So, I bought a thing...

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 05/26/2014 at 16:56 • Filed to: Jaaag

34

100

1992 Jaguar XJ40 :) 4.0l straight 6 and 5-speed manual!

Hola! Mi llamo Manuel

Drove down to Folkestone on the coast to have a look at it with my dad, it checked out alright and I bought it :)

I then drove it back home (65 miles), then straight up to Watford to see some uni mates (66 miles), then to Harrow (7 miles through London traffic), then home (60 miles), then to my girlfriend's in Hailsham (25 miles), then to Eastbourne seafront and back (18 miles round trip), then finally back home (25 miles).

In 266 miles it didn't skip a beat :)

Pictured at Eastbourne seafront

It even averaged 25.2mpg during all my travels, although I planted it in 2nd and the on-board mpg gauge said '7'. I planted it in first and it said '2'. So, good on a cruise. Murder when you put the hammer down :S

Driving impressions so far:

1. Compared to any other car I've driven, it feels more like captaining from the helm than driving from a seat.

2. It's not a car that encourages you to drive fast, it's a car that wants you to cruise across the continent at a measured and relaxed pace

3. Once you do give it some welly, it shows itself to actually be rather well balanced. The steering is light, but sharp as well. Very pleasant :)

4. It can feel a little sluggish in 1st and 2nd if you're just pulling away, but engage a leaden foot in 3rd at speed and it just goes. Makes a nice noise too, if a little quiet for my tastes.

5. 30mph feels like 30mph, 40 like 40, 60 like 40, 80 like 40, 100 like 40 and I presume so on and so forth

6. Dat interior...

Smells like a proper Jag should too. Leather and opulence.

Lastly, it's just so damn beautiful :) less speaking, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

Wacko > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 16:59

4

Dude you steering wheel is on the wrong side, hope you got a big rebate!!!

Dsscats > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:00

3

THIS IS AMAZING.

Blondude > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:01

0

I'm going to need a list to keep track of all the cars you own.

oldestyoungn > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:03

0

What a curiously shaped shifter.

Pretty car in all other aspects. Good luck.

EDIT: Are you in the Alabama area? Your Flickr says maybe.

Frank Grimes > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:04

2

If I bought this I would need new clothes change the cologne I wear and possibly start wearing more gold and one of these. these changes are not bad things.

Brian Silvestro > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:07

3

Yes! So nice, congratulations.

I was going to use the "British Car Life" gif but the link is broken for some reason.

At least you'll still get the joke!

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:10

12

Wait sec... Did you buy a car that doesn't need anything major doing? How was that for you?

Cé hé sin > oldestyoungn 05/26/2014 at 17:15

2

Er, he isn't. Is the number plate and rhd not a clue?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Frank Grimes 05/26/2014 at 17:16

1

Definitely got the stereotype right there :)

I feel I need a smoking jacket.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > oldestyoungn 05/26/2014 at 17:18

0

It's a little battered so I'll be swapping in a nice wooden one soon.

I'm actually in the UK, no idea where flickr got Alabama from :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Blondude 05/26/2014 at 17:18

1

You and me both :)

oldestyoungn > Cé hé sin 05/26/2014 at 17:20

0

I just saw a pic in his Flickr of the welcome to Alabama sign.

oldestyoungn > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:20

0

It was a welcome to Alabama sign. Were you there or something? Perhaps there's another place called Alabama I know nothing of

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 05/26/2014 at 17:21

2

It's a little odd to be honest, but I think I like it...

It does need some stuff doing to it though. A little rust in a couple of places, the fuel gauge only works occasionally and neither the air con or the central locking works.

That's practically nothing compared to my previous acquisitions though :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > oldestyoungn 05/26/2014 at 17:23

0

Weird :S not sure if Alabama's one of the names that carried over from here. I didn't think so.

Could have been something American-themed at a show I suppose.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Brian Silvestro 05/26/2014 at 17:24

5

Thanks :) for your viewing pleasure.

Klaus Schmoll > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:26

5

I've got one of these as well (even the same colour!). In over twenty years of ownership, it never let me down. May yours be such a good friend too! ;)

Big Bubba Ray > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:28

0

Very nice find, congratulations! I had no idea these could be had with a manual.

thebigbossyboss > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:29

0

Awesome. What was the purchase price?

Brian Silvestro > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:30

1

YES, IT LIVES!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > thebigbossyboss 05/26/2014 at 17:32

1

£1495 with 6 month's tax thrown in, so essentially £1360.

A little on the high side for one in its condition, but it's got full Jaguar service history every 3000 miles from the day it was bought. Runs like an absolute champ :)

oldestyoungn > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:33

1

Wait. Think I figured it out. Those stupid ads that show up.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Big Bubba Ray 05/26/2014 at 17:35

0

They didn't sell many of them in manual, but I'd say they were uncommon rather than rare. Makes a good difference in speed though, as the autos were old 3-speed smoothness-first affairs.

Definitely a good choice :)

DollaMoneyAve > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:36

1

Hey man, nice ride. Best of luck with your new baby. Very Jealous!

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:41

1

Are we still talking about your usual bottom-end-of-Ebay prices? If so, nice find. I'm very jelly :)

Do you have another one of these as well, or am I confused?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 05/26/2014 at 17:45

1

I'd say midrange eBay-wise. There's a couple for £500-800, and a couple above £2000, so I definitely think I chose well :)

I did have another that I was converting from auto to manual, did being the operative word :(

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > DollaMoneyAve 05/26/2014 at 17:45

0

Thanks man :)

EL_ULY > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:46

1

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:51

2

Oooh. Nasty. I remember you posting about the tree coming down, but somehow I'd missed or forgotten that bit.

Just saw below where you said what you paid. Not bad at all. I thought it seemed a bit too good to be a <£1k job, unless you'd got a hell of a bargain.

Have you thought about converting it to LPG? Seems to happen to quite a few of the good ones.

Manuél Ferrari > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:53

1

This is so freaking cool!!!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 17:58

1

Love the car! I've always been a huge Jag fan. A 4.0 straight 6 with a manual sounds like heaven. Enjoy!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 05/26/2014 at 17:59

2

Yeah, not a pleasant day that :( still, shit happens. I'd also feel a little churlish being annoyed that a tree that's stood for over 100 years before the car was even invented fell on top of one...

I did think of LPG, but to be perfectly honest the mileage really isn't that bad. 25mpg average is completely livable, and LPG engines do tend to produce a little less power.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/26/2014 at 18:02

1

It's definitely good fun :) I've got a set of silencer substitute pipes that replace the restrictive silencers lust before the rear axle, so hopefully it should be a little more fun in the near future.

That and I'll actually be able to hear the engine when I'm trying to rev-match downshifts.

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 18:12

1

Very good point about the tree. I wouldn't have thought of that, but you're quite right.

I know 25mpg is kind of OK, but there'd be something nice in cruising along in a beautiful Jag and getting the equivalent of 40+mpg instead. Not sure quite what it costs these days, but assuming it's around £1500, you're only looking at 5k miles to break even in cash terms - and it adds most of its cost to the value of the car, on top of that. I think you can still install it yourself and then just get it certified, which helps keep the price down.

Go on, I've been wondering about it for years. Why don't you be my guinea pig? :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 05/26/2014 at 18:16

1

It makes a lot of sense, but for some reason I've never warmed to LPG. Perhaps it's the power thing.

I wonder how it deals with forced induction...

offroadkarter > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 18:33

0

Lets us know how many hours until it breaks down for the first time

This is to new to be a BL product right?

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 18:53

1

As far as I know the power loss is pretty negligible. Possibly it's even feasible to engineer it out completely with a bit of tuning, but I don't know enough to say. Anyway, what you might lose in power, you'll more than make up for by being able to open the throttle wider at slightly less wallet-emptying speed.

As far as I know forced induction isn't a problem with modern injection systems, but again that's just based on a bit of reading.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > offroadkarter 05/26/2014 at 18:56

0

The first few parts of development were in the tail-end of the BL era, but by the time it was released it was an independent Jaguar affair.

So far, over 6 hours of driving and nearly 300 miles with not even a hiccup :)

offroadkarter > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/26/2014 at 19:05

2

you just wait

-vintage german car owner

Spoon II > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 01:15

1

Niiiiiiiice! Congrats on a sweet purchase!

Jobjoris > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 03:58

1

Absolute beauty! Nice interior as far I can tell from the pictures. What's next?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Spoon II 05/27/2014 at 04:19

0

Thanks :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Jobjoris 05/27/2014 at 04:23

0

The interior's lovely. The dealer I got if from put a lot of effort into getting it clean, judging by the few little spots they missed.

On this one? There's some rust to fix, the central locking and aircon and a bit of a leaky boot. Then I'll be swapping out the central silencers for straight pipes so I can at least hear what the engine's doing for heel-and-toe. Reportedly nets a 20hp gain as well as they're restrictive reverse-flow jobbies.

Next car purchase-wise, perhaps an X1/9 to replace my little crushed one. Either that or something else low-displacement, small and sporty.

RotaryLover > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 05:46

1

Congrats!!! I wish we had manual ones here! I'm really jealous. I wanted a first gen XJR with a manual transmission.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RotaryLover 05/27/2014 at 07:39

0

Hmm, you might have got manual XJS convertibles so you could swap the 'box over. Not an overly difficult job for a competent DIY mechanic (I know, I was doing it myself before a tree fell on my last Jag).

I really want an R as well, especially with a 5-speed.

RotaryLover > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 09:42

1

The question is...where will I get the tranny?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RotaryLover 05/27/2014 at 11:51

0

Getrag 265s were used on E28 5-series, but I think the bellhousing pattern was different do you'd have to make up an adapter plate.

If you're going that far, you'd probably go T5 or something anyway. I don't think anyone's tested how much abuse a 265 will take, so I'm not sure about adding boost past the 300bhp mark.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 15:55

0

Thanks Raph :) if you ever find yourself in the South of England, you're welcome to come have a drive.

Built BMW Tough > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 16:01

3

Yeah...I guess we'll have to take the Jag.

feather-throttle-not-hair > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 16:06

1

Damn you Europeans and your classy ways and your widespread use of clutch pedals!

meatatarian > Frank Grimes 05/27/2014 at 16:09

0

No gold, just all tweed or waxed cotton all the time.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Built BMW Tough 05/27/2014 at 16:12

1

duurtlang > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 16:17

1

My 406 coupe runs on LPG. I wouldn't want it any other way, you get the characteristics of the gasoline engine yet lower costs per km/mile than an equivalent diesel. There's a button on my dash which lets me switch between LPG and gasoline. It's almost completely seamless, if you don't pay attention you don't notice it switching when driving at a constant pace.

With Dutch prices the rule of thumb is that you cut your gasoline cost/distance in half, LPG costs less than half here but fuel economy on LPG is worse than on gasoline due to the lower energy content per volume. I drove 850 km (528 miles) today, from Munich (South-East Germany) to Groningen (North-East the Netherlands). With my coupe this has cost me €55-60 in LPG fuel. With gasoline it would've been double, so this has saved me €55-60 in fuel on one day. I've owned the car for 1.5 years and 40k km (24.9k miles) now. Total fuel costs saved by the LPG system: €2800 in that time. Quite significant I'd say.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/27/2014 at 16:24

2

It's not that widespread in cars like this. Something to do with the auto being a no-cost option when new.

I'd say they were uncommon rather than rare though, so certainly a rosier outlook than the US market for these.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > duurtlang 05/27/2014 at 16:26

0

That's definitely significant. How much did the conversion cost?

duurtlang > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 16:29

1

To me, nothing. It was installed by the first owner, some 14 years ago. I might've been able to buy an equivalent car without LPG for slightly less money though.

Frank Grimes > meatatarian 05/27/2014 at 16:56

0

YES! I need an old barbour.

meatatarian > Frank Grimes 05/27/2014 at 17:09

0

Greatest clothing investment ever, it will last a million years while keeping you dry and warm and looking like a boss. Mine can also fit 10-12 beer cans in the back game pouch, which is nice for football season...

fintail > Klaus Schmoll 05/27/2014 at 17:27

0

I had that same one.

Nice Siku 928!

featherlite > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 17:28

1

Congrats! Lovely car! I've always loved Jag XJ's (except for the newest one that is). Planning to do any work on the six?

fintail > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 17:29

1

Nice car, just like the Matchbox of the same era. 250+ trouble free miles in an XJ40 might be a record - could be worth something.

This would go well with a 5-speed W126 or W140.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > fintail 05/27/2014 at 17:31

2

Buy one and I'll race you :) first one to Monte Carlo

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > featherlite 05/27/2014 at 17:38

0

Thanks :) I've got a couple of things planned. I've got a couple of straight pipes to replace the restrictive reverse-flow central silencers. According to the company it should net a 15bhp gain, although I'm more looking forward to being able to hear the engine when I'm rev-matching :)

Beyond that, you can buy things like less restrictive throttle bodies and trick intakes and exhausts from a company called AJ6 Engineering . Port-matching the intake and exhaust is another easy way to get reasonable gains, and something I could do for free.

I'd say I'd be happy with 250bhp and 300lb-ft, although more than that would be welcome as well ;)

featherlite > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 17:56

1

Very nice. I think engine "breathing" is a great place to start. Should produce a great sound. Maybe upload a video when you get around to it so we can all enjoy some straight 6 audio.

KirkyV > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 18:02

1

Today I learned that a man swiped a tasty Jag from my hometown, that runs, for £1300.

...

Vengeance.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > featherlite 05/27/2014 at 18:06

0

Shall do :) it makes a pleasant noise at the moment, but it's definitely tailored to Jaguar's clientele.

I'll try and get some decent audio of it with the silencers completely disconnected as well. When I tried that with my 3.6l it sounded like thunder :)

Oh, you can also get cams from an XJ40 R that should be good for 251bhp with them alone, so that'd be another avenue for performance.

Ultimately, a swap from an X300 R with the supercharged 4.0l I6 would be excellent. 321bhp before you start cranking up the boost :)

I wonder if you could get one to bother an E39 M5...

yuriinfo > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 18:08

2

Beautiful, manual Jaguar sedan.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > yuriinfo 05/27/2014 at 18:11

1

I want to dislike the Draguar because 350 swap, but I just can't. It's just so damn cool :)

fintail > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 18:12

1

Back in the day, W112 fintails and Jag 3.8s did battle in some races (tough, as the Jags were still more powerful, I think), maybe we can redo that.

505 - morphine not found > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 18:31

1

Man, that's excellent and i am super jelly too. Even though i'm partial to the lines of the Series III outside, XJ40 looks so much better inside. And 4.00with a 5 speed? Count me in.

Congratulations, and i wish you at least another 250 miles trouble free :-p

B.Peasant > fintail 05/27/2014 at 18:31

0

I've owned a 5-speed 280SE, and it was dull dull dull zzzzzz. A Jag even with automatic is much more exciting, and not necessarily just the wrong kind of exciting.

B.Peasant > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 18:42

1

My dad's got an '88 Sovereign. When he bought it, it had been unregistered for 6 years or something like that. Basically, a stalled project.

So he bought the car and we drove it home from Holmestrand to Karmøy, a 430km trip that went without a hitch. Well, except that bloody dashboard flashing every error message it could.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > B.Peasant 05/27/2014 at 18:54

0

Neat :) yours had the cool digital dash. I like them better than the conventional gauges mine has, but they're not known for working well...

So far that seems to be the prevailing experience. Picked up for cheap in questionable condition and driven a great distance without complaint.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > fintail 05/27/2014 at 18:59

1

Yeah, I think the W112s topped out at 2.8l. The Mk2 Jags really were the M5s of their era, sporting capability-wise. The weight might have evened things up a little though.

Definitely redo that. A 420SE W126 would prove a pretty close match I'd bet :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 505 - morphine not found 05/27/2014 at 19:04

1

Hear hear :)

I like the Series 2 XJCs, and the series Jags in general have a fantastic lithe look about them that's somewhat reduced in the XJ40 (although far from non-existent).

I prefer the '40 though, as it's got a great blend of classic Jag lines and '80s angularness. It was the last Jag until the XF (perhaps the XK, although even then only the last facelift) that was looking forwards more than it was looking back.

The X300, X308 and X350 XJs still looked great (especially an X308 R in jet-black), but I would never call them forward-thinking designs.

fintail > B.Peasant 05/27/2014 at 19:12

0

I guess that's a good point, old MB manuals can kind of be like an oar in a barrel - not helped by being mated to a big heavy car, and I think all 5-speed S-class were 6 cylinder, so no huge power to play with.

fintail > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 19:15

0

The M189 3 liter put out ~200hp in stock form, I don't know how the racers were tuned. I don't know about the Jags, but I could see 250hp from those without much problem. A W112 shouldn't weigh more than 3200-3300 lbs though, so that helps. More of a top speed car than an acceleration car - it'll cruise all day at 100mph, but you have to wait to get there.

Might as well make it a 560SE :) ...however, I think all 5-speed 126 and 140s were 6 cylinder cars. Still has freakshow value, at least to those of us in North America.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > fintail 05/27/2014 at 19:18

1

Oh gotcha, I think I've got the wrong Merc. If it's the bigger I6 then that's a much closer match. If you wanted to go crazy you could pit a Le Mans-spec XK engined Mk2 against a 300 SL Gullwing-engined W112...

We could go utterly mental and have a bored-out 560SE vs an 8.0l V12 XJ40, seeing as it's all theoretical :) that I'd like to see

VX Boy > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 20:02

0

My dad has a manual 3.0 S-Type. Can't be many manual Jags in the last 30-years, I'd have thought.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > VX Boy 05/27/2014 at 20:21

0

Really not many. XJ40, XJS, X300, X-Type, S-Type and the first XKR-S. That's it I think, and they were minority cases in all but the X-Type and XKR-S.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 20:45

0

Re 1: it took me a couple of years after buying my first XJ to stop feeling like I'd borrowed my grandfather's lounge.

Re 2: one of the thing I loved about it was the way that when you asked it to hustle, it'd take a moment to make it quite clear that a GENTLEMAN wouldn't behave this way.....then hitch up its skirts and show these whippersnappers in their hot hatches a clean pair of heels.

Re 5: you really need to watch that, leads to expensive encounters with Plod. Guess how I know.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 20:58

1

"(especially an X308 R in jet-black)"

Got one for sale if you're interested. Black on black with black wood. Even has the factory "big brakes and BBS split rims" option. Admittedly, it's located about as far from you as it's possible to get on this planet....

fintail > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 21:00

0

You might be thinking of a W108, which as an I6 topped out at 2.8, I think. The W112 is a much rarer car, and the M189 seen in it might be a distant relative of a gullwing engine. Perhaps an M100 W112 would even be crazier.

Or for a later car, the big 7.2 -7.3V12 stuck in a SWB W140 would work - it would be period correct. I don't know what kind of MB manual could handle it though.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/27/2014 at 21:17

0

This is seriously one of the coolest finds I've seen on Oppo. I didn't even know you could get them with manuals. Enjoy the hell out of it for us. :-)

LuczOr > yuriinfo 05/28/2014 at 00:01

1

The one you have posted is automatic.

andiewithanie > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 01:20

0

it's a nice car, but beautiful? it wasn't when it came out and time has done it no favours. shame really, as the pre-dev cars were interesting and BL did produce some designs that turned out to be really nice.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > fintail 05/28/2014 at 04:05

0

Ah, that would be the one :)

I don't think there's a Jag manual that could handle an 8.0l V12 either. Lets say Supra M/Ts are allowed if we're going mental :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 05/28/2014 at 04:06

0

That's pretty much perfect :) shame it's so far away (and I've already spent my money)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 05/28/2014 at 04:07

0

Thanks :) shall do

I don't think the manuals made it across the pond, but they sold a few over here. I'd even go as far as to call them uncommon rather than rare, but banger-racing has thinned their numbers.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > andiewithanie 05/28/2014 at 04:56

0

I'd say it's aged well, although I'm not sure most people would agree with me.

The series Jags are more classic, but I find their design to be a little fussy and too heavily chromed most of the time. They're nice, but a bit gaudy for me.

The XJ40 has that same basic Jaguar shape, but it's got a little of that clean-cut late-70s/early-80s angularness to it. I really like the more minimalist look that it's got compared to the Series. Saying that, I've seen some of the pre-prod mockups and they go even further. I'd have liked to see them in production form, but I think they might have ended up a little more anonymous than the '40. Looking at the DeTomaso Deauville would probably be a good approximation:

Oh, it's also the last Jaguar for decades to have a forward-thinking design. Every car made between the XJ40 and the last facelift of the XK leant very heavily on Jag's retro designs. It brings to mind a wistfulness and wanting to return to better times, rather than striding forwards confidently into the future.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 05/28/2014 at 05:07

0

Hah :) the second point is absolutely bang on.

I've already had a bit of an iffy moment, but the speedo under-reads by a couple of mph so I was alright :S

jdjonesdr > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 07:33

0

I'm a stupid mofo when it comes to swaps, but how hard is it to drop a plain jane V8 with a manual transmission into one of these?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > jdjonesdr 05/28/2014 at 07:58

0

Probably not too tricky, but you might be better going for a V12 version or a later X300 if you want to swap in a V8. Reportedly, BL wanted Jaguar to use the Rover V8 in the XJ40, but the engineers wrote a report saying that the engine bay was too narrow for a V engine. However, it was never investigated so they may have just made it up to try and keep a Jaguar engine.

They ended up having to widen it to fit the V12, and all the X300 onward cars had the same wider engine bay as the V12.

To be honest though, I'd keep the AJ6 I6. You can open it up to ~300bhp without too much difficulty. Might be tricky getting a manual trans to hook up to it in the US, but all the parts are available over here (if tricky to find).

jdjonesdr > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 08:17

0

Thanks. I was thinking more along the lines of a GM or Ford V8. Nothing absurdly powerful, just something that would move it along nicely with a minimum of things that could go wrong.

I've got one available locally that I may look into, and supposedly it doesn't have any problems to begin with.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > jdjonesdr 05/28/2014 at 08:38

0

I'm not sure they'll fit. I'd expect them to be roughly the size of an RV8 themselves.

To be honest, the AJ6 engines are pretty bulletproof. There are some knocking around with 200k+ miles without significant issues.

Parts might be a problem if you're in the States, but you can get them over here so if you don't mind shipping. it should be alright.

If you were to go for a swap, I'd think a 2JZ-GTE would be a good candidate :)

Ian McDowell > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 08:46

0

Careful how you go about it. I cut the trumpets off the air boxes of my V12 and it sounds awesome with revs around town, but it howls down the freeway (3 speed auto) and gets quite annoying. You may not have that issue with proper gears though

Ian McDowell > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 08:53

1

Looks like a great buy! Im personally not a big fan of the updated XJ, the XJS was a bit tastier but the taillights on both just throw me off. That first 3/4 shot though, good wheels on this car, but wires look even classier if you can find some. Sweet 80s/90s look to these though.
My 88' XJS v12 purs like a fucking kitten, but she is getting beaten with age ( im a student, not monies lol). These cars are incredibly better engineered than anyone will ever admit. You will find tons of people who will compliment your car and go on with "yeah but parts are expensive" or "yeah id have one but the electrics are crap" " yeah id take one but they are so unreliable". No matter what everyone needs to find something to tell themselves to make them feel better they don't own one. Excuses.
Interestingly, this has followed british cars so deeply that 97% of the people stating these things and spreading them to others haven't even ridden in one, much less owned one.

It sounds like you already see the unique experience these cars can offer, and will come to appreciate it even more with time.

btw isn't suspension fucking excellent? What you said about 40 is 40 and 90 is 40 is all true. I used to get in so much trouble when i first got my XJS (roughly the same suspension just shortened). It really does glide around, even as old as it is.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Ian McDowell 05/28/2014 at 10:01

0

I'm a little concerned about that too. The exhausts will be easily reversible so hopefully if they're too droning on the motorway I can swap them back.

jdjonesdr > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 10:16

0

So, if the one I'm looking at seems to be in fairly good shape mechanically, you'd suggest just leave it like it is? That's probably what I would do. I was trying to be proactive and think ahead if the motor or tranny took a dump after a couple of months.

Meatcoma > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 05/28/2014 at 10:30

0

This wiper looks out of place.