1996 Jaguar XJ Sovereign 3.2 Manual
Discussion
When I was 18, I spent pretty much everything I had on buying my dream car, a 1996 Jaguar XJR6. For 2 and a half years of uni it was my only car, used on everything from tip runs to house moves to nights out. To cut a long story short, I let myself be pressured into selling it for next to nothing 3 years ago and I have regretted it every single day since. I loved that car and nothing I've owned since has compared. I've tried to buy it back several times with no luck (yet).
The only thing that let it down aside from the fuel mileage (can't really call it 'economy') was the absolutely appalling General Motors dinosaur 4-speed auto. Which brings me neatly to this:
I'm always looking for manual X300s and I came across an old listing on the Retro Rides classifieds. I presumed it would have been sold but I phoned anyway and it was still there. It may only be the 3.2 but I couldn't resist the idea of rowing the gears in an XJ.
It's had no MOT since October and there's a fair bit to do before I can take it in. I need to replace the battery, alternator, water pump and belt before it can be driven, and there's this bit of damage on the sill I'm not sure what to do about.
Of course the gearbox is the most interesting aspect of this car, but there is a huge amount of side-to-side play in gear. Stripping the centre console down I can see that bottom two bolts and bushings holding the housing to the gearbox are missing, but the play seems to be coming from the lever itself. Further googling is required.
Aesthetically the XK8 wheels are dead wrong in my opinion, so the originals will be going back on very soon. Unfortunately it's also on lowering springs, and it's now so low I can't get the jack the front.
I essentially paid for the gearbox and the car was free. I would hate to break such a rare car but it could be the only way I could ever afford a manual XJR. In any case, my plan is to get it on the road and just enjoy it for a while.
The only thing that let it down aside from the fuel mileage (can't really call it 'economy') was the absolutely appalling General Motors dinosaur 4-speed auto. Which brings me neatly to this:
I'm always looking for manual X300s and I came across an old listing on the Retro Rides classifieds. I presumed it would have been sold but I phoned anyway and it was still there. It may only be the 3.2 but I couldn't resist the idea of rowing the gears in an XJ.
It's had no MOT since October and there's a fair bit to do before I can take it in. I need to replace the battery, alternator, water pump and belt before it can be driven, and there's this bit of damage on the sill I'm not sure what to do about.
Of course the gearbox is the most interesting aspect of this car, but there is a huge amount of side-to-side play in gear. Stripping the centre console down I can see that bottom two bolts and bushings holding the housing to the gearbox are missing, but the play seems to be coming from the lever itself. Further googling is required.
Aesthetically the XK8 wheels are dead wrong in my opinion, so the originals will be going back on very soon. Unfortunately it's also on lowering springs, and it's now so low I can't get the jack the front.
I essentially paid for the gearbox and the car was free. I would hate to break such a rare car but it could be the only way I could ever afford a manual XJR. In any case, my plan is to get it on the road and just enjoy it for a while.
I drove but was too stupid to buy a manual 4.0 sport in 2005 ish and it was a real shock how different it felt to the dim witted auto. My friend, and a poster on here, smoked a 3.2 manual and loved it and has said they'd far rather that in preference to the 4.0 auto we picked up a couple of years ago.
It'd be a bit of a shame to break such a rare car for parts but it's not like anybody really cares much about these, and if it gets you into a manual XJR-6.....
Top choice of uni car too. I was fortunate enough to be put on trade insurance that let me drive anything when I passed my test, and this was the time when you could pick up a barge with half a tank of fuel and 6 months tax remaining for £100 so I was like a pig in poo. Never had an XJR-6 though, although I'm pretty sure today the 4 speed auto would ruin it for me, but a manual one is high on my dream list.
It'd be a bit of a shame to break such a rare car for parts but it's not like anybody really cares much about these, and if it gets you into a manual XJR-6.....
Top choice of uni car too. I was fortunate enough to be put on trade insurance that let me drive anything when I passed my test, and this was the time when you could pick up a barge with half a tank of fuel and 6 months tax remaining for £100 so I was like a pig in poo. Never had an XJR-6 though, although I'm pretty sure today the 4 speed auto would ruin it for me, but a manual one is high on my dream list.
Edited by GeniusOfLove on Thursday 23 April 10:12
You see the 'ball' on the gearstick?
The plastic bush it sits in is most likely worn, and lower down the stick will be further linkage and bushes, all of which will be worn.
But once you have stripped it, replaced all the worn bits it will transform the gear shift action...
I wish you good luck and many scraped knuckles!
The plastic bush it sits in is most likely worn, and lower down the stick will be further linkage and bushes, all of which will be worn.
But once you have stripped it, replaced all the worn bits it will transform the gear shift action...
I wish you good luck and many scraped knuckles!
Got the front in the air but the bolt holding on the alternator is well and truly stuck. Had to down tools and go for a relaxing walk.
Then the boot lid landed on my head, got some gas struts coming in the post.
I managed to find a company that makes replacement gearshift bushes including the spherical one around the ball, hopefully that will be enough. Looks like I can reach them from inside the car without too much trouble once I figure out how to get the gator and bellows off without breaking them.
At least the CD changer came loaded with Fleetwood Mac, luckily my taste in music matches my taste in cars.
Then the boot lid landed on my head, got some gas struts coming in the post.
I managed to find a company that makes replacement gearshift bushes including the spherical one around the ball, hopefully that will be enough. Looks like I can reach them from inside the car without too much trouble once I figure out how to get the gator and bellows off without breaking them.
At least the CD changer came loaded with Fleetwood Mac, luckily my taste in music matches my taste in cars.
CTO said:
OP, did you have a Sinclair C5 as well?
That was/is kamilb1998, he left a nice comment on my badly written XJR6 thread (please don't look for it). I lived wallowing about in the 2 Series 2 XJ6 auto, and did hanker after a Manual Series 1, until I viewed and drove one.
Found it disappointing, stick was too far away, clumsy to use, and the big car didn't feel as relaxing as the auto.
Maybe it was just not a good one, but it stopped my hankering.
Different story with a Granada though, a manual 2.8 or even a 2 litre, I found much more fun to drive over the auto.
Horses for courses, I guess, dont like manual old Mercedes either, the gearbox is terrible.
Found it disappointing, stick was too far away, clumsy to use, and the big car didn't feel as relaxing as the auto.
Maybe it was just not a good one, but it stopped my hankering.
Different story with a Granada though, a manual 2.8 or even a 2 litre, I found much more fun to drive over the auto.
Horses for courses, I guess, dont like manual old Mercedes either, the gearbox is terrible.
I found the same with the Granada, my 2 litre manual felt much more responsive than my 2.8 Ghia auto.
Never understood the bashing manual Mercs still get though. I loved my manual 190e, my mate's 190e 2.3 Cosworth and his C280, whereas the C280 Auto I bought just felt lethargic.
I've never owned a Jaguar, the nearest I got was a test drive in a 420 Auto which felt tame compared to the manual Rover 3500S I had at the time.
I hope I'll have a Jaguar one day - I do keep browsing manual 3 litre S Types!
Never understood the bashing manual Mercs still get though. I loved my manual 190e, my mate's 190e 2.3 Cosworth and his C280, whereas the C280 Auto I bought just felt lethargic.
I've never owned a Jaguar, the nearest I got was a test drive in a 420 Auto which felt tame compared to the manual Rover 3500S I had at the time.
I hope I'll have a Jaguar one day - I do keep browsing manual 3 litre S Types!
Alternator is on! I bought a set of 6 sided sockets, made it so much easier.
Autodoc have lost my water pump, I was hoping to get it to the MOT at the start of next week but it'll be tight now.
And speaking of tight, the boot struts were an absolute see you next Tuesday. The only way I could reach over the top of the fuel tank to pry up the circlip was with a long wood screw. (much tighter than it looks)
I also noticed that one end of the boot lid doesn't fit particularly well, I really hope I didn't somehow do that while replacing the struts. I forgot to get a pic but it looks more like there was something tall in the boot and the lid was slammed on it.
I've never had a genuine project car before. My Volvo had an MOT and just about worked so I never really bothered trying to fix anything on it. Really excited to get this on the road though.
Autodoc have lost my water pump, I was hoping to get it to the MOT at the start of next week but it'll be tight now.
And speaking of tight, the boot struts were an absolute see you next Tuesday. The only way I could reach over the top of the fuel tank to pry up the circlip was with a long wood screw. (much tighter than it looks)
I also noticed that one end of the boot lid doesn't fit particularly well, I really hope I didn't somehow do that while replacing the struts. I forgot to get a pic but it looks more like there was something tall in the boot and the lid was slammed on it.
I've never had a genuine project car before. My Volvo had an MOT and just about worked so I never really bothered trying to fix anything on it. Really excited to get this on the road though.
deadtom said:
Can we form an impromptu mutual support group?
Of course, I'll be in the pub.Paul S4 said:
Hopefully there is not too much rust
It was Ziebarted from new so it's pretty good. Some bits underneath are a bit scabby and there's some bubbling on the top. The sills themselves are fine, just not sure what to do about that bent bit.Water pump and belt are on! Apart from 2 new tyres getting fitted Sunday (one has a cut on the sidewall, one has a not very slow puncture) we should be good for MOT.
R.E. gearstick slop, the selector plate is held on with four sets of bushes. The top 2 are pretty new, the bottom 2 are missing. I'm sure that isn't helping things but I still think most of the play is because of the plastic spherical bearing thing around the ball. I can't get the old one out without taking the gear lever off, and I can't reach the bolt with the selector plate in place, and I can't remove the selector plate without removing the gear lever first. Need to get the car back in the air and see if it's possible from underneath. I might leave that for later and send it for the MOT because I'm sick of not being able to drive it!
The last owner gave me a Jag brochure from 1997, the XJ6, Sport and XJR were all manual as standard and pictured as such.
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