New Owner - 2003, V8 S Type

[Nightwing]

Hello All,

 

New here, new to Jaguar ownership and a new S Type owner.

Always been a fan of the marque. Always been an admirer of
the old Mark II and when the S Type came out made a note that if the moment
permits – would like one.

The moment came along about two weeks ago. ‘Ers indoors had
gone off to London with family (two kids and 3 and under) and the family
workhorse (LD Freelander  - has two baby
sits, buggies, rubbish, rubbish, rubbish and also does the school run twice a
day!). Suddenly doing a simple chore – from a village location proved tricky.

The other car – which is now really in winter hibernation – is
allergic to rain and generally useless other than looking pretty (bit like a
supermodel GF, great to look at and bee seen with, but useless in the kitchen
for a Sunday lunch!)

 

Anyway, it had become apparent another daily run around for
me was increasingly necessary. I could not see myself with a Ford Focus or some
other non-entity car of that type no disrespect to owners of those cars).

So, I thought as I have to have car for my general use – why
not one I have always fancied? Still had room for a few passengers with some of
the modern creature comforts.

I initially had a list of ‘musts’ and ‘flexible on’ – these were

 

Must –

* Black

* Automatic

 

* Sat-nav

* Low mileage (60k or less)

* Good service history

* Low ownership history

* Good condition inside/outside

* £5k or less

 

Flexible on –

* V6 (or V8 if lucky)

* Interior colour (cream ideally)

* 2003 – 2005 (I think the road tax for some reason shot up on 2006 models, but on the right car I would have gone up 2007)

 

I came across one via Autotrade from near Manchester – black (trader seemed like a genuinely nice chap and would have dropped the car off).
V6 with one/two owners, circa 50k miles, BUT a couple had the day before out down a small deposit. One description alone Iw as sold and offered the couple up to £500 as a gesture if they let me buy the car which was about £4k

Alas, they had test driven it and wanted a black also – so could
not be persuaded.

This was on a Wednesday.

 

By Thursday night – about past 9pm I came across a V8 black,

auto, with sat-nav, cream interior, 60k, top end of my budget, one owner, full
s/h but all the way in Northamptonshire.

The (old-ish) sounding dealer said he would accept a deposit

and I said I would train it down the next day from London. I asked him if he
would be flexible on the price.

He said no, but I said I hope that he would maybe move a little as I will come with the intention of buying – almost sight unseen.

Went down the next day and the car had not been detailed or even very properly cleaned (not by my standards).

The dealer was not as old as he sounded – but a very aggressive and quite vile/rude man.

He was very defensive about any fault on the appearance of

the car.

With hindsight, they are not major – but merited a little discount.

In the end I managed to persuade the bugger to fill the car with a full tank of patrol – but he only agreed if I took his standard 3 month warranty. I took the risk. His warranty  - all the way up in N’hampton (given what a nasty piece of work he came across as – would not be worth the paper it’s written on. I took the full tank of petrol worth about £60)

 

The seal (not the rubber seal) on the driver side windscreen looks scuffed and could with replacing or blackened.

 

The roof had a small nasty/deep chip – not instantly noticeable.

Otherwise body quite tidy.

I spent an hour and half getting back to Kent that night – then an hour
and half going loopy completely lost in Kent. That sat-nav is totally mad!!!!
(Have ordered a new disc) By 10:30pm I got home having asked a chap which way my town was!!! I was going round and round in the wrong direction!!!

Since then, I have tested it locally and it goes totally off radar...and takes some goodness what route but never the right one.

 

The first weekend was spent washing the car, cleaning the engine and generally giving it a thorough clean everywhere I could reach.

I find it a very useful exercise in getting to know your car – if you wash it personally inside/out. You learn all the imperfections and to be fair other than the stated it is pretty tidy.

 

The areas of concern (and any helpful advice would be
appreciated) –

1. Sat-nav (I think I have sorted that out…)

1. Squeek sound (on second day of cleaning, it got a
   bit frosty and cold by late afternoon and I had been generous with the engine area in cleaning and sparing black dash spray on the plastics to blacken it all out again. Now I don’t know if any blew onto the engine belt – but the next morning, it made the most horrendous squeeks. I spreayed WD40 and it stopped instantly.
   I have done a bot of research the view is this is a common issue – or is it something that needs replacing?)

1. The car steams up by itself and runs the heating in some odd way when I leave it – why does it steamed up? Is this a feature or a fault?

1. The callipers on the brakes do not have the green Jaguar logo – is this due to fading or did this model not have these?

 

First impressions – after owning for two weeks (done about 400 miles)

1. Very fast!

1. Lot of power in that V8

1. Smooth and comfy drive

1. Lovely soft suspension

1. Creature comforts plenty – getting to know this ‘Auto’ button/mode

1. Lots of boot space

1. Lovely V8 burble on the exhaust note (not too loud as it is a saloon car)

I have booked it in for a health check and service – as it is overdue one – back with the same place where the car was sold and serviced all its life. Lancaster-Jaguar (Sidcup). They know the car well and it was coincidence that I picked the car up from N’hampton when it living not far from me all along.

 

In time would like to get the little stone chips and that big chip on the ceiling dealt with.

Find it hard to clean it and get the black to be black afterwaxing.

The nice black interior carpet is making me obsessive about shoes bring in all the ‘rubbish’ – have a little rolling brush in boot.

 

Purchased a massive Jaguar (gold style) umbrella for the boot from on-line – the quality is amazing! (I always have a car branded umbrella in all my cars boots)

 

Leaping Jaguar – NOW for the controversial part. Always loved the iconic leaping Jaguar. I did wonder why it was not on newer cars – surprise, surprise…Health and bl**dy Safety!

I gather EU laws allow for these to be installed if they break away or fold?

However, being a purist who doesn’t like meddle with a car too much – drilling a hole in the bonnet seems a bit drastic. But even the missus says - the leaping jaguar always looks very elegant and distinguishes a Jaguar.

Read some who think it looks obnoxious on modern cars if installed by owners.

Maybe (with respect) on a X type…but the S type is the grandchild of the Mark II…if any modern Jaguar would look good with the leaping Jaguar IMO it is the S type.

I will discuss it when I go for the service in a few weeks’ time.

 

I am told I am quite young for a S type driver - as most are retired or in the older category. That does not really bother me. I am a long term keeper of cars. And this will be with me long term. I have no intention of selling it, let put it this way. My other 'useless but pretty' car is a lifer which my 3 year old will inherit. Maybe he will want this as well. I am an enthisiast of (sports) cars (and mainly British - but also some Italian and other cars). So I only buy cars i really like or really want.

Love to hear your views and thoughts on this matter and any of the above points also.

 

Thank you.

 

[Mr Lawrence]

Welcome to the club.

Few points,

logo on the calipers was only on the type R I think.

Belt squeal, replace to sort.

Leaper, I have one on my ultraviolet blue car and it looks ace imho, do it, you know you want to!!!

I paid around £15 for mine off eBay and fitted it myself, open the bonnet and look underneath at the front you'll see a hole with a stamped circle, drill a pilot hole through the centre of that then carefully open up the hole from the outside with a step drill. Stick leaper on and tighten the big nut up. Job jobbed.

I'm 46 and have had 2 S types!!

Post some pics up.

[Nightwing]

Thank you for the welcome and your reply to some of my points.

I will look at the bonnet and check there won't be any insurance issues withe the leaper being installed.

I know the R had R calipers, I though the rest had 'Jaguar' written on their calipers.

Cheers,

A

[Raistlin]

Welcome to the JoC Amal. NICE car :D

 

I agree with Andy, the leaper is in the DNA of the S-Type. I am one of several who have done the mod. It is easy to do but I'd advise measuring before making the initial hole because the template on the underside isn't always precisely in the middle.

 

This thread might help:-

 

http://www.jaguarownersclub.com/forums/topic/11952-leaping-jaguar-bonnet-mascot/

 

You can also get stick on leapers which I understand work very well.

 

Enjoy your car... and please let us all see some pictures.

[Nightwing]

Thank you Paul. I am inching closer to the idea of installing the leaper.

A few pics will be posted shortly. The grill on my profile is of course of my car.

[The Voices]

The leaper is a nice finishing touch but I am not sure myself ?

 

Taking a drill to your car is quite traumatic but I used to have a customer who purchased a new XJ from me every 8-10 months but only on the understanding that I personally fitted a leaper for him (our workshop would not touch the job as we would be liable)

 

Drilling holes in a brand new £50k Sovereign is a somewhat daunting experience as I remember !

[Nightwing]

A few pics...the first morning after picking it up.

[Nightwing]

On a full tank...circa £60 I did 250 miles...how does that measure up?

[Raistlin]

Looks gorgeous Amal :D

 

Who buys a Jaguar and cares about fuel?

[Nightwing]

Looks gorgeous Amal :D

 

Who buys a Jaguar and cares about fuel?

Lol...the comment was more to gauge cars performance. It actually feels more efficient then my other two cars.

Btw, any comments on the odd satnav?

[Raistlin]

What is it that you find odd about the satnav Amal?

[Old Peter]

Thank you Paul. I am inching closer to the idea of installing the leaper.

A few pics will be posted shortly. The grill on my profile is of course of my car.

My leaper is a stick on, but is very solid.  Measure twice, drill once! 

 

Peter.

[KEN33Y]

Hello Amal and a warm welcome to THE Jaguar OWNERS CLUB. If you have any questions then pop them on here, there will always be someone with an answer

[Mr Lawrence]

Lol...the comment was more to gauge cars performance. It actually feels more efficient then my other two cars.

Btw, any comments on the odd satnav?

Have a look in the menu for chat DVD map version you have.

There's a 2012/13 disc available from satnavdvd.co.uk for £25.00, loads cheaper than a dealer disc.

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

Hi and welcome,

If you find you have an issues with your insurance then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

[Nightwing]

Thank you Dan, Kenny.

So had to drive to Maidstone yesterday. Didn't trust the cars satnav and took the Garmin as a back up. Glad I did as whilst some o the journey both gave same direction on the way back home the cars satnav kept telling me to go opposite to the Garmin.

Eg, Garmin suggest take 2nd exit at roundabout, cars satnav suggested 4th exit at almost every roundabout it told me to take a different one. Got home fine thanks to the Garmin.

Puzzled.

Hoping new disc arrives today.

[Raistlin]

Without evangelising, I have to say that I'm completely satisfied with the OEM satnav, allowing for the inevitable lack of recent data once the disk is a year or two out of date.

[Mr Lawrence]

I'm in agreement with Paul, very pleased with the oem system.

More so with the latest disc in.

Hopefully when your disc arrives it'll sort it's self out.

[The Voices]

Check the navigation settings in 'route preferences'

 

Weird things happen if someone has set it to 'avoid major roads' or similar !

[Nightwing]

Thank you for that tip. I will do.

The leaper has arrived. Very nice too for £25

I am increasingly thinking of installing it, perhaps get someone at the service place to do it as I don't trust myself with a drill.

[Raistlin]

I installed mine myself with no problem Amal. I used a different method though, initially drilling a small pilot hole then using a tank cutter to make a perfectly round hole of exactly the right size in one go.

 

You'll need to make a smaller hole for the locating peg as well, unless you decide to cut it off.

[Old Peter]

Hi Amal,

 

Another little tip about the SatNav.

 

There has been a rise in the number of small industrial estates and the planners often insist on traffic islands to be built to ease access.  Those built after 2012 will not be recognised, and you will have to note the road number for which you should be looking.

 

Regards,

 

Peter.

[Mike_eng]

"Turn left soon" arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh drives me insane, it's ok out here in the boondocks but when I visit my family in London it's an open invitation to rear end a No 53 bus

[Raistlin]

"Turn left soon" arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh drives me insane, it's ok out here in the boondocks but when I visit my family in London it's an open invitation to rear end a No 53 bus

Maybe just turn the sat nav audio off for those occasions Mike?

[Nightwing]

"Turn left soon" arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh drives me insane, it's ok out here in the boondocks but when I visit my family in London it's an open invitation to rear end a No 53 bus

Lol...!

I know I have been using both the car satnav as well as the Garmin. It make me laugh when the instruction from is turn left in 100 yards and the other says turn left"soon"!