1987 - Jaguar XJ40 3.6

[vectrolosys]

Hello,

This will be my first post. I have owned this car for the past five years. First off, some pictures, then some information about what I have done to her.

Pictures taken over the past couple of years, most recent from a couple of weeks back.











More photos to come. Over the past five years I have:-

- replaced the original wool interior for electric leather
- replaced the rear axle assembly for a limited slip affair
- replaced shock absorbers all round
- applied 20 litres of waxoyl to the cavities, floorpan, inner arches.
- replaced 4 doors, 1 bonnet, 2 wings and repaired the bootlid
- fitted the 1990 spec daimler rear lights and XJR in fill panel
- carried out general servicing on the engine
- fitted Jaguarsport steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake cover
- replaced the original metrics for 16" XJR wheels

Plans for moving forward:-

- apply more waxoyl
- sort some cosmetic welding
- another full respray, again in black but perhaps a metallic
- 17" XJR supercharged wheels (X300)
- Fit Air conditioning off a similar age sovereign

The car is now only used in the summer, and only on dry days. My daily drive is a Vauxhall Omega (another car I really like!).

I look forward to posting some more here.

James

[vectrolosys]

My most recent modification, very very very tacky, but relatively period (though ten years too late).





I have a couple more, which I will cut to complete the edges. Why? why not .

[briandamaged]

I like that...80's Jags seem to be dropping off the radar at an alarming rate!!

Welcome to Retro-Rides.

[vectrolosys]

Thanks .

I intend on keeping this car for as long as possible, it's one of those cars you just can't part with, even if I got another plaything, this would probably sit in a nice dry garage!!.

Unlike a lot of early XJ40's (this one is quite an early example) it is remarkably free of rust. Bulkhead, inner wings, sills, floorpan are all free, and, it has never been welded, well, except some mounting points on the inner wings, for the front wings.

You're right about them vanishing, there was a time a couple of years back, when you could pick up an early 40 for spares or repair for under £200, those days are fading fast!!.

Out of the 250,000 built, I am not certain how many survive. I do have a feeling that mine is one of the few genuine early cars left!!, it's an earlier car that the JDHT's early XJ6, as I discovered when looking theirs over at last years NEC. Theirs appears to be an 88 built, whereas mines a late 87.

[trg1984]

i love it, the sun strip is wicked mate, i don't think its tacky at all

[Rob]

trg1984 said:

I love it, the sun strip is wicked mate, I don't think its tacky at all

Only enough to hold it to the screen !

Sorry... Great car - there was one on here for sale that seemed a good buy... Are they really that cheap to get hold of now ? I guess poeple are scared of old prestige cars.. parts etc...

What's the parts / claub back-up like ?

So many questions...

Awesome motor. I really like these.

Rob

[Marc]

I've always liked these, theres a real blend of elegance and machismo in their design. I'm thinking of getting one to run over the winter.

Yours looks a real nice example mate, can see why you'd want to hold on to it.

[vectrolosys]

Hi,

Thanks for all the comments. It hasn't always looked this good. I bought it five years ago, off ebay, for just £200, the MOT had run out. Cosmetically, she was tatty, holes in all the doors, both front wings and the bonnet. It was bought on a whim to be honest, just as a run around to get used to XJ40 ownership, before a better example, a late Sovereign for example.

I got it home from Peterborough (home was Glastonbury, Somerset) and started poking around. The floorpans were rot free, the sills, both inner and outer, rot free, the inner wings, rot free, the boot floor, rot free, the bulkhead, rot free, despite the duck bill being blocked!. In fact, all the traditional XJ40 rot areas were rot free.

This lead me to think twice about using it for a bit and getting rid. I had a months MOT left, so I ran it around for a short time, then started the beginning of marathon that is still ongoing, five and a half years later!!, I never did get that better example, I just stuck with what I had and improved upon that.

First up, rust proofing. I derusted some areas of surface rust underneath, hammerited and waxoyled, plus waxoyled some cavities. I kept the bodywork clean and polished, despite the surface rust. This bemused many people who saw the car!.

Next I gathered some parts and started replacing bits, such as the rear diif assembly.

About a year later, I sent her off to a local Jaguar specialist for four replacement doors, 2 front wings, a bonnet (which I supplied) and a respray. She came back looking stunning, and this is where we have been for the past four and a half years, regular washing and polishing keeps her happy, cosmetically, regular waxoyling and examination stops the rust and the occasional Italian tune up keeps the engine in fine form.

So, costs to run, with specialists out there, such as David Manners, and massive discounts from the JDHT, runnins costs for parts is not all that bad, they're a cheaply serviced prestige car, that, is on the whole, very reliable. I have only ever had one breakdown in 40,000 miles or drving, and that was due to the viscous fan flying off into the radiator, fortunately, it came off at idle, in a car park!.

Pugboyracer, I notice you have an 87 E28 528i, I used to have one of these. I was given it free, it was in need of a torque convertor neck seal. I replaced this and a few other bits and sold her on. Shame, was a rather nice car.