have no luck. Just find one place where seller says he's got one in very good condition. When i come to see it was not better than mine allready repaired. So talked to my guys from paintshop and they say they repair it the best they can.
But i find one peace what was missing on my bumber (15 on the list).
The seller with the bumber didn't want to sell me it separate and i can't find it new anywhere so i offer him 4 times more that it costs new and he sell me it.






Then i found a new high mounted stop light holder. So now it is everything good.


Gets a new rear view mirror from US because liguid leaks out from mine. Seller says in the new mirror it's allready gel not liquid.


And installed it on the place


Bought a set of new underbonnet tools.


A new rear tail lights.


From discount stereo gets a iPod adater.

 

And recieved some parts from jaguarclassicparts.com. New exhaust clamps, exhaust seals, antiroll bar bushes.


New washer


New brake pad.


New V8 badges


Replaced washer with a new one


But the gearbox knob looks not so good. Everything is so different so i'm looking for a new gera knob maple eye.


And bought a new climate control because mine has some lamps broken and some other small problems.

 

Very well done Rostman, you certainly have gone to a lot of time/trouble and expense and I like the BBS wheels they actually work well

I will be breaking a XJR very soon so if there is anything you need I may be able to help you just send me a PM

 

wow... truly awesome work... i hope you get to enjoy driving it, looks like it spends way more time in the shop

 

Congrats. I wish I could convert my J gate to leather , mine is plastic and the pins are broke had to glue things together. Great job!

 

That is stunning, you can see how much work you have put into this restoration.

 

Just...wow. Its like a new car!!