Jeeves and the Jaguar

My 1999 Jaguar XJ8

2013-02-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

And so, with my Jaguar no longer in the picture it seems appropriate to now draw the curtain on Jeeves and the Jaguar as well. I've had a great time sharing pop culture, some random tips, my maintenance updates, and images from my road trips. Despite the unexpected ending that met my Jaguar when the transmission went, I thought it would be better for the last post on this site to be a positive one.

Like I've said many times before, the headaches I had with this car were always outweighed by the positives. The regular compliments I received about the immaculate state of my Jaguar, and the things I continued to learn while maintaining her became a great source of pride. I don't regret my decision to take a chance on a vehicle that I knew would be demanding and expensive, and I stand by what I first wrote when I launched this site on the one year anniversary of purchasing this car. If anything, my XJ8 provided me with stories, new experiences, and opportunities to indulge in the fascination I've had with cars since I was a kid.

With all of this in mind, I wanted to share some of my favorite images that I shot of my 1999 Jaguar XJ8 (along with a collage of the 300+ posts I made on this site) to bring this project to a close. The future is uncertain, and I wouldn't be surprised if one day I'm a Jaguar owner again. Until that time however, this leg of the journey ends here. Thank you all for keeping me company along the ride.

And Then She Was Gone

2013-02-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing my car getting towed off to the auto-wrecker yesterday actually made me pretty emotional. It was kind of surreal to see it all come down to this after nearly 3 years of constantly doting on my Jaguar. She was already looking pretty rough after my week of salvaging, but it still seemed too soon. It's a real shame she didn't last as long as I expected. I still feel cheated. My Jaguar was a great car, but now she's actually gone and this journey has reached its end. I'm just thankful I've found another car I'm excited about to soften the blow.

Last Days With My Jaguar

2013-02-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

For a little over a week now it's been clear in my head - my Jaguar XJ8 has met her end. After the transmission went I spent hours online and on the phone to mechanics to research what my options were. The deeper in I got the more I convinced myself I needed to approach the situation with a level head, and with a workable outcome in mind.

Fixing or replacing the transmission wasn't the nail in the coffin. It came down to the other maintenance I had planned for the car, which included new tires, suspension work, and at some point, the timing chain tensioners. As the maintenance compounded it became more obvious that simply fixing the transmission wasn't going to end the stress or cap the money pit that I knew this car was becoming.

I loved my Jaguar, and as I expressed in my previous post, I had a lot of history wrapped up in that car. If I had deeper pockets I could maybe justify saving it, but ultimately, sacrificing all of my extra income to keep her just seemed like a waste when it would come at the expense of all of the other things I'd like to do. I really thought about my decision for a good week before making up my mind, but I have no regrets.

So, my new car hunt began shortly after this. Meanwhile, my old Jag sat in the driveway at my folks place. Instead of trying to sell the car as is, I decided I wanted to salvage as much of my Jag as I could myself - partly to sell some of it, but largely for personal mementos.

After the last week the result of my handy-work is pretty apparent. My Jag has never looked more depressing. I took off the headlights, grill, a few of the sensors, the new throttle body I put in, all of the badges, some of the paneling, the taillights, my custom gearshift knob, and even the never-used alloy in the trunk. Anything that was convenient to remove (or that I knew I could sell easily), I took.

What's next is a call to the auto-wrecker to come and take the car away, and that will be that. The story has pretty much reached a conclusion now, and my adventures in my XJ8 are certainly over. I wouldn't rule out buying an XK sports car when I decide it's time for a mid-life crisis though.

I'm giving the imports a break for the time being, and after feeling betrayed by my Jaguar I thought it would be best to go domestic. I honestly couldn't be happier with my new wheels - click here to have a look!

End of the Road for My Jaguar?

2013-01-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to explain how upset and frustrated I am after the way things unfolded yesterday. In what was almost entirely by surprise, my XJ8 experienced a gear box fault (code p0732) yesterday afternoon, and with that, my ownership of my Jag may officially be over.

I know many will say it was just a car, and that it can be fixed, but part of the added frustration for me is that no one else quite understands what this car has meant to me and how much work I've put into her. The amount of time I spent reading about Jaguar maintenance has only been surpassed by the time I've spent immersing myself in Jaguar pop culture whenever I could find it. I replaced the throttle body myself last year, I personally restored those leather seats, I made myself a removable hood ornament, and I even replaced the fading badges on the rear of the car. This wasn't just a ride to me, it was a passion project that brought me a lot of joy.

The cost to replace or repair the transmission on my car is substantial, and short of my engine dying, it is one of the most expensive jobs I could possibly have done. To add insult to injury, there are no local shops able to perform the repair, and I'd have to ship my car to Calgary just to get the work done. Any way I slice it at the moment, it doesn't make a lot of economic sense to pour added thousands into a vehicle that I'm not sure I can trust anymore. To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

As foolish as it seems, trying to figure out my options yesterday made me physically sick. As the reality of the situation became clearer with each phone call, I only felt an increasing amount of shock that I could lose my car like this. I loved this car. In less than 3 years I've built some incredible memories around it, and shared it with those close to me. While it doesn't compare to the loss of loved ones, I have distinct memories of first sharing this car with my Grandma and my friend Dave, which made it a memento of my time with them. My car actually made me feel connected to them after they each passed because the memory was so clear.

Weddings, reunions, funerals, work, road trips, and daily errands were complimented by trips in the Jag. Because of that, it was never a show piece, it was my daily driver and a source of a lot of pride. People could see the care and appreciation I had for it, and the compliments were not only an ego boost, but were confirmation that my efforts were never unnoticed. And as if I need to make the point clearer, there was this website. A source of inspiration, motivation, and a connection to thousands of readers each month who shared an affinity for their vehicles like I always have. It's with the end of my Jag, so to comes the likely end of this online journey.

I'm not really sure what's going to come of this to be honest. I'm borrowing a vehicle for a couple weeks, and after that time I'll make up my mind with a level head about what to do with the car. I don't really know how else to sum up this whole experience, but in a couple of words, it sucks.

1961 Jaguar Mark 2

2013-01-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

If that snow was any deeper I'm sure this Jag would get stuck just as easily as mine seems to. In any case, it's a cool ad for the 1961 Jaguar Mark 2.

The Jaguar E-Type Body

2013-01-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

This article on the design of the Jaguar XKE (E-Type) comes from a 1962 issue of Car and Driver magazine. No question, this car is still a pinnacle in automotive design.

1958 Jaguar Mark 1

2013-01-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

A cool print ad for the 1958 Jaguar Mark 1. It's only recommended driving around with an actual Jaguar in your front seat if it's stuffed though.

A Blending of Art and Machine

2013-01-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

A 1978 print ad for the Jaguar XJ line.

Dunlop Disc Brakes Vintage Ad

2013-01-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

This vintage Dunlop ad from the 1950s features a variety of British cars that used these disc brakes. Not a bad line up.

1964 Jaguar Mark 2

2013-01-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

These excerpts come from a 1964 UK brochure for the Jaguar Mark 2.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Jaguar

2012-12-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's been another great year here on Jeeves and the Jaguar, and I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to sharing even more in 2013, and wanted to close out the year with pictures of my Rudolph the Red-Nosed Jaguar. I thought the decorations made for entertaining pictures, but as soon as I was done I had to take them off. I respect my car too much to drive around like that, haha.

1992 Jaguar XJS

2012-12-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

A print ad for the 1992 Jaguar XJS.

The Finer Things in Life

2012-12-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

A beautiful vintage Jaguar ad from 1936.

Rich / Chic Ad

2012-12-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

This 2001 Jaguar S-Type ad begs the question, what's wrong with rich? Although, in actuality, it's a clever comparison between the similar exterior Mercedes styling.

2008 Jaguar XKR

2012-12-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

A print ad for the 420 HP supercharged Jaguar XKR.

A Jaguar Story From Santo Domingo

2012-11-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of the joys I've experienced in sharing this blog is that my experiences have actually helped other Jaguar owners diagnose and solve a few of their vehicle's problems from time to time. As it turns out, becoming my own Jaguar mechanic was the key to creating a second popular blog.

I was in touch with one reader earlier this week who contacted me about one of the sensors in his Jag. I offered him a bit of advice on how to clean it and he was kind enough to send me this very entertaining response. I asked, and he said he wouldn't mind if I shared it here. As far as I'm concerned, stuff like this is what makes this site worth it. Not only is it cool to talk to someone who is as passionate about their vehicle as I am, but it reminds me that I've learnt quite a bit from working on my vehicle too. Here's what he wrote:

Hi Luke:

I promised I'd get back to you. 1000000000000x Thanks for your economic fix! Got the MAF off, brushed it for about 5 minutes with a very soft toothbrush, and nothing other than that. Put it Back, deleted codes and we are ronroneando (ronronear = Spanish = to purr and that's what cats and Jags usually do when content) again. What also increased the ronronear was putting Mobile One 5W40 as the manual says.

On your page you were so friendly to tell the story of how you got your XJ8, so here comes mine. I do live in Santo Domingo and totalled my 96 Lincoln town car on a bad, bad road and needed a "new car". Dominicans ask ludicrous prices for their (literally) pieces of junk (10000 USD upward for an SUV) and I was looking and looking and I found an ad for a 2000 XJ8L Vanden Plas.

I called the guy and looked at the car, drove it and loved it and told the owner: Listen, today (August 15th) I don't have the money (320.000.- Dominican Pesos = +- 8 grant US), but if you still have the car by the end of the month I'll buy it. By August 26th I called him. Answer: I'm sorry, I've sold it. Tears, crying, depression, etc. came over me (kidding).

I went back to Switzerland (my home country) to spend two weeks on a house boat in Burgundy France with my dad and flew back to Santo Domingo by early October. The Lincoln was still under repair (for the fifth month since the crash) and my current car (Alfa Romo 95 = utter piece of shit) was no solution at all. I had to rent a car, and got a Nissan Sentra. It was a nice reliable car and I started to investigate about Sentras which trade in the DR (2006 Model) from 320k to 400k $RD which I wanted to get financing in the DR around that price.

On a Saturday I got invited to a friends house in Boca Chica and upon arrival his two females (girlfriend and daughter) were only wearing towels. Females and Dominicans in particular, can become very "particular" about such things and I turned round for a spin in the Sentra and drove down the main street. What does my eye see: a snow white XJ8 in front of a beauty parlor.

I pulled ower and looked at the Jag a bit closer and it was the Jag I wanted to buy 45 days earlier. I entered the saloon and asked whose Jag? It's my husbands. Tell me darling has your husband bought that car roughly two months ago from a certain "Omar"? No, no he bought it much longer ago. (Dominicans have a serious problem when it comes to time frames, not to mention time management. Forward and Backward unfortunately). Anyway, if your husband wants to sell it, here's my number. It didn't take two hours and I got a call of an Austrian Pilot. Five days later the RonRon was mine at 350.000.- $RD which is about 10k US.

What I really like about the car's history is that it got sold in the DR. First to a furniture-factory-owner, then to this Omar. From Omar to the Austrian and now to me. Most cars, esp. Jags, Mercs etc. are 70% imported from the US or Canada. The Engine has 25k miles and the car 53k miles. I still have a 6000 miles warranty. The resumé of this story is: If Caroline and Laura wouldn't have been wearing towels and made me leave, I'd still be driving that Sentra.

Kind regards,
U. C. Weiermann

1967 Jaguar 420G

2012-11-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

A vintage brochure featuring an illustration of the '67 Jaguar 420G.

150,000 km

2012-11-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Since starting this site I've documented the kilometres for my Jaguar XJ8 as a way of sharing a bit of the car's lifespan. Yesterday I hit 150,000 km, which marks 40,000 km that I've personally put on the car since buying it in 2010. It hasn't been cheap to maintain up to this point, but she's still a joy to drive. Here's to the continued journey.

Beautiful XK-120 Illustrations

2012-11-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

These beautiful illustrations come from a 1952 brochure for the Jaguar XK-120. I especially love the first image showing the various angles of the vehicle.

5 Superb Motor Cars

2012-11-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The following pages make up the 1955 USA brochure for the Jaguar lineup available at the time, including the XK-140 variations, Mark VII, and Mark 1. Not bad at all.

Anti-Theft Hood Ornament

2012-11-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

After having my Jaguar leaper hood ornament stolen twice, about a year apart from one another, I realized it was going to be foolish to simply replace it again. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. What I ended up doing was buying another hood ornament, but instead came up with a solution for removing it and putting it on.

My new leaper has two wires that can be squeezed to fit into the hole on my hood, and they create enough tension to hold it in place. This means the leaper is easily removable for when I'm parked. In its place my dad and I came up with this plug concept to make the car look more refined (and less vandalized). It allows the hood to still look clean, but it's no where near as tempting to steal. It's a simple fix, and actually blends quite well, while still allowing me to attach my leaper on special occasions. The combination of the plug and removable leaper means having my hood ornament stolen will now be a thing of the past.

1952 Jaguar XK-120 Vintage Ad

2012-11-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Advertised as 'the fastest production sports car in the world' this vintage ad for the 1952 Jaguar XK-120 highlights notable Jaguar racing achievements alongside reasons you should want one. No question, it's still a beauty.

Jaguar XK8 Key Ad

2012-11-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

This 2001 print ad for the Jaguar XK8 decided to play up the supposed envy of Mercedes drivers for their latest sports coupe. I'm not sure it's very accurate, but it's a fun ad nonetheless.

Vintage Jaguar D-Type Promo Images

2012-11-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

These excerpts come from an incredibly rare and valuable 1954 promotional folder for the Jaguar D-Type. The illustrations are really well done and were also used on several Jaguar racing posters. In fairness, these pages were from copies of the original folder, and the reason for the copies? In the late 1980s some of these original promotional folders supposedly sold for up to 2000 UK pounds.

Mad Men: Jaguar Pitch

2012-11-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

With so much focus on sharing classic Jaguar ads on this site, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed seeing Jaguar make an appearance on AMC's Mad Men. This was the pitch that Don Draper (Jon Hamm) gives to the Jaguar execs in promotion of the famed E-Type.