A few months back I saw a video linked to this board about an xj8 owner whose beautiful Jag had ended up in a ditch and was totaled. Fortunately, he was able to replace the car with another xj8 but I can imagine how he felt the first time he looked at his car. So I decided to tell you folks how I avoided having to total my Jag.




Back in August I was over in the Tucson Aridzona area, visiting my adult son. While there I had to spend one night in the hospital. The next day he was bringing my wife up to pick me up. They were in the Jag and he was driving.


In that stretch of the interstate the speed limit is 75mph, and everyone drives perhaps 80, so they were moving briskly. Up ahead of them something fell off a truck and a car ran over it which blew all 4 tires and caused it to stop in the fast lane. Cars were swerving and dodging, and the Corolla ahead of my son piled on her brakes.


He jammed on the Jag's brakes (the anti-lock system worked) but it was too late to avoid the Corolla completely. He clipped its left rear. He elected to swerve off the road into the desert. Probably the first time anyone has ever gone off-roading in a xj8. He went bouncing and banging through the brush scraping up the sides of the car, but avoided any big rocks or such.


The damage was to the right front of the car. Bent fender and corner of the "bonnet", broken headlight, tore off the bumper cover, broke the sidelight, scraped up the bottom panel and also broke a big block of hard plastic that the headlight assembly attaches to.


I drove it home from the hospital. I realized that it was still in alignment and steered properly. So two days later I pulled out early in the morning to travel the 500 miles to my home. You can make it before dark if you leave early.
My insurance company recommended a couple of repair places. The first one would not even write an estimate, saying "its totaled". However, another shop listened to my spiel about used parts and agreed to repair it that way. So they rounded up a fender, hood, headlight assembly, bumper cover (new), sidelight and whatever else was needed. The insurance company ok'd the repairs, and they went to work.
Since the grill was already removed I ordered one of those mesh ones from the Mina Gallery ($115 US) and when they reassembled it they put that one in. A buff job took care of the scratches in the paint, and it came out looking better than ever.
I am so glad, since I really like this car. I rented an Impala recently, and in comparison it was a tinny wheezer.


Anyhow, I hope this might help someone to save their car in similar circumstances. Don't junk it yet!
Tom