BL didn't own Jaguar in the mid 80's. Jaguar was granted permission to break away from BL and become a publicly traded company, which is why it wasn't sold off like all the other BL names (Rover, MG, Triumph). Ford took ownership in 89 and improved the mechanicals as well as the stamping processes for the XJ40, which is why many will tell you to buy either a 93 or 94 model. Starting in 95 with X300, that was all XJ40 interior and drivetrain, but Ford body design. The XJ40 is the LAST, all original Jaguar.
I miss my XJ40. Two of my favorite features were: 1) the ride over rough pavement without feeling floaty and 2) the inline-6 sound. It's a musical car, hushed in all facets of operation. The moment you turn the key it feels alive. It's refined and comfortable. I wish more people had the opportunity to drive one.
@@lilfrzzy I got lucky and had a good one and only owned it for six or seven months. Two oil changes and a radiator hose that split (and made a mess on the driveway) is all I had to do to it. The hose and labor was like $200 US. I'm sure my experience isn't the norm and was also 10 years ago! I absolutely loved that car though and would absolutely own it again, given the chance.
So you're an XJ40 newbie! I daily drive mine and have done since 2012. My 94 VDP has 260,000 KM on the clock and never misses a beat. If you want to keep it, learn how to do all the maintenance yourself.
The Jaguar XJ6 with the square headlights are my favorite Jaguars. First time I sat in one I loved the interior. Might not be the best car to drive in an Indiana winter here in the United States but would be a thrill to drive.
Hi there I wondering if you can help a friend purchased a xj40 absolutely presten condition very low k's it looks brand new , but he thinks and his machanic believes it has a mis firing issue , standard original exhaust at idle you can hear a slight chuff in exhaust note , they are both thinking it has a burnt out valve , it revs smoove drives perfect , has just received new plugs and leads still there injectors checked perfect , honestly it looks like it's traveled 20.000klm but I didn't check odometer. I feel the chuff is gue to standard restricted exhaust. Just wondering if you've come across this before . Cheers any feedback would be great.
@@paddy2661 Your mechanic should do a compression test on the engine. If the results are ok then you know for sure the valves are ok. If it's low on compression on one cylinder then he should check the valve timing on that cylinder after he checked the ignition.
Great car ! I’m working on my 1988 XJ40 Daimler version to get it back on good as new standard . If you like this car you are willing to spend also money for it . If you can do some jobs on your own it is not that expensive . Spare parts are all available. Beside for the Interieur easy to order . Thanks for the nice video !
They are good cars. The x300 platform (from 1996-2003) was essentially a late xj40 with the upgrades that come with new models. Cosmetics are the largest cost to make these cars nice. Neglect in the suspension is where to look. If you don't have receipts its been replaced, it will be need replacing. Lots of bushings in the suspension. Engine is bulletproof.
I’m only 20 years old and I love these things! Went to a car show few weeks back and was mesmerised by the classic jaguars, question is do I have big Enough balls to buy one😂 truly are mens cars.
Im the same as you and have owned my 94 XJ40 for about 16 months and im just as much in love with as I was the day i bought it. Sure its not the best car objectively however having also owned an E38 and driven a W220 S Class I much prefer the XJ40. And the reliabilty concerns are generally overblown, the AJ6 and ZF4 are strong units and have never let me down.
@@daddyroy1559 Well the E38 is no doubt a more refined luxury car, quieter, better seats and so on. With that said I think the Jaguar has much more classic luxury feeling in both ride and interior which is what sold it for me. I simply enjoy driving the XJ40 a lot more than my old 740i.
Just picked one of these up for around a grand here in the UK and it drives amazingly well considering the price. Nowhere near as nice as your's though, looks like a stunning example and I love the colour scheme, enjoy :)
I'm not a mechanic nor wealthy amd my wife bought one against my advice...3 years later it's now essentially mine and I do that vast majority of the work myself. I'm in Boston (US) and drive it all year round. It has some rust issues that need attention and a few electric gremlins but it's a great ride and gets LOTS of attention. It's not a rocket by any measure but on the highway is where it shines and you'll forget you're driving a 30+ year old car. *edit* I forgot to add that we only bought it for $4k so we ALREADY have gotten our moneys worth.
@@Teeveepicksures I think that amazing... And very good info for me. I test drove a beautiful. There is one in Tennessee just like his, for 3500. I am looking to purchase it. But I have been wondering if it was a good idea. The seller says, You can drive the car anywhere. So I am hoping to close the deal soon. Thanks for the insight. It helps.
@@jarmelo2006 I'd make sure the AC and heat both work and all fans blow too. The HVAC systems can be finicky anf although not techincally "difficult" to usually fix, they are a complete and total pain in the rear to access or remove.
No. They only made the XJ40 with an inline 6 in various displacements, 4.0 being the largest which is what this version has. In 93/94 they put a 6.0 V12 in the car as it was ending production.
I had a series 1 in the early 70's and when the series 3 was released I was very disapointed with what Pininferrina had done to the original beautiful design. The main thing I like about the AJ40 is that the design is more balanced with the square tail lights and the headlights. Now if you want a slightly faster version then take a look at the X300 4ltr which has the AJ!6 motor which is an improvement on the AJ6 engine that is in yours. However you will find it hard to get one with an interior like your Daimler. It is a very nice car, they can have the speed. Just give me the luxurious class in your Daimler, which is a very close match and ride to a Rolls.
Sourced a 1993 XJ40 4 Litre IL6 RHD with the blown head gasket what has been fixed. In the meantime the gas pump went dead which has to be replaced. Fuel-tank only is halfway out... Between these two happenings the engine ran well. One doorlock out of four is blocked and doesn't work with central locking. Have no other claims. For at least ten years It stays in the garage. Have no experiences in the Jaguars unfortunatelly. So, at this moment I doesn't really understand some of its features. Otherwise It's roadworthy. In the near future I'd like to have MOT on it... Thanks for the tutorial! Your's is quite handsome.
Welcome to the club! Interesting that you found a 4.0 with a blown headgasket. These engines are extremely robust and so someone really had to be neglecting it for the HG to the blown. Anyways, get the entire fuel system replaced and test your injectors and replace the plugs and drive the hell out of it. Keep the battery fully charged at all times, no matter if you are not driving it. Keep it on a tender, these cars do very weird things when they have low batteries.
@@classicsonly2525 Thanks indeed. The story 'bout the blown head gasket was that the car stood far too long in one place. As it had been sold, it was immediately driven around 900 miles to its current destination. Halfway home still on the autobahn it had started consuming coolant liquid. It arrived home and parked. An hour later could not be able to crank the engine again. One cylinder went filled with the coolant, later the diagnosys said. Then the had gasket has been replaced in addition with few other engine refitment operations done. Hopefully during this year I'll find time for the replacement of the fuel pump...
I just love the XJ40 looks. The fact that it's the last Jag designed under british leadership also makes it special. And the last car for which they asked Sir William Lyons for advice. It's like the Ferrari F40 of Jaguar.
Thank you for the nice video, let me try to contribute. They have their electric or electronic gremlins, too true. The original XJ40 was the electronically most complex car of the late 80ies because they mixed electronics with very advanced electrics. To have four Light modules, one on each corner of the car, and all have many mechanical relays in them. stuuuupid. But mechanically these were very sound. Maybe the weakest component of the car is the XJ40 4-speed auto tranny but only on the 3.2 and 3.6, and these are German made modern ZF units! For some reason the variants used on the XJ40 4.0 have very little problems! Bulkhead rust spreading down from the water pocket underneath the wind screen can be dramatic, spreads down to the floors too, be sure to check. It usually starts with some leafes and blocked drains ... Repairing properly is a complex welding job that will require the engine and gearbox removal! Top of the inner fender rail too, remove wheel arch liner to check. These cars had a special sealer put on top of overlapping welds. When baked in after painting this material started to bubble up and got porous, thus not protecting from moisture but actively storing moisture and promoting rust. The wheel arch liner prevented quick drying too, so the perfect storm. Rusted trough rear axle frames is extremely common. Corroded window frames lead to cracking front shields. All XJ40 are basically the same underneath, so all, not only the latest, are mechanically closely related to the brilliant, if less original design wise, XJ300, which is the best XJ ever built. Basically the same engine too. What elevated the X300 to even another level was less complex electronics and better rust protection. The X300 will only experience cracked exhaust headers that are NLA. With the same looks you get the later 1998 on X308 with the all new 4.0 AJ-V8. This later Jaguar engine was so good, Ford, owner of Jaguar at the time, put these in the Lincoln LS V8, because nothing Ford had on offer matched this little 4.0 in wheight, power and economy. In the X308, a 3950lb car, every day mpg of 22mpg is normal, if you cruise along at 65 mph it would be more like 27mpg, no kidding. All 4.0, six or V8, will often reach 250000mls or more with just basic service, which means oil changes on the sixes and oil canges and one change of chaines and guides during the engine life on the V8. Even if chains jump a tooth or even tear, the engine can often be safed with a few new valves and new head gaskets. And if not, hey, there are plenty out there, just look for an old Lincoln ... You get the chain kit at your local Lincoln dealer cheaper than we do in Europe! Again, a German part that fails these great cars. the chain tensioners that explode over time were sourced from FEBI Bielstein. The 4.0 AJ6 inline- six of the XJ40 can be brought to life by advancing timing, achieved by relocating the TDC sensor at the front pulley. be sure to dyno check for absence of detonation, but this gratis fix is worth up to 20 hp. Jaguar chose extremely conservative timing advance on the AJ6 and very conservative cam profiles as well. After all Mercedes with a similar 24 Valve inline-six produced 220 bhp from 3.0 litres in the much famed W124 300/24V, Jaguar chose to do the same from 4.0 litres. This is by choice, no aspect of this truely great engine is inferior to the Mercedes 24V. If provoked and reworked a little these will deliver around 300bhp, unthinkable from the 3.0 litre Mercedes unit. There is no replacement for displacement - that does not tend to leak oil, and eventually, explode. Head swap for the later X300 heads will add 30 HP, those have far better cam profiles and are friction optimized. The AJ6 was 4.0/220 bhp, the AJ16 was 4.0/264 bhp, basically the same block. Again, check mixture and timing on a dyno. Roadholding is very good on these despite their soft springs, driven in anger the car will surprise you and every one else. These are very popular in England for club racing. Overall the inline six AJ6 engine and the AJ16 from the X300 were only in production for 13 years, but they were the first new engine design jaguar came up with since the 60ies. The 4.2 inline six that came before that dated back to 1948. The XJ40 not only saved Jaguar economically (here I beg to differ from your narrative, Series 3 cars were barely making money, far too much manual labour and expensive engines) it was cheaper to build, far exceeding everything they produced earlier and Jaguar bench marked with Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Porsche at the time - and looked good! They bought one of each, took them apart and analyzed, standard practise in todays automotive world. Can you remember 1984 Audis and BMWs? Hard plastic, no comfort, no extras, no rust protection (except for Audi). These XJ40 were a worthy and often better alternative. True words written by a German, who dicarded the E50 AMG to get the XJ81 instead. And never regreted it. By the way, the rarest of Jaguars is what is called the Insignia trim version. These were only offered in 1993 and 1994 on every model, XJ40, XJ81, XJ-S, XJ-S convertible, XJ Majestic. you could order a completely individualized interior and a special insignia paint job. These were Bentley style and quality all leather upholstery jobs, every plastic surface up to the roof lining covered in fine leather. The sides and backs of the seats too, on all other Jags these are plastic. Everything was hand built. The wood inlays and the leather colors could be in any colour you liked though they had special combinations to select from on offer. Many were not customer specified but produced without order and send to the dealers to flock, those were usually Morocco Red Metallic with two-tone light and dark grey leather, with red carpets to match. The paint job was cut by hand, sanded down to 3000 grid and hand buffed to perfection, which off course later in life led to extremly fast decay if you missed conserving with wax or parked the car outside. Those looked like Las Vegas cars after a few years, most have shed their clear coat by now. All of this was done in the little Jaguar Special Service workshop, where real craftsmen drank their tea and from time to time build a state limousine for the queen or the government. The Ford controllers looked for a more efficient use of their time and came up with the Insignia option package. Some 368 (there are no exact records) cars were prepared like this, to find one is still possible. If you account for rust, accidents and neglect, I estimate less that 200 are still around. When I hunted for mine 17 years ago there were 28 cars in Europe for sale, now it is 1 or 2 at any given time and often not advertised as not even the owner knows! Look out for leather stiches on the upper dash lip. To be honest I have seen factory prepared early XJ-SC from 1991 to the same spec, for the right customer and the extra charge Jaguar seemed to offer this service earlier too, but not officially. Original Insignias I saw four in person and had another 2 inspected for me. Many Jaguar mechanics neither know of them or have ever seen one, but there is a little extra brochure out there for this option. Some made it to Japan, I am told, and left hand drive at that. It was a matter of style for the Japanese to get an import car with LHD, eventhough they have RHD roads. So hunting one down in Japan or even in Hong Kong might prove to be fruitful. Also the cars delivered to Austria and maybe to Swizzerland were produced to US-spec emmissions wise, since both countries were not in the European Union at the time and followed US epa rules. My XJ81 came from Austria, had four catalityc converters when German models only had two! German cars had 312bhp, Austrian cars only 306bhp. German cars had the mandatory ride leveling suspension on the rear axle, which is terribly expensive to fix and will go wrong, Austrian cars did not have this and are all steel sprung. Suspension wise Jaguar had the XJ81 setup by Bielstein or Boge, I do not remember, testing the setups on the famous Nürburg Ring race track flat out. I spoke to one of the engineers that was present, they actually changed springs and shocks in the parking lot and went for another round to test. Tje Nürburg Ringntrack is after all a public road, with an admission fee. Since the XJ81 is capable of 150mph after all Jaguar must have felt that this was a good idea. The result was good, it feels quite stable at speeds up to 135mph. The brakes on the XJ81 are actually more powerful than on the later model XJR 308 with 368bhp! For the serious jag lovers go get the 6.0 litre V12, absolutely no extra problems, I have had one for years. They only made them in 1993 and 1994, too, I once calculated that less than 4000 6.0l engines were ever produced before scrapping the plant. Contrary to popular belief these 6.0 are long lived, other than their 5.3 predecessors. They do not leak oil in the back due to one-piece main seal, and have a GM 4L80E Tranny that everyone in the US can service. Those tend to get a little noisy in 1st gear, but they work well. With the V12 highway cruising at 70mph you will get 19mpg thanks to the 4LE80E's extra gear and modern converter lock-up. Driving in Germany on average over the years I got 16mpg out of it. No speed limit, remember? Oh, and yes, they can do burn outs if provoked. To put that milage in perspective, the previous Series 3 XJ with the 279 bhp 5.3l and the also GM TH400 3-speed tranny no lock-up managed only 10mpg, pussyfooted! Go find one, check ruthlessly for rust and that every thing electric works, and you will not regret the purchase. But be aware that parts like the XJ81 front crank pulley or the AC-cooler are NLA and need to be reconditioned.
Hello I like the car, is this XJ40 a special version? I ask because it has the upper part of the dashboard in the same colour as the upholstery and I prefer it that way, when in the moria it is black. Is the car for sale? Regards
Hey there! Thank you for the kind comment. I don't believe that it is a special version, but it is however one of the last XJ40's to be produced. I always laugh that it must have been built on a Wednesday because I have put some hard miles on it in some very challenging weather conditions and it has never left me. I have however had other Jaguars that were clearly built on a Friday afternoon if you get my drift.
That is really a beautiful XJ40 Old Video about XJ40 and Briish Police ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hVB66Pg1rz8.html Ever use that J-Gate? Imagine how Jaguar had the Gutz..to make that X300 XJ 6 Centimeters lower, than its predecessor. While the whole world changed towards SUV styled cars. So I like how people always talk about a specific type XJ being the real XJ. No other Super Sedan Car Brand, manufactured a Luxury Super Sedan,at the Height, like Jaguar. Name any other, they never passed lower than 1,42. Jaguar had XJ Series 1, 2 , and 3, doing 1,34, or 1,37. Then they built XJ40, having a height of 1, 37. And after that they went full mental, with making a Super Sedan, with a height of just 1,31!!! < XJ X300/X308!
I continue to own two Jaguars, but it must be said regarding the XJ40: the fan clutch is prone to fail which can lead to overheating; all external door handles *will* fail due to delicate internal mechanics; wheel bolts (as mentioned by the YT poster) can rust, and if this occurs, will make it incredibly difficult for anyone to change a tyre (especially in an emergency); multiple dash relays will fail and cause multiple issues including fans, but are rather simple to replace (but why?). Chrome wheels will begin to peel regardless of your treatment (and thus lose pressure and require you to replace/resurface the wheel). I've absolutely no issue with performance, power, enjoyment whilst driving. That said, be aware of what (in 2023/2024) you will need to encourage. Would I never own my first XJ40? I would happily own it; however, I would make more intelligent choices on my initial few purchase (I prefer the X308 as long as you're aware of the plastic issues as well as the *start and stop* issues of premature 'oil build up' in a cylinder).
I agree with you 100%, I own a 1989 DAIMLER XJ40, with a 4000cc engine. Taken in condition, complete but precarious, badly maintained (it was in a provincial service station), after 11 years I'm still behind the restoration. I confirm all your observations on the problems, but also on the merits. On the motorway it is its environment, it does not fear comparisons even with the new German ones, it also dominates state roads well, it survives in urban traffic ....... Problematic mountain roads with many curves (type S), not recommended for use if not prudent and quiet. After all I think I love her I'm jealous of her .... and I always dream of taking a long trip to Europe with her .... Even if I fear the Greek islands ...... I really appreciated the phrase "NEW HAVE SMELL OF HONDA" pity that this is the minor defect.
I was never happy with the styling of the 40 . those square headlamps m one wiper , one fuel tank and a dashboard that reminded me of my hifi before my last one ! Today and with many low mileage series 3's coming back from Japan , I own a 25 k mile Double Six series 3 Daimler and its utterly fantastic . Its also analogue and fixable ! and as the post says, the most beautiful car ever to be produced . with the series 3's twin fuel tanks standard wipers and an interior that is just perfection , it makes the rotton old 40 a mongrel
Thank you for your comment. I did myself own a series III but not the v12 unfortunately. I loved the styling but the interior volumes were not great for long trips. I felt like the area where you put your legs was very narrow. The wind noise on the highway was also vastly improved in the XJ40 vs. the series III. I think the 40 makes a better long road-trip car.
The styling of the XJ40, especially the North American VDP's with the larger twin lens rectangular Hella brand headlights beat the look of any XJ's before or since. The ultimate car. Watch the 3-part movie it's on RU-vid, no other car has such a pedigree.
The XJ40 is a car from the 80s, the 3rd series was still linked to the 60s, I know it well and I hope to recover one from a former business partner. If it is understood by a lover of mechanics and aeronautics (like me), it was hardly so by a normal customer (perhaps coming from cars, USA or Germany)
The awkward moment when Brits pretend RP is the only "real" accent. I've heard plenty of regional Brit accents that are Jag-uwar, Jag-whar, Zhag-wor, Jag-war, as well as the (somewhat affected) Jag-you-are.
@@noscwoh1 I've genuinely never encountered anyone who pronounced the word in those fashions. But hey-im just a stuffy old Cambridge chap who drives a jaguar & doesn't venture out of his comfort zone socially 😂
Thanks Jeremy! I own a black ‘90 Vanden Plas and thanks for the upload. I just went 100mph last night to see and I agree haha a v12 would be great LOL im currently running 13.5mpg so i have no clue how slow youre driving going 20mpg. Love the minimal hood and fog light bumper on yours. A 100% agree on everything you said complimenting the car ps. I cant not see this car in black, it fits so well
Perhaps, for your rural, uneven pot holed roads, you should consider Citroen, which has THE best ride quality of any other car. So advanced and epic Rolls-Royce bought the rights to include the suspension in the rear of their cars.
You got your history wrong in 1984 jaguar left the rover group and BL and become a private company .the in 1999 ford purchased jaguar You are wrong ford did not buy jagusr until 1999 and landrover 2000. You really do not know the history of the car xj40 was designed in house by jaguar motors x300 was face lift and ford took x300 and made x305.
