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Featuring edited highlights from past issues of XJ News

March 2009

The International XJ-S Cabriolet Register

Contents

2. Latest news from Knowles Wilkins Engineering

3. Diary of an XJ40 - Part 2

4. Jaguar Ride and Drive Day

5. Performance Motorcare Detailing Advice – Part 3

6. Hyper Engineering

Facts and Information by Model

SS & Pre-war Jaguar's

1950's Sports/Racing

1950's Saloons

E-type

1960's Saloons

XJ Series 1-3

XJS

XJ220

XJ40

X300/X308

XK8/R

S-type

X-type

X350

XK

XF

One-off's, Concept's, Protoypes & Replica's

The .co.uk website has been put temporarily on hold, and meanwhile you will find everything incorporated into the .com website (that's this one!)
This website has also undergone a major facelift with the addition of many new pages which in time will be filled with useful information!
If everyone who currently receives this newsletter, and enjoys reading it, recommends a friend, we will double our readership and help to improve it further - larger coverage means more likelihood of buying and selling items through the website and newsletter!
Our readership is truly international, as reflected in the car sales page!
In order to expand and improve we are now looking for sponsors, paying trade advertisers, or sales on commission - any ideas you put forward will be carefully considered.
When Xclusively Jaguar started out in August last year, I sent out a handful of newsletters consisting of a couple of car adverts. When the website first went online we had an average of 2 or 3 visitors per day. I felt sure that it would grow in time, and 6 months later we are sending out around 200 newsletters and we have an average number of 35 visitors per day, with a maximum of 77 on one day last month!
It's nothing to write home about yet, but it is definately going in the right direction at a steady pace!

You will notice that this newsletter is in a slightly revised format to accomodate the index for all the new pages!

My thanks must go to Carl Molyneux who will be working behind the scenes on a new and improved website for the future!

Thanks also to MOTORBASE, who have very promptly added a link from their website to Xclusively Jaguar. A link to MOTORBASE can be found under "Latest Links to Other Websites" at the end of this newsletter, so that you can check them out for yourself!

www.blackcountryjaguar.com

Latest news from

Knowles Wilkins Engineering

Work on the KWE Super Coupe, which we have previously reported on, continues and a report on progress will be included in next months Xclusively Jaguar. Meanwhile, a 3.6 auto coupe has finally been sourced for another project, and work on this will feature in future issues of Xclusively Jaguar News.

In August 2006 I was invited to attend a Jaguar Ride and Drive Day by Taunton Jaguar. By way of thanking them, and the Jaguar Ride and Drive Team, who organised the event on their behalf, I wrote the following article. Unfortunately, it has never been printed in the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club magazine in the two and half years which have followed, so I have decided to add it to my own newsletter, as I feel that Taunton Jaguar and The Jaguar Ride and Drive Team did an excellent job, and therefore deserve my thanks! If I am fortunate enough to be asked again, I will very much look forward to the opportunity to sample and report on Jaguar's latest offerings!

So this is a female view of a Jaguar Ride and Drive Day and the then current Jaguar range of cars, and also a tribute to Jaguars Ride and Drive Team, who we thought did an excellent job. It is not meant to compete with the professional opinions of experienced motoring journalists. We hope it might be a more down to earth insight into new Jaguars, as seen through the eyes of a (female) driver of older Jaguars.

We arrived in plenty of time and drove into the Golf Club car park, past a selection of new Jaguars. We were warmly greeted by the Ride and Drive team and offered refreshments while we filled in the necessary forms. My daughter, Esta-jane, had come along with me just for the experience of going out in these new Jaguars, as she was too young to be allowed to drive them. This event took place a few days before she was due to move to Coventy and begin her career as a Jaguar apprentice engineer as part of the Design Team.

The selection on offer were:
1. New XK dhc
2. New XK fhc
3. XJ TDVi
4. X-type 3 litre petrol estate, automatic
5. S-type R
6. S-type Diesel
7. S-type 3 litre petrol Sport
8. X-type 2.2 Diesel estate, manual

I was asked which model I would like to try, so I decided to be bold and ask for the XK! In response I was asked “drophead or coupe?” “Both!” I replied, then settled on the drophead first – while the sun was shining! Decision made, a fob was handed to me with no fuss or further red-tape! We went out to the cars, climbed into the XK and were politely offered help which we could accept or decline. The Ride and Drive Team were very friendly and accomplished in knowing exactly when and how to offer assistance without being over-bearing.

We enquired as to the amount of time we could spend driving each car and were advised accordingly. I then decided on a route which was well known to me, between Bridgwater and Cannington, and stuck to this route for all the Jaguars which I tested, thus allowing me to compare the performance, handling, ride etc. of each model. My route suffered all the usual pot-holes and poor surfaces and included a built-up area, country lanes, a notoriously bad bend and a short stretch of well-surfaced fast road, ideal for trying out nought to naughty times – and never mind the Somerset scenery – these were spectacular!!!

The XK convertible was the first I had ever driven, and virtually the first Esta-jane or I had ever seen! It was also the colour we would have chosen (Indigo with ivory interior), although we would have chosen a wood veneer rather than aluminium. It was very quick, with a smooth take-off and indiscernible gear-change. Excellent brakes, excellent handling, smooth ride – the sports suspension was tight, but still soaked up all the bumps better than an X350, as we later found out! Flappy paddles seemed superfluous, in a car as accomplished as this, but were great fun for easing those moments of boredom when other traffic prevented you from driving as you wished, giving you something else to play with. (Probably not what the designer intended, but useful, nonetheless!) Usual Jaguar interior layout, so driving was VERY easy – the only other noticeable changes were, keyless entry/start and novelty start/stop button along with door mounted seat adjustment controls (a la Mercedes!) and a new take on the J-gate! Wonderful burble, with lid down, just pleading with you to constantly blip the throttle. I thought the scientific aerodynamics would eliminate all “wind-in-the-hair” but it was surprisingly draughty. The hood mechanism was very impressive – simply hold down the button on the roof mounted console on the top of the windscreen until the roof has safely removed itself, dropped the windows, and stowed itself under the metal tonneau and then bleeps to say it is all done (and vice versa to replace the hood). The rear window was about the size of a letterbox, compared with my XJ, so the park assist and large stylish wing mirrors were vital! There was absolutely no scuttle-shake whatsoever, not even a hint, and its performance lived up to its looks in every way. First class toy, serious posing machine and, dare I say - an Aston in Jag-rags? Driver optional!

Meanwhile, Esta had tested the Sat Nav. It was touch screen and you had to be very precise, which apparently could be difficult, depending on how the car was being driven! Fairly self-explanatory and easy to use – more so than the systems used in the other Jaguars we tested. If you took the wrong route it would calmly re-direct you along the next best route without causing you to panic with bleeps or warnings that you’d messed up!

The XK coupe was every bit as good to drive, but lacked that “fun” element which the drophead offered. Personally, I preferred the lines of this XK, but Esta preferred the drophead. We both agreed that the grey dash and console complimented the ivory seats and we loved the poplar veneer, which added a refreshing twist to wood veneer, without going all man-made with aluminium or carbon fibre! If the drophead can be considered a serious posing machine, this its fixed head counterpart, is a serious driving machine! Maybe not the ultimate driving machine - that honour must go to the E-type, which needs a real driver! The XK seems to be idiot proof and because you can go faster you just think you're good! There is nothing to choose between the dhc and fhc XK’s except one has the edge for serious posing and the other has the edge for serious driving! The XK is too serious a driving machine for British roads, with cameras around every corner, it is definitely a Nurburgring job! And either XK is a match for its Aston counterpart! From inside the coupe the burble of the exhaust is deeper and more muted and therefore less intoxicating than in the open topped XK. Both XK’s cornered brilliantly, and although not as quick, in a straight line, as an “R”, they are plenty quick enough, by any standards. Ask and its there! When you drive it, it becomes part of you – or you part of it! It is the lightest, most nimble, and most responsive car I’ve ever driven, but without being uncontrollable – everything seems to be geared in harmony, making it the easiest car to drive. It responds as quickly as you can think and stops just as quickly, too. I was sorry that in my enthusiasm to try out all the other toys, I forgot to test the adaptive cruise control. I cannot wait to test drive an XKR – the combination of a burbling exhaust, whining super-charger and all that well-harnessed power must be phenomenal!

The new XK would be a hard act for any car to follow and so, despite being very nice, the XJ TDVi seemed “stodgy” by comparison – slow and cumbersome, like pitching a portly executive against an accomplished athlete. Since they are aimed at entirely different markets this is of no consequence and both cars do their job well except that, strangely, I felt the XK’s suspension was smoother than that of this luxury saloon! Having previously driven an S type 2.7 Diesel elsewhere, I felt that the XJ TDVi was a very successful amalgamation of XJ body and diesel power. As with the S type, the performance is disappointing for the first 3-5 minutes and then you realise that it was only poor because it was cold, and there you were thinking it was because it was a diesel! Like the S type, the X350 has nice big doors and no sills, making entry and exit easier than in the older XJ’s. The only time I felt the car was “big” was when I initially drove away after driving an XK – it felt large and awkward, but once it got into its stride, it was a normal, well-mannered XJ. As with the S type, if no-one told you this was a diesel XJ, you would never know – it was quiet, refined, smooth and responsive. Esta found that this Jaguar, as with all except the XK, had a different Sat Nav system which was not so quick to react to initial instructions or a change in the route. I didn’t think there was much to choose between performance, handling and overall specification of an XJ TDVi or an S type Diesel – the choice, I’m sure, would be on personal preference between an XJ or S type body.

We then tested an X type estate, powered by the 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine with automatic transmission. It was very slow compared to the XK’s and even the XJ TDVi, but the engine and gearbox were still quiet and smooth. The suspension was hard and lumpy by comparison to the XK and XJ – babies would not sleep on British roads!!! Although nothing special by Jaguar standards, it is still so easy to drive – everything is where it should be and it does what you ask, when you ask it. The interior is classy and comfortable, as you would expect of a Jaguar, with dark wood veneer, and steering wheel, complimenting the warm charcoal hide - an ideal colour choice for a family car!

Next we were treated to the S type R. This one was Esta’s favourite and although I loved the performance, I would have preferred it wrapped up in an XJ body, in the guise of an XJR! The steel bodied S type R is apparently better balanced than the aluminium bodied X350 XJR, but not so quick. It is, however, quicker than the new XK although, I felt that there was a slight lag on take-off, which I assume is caused by the same power unit (despite being super-charged) proving less effective in propelling the heavier steel bodied S type forward with the same initial gusto it creates in the aluminium XK, but once going it was by far the quicker car. I felt that in order to do a proper comparison between the un-supercharged XK and the supercharged S type, I would have to drive them both again and one after another. The “R” is undoubtedly quicker, but the XK makes a smoother and more controllably predictable get-away. The XK was refined – the R is just brutal! It was so fast that you had to be sure you had enough room for the speed it would achieve in the available space, therefore, I was a little more reticent than I had been in the XK. Despite this we did manage to check out its nought to naughty capabilities and it actually beat the Sat Nav instructions to the approaching roundabout, which we found highly amusing, but admittedly very immature! It is too fast to be truly enjoyed on British roads – another candidate for the Nurburgring! It lacks flappy paddle fun and drop-top – but once inside, forget its an S type – its just an “Aarrh!” This car and the XK certainly provided the answer to what kind of Jaguar I would like in the future! When your right foot goes down the supercharger whines superbly – imagine the XKR with that whine AND the burble!

To follow the S type R we were offered the S type Diesel. It was a bit of a flop after the R, but to be fair, still quick by normal standards. Trimmed in ivory hide with light elm veneer and equipped with touring suspension it was smooth and refined with a classically luxurious Jaguar interior. There seemed little to choose between this and the XJ TDVi. I found the seats far more comfortable than the Sports seats in the S type R. By the time we tested this, Esta was feeling very much at home with the Sat Nav and now turned her attention to the blue tooth phone link allowing us to have a discussion about the car with the family at home! I finally remembered to ask about the cruise control. The new system is entirely different to that on the XJ40/X300 which is why I hadn’t recognised it. Mounted on the steering wheel, and much more sophisticated than the old system, it apparently kicks in at 15 mph and allows precise speeds to be selected. The accelerator over-ride and brake cancellation remain as before. (These notes do not apply to adaptive cruise control.)

There was one more S type in the line up which I saw little point in testing as it was petrol driven with sports suspension and trim, a combination of the two I had driven, and if I was to buy an S type it would either be a diesel for economy or an R for indulgence!

This left us with an X type 2.2 Diesel Sport estate with 6 speed manual transmission. This car had noticeably less power than the 2.7 diesel which seemed odd as the last time I drove one of these I was running a 3.6 XJ40 and didn’t expect much of the 2.2 diesel – I was quite shocked by the performance at that time! The ride also surprised us – it was better than that of the other X type we tested, and yet this was a “Sport” – the other I assume had touring suspension. Smashing manual box – much better than an X300 XJ Sport which I recently owned (sorry Firefly!) I just jumped in and drove off and halfway through our test route Esta said “Its got 6 gears!” “Yes” I said “5 forward and 1 reverse.” “No” she replied “6 forward!” With that I looked at the gear lever for the first time and realised I’d been missing out on another gear so I set about making up for this oversight! I try to keep up with the latest Jaguar developments, but this proves that reading is no substitute for actually getting behind the wheel! Nice “ring-lift” reverse gear selector – very easy to use – if anybody is going to have trouble selecting reverse, it’s me, and this one was heaven! The organizers thought I might be disappointed taking out the bottom of the model range last, but it was very refreshing to drive a manual after so many automatics, especially with the added novelty of an extra gear, once I’d found it! Gosh, I can remember when 5 manual gears were a treat, but to have 6! The manual fore and aft seat controls were the only thing which seemed out of place in such a plush modern interior, where everything else seemed to be electrically operated. I would be as happy to own a manual X type, as any other Jaguar. It might not spoil you like an XKR or a Daimler, but it does everything it should, and it does it well!

This then, is a Jaguar Ride and Drive Day from the female perspective. The young and the not so young female enthusiasts! While I had focussed on the performance and handling from a drivers point of view, Esta was able to focus on the comforts from a passengers point of view and on the electronic toys. She pointed out things that I may otherwise have over-looked on a test drive, and tried out the Sat Nav and blue tooth phone which, quite honestly, are beyond me!

The organization of the event was excellent, as was the venue, which allowed the cars to be tested on all road types. Choosing to test the high performance cars first proved to be wise as traffic built up later in the day and it was more difficult to put the last ones through their paces quite so easily or thoroughly. Every model we tested had something new to offer, making it really exciting and worthwhile. In common with all the cars was the silence – freedom from engine, road or wind noise. Gear changes were imperceptible and brakes matched performance. All were fitted with parking sensors, which I learnt to use confidently, having the benefit of someone patiently explaining the sequence to me and demonstrating the distance left. All models now have “one-touch” window down AND up mechanisms which I felt was an over-sight on earlier models. Steering was lighter than in the older XJ’s which I am accustomed to and combined with the electronic hand-brakes, auto wipers/lights, cruise control, traction control, one touch window controls, Sat Nav etc, driving was totally effortless and I seriously wondered if I was the only superfluous accessory, or optional extra!

Overall we thought that the XK’s had the best instrumentation and the most comfortable seats and suspension. The S type R and X type Sports, kitted out in “Sports” trim, had the least comfortable seats! We felt that the XK drophead was intoxicating and we had the most fun in that, but it was closely followed by the S type R, which we felt was the most exciting and exhilarating! The burble of the XK’s exhaust and the whine of the R’s super-charger are priceless, both just beg you to drop your right foot! I felt that the omission of the XJR and the Daimler Super 8 from the line up was a great shame!

Esta-jane’s pick of the day was, without a doubt, the S type R. I found it a little harder to choose, but think it would have been the XKR, had it been present! (It was on the brink of being launched when this event was staged.) Choosing the best Jaguar was not easy, as each had its own distinctive personality – the point being to produce a range of models and trim styles to suit different tastes and needs, and many people had come to the Ride and Drive Day to test drive a specific model. In my case, the object of the exercise was to test drive the current Jaguar range. I feel that as a regular buyer of used Jaguars it is important that I know what is available to help me decide on future purchases. In this respect I think I am as important to Jaguar as any purchaser of new Jaguars, as it is the buyers of used Jaguars who will hold up the re-sale values! I also wish to broaden my knowledge of Jaguars in general, so this exercise was as important in this respect, too.

At the end of the day I had expected to climb back into my own 1996 lwb X300 3.2 Sovereign and be disappointed with the car in general, and the performance in particular, but I wasn’t! Mine still felt terrific! Was this because I had prepared myself or was it because a Jaguar matures well and develops its own charm? Do we forgive our older Jaguars their inadequacies because we know that they once represented the state of the art comforts and engineering that their new counterparts now represent?

It was a successful day – enjoyable and educational. It confirmed to me that in the future I will still want to drive a Jaguar – in my dreams it would have to be one with a super-charger, but, in reality I was re-assured to find that I could be perfectly content with an economical diesel powered Jaguar…….and as for my daughter – well, only time will tell whether she sticks rigidly to her plan to buy an XJR-S or succumbs to an S type R!

As you will know managing to keep your wheels gleaming is one of the hardest jobs in detailing. Getting it right can seriously improve the look of your car and really makes heads turn wherever you go.

In the following few paragraphs Rob and I will share some top tips to make and keep your wheels gleaming.

There are many different types of wheels to consider, all of which to achieve the ultimate shine require slightly different care and attention:

Bare metal alloy wheels
Coated/Painted alloys
Steel wheels
Chrome rims
Wire wheels

But first some basics of wheel care that apply to all:

1. Always clean your wheels when cold and concentrate on one wheel at a time.

2. Avoid splashing harmful brake dust on newly washed/polished paintwork by cleaning your wheels first.

3. Before using your wheel cleaner, ensure you remove all the loose dust, dirt and debris from your wheels and tyres. For this use a jet of water from either a hose or jet wash. Whilst doing this it is also very worthwhile giving the underneath of your wheel arches a good blast.

4. Next spray your wheel with your chosen wheel cleaner.

Our personal favourite is P21S. Being non-acidic it is safe to use on all wheel types, especially bare metal, coated alloys and our chromes, but at the same time being powerful enough to lift off most of the brake dust.

Always follow the manufacturers instructions on how long to leave it on. i.e. Meguiars Hot Rims - approx 15 secs, Mothers All Wheels Cleaner - 1 to 2 mins, P21S Powergel - 3 to 5 mins. As you can see the times vary significantly and are usually dictated by the strength and acidity of the product.

5. Depending on how ingrained the dust and grime has become on your wheels you may need to use a suitable wheel brush to agitate the cleaner and lift off some of the more stubborn dirt.

Choosing your wheel brush

When choosing your wheel brush consider the type of wheels you have. Use a softer bristled brush for fine bare metal/coated alloy wheels as you do not want to be scratching the coating or into the surface of the metal. Whereas steel wheels will take a harder bristled brush.

Also try and seek out a brush that does not have any exposed metal parts that may potentially damage your wheels, any metal parts either being protected from contact by the bristles or rubber coatings.

6. A useful next step, but one many either forget or skip completely is, using a stronger than normal (up to 2 times) dilution of your usual wash shampoo, together with your wheel brush, wash down the wheel to continue to remove the dirt, dust and grime and also to remove as much of the cleaner as possible.

7. At the same time, using a tyre brush (some are specially shaped for the job) give your tyres a good scrub. Again using your shampoo mix. This will remove any build up of dirt and old layers of tyre protectant that may have built up.

8. If time allows and to get into some of the more difficult crevices and contours of your wheel, give it a final wash down using a wool or thick pile microfibre mitt or cloth. But remember to use a different mitt than the one you intend to use on your bodywork.

9. Finally, thoroughly rinse off your wheel and tyre to remove any remaining cleaner and shampoo. Again the hose or jet wash comes in handy here and then dry off with a large microfibre towel or cloth.

At least once a year......

Ideally, if you get the chance and especially after the winter months we would recommend you remove your wheels at least once a year to give them a thorough clean, back and front. You'd be amazed at what a difference this can make to the look of your wheels and your car as a whole.

For those really stubborn brake dust particles another very useful tip is to use a piece of your clay bar (if you have one) and plenty of clay lubricant (see Robs last article for tips on clay barring). Similar to removing the bonded contaminants from your paintwork this will work in the same way with the brake dust particles bonded to your wheels.

So how often should you clean your wheels?

Ideally they should be washed and dried down after every trip - but who lives in an ideal world - we certainly don't. After that it would be once a week but again, especially if you have a hectic work, family or social life we all know how impractical this can also be. So next month we will look at how you can make things a little easier for the next time you get to clean your wheels.

For details of products mentioned in this article, please follow the link to Performance Motorcare on our Links page.