Daimler Super V8
Discussion
Having owned a few Jaguar XJ's, I'd been looking for another long wheel base XJ to replace the rusty one I'd got rid of in the summer.
Started looking at Daimler's, when I came across a few of the Super V8 model at around the £5-6k mark... Turns out they have the 370bhp Supercharged XJR engine in them
So I bought this one:
The seller's pictures:
Bought (Stole!) it unseen on an eBay auction for the princely sum of £2,184! Unsure why it went for so little, but the listing wasn't great. A lower mileage black one sold two hours later for £4,700.
Picked it up a few hours after the auction ended, and was amazed the condition was so good. Everything apart from the driver's heated seat works - Including the rear heated seats, and the sunroof. Even the old Motorola flip phone in the armrest worked. Nice bonus was that it has full Jaguar service history, even though the mileage is 130,000.
The car is ridiculously fast (off the line & accelerating at motorway speeds). The supercharger whine is intoxicating at higher revs. Surprised a few people with it already.
Hopefully it'll be reliable and a nice addition to the fleet.
Started looking at Daimler's, when I came across a few of the Super V8 model at around the £5-6k mark... Turns out they have the 370bhp Supercharged XJR engine in them
So I bought this one:
The seller's pictures:
Bought (Stole!) it unseen on an eBay auction for the princely sum of £2,184! Unsure why it went for so little, but the listing wasn't great. A lower mileage black one sold two hours later for £4,700.
Picked it up a few hours after the auction ended, and was amazed the condition was so good. Everything apart from the driver's heated seat works - Including the rear heated seats, and the sunroof. Even the old Motorola flip phone in the armrest worked. Nice bonus was that it has full Jaguar service history, even though the mileage is 130,000.
The car is ridiculously fast (off the line & accelerating at motorway speeds). The supercharger whine is intoxicating at higher revs. Surprised a few people with it already.
Hopefully it'll be reliable and a nice addition to the fleet.
Will_S said:
Having owned a few Jaguar XJ's, I'd been looking for another long wheel base XJ to replace the rusty one I'd got rid of in the summer.
Started looking at Daimler's, when I came across a few of the Super V8 model at around the £5-6k mark... Turns out they have the 370bhp Supercharged XJR engine in them
So I bought this one:
Looks like Tighnabruaich. When I was there last year that petrol station had an XK Jag for sale for much cheapness.Started looking at Daimler's, when I came across a few of the Super V8 model at around the £5-6k mark... Turns out they have the 370bhp Supercharged XJR engine in them
So I bought this one:
That is beautiful, I love the shape of these cars, they're so low slung and elegant compared to cars nowadays.
I had a Daimler V8 years ago, I've always hankered after a Super V8, mine was the 290bhp n/a 4.0 V8.
The wheels on yours are one of my favourite OE wheel designs as well. Quality motor!
I had a Daimler V8 years ago, I've always hankered after a Super V8, mine was the 290bhp n/a 4.0 V8.
The wheels on yours are one of my favourite OE wheel designs as well. Quality motor!
Terzo123 said:
Looks like Tighnabruaich. When I was there last year that petrol station had an XK Jag for sale for much cheapness.
The owner of the garage & petrol station must have sold it to upgrade then, as he now has a black XKR. As I was paying he'd come through to chat to me. Asked how I liked the Daimler. Got talking and he was telling me how his XKR has the same engine, and telling me about his previous straight 6 XJR. Proper petrol head. Fitting that he owns a petrol station with the economy of these things get. Averages 16 in normal driving, 20 odd on the motorway and 3mpg 
when you give it full beans.LordGrover said:
Very nice. 
Why the screaming, waving hostage in the rear?
Comes as standard! Ha - Just my girlfriend being daft.Why the screaming, waving hostage in the rear?
So now the Daimler has gone from 370bhp to an estimated 420bhp with the addition of a 10% smaller upper supercharger pulley.
I didn't fancy just cutting the original pulley off and then filing the supercharger snout down 5mm all the way around. It would potentially leave the supercharger snout untidy and you have to heat the new pulley (only getting one chance at fitting it).
Instead opting for Powerhouse Automotive to send me a completely rebuilt snout with new bearings, that had been machined correctly on a lathe, with the new smaller pulley fitted:
Removing the old supercharger gearbox oil:
Supercharger removed:
^This was a long task! Took a full day, removing everything, including the throttle body & attached intake elbow (nightmare with no room to get the spanners in) Some of the plastic hoses were too brittle and as a result broke. Jaguar were useless - and despite describing exactly where the pipes went to and from on the phone, and having it confirmed back the wrong parts had been ordered.
I was glad I chose to go down this route, rather than cutting the old pulley off and grinding the snout down, when I saw the condition of the supercharger coupler...
Split, and probably not too much life left in it. The only way to change it anyway is remove the entire supercharger, as there isn't enough room to just remove the snout.
Solid and more reliable coupler fitted £26 from Powerhouse:
The Jaguar forum recommend cutting a slot in the rear of the charger to save a good couple of hours labour should it need removed again:
The supercharger sits on this plastic wrapped foam pad, which I thought was an interesting:
Nearly done:
Complete:
Verdict is that the car had much faster midrange acceleration, and is noticeably faster. Result!
I didn't fancy just cutting the original pulley off and then filing the supercharger snout down 5mm all the way around. It would potentially leave the supercharger snout untidy and you have to heat the new pulley (only getting one chance at fitting it).
Instead opting for Powerhouse Automotive to send me a completely rebuilt snout with new bearings, that had been machined correctly on a lathe, with the new smaller pulley fitted:
Removing the old supercharger gearbox oil:
Supercharger removed:
^This was a long task! Took a full day, removing everything, including the throttle body & attached intake elbow (nightmare with no room to get the spanners in) Some of the plastic hoses were too brittle and as a result broke. Jaguar were useless - and despite describing exactly where the pipes went to and from on the phone, and having it confirmed back the wrong parts had been ordered.
I was glad I chose to go down this route, rather than cutting the old pulley off and grinding the snout down, when I saw the condition of the supercharger coupler...
Split, and probably not too much life left in it. The only way to change it anyway is remove the entire supercharger, as there isn't enough room to just remove the snout.
Solid and more reliable coupler fitted £26 from Powerhouse:
The Jaguar forum recommend cutting a slot in the rear of the charger to save a good couple of hours labour should it need removed again:
The supercharger sits on this plastic wrapped foam pad, which I thought was an interesting:
Nearly done:
Complete:
Verdict is that the car had much faster midrange acceleration, and is noticeably faster. Result!
Edited by Will_S on Tuesday 3rd May 17:21
Congrats! I did this job last year on my XKR 4.0, 3 times. 
Once to replace the snout as you've done with the upgrade, once to replace the rear bearings, and again to finally replace the whole damn supercharger with a 4.2 one so I could get rid of the idling S/C rattle.
Went from a 20 hours job the first time, to 10 hours the second to 5 the last time!
The single worst 'operation' was getting that intake elbow and S/C air connections all back in place on the back of the S/C, I was almost in tears the first time.
Once to replace the snout as you've done with the upgrade, once to replace the rear bearings, and again to finally replace the whole damn supercharger with a 4.2 one so I could get rid of the idling S/C rattle. Went from a 20 hours job the first time, to 10 hours the second to 5 the last time!
The single worst 'operation' was getting that intake elbow and S/C air connections all back in place on the back of the S/C, I was almost in tears the first time.
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