These were some that were taken to go along with a story I had pitched to Jalopnik last year that they opted to not pick up. I basically took this car up to the annual StarQuests at Pigeon Forge meet (those are Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquest cars, which I used to own) and blogged the trip, which was about 1,000 total miles in the dead of summer; the angle was whether antique Jags could take the punishment (and it did). And my ugly mug is at the end.

 

Love the red interior. If Jalopnik isn't interested, why not post the story here?

 

Red. Leather interior is best interior!

Growler leaping is fine.

Pidgeon Forge is beautiful!

Are thise automatic seat belts? I didn't know later models had those? Do the tracks run just inside the door frame?

 

Probably way too long for them. I didn't get a lot of direction beforehand -- I pitched them an idea and they said yes, told me to basically just send them whatever I came up with. Problem with that is I've written professionally all my life -- automotive, motorsports, daily journalism, college football, trucking industry, etc. -- so I'm rarely at a loss for words. I thought they would break it up and do it as a series and they didn't. Plus it was about that time that Gawker was in financial straits and Jalopnik went through some upheaval and by the time they got through that, it was October and a story about a July 4 trip was old news.

Jess

 

From what I can tell, they had them one year: 1989. Lucky me.

When they're working properly, they're a great time-saver getting in and out. Emphasis on "when." My driver's belt (always the driver's side, isn't it?) has a faulty logic box and the car gets confused as to whether the door is open or not. What it does is keep cycling the belt motor trying to "open" the belt further, when the door has been opened and you've exited the car. Problem with that is those motors will run with the key out, and a cycling motor will kill a battery in about six hours. So I have to disconnect the negative lead every time I get out of the car.

It's other way to manifest is to open the belt all the way out and have it stick there. So now it's not safe. Thankfully, Jaguar made a kit with two seat latches that can be used in the event of belt motor failure. You disconnect the belts, clip on a temporary latch and fit it into the track channel, which is inside the car up in the door frame. Now you're buckled in safely -- but the belt won't release anymore, so you have to push the belt up and over your head to get out of the car.

Jess

 

You can swop them out with conventional belts as many owners have done.

 

I'll definitely have to look more into that because I've even considered putting in 5-point harnesses and ditching the factory belts altogether.

Jess

 

Agree with the others, love the red interior, must be a rare color combo.

 

Well, I'm sure readers here would enjoy a well-written, well-photographed series about a road trip, so go ahead and post it as a series if you like.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I have the original window sticker for this car and it says "Jet Black" for the color. My car is a deep gray metallic, almost olive in some light.

I will say that if this car's color was changed, it was done correctly. All door jambs, metal pieces in the trunk, under the hood, etc.

Jess

 

I have the Dorchester grey (Gunmetal) exterior with the burgundy red leather interior as well. I have seen a black with burgundy interior car at a show many years ago. I like the color combo a lot.