Can anyone recommend a Jag specialist in the Northwest?

[fizmo100]

Hi all,

As title really - my XJR-S 6.0 needs timing chains/tensioners etc doing, so I'd really appreciate it if anyone could recommend a good Jag tech in the Northwest (I'm near Liverpool... for my sins).

Also, is it an engine out job to do this? And what should I be expecting to pay for the job (factoring in any other items that it's sensible to do at the same time such as water pump etc)?

Cheers,

Dan.

[fatboy b]

My dad uses The North Wales Jag Centre. Loves 'em.

[johnxjsc1985]

There is an excellent Jag indi garage just behind Evertons ground off Walton Road.

[fizmo100]

Cheers for the recommendations - done a spot of Googling, and I'm guessing the one near Everton's ground is JagAutos in Langham St? That's closer to me, but then the run down to the Noth Wales Jag Centre would be good fun (unless the car was playing up!).

Will probably go for the Liverpool garage, as I can get home easily from there should the car need booking in for a few days.

Thanks again,

Dan.

[Valetco]

JoJags in Speake are very good

[johnxjsc1985]

Any news yet on your car I have personal experience of the lads in Langham St they were very helpful and also very receptive to cash

[fizmo100]

Apologies for the late update, the car's sat in the garage over the winter, so no progress has been made. I phoned around today, called Jag Autos, and North Wales Jag Centre, and have decided to go for the North Wales option.

I got a much better vibe from North Wales Jag Centre - very friendly, very very knowledgable, and inspired a lot of confidence from the off. It'll cost me more I think, but worth it to know that the guy working on the car has a wealth of experience. Not knocking Jag Autos, I'm sure they'd do a good job too, but the impression I got was that they don't do much with the older Jags, and it sounded like the job would be a bit of a chore for them.

Taking the old girl down the Llandudno next week, and really looking forward to the trip(though I'm expecting some wallet-pain).

Thanks again for the recommendations - very much appreciated, and I'll keep you posted how I get on!

Cheers,

Danny.

[johnxjsc1985]

I have used Jag Autos and they were excellent couldnt recommend them highly enough.

[fizmo100]

A further update - took the car down to North Wales Jag Centre the week before last. I'd highly recommend them - top notch service, a pleasure to deal with, and very knowledgable. The good news, then, is that I have found where my pride and joy is going to be going to be pampered.

The bad news is, as suspected, the timing chain tensioner is shot, and needs replacing, which requires the heads to come off, and basically a top end rebuild. Quoted £3,500, so will be trundling back down (very gingerly) once I've paid the taxman his dues!

Thanks again for the recommendation, very, very much appreciated!

Cheers,

Dan.

[wack]

I'd get a second opinion/quote from jojags in speke before handing over £3,500, that sounds like an awful lot of money, i'd expect a bill like that if a chain had snapped or if it was at a main dealer

To give an example

The garage I use removed the goosed V8 and gearbox from my XK8, stripped it, stripped the replacement engine, fitted and timed the cams,replaced the chains and tensioners, split the box to change the timing ring, rebuilt the lot and fitted it back in the car for £1000 + parts

It's a long way from a tiled showroom garage but he's a top old school mechanic, he'd never seen a XK8 to work on but had a go, we hit a few hitches on the way( like when it was all back in but ran like a pig, it was then we found out the timing disc was different because the donor engine was out of a XJ8) but we got there in the end.

Most people would look at his very scruffy garage and think I'm not taking my luxury car there, lol

[jith]

fizmo100 said:

A further update - took the car down to North Wales Jag Centre the week before last. I'd highly recommend them - top notch service, a pleasure to deal with, and very knowledgable. The good news, then, is that I have found where my pride and joy is going to be going to be pampered.

The bad news is, as suspected, the timing chain tensioner is shot, and needs replacing, which requires the heads to come off, and basically a top end rebuild. Quoted £3,500, so will be trundling back down (very gingerly) once I've paid the taxman his dues!

Thanks again for the recommendation, very, very much appreciated!

Cheers,

Dan.

Dear god fizmo, that's a helluva quote. I can probably help you with this. I'm doing quite a lot of Jags from the north of England and can have the car transported up to Glasgow for you.

Drop me a line via my website if you are interested.

Regards,

James.

[johnxjsc1985]

Jag Autos near Everton's ground excellent work at very very competetive cash rates

[welsman1]

I'd be very wary about paying them that sort of money. I know this is long after the original posting but I can say that my neighbour got royally shafted by NWJC on 'repairs to his Jag and I'd been there to get a little 'hop' my 2003 XJ6 developed on selecting drive. NWJC knew 'exactly' what the problem was and wanted thousands to strip the auto box. I'd read that it was just a software reflashing needed and for £30 that's what Rybrook Jaguar did to fix it perfectly...

[designXKR]

We do the timing chains on an XK8/R for £950+vat. The quote of £3500 is way over the top. It would be cheaper to get our car transported south and get then done by an indie down here who all do it for around the same amount of money.

[Zippyworld]

Before you finally commit, give Royles a call in Wilmslow, give them your quote and ask if they can match it. I did this on a car and they were £100 dearer than the Indy, but still went with them for the piece of mind and warranty. Just worth the phone call......

[Gonewest]

Hold on hold on... this guy has got an Xjr s 6.0 litre V Twelve. Different ball game and makes the V8`s look like a piece of cake!

[fizmo100]

Wow, was I surprised to see this in the 'new since last visit' section!

Thanks for the input - in the end the Jag went over to JagAutos in Liverpool as recommended by JohnXJSC1985. They were able to do the work without taking off the heads (they were very keen to avoid doing this as it can be a pig of a job if the studs have galvanically corroded and welded themselves in place). There's an access panel on the front of the engine that they did the job through - still a fiddly job, and the whole front of the car has to come off, but I had what can only be described as a sh*t-load of work done while they were at it as preventative maintenance, such as new hoses, water pump, rad re-cored etc, also had the gearbox mount spring replaced, and various other bits and bobs. Came in at a smidge over £2k for the lot. I've been taking the car there ever since - they really know their stuff and I'd highly recommend Martin and the gang to anyone.

ETA: There are some videos of the car here if anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/user/fizmo100/videos
None of it at JagAutos, but there's a before/during/after vid of it getting the bodywork brought back from the onset of the dreaded tinworm.

Edited by fizmo100 on Friday 26th September 18:19

[johnxjsc1985]

fizmo100 said:

Wow, was I surprised to see this in the 'new since last visit' section!

Thanks for the input - in the end the Jag went over to JagAutos in Liverpool as recommended by JohnXJSC1985. They were able to do the work without taking off the heads (they were very keen to avoid doing this as it can be a pig of a job if the studs have galvanically corroded and welded themselves in place). There's an access panel on the front of the engine that they did the job through - still a fiddly job, and the whole front of the car has to come off, but I had what can only be described as a sh*t-load of work done while they were at it as preventative maintenance, such as new hoses, water pump, rad re-cored etc, also had the gearbox mount spring replaced, and various other bits and bobs. Came in at a smidge over £2k for the lot. I've been taking the car there ever since - they really know their stuff and I'd highly recommend Martin and the gang to anyone.

ETA: There are some videos of the car here if anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/user/fizmo100/videos
None of it at JagAutos, but there's a before/during/after vid of it getting the bodywork brought back from the onset of the dreaded tinworm.

Edited by fizmo100 on Friday 26th September 18:19

So pleased I hope I get a discount when I take my XKR there

[fizmo100]

It can't hurt to ask can it! To be honest Martin is more likely to punch you for being the one who landed him with 'that pain in the arse XJS' haha. In which case, maybe it *can* hurt to ask...

[johnxjsc1985]

He changed a turbo for me on my S type and didn't mind that I supplied it either. the whole job including the Turbo was about £800 as apposed to the £2k plus at the main dealer.