RE: Shed Of The Week: Jaguar XJ
Discussion
dbdb said:
It is amazing how people's pre-conceived ideas affect their perceptions of problems on cars. The rust repairs you see PHers doing on their old Mercedes are a good example.
On the Mercedes, they're just seen as a bit of fettling, but if the same rust patch happened to be on a Jaguar (or heaven forbid something from Italy) then it is "OMG rust horror!" Odd really.
So too are problems faced in service. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that Jaguars are poor quality and unreliable. It's not true. For cars built from 1990, the XJ40 suffers less problems than the average car and the last 1993/94 cars are very good quality things.
The X300 improved on this, suffering very few maladies indeed when they were new cars - and continue to be robust cars now. They were continuously very highly rated in quality surveys right through the 1990s - mostly higher than their "better" German counterparts, though it must be said, lower than Lexus.
I've had to replace the front wings on both w124s I've had and no-one batted an eyelid yet when I say the ones on the xj are starting to bubble they look at me like i'm going to start burning piles of fivers as a hobby if I say about getting them seen to weird On the Mercedes, they're just seen as a bit of fettling, but if the same rust patch happened to be on a Jaguar (or heaven forbid something from Italy) then it is "OMG rust horror!" Odd really.
So too are problems faced in service. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that Jaguars are poor quality and unreliable. It's not true. For cars built from 1990, the XJ40 suffers less problems than the average car and the last 1993/94 cars are very good quality things.
The X300 improved on this, suffering very few maladies indeed when they were new cars - and continue to be robust cars now. They were continuously very highly rated in quality surveys right through the 1990s - mostly higher than their "better" German counterparts, though it must be said, lower than Lexus.
dbdb said:
So too are problems faced in service. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that Jaguars are poor quality and unreliable. It's not true. For cars built from 1990, the XJ40 suffers less problems than the average car and the last 1993/94 cars are very good quality things.
Now i can relate to that! I worked for SPE which was a part of the old Plessey company and we supplied and maintained the main board Jags, In my time there we went from S3 xj's to the new XJ40, The XJ40 was a completely different car regarding maintenance costs compared to the S3's, They hardly needed anything between services, The only problem we really had with the early ones were leaky accumulator switches and the odd electrical problem, Nothing compared to S3's.theJT said:
If I had a big enough space in which to park it I would have bought one of these already. Always thought it was a shame there was no XJ coupe during the X300/X350 era mind.
The old XJ-C was always the true looker of the Jaguar range for me. Much more so than the XJS.
That is beautiful! The old XJ-C was always the true looker of the Jaguar range for me. Much more so than the XJS.
dbdb said:
It is amazing how people's pre-conceived ideas affect their perceptions of problems on cars. The rust repairs you see PHers doing on their old Mercedes are a good example.
On the Mercedes, they're just seen as a bit of fettling, but if the same rust patch happened to be on a Jaguar (or heaven forbid something from Italy) then it is "OMG rust horror!" Odd really.
So too are problems faced in service. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that Jaguars are poor quality and unreliable. It's not true. For cars built from 1990, the XJ40 suffers less problems than the average car and the last 1993/94 cars are very good quality things.
The X300 improved on this, suffering very few maladies indeed when they were new cars - and continue to be robust cars now. They were continuously very highly rated in quality surveys right through the 1990s - mostly higher than their "better" German counterparts, though it must be said, lower than Lexus.
Yes indeed. Match the negative summary quote to the car: (W210 mercedes, jaguar x300, e39 bmw)On the Mercedes, they're just seen as a bit of fettling, but if the same rust patch happened to be on a Jaguar (or heaven forbid something from Italy) then it is "OMG rust horror!" Odd really.
So too are problems faced in service. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that Jaguars are poor quality and unreliable. It's not true. For cars built from 1990, the XJ40 suffers less problems than the average car and the last 1993/94 cars are very good quality things.
The X300 improved on this, suffering very few maladies indeed when they were new cars - and continue to be robust cars now. They were continuously very highly rated in quality surveys right through the 1990s - mostly higher than their "better" German counterparts, though it must be said, lower than Lexus.
"...Severe, catastrophic rust problem, body and structure; even brake pipes and fuel delivery lines..."
"Not as roomy in the back as you might think. Bore liner erosion on pre-2000 model year cars. Problems with (optional air) suspension...."
"Electrical niggles. Some complaints over paint quality and assembly standards"
Very fair article on the XJ8.
I've had mine for 6 years now and really like the car, which is the last of the "old style" Jaguars in style, bodyshape and driving experience.
This is a rewarding "hobby vehicle" as it is such a bargain to buy and quite simple to work on/improve, so you now have a stylish reliable V8 which will give you much pleasure to drive.
With low cost classic insurance and up to 30mpg you don't need to be that well heeled either!
Look for a nice one, check the essentials have been done and you wont regret it.
I've had mine for 6 years now and really like the car, which is the last of the "old style" Jaguars in style, bodyshape and driving experience.
This is a rewarding "hobby vehicle" as it is such a bargain to buy and quite simple to work on/improve, so you now have a stylish reliable V8 which will give you much pleasure to drive.
With low cost classic insurance and up to 30mpg you don't need to be that well heeled either!
Look for a nice one, check the essentials have been done and you wont regret it.
I don't need another car. I really don't need another car. I haven't got space for another car. I can't really afford to buy another car. I certainly can't afford to run another car. Somebody please stop me lifting the phone. Elder son really wants one of these too. There's just an inherent rightness to these old Jags and how they ride and handle on British roads, you can tell they've been developed here the moment you step in them. They're just lovely-looking things too. I damn nearly got one back in October, for just under a grand, but I was outbid at the last moment. It was a very solid-looking private-seller car in Buckinghamshire in an attractive metallic light blue colour, always garaged, blah blah. Ended up in an E39 535i for £595 instead - and I'm very happy indeed with that, it's completely rust-free and in fabulous nick mechanically. I've just splurged on a replacement engine for the 520i too (old one was b
ksed by leaking valve stem oil seals, and I think the head and crankcase breather were buggered too), so I'm not getting rid of that just yet either. I do prefer six/twelve cylinder noises to eight-cylinder ones though, which might lead me down the X300 route. I've had two V8s, two straight sixes (albeit only in the one car!), and I really want a V12 some day... but a 4-speed autobox might be offputting.
I really don't get the "run it into the ground then break it" attitude. That's why these are becoming a bit of a rarity - and why it's a shame they're so very cheap. A nice car is worth spending a bit of money on, because values are bound to rise eventually... look what Series IIIs are fetching... which is why I've chucked money at my 520i, even though it's really scruffy and scabby, I plan on treating it as a rolling restoration project, until maybe 5 years from now I've got a really smart, tidy example once more.
The restomodded XJ-C is this one in Finland: http://jaguar.fiboy.com/XJ12C.htm - lots of build info there. Truly lovely.
ksed by leaking valve stem oil seals, and I think the head and crankcase breather were buggered too), so I'm not getting rid of that just yet either. I do prefer six/twelve cylinder noises to eight-cylinder ones though, which might lead me down the X300 route. I've had two V8s, two straight sixes (albeit only in the one car!), and I really want a V12 some day... but a 4-speed autobox might be offputting.I really don't get the "run it into the ground then break it" attitude. That's why these are becoming a bit of a rarity - and why it's a shame they're so very cheap. A nice car is worth spending a bit of money on, because values are bound to rise eventually... look what Series IIIs are fetching... which is why I've chucked money at my 520i, even though it's really scruffy and scabby, I plan on treating it as a rolling restoration project, until maybe 5 years from now I've got a really smart, tidy example once more.
The restomodded XJ-C is this one in Finland: http://jaguar.fiboy.com/XJ12C.htm - lots of build info there. Truly lovely.
279 said:
I don't think those BMWs are really worse rusting than similar cars, but the W210 seems to rust easily. The mid nineties were a bit of a dark time to be a Mercedes engineer. You just had to shut your eyes, put your fingers in your ears and sing happy songs while thinking happy thoughts. 
Or shout angrily while playing 'Du Hast' loudly, and throw some three pointed stars at photos of Mercedes accountants. Mercedes did enjoy a reputation of over-engineering their cars a bit, but clearly they decided that if it wasn't a major component cost was the main priority. Their plan just backfired a bit on them.
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