Returning member after long absence - new to me XJ 40

XJ40
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Hi all. I am in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In late 92 I bought a near new 1992 XJ 40 for my now late wife. She loved the car and drove it until her death from cancer roughly 18 years ago. When she passed the car was high miles, battered, well used, and rusty. Our youngest son was 10 when his mother passed. Subsequently I did a comprehensive rebuild and restoration of the car, with lots of questions asked here on this forum. Then, with the blessing of his two older siblings I gave our youngest son the car on his 16th birthday. The car took him to high school graduation, first loves, first jobs, etc.,

Fast forward from age 16 another 12 years of daily driving of the restored car again. The car is worn out again, but worst of all very rusty again. This time the rust had become much worse than at the time of the first restoration when all the rusty panels were cut out and replaced. At massive mileage the motor had also begun smoking. I actually sourced another low mileage motor, and was going to do another rebuild/restoration, but this time around realistically the car was past saving. Son has moved on to a very nice 2011 Infiniti G70 AWD Sport, and the XJ 40 has been retired. Frankly now at age 66 I was just not all that keen to tackle all that major bodywork on an XJ 40 yet again. I have various other car and motorcycle projects on the go, and in my hobbies I would rather do mechanical work than rust repair and bodywork.

So, the hunt began for a rust free XJ 40 shell. Didnā€™t care about the mechanicals, was just after a good shell. Looked for 6 months. Yesterday I found advertised a 1992 XJ 40 Sovereign from an estate, dark green with a darkish tan interior, rust free, with 60,000 original kms from new (that is roughly 37,000 original miles). The car is still on its original and now aged out tires.

I bought the car on the spot. So, out in my driveway tonight is my now 28 year old youngest son washing and claying down the XJ 40 I just brought home. Interior looks like new. Everything works. Car runs great. Air conditioning blows ice cold. From being parked for a long time in a garage there are a few dings and scratches in original paint, (looks like from bicycles or other things dragging against the sides of the car), there are three small dings needing to be bumped out so the car will visit a paintless dent removal shop, then I will see what can be done about the scratches, a couple of which look like they go all the way down to bare metal. But, absolutely no rust, and as a huge bonus, looks like great mechanicals. Obviously it will need a comprehensive servicing after sitting for a long time, but so far I think I have found a great car.

So, couple of questions:

car is still on its original 225/65 15 tires. Searching indicates that size is no longer readily available. 235/60 15 looks more available and size is a relatively close match, should only affect speedo reading by 1 mph at 60 miles per hour. What tires are folks fitting these days, and what sizes on stock 15 inch rims? Would like to replace the tires with new right away, donā€™t feel good about driving on 28 year old tiresā€¦

the lens on one of the stock fog lights under the front bumper is cracked. Any suggestions as to where to find a replacement?

suggestions as to best parts suppliers?

car only came with one key. Where can I find or have spares made?

has a quick skim through recent posts here. Looks like mainly the same topics covered from years ago, same issues keep arising, thankfully in the main these cars are quite reliable as long as they are maintained.

thanks!

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In 2016 I crushed a 1994 low mileage shell that was completely rust free, (BC car) after I removed every thing possible from it. Hated to do it, but couldnā€™t store the body - all its bits are in storage though.
You can buy the original Pirelli tires for that rig from Longstone if you want to stay OEM, I know Pirelli have re-introduced the 225/65 15 tires.
I would suggest eBay for your fog light lens, Rockauto has a comprehensive consumables parts list you can check out, but there are other sources too, Just google the part numbers you need, get the part numbers here:
https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.com/

I donā€™t know if your year uses Tibbe style keys, but if so there are a few posts in the archive discussing those.

Oh and welcome back aboard!

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Yeh welcome back hows the Motor bike? Youā€™ll notice there is now a forum for them here as well :slight_smile:

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Iā€™m a bit confused with your tire size,(Are your stock rims steel?) I was able to purchase 225/60R16ā€™s for my 94 at Kal Tire Chinook Center in Calgary. Was the 92 15" rim stock?? Regarding Tibbes key, a couple years ago a parts guy at Calgary Jag dealer suggested I contact Leigh at Lockmasters in Calgary, has the full setup for copying Tibbes keys. Hope this helps.

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Sean, I found this source for all.types of Jaguar keys including the Tibbe style:
https://www.triple-c.com/Jaguar_Replacement_Car_Keys.cfm
No affiliation, havenā€™t even purchased from them, just had the site bookmarked for reference. They are in Arizona USA. There is a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that explains how the Tibbe key code works. Good resource. It can be found at www.jagrepair.com.

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Mike - I think Sean recommended ā€œLockmastersā€ because both the store and the OP are in Calgary

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Sean - only the late cars have 16" rims (and I know you have 2 sets :wink:) BTW did you get your 40 back together and running after that mishap?

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That would make sense, but in case they are no longer in businessā€¦

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I should have said ā€œin case they are no longer in [the] business [of cutting Tibbe keys]ā€¦ā€ because while they (Lockmasters Calgary) do have a Web site I didnā€™t find any reference to Jaguar or Tibbe.

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Thanks Sean, and all.

Sean I called Leigh at Lockmasters, gave him the key code for the Tibbe key for the car, and he cut me three keys on the spot at $50 per key. As he is mobile only, I saved the call out fee by meeting him at a car dealership where he was at the time. I now have him doing keys for my 1990 Bentley Turbo R, great referral thanks!

for rims sizes, unfortunately the 92ā€™s were still 15 inch mags.Very poor tire section in 15ā€™s, original size apparently not even available expect in a Pirelli tire not readily available in North America. I have ordered Michelin Defenders T & H in an alternative size that should not throw the speedo off by more than 1 mph at 60 mph. No one in Calgary had stock, about a week to arrive after my order yesterday.

took the car to a paintless dent repair place yesterday for estimate and to book repair for the three dime size dents and basically got laughed at in expecting to get them fixed anytime soon. After 11 hail storms in Calgary so far this summer, and some of them so major they stripped siding off of houses and broke car windshields, all the dent repair places are booked solid into the foreseeable future apparentlyā€¦

so far the car seems to run pretty much like a new car. Not driving it particularly hard on 28 year old original tires, but everythign works, car runs great. Dark British racing green with barley interior, trunk interior looks brand new, car interior looks brand new.

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apologies for typo errors above, struggling to get edit function to work, and gave upā€¦

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Fifty bucks a key? Iā€™m in the wrong business!

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Excellent, Iā€™m glad the connection worked. I bet your Bentley, and possibly your Jag, came originally from the same neighbourhood in Southwest Calgary that my 94 Sovereign did, Belair! Just across the tracks from where I grew up.

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Larry, yesā€¦2 appreciated sets of wheels, and one set that you are well aware of the pedigree. As for my XJ40 going together after the mishapā€¦yaā€¦er, no. Not yet,ā€¦but soon. It has been some time since the mishap, and the shelved project is finally coming back to life. Fulcrum bearings and some other ancillarys are on their way from SNG Barratt New Hampshire, via USPSā€¦could be another year :flushed: :flushed:, but I promise, pics to follow, in a separate ā€˜newā€™ post, probably titled 94 Hub Carrier.

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Hi Larry

first I phoned the Jag dealer, but fled when they wanted to start a Work Order. The fellow at Lockworks told me the Jag dealer would have called him to come and cut the Jag blanks when they got them in. I am thinking $50 was a smoking deal compared to what the Jag dealer was gearing up to do to meā€¦

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now I am looking for 16 inch wheels to retro fit to the 92, tires in correct size for the 15 inch wheels seem to be unavailable unless I order in from the United Kingdom, I do know what alternative 15 inch sizing will work, just a bit narrower.

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A quick chiming in. You mentioned your 92 xj40 uses 225/65 15 tires. My 92 xj40 owners manual calls out 225/70 15 tires. Although perhaps a minor difference to many, I just thought Iā€™d mention it.

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Hi Roger

couldnā€™t find 225 width 15 inch tires anyway no matter the aspect ratio.

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Jaguar also used 215/65R15 or 205/70R15

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Hi. Paul.

I forgot to ask you when we last talked whether your car has the seat back tables and does it have the 4 light or Eurobrick head lights? Loved mine when I had it.

Grahame.