Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
In our previous report, we wrote that on December 17, 2020, we went to Parañaque to inspect a 1995 Jaguar XJ6 4.0 short wheelbase (SWB) luxury sedan (known as the X300 within the factory) that was left unattended after its owner died while in another country. We found that it had deteriorated significantly after being exposed to the elements for more than three years. After viewing it, we were directed by Chris Ward, the president of All British Cars, Inc. to communicate directly with the heirs of the deceased owner about their plans for the car.
We got in touch with the heirs, who are based in North America, and learned that from May 2017 until February 2020, they were unsuccessful in trying to remotely get the XJ6 to the Jaguar Greenhills dealership for servicing with the goal of putting it up for sale. In February, they were told of the car’s deteriorated condition and decided instead to sell it for parts or to a restorer. They were considering a trip to the Philippines when COVID hit in March 2020. Frustrated, they contacted Chris in September to get a referral to a salvage yard and have the XJ6 scrapped. We learned about the car from Chris in October.
And That Was When We Got In…
We reported to the heirs what we saw when we inspected the XJ6 in December. We asked if they still want to have the car scrapped. They replied that they initially wanted it decommissioned because they felt being taken advantage of, especially with their father’s death, the distance and lately, the pandemic. But after Chris told them of our genuine interest in the car, they wanted to evaluate our offer first. They also sent us a photo of the instrument panel taken in May 2017 with the odometer reading at 155,096 kilometers.
We learned that their father went to the Philippines from North America and brought the XJ6 with him. Records from the Bureau of Customs dated January 11, 2005 showed that he paid P453,973.00 in taxes and duties. We also learned that the car recorded a mileage of 112,636 in December 2006 and that it was serviced at Formula Sports, Inc., the European car service center in Makati City, for oil changes, detailing, and minor cosmetic repairs. The aircon seemed to be particularly problematic, requiring a refrigerant refill in October and November 2007.
Learning All We Can
There were no further service invoices from Formula Sports, Inc. after November 2007, and it was assumed that the Jaguar’s maintenance and repairs were handled by a different auto repair shop or contracted by an independent mechanic. A warranty card showed that a new Amaron car battery was purchased sometime in 2014 while a shipping invoice from SNG Barratt, a U.K.-based Jaguar parts specialist, indicated suspension repairs in 2016. There were no records of any major engine work done on the car, especially the factory-recommended timing chain replacement at 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers).
The heirs pointed out that their last experience with the car was in May 2017, when it still was in very good condition. At that time, they already saw the surface mold in the interior, the sagging roof liner, the missing battery cover panel, and the broken power antenna. They said that it started and drove well, but conceded that they only drove it forward and backward inside the compound. They felt bad about how much further the XJ6 has deteriorated but they have no sentimental attachment to it and they would like to put the matter behind them.
Sealing the Deal
The heirs figured that the car still has some monetary value and asked us to submit an offer. We entered the car’s data into the Edmunds Appraisal Report, an online used car value computer, but erroneously entered kilometers instead of miles for the odometer reading, and got a low appraised value of only US$603.00. The heirs immediately saw our error, corrected the mileage data, and got a higher appraised value of $1,015.00. After some haggling, they agreed to a reduced price to include other miscellaneous local fees, and, believe it or not, we got ourselves a P50,000.00 Jaguar!
On January 20, 2021, we pushed the XJ6 from behind the MMM Building with the help of several men, evicted the last errant rat out of the engine bay, and winched the car onto a waiting Auto Transporter flatbed tow truck. When we were taking a video while extracting the car from its “resting spot” for the past three years, it dawned on us that we are now the custodians of a modern-classic British icon. As we drove northward from Parañaque, we made a mental note of the repairs that we need to do to restore the car and the documentation that we need to work on to transfer the ownership. We realized that we’re getting into rarefied territory!
Surprises and Disappointments
Once we got to Marulas, Valenzuela City, we unloaded the car from the Auto Transporter flatbed tow truck into the JSK Custom Paint and Auto Works garage, where it will be assessed, cleaned and repaired. The first thing we did when we got the car to the ground was to add air to its old underinflated 225/60R16 Continental tires. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they still hold air but we were planning to replace them with meatier high-performance 235/60R16 Bridgestone Potenza or Bridgestone Turanza tires anyway.
During our initial assessment after the car arrived at JSK, we were disappointed to find that the Leaper hood ornament, which we found mounted backwards during our December 17 inspection, was missing. We reviewed our video footages to check if it was accidentally dislodged while we were pushing the car during its from the spot behind the building in Parañaque. However, we saw that the hood ornament was already missing when we got there. We immediately notified the property owner, who promised to look for it.
More Surprises and Savings
As if to offset our disappointment about the missing Leaper, we were pleasantly surprised to find the broken pieces of the left and right front grille inserts, which are described as Radiator Grille Vane Blocks (LH and RH), wedged between the aircon condenser and the lower inner portion of the front bumper. We were glad that these pieces didn’t fall off when we were pushing the car back and forth, or when the car was up on the tow truck. We could repair these vanes instead of buying new ones and save money that we can use for other necessary repairs.
While assessing the interior, we also found the missing leather cover of the center console as well as the rear aircon vent under the driver’s seat. We can glue the center console cover back to its mounting base but we may not be able to fully repair the rear A/C vent because there are several missing pieces. We looked it up on eBay and found that new vents cost $129.75 or around P7,500 to P9,000 landed. We plan to repair our broken vent and mount it temporarily until we can get a new, functional and complete replacement.
Johnson Tan, the proprietor of JSK, suggested an initial game plan for the Jaguar so we won’t have to spend a lot of money at the start. He suggested that we clean the car first – inside and out – and then have it running so we can drive it around and check it for other needed mechanical repairs. He can have his technicians apply some rust converter to affected areas and then work on the paint finish after we have debugged the mechanical problems. Given our meager budget, we think that Johnson’s suggestion makes good economic sense.
Log in again as we delve into our latest, and hopefully not-too-expensive, Power Wheels Magazine project car, our 1995 Jaguar XJ6 4.0 SWB. Stay tuned!
