Marque specialists are a wonderful thing. If you’ve chosen to run any kind of old motor, finding that one amazing ‘Fred (or Freda) in a shed’ who instinctively knows the diameter of your inlet manifold and torque setting of your left trunnion, often simply by touch alone – well, those people are worth their weight in gold. But what’s even better than that? Taking your beloved motor back from whence it came. That’s what.
And, if you have the impeccable good taste to be running any Jaguar or Land Rover product that’s been out of production for at least a decade, you can do exactly that – by returning it home to Coventry, where the veritable Gin Palace that is JLR Classic resides, on a very pleasant industrial estate in Ryton.
JLR Classic hit the headlines when it first launched, namely because of its exquisite work with ‘Reborn’ and ‘Continuation’ cars. Fancy dropping house money on a beautifully engineered, tastefully re-imagined Defender? Well, what colour and trim would you like? Want a bespoke engine and gearbox? Not a problem. Put simply, if you can imagine it, and it’s considered a good fit for the brand, they’ll make it for you.
Or maybe you want to delve further into the back catalogue. Sad that you missed the joy of owning a brand new E-Type the first time it was launched? Don’t worry, you can simply step into a virtual time-machine and have one built today . . . and precisely to your specification and desires.
Not rare enough? How about a tool-room replica of a C-Type? Or D-Type? Or maybe even an XKSS? Simply with the waft of your pen, and one imagines a fairly hefty deposit from your Coutts account, you can wait excitedly in your mansion while they build a truly authentic and faithful re-issue. And when you think about it, it’s not even a replica, is it? It’s just the latest one off the line . . .
JLR Classic is a truly magical place if you’re spending six or seven figures then, but what if your budget is a little more ‘realistic’? Can an average enthusiast with an average classic ever hope to set foot behind those shiny glass doors? The photos have given the game away already, haven’t they? Because yes, you very much can.
You see, in the very same workshops that create these beautiful, lottery winner’s fantasies, you can simply book your old car in for a service and check over – and often with the same skilled technicians who built and prepped the cars when they were new. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to just be able to book in for a quick oil and filter change, in the style of a glorified Kwik Fit, but if you’re taking in a half-decent car to begin with, it’s not going to totally break the bank, either.
I recently got to try this out for myself with a rather more affordable example of Browns Lane’s finest: my own X300 XJ Sport. One of only 44 manuals made, and a car, surprise, surprise, that I managed to pick up on a shopping spree at my second home, Manor Park Classics. This car really is quite a good place to start, with an almost exemplary history, a mere 45,000 recorded miles, and to my mind, in one of the best colour combinations ever issued in the ‘90s. It is definitely a keeper.
The process of visiting JLR Classic is much like any other garage, only a lot more in-depth. Before they agree to carry out any work, your vehicle will need to be fully inspected – and that takes the thick end of a day to go through every single part of the vehicle from front to back. Think of it as the lovechild of an MoT, an IVA, and a 140-point used-car check all rolled into one. What comes back is a cinematic masterpiece of a video that, understandably, takes the deepest of dives into the condition of every part, and perhaps more understandably, as the workshop of the brand themselves, advises you to change anything that’s sub-standard, or even approaching it.
You then also get a full War and Peace tech report outlining the condition of said parts, with their costs, so you can choose what you’d like to get done. Naturally, everything replaced here will be a genuine, warranted part. And the best bit? You get to add that fabled Jaguar ‘Works’ stamp to your service book. In fact, they even issue you a brand new service book to denote the car’s new-found status. That has to be good news if you ever come to resell.
While it’s not going to tax you to the tune of a new D-Type, there is the financial inevitability that, because of the tools, talent, venue, and quality on offer, it’s not going to be a bill that reflects the tariff of the independents, either. But, one might argue, there’s a real joy in having beautiful work done by the most qualified people using the best parts available. I’ve always thought so, anyway, and despite the prospective bill being more than half the price I paid for the car, I’ve pushed the button. This X300 XJ Sport of mine is a special old motor, and I really think it deserves it. And to be totally honest? I’m just enjoying the experience and the journey of really improving a rarely-seen classic. I always have.
I’ll report back in a month or two then, when my quarter-century-old Big Cat has been rewound to veritable kitten status. It might mean a bit of overtime and few beans-on-toast dinners, but to wildly misquote Benjamin Franklin, “The sweetness of quality is remembered long after the bitterness of price is forgotten.” Now, has anybody got any Saturday jobs going?
