You'll get used to it.

 

It looks like the XK is being trailered from home. Imagine if this happened when you're far from home. I would say you got lucky.... well as lucky as a Jag owner can be.....
Car doesn't go, but still looks good though.

 

What issue caused it to have to be hauled away?

 

Yes, its best attribute by far.

 

*what happened

Lower radiator hose assembly sprung a sizeable leak. I was fortunate that it happened just as I pulled into a business, not while I was driving down the freeway on a hot Texas day.

A passerby alerted me to the stream of coolant coming from the car before it had a chance to overheat.

 

Kudos to the passerby. Not many folks these days seem to be willing to flag down a motorist when they notice a problem. The last time I tapped on a drivers window to inform a lady that her brake light was burned out, she initially thought I was attempting to hijack her car. It made me think about getting shot by someone carrying a gun for protection....

 

Several months ago, I upgraded my AAA membership from regular to plus, which gives me 4 free tows up to 100 miles per year.

Within 2 weeks, I had used three of them. Power steering pump went out at work, then crankshaft damper went out in a mall garage (towed to my house first, then, when I realized I shouldn't try to fix it, towed to my mechanic).

Stuff happens. Like David said, at least it still looks good getting towed away! Sometimes the drivers have some entertaining comments, too. One guy was like "Oh, I know these cars! 270 miles per hour, right?". I thought he was being sarcastic. Turned out he was just an idiot. Nice guy though.

 

At first glance I thought the photo was of the car being delivered to you after purchase.

Doug

 

A couple of plus bits here.

1. The car will get lots of admiring looks on the way to the workshop.
2. Imagine all the fuel you will be saving.

 

Haha! Should I be so lucky!

It's taken a flatbed home twice this summer.

I won't complain as it didn't leave me stranded even once over the previous 63,000 miles!

 

Oh it’s started. The first leak. Now’s the time to rebuild the cooling system; change all the hoses: top and bottom radiator hoses, valley hoses, octopus hose, all other lesser hoses, thermostat, and water pump, maybe even the expansion tank.

That should give you another 63,000 miles without cooling system troubles.

 

I don't normally stop to help just anybody but I would stop to help a Jaguar owner in distress. I needed the help at least once myself. I drove my Supra to an event in Las Vegas in 2001 and lost the fuel pump just outside of Kingman, Arizona. Luckily four other Supra owners on their way to the same event happened by and stopped to help me, but I was quite embarrassed to have to arrive on a flatbed. On the way back to Texas I got to pay it forward when I stopped to help a fellow Supra owner with a bad water pump about halfway between El Paso and Odessa in the middle of nowhere. (Even the venerable Toyota Supra can have a bad day.)

I saw an XF on the side of I-30 in Fort Worth a few months ago and I exited to double back to see if I could help, but when I got back there it was gone. Maybe they'd just pulled over to make a phone call or something but that was the only time I've seen a Jaguar on the side of the road since I've owned them. I figured if they saw another Jaguar like theirs pulling over to help, they wouldn't think I was going to rob them. Only time I tried to help somebody in an ordinary car tho was a catastrophe looking for a place to happen. I noticed a Nissan at the stoplight next to me had only one lug nut, four missing on one of the wheels. I tried to get their attention then followed them to an apartment complex where I warned the driver. But she was kind of frightened.

Nice thing about driving classic cars and even unique modern cars like a Jaguar is we do look out for each other. Only drawback is so few of us you might be waiting a long time before another Jaguar owner comes along. But if you're Nissan Altima broke down you certainly would never expect another Nissan Altima owner to stop to help.

 

I've only used one AAA tow this year (fuel pump), though I had to do a divert last Friday(and saved a tow) by driving home 17 miles using the emergency brake to stop, when a front caliper bolt fell out. The Caliper jammed solid against the wheel as I pulled it into the garage. I backed up to un-jam, pulled forward and used the emergency brake to stop it (like I had been to get it home).

I found a new Caliper bolt in my stash and locktited them, this time.

 

Ok, I'll play along I so feel your pain.

 

This community is great, and it would be a blessing to break down in your presence!

Well, maybe not a blessing. 😉

With just another 5,000 miles to go before I hit 200K, I'm guessing that there will be future opportunities to rescue me around DFW!

 

I recently did this with my rear caliper on my motorcycle. When I got home and found out what the odd noise was i nearly **** myself after realizing that the caliper was hanging there by a few threads.

 

If we only wanted transportation from point A to point B, dependably, we would all be driving beige Toyota Corollas or such.
No thanks, I will stick with my Jags.

 

Precisely why we love them and put up with their occasional fits!

For me, the new lower hose is on (what a bugger) and after a fluid refresh I'll be on my way.

 

We talking Jags or wives here?