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Jaguar and Daimler XJ40 (and XJ81) all variants 1986 to 1994
1. Jaguar XJ40 and XJ81 Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN)
The XJ40 VIN is based on the VIN system which was introduced in 1978, and revised in 1981. It is made up of 17 characters, detailed below, each of which are the equivalent of DNA, so (in theory) given a specific VIN, you should be able to visualise a Jaguar (or Daimler) just be asking for the VIN, paint and trim codes!
Below is a link to a table of XJ40 VIN codes, allowing you to decipher the VIN of any XJ40 or XJ81. This is followed by an explanation of the character meanings.
How to read a Jaguar XJ40 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Character Meanings:
Characters 1 - 3 denote the manufacturer.
1. Country of Manufacture
2. Vehicle Manufacturer
3. Marque
NB: The above 3 letter prefix was added to all Jaguar and Daimler cars from 1981.Some sources state that the first 3 characters, together, denote the "world manufacturer identification code" SAJ for Jaguar Cars Ltd, Coventry, and that these do not break down individually. Other sources break the 3 digits down as displayed here, hence the repetition of "Marque"
Characters 4 - 11 carry information about the vehicles specification
4. Marque
5. Model
6. Market
7. Body
8. Engine
9. Transmission and Drive
10. Series
11. Emission Equipment
12-17. Sequential production number - unique to each car and allocated in production order, regardless of specification etc
A full explanation on Jaguar VIN evolution can be found on our Facts and Information page.
2. XJ40 and XJ81 Model Year VIN range and other Landmarks
| Model Year (MY) | Landmarks | From VIN | To VIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 MY | 500515 | 524374 | |
| 1988 MY | 524375 | 556850 | |
| 1989 MY | 556851 | 594575 | |
| 3.6 litre engine* | From launch | 594575 | |
| 1990 MY | 594576 | 629285 | |
| 4 litre engine* | 594576 | To end of production | |
| 4 litre XJR* | 599121 | ||
| 2.9 litre engine* | From launch | 628059 | |
| 1991 MY | 629286 | 649174 | |
| 3.2 litre engine* | 629286 | To end of production | |
| 1992 MY | 649175 | 667828 | |
| 1993 MY | 667829 | 687218 | |
| XJ81 | 673299 | To end of production | |
| 1994 MY | 687219 | 708757 |
*Data from Jaguar Heritage
3. Diary of an XJ40
Unfortunately, Parts 1 & 2 seem to have been lost when the website was upgraded, however, here is a brief outline of the content, taken from Project Jaguar
How I found my first Jaguar - the story behind Project Jaguar and my XJ40, "KUH"
by Esta-jane Mace
24th December, I decided to play the Christmas Lotto-I didn’t win. But I did make one gamble which changed all my plans for 2009.
I had decided, for a change, to meet my boyfriend, Joe, for lunch in the works canteen. We were just leaving and saying goodbye when I heard someone talking about trying to sell their XJ40 as they walked past us. Any Jaguar for sale catches my ears and I mentioned (quietly) to my boyfriend what I had just heard. The gentleman in question was still speaking to his friend, and I was dubious about asking and momentarily became very shy (mainly because it was of course quite rude of me to be eaves dropping!) But Joe insisted I asked and marched me over to this gentleman. I introduced myself and he introduced himself as Brian, then we exchanged company email addresses, with the promise that he would email me all the information he had on the XJ40.
The next 2 days were the best I had over 2008. I had begun my Christmas holiday and was planning to go and visit my parents, I had just been told that I had made it to the final 6 of the Apprentice of Year awards, and then I had an amazing email from Brian.
We had been keeping in touch. Brian had sent me an extensive list of his XJ40s details and history. She had a full service history up until Brian purchased her; when he became her technician and between himself and his colleagues from Jaguar, she had been thoroughly spoilt including a full head re-build at 90,000 miles. Her bodywork was immaculate and Brian had spent a lot of money getting her sills and arches done at Guy Salmon. In short, this early 4l Sovereign wanted for nothing in Brian’s ownership. I was keen to see this car and had decided to go and have a look at her in person. Then I received an email from Brian, in which he said that he was happy for me to have the Jaguar provided I kept in regular contact with him about her. I was in deep shock…I had just been offered a free Jaguar!
I went and met Brian again, and here I met “KUH”, his XJ40. She had been off the road ever since Brian was able to treat himself to a super low mileage XJ8. Before coming off the road, Guy Salmon pointed out that to pass the next MOT she would need rear sub frame mounting bushes and the right hand front damper top hole would need welding. She had no tax or MOT, but this is where the fun is going to be! As Christmas approached we went our separate ways. Joe and I were visiting my parents and his, and Brian was off to attend some business in Bangkok and to also spend time with his family over the Christmas period.
Then came 2009! We all met up again a few weeks later at a local café where we caught up on what had happened over Christmas and New Year, before filling out the V5, going over the extensive paperwork Brian had collated over the years, and finally passing over the keys. Then that was it-I was the proud new owner of a much loved Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign…and a new project!
I want to express my biggest thanks to Brian for providing this opportunity for me, and I wish him all the best in Bangkok.
Part 3 - Back on the Road!
Since my last update, I have taxed the Jaguar and taken her for some good long drives! I have also been trying to fix some of those more niggly problems in an effort to make her an (almost!) perfect 40!
My first big buy was a pair of Dunlop Sport 225/65/15 tyres - mainly as these were very close to the legal limit, but also to try and improve that good old fuel consumption! Most places I called were asking well in excess of £100 a corner, but fortunately I managed to get a great deal from my local tyre merchant, and KUH is now sporting a nice new pair of "boots"!
Before I began driving her to work, which is a good 80 miles a day round trip, I gave her a service. She had been standing for well over a year and no doubt she needed some nice fresh oil and new parts. Armed with my Halfords Trade Card I bought a new air filter and had to order in an oil filter as Jaguar Parts were shut! At least I got a discount here though! I then got my spark plugs from an independent retailer as they sold them as singles, rather than in packs of 4!! The service was simple and she was done and dusted in no time. The fuel filter had already been done back in February. There are still some things to do, but these can be done over time.
Another problem with the Jaguar was the inability for the driver's door to work the central locking. I was supplied with a replacement lock when I acquired the car, and last Sunday I decided to change it! Stripping down the trim was the easy part! It is all well hidden (but easily found!) screws and clips. The veneer shocked me the most - I took the door handle from the veneer and couldn't believe how much it had faded-there was a dark brown ring where the veneer had been protected from sunlight.
An awkwardly placed locking solednoid! |
New veneer added to the "To-Do" list!......anyway, back to the locking mechanism! Once the trim was off I was able to see the interior door skin, and the locking mechanism was screwed between the two skins and most awkwardly too. It took a while, but eventually I was able to unscrew the mechanism from the door and replace it with the new one. The new one was linked up and before putting everything back together again I thought I would test it - but with no luck. The central locking from this door still isn't working properly! It was very late by now, so I put it all back together and left it as it was. My next move is to have a play with the passenger side, and hopefully perhaps I can resolve it that way! I must add at this point a quick thank you to all of those on the XJ40 forum (www.XJ40.com) there are some great users on there who have been extremely helpful, not only with troubleshooting this problem, but with other things I have come across as well! Many thanks all! |
On the aesthetic side of things, I have managed to get hold of another boot lid, which is rust free. My boot lid
doesn't just have a few holes on the underside, but at the bottom it is nigh on nearly all gone! Obviously this is
a problem as it is letting water in when it rains-which is very often in England, and this is the reason the boot
smelt so much when I first acquired her. I have since washed and "febreezed" the carpet, but I think I would like
to try and get hold of something newer and cleaner to replace it. I will hopefully be prepping and painting this
boot lid to fit it to my XJ40 within the next couple of weeks. |
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I will need to talk to my local paint suppliers to see if they can do a "paint match" as reds are famous for fading. I am also off tomorrow to go and look at a potential replacement bonnet, as mine is covered in stone chips and two REALLY large bubbles of rust. However, if all that fails I will also be going to the International Jaguar Spares Day and am hoping to find some goodies to bring home with me for KUH!
Brian has also informed me that he has a replacement front bumper as well, one with headlamp jets, as the one on the front of KUH at the moment is very rusty! Along with this should be the electronic key fob as well, as she has been equipped with an alarm, which I believe is quite a rare feat for this model year! I have met up with Brian for the first time since KUH passed her MOT, so for the first time in over a year, KUH and BLM (Brian's X308) got to sit together catching up in a local car park whilst we went for a coffee to talk Jaguars!
Part 4 - The Road to Recovery!
As can be seen from the picture, KUH is on the road to recovery (literally!)
as she stands at the bottom of the ramps of Paul Ridley's transporter.
Paul apparently LOVES Jaguars and LOVES the XJ40 in particular! He is a fantastic guy, Esta tells me, and clearly passionate about his job! He takes photos of every job, wherever possible (some people say no, as they do not want the whereabouts of their rare and expensive cars to be known!) Esta took pictures, and a video too! Paul had just come from the local Lamborghini dealership, before proceeding to transport KUH to the workshop (she was at that time without an MOT!) Paul does work for Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and other TV programmes, and is regularly at Jaguar and Aston Martin, or off shipping someone's expensive Ferrari or rare beast somewhere!!
A link to Paul's website (www.paulridley.co.uk) can be found on our "Links" page
Esta and KUH pictured at International Jaguar Spares Day, Stoneleigh, March 29th 2009
Well, that "cuddly XJ-S" should go a long way to keeping KUH on the road!
Esta went to International Jaguar Spares Day to look out for bargains for her XJ40 Sovereign, but didn't find any of the bits she wanted, so took solace in this cuddly XJS………well, I suppose it will at least provide comfort when things are not going well with her 40!
KUH now has her Heritage Certificate
These are available for any Jaguar which is over 10 years old and are a record of all the cars vital statistics, taken from the archives at the JDHT. Known as a "Heritage Certificate" their proper title is a "Production Record Trace Certificate" which is prepared for the current owner on supplying the V5 as proof of ownership. They can also help with tracing the history of a Jaguar, as they give details of the supplying dealer, first owner, and first registration number. They are an absolute must for all cherished Jaguars, and can be obtained for £35 from The Jaguar Heritage Trust. (details on our Links page).
At the moment KUH's bootlid is undergoing cosmetic surgery! Being a typical XJ40 she has a few problems in this area, so as previously reported, Esta has purchased a replacement bootlid in remarkable condition………but, it's the wrong colour! It is currently being prepared and resprayed before joining KUH!
KUH was sold in 2010 and replaced by an XJS. This was in turn sold on and replaced
by an X-type ....Why? Follow the link below to Project Jaguar for the full story.