Am I old before my time - 2 Jags & a Daimler?
Discussion
I read earlier a comment that suggest that the Jaguar forum seems a little quiet presently, so I thought instead of posting the odd reply, I would start something off for once!
I have inhereted my Fathers enthusiasm for Jaguars, particularly saloons. He alway drooled over any half decent example. He unfortunately became ill before he realised his dream but he did survive long enough to witness me buying my first - he even came with me to pick it up and enjoyed several trips out before his condition worsened.
So what did I buy? Well, I wanted something as a second vehicle, a toy which was good but not perfect. As a car nut I wanted something that was special to me but not perfect as I wished to expand my automotive mechanical skills be getting it up to scratch. What I could afford turned out to be a very late XJ40. I had read everything there was to read, and a late car seemed the one to have. So a 3.2 AJ6 engined "Gold" special edition in Regency Red was purchased in April 2003, having covered a mere 93,000 miles. I still have this car and it has now covered 110,000. At the time, the fact that there are so few Gold editions about escaped me (1499 built according to Nigel Thorely) but this little fact allows me to use the car on classic car displays in the summer. It clearly brought me another interest! Spurred on by this car now winning some awards, (laterly best XJ40 at last years Southern JEC rally at Littlecote House) I now intend to use my third toy purchase of August last year a two owner 1997 X300 3.2 AJ16 engined "Executive" in Titanium which has 54,000 miles up. I will enjoy running this one in!!!
My second toy was purchased in 2004 and is a 1978 Daimler Sovereign Series 2 lwb which was in nedd of some serious work. This car has certainly honed my metalwork and refinishing skills already. Some 2 1/2 years of chopping out rust and putting metal back in so far but the bodywork is now sound so I am slowly turning to the interior, having just rebuilt the Webasto sunroof and replaced all the headlining including recovering the cantrails etc.
So there we are, a sad potted history. I keep getting the comment that they are old men's cars and at 43 I feel ready for my walking stick now! Do you agree? My next purchase in a couple of years time (perhaps)is presently a toss-up between a Jag 420/Daimler equivalent, a Rover P5 or a Princess VP 4 Litre R. Well I can dream.....
So what about your collections out there?
I have inhereted my Fathers enthusiasm for Jaguars, particularly saloons. He alway drooled over any half decent example. He unfortunately became ill before he realised his dream but he did survive long enough to witness me buying my first - he even came with me to pick it up and enjoyed several trips out before his condition worsened.
So what did I buy? Well, I wanted something as a second vehicle, a toy which was good but not perfect. As a car nut I wanted something that was special to me but not perfect as I wished to expand my automotive mechanical skills be getting it up to scratch. What I could afford turned out to be a very late XJ40. I had read everything there was to read, and a late car seemed the one to have. So a 3.2 AJ6 engined "Gold" special edition in Regency Red was purchased in April 2003, having covered a mere 93,000 miles. I still have this car and it has now covered 110,000. At the time, the fact that there are so few Gold editions about escaped me (1499 built according to Nigel Thorely) but this little fact allows me to use the car on classic car displays in the summer. It clearly brought me another interest! Spurred on by this car now winning some awards, (laterly best XJ40 at last years Southern JEC rally at Littlecote House) I now intend to use my third toy purchase of August last year a two owner 1997 X300 3.2 AJ16 engined "Executive" in Titanium which has 54,000 miles up. I will enjoy running this one in!!!
My second toy was purchased in 2004 and is a 1978 Daimler Sovereign Series 2 lwb which was in nedd of some serious work. This car has certainly honed my metalwork and refinishing skills already. Some 2 1/2 years of chopping out rust and putting metal back in so far but the bodywork is now sound so I am slowly turning to the interior, having just rebuilt the Webasto sunroof and replaced all the headlining including recovering the cantrails etc.
So there we are, a sad potted history. I keep getting the comment that they are old men's cars and at 43 I feel ready for my walking stick now! Do you agree? My next purchase in a couple of years time (perhaps)is presently a toss-up between a Jag 420/Daimler equivalent, a Rover P5 or a Princess VP 4 Litre R. Well I can dream.....
So what about your collections out there?
jaguarnut said:
So there we are, a sad potted history. I keep getting the comment that they are old men's cars and at 43 I feel ready for my walking stick now! Do you agree?
Its a sign that you're content with your age and not attempting to look like you're 18 again... which the people saying those comments obviously aren't! Oh, and i bet they're bores who drive BMW 3 series.
So there!
The comment is a historic curiosity caused because Jag produced such fantastic cars in the 60's that the people who bought Jags then still run Jags today. Now they are building fantastic cars again which are, yes, reliable and comfortable and smooth, which by the way the best Jags generally were. They are also modern and quick. Don't let it bother you, I don't.
I bought my first Jag when I was 19 - a very early (T plated) SIII Daimler Sovereign. There then followed an almost constant stream of SII & III XJs - 6 & 12s. Now I've got a V12 XJS and had a SIII Daimler Double Six until last month when some toerag stole it. Bah. Oh & I'm 36 - so I don't know if that makes me old or I always just was old! 
Edited by BruceV8 on Sunday 13th May 02:06
What an interesting comment! I too am always been slated for my appreciation of Jag and I feel that I am a young 48! I was indoctrinated into Jags from an early age when dad had a MK10 4.2 which he kept well past its sell buy date and he loved it. He bought the first brand new BRG XJ12 Series 1 after visting Browns Lane to collect the new engine for the MK10 after its spectacularly cracked its block (damn it was cold in the North East!) alas the fuel crisis struck and he transfered the funds into his pension fund instead of collecting his new Jag.His heart was still there because he kept the MK10 and ran a Fiat 500 respelndent with a Jag mascot- he joked that he kept it in the boot of the MK10.My childhood was filled with memories of Jags,two doors up the first XJS in the NE,four doors up the dentist with two xk120's , the doctor further up who traded his Interceptor for a brand new V12 Etype. The couple further down with an XK140 and 150 and ran a Mk2 and what about my best mate who at the tender age of 19 bought and restored chassis number 13 E Type- you around Anth? Like to say hello! Today my second XJ xk8 and pride of place my XJ13 model BRG of course! So what is it? what is the DNA/the brand values that are so damn seductive? Over to you PH's
I first became interested in Jags in '88 when I was 10, they won Le Mans and showed off the original 48v V12 4x4 XJ220 concept. 
From then on I dreamt of owning a Jag (always a saloon for some reason).
Well my dream came true in 2001 at the age of 22. A 1990 4.0 XJ40 Sovereign with full history and an unbelieveable 33000 miles!!! It even still had the cassettes in the centre console to instruct on how to use the stereo (ironic!) and a welcome from the original dealer.
Chopped it in a couple of years ago for my current XJR with which I have had a 'colourful' relationship. It did however perform faultlessly as my wedding car.
On the subject of being old, I may only be 28 but I feel 53. It's probably something to do with the bitter drinking, cigar smoking, jacket wearing, James May type persona that I portray...
From then on I dreamt of owning a Jag (always a saloon for some reason). Well my dream came true in 2001 at the age of 22. A 1990 4.0 XJ40 Sovereign with full history and an unbelieveable 33000 miles!!! It even still had the cassettes in the centre console to instruct on how to use the stereo (ironic!) and a welcome from the original dealer.
Chopped it in a couple of years ago for my current XJR with which I have had a 'colourful' relationship. It did however perform faultlessly as my wedding car.
On the subject of being old, I may only be 28 but I feel 53. It's probably something to do with the bitter drinking, cigar smoking, jacket wearing, James May type persona that I portray...
Well, I AM an oldish git (56) and currently drive a Saab, BUT I've had two Jags, the last an XJ40 Daimler 4.0 1990 model which I had from 19960 to two years ago. I loved it to bits and when it eventually died I was broken hearted. I intend to return to return to the Jag fold, probably in a "classic" manner when I retire (unless I can find a good Bristol I can afford)
Well thanks to all of you for making me feel better. A pipe is no good as I don't smoke and the carpet slippers would have been soaked this weekend with the lousy weather! And I found yet another rain water leak on the Daimler whilst trying to fasten the rear wiring looms in place. This time it is getting in via the "B" pillar - apparently running past a door seal, along the sill in in through an unsealed gap at the base of the piller. This car has had more leaks that the local water authority!!! At least it proved the front and rear screen seals and the Webasto sunroof - no leaks there at long last.
So imagine the scene, pouring with rain, me inside the car (standing outside near the pavement), windows steaming with me grunting and cursing for England! It was a wonder I did not get a visitation from the boys in blue!!!
So imagine the scene, pouring with rain, me inside the car (standing outside near the pavement), windows steaming with me grunting and cursing for England! It was a wonder I did not get a visitation from the boys in blue!!!
What a great thread this is. I'm 36 and I would love to buy an (X308) Daimler Super V8 to use on our family trips (one year old son, wife and middle-aged Labrador, room enough for everyone), but since that would mean family trips without my wife, it wouldn't make much sense. I've only once succeeded in persuading her in using the Aston for our summer holiday a few years ago, on the sole ground that it has airconditioning and our daily driver hasn't (so the dog would be comfortable on the way to Cannes...).
I'm 53 and have just bought my 1st Jag, a 97 XJR, I've always wanted one, and I needed to get it out of my system, so far it's been great after spending a lot on new tensioners and chains.
Last weekend I went all the way up to the Macclesfield beer festival with 3 mates, they were all fighting to get in the back, cos it was so comfortable. The only problem is that it's too big to go in the garage, and the birds keep crapping on it, and the cats keep sitting on it and scratching it. But apart from that, it's really lovely, I wish my father was still alive, he would have adored it, he always had a hankering after big luxury cars but were a bit beyond his means.
Cheers
Big Rumbly
Last weekend I went all the way up to the Macclesfield beer festival with 3 mates, they were all fighting to get in the back, cos it was so comfortable. The only problem is that it's too big to go in the garage, and the birds keep crapping on it, and the cats keep sitting on it and scratching it. But apart from that, it's really lovely, I wish my father was still alive, he would have adored it, he always had a hankering after big luxury cars but were a bit beyond his means.
Cheers
Big Rumbly
I went to my local JEC (Surrey) meeting yesterday.
Quite a mixture of ages of members as well as cars.
www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk
Quite a mixture of ages of members as well as cars.
www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk
I was also 34 when I bought my X300, and I still love it 11 years later.
When I bought it I did get a couple of comments from people at work, but far more positive ones
only a couple of people made comments about old man's cars, women in particular seemed to rather like it. A couple of colleagues also went out and bought Jags shortly after I did.
For my other Jag, an XK150, yes I suspect I am at the younger end of the age spectrum of owners. Since buying the 150 I've been attending the Thames Valley JEC meetings and there is certainly a wide spread in the age of owners, particularly of classic Jags. Mk2s have tended to become rather expensive but 60s S-Types (posh Mk2s) are much cheaper so have a wilder appeal.
When I bought it I did get a couple of comments from people at work, but far more positive ones
only a couple of people made comments about old man's cars, women in particular seemed to rather like it. A couple of colleagues also went out and bought Jags shortly after I did.
For my other Jag, an XK150, yes I suspect I am at the younger end of the age spectrum of owners. Since buying the 150 I've been attending the Thames Valley JEC meetings and there is certainly a wide spread in the age of owners, particularly of classic Jags. Mk2s have tended to become rather expensive but 60s S-Types (posh Mk2s) are much cheaper so have a wilder appeal.
Some months ago, I was driving back home along a familier stetch of road in all too familier condition, namely rough! My Mother was in the passenger seat catching a few ZZZZ's and woke up when the music suddenly became louder (Damn!). When she realised where she was, she immediatley asked if this road had been resurfaced! It hadn't but it did illustrate to her the difference in the suspension between a 2003 Astra and a 1994 Jaguar. One visit less to the dentist for loose fillings then!!!
I serviced this particular car on Saturday, and for idle curiosity, I connected an external oil pressure guage. The readings 75psi at idle, over 100 psi at around 3000 rpm. Not bad for 110,000 miles! It is only slightly down on my X300 with 54,000 miles up. I felt quite pleased with that. I gave here a damned good thorough check over and the only thing I can find that might need attention is the Injectors. I think that they may need cleaning in an ultra-sonic tank and testing. There seems to be minor deviation in the colour of the plugs and there is sometimes slight hesitancy from idle.
Old man's car or not, these late XJ40's are really built. Good thing that those of us in the know recognise them for what they are!!!
I serviced this particular car on Saturday, and for idle curiosity, I connected an external oil pressure guage. The readings 75psi at idle, over 100 psi at around 3000 rpm. Not bad for 110,000 miles! It is only slightly down on my X300 with 54,000 miles up. I felt quite pleased with that. I gave here a damned good thorough check over and the only thing I can find that might need attention is the Injectors. I think that they may need cleaning in an ultra-sonic tank and testing. There seems to be minor deviation in the colour of the plugs and there is sometimes slight hesitancy from idle.
Old man's car or not, these late XJ40's are really built. Good thing that those of us in the know recognise them for what they are!!!
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