2004 Jaguar S Type R 4.2 V8
Discussion
As you may have guessed from my username, I'm a V8 fan. Unfortunately it's been a decade since I've owned one, and it was time to rectify that! I had considered buying a Jag S Type R about 15 years ago, but the auto box put me off so I ended up with a Vauxhall Monaro instead, which I enjoyed immensely. Fast forward to earlier this year and I was considering something interesting to act as a grand tourer for a few road trips and I instantly thought of the Jag again.
I spent far too long browsing Autotrader, Ebay and Pistonheads, and discovered values varied from £5k for a ropey one up to £25k for a mint later model. I set myself a limit towards the lower end, but struggled to find something suitable. I went to have a look at a silver one, but the condition was disappointing with rust on the arches/sills and a rough sounding engine. I was starting to get a bit despondent as the cars I wanted were out of reach, and the ones I could afford had issues (normally rust). Then eventually this car popped up:
It's a 2004 model, but started it's life in Japan and was imported back to the UK in 2023. Therefore, and most importantly for an S Type, the underside is very clean. Mechanically it has also been well looked after, with FSH from Jaguar Tokyo, and then lots of work done in the UK in the last 3 years. It has only covered 60k miles in total, with about 8k of those being in the UK. I paid a little more than I wanted to, but it was worth it as the condition is so good.
A few more pics from the last month:
I absolutely love it! The engine is a gem - a massive wave of torque whilst giving a subtle V8 roar out the back and a screaming supercharger at the front, very addictive. The 6 speed ZF auto is pretty good, with very smooth changes and a Sport mode that lets you hang on to the gears longer. No flappy paddles unfortunately, but you can use the J-gate to give you some manual control. Dynamically it's a bit boat-like and wallowy, but to be honest it suits the cars character very well. It's an absolute joy on a long drive. Economy is... not great, as you would expect! The drive home when picking it up was 18mpg (fortunately it came with 3/4 of a tank of fuel!), but the average is now up to 23mpg after a 500 mile trip, so I can cope with that.
Plans for the car are fairly minimal - a little bit of tidying here and there, a new set of tyres, a service, but most of all enjoy! I am also tempted by exhaust to let out a bit more noise, but that seems a bit uncouth on this car, we will see. I'll keep the thread updated as I go.
I spent far too long browsing Autotrader, Ebay and Pistonheads, and discovered values varied from £5k for a ropey one up to £25k for a mint later model. I set myself a limit towards the lower end, but struggled to find something suitable. I went to have a look at a silver one, but the condition was disappointing with rust on the arches/sills and a rough sounding engine. I was starting to get a bit despondent as the cars I wanted were out of reach, and the ones I could afford had issues (normally rust). Then eventually this car popped up:
It's a 2004 model, but started it's life in Japan and was imported back to the UK in 2023. Therefore, and most importantly for an S Type, the underside is very clean. Mechanically it has also been well looked after, with FSH from Jaguar Tokyo, and then lots of work done in the UK in the last 3 years. It has only covered 60k miles in total, with about 8k of those being in the UK. I paid a little more than I wanted to, but it was worth it as the condition is so good.
A few more pics from the last month:
I absolutely love it! The engine is a gem - a massive wave of torque whilst giving a subtle V8 roar out the back and a screaming supercharger at the front, very addictive. The 6 speed ZF auto is pretty good, with very smooth changes and a Sport mode that lets you hang on to the gears longer. No flappy paddles unfortunately, but you can use the J-gate to give you some manual control. Dynamically it's a bit boat-like and wallowy, but to be honest it suits the cars character very well. It's an absolute joy on a long drive. Economy is... not great, as you would expect! The drive home when picking it up was 18mpg (fortunately it came with 3/4 of a tank of fuel!), but the average is now up to 23mpg after a 500 mile trip, so I can cope with that.
Plans for the car are fairly minimal - a little bit of tidying here and there, a new set of tyres, a service, but most of all enjoy! I am also tempted by exhaust to let out a bit more noise, but that seems a bit uncouth on this car, we will see. I'll keep the thread updated as I go.
Scoobydrew95 said:
Any more photos of the interior? Certainly seems a bit of a bold colour choice! Cool car though haven't seen one for ages.
It's light sand/warm charcoal and was only available on the R. It's certainly more interesting than the full black.danb79 said:
That's lovely; always wanted one of these, I don't fit very well in them unfortunately
Jags seem to be quite narrow fitting
That's a shame. But, it's huge compared to my 208 so I'm enjoying the space!Jags seem to be quite narrow fitting
CarlosV8 said:
danb79 said:
That's lovely; always wanted one of these, I don't fit very well in them unfortunately
Jags seem to be quite narrow fitting
That's a shame. But, it's huge compared to my 208 so I'm enjoying the space!Jags seem to be quite narrow fitting
TBH last time I sat in one I was full-sized then; 6ft4 and 22 stone and wide with it from years of competitive powerlifting - I'm smaller now due to health niggles, but I reckon I'd still struggle slightly just to how narrow the drivers side seems to feel; it's the same with Audi's for me
Thanks for the comments!
I'm going to have to get used to seeing this, but it still makes me wince. This is by far my most expensive car to fill up!
The car is missing a few mod cons, that I knew may need addressing. Firstly, the screen/stereo is very out-dated and there is no bluetooth connectivity (even if factory fitted it would only be for calls). Before buying the car I investigated options, and there is a company that will convert the original setup to android auto, which was a tempting prospect. However, the previous owner included a bluetooth FM transmitter so I decided to give that a go first, and I've actually been quite impressed. The sound quality isn't amazing, but the signal holds really well - which has not been my experience in the past with these devices. Plus my phone fits perfectly on a magnetic mount in the centre vent for maps. And I've also dug out some old CDs for the 6 disc changer in the boot, plus the single slot in the dash. If it was daily driver this might become tiresome, but for high days and holidays I think it'll be OK.
One thing that needed resolving was lack of a couple of important features in the back where the teenager sits - no cupholders and no USB connections. First world problems indeed! My car came with, what I think, is a rare option of ski hatch/bag behind the rear armrest. This provides access from the boot and a fold-out bag that your skis could slide into without making the interior dirty. I don't ski, but I do like the idea of having access to the boot. Initial thought was to forcibly remove the ski bag with a stanley knife, but it seems a shame to lose the ability to refit. Fortunately I managed to remove it and carefully unclip the bag, which left me with free access to the boot:
There's a hatch boot-side and seat-side, along with a leather panel seat-side which covers it up. With this sorted I could then install my new back seat features. The battery is in the boot, so I fitted a fused CTEK charger lead to it that I had in the garage, then bought the CTEK 12v socket adapter lead. I can now use this for a 12v fridge if required, or with a USB adapter for charging phones etc and it comes through the newly created access hatch into the cabin. In winter I can also easily fit the CTEK if it's not being used for a while.
For the cupholders I found a solution on Amazon that's a bit of a bodge, but at least does the job:
It's strapped on with some elastic, so easily removable if necessary. You can also see the USB adaptor poking out - this is easily tucked away when not in use. The teenager was pleased with both, so that's a win.
That pretty much sorts the cabin for road trips, so next time we're on to the mechanical bits.
I'm going to have to get used to seeing this, but it still makes me wince. This is by far my most expensive car to fill up!
The car is missing a few mod cons, that I knew may need addressing. Firstly, the screen/stereo is very out-dated and there is no bluetooth connectivity (even if factory fitted it would only be for calls). Before buying the car I investigated options, and there is a company that will convert the original setup to android auto, which was a tempting prospect. However, the previous owner included a bluetooth FM transmitter so I decided to give that a go first, and I've actually been quite impressed. The sound quality isn't amazing, but the signal holds really well - which has not been my experience in the past with these devices. Plus my phone fits perfectly on a magnetic mount in the centre vent for maps. And I've also dug out some old CDs for the 6 disc changer in the boot, plus the single slot in the dash. If it was daily driver this might become tiresome, but for high days and holidays I think it'll be OK.
One thing that needed resolving was lack of a couple of important features in the back where the teenager sits - no cupholders and no USB connections. First world problems indeed! My car came with, what I think, is a rare option of ski hatch/bag behind the rear armrest. This provides access from the boot and a fold-out bag that your skis could slide into without making the interior dirty. I don't ski, but I do like the idea of having access to the boot. Initial thought was to forcibly remove the ski bag with a stanley knife, but it seems a shame to lose the ability to refit. Fortunately I managed to remove it and carefully unclip the bag, which left me with free access to the boot:
There's a hatch boot-side and seat-side, along with a leather panel seat-side which covers it up. With this sorted I could then install my new back seat features. The battery is in the boot, so I fitted a fused CTEK charger lead to it that I had in the garage, then bought the CTEK 12v socket adapter lead. I can now use this for a 12v fridge if required, or with a USB adapter for charging phones etc and it comes through the newly created access hatch into the cabin. In winter I can also easily fit the CTEK if it's not being used for a while.
For the cupholders I found a solution on Amazon that's a bit of a bodge, but at least does the job:
It's strapped on with some elastic, so easily removable if necessary. You can also see the USB adaptor poking out - this is easily tucked away when not in use. The teenager was pleased with both, so that's a win.
That pretty much sorts the cabin for road trips, so next time we're on to the mechanical bits.
Nice car.
I'm sure you know about the valley pipe. It is possible to DIY but will test your patience and the range of extensions in your toolkit. These are robust engines but coolant loss can kill them quickly. As a cheap precaution have a think about replacing the water pump. They can go without warning and if you get any hint of overheating - stop - don't even try to make it home.
I'm sure you know about the valley pipe. It is possible to DIY but will test your patience and the range of extensions in your toolkit. These are robust engines but coolant loss can kill them quickly. As a cheap precaution have a think about replacing the water pump. They can go without warning and if you get any hint of overheating - stop - don't even try to make it home.
CarlosV8 said:
I'm going to have to get used to seeing this, but it still makes me wince. This is by far my most expensive car to fill up!
If you think that's bad, try having an 85-litre tank like I do in my XJR 
it does at least give the car a good range - the best I've managed is 475 miles from a tank.By all accounts the 4.2 is as reliable as Jaguar engines get - mine is now on 143k and has always run perfectly in the four years I've had it. The main weakness is the valley pipe as the last poster mentioned so if there is no evidence in the history of anything cooling-related being done to the car it's something to be aware of.
Thanks for the tips regarding the cooling system. The car has been well looked after in the UK, and the history shows the water pump and numerous hoses have been replaced in the last couple of years. Unfortunately no specifics, so not sure if one was the valley pipe. I'll be monitoring coolant levels closely!
I've gone down the double din route in the past, but I don't think it's possible with my car as the climate controls are incorporated into the screen. I'm happy for now, but if it starts bugging me I'll go for the android auto mod option.
I had considered releasing some more noise, but seems a little uncouth for a Jaaaag! We'll see
I've gone down the double din route in the past, but I don't think it's possible with my car as the climate controls are incorporated into the screen. I'm happy for now, but if it starts bugging me I'll go for the android auto mod option.
I had considered releasing some more noise, but seems a little uncouth for a Jaaaag! We'll see
chriscoates said:
CarlosV8 said:
I'm going to have to get used to seeing this, but it still makes me wince. This is by far my most expensive car to fill up!
If you think that's bad, try having an 85-litre tank like I do in my XJR it does at least give the car a good range - the best I've managed is 475 miles from a tank.By all accounts the 4.2 is as reliable as Jaguar engines get - mine is now on 143k and has always run perfectly in the four years I've had it. The main weakness is the valley pipe as the last poster mentioned so if there is no evidence in the history of anything cooling-related being done to the car it's something to be aware of.
As others have said, you might enjoy an exhaust upgrade to unleash the noise but for your planned road trips perhaps the stock system may be preferable…
Finally, if it makes you feel any better about the fuel cost here’s my most recent effort with the JLR product holding the largest tank (there was around 7 litres remaining):
dscam said:
Loving the STR - hugely underrated and a great way to enjoy that V8 engine!
As others have said, you might enjoy an exhaust upgrade to unleash the noise but for your planned road trips perhaps the stock system may be preferable
Finally, if it makes you feel any better about the fuel cost here s my most recent effort with the JLR product holding the largest tank (there was around 7 litres remaining):
That's impressive! What car is it? I guess you'll probably get further than the 320 miles the STR will get me with my full tank?!As others have said, you might enjoy an exhaust upgrade to unleash the noise but for your planned road trips perhaps the stock system may be preferable
Finally, if it makes you feel any better about the fuel cost here s my most recent effort with the JLR product holding the largest tank (there was around 7 litres remaining):
Lots of votes for for a louder exhaust, as I would expect from PH! The Adamesh backbox option looks like it could do the job, but further research needed. First of all I'm getting the car serviced by a local specialist - I'd normally do this myself but I thought I'd keep the FSH updated for the simple servicing, plus they will check it over for any potential issues. If it gets a clean bill of health then I may consider upgrades...
CarlosV8 said:
dscam said:
Loving the STR - hugely underrated and a great way to enjoy that V8 engine!
As others have said, you might enjoy an exhaust upgrade to unleash the noise but for your planned road trips perhaps the stock system may be preferable
Finally, if it makes you feel any better about the fuel cost here s my most recent effort with the JLR product holding the largest tank (there was around 7 litres remaining):
That's impressive! What car is it? I guess you'll probably get further than the 320 miles the STR will get me with my full tank?!As others have said, you might enjoy an exhaust upgrade to unleash the noise but for your planned road trips perhaps the stock system may be preferable
Finally, if it makes you feel any better about the fuel cost here s my most recent effort with the JLR product holding the largest tank (there was around 7 litres remaining):
Lots of votes for for a louder exhaust, as I would expect from PH! The Adamesh backbox option looks like it could do the job, but further research needed. First of all I'm getting the car serviced by a local specialist - I'd normally do this myself but I thought I'd keep the FSH updated for the simple servicing, plus they will check it over for any potential issues. If it gets a clean bill of health then I may consider upgrades...
Concur with the advice and approach of servicing/inspection before committing to upgrades, particularly if you’ve some road trips planned.
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