Hello to all. I have been a visitor to your forum from time to time over the past few months, great resource, thanks! I have just purchased my mother's 1999 XJ8, which she has had from 2001. She unfortunately cannot drive any longer, so her car has been sitting for about 5 years, only driven a few miles a year by my dad to keep it mobile.

I decided earlier this year that when the lease was up on my 2009 Honda Accord Coupe (V6 6 speed manual) that I would get an older Jag. I mentioned this to my mom and she promptly offered hers, recognizing that I would give it a good home. The only issue was that the car resided in Ottawa, and I am in Vancouver, 4,600 km away.

I recruited my sons, Nick (22) and David (15) as co-pilots and navigators for the drive back to BC. My wife initially declined, saying been there done that, as she and I did it in my previously owned Saab 8 years ago. As the trip plans progressed to include stops at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Chicago, Mount Rushmore, and Yellowstone she could not resist the urge to join us. On Sunday July 22 we set out on our Journey.

I am happy to say one week later we arrived home, tired but safe and sound. The Jag was fantastic, never missed a beat! We cruised through 35 degree C (95 degree F) weather at high rates of speed for hours at a time and the old cat never complained once. She delivered amazing fuel economy in comfort and style, better than I could ever have imagined.

I have already started preparing the car for it's safety check, a requirement for all out of province cars here in BC. Last night I changed the brake pads and had the rotors machined. They were a bit rusty around the edges, and the pads although not completely beat were old and hard.

I have some upgrades planned, new wheels and tires, going to 18". Some minor stereo upgrades starting with speakers as one has a bad rattle. I purchased two pairs of Polk Audio 6.5" component sets to brighten up the OEM radio set-up.

I have been a long time British car fan and owner of my Triumph TR8 for 30 years. My parents have owned Jags since the late 1970s, and my dad (83) still has his 1963 E-type that he still drives and works on himself. My wife also had a 1980 XJ6 when we lived in Australia that was a love-hate relationship, as it let her down from time to time.

Glad to be part of the forum. I will post my pics of the upgrades as they progress. Thanks for the great resource!

 

Hey there & welcome aboard, good to have you here with us John



Please post up pics when you can and show her off some.
How to: Post pictures
How To Add Pictures In Your Messages

Great story thanks so much for sharing..



Also, please drop in and visit the regional section for your area, there are lots of members local to you with the same interests.

Some have meets and events planned and its a good way to get to know your neighbour with a Cat
Regional - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum



There's a really great mix of information, camraderrie and fun here.....



If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.



I've manually upgraded you to full forum access so you can better view the whole site and all its features



Please Jump on in and enjoy the site.................

 

Welcome John! We're practically neighbours. There's a Canadian forum on the site, found here- Canada, Mexico, South America - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
It's a bit slow, but we're working on it, since Canadians are joining up almost every day.
I see you've found the 308 forum, there's tons of information there.

If you have any questions, that's the place, or maybe I can help. I did the bluetooth install on mine, and I love it.

 

Welcome to the forum John,

Good to have you with us.
Great intro and it sounds like a memorable trip.
I'll be looking forward to the pics.

If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.

 

Welcome to the forum John,

A great Intro. Never known a family so reluctant to part with their cars! Looking forward to seeing the pics and hearing more about the XK8.

No need to give you a link to the XK8 section as you've already been visiting and thanks for adding vehicle details to your Signature. It's a big help to help others to be able to give relevant advice and information.

Graham

 

Thanks Jim, great forum! I'm looking forward to learning and sharing. I will post some pics soon.

 

Hi Rob, I suspect knowledgeable neighbors will come in handy! I would love to learn more about your Bluetooth installation.