Hi guys:
Tell me if it's just me!, but I've noticed that XJ40 forum participation has dropped off quite a bit - as evidenced by the recent give-away for which only a couple of us signed up. But also, it seems that fewer and fewer people are responding to posts; and sometimes it's just me. I feel bad about that because I'm about as useful as nobody responding to a post! I looked back into last year, and I'm wondering what happened to some of you that used to be rather more active.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the names I saw of senior members:
MidwestJag (that's me!)
roger ele969c
Rob Evenson
Robert
Trick Freestone
mrtalkradio
Jagfix38
sharay38
Lawrence
direng
Lumppy47
Jeh

but also...
NEO Cat
Mountain Pilot
Steve W
dtrain
Zenidyle
shelby676
leigh898

...and I know there are many others not included here.

I realize folks are busy and that many of us are just emerging from winter hibernation... But I'm wondering if maybe we can have a bit of a roll call to see who is still around and active on the forum. When you respond, would you also share any thoughts about how we might keep the technical quality of our forum section up, or how we might engender a better sense of community and mutual support?

I truly rely upon you guys to keep my cars on the road; and if I can be of similar support to you, I'm happy to do it. Forums are strange places in one sense. They're entirely voluntary and hinge upon the generosity of the participants. We're spread across time and space, and yet share something of ourselves with each other. And maybe I'm just being overly sentimental, but in the cosmic scheme of things, I think that matters.

So, who's still here??

Thanks!!
Scott
(MidwestJag)

 

Present. I haven't posted much lately but I still look frequently, still got all my XJ40's.

 

Scott,

I'm still here, just been busy, but do look in every few days. I think for myself, that when I see some posts on repetitive topics I get a "little" annoyed and wish the poster would do some research for themselves, but that is a slightly, I don't know how to say it, "short sighted" on my part.

On other topics, if I don't have anything useful to add, I'm not going to. How does the old saying go.... "It's better to be thought of a fool, then open my mouth a remove all doubt!!!

Perhaps the guys that write the app could send an email automatically to senior members when a newbie submits a post. Not sure how they would do that, but obviously there is different designations for the various members.

By the way, who the hell decided that I'm a "SENIOR" anyway??

I try to contribute when I feel it's a useful contribution. I'm not the type that flaps my jaw just to be heard. Either I have a useful tip, or I don't

 

Thanks Leigh & Rob:

Good idea, Rob. I trust the moderators will hear that and see if there is anything that might be done. By the way, I think "senior" is meant to be a title of appreciation (100+ posts) and not depreciation (i.e. 'over the hill'!)

Still... Just three of us? Where did everybody go? Perhaps our cars are running so well that forum support hasn't been much needed. OR, I've found myself wondering if this might be the curse of the XJ40: more and more of them are being scrapped as daily drivers, and fewer and fewer of them are being maintained for any kind of historical prestige. That leaves a very small and evaporating niche...

Others?
Scott

 

Forgive me, I have been straight out, the reason for me not being as active as I was. Things are slowing down so I can participate as I once did.

 

I am new here and technically don't actually physically HAVE my 92 yet but in 11 short days I will!

I have been looking around at the posts and there is wealth of info on here. I already have researched a couple fixes that I need on the one I am buying.

I have been looking on other sites and it looks like the XJ40's don't have much on or about them online.

 

mtr - good to 'hear' your voice! Gosh, I hope my post wasn't perceived as a guilt trip in any way. Lord knows that I, too, sometimes necessarily take weeks away. It's just that there seemed to be fewer and fewer of us of late; and I was curious to know who's still around and how we might better foster collegiality. Your plethora of experience (how many Jaguars is it now???) is hugely valued!

Rutty: we'll rejoice with you when you finally get your car. They're awfully fun. Just today I had a 200 mile trip for work of which my car made light work. It's just a nice place to sit for a while! Glad to have you with us.

Cheers, guys.
Scott

 

It's not just people posting that's disappearing. I am not seeing these things on the road anymore. I would love one myself.

 

Scott,

You're right about 'Senior' - it's an automatic acknowledgement of reaching 100 posts. Similarly, 'Veteran' is applied on reaching 1000 posts. Both are meant to be a compliment and not a suggestion of geriatric decline.

There's already some complaints about the volume of eMail members receive from the forum notifying new posts in sub*cribed threads. Extending this to notify new threads in tech sections wouldn't be popular. However, it's easy to see where a section has new threads/posts from the icon on the left of each section:



I'm always surprised and pleased to see how well the XJ40's are surviving in Australia and the warmer parts of the US. They are a rare sight now in the UK as rain plus road salt has taken a very high toll.

I had a 1989MY from October 1996 to October 2001 and replaced the bonnet, boot and sunroof during that time as all rusted out. Here it is at Coniston in the English Lake District in January 2001:



(Lake Coniston is where Donald Campbell died on 4th January 1967 trying to raise the Water Speed Record above 300 mph in Bluebird K7.)

Unfortunately a few months after the pic was taken, a van driver going through a red light smashed into the side of the XJ40 and it was written off.

Graham

 

I was driving my '94 round Seattle a couple of weeks ago and didn't see any XJ40's - in contrast, driving round Victoria BC you still see quite a few (of course none as good looking as mine )

 

Choover - the good news is there are still a number of cars out there to choose from. Some are even quite good. And they all are relatively cheap. You should go for it!

Scott

 

I've been working on a lighting problem and haven't had time to visit lately. But I just figured it out today, so maybe I'll have time to stop by more often.

 

Hey Scott, last time I looked, I'm still here. LOL

Sadly the XJ40 is quietly rusting away under a tree in the orchard.

Although mechanically sound, it is now beyond economical repair.

Anyone looking for a pure spares car in Brittany, drop me a PM.

I could buy a whole X300 or X308, S Type for what it would cost in body parts alone.

I also think that the various Cash for Clunkers schemes helped finish things off.

 

Richard, indeed. And I guess time and tide wait for no XJ40! But I'm confused, and pardon if this is something I should know, but do you have another Jag?

Thanks, everyone, for responding to my little post. I'm encouraged to know there are still some of us out there!
Scott

 

Just 1 week 22 hours 24 minutes and 38, 37, 36 seconds till I am officially a Jag XJ40 owner. I hope ya'll are ready! My wife sure isn't haha.

 

LOL Scott, I'm always confused.

I'm fairly sure that I own 2 XJ40's.

The red one is the car now languishing in the orchard (rust killed it).

The green one 'Tree Hugger' is the accident splattered formally 'spares' car. I think that I still have it, but I've not visited the warehouse in a couple of years so it might have been cleared out. (no biggie).

Apart from that no I don't as yet have another.

Although I keep being tempted by the very low UK prices.

I no longer have a commute, unless you count a short walk down the courtyard to the office/cottage and am toying with the idea of obtaining another Range Rover which would better serve me from a practical aspect. (Mum's wheel chair, seeing over the hedges, etc).

My annual mileage is now only around 5k, so even with our fuel prices, not such an issue and the 4.6 HSE RR are even lower priced than similar aged Jags.

And with Bagpipingandy now offering repair kits for the suspension compressor, that is also one less thing to worry about.

 

Scott,
Hey I'm still here! You're right it's finally springtime and the grass is growing plus all that other outdoor maintenance to do. And ditto what Rob said about repeat questions without doing some research first. And the car is finally back on the road after the winter lockdown! Usually for me less time is spent on the computer in the good weather as I can be outside playing with the car! Cary

 

Hey! Im still here too> !!! But as Mine gives No problems I have very little reason to "look for trouble". Its a 92 Sovereign affectionately known as Roger. I drive it to work 2 to 3 times a week. Its unbelievably rust free and easy to look at, at 172000 miles. One of my favorite cars ever. I have been, and will be on much more in the coming weeks and probably years due to an unforeseen purchase I made yesterday of a certain 1966 3.8S that i found on a small car lot in Michigan City Indiana. I drive by the lot every day so it was hard to miss. I look here first for hints to my admittedly tiny problems and am usually amazed by the amount of info available. It is much appreciated.
By the way, I was on yesterday and saw too late that I probably could have finally won a freebie!! I was visibly disappointed, but have no one to blame but myself.

 

Rutty: boy, you surely are excited! Actually, it's fun to see. We'll all have to drink champagne when the car arrives.

Richard: Oh that the rest of us would have such little annual mileage. Perhaps in another life...

Cary: Good to hear from you! I understand the nice weather thing. Wisconsin has been so bl**dy cold this year; I think we're seven weeks off of where we were at this time last year. I went for my first bicycle ride (my other passion) only on Wednesday...

Jerry: Thanks for sharing about the remarkably well-sorted '92. That's so refreshing to hear. Actually, the XJ40 is a remarkably robust machine. I'd pit the ones that have been taken care of against any car half it's age! Congrats on the new purchase. If one is good, two must be better!

Cheers to all! I'm much encouraged.

Scott

 

Hi Scott,
It may be a long time before I may be considered Senior (except in age (74) ), I've seen many 'dogs' over here in UK but they are getting fewer by the day.

I endeavour to keep our little leopard in good shape, in the 19 years of ownership it's given me no trouble at all apart from a steering hose failure a few years back when it had to be carried home by a breakdown service. Trouble now is that it's been resting too long and is having trouble drinking (Gas)...! Somehow I'll get it sorted even though the cost could exceed its market value, it is such a good car to ride/drive in.

Why - I've had airplanes that cost more to maintain than they cost to build, why should it be so different with cars with people disposing of them as soon as they cost money?

Keep up the good work - your efforts are appreciated by us Leopard Lovers.

Jim