After 18 years of ownership I very reluctantly need to sell my Solent blue 1990 non-cat 4.0L Sovereign (fitted with phase 1 XJR bodykit). I never thought I would sell this car - I have had several XJ40s and this has been by far the best one.
Apart from the usual XJ40 niggles the car has been fantastic to own and drive all these years but I have had to accept the fact that with ULEZ expansion into my area it is not practical to continue using it. A real shame.I bought it at approx 75,000 miles from the second owner (a retired airline pilot who just used it to get to and from his golf course [before that it was owned from new by an electronics company in Preston with a private registration - hence 3 previous owners on the V5]). It has now completed 157,500 miles.
The only reliability issues it ever had in my ownership was vapour lock on very hot days with low fuel in the tank. This was a known issue corrected in the 92MY with the pump relocated to inside the tank for better cooling (the workaround to this is to simply not let the tank get too low in Summer months).
The car's last MOT ran out at the end of the COVID extension and it has sat in my driveway since then as I started to use my motorcycle for longer journeys, but it has been regularly started and driven around a bit to keep things moving.
As with most / all old vehicles it has its good points:
The car has been always well looked after. I used independent specialists to maintain it while it was in regular use.
I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere. We have toured Scotland and Europe several times in it. They are fantastic touring cars.
Being the 4 litre and having no CATs (optional between 1990 and 1992 when they became mandatory) it is the most powerful of the 6 cylinder XJ40s.
Five 16" Fondmetal Jaguar / Chasseur BBS type wheels - better looking IMO than the V12 wheels most owners seek out to bling up their XJ40s and with the same tyre fitment. They are showing some surface corrosion but there are no chips or damage and they would restore very nicely.
Original Alpine 6 channel radio cassette unit modified to use a (charged) iPod input. This means you get digital audio but also the proper performance from the factory bass drivers under the rear seat - hard to achieve with aftermarket solutions. You can also plug a smartphone in using a 3.5mm jack. All this is hidden under the ashtray cover.
Rear deck (including fuel filler area and lower rear screen area) appears to be in excellent sound condition.
Lovely piped magnolia interior - no rips or damage - just some gentle patina.
Woodwork is good - no damage - a little sun lightening here and there - but very presentable.
Full working original Jaguar alarm system with two working infra red remotes (very loud when it goes off).
Front inner wings are OK - although there are signs of some surface corrosion starting around the fixing holes for the arch liners.
Inside of boot is dry (at the moment) with no corrosion.
Toolkit (I have the touch up paint for it somewhere - but the hex key for the wheel nut covers lives in that space now).
Handbook present + loads of paperwork, receipts etc.
All the dash warning lights behave correctly.
Aircon was converted to modern refrigerant (you cannot get these kits anymore) and used to blow ice cold all the time - but it will need looking at now as it's not cold any more.
...and bad points:
MOT expired.
There is some localised corrosion inside the leading edge of the O/S rear arch at the rear of the sill. Structurally I am confident that the rest of the car is very good.
The washer bottle slowly leaks. I have changed the pump but it still leaks. Maybe it needs a better seal - or maybe a replacement tank. I am including a good tank with the car.
N/S rear arch is poor - I am including a new repair panel with the car.
Bonnet and boot lid both showing signs of corrosion. I have excellent replacements from a 94MY car in the correct colour that I can include with the car.
Headlining is reasonably OK - it's tidy but could do with changing really - it never bothered me enough to tackle it.
Sunroof is OK but some minor surface corrosion starting to appear here and there - could likely benefit from some attention.
Front wings are a bit corroded but fixable IMO.
There is a very small chip to the windscreen - very high up - never been an MOT issue - it's been there for many years and hasn't got any worse.
Some de-lamination of the front screen (small milky patch) at the O/S bottom. I have a good used screen I can include with the car if required.
Small bubbling to base of O/S A pillar (less than 2p coin size) Hasn't got any worse in my ownership.
The gaiter around the fuel filler was replaced after the release solenoid packed up. I see that it has now degraded and if not kept clear is likely to allow water into the boot. I see these are now back in production. Alternatively I think it might be possible to repair it.
Blowers can be a bit temperamental after periods of non use - usually a bit of exercise will sort them out.
The central locking motor on the drivers door is not functioning - but I have a working spare that can go with the car.
Both mirrors have deteriorated - they need new glass.
Both front and rear XJR splitters are showing signs of age / cosmetic / minor damage. Some clown reversed into the front one at very low speed in a petrol station forecourt in about 2007. I never bothered with fixing it due to the number of complete idiots driving around in greater / central London these days. This cosmetic damage resulted in a CAT D insurance category IIRC due to the cost of replacing the splitter. I have a set of brand new genuine Jaguar / TWR front and rear splitters. These are not included with the car - but could be negotiated if interested.
The XJR boot spoiler could use some attention to the paintwork (the boot struts are genuine XJR parts to manage the extra weight of the spoiler).
The speaker for the indicator repeaters has stopped working - I have a new replacement that I will include with the car.
Paintwork is generally very good for the age of the car (apart from where mentioned above) but a little dull in places - could benefit from some polishing / treatment. There are a some minor paint defects around the car reflecting its age and use.
The automatic aerial doesn't work but I have a spare that can go with the car - they are repairable though.
The O/S front tyre has a slow puncture and needs a refresh every few weeks.
The car is located in SW London. I recommend you view it before bidding as there could be things I have overlooked / forgotten about. Please contact me through eBay messaging to arrange this or if you would like any more information about the car.
As well as the splitters I have a vast amount of good spare parts for these cars (cylinder head, gearbox, sunroof, front wings, brakes, electronics etc... that I have accumulated over the years. These are also available (for cheap) with the car if interested - subject to negotiation.