RE: SOTW: Daimler XJ40 Auto
Discussion
I'll be looking for something sheddish in about 6 months. An old Jag or this sort of thing would be perfect, and currently sits near the top of my wish list.
Keep up the good work SOTW people, you've got 6 months to come up with some properly odd suggestions before I part with my brass.
Shame V12 Jags aren't under a Grand, the engine would make a great coffee table when it inevitably becomes uneconomical to repair...
Keep up the good work SOTW people, you've got 6 months to come up with some properly odd suggestions before I part with my brass.
Shame V12 Jags aren't under a Grand, the engine would make a great coffee table when it inevitably becomes uneconomical to repair...
richw_82 said:
I'm having a 420G next; hopefully this side of Christmas if I can afford it. They are an awesome beast, and starting to get a little on the rare side.
I've checked them out a few times over the last couple of years, would love to get hold of one, but as you say they are getting rare.. and pricey now!But man, what a HUGE piece of kit to cruise around in.
Shuffles off towards google to see what's around!
anything fast said:
one day these cars will be very very sought after and be worth good money
True.anything fast said:
...sadly that day is ever such a long long way away...
But a great barge! none the less
Also completely true! But a great barge! none the less
I have owned one of these for years and it has been a great car. I love the thing.
I guess opinions on styling are personal; some say they look too square but I love their look and the way they blend complex shapes together - both curves and straight lines. I think their styling works far better than the X300 which at least for me is too derivative and backward looking. The XJ40 is a car of its time and looks it; not of the 'sixties but the 'eighties and like the BMW E30 the XJ40’s styling reflects this.
I have owned mine for a long time and it has not been fragile in any way. In 18 years (my father once owned it) the only electrical fault it has suffered is one failed relay. Earlier cars (mine is a 1992 made 1993 model) are not quite as good electrically, particularly the 3.6 cars like this one which can suffer problems with some modules and the instrument pack. It is nothing that cannot be solved by a soldering iron though.
4 litre/3.2 litre cars are far better electrically than 3.6 litre cars.
Mechanically they are extremely robust too, whether 3.2, 3.6 or 4.0 – though the 2.9 can be fragile. Auto gearboxes are very long lived, as are interiors as this car shows.
They do rust though, and mine has. They need to be checked carefully for rot, but then they are an old car now. Incidentally, many X300s (which share much of the XJ40’s bodywork) are showing signs of serious rust now they are older, and due to differences in construction can be more expensive than an XJ40 to fix.
There is a lot of support for them on the internet too. Jag-lovers forum has huge knowledge of these cars, as does xj40.com. Both will offer exper diagnosis of any problems.
http://forums.jag-lovers.org/index.php3?zx=SdAHzRP...
http://www.xj40.com/
All in, I think they are a great car and a super Shed of the week!* Bought with your eyes open for rust etc they make an excellent buy, particularly if you can do some of the servicing yourself. They are not complex cars and are a good DIY proposition.
- Edited to say "not that I consider it a shed!!! They're beautiful! And a classic!!!
Edited by dbdb on Friday 20th August 15:30
Hmmm, I keep looking at these xj40s and wonder if I fancy one as a smoker, would have to be a 3.2 or 4.0 for me and maybe I would spend a little over the shed grand for a goodish one. Quite like it all the same.
Also agree it is of its time, maybe not the looker like a series xj but very much braces, stripey shirt and brick mobile phone.
I'll keep the SD1 Vitesse on this occassion.
Also agree it is of its time, maybe not the looker like a series xj but very much braces, stripey shirt and brick mobile phone.
I'll keep the SD1 Vitesse on this occassion.
I had one of these for a couple of months. The boat I crewed on was in Savannah (Georgia, USA) for a 4 month refit and we had little to do at weekends while it was in a shed. A couple of mates and I bought one off a sparky who was returning back to Blighty. One weekend (I hasten to add, this was back in 1996, so long before TG thought of doing something similar)we loaded up with provisions, beer and rum and set off to reconquer the southern states of the US for Her Majesty. Being better at driving a boat than a car, we had little knowledge of US roads so used a compass and basically drove due west. We burbled across southern Georgia without too much incident, picnicking inside the Daimler, raising the rear sunblinds when the heat got a little much, stopping at hill billy villages. Anyway, we motored into one town that looked like it was the set of the Dukes of Hazard, with an open air jail (really) on what I would call a village green. We moored the daimler outside the general store and popped in for some refreshments. We got talking to a couple of toothless, good old boys and their wife/sister/daughter/mother (she could have been any, not sure if they knew themselves). They had noticed the car outside and asked if it was British?
We were pretty well refreshed by this point so replied it certainly was, and belonged to the Queen's personal fleet. We were in town as Princess Di was coming through next week and we were searching for locations for her to purchase a house. Cue ridiculous Yank excitement, summons of the whole town, from Boss Hogg to Rosco PK to gather round and hear the news. To cut a long story short, after 'sippin whisky' with the boys and their crones, we weighed anchor at about ten thirty and tried to set course for a more civilised harbour. Unfortunately, the day's refreshments had taken their toll and the chap at the helm had a few issues keeping a straight course. Rosco PK materialised in his cruiser, full blues and twos sounding. What looked like a bad business turned out to be nothing of the sort, he helpfully used his 'sunlamp' to illuminate the road for us, which provided a bit more manoeuvering room for our coxswain who was suffering from double vision by this point and incapable of speech. He escorted us out to the city limits before bidding us farewell.
A great voyage - and all down to the car. So for all the naysayers who think this shed is overpriced or an anachronism , consider this. The experience that weekend is just the sort of thing that happens when you step into a Daimler or any other character motor. Sticking to your sensible shoeboxes and living a sensible life guarantees only one thing, you will only hear about experiences such as the above from others.
So look on, tut, polish your repmobile and do your nine to five. Nothing to see here for you.
We were pretty well refreshed by this point so replied it certainly was, and belonged to the Queen's personal fleet. We were in town as Princess Di was coming through next week and we were searching for locations for her to purchase a house. Cue ridiculous Yank excitement, summons of the whole town, from Boss Hogg to Rosco PK to gather round and hear the news. To cut a long story short, after 'sippin whisky' with the boys and their crones, we weighed anchor at about ten thirty and tried to set course for a more civilised harbour. Unfortunately, the day's refreshments had taken their toll and the chap at the helm had a few issues keeping a straight course. Rosco PK materialised in his cruiser, full blues and twos sounding. What looked like a bad business turned out to be nothing of the sort, he helpfully used his 'sunlamp' to illuminate the road for us, which provided a bit more manoeuvering room for our coxswain who was suffering from double vision by this point and incapable of speech. He escorted us out to the city limits before bidding us farewell.
A great voyage - and all down to the car. So for all the naysayers who think this shed is overpriced or an anachronism , consider this. The experience that weekend is just the sort of thing that happens when you step into a Daimler or any other character motor. Sticking to your sensible shoeboxes and living a sensible life guarantees only one thing, you will only hear about experiences such as the above from others.
So look on, tut, polish your repmobile and do your nine to five. Nothing to see here for you.
)Love these, my Dad owns a low mileage one that is mint and despite what the doubters say has been nothing but 100% reliable, no rust or dodgy electrics. Gets people asking if they can buy it almost everytime he takes it out.
And even though it is an old car, it still has that 'something special' feeling about wafting along in it.
Great SOTW!
Some gratuitous pics:
And even though it is an old car, it still has that 'something special' feeling about wafting along in it.
Great SOTW!
Some gratuitous pics:
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