X300 colour and Sport question
Discussion
They did three levels of suspension:
soft: used in the Sovereign and base model
hard: used in the XJR
& in the best Goldie Locks tradition
Just right: used in the Sport.
The other difference is the most of the brightwork is black or body coloured on the Sport rather than chrome.
The seats are different too, again the Sport gets the best pick
Badges and a few other minor differences.
X300s get proper 6 cylinders in a line engines, while X308 get a poorman's spec 4 cylinders in a row design.
X308's also get cheaper, less easily damaged bumpers.
Picking up a theme yet?
I've had my Sport for over 16 years now, she comes of age in a couple of months.
soft: used in the Sovereign and base model
hard: used in the XJR
& in the best Goldie Locks tradition
Just right: used in the Sport.
The other difference is the most of the brightwork is black or body coloured on the Sport rather than chrome.
The seats are different too, again the Sport gets the best pick
Badges and a few other minor differences.
X300s get proper 6 cylinders in a line engines, while X308 get a poorman's spec 4 cylinders in a row design.
X308's also get cheaper, less easily damaged bumpers.
Picking up a theme yet?
I've had my Sport for over 16 years now, she comes of age in a couple of months.
a8hex said:
They did three levels of suspension:
soft: used in the Sovereign and base model
hard: used in the XJR
& in the best Goldie Locks tradition
Just right: used in the Sport.
The other difference is the most of the brightwork is black or body coloured on the Sport rather than chrome.
The seats are different too, again the Sport gets the best pick
Badges and a few other minor differences.
X300s get proper 6 cylinders in a line engines, while X308 get a poorman's spec 4 cylinders in a row design.
X308's also get cheaper, less easily damaged bumpers.
Picking up a theme yet?
I've had my Sport for over 16 years now, she comes of age in a couple of months.
Great stuff, thanks. Do you find the power of the 3.2 adequate? I'm not after mental performance (selling my TVR after 18 months of that!) just something that's comfy but goes when needed.soft: used in the Sovereign and base model
hard: used in the XJR
& in the best Goldie Locks tradition
Just right: used in the Sport.
The other difference is the most of the brightwork is black or body coloured on the Sport rather than chrome.
The seats are different too, again the Sport gets the best pick
Badges and a few other minor differences.
X300s get proper 6 cylinders in a line engines, while X308 get a poorman's spec 4 cylinders in a row design.
X308's also get cheaper, less easily damaged bumpers.
Picking up a theme yet?
I've had my Sport for over 16 years now, she comes of age in a couple of months.
theironduke said:
Great stuff, thanks. Do you find the power of the 3.2 adequate? I'm not after mental performance (selling my TVR after 18 months of that!) just something that's comfy but goes when needed.
I've never felt it lacking in power. A mate used to have a 735 and the 3.2 Jag was much quicker than that. Another mate had a 740 and the Jag and Beamer would pretty evenly matched. Jaguar Steve says he found his 3.2 lacked a bit going up steeper hills with 4 adults. I guess this is something I've never tried. You need to let the 3.2 rev more than you would a 4.0, but its still much torquier than any of the equivalent Germans I've driven, and it seems very happy to rev. Sure lots of cars are quicker these days if they really try, but as I've said it never seems to lack power. It's more than happy to accelerate to well over the limit ( or even over normal motorway speeds) up slip roads.Lady B8 is a Mercedes girl, so our other wheels were an E320CDI wagon until recently, the Jag was certainly quicker than that. The Merc wore out, so has been replaced with one of the new E350CDI wagons which is significantly faster, but the Jag is still easier to drive fast down uneven British B roads, where the Merc tends to want to follow the imperfection in the road far more than the Jag does.
If you are looking, try and drive a few, the guy who's looked after mine for the last few years recons my car is quicker than most 3.2s he sees. I thought about tweeking it slightly. The guy who headed up the development of the AJ16 engine wrote an article in the JEC rag a few years back where he said that in hindsight they could take more advance on the ignition, and he'd developed a spacer to put in to effect this. I should try and dig out the article again some day. But I've never felt the need really.
The only non standard thing I've had done to mine is a pre-heater. Until I bought my XK150, the XJ6 had always been garaged. I'd forgotten what its like to drive a freezing cold car
so 
I had Chris Window fit a Kenlowe preheater in, so when I do need it first thing in the morning I can have it all warm and ready to go. Comfortable, just like an XJ should be.The 3.2 6 cyl XJ is a extremely heavy car. I found both mine OK as motorway cruisers but considered them almost embarassingly underpowerd when heavily laden, driving in hilly areas or trying to get a move on. The 3.2 six is hampered further by a 1980's design 4 speed gearbox that only has torque converter lock up in 4th gear and 4th only engages at speeds over 50MPH - effectively you're driving round in third gear at any speed below that.
The penalties of driving one sufficently hard to make reasonable progress under less than ideal conditions is sub 20's MPG.
I'd suggest you take a couple of big heavy mates along for a test drive, find some hills and see how you get on.
The penalties of driving one sufficently hard to make reasonable progress under less than ideal conditions is sub 20's MPG.
I'd suggest you take a couple of big heavy mates along for a test drive, find some hills and see how you get on.
Jaguar steve said:
The 4.0 has better performance when heavily laden and also benefits from a electronically controlled gearbox. There's no penalty in fuel consumption in the real world either - your only problem may be finding one.
You do seem scarce. Found one on classicandsportscar but knowing my luck it'll be sold!I have long wondered why most X300s seem to have been sold in a low-ish spec, whilst the majority of XJ40s were sold with a high spec - by far the most common XJ40 is the 4 litre Sovereign.
4 litre X300s are about, but most of them seem to be 3.2 Sports or the base 3.2 XJ6. I wonder if the bigger spenders had moved on to German cars or the Range Rover by the X300's time.
I have a 3.2 litre XJ40 which has less power than the X300 3.2. It's not fast but I have never been in a situation when it hasn't had enough performance - it has certainly never struggled with hills and I don't find three passengers makes much difference - and I have some 'mighty' friends.
I'd buy on condition not spec - I would rather have a lovely well cared for base 3.2 than a tired 4.0 Daimler, so don't discount the 3.2. Try it first though because people's perception of performance can differ. I suspect JaguarSteve has been spoiled by all that creamy smooth V8 power!!
4 litre X300s are about, but most of them seem to be 3.2 Sports or the base 3.2 XJ6. I wonder if the bigger spenders had moved on to German cars or the Range Rover by the X300's time.
I have a 3.2 litre XJ40 which has less power than the X300 3.2. It's not fast but I have never been in a situation when it hasn't had enough performance - it has certainly never struggled with hills and I don't find three passengers makes much difference - and I have some 'mighty' friends.
I'd buy on condition not spec - I would rather have a lovely well cared for base 3.2 than a tired 4.0 Daimler, so don't discount the 3.2. Try it first though because people's perception of performance can differ. I suspect JaguarSteve has been spoiled by all that creamy smooth V8 power!!
dbdb said:
I have long wondered why most X300s seem to have been sold in a low-ish spec, whilst the majority of XJ40s were sold with a high spec - by far the most common XJ40 is the 4 litre Sovereign.
4 litre X300s are about, but most of them seem to be 3.2 Sports or the base 3.2 XJ6. I wonder if the bigger spenders had moved on to German cars or the Range Rover by the X300's time.
I have a 3.2 litre XJ40 which has less power than the X300 3.2. It's not fast but I have never been in a situation when it hasn't had enough performance - it has certainly never struggled with hills and I don't find three passengers makes much difference - and I have some 'mighty' friends.
I'd buy on condition not spec - I would rather have a lovely well cared for base 3.2 than a tired 4.0 Daimler, so don't discount the 3.2. Try it first though because people's perception of performance can differ. I suspect JaguarSteve has been spoiled by all that creamy smooth V8 power!!
Totally buying on condition, powwwwwwwer /Clarkson/ really isn't an issue, after 18 months of TVR'ing i'm looking for waft!4 litre X300s are about, but most of them seem to be 3.2 Sports or the base 3.2 XJ6. I wonder if the bigger spenders had moved on to German cars or the Range Rover by the X300's time.
I have a 3.2 litre XJ40 which has less power than the X300 3.2. It's not fast but I have never been in a situation when it hasn't had enough performance - it has certainly never struggled with hills and I don't find three passengers makes much difference - and I have some 'mighty' friends.
I'd buy on condition not spec - I would rather have a lovely well cared for base 3.2 than a tired 4.0 Daimler, so don't discount the 3.2. Try it first though because people's perception of performance can differ. I suspect JaguarSteve has been spoiled by all that creamy smooth V8 power!!
Condition is the big one, along with history, ticket etc, but i'm also being quite picky on trim and colour! Ideally want a sport, black would be perfect but I do like that blue above or carnival red also stands out...all with cream cow
theironduke said:
no17 said:
theironduke said:
You do seem scarce. Found one on classicandsportscar but knowing my luck it'll be sold!
Nice manual Turquoise 4 litre Sport on eBay right nowhttp://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C310300
Going to view this tomorrow.... 4.0 (AJ16) Sport
Colour wouldn't be my first choice but seems to have been loved and looks straight.
Going to view this tomorrow.... 4.0 (AJ16) Sport
Colour wouldn't be my first choice but seems to have been loved and looks straight.
a8hex said:
The guy who headed up the development of the AJ16 engine wrote an article in the JEC rag a few years back where he said that in hindsight they could take more advance on the ignition, and he'd developed a spacer to put in to effect this. I should try and dig out the article again some day. But I've never felt the need really.
The chap's name is Andy Stodart. I have the aforementioned bracket, for economy reasons, but I haven't gotten around to fitting it yet. Adds a constant 5 degrees.Even without it I haven't found my 3.2 Sovereign LWB Sport to be particularly lacking in the performance department. The ZF four speed might be old but it's reliable and you can lock it into 2nd or 3rd using the left side of the J-gate. Pressing on you'll see the on board trip computer read < 10 mpg, but you are shifting two tons of leather and walnut.
A four litre gives you a ZF 4HP24E (rather than a 4HP22), which gives you a gearbox ECU and a sport button. I bought a 3.2 for the rarity and to avoid the limp home gremlins which seen to afflict the 4.0, but people say the 4.0 in sport mode has less slurry shifts. The 4.0 also has a taller final drive and 245 bhp instead of 216.
Well.....it was a bit of a mixed bag
Lots of advisories on the MOT, two of the wheels are in need of attention, battery is the worse i've ever seen! (must have gone bang, no acid left and plates visible....he had to jump it to start it, and wondered why!) V5 not in his name.
Car itself drives nicely and is very tidy bit spidey senses say no.
Lots of advisories on the MOT, two of the wheels are in need of attention, battery is the worse i've ever seen! (must have gone bang, no acid left and plates visible....he had to jump it to start it, and wondered why!) V5 not in his name.
Car itself drives nicely and is very tidy bit spidey senses say no.
If you've not done so already have a look on carsandclassics, in the Jaguar World magazine and join the JEC to get access to the magazine classifieds.
That's where you'll find most of the care for enthusiast owned cars, not the usual beaten up, stone rashed wrecks you all to often see in Autotrader.
That's where you'll find most of the care for enthusiast owned cars, not the usual beaten up, stone rashed wrecks you all to often see in Autotrader.
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