Who else is swimming upstream besides me ?

Even if you have other cars available, does the XK always get the nod when you walk into your garage ?

in my case I could use my SO’s car, but never do.


Z

 

Always, unless it is snowing. Then, never.

Two of my three are driven daily. Given that it is still a Jag, probably the best strategy unless you can have more than three...

 

I have to chuckle a bit. Not at you, but at myself. My very first drive in the XKR was in the snow.

After months of searching the whole USA for the best car, any car, I could buy for < $10,000, I found an ‘02 XKR in Iowa, in January. That meant snow, and a lot of it. The seller was reluctant to even let me test drive the car until he saw the color of my money.

The test drive included a detour to a hardware store to pick up four 50 lb. sand bags, which gave the car a substantial boost in traction. Thusly equipped I paid out the green & headed south 400 miles to home. Only the first 300 miles were on snow.

Z

PS. I do continue to drive in the snow.

After living on the Texas gulf coast I learned how to care for a car which, either by necessity or by choice, is driven on very salty roads. Just Thoroughly wash off the undercarriage with clean soapy water followed by a good rinse with clear water at every opportunity, at least weekly if not twice weekly. The old timers on Padre Island Texas had let me in on their secret at keeping their 20 year old cars looking new: don’t let the salt sit on the metal unwashed. That makes all the difference in the world. On the island it didn’t take long to spot the unwashed cars. Even those barely a year or two old were suffering from the salt if not rinsed off properly. Here in wintertime Oklahoma I do use a hair dryer to quickly evaporate the rinse water as needed. So far the only rust on the car is on the exhaust manifold, which has been that way for a very long time from the looks of it. Even the original & date coded exhaust system is rust free.

 

Mine is daily driven unless I need to carry more than one passenger comfortably, need to haul more stuff, or plan to go off-road. That's when I take Jeep.

 

I did go off roading in a Jaguar once, and in my e type ! When living in SoCal around 1980 I decided to head out of the city one weekend for a couple of days of mountain fishing, ie relaxation. I arrived lakeside long after dark and all the campsites were taken. Thankfully a logging road was nearby, and was unchained. I headed up up up the dirt road about 2 miles, until a few boulders stopped my progress. That’s where I spent the night.

A 6’1” man can sleep overnight in an e type, but not without waking up with a substantial crick in the neck.

 

That does not sound comfortable at all.

 

a young man in his adventuresome 20’s doesn’t need much comfort. Nowadays, ..... admittedly I’m softer & need to cushion the worn out bits of body and soul.

Z

 

Probably should have clarified, the XK8 appears to be fine in the snow, for the little I've driven it. Unfortunately, I live in Durham, NC "Home of the World's Worst Drivers (TM)" and "It's My Passing Lane Even Though It's the Gravel on the Right Shoulder (TM)". Snow amps up the excitement and amps down the control so that the probability of being hit approaches 300% (i.e. three crashes per trip. I have a 4WD that I care less about and will 'take the hit"). It's a pity everyone doesn't have a dash cam like they do in Russia.

We do have some fixed cameras in Durham. For example, the "Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass" (11 FOOT 8 - The Canopener Bridge) with video of magnificent, costly, and entertaining displays of "Durham logic". This was built in 1940, so we haven't had sufficient time to figure out how short it is, or to learn to read the sign...

 

Several decades ago my dear brother was killed due to one of those low railroad overpasses in Oklahoma City.

A freak accident, he was southbound exiting the underpass at the same instant a northbound semi’s trailer was hitting the top of it. The impact threw the truck over on its side and into the opposing traffics lane; completely crushing my brother and his pride and joy, a turbo Porsche 911. We always used to kid him that he’d be killed in that car. But we thought he’d be going 175 mph, not 35.

Part of his widows settlement was for the city and railroad to raise the overpass so it wouldn’t happen again. At least not right there.


Z

 

That is incredibly sad and awful. Sorry for your loss.

 

Thank you for the kind words.

At the time of the accident, 1986, I was 35 & he was 41. Even though I’m now much older that he ever lived to be, he’ll always be my older brother, and be the one who “knew more”.


Z

 

My 2004 XK8 is a daily driver, evidenced by the 70K or so I have driven since I got this one in 2013. And I WFH so no commuter miles.

Sorry about your brother Z. I can't imagine how that would feel to lose someone so close.

 

Mine is a daily driver from when the salt comes off the roads ( mid April to early May ) to when the salt goes back on the roads ( late November )

 

Curious, what is your driven car on the salty roads ?

 

This Jag of mine is something very special to me. In reality it's just a car in the grand scheme of life and there are more important things as many are finding out "during these challenging times". Are you as sick of that expression as I am?? It's not a museum piece nor do I treat it like one but I have too much respect for to drive it in the slop and salt. I've had it for a year and a half but I don't think it has seen any salt in it's live and it will not if I can avoid it. I drive it as often was I can when the situation warrants. That's the fun part of owning something like this.
When I work underneath the car I'm still cleaning off some California desert dust.

I always said that Jags are the least exotic of the exotic cars and I think it is still true. But i'm loving' it. There's my .02. "Hi my name is Tom and I'm a Jagoholic" group says: "Hi Tom".

 

Hi Tom.

 

A plain Jane 2013 4cyl front wheel drive GMC Terrain

 

it’s about 8 years old, any signs of rust from the winter usage ?

When I lived on the gulf coast , there were numerous cars 2-3 years old with holes all the way thru the sheet metal. Of course, down there the salt is in the air as well as on the road, 24-7 .


Z

 

I drive mine whenever I'm going out alone (my wife's back doesn't like the seats). I've had it since it rolled out of the showroom for my test drive and always used it as my daily driver although that only works out to about 2100 miles per year. Between its three homes; Hawaii, Texas and Florida, it's never seen a snowflake or freezing temperature and never let me down.

 

Have had mine going on 9 years and she is my daily although with the wfh mileage has been limited. Bought with 91K on clock and now approaching 190K. We rarely get snow here in Charleston SC but the few times we did - she handled quite well