My 'Cheap' Jag XJR Is Done BUT At What Cost? + How Much Power Lost in 24 Years?
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2024
- I Bought A Cheap Jaguar XKR (X308) And restored It, it was a false economy. I have spent many more times than I originally planned and when I take it on a rolling road will it all have been in vain?
Huge thanks to the guys at Paramount Performance: paramount-performance.com
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CORRECTION Paramount Performance are in Warwickshire not Wiltshire.. Look them up for tuning goodies and dyno work! paramount-performance.com
this is the most British comment I've seen in a while XD
@@louieb.1564yes Jack is the most British of Italian gentlemen!
definitely get the pulley
Thank you. But please resist the temptation of tuning the engine. That would be like feeding steroids to a pensioner. Not a good idea! 🫣
This is a UK road car. No performance mods. You won’t need more power on our roads.
980 pounds for that level of rust repair, with folks who clearly have a LOT of experience, is unbelievably cheap!
Agreed. I paid double that last year to sort out rust on my XK8.
My thoughts too, thats very cheap
Having lived in the UK and the USA, I have noticed that good bodywork is a lot cheaper in the UK than the US. Its like British body shops have a lot of experience with rust...
@@throwback19841 i'm sure you're right about the cost differences, but believe me, the US has PLENTY of rust as well
@@shodancat1000i believe you why not when I have seen old Mk 1 Mustangs with their original paint work and very little rust. So yeah I really believe you.
Jack, don’t tune a 140,000 miles car that is still pulling as much horsepower as new! You may regret it sorely. The engine’s moving parts are all well settled in and undoubtedly there is already some wear on bearings, liners, camshafts and valve seats. Upsetting this delicate 24 year old balance may result in a catastrophic failure.
This. Multiple times this. The car is in excellent shape already for its age, and more power will definitely hasten it's demise. It's already comfortably quick for a luxury touring car - let it enjoy its golden years 😀
Totally agree. Spinning the supercharger faster means more stress on the crank nose and front main bearing, greater under hood heat, more strain on all the moving parts, higher oil temp, higher water temp, and that’s before the power even hits that poor automatic transmission!
Hoovie’s Garage specializes in blowing up used cars. Stick to your audience and you’ll do better.
Couldn’t agree more - grace, pace & space. Go looking for horsepower & you will lose the grace & ruin the character. The only thing I would do is get a better exhaust system. Not for noise but to reduce back pressure allowing the engine to breathe better.
I agree: Don't, just don't.
Agreed. - This is already a pretty highly tuned version. if you get another 40hp will you actually be able to feel that 10%? - Plus most tuning extends power at the top end of the rev range - How much time do you want to spend at over 5000rpm? don't kill it.
Money well spent, because you've ended up with a beautiful, fully functioning classic Jaguar.
I would love one of these but circumstances dictate otherwise.
......how is it money well spent when he's £2000+ down.
@@stewartshackleton7825.....ah, you have that affliction known as common sense.
Just me? Even at £9k Reggie seems a LOT of car for the money, especially as there hopefully won't be any more big bills in the short term. If nothing else, Reggie will hopefully live for MANY more years. Good job :)
Still cheap, you won’t buy a new car for that. But yes better to buy the best you can find, where someone else just had spend a lot of money on
.....guite obviosly youve never owned a Jag of this era 😂😂
@@mark8544 haha i’m not but i am looking for a 95 daimler six 😅😅😅
@@mark8544 Have you?
@@mark8544 my ignorance is bliss 😅
I’m so glad you’re putting out relatable content. This is what happens to most of us, yet most of UA-cam will have you believe you can restore an older vehicle for nickels and dimes and make a tidy profit.
this honestly depends on the car. With some vehicles there are a lot of cross compatible parts between car brands/manufacturers because they all use parts from the same parts from the parts manufacturer.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki of course it depends on the car, the location, the budget, the starter car, etc. But I think it’s pretty safe to say that seeing someone go through a more run-of-the-mill experience like this one is rarer to find than “I found a mki Golf GTI in a barn and restored it for $300 and sold it for 15k”, which is most of UA-cam.
Exactly. Flipping bangers is a joke, I would never want to buy a car that was 'restored' by them. I also like how Jack hasn't made the mistake of reviewing increasingly expensive cars. And that he hasn't developped a fixed format that was set in stone. I stopped watching hoovies garage and Doug Demuro because of those reasons. The down to earth approach and relatability have made this and Autoalex my most watched channels.
I agree, as we've seen putting even a few relatively minor things right coats a fair bit. Servicing costs several hundred and the market can easily destroy a slim margin. Mind you I expect no-one will readily admit to actually loosing money, but like gambling. Lord knows how bookies exist lol. My Lexus was 10 1/2 spent 3ish over three years and only got 6. Worked out about the same as leasing a medium sized car.
I had to read that three times lol. I initially thought yiu said that's what you did. Gonna say, 300 would just about get a set of tyres I'd imagine lol
You said in the video that Jaguar claimed 270 bhp - I think you meant 370. 346 bhp still there is easily enough - don't spend any more getting more performance - there's nowhere left in the UK you could use it. Maybe the whole exercise just proves the adage ' buy the best you can'. It's worked out more expensive to put a tatty Jag right than to buy a good condition one, and a lot more hassle. But for a UA-cam content creator, a great project for us to watch, so thanks Jack !
I did mean 370hp!!!
Phew! Thought I was going mad as the X300 R were 300!
Asking 10K or even more for a overhauled performance car with all the mayor things sorted and the kind of documentation you provide is absolutely legit. On the continent, these go from a trustworthy dealer for 20k or more.
And don't forget; it's not the standard V8; it's the R! So much more things can go wrong, and chances are much higher that these have been in careless hands before. You solved that now, and a buyer should know and appreciate it.
It's not buying these cars that cost money - it's keeping them on the road. Don't throw it away, wait for the right person to buy it. Or keep it.
Thanks for the channel, btw - I really enjoy it! 🙂
What can you buy nowadays for £9k? It’s still a prestige car & worth every penny spent 👍🏻
W210 E55, more power, more exclusivity, available as an estate, much more likely to appreciate in value, don't get me wrong I love Jags but the old E55 feels much more like a proper hotrod barge and that W113 V8 is a criminally underated engine, especially in 5.4 AMG guise.
@@popuptoasterW210 E55 is cool, but, it’s got less power and is considerably less refined than the XJR
@@popuptoaster I would always pick an XJR if asked my favourite but happen to own a W210 E55 Estate which I also love mainly because it is a wagon. As such I am conflicted but having said that Jags have a certain something that makes you feel special which the Mercedes lacks.
@@hamzah510 The E55 is not slower though. According to Car & Driver. Easily pulled away at high speeds.
@@martinsvensson6884 E55 probably is quicker ultimately. Does weigh a bit less, but, up to 100mph and on overtakes there’s probably nothing in it.
I had a 99 XKR with 200,000 miles on it. It had been very well serviced for long distance commuting. I took it to the JOC day at RAF Woodbridge, where the top speed could be measured in speed trap at 1.2 miles from the start. When new it was limited to 155mph. I did 8 runs, and the best speed was 154.6mph on a stock car with 213,000 on the clock. I even got them to put the mileage on the certificate
A lot of people don't realize that the factory speed limitations are based on the tires supplied on the car, not the drivetrain.
The fact the lovely machine is still running and looking good is 90% more important than power/speed. I take it pretty easy on my 25 year old Mustang. It's funny and odd when people want to do a stoplight launch next to me. The real victory is in just running well and looking better than anything built now.
"I've Massively Overspent!" I see a UA-cam trend developing here.... 😁😁🤣🤣 Great car, have fun at Shedfest 👍👍
Love the Reggie series. But I would not do any horsepower upgrades on a car of his age and mileage. Could cause others failures. It’s a nice car. I suggest leaving well enough alone.
I like that they inspect the car before the run, when I dyno'd mine at a local place the car was taken straight in, and they ran it up to 140mph in 4th gear with me stood right next the exhaust manifold which was glowing red hot, and then when I got home I noticed one of the bolts holding a belt idler in place had worked it's way loose. Luckily no harm done but maybe a bit more H&S and risk assessment would have been in order on that day.
Yeah, it’s clear that these guys are pros. Though I’m sure their clients pay accordingly
I agree they should check, but you're the owner and you share responsibility to either check yourself if you have the skills, or make sure they do a good safety check before subjecting it to dyno stress.
This is simply a general comment, on Englishness, where a yank would have an officious sign saying Caution low door height, in Britain it becomes 'mind your head,' Also a rolling road, instead of a dynamometer. In British English, it is either a suggestion or a clear description.
They're great cars, I did over 150k miles in my XJR, over 100k by me. Great you've saved that one.
😊 Reggie is still a classy chap !
As an owner of 4 Alfas over the years, and 2 Audis, that face in the thumbnail is like looking in the mirror LoL.
Have a wonderful day, love the channel.
Ha, on my second Alfa they are money pits alright.
@@Markycarandbikestuff have had 2 GTV6, a 164, and a 72 spider and the GTVs are easily the most maintenance intensive
@@plutothe9th361 Nearly bought a GTV6 but needed something i could leave in the street and use everyday so got a 159 1750 Tbi Ti, had a 155 wide body 2.0 TS years ago and loved it.
@@Markycarandbikestuff i love the 155's. Wish we got them in the USA
91 Spider and 156, it's true but we keep coming back lol
I love watching the videos where there's a sumup of what was done and how much it cost. I especially like that you included the places that did it too.
I'm torn on the outcome. Yes, you did end up spending almost £10,000 on the car in total, but at the same time, you also know that everything is fixed on it too. Had you bought a more expensive one, say in the vein of the £6,000-£7,000 for a different one, you likely would've had to have other things fixed anyway, thus leading to a total price of £10,000 or more anyway.
That body work was a bargain, absolute steal.
I went down the old Jag route with an XJS V12 a few years ago. Never again, as soon as one thing was repaired another popped up. I obtained the car for a fair price but the repairs and maintenance made it economically unviable very quickly because it was a complex car and most repairs had to be undertaken by a specialist. Never think you can add the repair costs back into the purchase price and it will come OK because the car has a book value and until it becomes a "true classic" that's about what you will achieve. It's an expensive hobby and you just have to accept it.
@nicholasmurphy8634 I remember reading a car mag about the XJS V12, in it, it said owning and maintaining one of these could bankrupt any one 😮💨.
Even Harrys garage had to admit defeat with the fuelling system/standard setup etc, and the Americans just replaced it with something-that-worked.
@@johnshaw359 And that cost him something like 12K, shame as i've always liked the XJS (and old Jags in general), i'm handy with spanners (ex mechanic and MOT tester) but that old Jag V12 just scares me, i had a 98 BMW 750 iL a few years ago and even that was scary under the bonnet.
My experience with my lovely Le Mans V12 was much the same... My last quote before it died was £2K for a new rear diff 😮
@@Markycarandbikestuff
The Jag V12 is just a simple sohc two valves per cylinder design with no third rate Nikasil cost cutting and bullet proof head to block sealing in which the head gasket is stronger than many modern block decks.
Heads that don't warp before the block has melted and up to 8 litres + capacity potential and no need for forced induction.
All iron block and heads and pushrods would be better in an ideal world.Certainly not less capacity, 8 cylinders and more overhead camshafts and a supercharger.
Great content, Jack. What you have done to Reggie is highly commendable and turned a car on the downhill journey of being unloved into a well sorted vehicle with a whole new lease of life. What's left to do other than drive it, enjoy it and keep it up to present service spec? It has to be worth £7,500. Concerning the performance kit, for a luxury car of that engine size, how much more power do you really need, and who would use that extra power and to what advantage? Different matter if you want to pep up an out and out performance car, but a 24 year old XJR? No. Save your money, and leave the performance kit for another day and another vehicle that could really use it.
It's a £6k car, but that said, I would be shocked if you didn't achieve very late 6 or £7k considering the work that's been done. You have dealt with nearly all the common faults for one of these.
What I was going to say! Well done!
One spark plug had heavy carbon build up, meaning it is an oil burner. Have a compression test first to determine if engine is a healthy enough unit worthy of performance upgrades. Leave the engine as is to get most miles before explosion. Do performance upgrades on marginal engine and video it blowing up on the dyno.
Possibly the oil burning is a stuck piston ring that will fix itself with regular use and frequent changes of quality oil
As Classic cars go, £10K for a sorted Supercharged Jag, I would spend that for a sorted Supercharged Jag, think of the enjoyment that car will give you, and for £10K would you rather have a mk4 Clio, or a supercharged Jag?, easy question for me, the Jag every time.
I have a XJR. I was very lucky to find it in excellent shape and with low mileage. I only had to replace the tires due to their age. I love this car.
Beautiful result for this lovely looking Jag. I would like to see an upgrade on the supercharger pulley and exhaust and maybe a more breatable air filter and then leave it alone if the suspension is still good. Maybe slightly upgrade the brakes but keep it conservative so other parts are not strained by the increase in power. The car is a delight and would love to see a road trip in it with you in the future
Looks like a good investment to me. You have a great car now for years to come.
Plus the old Jaguar rule still holds true: You can always sell it for half of what you put into it.
Applies to all cars that rule.
These Jags are aging really well. I’m off to the classifieds for a browse.
I think what you spending is spot on, lots of work you did yourself or paid really fair prices and it was all well researched, so one can do much worse. I think the main issue is that you significantly overpaid for the car, so better inspection and more frugal negotiation is an issue here. Now I understand - this is "youtuber" car, so basically it for content, hence I understand why really negotiating the price down was perhaps not that important, it is tool, it is for content. But... it was not £4000 car and not £3000 car, it was really a beater.
I think realistically XJR with that sort of mileage and the market as it is today for these cars is perhaps £6000, so basically take what you spent off that and that was real value of the car... £1100. I know it sounds cheeky, but that is how it works... and I would not have paid more if I had tried to buy it myself. I would have looked into £4000 price tag and negotiated from there - £1000 for gearbox, £1000 for shocks, I always negotiate hard on the tyres on performance cars, so would have been easy £500, rust another £1000... and I would have made offer of no more than £1,500-£2,000. Obviously car is too high mileage to be "good flip" ever, but if I was buying one for myself I wouldn't mind overpaying maybe £900, knowing that all the fixing was done and car is now sorted. Also I never lowball when negotiating the price for the car, if I ever make an offer then it is always based not on "what I would like to pay", but on factual defects that can be priced, and I always list them fairly and explain it to seller how I arrived to conclusion. Some appreciate that, some tell me to fffck-off, but I have bought several similar cars for symbolic prices of £1000... and often when you show people all the issues and they can see you not pulling them out of you back side they do agree with much lower price which is fair.
So obviously, this was not economical purchase/repair, but it was obviously great content.
£9K for a sorted XJR that has been serviced, has a new gearbox, and has fresh rubber seems like a deal! People can see what has gone into this car, not too many out there where you wouldn't be taking a big risk, I think you might get more for it than you think!
Such a gorgeous car still today....from every angle its sublime to look not forgetting an artistic looking interior...
✌🤜🏽
I don't think 9K is a lot for something you now know inside out and could run for another 5 years for minimal cost. It's an end of era beautiful machine.
Hi Jack. I think Reggie looks great - and I am sure that he drives great. I wouldn’t worry about what you have spent on him compared to what you might get for him now - it is irrelevant unless you actually NEED to sell him. You have spent money getting him in top top condition for you to enjoy - that is all that matters. I would also think twice before doing anything expensive that “unleashes” more power - why do you need more power - I bet Reggie is beautiful to drive, will cruise all day long at illegal speeds if required - He is not a race car - he is an elegant and relaxed swift car who doesn’t need to lower himself to racing other cars. I think you have a lovely car - well done - now enjoy him for a few years. All just my opinions - many others are doubtless available! Peter
Nowhere near what I was expecting tbh. I spent £3800 on my A5 for gearbox spindle bearing and clutch which was just the one job! Think you've done well personally. Yes its unlikely you'll get your money back but you knew that!!
Honestly. Less than £10.000,- for the best looking and one of the fastest 90’s super saloons is great value. You are just used to such incredibly cheap cars in the UK. At £10.000 in ky market, I would have to do all that work, and all that work would probably be twice the price, so I would end up at £20.000,-….
I own a X300 XJR, a E39, but not a M5 and 124 Merc, but not the 500E, and honestly, it is the Jaguar I turn around to look at the most. I love all of them. Bit the X300 and X308 are ridiculously undervalued. Well, all of them are, but the top end Jags much more than the top end Merc’s and Beemers. And they are much rarer as well.
I am seeing prices going up international on both X300’s and X308’s, so in my book, with all that work done, keep it five years. You will regret selling it.
Thank you for this quality and informative video. Congratulations on completing this restoration!
I hope what UA-cam pays you enough for the views of Reggie videos to at least make up most of the difference between what you spent and what you can realistically sell him for. I imagine with all the video documentation of the repairs he must be able to sell for at least a bit more than same age similar milage XKR unless it has perfect maintenance history and perfect PPI.
My late father had this car, in this exact spec. He never bought anything other than a Jag after that. This was still the coolest one ever. We both loved that car, so nice to see one being rescued from death ;)
TY Jack! 🙏🙏. Everyone lets enthusiasm get the better of them! Main thing is it puts a smile on your face when driving it!
The jag is a beautiful looker. Tasteful interior and what excellent engine figures after all these years. Deserves a few upgrades!
The replacement headlining is a doddle. I am an OAP with a very bad back and it only took me just under an hour on my own to remove, sort out the wiring and replace it.
It’s not always about the money , you have kept a great looking car on the road 👏
Damn lovely Jag! Drive it and enjoy the hell out of it!
Well done! And yes go for that bigger fast flowing none restricted exhaust and a chip tune. It's worth it.
Best thing to do is to score a low mileage engine and tune that one: all new bearings, piston rings, seals, step up bigger inlet valves, head skim, deck skimmed. And may be hone the cylinder walls with a oversized piston. But that's only necessary after measurement.
The “Dad car stand”. Love it. But it’s a Jaaaag!! Great looking XJR.
That repair bill is not too bad. It’s very optimistic to look at the kinds of bill you might see on a new car on an old one like this. You can’t make money repairing then selling an older car, but you can justify it if you plan to keep and use it. You now know much more about it than you did when you started which is very valuable in itself.
I would love to see Reggie upgraded with exhaust, pulley etc. You have put so much into him, it would be criminal to stop now.
You've definitely spent a princley sum Jack! I reckon you should give Reggie somemore power! Why not you've spent a boatload on him.... It would be rude not to add somemore pepp 😂, plus I'm just interested to see how much power old Reggie can give!
you want to see him blow the engine up !
That really would be entertaining ... for us .. 😂
Good content, thank you. Shed light on what is to be expected with an old performance car.That amount of rust repair is, for the age of the Jag, not too bad. As one who have never bought a new car I many times have wondered why new cars are not properly rust-proofed from new.
The Swiss importer of Jaguar used to rust proof all cars and you can still find a very good Ser1 XJ6 Jaguars in Europe because of this. I have rust proofed almost every car i have got, old ones too. Current -84 xj6 has had only minor bodywork thanks to a former owner in Luxenbourg. Wife´s EV is in next.
Just keep it!
Only throw money at performance for yourself-that is, if you intend to keep it. It will make it a better, more enjoyable car but won’t improve the value. If you intend to send it down the road, quit spending now.
I dare say that car would be worth substantially more here in the USA, high mileage notwithstanding….and for sure it provides tremendous value for money.
Jack is the U.K. equivalent of Hoovie’s garage with his hopties. Love the Jag.
Brilliant energy and enthusiasm buddy ..thanks for a quality video
There's nothing more expensive than a cheap luxury car.
You should keep him. Makes no sense selling a car that’s now sorted and it’s stunning!
Money well spent.
5:39 is the money shot! I'm very fortunate to have sold these new, fabulous cars, thanks Jack!
Spot on, I would have said £6750 for Reggie, a great car now but the mileage is the killer.
But what a car. I wouldn't worry about improved performance.
An X308 XJR is one of my dream cars, numbers of them on the road have been thinning out over the past few years. To have one fully sorted for under £10,000 is pretty decent I think, you've kept another one on the road at the very least. I hope you're enjoying your Jaaaaag 😎
Again, love that Jag!
I've noticed most of the power loss with these cars just comes from vacuum leaks in the intake and the supercharger. Those can be fixed with new seals and gaskets.
🤔🤔 you said 270bhp these came out of the factory with 370 i believe 😂😂
Yeah i didnt get that either
Awesome Jack, really loving these videos. Please do the pulley and exhaust mods, would be really interested in the gains on the dyno and your impressions of them too.
With all those big fixes including a replacement gearbox and all that corrosion, I was expecting much bigger bills. But that's life with posh old bangers - especially British bangers. I got my fingers burned long ago and wouldn't touch one now with a barge-pole. Still, if you've indefinite time & patience and deep pockets, you can finish up with a nice ride - until the next thing packs up. And after 24 years there's likely to be regular failures. I've switched to old boats, and there's not much I cannot successfully repair or do a good bodge...
Whilst those figures are indeed sobering, and yet a good reason to get drunk, in the grand scheme of things, Reggie is a great car. Good on you for making a lovely XJR even better. I love this channel, they don’t make cars like they used to, and I’m not a great fan of modern cars at all. Thanks for making these videos, fantastic channel!
Saw Reggie at Shedfest, looked really tidy.
I was there in my 68 VW T2 Camper by the Ferris wheel.
Dec 2023 I bought a 2005 copper black (very rare) white badge XK8 coupe.
She needed alot of work done. I'd paid 6k for the car with just under 100k on the clock. I took it to a jaguar specialist in norwich, here in the UK.
He did a full survey listing the work needed.
So armed with "the list" I embarked upon getting it done in stages.
Firstly the sills and rusty floor pan. All welded up and a damn good job too. £650.
Then the detroit wheels powdercoated chrome. £750.
Then the front brake discs n pads which needed doing. £330.
Then the underside suspension (ball joints etc, all of them back n front both sides upper and lower + gators and bushells) along with a full service and a replacement of UJs and repair on rear diff seal + oil replacement. Spark plugs, coils, engine oil n air filter etc all done. £2100.
The mechanic said its the "cleanest" XK8 he has ever worked on and well worth the investment.
Now she growls and goes like stink!
Perfect car. Sooooo happy. She's garaged on a trickle charger till I take her out.
Follow your dream. Let it happen.
One of these overtook me in the wet on the A30 last weekend near Shaftesbury. I was already going national speed limit. It cornered well and disappeared into the horizon.
At the end of the day it's put s smile onto your face 😊 it's only money you cant take with when it's time to go😊
You've come this far...Finish the tuning!
An XJR in very good condition - as your Reggie - for under USD12,000 is [still] an excellent proposition to own, and to be proud of.
my 2008 big block V8 boat (8,1 liter 420 hp) used to top @87 km/h on fresh water according to a GPS, now down to 80 or so
Reggie should be a keeper 👍🏻
Good ones sell for that kind of money. I had one too, that was around 200.000 kms. No problem finding a new owner, with everything ok.
First, really enjoyable series to watch. Well done.
I thought the format of the dyno results was odd. I watch a LOT of UA-cam auto content and I can't recall seeing any other dyno runs that presented an estimated crank power rather than just whatever the wheel power is. Dyno results are hard to compare in any circumstance, but when looking at chassis dyno results, wheel output is more relevant than estimated crank in my opinion (which is worth what I just charged you).
Finally, while you may have overspent from a flipping perspective (and I don't know that you have, this car is ready for another 100k miles), for someone who plans to own and drive for another 2-3 years, what you spent (about $12.4k US) about the same as I would spend in the US for a 2015 Camry with similar mileage.
Well done Jack. Thank you for resurrecting this gorgeous, timeless beauty. Money very well spent.👍
Well done! And yes go for that bigger fast flowing none restricted exhaust and a chip tune. It's worth it.
But it sure is a pretty car. I think the 'it is worth it' gets into the emotional side of automobiles. I'm not really a Jag guy, but it's a sharp ride. Thanks for sharing the ride.
Now I know it isn't the same car but, when I was 27 (in 1996) I bought an XJ40 Sovereign 3.6. It was in good condition with FJSH. Over 12 months, it had ABS sensors, brake accumulator, an aerial, new oil sensor, wheel bearing, battery then it holed a piston... It was lovely to drive but cost me exactly GBP2942.19 (about GBP7000 in today's money). Then it got hit by a truck in the rear quarter and written off. Insurance paid out and they let me keep it. I sold it to a chap who seemed very chuffed. He came back 6 months later to show me the repair. They were a lot more reliable in the Ford years, but they are still money pits.
It's a lot of money but you have a lovely well sorted cruiser now. I don't see why you need to pay more for a bit of extra power.
The answer - keep it and know you have a beautiful v8, something becoming increasingly rare.
I adore this car, good to see you putting in all the love it has missed out on.
From factory they produced 370bhp not 380 as quoted by Paramount performance and you later quoted 270 not 370. Anyway, great result and video. That's a lot of power and in particular a very torquey engine (nearly always underestimated), no need to mess about with it further imo.
Your channel is evolving beautifully. It just keeps getting better and better.
Well done and not too expensive to have such a classy car at the end.
You should swap the supercharger to a larger and more efficient one to get around 500bhp. I have a kit if of interest which will transform the drivability of the car.
Changing the upper pulley doesn't really give much power gain, as the eaton is very nearly at the peak of its efficency on the standard pulley ratio. The technology of the eaton roots supercharger in the XJR is very old (old paddle boat technology which isn't a true compressor, but just moves air) and it generates a lot of heat and takes a lot of engine power to run. Spinning it faster will only compound heat soak and place greater strain on cooling system.
Hi there Jack, I always look forward to your show, in part for your sheer doggedness and your cheerful nature. You do many of your own repairs, which is admirable I find, and the choice of cars are also interesting. Have you driven an Alpha Romeo CX? They seem very lotus like, with a CF tub. Your Jaguar is stunning, I must say. Cheers mate.
You’ve got to know when to stop! And now seems like a good time, this is a gorgeous well sorted car 👍🏻 well done to you 👏🏻
I was actually surprised how little you did spend, all things considered. You now have a well restored luxury car with tons of power for half of the price of a Polo, kudos! I wouldn't tune up the engine, I'd rather aim to keep all parts (engine, drivetrain, brakes and suspension) as near to new specs as possible.
I had a TerraClean system engine internal clean which was a remarkable transformation on my S40 Volvo T5 .
I absolutely adore these old Jags and would love to own one but the possible thought that it could bankrupt me and your video series backs up that thought. Still a lovely motor tho!
Ten grand total outlay for a performance saloon is a bargain, if you compare it with buying a much more modern car, or even new car on finance.
Fellow X308 XJR owner here,
The Mercedes-Benz transmission in these cars is good for a max torque of 580 Nm. If you are looking for a little bit extra performance, I would conservatively go with an exhaust modification. Perhaps more free-flowing cats and a 3” system. But I would try and tune it so that it does not drone on highway speeds. Then I would replace the front cooler of the charge-cooler circuit which is known for having too little cooling capacity. There used to be parts to buy. (Maybe even paramount used to sell them.) Also, the charge-cooling circuit pump may also benefit from higher speed or replacement.
Great honest content Jack. You spent a decent amount, met great people to end up with a stunning car and had a lot of fun along the way. Isn't that what life is about?
Really enjoyed this and it’s this interesting and compelling content that keeps me coming back for more! Plus you understand Citroens! I used to work in Charlbury and drove that road in my (then 27 year old) GS Pallas and I’d love to see you find one to relive that?
Yes, a lot of money: but you have a sound car that you can trust and enjoy for a long time!
It’s the passion that keeps us watching Jack - so maybe financially Reggie could be seen as a slow burner 🤫
At least you didn't buy a new Cybertruck like a certain UA-camr!