This is one of my all time Favorited cars! love that colour, certainly going to get one just like this in next few years does anyone know anybody selling one?

So, I set aside this entire weekend to fettle the car. Saturday morning I had her booked in with a Smart Leather repair company, who claim to colour match any leather to 99.9% accuracy. The company is a one man band based in Ollerton, Notts and he came highly recommended from a friend who had some work done with him earlier in the year. At £100 a seat I was apprehensive but having had a good chat with the proprietor he confirmed the lengthy process involved and the fact he uses a very expensive piece of equipment to match the colour and mix the paint. I drove over there and he set to work.

This is the seat before the treatment looking a little tired:


I was very intrigued about the process so asked if I could stick around and watch the magic happen. Firstly he zapped the seat several times with this trick bit of kit which recorded the colour. Then it was onto the laptop which told him how much paint to mix within 100th of a gram. The paint was mixed and ready and he then set about filling the cracks on my bolster:



This was sanded back and refilled to get the finish perfect. He then added a clear coat which helps absorb some of the movement and also prevent cracking. Finally the colour was applied:



This was left to dry for an hour and below is the result:



I was absolutely delighted by the quality of this guys work, his attention to detail was sublime. All round good guy as well and I would thoroughly recommend him, http://www.leatherbetter.co.uk if anyone needs anything doing he is your man!

Whilst he was doing the seats I gave the car a good going over with the clay bar. I then drove it home, washed it again and went over with Meguiars Tech Wax. The car was transformed, the paintwork is like glass now! The pictures don't really do any justice but you would be hard pushed to tell this car is 14 years old with a private plate on!





Oh and driving back from a friends on Saturday night, there was a large bang on the windscreen. A chip very quickly turned into a 5" crack which is being sorted tomorrow courtesy of the insurance company.

My next job is some new numberplates to freshen up the look a little!

Very very nice indeed,infact I love it.
Thankfully I have an xj,but this is a right cracker of one.
Don't understand why there are so many for sale in the classifieds,if u find a good one,then they are a great 2nd car.

I looked at these before I bought my X Type. SWMBO doesn't like them with her reasoning being that they are too big & they are for old men - then she looked at me with that look that they have & said 'then again you are 53 so maybe they do suit you!!!'

Anyway I went for the 3 litre X Type car. Wish though that I had gone down this route as they are great cars.

Yours looks superb. I need my leather seats treated as they quite badly cracked. However I'm in Gloucestershire so I doubt that your restorer will travel over here however I will contact him tomorrow & ask him.

That is certainly my way of thinking I've had very mixed comments from people ranging from 'old man pipe and slippers' to 'the best car I've ever owned' and a load in between. I find it to be a very marmite car and slightly left field for someone of my age (30). I absolutely love it though!

How much did you pay for this car if you don't mind me asking?
The pictures are fantastic - looks a realy quality motor..

Lovely looking Jag i think the dimple wheels suit the car best, I regretted selling mine for xk8 wheels, Great things to drive I will have one again some day.

Everything said is spot on. They are lovely cars.
Just picked up one on Saturday, after looking for a Jag (got a van for work) for nearly 5 months and saw mostly 3.0 SE's. All trashed. Saw mine in Autotrader and fell head over heels straight off. 97k on the clock, but everyone keeps saying it's 'old mans wheels'. The Boss got in and said 'THIS IS A REAL CAR', the kids (11 +13) laughed before they got in it, the mum-in-law wants taking to work in it, the 21 yr old was lost for words. Everyone loves it so far.
I love your colour, mine is green with the cream inside. The car just feels fantastic, everything I was hoping it would. Should have got one years ago!
Paid £1745 for it from a dealer, getting a mechanic to give it the once over this week, just in case. If it's all good, then I'll try the leather repair that you had done, bit closer to home tho, as I live in Wootton Bassett, Nr Swindon. Then maybe the chains and tensioners.
Boyhood dream of mine this is for me, is there anywhere to go to get background info on the type of wheels/ engines/ history of 8's/ etc? Any pointers would be great.
Getting sucked in, aren't I?

Well a month into ownership and I am still very much liking this car! Since I bought it the steering wheel had a bit of a shake between 55 and 70 so I took it in for the wheels balanced. Much better now!

I also bought a new numberplate which has tidied the front up no end and also went against the grain a little re-striping the coach line Black, which has really freshened it up but quite subtly!




and the obligatory religious symbol


There's a slight rattle from the rear which most people seem to think is the shock absorber bushes to I'll see to that next.

Very enjoyable, my style of driving has changed a lot, I am much calmer now and just cruise around everywhere. IT has great road presence and you really feel like you've arrived when you get somewhere. Still trying to convince the wife I'm not an old man though