Building the Leg End. The Old Jag thread.

[slowanimals]

Twelve or so years old and that's all it was good for. On the one hand,I'm amazed there's any left,and on the other it's nice to know that Jaguar haven't managed to make them last any better over the last half century.

[SiC]

Average age of all scrapped car now in the UK is apparently 13.9yrs...
Where those old Jags really that bad for longevity in hindsight?

[Warren t claim]

The end of a 1971 Daimler Sovereign 2.8:

You could almost hear the holed piston on that Daimler. I'm surprised that you could spec a Daimler with the tiny XK lump to be honest.



More Jag action from 40 years ago.

[mercrocker]

Average age of all scrapped car now in the UK is apparently 13.9yrs...
Where those old Jags really that bad for longevity in hindsight?

No.

It is just different economics in play now....Structural corrosion vs. electronic failure. It all adds up to economic considerations, I suppose.
Thing is back then, once your Jag had shit itself there was plenty of other comparable stuff available for next to nothing.

[Warren t claim]

When I was a banger auction driver back in '88 every sale contained at least three Series 2 Jags and maybe one Series 3. About once a month we'd get a tatty Series 1 going through.

I don't think I ever saw a Series 2 make more than £500.

[LynehamHerc]

I remember back in the 70s and early 80s spending god knows how much time fixing* holes, mainly in the front wings, of my and my mates cars which were only a few years old.
Datsuns were the worst, the best was my 1973 Opel Ascona which was properly rustproofed.

Regarding Mercs point our Pluriel was free from corrosion, despite all the water leaks, but at £500+ for a second hand ECU, of which there were many variations, the numbers didn't add up once all the little time consuming niggles with it were taken into account. My 35,000 mile Galaxy was written off as there was a water leak into the front footwell and the loom and other electronic bits in there were soaked. I seem to remember the parts cost alone was the best part of 5k if not more.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Average age of all scrapped car now in the UK is apparently 13.9yrs...
Where those old Jags really that bad for longevity in hindsight?

Not really. CAD885K did 14 years and few cars lasted longer. Plenty of 1972 Mercs and BMW’s in scrapyards in 1986.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The end of a 1971 Daimler Sovereign 2.8:

You could almost hear the holed piston on that Daimler. I'm surprised that you could spec a Daimler with the tiny XK lump to be honest.



More Jag action from 40 years ago.

They’d cured the piston dramas by then, reshaped the crowns, messed with the dwell angle etc. They were funny to look at as the block was so short.
I had a 1977 3.4 which was the small bore tall block and was a sweet engine.

Mark 2’s really were worthless in the seventies with only really mint 3.4 and 3.8 ones worth having. S Types in particular really fell out of bed once secondhand XJ’s started coming down in price. The 73/4 fuel crisis just slaughtered them.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

[bub2006]

Average age of all scrapped car now in the UK is apparently 13.9yrs...
Where those old Jags really that bad for longevity in hindsight?

I've noticed over past few years that cars in scrappy have reduced in age. Back in the 80s and 9s you'd see 10-15 year old cars scrapped due to terminal corrosion. Now it's 15 years and younger getting scrapped for electrical issues,dpf issues,dmf issues etc but the body stays in good shape. (Unless it's a Mazda in my experience) folk would rather scrap a 12 year old Mondeo diesel when the replacement clutch would cos in excess of 500 quid.
That being said,I've started to notice fewer new cars on the road over past couple of years or so and it coincides with even the banger market being 600+ for a spears or reapers. Typical advert reads something like good runner,no mot but needs new clutch and some little bits tidying for MOT. When you check MOT history you find it went for a test 3 days prior and has a fail list as long as your arm. Before I bought Suzuki 2 cars spring to mind. 1 came up as no data available which usually means a COD has been issued and another was a 1.4 diesel fiesta. Advert read needs mot,not had time to take it. Yet failure sheet on line read welding needed on sills and suspension turrets, excessive smoke and bald tyres.