Jaguar 2.2D SE Auto.

[3cav3]

I originally purchased my Cavalier as an ongoing project, however there just isn't much wrong with it, so Ive been looking for another one for a while, plus Ive always fancied one of these X type Jags.
Whilst browsing on ebay this late face lift example turned up, it seemed far too cheap particularly when the dealer mentioned a full Service History, (19 Stamps!). There had to be a catch?
The one things against it was the mileometer reading- 187k, however curiosity got the better of me so I went and had a look. This car would be a prime candidate for clocking. Apart from the stone chips on the front bumper (something which I later plan on getting blown in) this could easily pass for a 50k example. Starts on the button, gearbox works properly and almost no wear to the leather that covers almost everything inside.
Checking through the mot history, every advisory that showed up was also corrected. The tow bar looks unused.
Only £1600 changed hands and I came away the proud owner of a Jag, that attracts a lot of admiring glances, plus with my arthritis in my left leg, it is so pleasant to drive, the only flaw I can find is that there is a slight creak from a suspension bush somewhere.IMG_2976 by gareth gareth, on Flickr
IMG_2981 by gareth gareth, on Flickr

[3cav3]

IMG_2983 by gareth gareth, on Flickr

IMG_2984 by gareth gareth, on Flickr

[3cav3]

IMG_2988 by IMG_2987 by gareth gareth, on Flickros/159824052@N05/]gareth gareth[/url], on Flickr

[3cav3]

IMG_2993 by gareth gareth, on Flickr

[3cav3]

IMG_2991 by gareth gareth, on Flickr
For Christmas my wife treated me to a private plate for it, just got to wait until the log book arrives, before I can transfer it.

[Robsey]

Ah a Jaguar Land Rover X Type.

I had to check that it wasn't a Ford owned model, as I would have cried at the thought of a suped-up Mondeo in a Jaguar body. (Ford was only 2000 to 2008).

Thankfully not, although I do not know how much control over build quality Indian owners Tata have.

Looks a lot of car for the money.

From you description, it does sound like a worn suspension bush.
Not a particularly difficult fix.

I thought you were after a "needy" project.
It doesn't look like the X-type will need much more than the Cavalier.

Looking at your driveway, you definitely have a mixed array of vehicles.

Looking forward to seeing your antics as you tackle the "yet to be discovered" gremlins.

All I can see is a few minor dings on the offside wing next to the headlight, and the nearside rear wheel arch.
Nothing to get too giddy about.

As for that mileage, if it is regularly serviced, then it will probably be in much better condition than a lot of the low mileage cars used on short journeys.

[3cav3]

The engine is a ford unit but seeing how many miles they can do that's not necessarily a bad thing. Plus they have no cambelt to break! The couple of dings will need sorting out, should only be a few hundred quid, there is a light switch inside to do, plus needs a new alloy as the one is an incorrect design . I've already have given it a full service using coma fully synthetic oil, the undertray fitted is not DIY friendly to put it mildly.
The first morning that I started it up the cold tick over was very erratic ( apparently a common problem on this engine) after about a minute it's settles. Asking around apparently the answer was super diesel which does appear to of cured it, plus the car runs smoother and is indicating about 2-3mpg more so will offset the extra cost.
Come the summer I will renew probably all the bushes and maybe the shocks aswell. Just want to give it a shake down first as I've had some bad experiences with auto boxes failing 2x Vectra autos, both had the sprag clutch fail,however with what I paid for this car then the worst case is to fit a reconditioned box, however there appears to be absolutely nothing wrong with this one despite the miles. I guessing it spent most of its life on the motorway.
There is a mix of cars on my drive way but at the moment almost nothing goes wrong, (saying that they will probably all start to pack up now,lol). The astra has done 30k in the last 2 years and only needed servicing,tyres and a gearbox mount. I use this daily during the week for work. The little panda was bought to stop my wife destroying my cavalier and has only needed tyres and 1 service+ a mirror that she ripped off after meeting a tractor on a country lane. (Does nearly 60mpg plus is only £30 a year to tax,so has already paid for itself). And as you know all the cavalier has had done is servicing. I trained many years ago as a car mechanic and was taught that the key to a reliable car was servicing at least twice a year, with plenty of fresh high quality oil.

[3cav3]

Close ups of the minor damage.
IMG_2989 by gareth gareth, on Flickr
IMG_2990 by gareth gareth, on Flickr
More just niggles than major damage. Im guessing with the front wing a Smart type repairer can reverse it?

[3cav3]

Mis matched alloy, reading up on line they are apparently prone to cracking if curbed so im guessing this has happened here.
IMG_2986 by gareth gareth, on Flickr

[iangsi]

My MOT tester reckons the early X types rust under the side skirts being a Ford floor pan so it might be a good idea to check yours just in case. Yours looks to be in good condition though.

[3cav3]

My MOT tester reckons the early X types rust under the side skirts being a Ford floor pan so it might be a good idea to check yours just in case. Yours looks to be in good condition though.

Hi, thanks for the info, this was checked very thourghly before I bought it, but apparently the problem was largely overcome from 2006 onwards due to re routing the drain holes..

[3cav3]

After nearly 6 weeks wait the log book finally turned up. This enabled me to finally transfer the plate ( before my insurance charged me). The annoying thing was that the log book for the new number turned up after only 2 days!
On ebay I purchased a matching wheel to replace the incorrect one. It was supposed to be refurbished. However when it arrived this morning, I was very disappointed, there is quite a bit of dirt in the paint on the outside, and on the inside they haven't even removed the glue left by the stick on weights before painting!!! Guess its the old saying, if you want a job doing properly...
On a more positive note, after having a poke around it appears evident that this car has already had a recon gearbox, should be one big expense saved.
IMG_2987 by gareth gareth, on Flickr
IMG_20190112_150222[1] by gareth gareth, on Flickr
IMG_20190118_124100[1] by gareth gareth, on Flickr
IMG_20190118_124115[1] by gareth gareth, on Flickr

[Robsey]

And so starts the project...

Hmm - very disappointing when you are told one thing and something inferior arrives instead.

I stripped all the weights and badges off mine before having them blasted, etch primed, powder coated and lacquered.

I ended up repainting and lacquering them myself because the original lacquer was uneven and had dark shadows.

So as you say - best doing it yourself.

At least the new plate looks nice.

[3cav3]

Had nothing really to report on this for a while. Only real down side has been Bethany my 13 year old Labrador curling up in the front foot well and going to sleep permanently. - at least she had a good innings and died in comfort.
Just realised that it's only a few weeks till this is needed for a 1500 mile blast around France so have booked it in at my local garage to find out where the knock on the suspension. Can't see anything wrong without a ramp.Even with 190000 now on the clock the AA only want £70 for European breakdown cover.

[Robsey]

Sorry to hear the sad news of Bethany.
You cannot fault her for her choice of resting place.

No doubt knocking suspension will be a worn bush on a drop link or tracking arm.
They are big heavy cars, so give their joints some hammer.

I take it you are going to show those Frenchies what a decent car looks like.
None of this modern euro plastic-box garbage that they churn out these days.

[3cav3]

Sorry to hear the sad news of Bethany.
You cannot fault her for her choice of resting place.

No doubt knocking suspension will be a worn bush on a drop link or tracking arm.
They are big heavy cars, so give their joints some hammer.

I take it you are going to show those Frenchies what a decent car looks like.
None of this modern euro plastic-box garbage that they churn out these days.

Hi, thanks for your sympathy, they say dogs from choice always take them selves some where they find comfortable and feel safe to die, she obviously had good taste.
I hope when I'm in France this time the French lunatics don't spend the whole time trying to run an English made car off the road like they did when I went a few years ago in a rover 45! They honestly seemed to keep driving at it.

[Mk3alan]

Hope all goes well with the French drive - just keep your wits about you!
Been a few times and love it, not only for the good roads. Filling up once at filling station my CD was run into by a woman also filling up who had left her car in drive, luckily no damage but could have been worse!
Another time I was sitting in the car when (another woman) just opened her door up into mine, bang it went, I jumped out expressing my discontent, must have sounded like a mad Englishman! luckily the bump trim took the blow but same as previous, not really interested - a car is a tool to the French.

Alan

[3cav3]

[quote="Mk3alan"]Hope all goes well with the French drive - just keep your wits about you!
Been a few times and love it, not only for the good roads. Filling up once at filling station my CD was run into by a woman also filling up who had left her car in drive, luckily no damage but could have been worse!
Another time I was sitting in the car when (another woman) just opened her door up into mine, bang it went, I jumped out expressing my discontent, must have sounded like a mad Englishman! luckily the bump trim took the blow but same as previous, not really interested - a car is a tool to the French.


I've done the route a few times, my record is leaving Hereford in the morning, catching the ferry then parking up at the resort in Bordeaux in time to have our evening meal. I didn't get done for speeding, then, but did on the lesuirly drive back when the gendearme hid behind an embankment where the dual carriageway ending going down hill and had me for 66miles an hour on the equivalent of our a roads. The way they were acting you'd of thought I'd murdered someone. I had the last laugh though I suddenly forgot how to speak any french and I paid the fine to him in 20 and 10 cents coins plus made him wright me out a receipt! Lol.

[Mk3alan]

I try and keep off the toll roads besides being expensive the toll booths read reg numbers and are able to clock your average speed!

Alan

[3cav3]

Well it made it to France and back. No real issues over there apart from being a little thirsty for a diesel. However on the Sunday before I went, Panic stations! The car went into limp mode and showed transmission fault on the dashboard. Turning the engine off cleared the fault temporarily only for about 2 mins later to return. Stopping in a layby to ring my mate who's got a fault code reader seemed to clear the issue. Driving to him no faults were stored. Reading online a lot of suggestions seemed to point to a low battery charge being the most likely culprit. After testing the battery and alternator no issues with either were found. So with maximum breakdown cover and a fully charged battery I set off and even in 39 degree heat had no more issues. Why a low battery would make the car say the gearbox is faulty, heaven knows?

[Robsey]

Assumptions based on similar situations with some Vauxhalls..

Low battery voltage can cause two potential transmission issues.

Transmission control module is under-powered, so fails to communicate
Or
The electronic actuators are under-powered and so do not operate as expected.

Assuming that there was no physical symptom, I would suspect a non-communication error with the rest of the car.

[3cav3]

Always meant to update this, a month or so after France I suffered total battery failure of the under year old Bosch battery, fitting a new one I discovered the whole dashboard needed a pin number not just the radio, a lot of searching later turned it up on a little label in the service book. Since the new battery I've had no issues again with the gearbox, thankfully.
Today after putting it in for its second mot since I've owned it I was pleasantly surprised to pass first time despite having 195k now on the clock.
I keep saying I'll upgrade to a newer lower milliage Jag but then I drive this and think why bother, it does everything a £20k one would except depreciate. A lot to be said for running what really is entering banger territory.

[Robsey]

The newer that cars are, the less I trust them.
Too much micro electronics and over-sensitive modules.

You cannot beat straight forward controllers and switch gear.
Quicker, cheaper and easier to fix yourself than a bunch of electrical gadgets that need programming together by a main dealer or specialist.

Congrats on the new pass -

[btcctroy]

you just need to keep an eye on the sills as i've repaired a couple

[ilovedmymantas]

Congratulations on the pass.

Banger territory - never! Modern classic surely?
If you've got a 20k budget you'll be able to keep it and the cav going for ages!

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