coefficient .32 Jaguar S Type X200 - One year on...

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Now in my mucky hands is this S Type Mondeo Lincoln. It's not like a Mondeo Lincoln  though, just uses some of the bits as it's from a time when jaguar was experiencing some 'technical' issues. 

It has managed to hang onto the feel of a premium car but for the use of cost saving interior plastics made from the same gear that land Rover used in the discovery 2 of the same era, I know, I have one of those too! That has some BMW switches in it though.

 

This jaag was cheap. Why did I buy it? All I wanted really was a small convertible for the summer to smoke around in, this is the polar opposite. 

The price was good but these cars are without their expensive issues. I liked the body. It's virtually rust free, a freak of nature and it had a set of premium tyres on it which suggested it's had some money chucked at it.

 

That's all I wanted really from it. The bolt on stuff and mechanicals are fairly easy to sort out, plus I can upgrade as I feel fit.

 

Today I've been bonding with this machine. It's got to beat the 3 series I have as a good daily or it's out. It's going to be a tall order, the 318 is bionic!

 

I have many miles to do in the next few months, I need a motorway cruiser auto. The odd jaunt for a few hundred miles is the 318's and my clutch legs limit!

 

Now, this car has been owned previously by a few members on here, the work it requires is because it is a cheap car and 20 years old and has a jaguar badge on it. There are a few issues with it.

 

As said, it has to be put into immediate service. I've owned it 2 days and it's already done over 300 miles, and will do all that again tomorrow! So let's get started!

 

After about 100 miles yesterday, I reversed it for the first time in my ownership and when braking the noise was alarming! Had a look and the outer rear brake pad was metal on the disc. I only had another 60 miles to go!

A phone call on the move saw a set in stock back home to be picked up. Sweet.

 

That was yesterday, I've got a day now to change the rear pads and sort out the dropped headlamps with a couple of screws... A couple of hours it'll be Sorted... He says...

 

WIND BACK CALIPERS! Yes, they are. My special tool? Sorry? What? No tool?

Well, I cobbled together a bar and a pair of molies but Christ, that was messing about! I wanted to secure the caliper to the mounting to hold it still but the sliders internal thread was cross threaded on both sliders, so I had to tap them out first. It worked but not without a fight. Then my neighbour came over to have a nose at the new aquisition... Him: Morning, how you getting on"?, Me: "Shit, you haven't got a brake caliper tool have you"? Him: "Yeah, I'll go get it". 

 

LIFESAVER!!!

 

 

Sticky slider syndrome ^

 

 

Fully padded up ^

 

I took a look around under there, it's nearly all shot. Most ball joints are exposed to the elements so all need replacing but not before a decent jet wash.

 

 

 

There's little play in the joints so all that goes on the list of parts and graft! Wheels on, I loosened and torqued all the wheel nuts around the car and done the Tyre pressures, we were running soft all round.

 

Next was the front lights. A screw mod can be done but I took the back off the units and they were, well toast. Nothing much holding the inner lenses still at all. There was only one thing for it...

 

 

I had readied myself for this. I got hold of a replacement lamp mounting kit with all parts made from nylon. This involved dissecting the lamp which was tough! The mounts that came out, or what was left of them were weaker than Jacobs crackers and just crumbled. To get the bumper off, the plastic under tray bolts were all seized so I had to grind them off. More knackered parts were seen. The auto box cooler has shed most of it's cooling fins, the radiator is sweating and the power steering is hemorrhaging fluid on full lock. There's also a coolant leak at the thermostat housing and there's a high pitch whine at 1000 RPM which turns out to be the alternator. More for the list.

Still, back to the lights. I need to be able to see tonight so I took a level off the tourings lights and marked on to a wheely bin, these are pretty spot on. Then I can use the bin for the Jaags lights and I won't be far off 

 

 

Going back together nicely it was a good time to run some tcut over the faded lenses. They need a more intense compound and a machine but will do for now.

 

 

Looks smart yo!

 

Then it got dark...

 

 

I then drove 120 miles in it and drove it like it was stolen. It had it, all of it! Slight brake judder at 90 and I couldn't get the alignment done as I had no time (see above pics)

 

So now we have to price up priorities like the knackered joints on the rear and a full service, two Goodyears and investigate the power steering leak which, I'll hazard a guess at the rack seals are fubard. 

 

So in summary, I got a bargain barge that has it's fair share of issues, the interior quality is a bit shocking in places but when the hammer is down, none of this matters! It fits in, it can be a proper giffer cruiser with radio two on at 30mph but it'll turn into a bruiser with some oldskool hardcore at a tonne. It's come to a good home.

[Six-cylinder]

Well done for sorting.

 

I should just mention it was the X type that was Mondeo based and the S-Type shares its development with a Lincoln LS RWD platform.

[The Moog]

Good to see it getting some love. It was so close to becoming a Moog keeper but didn't quite make the final grade.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Yes, I mainly refer to the switchgear. I read that the XF uses this platform too? 

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Good to see it getting some love. It was so close to becoming a Moog keeper but didn't quite make the final grade.

 

It's going to take some work but it'll get put right. Anyone know what's up with the sunroof and why it doesn't go all the way back? 

[wuvvum]

Wow!!

 

Is Sir, perchance, something of a perfectionist?

[Broadsword]

Very impressive the way you have dived in to getting the issues sorted. Coolant leak on the thermostat housing sounds like a lucky escape. No idea how hard it would be to do an alternator on one of these. I test drove a very tidy 4.0 V8 recently one of these with rattly noises from the engine area at tickover. Very quick. Still hasn’t sold. Maybe the sell would accept my offer by now. Hmmmm.

[wuvvum]

It's going to take some work but it'll get put right. Anyone know what's up with the sunroof and why it doesn't go all the way back? 

 

I'm pretty sure it went right back when I had it - I used it frequently, due to a warm spring that year and non-functioning aircon.

 

Sorry, not a lot of help I realise.

[wuvvum]

Very impressive the way you have dived in to getting the issues sorted. Coolant leak on the thermostat housing sounds like a lucky escape. No idea how hard it would be to do an alternator on one of these. I test drove a very tidy 4.0 V8 recently one of these with rattly noises from the engine area at tickover. Very quick. Still hasn’t sold. Maybe the sell would accept my offer by now. Hmmmm.

 

If I have another one of these it'll have to be either the same as this one or an R.  I don't think there's enough of a performance jump with the NA V8 to justify the increased complexity and fuel consumption, and I think a 2.5 would be a disappointment.

[Broadsword]

I think the S-type R is a bit of a hidden secret, huge performance for little money. I would buy a 4.0 V8 if it were very cheap. The one I was aiming for I offered £600 on the basis that I would have to work on the timing chain but maybe I was lucky he turned me down as timing chain problems on the V8 4.0 can be a real minefield. Nice to see one with no rust though.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Very impressive the way you have dived in to getting the issues sorted. Coolant leak on the thermostat housing sounds like a lucky escape. No idea how hard it would be to do an alternator on one of these. I test drove a very tidy 4.0 V8 recently one of these with rattly noises from the engine area at tickover. Very quick. Still hasn’t sold. Maybe the sell would accept my offer by now. Hmmmm.

 

It's got that OAT pink stuff in the system so the leaks are pretty obvious. When I service it I'll be doing a compression test to see how it's doing anyway. Thing pulls like a train tho.

[wuvvum]

Aye, I don't think too many of the original horses can have escaped.  I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I floored it.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I like the Rev limiter in park to protect the auto box. It tops out at 2 grand. The 635 could have used this as it's known for the box receiving catastrophic damage at mot time. The leather needs some food, it's dry as a bone. And the central locking needs some attention. I think I'll start again with that one. So much research is needed! 

 

It's a great base to build a great car out of.

[wuvvum]

If memory serves, the chap I bought the car off disconnected the central locking because it was draining the battery.

[loserone]

This is nice to see. Top chodding!

[The Moog]

Is this a 5 shiter car? 

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

If memory serves, the chap I bought the car off disconnected the central locking because it was draining the battery.

 

Yeah, it needs looking into. There's a bit missing too like the alarm remote fob which might explain something as to why it's been disconnected. Maybe to stop the alarm setting? I dunno as I dunno how it works yet but I'll get it going again. Probably cost too much to fix/ replace so pulled the fuse. I'm excited to find out!

[wuvvum]

I think he said he actually disconnected the gubbins inside the doors.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Oh, that could be what those infernal knocking noises are coming from within the front doors over the slightest bump!

[dome]

Good work! I had a brief flirtation with a manual 3 litre one of these a few years ago. It went like fuck with the manual box and 240bhp and handling was amusing on skinny P6000 tyres...

 

I really liked it and it had me hankering for an S-Type R too. Good to see this one getting some love.  

 

And yes, there's no Mondeo in this. It's based on the US Lincoln chassis as Mr 6 Cylinder pointed out above. 

 

If you've got a strong stomach have a look at the Ford Thunderbird based on the same chassis...

 

Incidentally I found some parts cheaper and easier to get a hold of from the U.S. with a bit of Google-fu

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Dat Thunderbird tho...

 

Running report. 206 miles complete at 33.2mpg and it had to sit in a tonne of motorway traffic. I was so confident* that it would handle the heat, I sat in lane 3- nowhere near the hard shoulder.

 

That was a good time to test the stereophonic system. Nice toonage! Not a bad set up, missing some mid range I reckon as the bass is either there too much and overpowering or not enough and it's too tweety. That's great for magic and smooth- none of which i listen to really because they make me feel sad.   

 

No dramas. It gets a day off tomorrow as I'm back on the train. Next time...

 

Er, spending a day on it messing about to see what we can fix and find. Need to find priority work on it so that it doesn't bite me in the arse.

[Isaac Hunt]

Excellent getting stuck in.

 

Good to see, that like me, you end up with all the tools in creation out and about the job.

 

Using the wheel bin as a beam setter, like that. I've used garage doors but never a wheely bin.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Spare of the moment emergency type set up. Needed something that I could transfer between cars without moving them. It's got me out of trouble though in the short time I had. I reckon the driver's lamp is pointing in towards the middle too much and a tad too high so I'll need to do them properly, using a wall... 

 

I've actually used my legs before, marking the level on my jeans. Doing this stuff in the middle of a close though, you know that 100 pairs of eyes are watching so you need to look semi pro at least!

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

The best way to empty your head of thoughts that keep circulating around and around is to write it down...

 

 

 

That'll do it... 

[Six-cylinder]

And when you have done all that your can have your money back and return the car!

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Oooh, I've been using the Jaag daily for the last few days since I got it. Mainly for short trips to the station and back to see how it handles the commute and it has rewarded me with fixing itself. Yes, two weekends ago I found the noisy (high pitch whine at 1000rpm exactly) alternator by holding the revs with my patented rev holding system (a brick) and spraying various bits of the engine with WD40. Once found it got a soaking to shut it right up. The noise has now vanished. Good, that's that fixed*.

 

Work called me back in early from my few days off I had rewarded myself for successful early project completion so my plans to go right over it and properly check it out have been scuppered for the foreseeable which is handy as the green car hasn't moved on yet and I wanted to put the sale money from that into this and it'll give me a bit of time to get the service parts together anyway.

 

Still pleased with it!

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Found 10 minutes today to get the alignment checked and adjusted! YAY!

 

 

Track rods are seized... Mission aborted. BOO!

 

For future reference:

 

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

ITS OFFICIAL!  I came home tonight after a 3 hour journey in the new Merc and was utterly saddened to see the birds had been using the jaag as target practice and it resembled a scene after a bird shit bomb had exploded. Worn out and knackered I necked my dinner and went straight out and washed it all off in the cold and dark! ...This is rare, I actually have 'a thing' for the jaag! 

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Smoll update! The Jaag has done zero miles since the last report however it has just eaten 235 sovs in Jag oe service items and qwaliti suspension components. That'll give me a chance to spend some time getting to know the engine... who knew Jag done two different dipsticks and that varies the oil level by 0.5L? Exciting stuff! The AJ-V6 (6 or 6.5L of oil) has VVT over the Ford standard (5.7L of oil) get up so it probably accounts for that.

Some front track rod ends are coming too to allow the steering to be set up and the tyres to be saved because at the moment it's seized and judging by the other suspension components, probably halfway on their way to being fuctM8.

 

Now, being good Friday I am at work but it's quiet so I've been ringing around for an auto electrician to come look at the alarm/ locking/ absence of key fob issue it has. So far I've rang 5 firms, left 2 messages and spoke to a bloke based in Lincoln. With this success rate, I anticipate 0 success today.

I'm subbing that work out because I've no time to do it and really only sort of know what I'm doing anyway. I could have an educated attempt if it comes to that but it would mean the jag having some of it's interior taken out for weeks and that looks shoddy.

 

The next expensive plan is to replace what I can of the bushings around the car with urethane and rebuild most if not all of the rear suspension. The ride is very wafty so it will take a bit of firming up without overdoing it. It would be nice to sharpen it up and gain a bit more driver feedback whilst slinging it around a corner. I was planning to lower it a touch and put it on Bilsteins but I've since shelved that plan in favour of keeping it 's Jaag like characteristics. I may well just up the wheel size and drop a profile or two... not important yet though. Many things to put straight!

[bezzabsa]

made me cry when watchJRgo on yootoob brought an Stype R for $2000 (IIRC) .. even with a goosed gearbox thats stupid cheap!!