Grace, space & pace
Iwas asked whether I knew anyone who might be looking for a 1995 Jaguar XJ 3.2. A friend of a friend was moving up to a later Jaguar and preferred her old automotive pal, ‘Giles Jaguar’, to go to an enthusiastic owner rather than a dealer. So I went to see the car, on the basis that I could try to find it a good home.
The car in question was a six-cylinder X300 XJ model produced from 1994 to 1997 – the first XJS to appear when the company was owned by Ford. I liked the look of the vehicle, which turned out to be a very attractive, much-enhanced Sport version. Compared with standard spec, the Sport featured wider eightinch road wheels, modified suspension, different seats and trim amendments.
My test-drive confirmed that this Jaguar really was a good example. On returning the car to its owner, I found myself saying “Great, I’ll buy it.”
The Jaguar – the first I’ve owned – had eight months’ MOT and was a solid, tidy example, but not perfect. With almost 200,000 miles on the clock, I expected a few problems, but in virtually all respects the bodywork looked sound (OK, there were a few minor blemishes/scratches) and the straight-six 3.2 engine purred quietly, effortlessly propelling the beast up to all legal speeds with no signs of smoke or distress. Similarly, the four-speed automatic transmission operated perfectly.
The X300’s main mechanical units are well-known and respected for their bulletproof nature and longevity, and this example had been well-maintained by its previous lady owner.
The ride quality was impressive, too, although there were some clonkings from below when driving over rough roads and the car felt twitchy when cornering on certain surfaces. Contributing to its uncertain feel, three of the tyres were old and nearing the legal tread depth limit.
I was looking forward to sorting out these various ailments.
Making improvements
The main mechanical units required no attention, apart from checks of the oil and fluid levels and the auxiliary drivebelt condition and tension – all OK. However, the previous owner had told me that the cooling system required antifreeze, following the recent replacement of a hose at the roadside.
I drained the system and, as a precaution, dosed it with Wynn’s Professional Cooling System Flush, which cost me £7 from a local motor accessory shop. In fact, the old coolant appeared to be clean once it had been drained. I refilled the system with fresh antifreeze, costing £15. The same store provided me with a computer-matched/ mixed aerosol can of Ice Blue touch-up paint, plus some abrasive paper and primer (adding another £29 to my bill), to deal with the minor paintwork blemishes.
I was particularly keen on tackling any work on the running gear. The first step was investigating the clonking noise coming from the front over rough surfaces. All aspects of the steering and suspension systems were checked, and the anti-roll bar bushes were found to be time/ mileage-expired. These were renewed with genuine Jaguar items, obtained from a specialist for approximately £15. All the brake pads were also well-worn, and were renewed for £33.