Big Vern

Do you know if they are Jaguar or another manufacturers? They look a bit radical/sticking out for Jaguar? I had some nice 5 spokes on my XJ40. They had quite a lot of info cast into them on the inner face- year of manufacture and a code number,etc. That tied in with the Jag accessory wheel number in the XJ40 catalogue at the time. This isnt much help, but you never know??

My brother bought a rare 1989 XJR janspeed bi-turbo Jaguar from a guy as an MOT failure. The ABS warning light was on. When he got it home he opened the boot and removed the ABS controller relay. (Different year models have these relays in different places) He then carefully prised open the relay and replaced the blade fuse within (8 amp, I think), put it back together and, hey presto the light went out!! He still has this car and is about to completely restore it. I recall being taken for a drive in it so he could show off- going REALLY fast along country lanes, he said that it felt as though one or both front wheel bearings were worn, as the car felt a bit wobbly! Imagine our pleasure in finding out that the wheel nuts on all four wheels were not much more than finger tight!!

I used to own a jade green 4.0 litre Sovereign (My first Jag) 1990 year. After some years of ownership I found that occasionally it wouldnt start. There was no particular time, morning or evening that it happened. It would just turn over and turn over with no chance of the engine catching. I would leave it for an hour and quite often it would start. I did a massive amount of head scratching on this one. Even pro help was no good- no error messages were stored and when left overnight at the auto electricians, the !Removed! thing started perfectly the next morning. In the end I determined to check every single connection that I could find on the car under the bonnet. After some long time checking I found the connector for the crank angle sensor. The sensor is an electronic device that looks at the crank damper on the front of the engine and tells the computer what position the engine is in when being turned over by the starter. This allows the electronic wizardry to determine the correct fuel/ ignition setting. The connector- one of those big jobs guaranteed never to fail that Jaguar used on the forty. Well it was melted onto the front of the engine, out of sight below the over hang of the cylinder head. The plug was shorting out onto the engine, presumably when humidity (or dampness?) in the air was just right. Thus the computer never got the important message about the crank angle and wouldnt start the car. I replaced the plug with a tough waterproof item from an electronics web site and the problem went away. Electronics-its always in the connections, either bad ones or dry solder joints.

My dad used to own a very nice Daimler V8 4.0 1998 model year. He keep getting a flat battery. After a lot of messing around it was discovered that the heated front screen was permanently on! The relays bases had got wet and this was shorting out the system. He just removed the relays and all was fine. There seem to be lots of relays under the bonnet of all XJ's and they arent very well protected from heavy rain or car washes etc.

Hello, Have you tried getting a certificate from the JDHT? Jag and Daimler owners are a bit more fortunate than many owners of classics, in that lots of records still exist for these cars and are held by the manufacturer. If you are trying to get a reg number reassigned to a car, then having a certificate might help. If you have any details of car serial number, engine number, body number, etc. Then quite often they can supply details of when the car was built and which dealer it was supplied to originally. The certificate wont detail the original reg. number, but might assist in convincing DVLA that the car and number belong together and they can safely issue V5. Hope this helps

Sometimes the name that we use for our beloved can change- especially if it wont start or you realise that a massive bill for parts or mechanicking is needed! But Kitty is fine as it will only be you that will use it. As in "Come on Kitty, get me past this truck, so I can get going". Most peoples cars are so boring and non descript that there isnt any point in giving them a name. At least Jaguars old and new evoke a sense of style and quality-these cars are worthy of adoration.

Hi, I will try and add some as I go along, although Im not very competent with these forum thingeys . Cheers

Yes, some people dont seem to remember the 'keep over to the left if possible' rule on motorways. I worry about those who want you to move over when you are in the outside lane passing traffic in the middle lane- where do they think I should go! (Dont answer that!) This is my basic objection to raising the limit. I dont believe that our drving habits and standards will support legally going faster. As previously mentioned by others When did we last see a motorway cop! I believe it has also been suggested that the motorway rules should be adapted to allow undertaking! Now that really would be a recipe for carnage!!

My mark 2 is called Big Vern. I didnt even get the chance to think of a suitably svelte and attractive feline name for him/her. As soon as my wife saw the car it was immediately named after the bogus east end gangster from VIZ comics. Whilst I might feel that the car reflects the aura of a professional person such as a bank manager. (His first owner was a doctor in Edinburgh). The Strife clearly has visions of us going tooled up for a blag and keeping an eye out for the filth I in my turn have started calling her Lewis, whilst listening to Mozart on the ancient radiomobile!

It seems to me that our drivers are falling more and more into two camps. Either the completely 'switched off' type who are pootling along oblivious to everyone or everything around them; or those who have an insane death wish and want to take us all with them! I dont think the speed limit should be raised because I dont think our drivers can handle it. The 'numpties' will panic and those who currently think that a 70 speed limit means 90 is the real speed limit, will see the green light for driving over a ton. Now lots of drivers are actually reasonably sensible, but I think raising the speed limit will produce an unwanted reaction. I would prefer to see the government putting some effort into driver awareness and education. We probably all remember the 'Only a fool breaks the two second rule' line that came out many years ago, Various motorways have those annoying chevrons on them that are meant to help you keep your distance. But how often do we see third lane nutters doing 90MPH+ with about 3 feet between them and the car in front. In the current motoring world I just dont think this will help!

Just discovered this site after looking at JDHT. I am the proud owner of Big Vern- he is a 1961 3.4 Mark 2. I've owned him for about 8 years now and he is my pride and joy. I owned a nice 4.0 XJ40 before and that was the best driving car I've ever had. Unfortunately, he had to go as I couldnt afford the dual cost of running. (I also hated being called 'two jags' at work!) Anyway, this site seems very friendly so far- I'm not a big computer whizz and loath twitter etc. I hope that I can find out more information about keeping Vern rolling and possibly help someone else who has a query.