Great job man, the old girl lives again, well done. Full resto is a massive job and financially crippling, don't do it. I say run it, enjoy it, and if you get a good offer .......... sell it, take the money, take a bit of profit and move on to your next project. There are more adventures out there, don't hang on to this one. Good luck.
They’re notorious for electrical problems. I salute you young sir. You have saved a car & whilst you are its custodian I hope you really enjoy it. Oh & btw smiles per gallon is the important thing. I have a couple of e46 bmws & I’m lucky to get 20 mpg out of either & about 35 on the motorway. Well done
With regards to the car’s future. Personally I would buy the £1500 shell & swap everything after dad’s road trip. Oh & it makes me so happy for you that you’ve fallen in love with your XJS
I would use it as a sort of 'rolling restoration'. Using it will allow the other bugs to raise their heads (mechanically/electrically) which you can fix one at a time. Once the weather is better and/or you have a bigger shed you could look at more major work. I've got a 1988 Porsche 944 which I purchased on February 2012 with 139600 miles. I used the same approach with mine and its now got 333500 miles on it and with every mile it drives better. Worse thing (for me and the car) is when I don't drive it (like over the Christmas/New Year period). Great series and thanks for all your patience to get in running again.
Really impressed with your dedication in restoring this old Jag to where it a useable classic car If you really love the car you could fully restore this car. Will definitely be a future classic Jaguar 😊
Give it to your dad as that's something special you can do for him and you obviously have a good relationship with your dad, this would be something both of you will never forget. And she needs to be shown around again as you have brought her back to life. Love these cars they are such lovely looking cars and go as fast as they look or cruise like the big car she is.
Congratulations. Get yourself to one of the Jaguar Breakfast Club monthly meetings. The Jag marque needs youngsters like you. If you have decided to sell you may well find a buyer.
My thoughts too.... It's worth more than his financial investment into it... Then maybe find another, better example for that sale price and repeat the process... In time you'll end up with real minter...👍
Great car, glad your are enjoying it, I would Just drive it and enjoy it! A body work restoration is prohibitively expensive, unless you do it for yourself, parts have become stupidly expensive, but what ever you do, looking forward to see your exploits. Take a look at the jag forum on pistons heads, and Jag lovers, join the JEC, sharing some great knowledge and insights about owning a jag of this era, just took my V12 spin today.
Brilliant and really pleased that you stuck with it. A Jaguar is all about Grace and Pace i have a 96 XJ6 4.0 sovereign that i bought blind in Spain the first drive for me was a 1,000 miles from the Mediterranean back to France over the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees. XJS perfect car for a Euro Trip.
Great news. Enjoy it for a couple of months then sell it on taking account of your hard work. These cars are going up as they become rarer. Someone will take it to the next level and then make another profit on it so don’t be shy! Great channel and you have a real skill, not to mention patience.
I had the 5.3 V12 for 5 years, bought it brand new, brilliant car, average 13.7mpg unless you did long motorway runs at high speed which then returned 20 mpg. Oil and air filters, regular timing checks/services and plugs - never a problem with it and sold it after 80 K miles. Still regret getting short of it - best driving experience I ever had but always very expensive on fuel, this was the only negative against the XJS.
New set of tyres and sort the roof lining, make the best of what you have guided by the MOT advisories and get it sorted for the road trip. Then drive it for the summer and decide if you want to commit for a decent cosmetic overhaul or just run it or move it on. Great job to bring it back to where it is now.
When I was a pupil barrister my pupil master had a green one. We covered a lot of miles, most of it on motorways, to and from courts in which he was appearing, discussing tactics for the trial ahead as we went, and debriefing on the way home. I recall a phone in the centre console from a time when cellphones were only just coming into use. Good memories. Thanks for the ride.
Great to see the old girl back on the road. the rest of the jobs you can do are superficial and can be done as you go. The 4litre engine is bullet proof. looking forward to seeing more progress. every job you do puts a bigger smile on your face. well done.
Amazing job and video's, you should be very proud of yourself for saving this classic. I used to wash a neighbour 5.3 burgundy beauty about 40 years ago. I always felt a little guilty when he paid me as it was such a pleasure. Have loved them ever since. I would love to experience the drive one day. Keep for the Summer and fix as you go then decided what to do. Rushing into the decision now will only deliver regret. Thank you for sharing this with us all! Top man!
Definitely buy the shell and store it, if you have the space, while your old man road trips it! She’ll be a good future content investment for summer 🤘🏻
Firstly, really well done to get it through a test, you have achieved more than a lot of people would. About 15 years ago, I was 57 at the time, I had this late life crisis moment when I thought that I wanted to restore a car. I have done 3 now, they have been partial restorations, but I have done everything myself in my own garage, including painting. I can tell you quite a lot from experience. That car is much, much worse than it looks. There are some horrible areas on those cars that you have yet to expose fully. The restoration costs, even with you doing everything would be extreme. The problem is that it is so hard to draw the line financially and practically with restoration. You definitely need a better facility, my garage is 30 sq. m. and is just about adequate. If it was me, I would make it the best I could for as little outlay as possible, forget about the pressure of the road trip for your dad, enjoy driving it through the summer and then send it off to it's next new home.
Superb job, congratulations. I really hope you do continue with restoring it, however you decide to continue. I would definitely like to see more episodes on it. Good luck 👍
Old jaags turn a simple drives into events, just going to work becomes a pleasure and actually getting there into a victory. Good on you for taking this on.
I drove a V12 XJS to Belgium and back a few years ago and it was great fun, such a relaxing drive and great power - a lot of people loved to see it too!
Congratulations. So good to see a young enthusiast doing so well and with such enthusiasm. For your question on what to do next, well I think you have answered it for yourself in your closing comments; ´...this is the finest car I have ever owned ...´ and ´..absolutely love this car...´. Restore it, be proud of it and be proud of yourself! These are fabulous cars. Great stuff!
Congratulations, my friend every reason to be proud of your achievements. You are an example to lots of guys of your age,who sit around and do nothing. Keep it up 👍👍👍
Dust in the rusty parts with paint. Go through the entire car front to back to double check it’s roadworthyness and let your father take it on his trip. You can always keep doing little things on it for your channel and keep enjoying it while still driving it. I hope you keep it and look forward to seeing it getting improved over time.
Great job mate, it's nice to see younger lads like yourself getting their hands dirty. We seem to have lost people wanting to tinker in workshops nowadays. I think you should go through the mechanics fully, address the worst of the rust on the body, and get it ready for your dad's road trip. Let him use it, then once he's done with it, think again to what you're going to do with it.
Yep give it your old man.... having owned a couple it's a adventure for sure because every day it's rolling down the road is a bonus... Plus he will on first name terms with every garage from here to where ever he's going....but he's going to have a smile on his face at the end
Get the shell for later. Short term, get it as good as possible for your dad’s road trip. Then it becomes that “do a bit at a time” project while you continue to do the shorter term projects. Good luck!
A rust free shell for £1500 is worth buying and using it to restore this car. Mechanically you have got it good enough. Interior is quite good and can be repaired easily. The wood ski slope and other dash parts you can get from ebay or breakers quite cheap. Well done for saving an icon of a car
I'll cast my vote for Dad's road trip and if it comes back in working order, then rolling restore. I agree with those who shy away from a full, deep dive as I think the money would quickly get away from you and it would hinder your future projects. Well done on getting as far as you did for pennies really. That car has road presence.
I remember the xjs when they were new. Amazing cars. I had a soft top rental for a couple of weeks. Loved it. A few nice roads oop north including a somewhat new section of motorway. Nuff said. Let your dad use it and restore it later, if you have the time.
Awesome work and that was some serious mouse damage to that seatbelt and insulation foam!! Good thing it didn’t start chomping through the wiring! That car is a perfect rolling restoration, use it and put time aside to slowly work through the jobs👍 That shell is a long way from being too far gone and it would be a massive shame to scrap it. I’d start by tackling any corrosion issues and covering the underside is a rust inhibitor system.
Good buy- I'd keep it and do a rolling restoration. Work in sections. Attack the rust while it's still saveable with a wire wheel etc, then treat it with rust removing gel, clean it off and then a coat it with a product like POR15. Very good stuff- relatively expensive but works and a small can goes a long way. Then do the front end suspension, the bushes and anything else that needs replaced- and again wire wheel and paint the subframe while you're there anyway. See what oil leaks there are and fix them, service the trans and engine. Same with the rear end. Cosmetics last. If the underbody and sills are still solid you can't really go wrong with this. If it was mine and I was keeping it, I'd ultimately always be looking out for a second hand manual box, or a parts car to convert it over- make the car more valuable too.
For what it's worth, I think a road trip to Belgium is a risky prospect, unless it's the kind of trip where whatever happens is ok and just part of the experience. From a. viewer point of view, watching you slowly bring the car back to full glory with a proper ground-up restoration would be fantastic. I think most people here are enjoying seeing you bring it back from the dead,, and anticipate you being able to really work a miracle. Part of the charm is you seem an ordinary bloke with a lot of skill and patience, making the most of things with modest resources. If you were able to go the whole journey with this motor, I think the videos would be an increasingly popular watch.
Use and enjoy it for at least the year the MoT lasts for. If that's all you do then you're quids in and 'smiles in'. Save some money to get that white bonnet painted as the pen you used seems to be a permanent marker!
Get it looking and running top notch and let dad drive road trip it! Once he is back sell it and move on to the next project and aim higher each project that comes along. I am still working on my Spitfire but I have plans on moving it along and start on the TR6. Maybe one day I can keep all my project cars.
I'm definitely in the 'rolling resto' camp. Priority is getting her electrically and mechanically reliable, comfortable and then worry about bodywork / cosmetics later. This is the kind of car that lends itself to that approach. A re-shell would be cheating especially as there's now nothing *seriously* wrong and the car, whilst not perfect, is more than presentable enough for a cheap old barge.
It’s been a real joy watching you work on this with your small garage in the cold. Man I would keep it, run it, enjoy it and yes, let your dad take it to Belgium, then restore it, a Jaguar!! I so miss mine, keep it, enjoy it, restore it.
Well done Harry, you've done yourself proud. Personally, I think you should treat it (as someone else said ) as a rolling resto. A full on restoration is a very expensive and time consuming task. If it was rare model, then maybe it would be worth it. I think doing it bit at a the time is the best way to go and then you can still enjoy your road trip with your dad. Believe me You never know how long you've got your parents for....This could be a really valuable memory👌
Third option sounds best- let your Dad have a blast in it and get him to film some of it. Fourth option just run it until it dies and make the stereo work properly. Edit to add not sure if ADAC allow it any more for UK residents but you could join them for around 100 euro a year and they'll provide breakdown service across Europe regardless of the age of the car.
Look at the prices for a mint example, they're mega money. You've already taken a massive step so I'd carry on and make it as nice as it can be and then count your cash.
Another classic Jag saved from the rodents and the environment is always great to see. Especially when it’s done by a member of the younger generation. One quick word of advice. These cars are prone to the build up of road debris between the radiator and oil cooler which can contribute to overheating. It’s an easy job to drop the oil cooler and make sure it’s clear. Great work, enjoy the fruits of all your hard work.
It has been fantastic to watch all the vids and see you finish the 1st leg. My father and always loved the XJS and it brought me right back watching you. Would love to see you take it further
Well done! Great job so far. Let your dad do the trip. I suggest that you ensure that you have a means of recovering it if it breaks down. I understand that that can cost thousands so having a mate with a trailer would be cool. Spend most of your time working on the reliability of the car, all those electrics etc. there's lots of knowledge out there, they were very popular in their day. Clean the injectors etc etc. If it proves reliable and sound then you can decide on a proper restoration knowing that it will be worth proper money when done.
I don't usually watch car vids but this project has had me hooked😊.... I really do think you would benefit from a slightly bigger garage ..... well done !
Massive respect and congratulations to you, that was a lot of hard work but a great success, it’s the first time it’s been on the road in 11 years. Just drive and enjoy it for a year as is and then sell it on with a fresh mot.
You sir are a genius. What a great job you did already. As for what to do; for the channel, sell it and get something new. But hearing you talk about it... you're in love with it, go get that shell and restore it.
Great project , to get an MOT'd XJS for that kind of money is an achievement. The idea of buying the shell and transferring everything over is appealing, it would make a great car and would supply a lot of content for the channel. These are appreciating cars and a good one is a real pleasure. I spent some time with these and was lucky enough to experience a Lynx Eventer (an XJS estate). Looking forward to seeing what you decide.
Congratulations on the +ve MoT result, you must feel triumphant after all of your hard work! Please complete the partial restore for your Dad - and ensure his bank balance will cover the petrol for the return trip @ about 15 mpg!! Well done - what a great way to thank him for his support 👏👏🙌
I think you should fully restore and buying a completely rust-free shell is probably the best and cheapest option. In the meantime, prepare it for the road trip.
Brilliant job you have done on this car, especially with the lack of room you have there and it looks cold and stark to do the work you have done. Would love to see you restore this great lady, she deserves it and you can do it we are sure. Thanks for this video, so many of us interested in this car and what YOU have achieved!
Well done. Your perseverance paid off. You have more patience than I ever had with my jag. If you keep it. It will keep diverting your attention away from other projects with all its little faults unfortunately.
Patch up any rusty bits an blend paint in then any good paint especially red can be rubbed/ flatted down and given a coat of 2K clear all over . Comes up like new . Doing that way you can do a few panels at a time instead of doing a whole respray at one go.
Those AJ16 engines are bullet proof, and good for atleast 250k. As long as you've got good oil pressure, water temp, and a multimeter it should easily get to Belgium. 😉
I think with the basic set up you have to do such projects makes this a great achievement and is wonderful to know this is another beautiful classic returned to service on the road! It all depends on how you feel but if you can make it cost effective enough, it would be well worth doing a restoration.
Well done ! Logic tells you to buy the shell . I'd concentrate on getting the car driving reliably (change tne tyres) so it'll make it to Belgium and back . I'm not surprised you have electrical issues . The mice have left thier signatures . I paid £100 for my V12 in the late '80's and it was a very clean example . Little bit of paintwork and new headlining . Kept it for 6months amd sold it for £2k . I called mine the elastic band . Just effortless performance . 😊
Enjoyed your journey with this car, passing the MOT was a bonus, getting that shell would be a good idea if you are prepared to do the work, but as you said, driving it to Belgium would be very risky, cheers from Australia🍻
You should be very proud of what you have achieved. If it were me I would use it as it and treat it as a bit of a rolling resto.
Let your dad do a road trip and maybe restore later in the year when weather is better great video
100% dad road trip. You can’t put a price on memories like those.
Great job man, the old girl lives again, well done. Full resto is a massive job and financially crippling, don't do it. I say run it, enjoy it, and if you get a good offer .......... sell it, take the money, take a bit of profit and move on to your next project. There are more adventures out there, don't hang on to this one. Good luck.
Spot on. You're rarely going to come out on top with a restoration. Far better to enjoy what you have.
Agree. I'd fix some of the rust and get tires. Then just clean it up. The cosmetics you can do at your own pace
They’re notorious for electrical problems. I salute you young sir. You have saved a car & whilst you are its custodian I hope you really enjoy it. Oh & btw smiles per gallon is the important thing. I have a couple of e46 bmws & I’m lucky to get 20 mpg out of either & about 35 on the motorway. Well done
With regards to the car’s future.
Personally I would buy the £1500 shell & swap everything after dad’s road trip. Oh & it makes me so happy for you that you’ve fallen in love with your XJS
Well done kid. Happy to see your generation has someone that can use tools and use his brain. Excellent work.
I would use it as a sort of 'rolling restoration'. Using it will allow the other bugs to raise their heads (mechanically/electrically) which you can fix one at a time. Once the weather is better and/or you have a bigger shed you could look at more major work. I've got a 1988 Porsche 944 which I purchased on February 2012 with 139600 miles. I used the same approach with mine and its now got 333500 miles on it and with every mile it drives better. Worse thing (for me and the car) is when I don't drive it (like over the Christmas/New Year period). Great series and thanks for all your patience to get in running again.
Really impressed with your dedication in restoring this old Jag to where it a useable classic car If you really love the car you could fully restore this car.
Will definitely be a future classic Jaguar 😊
Easy to say fix things one at a time, until a problem arises, then causes a series of issues.
Congrats on getting it back on the road.
Let your Dad enjoy it, cherish it and keep it forever.
The XJS has a charm like no other
Road trip it. And then restore afterwards 😊
Full restoration would be good for the channel and great content, plus you're great at explaining things so it would be informative and entertaining
Give it to your dad as that's something special you can do for him and you obviously have a good relationship with your dad, this would be something both of you will never forget.
And she needs to be shown around again as you have brought her back to life.
Love these cars they are such lovely looking cars and go as fast as they look or cruise like the big car she is.
You have done amazing job on your jaguar.
Congratulations. Get yourself to one of the Jaguar Breakfast Club monthly meetings. The Jag marque needs youngsters like you. If you have decided to sell you may well find a buyer.
My thoughts too.... It's worth more than his financial investment into it... Then maybe find another, better example for that sale price and repeat the process... In time you'll end up with real minter...👍
Great car, glad your are enjoying it, I would Just drive it and enjoy it! A body work restoration is prohibitively expensive, unless you do it for yourself, parts have become stupidly expensive, but what ever you do, looking forward to see your exploits. Take a look at the jag forum on pistons heads, and Jag lovers, join the JEC, sharing some great knowledge and insights about owning a jag of this era, just took my V12 spin today.
@@guyemmott4009 that is great advice 👍
Brilliant and really pleased that you stuck with it.
A Jaguar is all about Grace and Pace i have a 96 XJ6 4.0 sovereign that i bought blind in Spain the first drive for me was a 1,000 miles from the Mediterranean back to France over the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees.
XJS perfect car for a Euro Trip.
Great news. Enjoy it for a couple of months then sell it on taking account of your hard work. These cars are going up as they become rarer. Someone will take it to the next level and then make another profit on it so don’t be shy! Great channel and you have a real skill, not to mention patience.
I had the 5.3 V12 for 5 years, bought it brand new, brilliant car, average 13.7mpg unless you did long motorway runs at high speed which then returned 20 mpg.
Oil and air filters, regular timing checks/services and plugs - never a problem with it and sold it after 80 K miles. Still regret getting short of it - best driving experience I ever had but always very expensive on fuel, this was the only negative against the XJS.
New set of tyres and sort the roof lining, make the best of what you have guided by the MOT advisories and get it sorted for the road trip. Then drive it for the summer and decide if you want to commit for a decent cosmetic overhaul or just run it or move it on. Great job to bring it back to where it is now.
When I was a pupil barrister my pupil master had a green one. We covered a lot of miles, most of it on motorways, to and from courts in which he was appearing, discussing tactics for the trial ahead as we went, and debriefing on the way home. I recall a phone in the centre console from a time when cellphones were only just coming into use. Good memories. Thanks for the ride.
Great to see the old girl back on the road. the rest of the jobs you can do are superficial and can be done as you go. The 4litre engine is bullet proof. looking forward to seeing more progress. every job you do puts a bigger smile on your face. well done.
Amazing job and video's, you should be very proud of yourself for saving this classic. I used to wash a neighbour 5.3 burgundy beauty about 40 years ago. I always felt a little guilty when he paid me as it was such a pleasure. Have loved them ever since. I would love to experience the drive one day. Keep for the Summer and fix as you go then decided what to do. Rushing into the decision now will only deliver regret. Thank you for sharing this with us all! Top man!
Definitely buy the shell and store it, if you have the space, while your old man road trips it! She’ll be a good future content investment for summer 🤘🏻
Firstly, really well done to get it through a test, you have achieved more than a lot of people would. About 15 years ago, I was 57 at the time, I had this late life crisis moment when I thought that I wanted to restore a car. I have done 3 now, they have been partial restorations, but I have done everything myself in my own garage, including painting. I can tell you quite a lot from experience. That car is much, much worse than it looks. There are some horrible areas on those cars that you have yet to expose fully. The restoration costs, even with you doing everything would be extreme. The problem is that it is so hard to draw the line financially and practically with restoration. You definitely need a better facility, my garage is 30 sq. m. and is just about adequate. If it was me, I would make it the best I could for as little outlay as possible, forget about the pressure of the road trip for your dad, enjoy driving it through the summer and then send it off to it's next new home.
Superb job, congratulations. I really hope you do continue with restoring it, however you decide to continue. I would definitely like to see more episodes on it. Good luck 👍
Old jaags turn a simple drives into events, just going to work becomes a pleasure and actually getting there into a victory. Good on you for taking this on.
Agreed, the kind of car you gaze back at briefly after parking
Superb!
I doubted it would see the road again but I was wrong.
Good work!
You must be one hell of a mechanic 🥳
V V impressed pal, very well done. Looks great
I drove a V12 XJS to Belgium and back a few years ago and it was great fun, such a relaxing drive and great power - a lot of people loved to see it too!
Great job fella. As long as it stays on the road and out of the junkyard 👍🏻
White mr2 board is something special.... Well done love to see English classics back on the road
Cheering from the sidelines ' excellent stuff, well done ~ Super car.
Well done youngster you have done yourself proud. The fact your dad wants to borrow it is testament you have done well 👏 👍
It's a lovely colour, just like the one that Gareth Hunt drove on the TV series The New Avengers
I remember that, you must be as old as I am!
@tonypacke6954 lol, 1967 birth year
@@GNeuman I wish, unfortunately 1951. Now turning into a Victor Meldrew clone!
@tonypacke6954 I'm already there🤣🤣🤣
Use it keep it take your time. You know what you have which is priceless. You will not get another at the price
Well done!👍
Congratulations. So good to see a young enthusiast doing so well and with such enthusiasm. For your question on what to do next, well I think you have answered it for yourself in your closing comments; ´...this is the finest car I have ever owned ...´ and ´..absolutely love this car...´. Restore it, be proud of it and be proud of yourself! These are fabulous cars. Great stuff!
Congratulations, my friend every reason to be proud of your achievements. You are an example to lots of guys of your age,who sit around and do nothing. Keep it up 👍👍👍
The intro music starts and it is soooo grating!
Dust in the rusty parts with paint. Go through the entire car front to back to double check it’s roadworthyness and let your father take it on his trip. You can always keep doing little things on it for your channel and keep enjoying it while still driving it. I hope you keep it and look forward to seeing it getting improved over time.
You've done a fantastic job on the car it would be nice to see it restored 👍
Still a looker , even today .Well done .
Well done young man! Great to see anothe XJS saved.
Tidy it and enjoy! Sort the wood, patch the body, repaint the leather refurb the wheels. Good enough. It looks amazing wafting down the road.
Great job, another one saved. Ive not had a XJS but did have a XJ40 and that was a great car to drive.
Do restore the car ! I will watch every stepp ! Great car !
The 1989 3.6 XJS I had, MPGs were: On Choke 10 mpg, Around Town 19 mpg, On a Run 25 mpg. I loved that car!
Great job mate, it's nice to see younger lads like yourself getting their hands dirty. We seem to have lost people wanting to tinker in workshops nowadays.
I think you should go through the mechanics fully, address the worst of the rust on the body, and get it ready for your dad's road trip. Let him use it, then once he's done with it, think again to what you're going to do with it.
The car is so beautiful, keep it - you've come this far it will reward you later.
That is absolutely unbelievable - a running and driving MOTd XJS for £720. Well done!
Yep give it your old man.... having owned a couple it's a adventure for sure because every day it's rolling down the road is a bonus... Plus he will on first name terms with every garage from here to where ever he's going....but he's going to have a smile on his face at the end
Get the shell for later. Short term, get it as good as possible for your dad’s road trip. Then it becomes that “do a bit at a time” project while you continue to do the shorter term projects. Good luck!
A rust free shell for £1500 is worth buying and using it to restore this car. Mechanically you have got it good enough. Interior is quite good and can be repaired easily. The wood ski slope and other dash parts you can get from ebay or breakers quite cheap. Well done for saving an icon of a car
Good job. Love the
Mr2 bonnet as a white board. Great bit of reuse
I'll cast my vote for Dad's road trip and if it comes back in working order, then rolling restore. I agree with those who shy away from a full, deep dive as I think the money would quickly get away from you and it would hinder your future projects. Well done on getting as far as you did for pennies really. That car has road presence.
Road trip for dad hands down then take it from there, good job with getting her back on the road .
Top work getting it back on the road. I’m amazed it went so quickly!
Keep it on the road and fix it as you go
I remember the xjs when they were new. Amazing cars. I had a soft top rental for a couple of weeks. Loved it. A few nice roads oop north including a somewhat new section of motorway. Nuff said. Let your dad use it and restore it later, if you have the time.
Do what you can, let your dad do the road trip, amazing what you've achieved, she's a leaper keeper!!
Rolling restoration , go for it !
You’ve done great. It would be good to do the road trip and then maybe do a longer project
Awesome work and that was some serious mouse damage to that seatbelt and insulation foam!! Good thing it didn’t start chomping through the wiring!
That car is a perfect rolling restoration, use it and put time aside to slowly work through the jobs👍 That shell is a long way from being too far gone and it would be a massive shame to scrap it.
I’d start by tackling any corrosion issues and covering the underside is a rust inhibitor system.
Good buy- I'd keep it and do a rolling restoration. Work in sections. Attack the rust while it's still saveable with a wire wheel etc, then treat it with rust removing gel, clean it off and then a coat it with a product like POR15. Very good stuff- relatively expensive but works and a small can goes a long way. Then do the front end suspension, the bushes and anything else that needs replaced- and again wire wheel and paint the subframe while you're there anyway. See what oil leaks there are and fix them, service the trans and engine. Same with the rear end. Cosmetics last. If the underbody and sills are still solid you can't really go wrong with this. If it was mine and I was keeping it, I'd ultimately always be looking out for a second hand manual box, or a parts car to convert it over- make the car more valuable too.
For what it's worth, I think a road trip to Belgium is a risky prospect, unless it's the kind of trip where whatever happens is ok and just part of the experience. From a. viewer point of view, watching you slowly bring the car back to full glory with a proper ground-up restoration would be fantastic. I think most people here are enjoying seeing you bring it back from the dead,, and anticipate you being able to really work a miracle. Part of the charm is you seem an ordinary bloke with a lot of skill and patience, making the most of things with modest resources. If you were able to go the whole journey with this motor, I think the videos would be an increasingly popular watch.
Use and enjoy it for at least the year the MoT lasts for. If that's all you do then you're quids in and 'smiles in'. Save some money to get that white bonnet painted as the pen you used seems to be a permanent marker!
Get it looking and running top notch and let dad drive road trip it! Once he is back sell it and move on to the next project and aim higher each project that comes along. I am still working on my Spitfire but I have plans on moving it along and start on the TR6. Maybe one day I can keep all my project cars.
I'm definitely in the 'rolling resto' camp. Priority is getting her electrically and mechanically reliable, comfortable and then worry about bodywork / cosmetics later. This is the kind of car that lends itself to that approach. A re-shell would be cheating especially as there's now nothing *seriously* wrong and the car, whilst not perfect, is more than presentable enough for a cheap old barge.
Absolutely get it ready for the road trip. Then do a big restore on it and keep it as your pride and joy.😊
Excellent work mate 👍, hope that chronic British wiring doesn't let you down 👍👍
Love to see it restored ,you've done great job with it.
It’s been a real joy watching you work on this with your small garage in the cold. Man I would keep it, run it, enjoy it and yes, let your dad take it to Belgium, then restore it, a Jaguar!! I so miss mine, keep it, enjoy it, restore it.
Well done Harry, you've done yourself proud. Personally, I think you should treat it (as someone else said ) as a rolling resto. A full on restoration is a very expensive and time consuming task.
If it was rare model, then maybe it would be worth it. I think doing it bit at a the time is the best way to go and then you can still enjoy your road trip with your dad. Believe me You never know how long you've got your parents for....This could be a really valuable memory👌
Third option sounds best- let your Dad have a blast in it and get him to film some of it. Fourth option just run it until it dies and make the stereo work properly. Edit to add not sure if ADAC allow it any more for UK residents but you could join them for around 100 euro a year and they'll provide breakdown service across Europe regardless of the age of the car.
Look at the prices for a mint example, they're mega money. You've already taken a massive step so I'd carry on and make it as nice as it can be and then count your cash.
Another classic Jag saved from the rodents and the environment is always great to see. Especially when it’s done by a member of the younger generation. One quick word of advice. These cars are prone to the build up of road debris between the radiator and oil cooler which can contribute to overheating. It’s an easy job to drop the oil cooler and make sure it’s clear. Great work, enjoy the fruits of all your hard work.
It's a beautiful car, you did a great job getting it back on the road
👍
It has been fantastic to watch all the vids and see you finish the 1st leg. My father and always loved the XJS and it brought me right back watching you. Would love to see you take it further
well done. very impressive work and great video. I think the xjs gets better looking over the years
Well done! Great job so far.
Let your dad do the trip.
I suggest that you ensure that you have a means of recovering it if it breaks down. I understand that that can cost thousands so having a mate with a trailer would be cool.
Spend most of your time working on the reliability of the car, all those electrics etc. there's lots of knowledge out there, they were very popular in their day. Clean the injectors etc etc.
If it proves reliable and sound then you can decide on a proper restoration knowing that it will be worth proper money when done.
I don't usually watch car vids but this project has had me hooked😊....
I really do think you would benefit from a slightly bigger garage ..... well done !
Massive respect and congratulations to you, that was a lot of hard work but a great success, it’s the first time it’s been on the road in 11 years. Just drive and enjoy it for a year as is and then sell it on with a fresh mot.
You sir are a genius. What a great job you did already.
As for what to do; for the channel, sell it and get something new. But hearing you talk about it... you're in love with it, go get that shell and restore it.
Great project , to get an MOT'd XJS for that kind of money is an achievement.
The idea of buying the shell and transferring everything over is appealing, it would make a great car and would supply a lot of content for the channel.
These are appreciating cars and a good one is a real pleasure.
I spent some time with these and was lucky enough to experience a Lynx Eventer (an XJS estate).
Looking forward to seeing what you decide.
Congratulations on the +ve MoT result, you must feel triumphant after all of your hard work! Please complete the partial restore for your Dad - and ensure his bank balance will cover the petrol for the return trip @ about 15 mpg!! Well done - what a great way to thank him for his support 👏👏🙌
Love how it sounds when it starts up, amazing! as I recall 3.0 granadas did 19 mpg so yours sounds reasonable definitely for a 4.0 engine!
I think you should fully restore and buying a completely rust-free shell is probably the best and cheapest option. In the meantime, prepare it for the road trip.
Restore it get the other shell love to see this happen get another bigger shed love this car keep it
Brilliant job you have done on this car, especially with the lack of room you have there and it looks cold and stark to do the work you have done.
Would love to see you restore this great lady, she deserves it and you can do it we are sure.
Thanks for this video, so many of us interested in this car and what YOU have achieved!
Great job, I get the feeling that you've fallen in love with it........
Keep it. It has a good home now.
Well done. Your perseverance paid off. You have more patience than I ever had with my jag. If you keep it. It will keep diverting your attention away from other projects with all its little faults unfortunately.
Brilliant mate, well done, a lot of work like you say , but well worth it. Your a clever chap 👍
Good lad, proud of you 👍
Patch up any rusty bits an blend paint in then any good paint especially red can be rubbed/ flatted down and given a coat of 2K clear all over . Comes up like new . Doing that way you can do a few panels at a time instead of doing a whole respray at one go.
Those AJ16 engines are bullet proof, and good for atleast 250k. As long as you've got good oil pressure, water temp, and a multimeter it should easily get to Belgium. 😉
Well done getting it through an MOT, I love your videos as they remind me why I must not buy manky old Jags !
Realllllly nice colour for an xjs best colour I’ve seen on one
Glad that's one more back on the road congrats
I think with the basic set up you have to do such projects makes this a great achievement and is wonderful to know this is another beautiful classic returned to service on the road! It all depends on how you feel but if you can make it cost effective enough, it would be well worth doing a restoration.
Well done ! Logic tells you to buy the shell . I'd concentrate on getting the car driving reliably (change tne tyres) so it'll make it to Belgium and back . I'm not surprised you have electrical issues . The mice have left thier signatures . I paid £100 for my V12 in the late '80's and it was a very clean example . Little bit of paintwork and new headlining . Kept it for 6months amd sold it for £2k . I called mine the elastic band . Just effortless performance . 😊
Nice work getting it up and running. I'd say let your Dad take it on the road trip and enjoy it. Then maybe restoration later...
Enjoyed your journey with this car, passing the MOT was a bonus, getting that shell would be a good idea if you are prepared to do the work, but as you said, driving it to Belgium would be very risky, cheers from Australia🍻