Jaguar XJ40 manual rolling project - modified

[kieran07]

Hi folks. I'm a subscriber and long time reader of the magazine, I've not posted much here so thought I'd share some details of my current motor.

I'm a bit of an XJ40 nut, I'm on my fifth now having bought, sold and broken a few. I particularly wanted a stick shift one and found a very rare Sovereign 3.6L manual (one of four left on the road according to HowManyLeft) that seemed to fit the bill.

I was an ebay buy, £500 on the dot. I partly bought it as it came with a very good condition set of 18" XKR wheels which I promptly sold off for £463, making the net price of £37 for the car, not bad I think you'll agree!

I've had the car about eight months and am gradually fettling and modifying, plenty more planned changes in the pipeline too. The main modifications so far include AVO -35mm springs, quad lamps, and complete interior swap to a rare black one from a Jaguarsport XJR (it was hearing aid beige).

Here's how she's looking now on 16" Sport five spokes and donut tyres.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NRQG89JbciY/T ... C12084.JPG


Newly installed Jagsport XJR interior
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ORNtlPncRo/T ... C12071.JPG


This is a before picture of the interior.

[kieran07]

The car is the 3.6L which is an almost square engine, rev's better than the 4.0L I think. It goes pretty well with the 5 speed Getrag box and the brakes are decent enough so I've started with tightening up the luxo-barge handling.

As mentioned above the first change was to fit a set of lower uprated springs. Hefty springs on Jag's, I needed some heavy duty compressors to do the rears and a special bayonet type compressor tool to drop the fronts.

AVO -35mm springs


Rear spring/damper assembly


Front spring on it's way out.


I've fitted stiffer rear dampers from a Sport, I've got the Sport front dampers to fit too. I've also a thicker anti-roll bar from an X300 XJR to go on with new bushes and drop links.

[kieran07]

I've a set of four front wishbones that I've previously completed polybushed so they're ready to go on at some point.

Lower wishbone and hub.


Upper wishbone.


Drilled out old bushes.


I've also refurbished and rebushed a spare subframe so that all set to be fitted too.

[kieran07]

On the cosmetic front I'm going to chav things up a bit with some cheesey '80's OEM fibreglass additions, I've both the TWR and Jaguarsport bodykits.

Initially I'm planning to fit the Jaguarsport splitter with period Lucas fogs and the TWR skirts


Down the line I'd like to fit the TWR bumpers once I've restored them.


I know the PPC slogan is "no speakers, no bodykits, no bullshit", but I'm well versed in all three of those!

[jnoiles]

Spiffy! I didn't realise these came in manual. And the interior change is definitely an upgrade. Especially the steering wheel.

[kieran07]

Thanks. Yes there was an unpopular Getrag 5 speed manual option, it was most common on the poverty spec 2.9 and the later 3.2 XJ6's, rarer on the 3.6 and 4.0 and hens teeth on the top spec Sovereign's, XJR's, etc. It makes the character of the car quite different from those with the wafting slush 'box, more of a drivers car. The sporty XJR model which the interior is from had these Momo steering wheels standard.

[woody68]

Very nice project mate ...keep up the good work

[kieran07]

I got the uprated dampers, thicker roll bar and new drop links done at the weekend. Feels that bit tighter now, quite pleased with the work.

[kieran07]

My latest addition is a set of 16x8" BBS made forged "lattice" wheels with smaller 55 profile tyres.


I've done an oil service and fitted a modified airbox with a cold air feed in place of the grubby ebay special cone filter.


I'm in the process of treating any rust on the car at the moment, it's actually very good in the scheme of things as the previous owner gave it some waxoil.