So I bought a V8 Jag with my student loan (2000 S-type 4.0)
Discussion
The Back Story
Once again, my 'mature' automotive tastes have got the better of me. My my E36 328i had got me through the working part of my university year and 14k miles, but with a yearning to get into something barge-tastic for the summer it was time for a change. The V8-auto itch needed to be scratched. To start with, the key contenders were the Lexus LS (thanks to their low values and bombproof reputations) and the X308 XJ8 (just because they're so cool), but on explaining this to a friend over dinner following a track day at Blyton Park, he mentioned that he'd only covered 900 miles in his S-type 4.0 last year. I had a look at it on the way home and said I'd get back to him once I'd sold the BMW. Fast forward two days to last Sunday, and PH'er McSam has handed over 900 crisp notes (well, a bank transfer, but that does't have the same ring to it) and is about to take the BMW away. A quick call to the Jag's seller to say I'm on my way up and Sam agrees to drop me off in Banbury on his way home. I love it when a plan comes together so neatly, even if this time it was pure luck. So, the big question, how much did it set me back? The same £900 as the BMW went for, but with a private plate thrown in. A decent trade-up, I think!
The Car
What you're looking at is a 2000 model year Jaguar S-type. It has the 4.0 AJ-V8 Jaguar engine producing 281bhp and driving though a 5-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Official figures are 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds onto a top speed of 150mph. It gets all the usual goodies like cruise control, leather and electric memory seats, but also appears to have been well specced from factory, with headlamp wash, a heated front screen (looks like a Ford-style 'Quickclear' one) heated seats, a sunroof, sat-nav and even voice control! Further to this, cosmetically it's been to made to look like the "R" model, with 18" wheels, a boot lip spoiler and chrome mesh grill. Finally, it has a tow bar, which could come in useful as and when I get a kart or track car.
The Good Bits
The main selling point for me was the previous owner - a proper car (and bike) guy who looks after cars with no expense spared. Two example of this: a) it was serviced on the dot in January 2013 and January 2014 despite only having covered 900 miles in between, and b) it was wearing Continental tyres which would've cost close to £1k. You don't buy expensive tyres for a car which is on its death bed! What else? It's got a thick folder with stacks of history. The mileage is 'only' 125k, which for me means that it's barely run in. It's had a new gearbox at 84k and an engine at 113k, which hopefully means it's got plenty of life in it. The interior is perfect with no rips of wear marks on the leather.
The Bad Bits
Only one item of electronics doesn't work, that being the electric mirror switch which refuses to send the mirrors down or left. A new item from Jaguar is £150+ so I'll be looking into cheaper solutions as and when it starts to annoy me. Externally, there's a scrape on the nearside corner of the rear bumper, as well as a couple of tiny rust spots on the leading edge of the bonnet and under the boot handle. The headlights are cloudy and could do with good polish too. The grill surround is in definite need of a respray but while the front bumper has quite a few stone chips, it doesn't warrant a respray yet. Finally, it's missing a centre cap on one wheel, and the rear plate is the wrong shape.
On The Road
To start with, this is quite different to anything I've had before, being my first V8 and my first auto. For me, therefore, it's probably the 'box that dominates the experience. It's absolutely lovely to tool around town in, without having to think about gears or use your left arm and leg, and makes being first away from the lights decidedly easy. It's definitely a 'box with the old school flavour though - you can really feel the torque converter doing its job and it can be reluctant to lock up. It'll then very quickly shuffle to top where there's no engine braking whatsoever. On a twisty road though, the box can just be frustrating. It does have a sports mode although it doesn't make as much of a difference as I'd have liked, and while the J-gate can be used to stop it going higher than 2nd, 3rd or 4th, it's slow to respond and jerks when moved into 2nd at speed.
The engine is silky smooth right through the revs and this, coupled to the slusher and the sheer mass (1720kgs) means it never feels as fast as a V8 should. It's certainly not slow and has plenty of punch to get past people, but it doesn't feel any quicker than, say, my 328i, and that was 90bhp down. Also, it doesn't sound as good as V8 should, although I'll soon put this right when I remove the rear silencers! In the two tanks I've got though so far I've averaged 19mpg, although the majority of this has been around town.
Suspension wise it rides on coils, rather than the optional CATS air suspension. The ride is good, although I think going down to 17" wheels would reduce the high-frequency 'patter' you sometime feel on urban streets with the 35/40 profile tyres. Most impressive though, is the handling. This was a real surprise for me, as I was expecting any old barge like this to feel like a wallowey, erm, barge, all lost at sea. But it doesn't. The turn-in is sharp, steering adequately weighted and with some feel, grip is there in masses and for the taking. That's a turn-up for the books then.
Verdict
Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase - it's a heck of a lot of car for £900 (maybe even less if you deduct the plate). Despite its flaws (inherent and specific to this example), it's exactly the sort of thing I was after. The interior is a lovely place to be, my only gripe being that there's nowhere obvious to chuck my phone and wallet when I get in. It drives well, reminding me of an old American barge (Crown Vic etc) in its overall feel, and despite it not being the kind of car I'll go for hoons in, it can be thrown through bends with some delight.
So, plans for the future:
1) Sort out some of the niggles I mentioned earlier
2) Take it to Le Mans along with my fiend's XJ6 (look out for us on the PH campsite!)
3) Run it until I can't take 19mpg any longer or something borks (whichever comes first)
Mavic82 said:
Yep that was the car, bought it from a guy who worked at Ford in Essex when it was 3.5yrs old.
....and spent a fortune on new wishbones at the rear shortly after due to worn bushes. Much under rated car and looks great with those wheels. I have some photos somewhere.
Wow! Thanks for letting me know. The V5 hasn't come through yet but IIRC it's quite a low owner car. It'd be fun (yes, I'm a bit sad) to work out its history - how long did you keep it for and who did you sell it to?....and spent a fortune on new wishbones at the rear shortly after due to worn bushes. Much under rated car and looks great with those wheels. I have some photos somewhere.
Feel free to post the pictures, if just for nostalgia.
stuart-b said:
Why has it had a new engine, and gearbox? That's not exactly impressive!
The 4.0 V8 and accompanying 'box are made of cheese in these, but that doesn't really bother me at the price I paid. So not impressive, but at least they've both been done.ciaranthemurph said:
That is a lot of car for £900! Nicely done. See you at Le Mans!
Feel free to come over and say hello. Hopefully it'll be suitably stickered up too!Dalto123 said:
Can't wait to see it properly - And de-cat it ASAP 
Don't think I can be bothered with the hassle of owning a de-catted car, but I'm certainly planning to remove the rear silencersHeaveho said:
There's a Jag Indy in Southampton that my Mrs used to co-own called S&C Motors, that will have probably thousands of parts lying around for one of these, should it ( when it! ) breaks. The number is 02350 458418, the place is an absolute pigsty to walk into now, but the owner ( Shaun ) is Jag trained, knows his stuff ( the main dealer he used to work for calls him when they can't fix something! ), and will like as not have whatever it is you may need in future at a sensible price.
Cheers. Will bear that in mind 
HaylingJag said:
Well done James
Welcome to V8 ownership. What have you got for trackdays now the bm has gone? Be warned, these big feckers are cash heavy on a circuit.
There's a chap in Chalfont that supplies back pipes for the XKR , Mrs weren't too happy but that's another story, he may be able to do something for the S. You need to release the noise of the V8' it's glorious.
Last seen on the A40' from Silverstone, my 20 stone track ballast was asking who the loon in the b emm was, waving frantically at us
Well done again mate, see you at Abingdon, 16th may?
Darren
Hi DarrenWelcome to V8 ownership. What have you got for trackdays now the bm has gone? Be warned, these big feckers are cash heavy on a circuit.
There's a chap in Chalfont that supplies back pipes for the XKR , Mrs weren't too happy but that's another story, he may be able to do something for the S. You need to release the noise of the V8' it's glorious.
Last seen on the A40' from Silverstone, my 20 stone track ballast was asking who the loon in the b emm was, waving frantically at us
Well done again mate, see you at Abingdon, 16th may?
Darren
Not planning to take the Jag on track. Well, possibly a wet summer evening session for a bit of sideways action, purely for the incongruity you understand. A few mates have got far more trackable things they kindly said they are happy for me to use, but I'm considering getting a kart or motorbike for the high adrenaline stuff.
I'll check out the place in Chalfont but I know a few people who've used Infiniti near Bristol with good results, so that'll probably be my first choice.
Was funny seeing you on the M40 on the way back from the SS. Saw your car parked up in the paddock but you weren't with it so I couldn't say hello.
Probably won't be back at Abingdon any time soon. It wasn't a bad track, but there are a few others I'm keen on giving a go first.
Vipers said:
I don't understand why a car which was looked after, needed a new box at 84k and engine at 113k.
On the plus side, with a new engine at 113 and only 125 on the clock, it will as you say "It's got plenty of life in it".
As said, the engine and box in particular on these have issues, as documented in other threads. It's a time bomb, so if it sees me to Le Mans and back I'll think I've had my money's worth. Anything beyond that is a bonus.On the plus side, with a new engine at 113 and only 125 on the clock, it will as you say "It's got plenty of life in it".
fatboy69 said:
As for the E36 328 - if that comes on the market soon please PM me as I want one to go with my E36 318is.
It got sold to another PHer - see the bottom of this thread.nm121 said:
Nice to see this tradition is alive and well. I also spanked some of my student loan into a 2001 S-Type 4.0. And most of my overdraft Etc etc
Great story Nathan, thanks for sharing nm121 said:
I hope you enjoy it and it gives you no trouble. It's worth the terrible mpg for the waftage, though I always wondered about the V6 which would probably be just as wafty but more economical.
Yep, I've been wondering this too, as the performance and noise are more like a really good V6 than a full on 8-pot. Then again, my friend with an XJ6 (same V6 as fitted to the S-type) doesn't get very good MPG either, and I get to throw abuse at him for having a Jag without the obligatory V8 
nm121 said:
Not sure I agree with the poster above re' 220hp! The Jag would have stuck with my Accord Type R and it had around 212hp but weighed about 400kg less. I would think it was in and around 280. The transmission holds performance back IMO. It's not a performance car - it's a wafty barge but it will shove on when you want it to.
Agreed. It seems similar in performance to my old E36 328i, but like you say it's got another 400kgs to shift and a 'relaxed' slusher to contend with. It does pull better at (very) high speeds though, I can confirm.HaylingJag said:
ive got a set of springs from my old XJR if they're any good to you. Slightly lower and stiffer than the ones you have on the S Type. (assuming they take the same spring) Let me know and i gan bring them to Brooklands or Goodwood!!
ref the slush box, i found that when i tracked the XJR V8 i was better off on th e J gate as it allowed me to control the changes, keeping it in the "zone" for exit speed. It also took a lot of strain off the brakes if used for engine braking too.
Darren, thanks for the offer but my aim is to keep the spending down on this one. Given something could go pop at any minute, I don't want to feel like I've invested too much in it to send it off to the scrappers. Appreciate the offer though ref the slush box, i found that when i tracked the XJR V8 i was better off on th e J gate as it allowed me to control the changes, keeping it in the "zone" for exit speed. It also took a lot of strain off the brakes if used for engine braking too.
Probably won't be taking it on track yet, but I'm tempted to do the drift day up at Oulton Park in it. I did it in the MR2 and it was great fun but I reckon the Jag would be much more tail happy.
HaylingJag said:
no spending needed James, i just want to get rid of them! if they're no good you could always sell them to the looky likeys to raise a bit of cash for spaghetti & lentils,
The next expenses would be fitting them (I'm way too incompetent to do that myself) and no doubt my insurers would ask for a further contribution. Also, I'm enjoying the barge-ness as is! Cheers anyway though, it's a very generous offer that I feel bad turning down.
carinaman said:
I thought you did the Lyons HPC course? So that personal plate fits you.
I did do the HPC course, although with Clive Jones as Lyon hasn't been running it for at least a decade now. I bought the car from another HPC member, but he let me take the plate as part of the deal. If you discount the value of the plate, I probably paid more like £7-800 for the car!In the introduction to this thread I muttered something about running it 'til it borks. I'm sad to report that this has come around sooner than I'd expected.
Two weeks ago, and after just three weeks of ownership, I started hearing a knocking noise from the engine. Initially I thought it was the 'box, but it was later diagnosed as knackered big end bearings after it was found I had been driving it with next to no oil in the engine! Given the car was serviced less than 200 miles before I picked it up, checking the oil slipped down my list of priorities and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I simply never got round it it. There was no smoke from the exhaust and no oil under the car, so it still remains a mystery where 5 litres of oil disappeared to in less than 2k miles, but with a new engine the order of the day it was simply uneconomical to repair. So today, with the radio turned up to block out the banging, I gently coerced it down down to Swallows Jaguar in Burnham-on-sea, and took the train home with a 600 cheque in my wallet.
So not quite the financial disaster it could've been. Even if we include everything I've spent on the car I've only lost about 450. More the issue is that, rather than scratching the Jag/auto/barge itch, it's just warmed me up to the concept further! Here's to the next one I suppose, and let's hope it's longer lived!
Two weeks ago, and after just three weeks of ownership, I started hearing a knocking noise from the engine. Initially I thought it was the 'box, but it was later diagnosed as knackered big end bearings after it was found I had been driving it with next to no oil in the engine! Given the car was serviced less than 200 miles before I picked it up, checking the oil slipped down my list of priorities and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I simply never got round it it. There was no smoke from the exhaust and no oil under the car, so it still remains a mystery where 5 litres of oil disappeared to in less than 2k miles, but with a new engine the order of the day it was simply uneconomical to repair. So today, with the radio turned up to block out the banging, I gently coerced it down down to Swallows Jaguar in Burnham-on-sea, and took the train home with a 600 cheque in my wallet.
So not quite the financial disaster it could've been. Even if we include everything I've spent on the car I've only lost about 450. More the issue is that, rather than scratching the Jag/auto/barge itch, it's just warmed me up to the concept further! Here's to the next one I suppose, and let's hope it's longer lived!
DS3R said:
Which garage was this that appears to have washed their hands? I think it may be useful for members to know, in case it affected their decision to use them one way or another.
It was Bristol Street Motors in BanburyHaylingJag said:
Absolute crap for you James, sorry to hear of all the bad thing your first experience of Jag ownership has thrown at you. Glad your not giving up on the marque.
I might attend the run to Brighton tomorrow, if you want to swing by and take my X300 XJR for the run your more than welcome, if I go I will take the TWR
I'm gonna be attending, so would be great to see you there too. As you'll find out, I haven't given up with the big cats yet! More on this point when I get the time to whack a new thread up...I might attend the run to Brighton tomorrow, if you want to swing by and take my X300 XJR for the run your more than welcome, if I go I will take the TWR
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