Bucket list car - time to get a Jaaag

[moglite]

So I've got a few things motoring related on my bucket list.
The next on the list are these

• Own a Jag
• Own a supercharged car
• Own a car with more than 8 cylinders

Anyone on here will realise that with the right car I can tick off two out of those three

I've got to pay for storage/garage charges for this one, as I've run out of space at home. Therefore it has to be nice and ready to go on day 1, I've already got a project car, this one is to be "Sunday Best"
Which is why I'm steering away from early XJ8s, I'm pretty sure nicasil (sp?) bores aren't a worry now, but chain tensioners isn't something I want to put my hand up for.

On my must have list are

• Gorgeous interior
• Sunroof
• Not silver (or light blue)
• Under 120,000 miles
• Not a 3.2
• XJ40  or later
• RHD

Not essential but there are brownie points for

• Special editions
• Daimlers - cause I'm a sucker for wood trim
• Pretty colours
• Black steering wheels !!
• Unmodified

I'm planning to keep this one for a while, so I'm being fussy 

A 6-cylinder XJR would fit right into this list I believe.
I could go a V12 too 
A high spec 4.0 would be good too

I'm based in Hampshire, I will travel for the right car, but obviously something south of the Shetland Isles would be handy

Ideally I'd like to keep the budget somewhere handy to £5K, but here is a bit of wiggle room for the right car

I've scoured eBay, PistonHeads, JEC, Car and Classic, but nothing is jumping out at me



This XJR would be worth a look if it had a sunroof

If only it had a sunroof




Best I can come up with at the moment is pushing the budget to the absolute max and going for a late Daimler Super V8 

Do I plan a trip to Kent

I'm not a dreamer. Money, insurance, storage is all sorted. I just need to find the right car, and make sure I've run any minor bugs out of it before I run it down to LeMans Classic in July.

Does anyone know of anything not advertised yet / word of mouth / thinking of selling.


Thanks

[hillbilly]

Having had a XJ40 6.0, an XJR-6 and XJR-8 amongst the other XJ’s of the 90’s These three are by far the coolest and best of the age.
XJR-6 was the most bullet proof, looked classy but just wasn’t as quick as the legend promised, it was quick but not what I was hoping for.
The XJR-8 was quick! Very Quick! Handled better, just was better and it never gave me any trouble, but..... it always made me feel a little like it might cost me money at any moment. There are lots of little issues with these and they are all more expensive than you would hope.
The XJ-12 was a cross between the two. But I liked the xj40 shape more than 300/308, I thought they were built better! Plus the v12 6.0 is an epic lump! I did exhaust mod and opened the air boxes on mine and it sounded lovely. The torque was like no other car I’ve ever had. I miss this one more than the other two. Unfortunately they are pretty rare and fuel consumption was crazy. V8 was best on fuel.

Happy hunting they are great cars and rising in value now I think. Always ask if you can unscrew the plastic vent panel under the wiper and look inside. The bulkhead drains in there block up. I had a rather nice 3.2 exec that was near mint but had a hole in there I could get my hand through.

[hillbilly]

I sold my XJR-8 last spring for £3800 so £5k should get the very best with low miles.

[ChasR]

I'd get an XJR X308.

We were discussing this over a curry the other day. Out of all of the cars around the time it was built the X308 was actually a half decent car! Compared to the M5 and E55 AMG some of the bills and scare stories weren't as bad! Their only real issue now is rust, which can be hard to spot as the bodywork can look pristine on them

[MkX]

Personally I'd be looking at the X305 XJ12 / Daimler Double-Six rather than the XJ81 version or even a s3. One of my all time wants is the XJ12 Coupé.
The XJ-R (6) is a very good car.
The XJ-R (8) is a fantastic car when it's going but they have been blacklisted by most mechanical warranty schemes due to the inordinately high rate of problems, they just didn't get this one right and it'll probably only ever be a money-pit.
OK, it's a little gauche but with just a little imagination you could tick off all 3 off your list!

[MkX]

£4K Daimler Double-Six;

[moglite]

Feb 27, 2018 23:23:27 GMT MkX said:

£4K Daimler Double-Six;

Ohhh - close - great spec and colour, but it looks a little unloved for a 400 mile round trip.
Thnks for thinking of me :-)

[moglite]

Feb 27, 2018 23:05:37 GMT MkX said:

Personally I'd be looking at the X305 XJ12 / Daimler Double-Six rather than the XJ81 version or even a s3. One of my all time wants is the XJ12 Coupé.
The XJ-R (6) is a very good car.
The XJ-R (8) is a fantastic car when it's going but they have been blacklisted by most mechanical warranty schemes due to the inordinately high rate of problems, they just didn't get this one right and it'll probably only ever be a money-pit.
OK, it's a little gauche but with just a little imagination you could tick off all 3 off your list!

I could go gauche - not sure my wallet could 

Daimler Double Six is high on the list, if not at the top,  we are on the same hymn sheet 

The XJ8's I'm having a love/hate relationship with, and I don't even own one yet !!
Doing some web-wheeling, I convince myself bore wear isn't a problem, and if I drop £1000 on a  complete set of chains and tensioners, I'll be fine.

Then I see things like this

Seized engine when full of oil

[ChasR]

I'd like to know if the people who moan about the XJ8s have actually owned them, or even had a like minded mate own one or going off pub talk.

Yes they do have a few more shortcomings. Most however have been ironed out and for the performance they are actually not too bad. The S54 engine in my M3 is more of a timebomb than the AJV8 and has the bonus of being far more expensive to work on for even routine servicing and pricey parts.

The AJ16 has its share of issues too, albeit far less. The HG went in my AJ6'd XJ40 XJR and if you are very unlucky that can go badly; coolant changes can save you however ; no-one ever mentions that however . Some bits for them are also NLA which can make life interesting if an unbreakable part goes. It doesn't happen often but it can be a pain if it does. That goes for any retro however.

The V8's biggest issues were timing chains and tensioner issues. Most out there haven't been updated to the later tensioners and if not bargain for getting them done. Bear this in mind. Jag's current V8 is a direct injection version of the V8 and the V6 also shares the same block. It would be suicide to keep using a 'bad engine'. Project 8 has done the Nurburgring and extensive testing too with the same basis.

A few mate's have owned them. The main problems they had stemmed from garages breaking things (one need a fuel pump after a clumsy LPG installation and the then said mechanic breaking the union on top of the pump), and cheap parts being used (one bloke went through a few coilpacks on his 'R but they were all eBay specials ; what did he expect?)

I'd buy one and have often debated swapping the XK8 for my M3. But the rust issues put me off.

[Monkfish]

Amazing cars. I bought this last August from a Jaguar Drivers' Club member and it's my second XJR6. Brilliant cars and a sensible buy at the moment - largely bombproof running gear and appreciating values. Probably for sale in the next month or so once I've got it out of storage.

[ChasR]

Feb 27, 2018 23:23:27 GMT MkX said:

£4K Daimler Double-Six;

A lovely car but that MOT history puts a pretty big black cloud over that purchase IMHO.

One day I'd love to own some V12 goodness! My memories are tainted a little of an overheating XJS going with a few of us to Germany but its soundtrack and sheer glory soon made you overlook that! Seeing an S2000 struggle to keep up with it on the Autobahn also made my day.

[theoldman]

PM sent re my sons' Daimler Super V8 on LPG.

I'm JDC since mid 1970s.
He is JEC.

[hillbilly]

Feb 28, 2018 9:43:46 GMT moglite said:

Feb 27, 2018 23:05:37 GMT MkX said:

Personally I'd be looking at the X305 XJ12 / Daimler Double-Six rather than the XJ81 version or even a s3. One of my all time wants is the XJ12 Coupé.
The XJ-R (6) is a very good car.
The XJ-R (8) is a fantastic car when it's going but they have been blacklisted by most mechanical warranty schemes due to the inordinately high rate of problems, they just didn't get this one right and it'll probably only ever be a money-pit.
OK, it's a little gauche but with just a little imagination you could tick off all 3 off your list!

I could go gauche - not sure my wallet could 

Daimler Double Six is high on the list, if not at the top,  we are on the same hymn sheet 

The XJ8's I'm having a love/hate relationship with, and I don't even own one yet !!
Doing some web-wheeling, I convince myself bore wear isn't a problem, and if I drop £1000 on a  complete set of chains and tensioners, I'll be fine.

Then I see things like this

Seized engine when full of oil

Another one I had with mine was... occasional drip of coolant from a threaded bung in the block. Asked the specialist if they could remove and replace the seal. They said yes they would for £30. BUT! As the two materials corrode in each other’s company they often strip out the thread in the block when removing, rendering the block scrap, which they would not be responsible for. Joy! Little design F ups like that really spoil an otherwise incredible car.

[MkX]

Feb 28, 2018 10:21:03 GMT ChasR said:

Feb 27, 2018 23:23:27 GMT MkX said:

£4K Daimler Double-Six;

A lovely car but that MOT history puts a pretty big black cloud over that purchase IMHO.

One day I'd love to own some V12 goodness! My memories are tainted a little of an overheating XJS going with a few of us to Germany but its soundtrack and sheer glory soon made you overlook that! Seeing an S2000 struggle to keep up with it on the Autobahn also made my day.

I will admit to not having checked out the MOT history although with the price-tag would expect it to be sub-optimal. From a personal perspective I can forgive some light corrosion and the odd mechanical niggle but I can't forgive grey leather! Someone was apparently less fussy as the car looks to have gone.

If you're after any particular type of car you need to be all over every website a couple of times a day and ready to travel at the drop of a hat clutching wads of cash, the really good ones are only going to be around for hours.

[Rusted Pistons]

I recently sold my x308 XJR-8 after dailying it for 6 months. Loved owning it, even though it was a pain in the ass. I couldn't get it running right but then, with a toddler comes next to zero tinker time. I'd imagine the new owner has sorted it by now! I don't regret buying it as the experience of owning it was awesome. And that supercharger noise.....

[dbdb]

I'm not sure the lack of a sunroof would put me off an XJ40/X300/X308.

The swooping roofline means headroom is at a premium. I would regard no sunroof as a positive advantage! It is the main thing I dislike about my own XJ40 and I wish it didn't have one, but I am reasonably tall, I suppose.

I also prefer the look and feel of the XJ40 to the X300 or X308. The materials Jaguar put into the XJ40 are often better quality (sometimes quite a bit better) - but the build accuracy of the later cars is far greater. The X300 and X308 was built on a modern production line and it shows. The XJ40 was built using much older equipment and the hand built element was far greater. This makes them more charming, but such things as shut lines are very old school on the XJ40. Shut lines on the X300 and X308 are far more accurate and modern.

[moglite]

Well the hunt is over.
I ended up with a 1993 Daimler Double Six.
Just 54,000 miles on the clock.
The interior is lush, but it needs a little TLC here and there.
Well I hope it is a little.
I drove it home 275 miles non-stop yesterday, so it can't be too bad can it ?
Trip computer said an average of 55mph and 21.5mpg FWIW




That is Morocco red, and not black

I'll go over it with a fine toothcomb at the weekend and will probably start a thread

Thanks for all the advice 

[MkX]

Mar 8, 2018 16:38:52 GMT moglite said:

Well the hunt is over.
I ended up with a 1993 Daimler Double Six.
Just 54,000 miles on the clock.
The interior is lush, but it needs a little TLC here and there.
Well I hope it is a little.
I drove it home 275 miles non-stop yesterday, so it can't be too bad can it ?
Trip computer said an average of 55mph and 21.5mpg FWIW




That is Morocco red, and not black

I'll go over it with a fine toothcomb at the weekend and will probably start a thread

Thanks for all the advice 

Anything above 15mpg in the V12 sounds good! I bet there wasn't a whole lot of noise at 55mph.
Buy a chauffeur's hat and a couple of white ribbons, it'll pay for the servicing!

[hillbilly]

Mar 8, 2018 16:38:52 GMT moglite said:

Well the hunt is over.
I ended up with a 1993 Daimler Double Six.
Just 54,000 miles on the clock.
The interior is lush, but it needs a little TLC here and there.
Well I hope it is a little.
I drove it home 275 miles non-stop yesterday, so it can't be too bad can it ?
Trip computer said an average of 55mph and 21.5mpg FWIW




That is Morocco red, and not black

I'll go over it with a fine toothcomb at the weekend and will probably start a thread

Thanks for all the advice 

Lovely colour in the sun! My equal favourite with Kingfisher. Well done, cracking car.

[dbdb]

Wow! No half measures there!

Do you have a thread for it?