Terry-Thomas appreciation club

[Honey Badger]

With the probable imminent demise of my faithful old Vauxhall Brava pick up I need to look for something cheap, with plenty of room for tools, wood and plasterboard for working on my money pit of a house.

 

After extensive searching* for a suitable vehicle and some valuable input from my wife, I've narrowed it down to a Jaaaag S-type, which is completly impractable and will cost a fortune to run, but fuck it I fancy something with leather, aircon and without keep fit windows.

 

 

Quite a few of the S-Types about for reasonable money it seems so I'm thinking of a 3.0 Auto sport which must be getting on towards autoshiteish territory by now, has anyone one here ever owned or driven an S-Type? Any horror stories about imploding ford gearboxes or any other faults would be welcome as well.

 

 

I've also orderd a 7" cigarette holder, just so I look the part while driving the Jaaaag.

 

 

[Tayne]

.

[autofive]

terry thomas didnt own a jaaaag

 

and the car your talking about isnt a jag either

[Honey Badger]

terry thomas didnt own a jaaaag

 

and the car your talking about isnt a jag either

 

 

Rear wheel drive, lots of lovely toys that may or may not work and lots of sumptious leather the cars a Jag though I agree the 3.0 drivetrain is straight out of a mondeo, I'd like to be able to afford a Jag V8, but alas they are out of my price range.

 

TT looks the type who would drive a Jag though, he also posses a sartorial elegance that a man approaching 40 would be well advised to copy.

 

Though nipping to the local Spar in a dinner jacket is a recipie for a swift shoeing in the town where I live.

[garethj]

My other half drives one, we've had it for just over a year now and it hasn't put a foot wrong except for needing 2 new tyres.

 

Buying it tale here

 

Ours is a 3 litre V6 with 6 speed auto, a 53 plate.  The facelifted ones after 2002 are better, they have a much nicer interior and the 6 speed auto is fantastic compared to the earlier 5 speeds.  70mph is 2000rpm

 

Water in the boot is what you look for, and generally things not working or dashboard warning lights.  It's a really nice drive, very relaxing but 240bhp is enough if you want to go faster.  It's almost as quick as my old V12 XJ-S and about a trillion times more reliable.

[ShiteRider]

terry thomas didnt own a jaaaag

 

and the car your talking about isnt a jag either

But he did own a daimler, which is a jaaag with a cravat

[Timewaster]

Rear wheel drive, I agree the 3.0 drivetrain is traight out of a mondeo,

Uh? You sure?

[Honey Badger]

Uh? You sure?

 

Well the engine is a Duratec, but the gear box should be ZF I think.

 

Slight difference in the driving wheels between a Mondeo and an S type, I should try thinking before posting.

[Honey Badger]

My other half drives one, we've had it for just over a year now and it hasn't put a foot wrong except for needing 2 new tyres.

 

Buying it tale here

 

Ours is a 3 litre V6 with 6 speed auto, a 53 plate. The facelifted ones after 2002 are better, they have a much nicer interior and the 6 speed auto is fantastic compared to the earlier 5 speeds. 70mph is 2000rpm

 

Water in the boot is what you look for, and generally things not working or dashboard warning lights. It's a really nice drive, very relaxing but 240bhp is enough if you want to go faster. It's almost as quick as my old V12 XJ-S and about a trillion times more reliable.

Brilliant post, just the kind of info I'm looking for.

 

I'm looking at a 2001 3 litre V6 sport, so it will have the 5 speed box I expect, this might not be a problem as I just intend to waft about with out too much hooning about. Are the servicing costs particularly excessive?

 

Thanks for the pointers, should be going to look at a couple on Monday.

[KruJoe]

 

Cavcraft had one in for a short time. They're certainly creeping into our territory.

[Junkman]

Hmmmm...

 

 

 

Obviously Mr. Thomas was a man with impeccable taste in more than one aspect.

[stuboy]

id have one anyday... neighbour had one and it was luvely jubbly..

[purplebargeken]

Lovely cars and I would be tempted. They certainly are creeping nearer to the reasonable end of the dosh spectrum. Oddly the one's I see on ebay all seem to waffle on about knackered gearboxes and I am not sure if there is a specific problem. I only reatlly know about the XJ40 type Jaaaags and they seem unburstable. More info needed.

[Cavcraft]

Cavcraft had one in for a short time. They're certainly creeping into our territory.

 

 

Indeed, and it was a bloody nice car. They're NOT Mondeo based (someone on here told me that when I got it) I think they're Lincoln (the American car) based.

 

I have been told autoboxes can spaz up on them at sort of 100k plus, though mine was as sweet as. They can be had really cheaply now too if you shop round (mine was insanely cheap at the time) and seem good value for money. I don't know if they do a mingebag version, but I'd reckon on only going for leather and an autobox as that's what these cars are about, if that makes sense?

 

One thing I can confirm is that they're a hell of a lot nicer than the X-Type which isn't a patch on it's bigger brother.

[garethj]

Worth going for a 2002 or later car, not just for the gearbox but mainly because the whole car had a refresh, they were better built (so a mate who works at Jaguar tells me) and the interior is much nicer.

 

You can spot the change from the outside because the Jaguar badge moved from just above the radiator to within it.  Mesh radiator grilles look slightly chavvy but secretly I think quite cool, they were on the sporty V8s and you can retro-fit them to any car courtesy of ebay.

 

I'm told the 4 litre V8s aren't as reliable as the 4.2 V8 but they're still expensive.  If you need to go really quickly you can change the supercharger pulley to get T-T swallowing his cigarette holder under acceleration, eh what?

 

I'm not sure the 3 litre is a Mondeo engine, did they really offer a 3 litre Mondeo?  It's a Ford engine of course, but it's quite smooth, pokey enough and on a run we get just over 30mpg.  Shorter runs give about 26 or 27mpg while around town it's probably much worse.  1700kg with autobox isn't exactly Mini City territory

[Cavcraft]

This looks pretty handy advice...

 

 

http://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/jaguar-engines-47/overview-jag-v-6-3-0-engine-help-69899/

[cort16]

It is a Ford v6 in the 3.0 but I think it's a pretty decent motor. The rear suspension set on them is like a spiders web and can very complex. My mates Dad's got one and ever year it fails it;s mot on another random suspension component. I recon I'd like a manual one just to see what it's like. The thing that annoys me the most about all Jags of this era (including my XJR) is the key is a Ford Fiesta key with a jaguar badge glued on. 0 effort made.

[londonm]

Terry Thomas died in 1990, from Parkinson's disease that he was diagnosed with in 1971 at the age of 60. Apparently his later tears were spent in relative poverty. He was brilliantly funny in so many films, and reminds us of a Britain that to all intents and purposes doesn't exist any more.

[Sigmund Fraud]

One thing I can confirm is that they're a hell of a lot nicer than the X-Type which isn't a patch on it's bigger brother.

 

Absolutely agreed ! My old boss had a diesel X-Type, it looked pretty special thanks to the 'sports' pack and those lovely diamond-pattern seats, but it drove like a bloody Transit !

[purplebargeken]

Sad that he died in relative poverty. He was brilliant in the films, etc. Kind of sad that the Britain portrayed no longer exists. Whilst not without it's faults it seemed like a whole nicer place to be.

[garethj]

I've read his biography, it's called "Bounder!" and it's excellent.  I think I need to watch School for Scoundrels again

[Junkman]

He played a fuggin brilliant "Englishman" in my favourite film of all times - It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

 

As for the S-Type - the only thing that keeps me away from having one already is that I'm not the Jaguar Type. I'm the Rover geezer.

But make mine a post-facelift 4.2. Otherwise I'd always think I'm missing out on something. Also, the 4.2 needs less petrol than the 3 litre.

[Spiny Norman]

I can't imagine why a shiteist would go for the goppingly ugly S type over the XJ to be honest.

Granted, when they were new an S was a good bit cheaper to buy (and probably in 3 litre form) run as well, but nowadays I doubt there would be much difference between them financially, and with an XJ you wouldn't constantly be fielding jibes from bar-room experts about it being a 'Mondeo in drag'

[dollywobbler]

Neighbour bought a beautiful, metallic red 56-plate S-type 3.0. It's a lovely car, though both his and my wife (oo-er) reckon the passenger seat is not that comfortable. Mind you, can't speak for his wife, but my wife reckons car seats don't come any more comfortable than a 1980s Mini...

 

He paid £6k for the Jag last year. Everyone assumes he paid a fortune for it.

[simmo]

 

My Proper 65 S-Type nice and crusty sold on for road use, photo from 1983,   A few years earlier Dad had a mint BRG one

[vulgalour]

^Hnngggnngngg

[simmo]

^Hnngggnngngg

 

I've had worse