I have been having a lot of fun driving my XJS lately and it has made me reflect on how the car has woven itself into my life over the last 38 years. If you will forgive my indulgence, I'd like to share some of my memories.

Love at first sight
October 1975 - I was almost 13 years old and my dad took me to the Motorshow at Earl's Court in London. It was fantasy land for this about to be teenager and I vividly remember all the exotic cars that I saw in person for the very first time, a Lamborgini Countach, a Ferrari 512BB, a Lotus Esprit etc. But the car that really stuck in my mind and whose brochure I read over and over again was the gold Jaguar XJ-S that was making it's debut. It was so different to any other Jag, more cosmopolitan yet still muscular and lithe and as for the flying buttress design, well I loved it!! Over the ensuing years I saw many an XJ-S on the roads of London and they never failed to turn my head, it really was love at first sight.

Commitment
February 1994 - 19 years after my first glimpse of the XJ-S and having moved to the US, I decided that I wanted a fun weekend car. I walked into the Jag dealer in Charlotte one day and took a 4.0L 2+2 for a test drive. The car was an automatic which gave it a lazy feel and the suspension was quite soft. I mentioned this to the sales guy and he told me that a 5 speed manual was an option but they had never sold one so equipped!! Furthermore ticking the 5 speed option also came with the SportsPack which included much stiffer springs up front and uprated Bilstein shocks all round, a thicker anti-sway bar, 16 inch wheels with low profile Z rated tires and stiffer bushings and lower power assist for the steering. All of this was a no cost option!! My mind was made up and I placed my order for a BRG over Barley 2+2 with the 5 speed and a few other options. My car was built in March and I took delivery at the end of April 1994. It was a blast to drive, a completely different cat, very stiff suspension, the car wants to flatten bumps rather than float over them. Negligeble body roll and the 4.0 + 5 speed combo give the car a spritelyness that is missing from the automatic version. I enjoyed a number of weekend jaunts up to the mountains of NC and was very happy with my car.

Renewing my vows
Present day - Another 19 years passed and during that time life was hectic, work was hectic and I didn't have much time to drive the Jag. By the beginning of this year my 19 year old only had 29000 miles on her clock. The good news was that I finally slowed down and semi-retired from work which meant I had far more time to play in the Jag!! I have already put 4,000 glorious miles on her this year. Additionally now that I have more time I have taken an interest in doing some of the maintenance work on the car myself and have found that I am really enjoying learning about it and the feeling of accomplishment when I have completed a task. This forum has been an incredible resource and I have spent many hours reading posts, reading the ROM and slowly building my confidence to take on more ambitious tasks. I'm even doing my own detailing and enjoying that too!!

So that's my tale, a love story for sure. Sorry for the length but I hope it brought to mind your own memories with your car

Cheers,

Allan

 

So true. Thx for your story. Got any photos?

 

Sure, here are a few

 

@Allan

Great story and a beautiful car. I'm pretty confident you won't pull up to a stop sign to look over and see another one like that.

There is a nice group of 94/96 4.0 owners on the board so I don't think you'll be short of advice if you need it.

I drove a 3.6 manual in the UK and as you say, the car is totally transformed. I would love to one day do the 5 speed conversion for my V12. Who knows, if I keep the car as long as you I may end up doing it!

 

What a beauty, and only the second convertible 5-speed I've seen. Surely if any XJS will gain in value, this is it.

 

That is a beauty. Here is my short story and not as sentimental as yours but nevertheless a story. I stopped by carmax recently to sell my BMW 335i hard top convertible to trade-in for a luxury compact SUV. As I parked my car, an old gentleman parked right next to me with a 96 XJS 4.0 Convertible with 48K miles. I've always been fond of classic jags (especially the XJS convertible) so I ask if he was planning on selling. So, I (never had done this ever but didn't want to lose the opportunity) asked if he'd be willing to sell to me for few more hundred dollars for whatever Carmax offered. The old man (born 1927) was the second owner who purchased the car in 1999 offered to sell it to me for $4,300. The car doesn't drive like my 08 beamer, but it sure is fun and it's absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

@jcvrod

Excellent story! Saved from the corporate clutches of Carmax, I like it!!

 

Thanks for sharing. Good story

 

you know what, Allan, im 23 and this 95 xjs 4.0L is my first car, I use it as my daily driver
after read your post I'm so proud have a car with a such honorable history.
thank you Allan

 

2 days ago I was talking to Blue Dorward, ex-TWR mechanic.
He showed me his red XJS TWR. He drove it off the Jaguar production line in about 1983, took it back to TWR and built it into a TWR. He stroked it to 6.4 litres, put in a Getrag 5 speed manual box, AP racing brakes, full TWR kit, diff is 2.88. He said it has 400bhp and 405 lb/ft on the dyno, and is close to Group A spec. It will do 175.
He sold it in the late 80s, then bought it back a few years ago. He kept pestering the 'in-between' owner telling him "I want my car back" (he did build it!), and eventually the owner gave in. It is his again... full-circle.

(He stroked it by building up the big-end bearings then regrinding them to longer stroke - not a new crankshaft. The sump was dropped a few years ago, and the bottom end was just fine..)

 

Great Work, AllanG, Fascinating words and features about a timeless machine of technological advancement and refinery!
Enjoy your travels guys and AllanG in particular, that XJS is a Marvel, keep that Marvelous feeling and I wish you hold on to your Dreams and THAT JAGUAR!
Respect, Admiration and Presense to You and Your Car! You have it ALL! Stu