I feel like people are weird about the costs of maintaining old cars. They'll be outraged at the thought of having to spend a few thousand to keep a nice old car on the road and then they'll go out and spend tens of thousands on a new car that depreciates the second they drive it. Yes, old classics can be money pits, but that's not a problem if you know what you're getting into. Most new cars are basically money pits as well.
I often tell my customers this when I give them quotes. If the car needs major work the bill is equivalent to a big service in a modern car yet the work that has been done will last 10 years at least
May I add that these cars are such a very cool and distinct style statement. Like wearing a beautifully restored vintage Swiss watch instead of a modern electronic annoyance. The fact that you’ve taken a car with a notoriously poor reputation for reliability and turned it in to a very safe, reliable, classy daily using the original drivetrain is even better. It reflects so well on your skills and determination. I daily my 10 year old family Ford Flex that I just paid off. When spring returns, my series one e-type comes out daily for obvious reasons.😊👍
Unfortunately the poor reputation has been created by people that know nothing at all about these cars. It seems that everyone is an expert on British cars even without any real experience with them.
@ It’s an amazing car. I bought it 4 months ago after it had been sitting in a garage since 1996. I fitted all new hoses , fuel lines, tanks , brake system and gave it a good clean and polish . It’s the smoothest most comfortable car I’ve ever driven.
We used our '78 as much as possible. The only downside, if you live in a city, is someone running into you. The first time that happened, it took six months to get her back on the road (nearside rear). The next time, front nearside, was four months. That said, there is nothing like the feeling of a Double.
There are at least 2 people daily driving Series II or III Jags in Oxford UK, they make an interesting choice because they were back in their day very difficult and expensive cars to keep on the road due to complex repairs and build quality issues. I guess once you get on top of everything and you work through all the common issues, the general robustness of the car shines through. I doubt there are many modern cars that are as nice to drive on dirt and bad roads as a Jag. The low center of gravity means the car can get away with a soft suspension and sill handle well. I remember driving Jags many years ago and finding it so easy and comfortable through the bends at higher speeds just driving past most other cars. All in all a very nice choice of car.
I’m 70 .., and I have been driving my ( 54 Year Old 1971 KARMANN GHIA ) , as my daily driver , For around 6 Years Now….! It’s not rocket science ….! I do all the work on my car myself ….! It’s easy to work on, no electronic ignition…, And it is a standard shift, with no power steering no power brakes, And gets fantastic gas mileage…! 👍🏻
Hi! I live in Antwerp, Belgium and i daily a '92 Mini Cooper and have a Triumph GT6 Mk1 on the way. I agree on all fronts. Financially it is the cheapest way to have a second car. Environmentally speaking, by the time you offset the carbon footprint equivalent of the production of a new electric car, you really have to rack up the miles with your classic. Driving a classic triggers all of the senses. If you walk up to your classic, you see something unusual, you touch different materials, you smell 'the' smell, you hear the engine and exhaust note on startup, and you haven't even driven the thing yet! The driving itself sometimes needs some muscle and manual work and you need to adopt a defensive driving style, but that only gets you involved in what you are supposed to be doing, driving (not fiddling touchscreens and such). Indeed not for everyone, but for those who like it, the rewards are epic!
I daily drive a 1994 Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40) that I have owned since around 2007. It looks like a real junker because the body has several dents and dings in it from the previous owner's accidents. But the car is rust free and generally starts and runs very reliably. Also years ago when I lived in Phoenix AZ I was driving a 1972 Jaguar XJ6 and when moving through an intersection I was hit in the driver's door by a car turning left through the intersection. The car that hit me was a full size Chrysler 300 sedan. The driver's door and A-pillar of the XJ6 were pretty badly damaged (the door no longer opened) but I walked away from the accident without a scratch.
Phoenix drivers are crazy, I was in my XJ40 driving home from Phoenix and was T boned the car was totaled, all I had was a bruised chest from the belt.
@@jagvette1 very surprising to hear this. XJ40s are pretty notorious for their poor crash performance even by 1980s standards - the sills are very thin and there are no side impact protection bars.
My daily (apart from when there's salt on the road when I borrow rhe wife's 10 y o hatchback) is a Jag XK8 it's just turned 26 years old, not as old as yours but the same comments apply, comfort, running costs, "the environment", parts prices are mostly pretty good - compared to.moderns, cheap insurance, etc etc etc., and its such a nice place to be when on a journey. So I totally agree with you.
My daily driving is split up between my 1986 XJ6 and a 2005 L322 Range Rover. The Jag does stay at home for most of the winter to keep it away from the salt and sand on the roads here in Calgary, Canada. I have purchased three new cars in my life - a 1986 Mazda B2000 that I drove for 430,000 km and replaced it with a new 2002 Saturn that finally was totalled by a hit and run driver in 2018. My last new car was a 2018 Mazda CX-5 which I sold in 2022 when resale prices went crazy. I purchased the XJ6 and Range Rover and totally sorted them both out and still have $10K left over in the bank! It used to be possible to buy a reasonably priced new car, maintain it yourself and keep it for 15-20 years but now a new car will cost you a fortune, impossible to fully maintain yourself and will be totalled out in 8-10 years by some electronics failure. I am 70 years old so with proper maintenance done by myself, the XJ6 and Range Rover could possibly be the last cars I will purchase!
Fluid Film the underbody and doors every year with 10+ cans of Fluid Film or some other lanolin undercoating every fall and your car will last forever. You can keep even your exhaust hangers pristine if you spray them. NEVER wash the underside of the car unless you live on a dirt road; just Fluid Film over everything. It works, even in areas where the roads are heavily salted in winter.
Up to 3 months ago ,I daily drove a 21 year old S Type 3.0 auto , never let me down Due to health ,sadly had to sell it , at least it has gone to a good home .
Wasn't really a _Jaaag_ then was it old boy?😉 Bit more of a Ford 😅 - I'm sure you get that a lot... Never got to try one personally - I was told they were essentially Mondeo's with a different body and trim, but what was your experience? How was the weight and feel, the ride quality? I always thought it looked eminently "chuckable" like its predecessor name-sake and wasn't there a 4.0 somewhere in the mix? Not looked, but never saw any youtube demo's either - funny that. I think I'll make a point of taking a look - thanks for your post Sir! 🙂
The X-Type was the one that was built on the Mondeo platform. Jaguar reworked the Ford 3.0 V6 and got a lot more power out of it, and made the X-Type AWD where the Mondeo was FWD. The S-Type was slightly larger, and RWD. It was co-developed with Ford engineers. The “Ford” version was the Lincoln LS. They later used the same platform for the Thunderbird. The X-Type and S-Type both used the same V6 engine. It started life as the 24V DOHC Ford Duratec V6 in both 2.5 and 3.0L versions. Jaguar engineers redesigned the cylinder heads and added variable valve timing for a bit more horsepower. The X-Type got the 2.5L engine as the base engine, and the 3.0 as the optional upgrade. The S-Type came with the 3.0 standard (at least in the US. Euro market cars had other engine options as well), with Jaguar’s 4.0L V8 as the option. The 3.0 in the S-Type made 235 horsepower, basically the same as Ford’s 4.6L V8 that they were putting in the Mustang and the Grand Marquis when the S-Type launched. Jaguar’s 4.0 V8 was making something like 280 or 285 horsepower in non-supercharged trim…so the 4.6 was rapidly getting outclassed by smaller engines. When the S-Type launched in 1999, it fed all that horsepower to the back wheels through a Ford 5R55N five speed automatic transmission. Independent rear suspension and 4wheel disk brakes were standard, as they had been on Jaguars since the 1960’s. In 2003, the 4.0 was replaced with the slightly larger 4.2L V8, which really didn’t add much total horsepower, but did have a little more low end torque. The 4.2 was a slightly refined version of the 4.0, with most of the 4.0’s early reliability issues being corrected. Also in 2003, the somewhat problematic Ford 5R55N transmission was dropped in favor of the ZF 6HP22 6 speed automatic, which was a much more reliable gearbox. Jaguar also introduced a high performance version of the S-Type, called the S-Type R with bigger wheels and tires, bigger brakes, and a sportier suspension. It seems like they did something else to the R for more performance, too…what was it? Oh, that’s right! A supercharged version of the 4.2 L V8 making 400 horsepower. While it’s undeniable that the S-Type shared a lot of its DNA with Ford products, it was light years ahead of the Mondeo, and even in V6 trim was a better performer than the V8 Lincoln Town Car, while being every bit as luxurious and comfortable. I love all Jaguars, but the Ford era cars are some of my favorites. Even though they never sold in the numbers Ford hoped, the Ford era cars were probably the best Jaguars made. The 1995-1997 XJ6’s were absolutely Lexus-level reliable, and way sexier. The 4.0 V8 wasn’t as reliable out of the box, but by the time Jaguar introduced the 4.2L version, and backed it with the ZF 6HP transmission, they hit upon an absolutely magical drivetrain combination. You can buy a 4.2L S-Type for well under $10,000 today, and have a fast, luxurious car that you can easily drive until it hits 250,000-300,000 miles.
My work van is 25 years old, my daily car is an 1983 Mercedes 300sd that gets 30 mpg. I started tearing into my 1986 XJ6 that I traded a 1985 Suburban for two years ago. I started pulling the plugs and found the previous owner put one in at an angle 🤦♂️. I am going to clean up the threads and get it go in properly. Finish the tune up and replace the belts check the brakes, and get it on the road. I have been running 20 plus year old cars for the last 40 years. I have only bought 1 brand new truck. I agree, if you can do your own work this is much cheaper to run than a new vehicle. The new cars today will not be running in 25 years let alone 50 years. I don’t like all the electronics, and computer. I enjoy my ‘83 Mercedes that I was given in 2020, this is my second diesel Mercedes. I drove an ‘86 XJ6 in 1991 and fell in love with the way it handled and how solid the car was. I am very excited to get this one on the road. I agree, these are green vehicles now because we are recycling them, and the carbon footprint is extremely low. They are also more fun than modern cars. My toy car is a 1921 Model T, that is registered as a regular car, and I use it every week in decent weather to run errands, not just tours or car shows.
I've been daily driving my £5k 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and apart from the fuel cost it is perfect and compliant with the London emission zones. Classics from this era certainly offer a lot more comfort and have serious presence compared to most of the modern stuff.
Ho tom. Im in northern england and have been looking at old 70s toyota trucks to avoid paying the protection money to go to work. My question is regarding insurance policys. Are there classic car policys that cover you for daily driving? On first impressions and a few conversations it seems id have to chose between conventional ploicy for daily use or limit use to get classic insurance
I just thought I drove an old Jaguar til I saw this video. Mine’s a 2009 XJ8 with 166,000 miles on it. I bought it in 2021 with 73,000 miles, so I’ve put nearly 100,000 miles on it in 4 years. I have no plans on getting rid of it anytime soon, even though it’s showing its age. I also have a 1977 Grand Marquis that I’m restoring. The engine is in pieces in my garage right now, but when I get her put back together, I definitely need to take her out and drive her a lot more.
I'm 23 and got into cars through my father and Herbie. I bought my first car at 17. A Suzuki Samurai, which i completely restored last summer on my own. A year ago i bought my second car. An XJ40 Daimler 4.0. Both are being daily driven and I love it.
Hello Adam. I couldn’t agree more with your video. I have a 1974 XJ6 that I bought in 1999. I use it fairly regularly in the summer. As well as that I have a ‘60 MK2 and a ‘69 GT6+. Insurance for those three is cheaper than one Jeep Liberty that we also have. I service all my vehicles but I am getting close to 80 so it is getting harder to do that work. I am too afraid to use the old cars in the winter. Everything rusts quickly where I live. The old cars are very economical. I could never afford a new car off the lot.
My XJ6 may start to rust at some pint but I have decided that if that happens I will have it welded and fixed. It’s done me so well so far. How is the GT6? They seems great
First time watcher and new subscriber. Cool video, love that you're willing to daily a Jaguar that old. There's a 54 year difference between the newest (wife's Taycan) and oldest (68 Mustang) cars in my garage, so I guess you could say I like them all. My DD is an 18 year old British car, but I feel very lucky to be able to say it was made in Gaydon and has a winged logo. It's also a part time autocross car, videos on my channel
Here in California, pre-1976 cars do not require a smog check. That's a big deal because it opens the door for sensible modifications and no smog pump, oxygen sensor or catalytic converter to steal and so on. Generally simpler cars that are DIY friendly. Straight 6 Jaguar engines are absolute gems. Also there is the lack of worry that comes with an older car. Park it where you want...door ding who cares? Buying an old car that's already been manufactured is far more environmental than buying a new car that takes new resources and labor to bring to market.
Thank you for this great video extolling the virtues of using a 50 year old as a daily driver! I’ve been trying to get this message out to friends for years but with little success! Zero depreciation and a lot of fun. Mine’s a 1987 Range Rover 3.5l and I love it.
When I last worked, +/-2005, I used a 20 year old Fiat Panda. Not flashy, but cheap to buy & run &, with the rear seat out, ideal for lugging all my carpentry tools.
'Daily' is a 2007 Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower on 243,000km. Bought it a dozen years ago. I have maintained it myself for the last decade and pretty much know it inside-out. Gearbox, timing chain and rust are the biggest concerns for the future, but I will never, ever sell the car and, should the engine explode tomorrow, I will simply rebuild the engine and carry on. I own several other Saabs and Volvos but that 9-5 does the heavy lifting. Lives at 120 km/h and still has good overtaking speed. It was quite a new car when I bought it, so it's funny to see it become one of the older cars on the road where I live. Have always admired your approach to the XJ!
My daily is a 72 Jaguar XJ6. Love it!! I've added sound deadening and a modern stereo (with a period retro look) and it's a nearly perfect car for me. It will be my perfect car when I finally get around to converting it to a XJ12. Keep up the great work!
Great video! and I totally approve of the philosophy! I live in italy, I have a 1983 Panda 4x4 that is my daily car, I have customised it in an elegant way and it is beautiful, you can park it anywhere and load it with anything! I have also just rescued a 2001 Jag X-Type 3.0V6 that was going to be scrapped, it is in good shape and I want to make it a long-distance car
I have an original 1979XJS. It's driven almost yearly except mid winters, a lot of salt, and therefore rust in my area along the coast. So many amazing things about having a classic car like the $200 a year insurance. though mine is in such great shape I don't like to leave unattended and it's cap in garage so it's safe and secure. Whenever I'm in public people flock to it like crazy. Like a fine wine it's become more beautiful over the years. And also this year starts the 50 year anniversary of the XjS! Keep up the great videos Adam and thank you for helping us. Keep our beautiful cars running thanks to your encouragement and great videos.
I've got a 23 year old Skoda estate, it's narrow and fantastic for the narrow country lanes by me. It has a 1.4 litre petrol engine which is quite powerful enough. I use this car regularly on my commute to work
I do a daily Saab 9-5 2,3 turbo from 2007, a Rover 75 CDTi from 2003 ( amazing car!), a Jaguar S type 3.0 from 2000 and a Lancia Thesis from 2007. Love all these cars but do also all the maintenance myself, so they are ridiculously cheap to run. And the environmental issue? I totally agree with you and I think more people are going to realize this more and more, especially of increasing new car prices
Hi Adam- interesting video and take on classic ownership. Here in the UK, there's one issue that is a problem (and before all the haters of various makes and nationalities of origin start the usual sarcastic comments - it affects all makes and models, even those supposedly galvanised against rust) - corrosion. A combination of liberal use of salt whenever a frost is suspected and a damp climate really challenges the long-term viability of older cars. I am sure you have seen how You Tubers like Matt of Furious Driving and Ian of Hub Nut have to wage a constant battle to avoid their fleets corroding away. Anyone over here wanting to use a classic as a daily driver needs to factor in the need for constant attention to their cars' bodies and regular use pf appropriate mitigation. It looks like the Swedes don't use as much salt in winter (I've only ever been in Sweden between June and September, so have not seen what is done).
Nice job on both the video and keeping the Jag on the road! I've been driving a 1989 Volvo 240 as a daily for about the last 12 years in Vermont, a notoriously harsh environment for cars. In spite of the copious amount of salt applied to the roads it is hanging in there. I do most of the maintenance myself. Your comments regarding the financial aspects are right on. And now, there is even the added benefit of the car attaining a somewhat cool status. Like you, our daughter loves the thing. We do have later model Subaru that is primarily used by my wife. It's a 2013 and the rust situation is far worse on that one.
Ive been driving a 1996 volvo 850 t5 auto estate for 5 years now, and i love it😊 its done 240k same engine and box. 23 mpg, but i dont care, and yes i feel real safe. Hate new cars especially the EV rubbish. So im with you brother. Happy clàssic motoring.
I’m with you brother. I sold my last newish car three years ago - a 2017 Mini . Since then my daily drivers are a 2000 VDP and a 2006 S-Type. Love driving them both. If something major goes wrong and I need to replace lace them, no worry as I have saved far more money driving these used and fully depreciated cars than I would have spent buying something new. Because they are inexpensive I also have a 2000 XKR that I try to drive les frequently. Good video and good advice.
Great channel. I love my p38 I’ve restored, never as cheap as people expect but way cheaper than a new car. I have multiple cars including a disco 5. The issue with the p38 and my old defender is the fuel economy and emissions but I love driving them regardless. A warning to old car buyers, if you can’t afford a good one then you definitely can’t afford bad one…
Two days a week I drive a 1987 Series III XJ6, and two days a week I drive a 2 year old SUV that I use on the weekend for family trips. My daily round trip commute is 90 miles and I absolutely enjoy doing it in the XJ6! I remember 4 years ago when you first had your XJ6 on the channel and have enjoyed every video on it!
And my dailies are a 95 Buick Roadmaster and an 89 Lincoln Town Car. Have two Jaguars also, which is why I like your channel. Cheers, Doug from Detroit
Great video Adam. I have a 1983 XJ6, it has about 126,000 kilometers on it. I paid a bit much for it, about 10k Cdn dollars, and I had it painted, an interior ceiling replaced, and a bunch of other things so I have a fair amount more invested in the car than you do, but mine looks better than yours haha. My mileage is about the same as yours and the insurance cost about the same, but I only drive mine when there is no snow or ice around. What I love about the car, is the way it drives, and the way it looks. The ride is so smooth and comfortable, just the best I have ever had in a car. The look, in my opinion, it is the best, most handsome sedan that was ever built. Also one of my daughters has laid claim to it, she is in her 40's, and when she drives it, she says all these men come and want to talk about the car, the drawback she says, "is that they are all old" LOL ! Vid time 13:00, yes, absolutely, the car was built years ago, and I have not had to replace it, no car has been built since then that I would want to replace it with. So, all that energy and pollution generated to build a new car, well a new one wasn't built for me, so look, it's a green car now. Thanks Adam, a pleasure to watch your vids.
My daily driver in Northern California: 1985 Mercedes 300TD Turbodiesel Station Wagon ("Estate Car"). (Builder's plate says it was built in October of 1984.) I regularly use its load carrying capacity, it is a real "working car". I bought it in September of 2016 with 235,000 miles on it, it now (Jan 2025) has 312,000 miles. Paid $8,000 for it, including immediately needed repairs. Fuel consumption is about 21 US MPG in town, and 26 US MPG on the road, driven to keep up with traffic (65-70 MPH). Oil changes every 3,000 miles, and regular repairs to keep it in top shape. I go to an independent Mercedes specialist for things I cannot do myself.. Everything works on it, (even the air conditioning, vacuum system, and power antenna), and as a US model it is "loaded" with extra equipment. It is in good shape, rust-free, and the original paint still looks good despite some "patina". Interior is indestructible and comfortable "MB-Tex". Non-car people often tell me how good it looks, they say it looks like a new car. Bottom line: great transportation, comfortable, great value for the money, and on top of it all, it gets a lot of positive attention !
I've been dailying an '87 XJ12 for almost 2 years now. Loving it so far. And I gotta say, it's been quite unexpectedly reliable! Starts at -30 every time!
You are an inspiration sir. Thank you for producing all these videos. I currently have an electric thingymabob through work, as her indoors does 90% of the driving, but I have a '91 DD6 waiting for me in dry storage.
Hi Adam, you have one of my favourite channels, I really enjoy your knowledgeable content and laid back style. I daily drive a 1995 X300 3.2 in The Netherlands. Apart from the government taxing the hell out of it (€100+ per month) I agree wholeheartedly that daily driving is great comfort, good value and environmentally sound.
Hello Adam, really appreciate daily driving 50+ years old cars, sometimes (from spring to autumn) I drive my very early XJ6 4.2 (manufactured December 68/January 69) daily. For winter driving and longer distances I use x202 (2002.5) S-Type 4.2 v8 and (also have 2.5 v6 S-Type) :) Regards from Prague, Petr
Great video Adam-I think you are right on the money with reasons for using a classic. I use kind of a hybrid technique since I drive around 90 miles daily for work using my 2020 Subaru WRX which has been great and I plan on keeping for the long haul. My backup is a Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon which I bought new that my wife used as her daily for 9 years, then went through each of my 3 kids, coming back to me with around 200k miles needing some work/TLC. I have gone through it mechanically and had a repaint so now and it drives so well-use it for weekend working and all errands, giving the Subaru a rest. I like driving it more now than ever and will never sell it. Since it is over 25 years old, no emissions exam is required with only a basic safety exam yearly- for around 5k miles/yr it should outlast me. Always look forward to your videos and wish a Happy New Year to you and your family.
Similar idea, my last 6 years of working I drove either an 88 Porsche 924S or 84 944 to work. It was 150 miles a day, so I totaled over 150K between the 2. The cost of the cars broke even ( I sold them for what I paid), and there was some maintenance. A bonus was several times going through a drive through for coffee, the person ahead bought it for me - saying nice car! keep the old cars rolling.
My son who is only 16 and has just got his license is using a 67 jaguar S and a XJ6 s3 plus we have just got a 84 XJS he doesn’t like modern cars so watching your videos has been great
@ the S type was a barn find has been sitting for 20 years and has done most of the work himself and it’s almost ready for its road legal check The xj6 would now be in china but that was a cot case with lots of rust blown head gasket but it’s back on the road were it’s going great your videos are always interesting and have been very helpful thanks
I have a 14 year old Range Rover L322 but that is about to be supplemented with a 1969 Morris Minor Van which will be used for local trips. The Range Rover will continue to be used for long journeys , off road and towing (We have a small farm). I love the XJ6 and it does make a great daily having done that myself a few years ago.
great vid and you're fully right - I have a1993 (Mod 94) Jeep Grand Cherokee ltd 5.2 which I use every day. My father bought that car as new in spring 94. Dad passed away in 17 and since we kept her in the family. Maintenance I do myself, parts are not expensive from the states, customer service perfect, friendly and reliable, shipping costs abs ok. This car has soon 200t km and runs fine. no rust, no issues in electric or mechanic components. suspension parts should be done when it gets warmer outside. bushings are partially hard or bad. No leas costs, no high insurance rates, tires, oil and much more abs affordable. Not one reason to sell this 1st hand car for a new, costy unreliable computer on 4 wheels ;-)
My daily, kind of by default, is a Mini Cooper Convertible 2009, which was my late wife's pride and joy - and is never to be sold. Between us, it's been in our hands for ten years, to date. Then there's the XF, my indulgence, again never to be sold, as the weekend/when not working car, for longer journeys, too. It makes sense.
Totally agree with your philosophy. Im still restoring my xj6 s1 Daimler version. One my biggest expenses recently was renewing the front steering and suspension. It will finished when the weather improves.(No garage). My daily is a '99 Vauxhall Vectra I rescued and restored from the breakers. I do very minimal mileage well under 1000 miles a year. I also help my niece run a 2012 Kia Rio. I dont agree with the knockers of these cars, properly serviced they are reliable and good to drive in town. Thats enough of me, looking forward to seeing the xjs pass its test.
I drive a 2001 SUV daily but i also have my 1990 Jaguar XJS V12 HE coupe . When I owned a business before retiring I leased a new upper scale car . It fit my tax bracket and was deductible tax wise .
Great statement from You ! I do the same and like it very much . A lot of people start talking to you at the service station . I drive two cars as daily so one has always enough time for the repairs or inspections needed . Daimler XJ 6 3.6 L from 1988 (XJ 40 ) and my Daimler Double Six series two from 1977 running the V12 on gas ! Runs like a kitty cat ! Greetings
Great video! I think the main thing here is that you need to want to have old cars. You need to enjoy driving them sure, but you also need to enjoy working on them yourself. Most people are weird and don’t so they go for a new purchase or lease. I own a 73 Mercury Marquis and a 74 Ford Capri that are my ‘fun’ cars. They only get used in spring & summer so they don’t get ruined by bad weather and salted roads. But my daily driver and do everything car is an 88 Volvo 740 estate/wagon, which easily copes with everything I throw at it and it’s fun to drive, nice to work on, cheap to run and sooo comfy! It gets used all year round in all weather as needed and never causes me any problems. It gets well cared for though too which definitely helps. I used to work on cars for a living and I absolutely hated it! It was almost always working on modern cars though and they just leave me cold to be honest. Awful things to work on. But the big killer for me is the styling - or total lack of it! Rock hard church pew seats in them don’t do me any good either.
I’ve been driving electric since 10 years. My wife drives a Honda e. I have an Ioniq 6. Saved around $25’000 or 14 cubic meters in fuel. Other costs like depreciation is similar. Less cost to maintain with service and repairs: Cars I’ve sold have been passed on in good condition. I’m interested in classic cars but haven’t really found the motivation of keeping one myself.
Hi Adam. Well my daily is a 2003 Citroen Berlingo (gifted to me by my wonderful cousin who had to return to the States ) But l was regularly driving my '78 MGB roadster until the clutch blew ! And l'm determined to drive my '66 "e" type once it's finished !
I’ve had lots of jaguars since my first one mark2 that I bought in 1977 then two XJ6 saloons and a XJC 2 door manual with over drive and 2 XJS V12 HE and a 3.6 automatic I now drive aBMW E60 2.5i now 19 years old with 90 thousand miles on the clock I’ve had it since 2015 second owner never lets me down from Scotland 🏴
Opel ( Vauxhall ) Corsa C 2000 75HP I bought the car “cheaply”. I also put the purchase value into the car. Check him regularly. It's rust-free, runs well and parts are cheap so far. It has to be said that the parts are slowly becoming significantly more expensive. But I am very happy with my little Corsa
Sure, I like new stuff, especially when it gets old. Daily a 09 Merc E350 Estate 4-matic. Bought it in 2019 with 92k for $9,700. It now has 140k miles. It replaced my 01 Merc E430 w/ 167k miles that was overrun with rust (a problem for that generation of Mercs. I loved the car and miss it very much.). I enjoy caring for it, service and maintenance, but also preventative work with an eye toward long term ownership. Mpg is 20-22 - not great but I don’t drive more than ~8-9k miles per year. Another thing I appreciate is that I can operate everything without using a computer screen. there are lots of good old fashioned buttons, dials and levers. When I reverse I simply twist around and look or use the mirrors. Thanks for the refresher on why you live with a classic. Regards from Minnesota USA.
I daily a 2004 Saturn Vue. I paid $2000 for it with 192,000 miles in October 2023 and put $1000 into it. Now it’s at 215,000 miles, no problems, 22-29 mpg and it uses no oil between 5000 mile changes.
Why not? Such a (beautiful) car like this needs a lot of passion first to be driven as a daily! Racing is not indeed its cup of tea! Rost is the first enemy, then the lack of good servicing, because of its complex engineering which needs to be paid attention very well. If you do servicing on your own, well, it can be cheap! A good piece of new? All spare parts are available and are cheap too. Thanks for sharing 😊!
Nice video. The older the car, the more simple it is to maintain. Spark, fuel and off you go. If the car is solid then you can ride it daily with lower cost than leasing a new car which will never have the charm as a vintage car. Nice Jag!
I would like to see the outside of the car in its surroundings. Like in the tag pic. Not a still. Talk while driving and standing next to car. Gives story continuity.
With regard to the clean energy and the environmental movements, the World's largest battery storage facility for "Clean Energy" is now burning out of control in Moss Landing, California. The fire departments are just letting it burn to the ground, because there is no way to extinguish the lithium batteries once they catch on fire. There are enormous clouds of poisonous, toxic gases being spewed into the atmosphere by the fire. Mass evacuation of the City of Moss Landing has been mandated by the local governments, as well as all of the local schools being closed. The local governments are also telling the residents in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties to keep their doors and windows closed so the smoke and deadly gas cannot enter their homes. It's a huge disaster. The company responsible is Vestra Energy.
It all depends. Yes I absolutely love my XJ40, but there is no way that I'm putting it on our Canadian super salty winters. Fuel mileage also gets quite bad when it's getting near the winter. Yes it is very cheap to run and repair for me, as I fix it myself, but if someone was going to send it to a shop for repairs, it wouldn't be as cheap as running a 5-10 years old normal car, as my 2008 Mazda 3 or a Corolla. The Mazda 3 also take half the fuel and always works, but it's a cheap winter beater, and not a wonderful Jaguar with an amazing suspension. There is also the wood factor. 😊 The Jag has plenty of wood!
You are fortunate to be able to do the work yourself. If someone was paying to have repairs done, things would get a lot more expensive, IF you could find a mechanic. Hard to find anybody willing to work on older cars. Mechanics nowadays are used to plugging in to the car and reading the diagnosis. I have a fleet of old Lincolns and parts cars and, like you, I can do the work myself.
I daily a 23 y.o. Toyota Avalon with average miles and full history. In great condition and plenty of modernity without intrusive tech. It makes great sense to keep it going and its a much nicer drive than a lot of the tinny SUVs costing $60,000 new
I haven’t personally bought a new car in over 20 years, and even then it was with company money. I have a 2018 Lexus Hybrid CT200h, which is very cheap to run on fuel, but more expensive on insurance than I would like. Very dull to drive, but calming and reliable! I guess that would be my daily, even though it might not get used a few days per week. The car I really like is my 1998 XJ8 4.0 Sport. I use it 1 to 3 times per week. I’m in Australia, so it was a lot more to buy than your 1975, but I have no finance. $60 less per month to insure than the Lexus. A classic club plate is an option, instead of full registration, but that’s quite limiting on usage. I love it! Had to do a couple of high ish cost thing (chains and tensioners), but rest looks good. I’ve done some improvements inside, all with used stuff off eBay. Plan is to keep hold, and values are steady and even creeping up for well looked after examples.
I have a company car, but i still use my 1997 SL280/R129 minimum ones a week....summertime in good weather daily. Various sensors on this car costs 25-100 euros, whereas on modern cars they can cost several thousands....
Been using a 99 Mustang for 2.5 years now. At 6 feet away it looks great. Getting 18-19 mpg with the 3.8 V6 puttering around town. And it keeps miles off the 2018 Taurus that I love. Obviously the 2018 car is worth significantly more than the 1999 ... but it's the 26 year old that gets 'nice car' at the drive through or random thumbs up from people. Very simple engineering and a platform from 1977, engine from 1982 honed over the years so Ford got it right by 1999😅.
Great work, and a lovely car (I always loved these old Jags...but never got around to owning one). My daily is a work car (self employed) - 2009 Skoda Superb Tdi as I do a fair bit of long distance trips hence fuel economy is important. However I am in the process of getting a "modern classic" ready for "personal" use - it's a 1993 Ford Fairlane Sportsman Ghia. I have never in my life leased a car or taken finance (except for a couple grand from my parents for my first car - which I paid back when I started working) to buy one. I am now in my late 50's and my plan is to run a small fleet of classics as daily's when I retire in a few years (my thinking is that at least one of them will be running properly at any given time, and here in Australia (VIC), classic registration and insurance is cheap). Cheers!
My car is not old (2013 subaru impreza). But I want to keep it longuest possible because I like it and it has a manual transmission and awd. No more new manual in the same range.
For years I prefer to run older cars, for almost the same reasons as you mentioned. Although I make around 30.000 km for work, so I use more cars 😊. Last year around 7500 km with the XJ6 X300. I want to make new youtube video’s this year about some maintenance topics. There is not so many content about X300 maintenance. I also used a 20 year old mini, which I sold last autumn, and recently bought a 20 years old Citroen Picasso as a winterbanger. Besides this we have the good old daily of my wife (Volvo XC70, only 14 years old) and I also drive in summer my MotoGuzzi motorbike, which is quite new.
I daily drove a 1961 3.8l Mk. II back in the 80s. I believe I spent almost as much time under it as in it. Major time waster. It had the head off and hadn't run in 13 years when I bought it, plus parts had been cannibalized. I got the wrong fuel pump for it and it was constantly flooding. The driveshaft shook violently at cruising speed.
I daily a ´91 Mazda MX5....without having a modern car so regular insurance rate but beeing the lowest you can get for a car in germany... Bought for 900€ in 2020, I did some maintenance (timing belt & all fluids) + minor rust repairs and enjoy it ever since..
Great vid Adam. I drive a 2001 XJ8 V4.0. Just love it. Agree with your environmental comments - nope I'm not a denier. My XJ is like my favourite old coat, I have others but this one just feels right. Keep up the good work.
Not sure I'll fit in, but I have a 2005 Fiat Panda. It runs flawlessly, and despite it being an Italian car, I will likely outlive most of cars currently in production, because it is simple and dead easy to maintain.
Hi Adam I love you XJ I was daily driving my 1995 XJS currently still with my mechanic I lost reverse after a metal pipe on the ZF transmission failed I had to nurse it off the highway parts from ZF arrived so he is attempting a repair in situ the good news was no metal in the pan so now I drive a Subara Forrester 2017 model hoping to get the Jag back soon unless Tim has to do a full rebuild which he can do he has worked on Jags for almost forty years a full rebuild kit is $649 so we will have to see what happens as regards insurance for the XJS full cover for the year with Hagerty was $630 with a driving range of 7000 miles a year loved the video best regards Andy Allen.
Hi from Sydney, Australia. I'll be 69 years old in a few days, I was 26 years old in 1982 when I bought my last new car, which I still own, was paid for by insurance as the 1980 model was stolen and policy had a 3 years new for old clause if car was a total loss for some reason. I own 4 other classic cars besides the 1982 replacement car. When I was a young doctor just out of uni' the national government placed an extra import tax on imported cars & also on luxury cars, that was a 44.75% tax PLUS sales tax. HUGE extra taxes, but not on older but good condition secondhand luxury cars and if I chose to register for/as business use I could claim EVERY CENT back from my tax bill, so all mechanical repairs, fuel, insurance, tyres. Aussie tax office sees a person in an older car registered for business use as a genuine person claiming business use costs against their tax. However our tax department sees a brand new luxury car as a "show offs personal look at me statement" charged to tax as they could not otherwise afford to own it. So some 20 years ago the tax department/government said ZERO REFUNDS WHEN CLAIMING an under 10 year old luxury car, and worse the Taxman saw it as business possession, an asset that could have even further tax charged against it until 10 years old. These new tax rules near wiped out the sales of S class Merc's, BMW 7 series, Jaguar XJ's, Rolls/Bentleys, so from near 2000 NONE were being purchased as company/business cars, the few being sold were to "old Money" well off people who could simply afford to buy them outright. The only new Merc's & BMW's you see on Aussie roads now are the little cheapie entry level versions the young monied kids buy or receive and then thrash and crash them. Other thing with a lot of the Euro cars is electrical component failure when parked daily in open air carparks in the Euro car killing relentless Aussie sun My two favorites out of my five classics are my 1967 Jaguar MK10 or 420G as the 3rd update was called and my 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Talisman. Talismans were something completely special made for just 3 years with the first the '74 model being the most elaborate. I bought it from its original owner in 1982, have been driving it as my primary daily car ever since, I've serviced it properly & now, today in January 2025 it has 712,000 kilometers on it, I've put 610,000 on it, and the car still looks very nice. Some of my colleagues cannot understand or get why I'm still driving it. As a Talisman it came with "Maxtrac" joint traction control and ABS (brakes), additionally self levelling air shocks (so like modern "active" suspension) ACRS air cushion restraint system (airbags as GM patented airbags in 1973 & fitted them in cars as an option from '74) but best off all as a factory RHD export special, ZERO anti-pollution equipment so you get real performance from its 8.2 litre V8 add to this it has the high altitude kit with larger radiator, larger tranny cooler and the GM THM400 tranny has the variable pitch stator and stall kit like the original 400's had before accountants cost cut them. This adds to fuel mileage from such a big heavy car as it's a 2 x 6 metre vehicle, weighing in at 3180 kilos unladen. It has advanced safety equipment recently fitted to cars such as traction control, ABS brakes, Airbags and an active suspension system but this is in a THREE TON car , not a little plastic one, and out front is & feet of steel before you get to the cabin, and it has crumple zone in it too, so who needs a new car when you have one of these and as the export version engine they were built to run on any petrol from 75 octane unleaded ethanol, right up to 102 octane leaded fuel with internals and block/heads of tungsten ferry chrome steel made to last forever. The ill-informed knock old Jaguars saying unreliable, money pit etc, however the doctor who ordered my old Jag new selected the ultra-high performance bronze head, like was used on their race car engines, so no usual alloy head on steel block woes. In the 50 years I've owned it, there have been no major issues, just routine servicing. I get as much fun now, today in 2025 driving it as back in 1975 when I bought it, it's been loved & looked after, they just DO NOT make cars like this anymore. Plus, when I bought it from its original owner all those 50 years ago he had ordered it with the heavy-duty suspension option which included bigger front sway bar and Koni gas shocks all around so when cornering it stays almost flat like on rails, excellent, like a rocket propelled lounge room on wheels.
My daily is a 2001 Fiat Brava 1200… scruffy but lively and economical and full of character…. with a 2005 Rover 75 1.8 as a respectable quality backup. I might consider a 7 or 8 year old Fiat 500X 1.4 turbo now they are becoming affordable…..
I’m trying to get my 1969 Rover P5B V8 (same engine as your P6) running well enough that it could be my daily. But it has no aircon and I am in Australia so aiming for Winter, Spring and Autumn use only with very occasional Summer use.
That's not just a 50 year old car, it's a 50 year old British car. That's quite an achievement. Nice Jaguar.
Worse still. It's a 1970s British Leyland product.
Funny then, that so many of the British cars from that era are still about.
I feel like people are weird about the costs of maintaining old cars. They'll be outraged at the thought of having to spend a few thousand to keep a nice old car on the road and then they'll go out and spend tens of thousands on a new car that depreciates the second they drive it. Yes, old classics can be money pits, but that's not a problem if you know what you're getting into. Most new cars are basically money pits as well.
I often tell my customers this when I give them quotes. If the car needs major work the bill is equivalent to a big service in a modern car yet the work that has been done will last 10 years at least
You're not the only one driving an old car happily. My 57 year old Volvo Amazon has been my daily driver for a decade!
Awesome! I plan to film with an Amazon in the spring. Great cars!
May I add that these cars are such a very cool and distinct style statement. Like wearing a beautifully restored vintage Swiss watch instead of a modern electronic annoyance. The fact that you’ve taken a car with a notoriously poor reputation for reliability and turned it in to a very safe, reliable, classy daily using the original drivetrain is even better. It reflects so well on your skills and determination. I daily my 10 year old family Ford Flex that I just paid off. When spring returns, my series one e-type comes out daily for obvious reasons.😊👍
Unfortunately the poor reputation has been created by people that know nothing at all about these cars. It seems that everyone is an expert on British cars even without any real experience with them.
@ So true!
I've been using my 77 Double six as my daily lately and its amazing.
What a great daily!
@ It’s an amazing car. I bought it 4 months ago after it had been sitting in a garage since 1996. I fitted all new hoses , fuel lines, tanks , brake system and gave it a good clean and polish . It’s the smoothest most comfortable car I’ve ever driven.
@ ruclips.net/user/shortsKebmuavHss0?si=6TMIqBBdrifPAzP2
@@Omegaman1969
Nice Ride for the last Man on Earth😅
We used our '78 as much as possible.
The only downside, if you live in a city, is someone running into you.
The first time that happened, it took six months to get her back on the road (nearside rear). The next time, front nearside, was four months.
That said, there is nothing like the feeling of a Double.
There are at least 2 people daily driving Series II or III Jags in Oxford UK, they make an interesting choice because they were back in their day very difficult and expensive cars to keep on the road due to complex repairs and build quality issues. I guess once you get on top of everything and you work through all the common issues, the general robustness of the car shines through.
I doubt there are many modern cars that are as nice to drive on dirt and bad roads as a Jag. The low center of gravity means the car can get away with a soft suspension and sill handle well. I remember driving Jags many years ago and finding it so easy and comfortable through the bends at higher speeds just driving past most other cars. All in all a very nice choice of car.
I’m 70 .., and I have been driving my ( 54 Year Old 1971 KARMANN GHIA ) , as my daily driver , For around 6 Years Now….!
It’s not rocket science ….! I do all the work on my car myself ….! It’s easy to work on, no electronic ignition…, And it is a standard shift, with no power steering no power brakes, And gets fantastic gas mileage…! 👍🏻
And being an air cooled VW you can get all the parts you need.
@ ..
Yes, absolutely I love my sled ….!
👍🏻👀
Hi! I live in Antwerp, Belgium and i daily a '92 Mini Cooper and have a Triumph GT6 Mk1 on the way. I agree on all fronts. Financially it is the cheapest way to have a second car. Environmentally speaking, by the time you offset the carbon footprint equivalent of the production of a new electric car, you really have to rack up the miles with your classic.
Driving a classic triggers all of the senses. If you walk up to your classic, you see something unusual, you touch different materials, you smell 'the' smell, you hear the engine and exhaust note on startup, and you haven't even driven the thing yet! The driving itself sometimes needs some muscle and manual work and you need to adopt a defensive driving style, but that only gets you involved in what you are supposed to be doing, driving (not fiddling touchscreens and such).
Indeed not for everyone, but for those who like it, the rewards are epic!
I daily drive a 1994 Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40) that I have owned since around 2007. It looks like a real junker because the body has several dents and dings in it from the previous owner's accidents. But the car is rust free and generally starts and runs very reliably.
Also years ago when I lived in Phoenix AZ I was driving a 1972 Jaguar XJ6 and when moving through an intersection I was hit in the driver's door by a car turning left through the intersection. The car that hit me was a full size Chrysler 300 sedan. The driver's door and A-pillar of the XJ6 were pretty badly damaged (the door no longer opened) but I walked away from the accident without a scratch.
Phoenix drivers are crazy, I was in my XJ40 driving home from Phoenix and was T boned the car was totaled, all I had was a bruised chest from the belt.
@@jagvette1 very surprising to hear this. XJ40s are pretty notorious for their poor crash performance even by 1980s standards - the sills are very thin and there are no side impact protection bars.
Iv been driving my 1960 vauxhall victor f type for 19 years and love every moment :)
I daily drive a 20 year old Jaguar S type and do the repairs myself. I like that way of having a care more than a new car lease.
My daily (apart from when there's salt on the road when I borrow rhe wife's 10 y o hatchback) is a Jag XK8 it's just turned 26 years old, not as old as yours but the same comments apply, comfort, running costs, "the environment", parts prices are mostly pretty good - compared to.moderns, cheap insurance, etc etc etc., and its such a nice place to be when on a journey. So I totally agree with you.
My daily driving is split up between my 1986 XJ6 and a 2005 L322 Range Rover. The Jag does stay at home for most of the winter to keep it away from the salt and sand on the roads here in Calgary, Canada. I have purchased three new cars in my life - a 1986 Mazda B2000 that I drove for 430,000 km and replaced it with a new 2002 Saturn that finally was totalled by a hit and run driver in 2018. My last new car was a 2018 Mazda CX-5 which I sold in 2022 when resale prices went crazy. I purchased the XJ6 and Range Rover and totally sorted them both out and still have $10K left over in the bank! It used to be possible to buy a reasonably priced new car, maintain it yourself and keep it for 15-20 years but now a new car will cost you a fortune, impossible to fully maintain yourself and will be totalled out in 8-10 years by some electronics failure. I am 70 years old so with proper maintenance done by myself, the XJ6 and Range Rover could possibly be the last cars I will purchase!
Fluid Film the underbody and doors every year with 10+ cans of Fluid Film or some other lanolin undercoating every fall and your car will last forever. You can keep even your exhaust hangers pristine if you spray them. NEVER wash the underside of the car unless you live on a dirt road; just Fluid Film over everything. It works, even in areas where the roads are heavily salted in winter.
Up to 3 months ago ,I daily drove a 21 year old S Type 3.0 auto , never let me down Due to health ,sadly had to sell it , at least it has gone to a good home .
Wasn't really a _Jaaag_ then was it old boy?😉 Bit more of a Ford 😅 - I'm sure you get that a lot...
Never got to try one personally - I was told they were essentially Mondeo's with a different body and trim, but what was your experience? How was the weight and feel, the ride quality? I always thought it looked eminently "chuckable" like its predecessor name-sake and wasn't there a 4.0 somewhere in the mix? Not looked, but never saw any youtube demo's either - funny that. I think I'll make a point of taking a look - thanks for your post Sir! 🙂
The X-Type was the one that was built on the Mondeo platform. Jaguar reworked the Ford 3.0 V6 and got a lot more power out of it, and made the X-Type AWD where the Mondeo was FWD.
The S-Type was slightly larger, and RWD. It was co-developed with Ford engineers. The “Ford” version was the Lincoln LS. They later used the same platform for the Thunderbird.
The X-Type and S-Type both used the same V6 engine. It started life as the 24V DOHC Ford Duratec V6 in both 2.5 and 3.0L versions. Jaguar engineers redesigned the cylinder heads and added variable valve timing for a bit more horsepower. The X-Type got the 2.5L engine as the base engine, and the 3.0 as the optional upgrade. The S-Type came with the 3.0 standard (at least in the US. Euro market cars had other engine options as well), with Jaguar’s 4.0L V8 as the option. The 3.0 in the S-Type made 235 horsepower, basically the same as Ford’s 4.6L V8 that they were putting in the Mustang and the Grand Marquis when the S-Type launched. Jaguar’s 4.0 V8 was making something like 280 or 285 horsepower in non-supercharged trim…so the 4.6 was rapidly getting outclassed by smaller engines.
When the S-Type launched in 1999, it fed all that horsepower to the back wheels through a Ford 5R55N five speed automatic transmission. Independent rear suspension and 4wheel disk brakes were standard, as they had been on Jaguars since the 1960’s.
In 2003, the 4.0 was replaced with the slightly larger 4.2L V8, which really didn’t add much total horsepower, but did have a little more low end torque. The 4.2 was a slightly refined version of the 4.0, with most of the 4.0’s early reliability issues being corrected. Also in 2003, the somewhat problematic Ford 5R55N transmission was dropped in favor of the ZF 6HP22 6 speed automatic, which was a much more reliable gearbox. Jaguar also introduced a high performance version of the S-Type, called the S-Type R with bigger wheels and tires, bigger brakes, and a sportier suspension. It seems like they did something else to the R for more performance, too…what was it? Oh, that’s right! A supercharged version of the 4.2 L V8 making 400 horsepower.
While it’s undeniable that the S-Type shared a lot of its DNA with Ford products, it was light years ahead of the Mondeo, and even in V6 trim was a better performer than the V8 Lincoln Town Car, while being every bit as luxurious and comfortable. I love all Jaguars, but the Ford era cars are some of my favorites. Even though they never sold in the numbers Ford hoped, the Ford era cars were probably the best Jaguars made. The 1995-1997 XJ6’s were absolutely Lexus-level reliable, and way sexier. The 4.0 V8 wasn’t as reliable out of the box, but by the time Jaguar introduced the 4.2L version, and backed it with the ZF 6HP transmission, they hit upon an absolutely magical drivetrain combination. You can buy a 4.2L S-Type for well under $10,000 today, and have a fast, luxurious car that you can easily drive until it hits 250,000-300,000 miles.
My work van is 25 years old, my daily car is an 1983 Mercedes 300sd that gets 30 mpg.
I started tearing into my 1986 XJ6 that I traded a 1985 Suburban for two years ago. I started pulling the plugs and found the previous owner put one in at an angle 🤦♂️. I am going to clean up the threads and get it go in properly. Finish the tune up and replace the belts check the brakes, and get it on the road.
I have been running 20 plus year old cars for the last 40 years. I have only bought 1 brand new truck. I agree, if you can do your own work this is much cheaper to run than a new vehicle.
The new cars today will not be running in 25 years let alone 50 years. I don’t like all the electronics, and computer.
I enjoy my ‘83 Mercedes that I was given in 2020, this is my second diesel Mercedes. I drove an ‘86 XJ6 in 1991 and fell in love with the way it handled and how solid the car was. I am very excited to get this one on the road.
I agree, these are green vehicles now because we are recycling them, and the carbon footprint is extremely low. They are also more fun than modern cars.
My toy car is a 1921 Model T, that is registered as a regular car, and I use it every week in decent weather to run errands, not just tours or car shows.
I've been daily driving my £5k 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and apart from the fuel cost it is perfect and compliant with the London emission zones. Classics from this era certainly offer a lot more comfort and have serious presence compared to most of the modern stuff.
That is great. However, the car is not compliant with the ULEZ emissions rules, but given a pass because of its age. Like mine.
Ho tom. Im in northern england and have been looking at old 70s toyota trucks to avoid paying the protection money to go to work.
My question is regarding insurance policys. Are there classic car policys that cover you for daily driving?
On first impressions and a few conversations it seems id have to chose between conventional ploicy for daily use or limit use to get classic insurance
I just thought I drove an old Jaguar til I saw this video. Mine’s a 2009 XJ8 with 166,000 miles on it. I bought it in 2021 with 73,000 miles, so I’ve put nearly 100,000 miles on it in 4 years.
I have no plans on getting rid of it anytime soon, even though it’s showing its age.
I also have a 1977 Grand Marquis that I’m restoring. The engine is in pieces in my garage right now, but when I get her put back together, I definitely need to take her out and drive her a lot more.
I'm 23 and got into cars through my father and Herbie.
I bought my first car at 17. A Suzuki Samurai, which i completely restored last summer on my own.
A year ago i bought my second car. An XJ40 Daimler 4.0.
Both are being daily driven and I love it.
Hello Adam. I couldn’t agree more with your video. I have a 1974 XJ6 that I bought in 1999. I use it fairly regularly in the summer. As well as that I have a ‘60 MK2 and a ‘69 GT6+. Insurance for those three is cheaper than one Jeep Liberty that we also have. I service all my vehicles but I am getting close to 80 so it is getting harder to do that work. I am too afraid to use the old cars in the winter. Everything rusts quickly where I live. The old cars are very economical. I could never afford a new car off the lot.
My XJ6 may start to rust at some pint but I have decided that if that happens I will have it welded and fixed. It’s done me so well so far.
How is the GT6? They seems great
...have 5 old Jags, 3 are dailys and the other two are waiting fixing...they are very economical to run and own...GT6's are awesome!
David, sir, you are an inspiration to us all.
Get rid of that steering wheel asap it looks way out of place says everything about the owner doesn’t it!
@Dee-u4r i have Moto-Lita on both my Jags. The original steering wheels on the Jags are horrible.
First time watcher and new subscriber. Cool video, love that you're willing to daily a Jaguar that old. There's a 54 year difference between the newest (wife's Taycan) and oldest (68 Mustang) cars in my garage, so I guess you could say I like them all. My DD is an 18 year old British car, but I feel very lucky to be able to say it was made in Gaydon and has a winged logo. It's also a part time autocross car, videos on my channel
Sounds like great cars!
Here in California, pre-1976 cars do not require a smog check. That's a big deal because it opens the door for sensible modifications and no smog pump, oxygen sensor or catalytic converter to steal and so on. Generally simpler cars that are DIY friendly. Straight 6 Jaguar engines are absolute gems. Also there is the lack of worry that comes with an older car. Park it where you want...door ding who cares? Buying an old car that's already been manufactured is far more environmental than buying a new car that takes new resources and labor to bring to market.
Thank you for this great video extolling the virtues of using a 50 year old as a daily driver! I’ve been trying to get this message out to friends for years but with little success! Zero depreciation and a lot of fun. Mine’s a 1987 Range Rover 3.5l and I love it.
What a great Dailey! I love a Range Rover
When I last worked, +/-2005, I used a 20 year old Fiat Panda. Not flashy, but cheap to buy & run &, with the rear seat out, ideal for lugging all my carpentry tools.
'Daily' is a 2007 Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower on 243,000km. Bought it a dozen years ago. I have maintained it myself for the last decade and pretty much know it inside-out. Gearbox, timing chain and rust are the biggest concerns for the future, but I will never, ever sell the car and, should the engine explode tomorrow, I will simply rebuild the engine and carry on. I own several other Saabs and Volvos but that 9-5 does the heavy lifting. Lives at 120 km/h and still has good overtaking speed. It was quite a new car when I bought it, so it's funny to see it become one of the older cars on the road where I live. Have always admired your approach to the XJ!
My daily is a 72 Jaguar XJ6. Love it!! I've added sound deadening and a modern stereo (with a period retro look) and it's a nearly perfect car for me. It will be my perfect car when I finally get around to converting it to a XJ12. Keep up the great work!
I agree. Also you are bringing wonder and joy to every child who sees you out driving.
Great video! and I totally approve of the philosophy! I live in italy, I have a 1983 Panda 4x4 that is my daily car, I have customised it in an elegant way and it is beautiful, you can park it anywhere and load it with anything! I have also just rescued a 2001 Jag X-Type 3.0V6 that was going to be scrapped, it is in good shape and I want to make it a long-distance car
I really like those Panda 4x4!
I have an original 1979XJS. It's driven almost yearly except mid winters, a lot of salt, and therefore rust in my area along the coast. So many amazing things about having a classic car like the $200 a year insurance. though mine is in such great shape I don't like to leave unattended and it's cap in garage so it's safe and secure. Whenever I'm in public people flock to it like crazy. Like a fine wine it's become more beautiful over the years. And also this year starts the 50 year anniversary of the XjS! Keep up the great videos Adam and thank you for helping us. Keep our beautiful cars running thanks to your encouragement and great videos.
Just changed a 2022 Ranger for a Dodge Ram 1500, 2000 year .. with ... 25000 kms from new !!!no DPF no electrics.. love it
RESPECT!
I've got a 23 year old Skoda estate, it's narrow and fantastic for the narrow country lanes by me. It has a 1.4 litre petrol engine which is quite powerful enough. I use this car regularly on my commute to work
I do a daily Saab 9-5 2,3 turbo from 2007, a Rover 75 CDTi from 2003 ( amazing car!), a Jaguar S type 3.0 from 2000 and a Lancia Thesis from 2007. Love all these cars but do also all the maintenance myself, so they are ridiculously cheap to run. And the environmental issue? I totally agree with you and I think more people are going to realize this more and more, especially of increasing new car prices
I love late 60s early 70s Jags - something very cozy about tooling around in the snow with the wood and leather and chrome
Hi Adam- interesting video and take on classic ownership.
Here in the UK, there's one issue that is a problem (and before all the haters of various makes and nationalities of origin start the usual sarcastic comments - it affects all makes and models, even those supposedly galvanised against rust) - corrosion. A combination of liberal use of salt whenever a frost is suspected and a damp climate really challenges the long-term viability of older cars. I am sure you have seen how You Tubers like Matt of Furious Driving and Ian of Hub Nut have to wage a constant battle to avoid their fleets corroding away. Anyone over here wanting to use a classic as a daily driver needs to factor in the need for constant attention to their cars' bodies and regular use pf appropriate mitigation.
It looks like the Swedes don't use as much salt in winter (I've only ever been in Sweden between June and September, so have not seen what is done).
Hi Adam, I love your show. I daily a 2005 Jaguar XJ8L and absolutely love it. It's reliable, comfortable, and beautiful.
Nice job on both the video and keeping the Jag on the road! I've been driving a 1989 Volvo 240 as a daily for about the last 12 years in Vermont, a notoriously harsh environment for cars. In spite of the copious amount of salt applied to the roads it is hanging in there. I do most of the maintenance myself. Your comments regarding the financial aspects are right on. And now, there is even the added benefit of the car attaining a somewhat cool status. Like you, our daughter loves the thing. We do have later model Subaru that is primarily used by my wife. It's a 2013 and the rust situation is far worse on that one.
Ive been driving a 1996 volvo 850 t5 auto estate for 5 years now, and i love it😊 its done 240k same engine and box. 23 mpg, but i dont care, and yes i feel real safe. Hate new cars especially the EV rubbish. So im with you brother. Happy clàssic motoring.
I’m with you brother. I sold my last newish car three years ago - a 2017 Mini . Since then my daily drivers are a 2000 VDP and a 2006 S-Type. Love driving them both. If something major goes wrong and I need to replace lace them, no worry as I have saved far more money driving these used and fully depreciated cars than I would have spent buying something new. Because they are inexpensive I also have a 2000 XKR that I try to drive les frequently. Good video and good advice.
And if something goes wrong they’re easy to work on.
Great channel. I love my p38 I’ve restored, never as cheap as people expect but way cheaper than a new car. I have multiple cars including a disco 5. The issue with the p38 and my old defender is the fuel economy and emissions but I love driving them regardless. A warning to old car buyers, if you can’t afford a good one then you definitely can’t afford bad one…
Two days a week I drive a 1987 Series III XJ6, and two days a week I drive a 2 year old SUV that I use on the weekend for family trips. My daily round trip commute is 90 miles and I absolutely enjoy doing it in the XJ6! I remember 4 years ago when you first had your XJ6 on the channel and have enjoyed every video on it!
And my dailies are a 95 Buick Roadmaster and an 89 Lincoln Town Car. Have two Jaguars also, which is why I like your channel. Cheers, Doug from Detroit
I daily a 2012 Skoda fabia, it's cheap and works. I only do 2k miles a year
Sounds like a good daily
Great video Adam. I have a 1983 XJ6, it has about 126,000 kilometers on it. I paid a bit much for it, about 10k Cdn dollars, and I had it painted, an interior ceiling replaced, and a bunch of other things so I have a fair amount more invested in the car than you do, but mine looks better than yours haha. My mileage is about the same as yours and the insurance cost about the same, but I only drive mine when there is no snow or ice around. What I love about the car, is the way it drives, and the way it looks. The ride is so smooth and comfortable, just the best
I have ever had in a car. The look, in my opinion, it is the best, most handsome sedan that was ever built. Also
one of my daughters has laid claim to it, she is in her 40's, and when she drives it, she says all these men come and want to talk about the car, the drawback she says, "is that they are all old" LOL ! Vid time 13:00, yes, absolutely, the car was built years ago, and I have not had to replace it, no car has been built since then that I would want to replace it with. So, all that energy and pollution generated to build a new car, well a new one wasn't built for me, so look, it's a green car now. Thanks Adam, a pleasure to watch your vids.
My daily driver in Northern California: 1985 Mercedes 300TD Turbodiesel Station Wagon ("Estate Car"). (Builder's plate says it was built in October of 1984.) I regularly use its load carrying capacity, it is a real "working car".
I bought it in September of 2016 with 235,000 miles on it, it now (Jan 2025) has 312,000 miles. Paid $8,000 for it, including immediately needed repairs.
Fuel consumption is about 21 US MPG in town, and 26 US MPG on the road, driven to keep up with traffic (65-70 MPH).
Oil changes every 3,000 miles, and regular repairs to keep it in top shape. I go to an independent Mercedes specialist for things I cannot do myself..
Everything works on it, (even the air conditioning, vacuum system, and power antenna), and as a US model it is "loaded" with extra equipment.
It is in good shape, rust-free, and the original paint still looks good despite some "patina". Interior is indestructible and comfortable "MB-Tex".
Non-car people often tell me how good it looks, they say it looks like a new car.
Bottom line: great transportation, comfortable, great value for the money, and on top of it all, it gets a lot of positive attention !
Happy new year Adam, great video , enjoyed your comments during the car ride.
I've been dailying an '87 XJ12 for almost 2 years now. Loving it so far. And I gotta say, it's been quite unexpectedly reliable! Starts at -30 every time!
You are an inspiration sir. Thank you for producing all these videos. I currently have an electric thingymabob through work, as her indoors does 90% of the driving, but I have a '91 DD6 waiting for me in dry storage.
Using classics as daily’s is where it’s at. So much more character.
Hi Adam, you have one of my favourite channels, I really enjoy your knowledgeable content and laid back style. I daily drive a 1995 X300 3.2 in The Netherlands. Apart from the government taxing the hell out of it (€100+ per month) I agree wholeheartedly that daily driving is great comfort, good value and environmentally sound.
Hello Adam, really appreciate daily driving 50+ years old cars, sometimes (from spring to autumn) I drive my very early XJ6 4.2 (manufactured December 68/January 69) daily. For winter driving and longer distances I use x202 (2002.5) S-Type 4.2 v8 and (also have 2.5 v6 S-Type) :) Regards from Prague, Petr
Great video Adam-I think you are right on the money with reasons for using a classic. I use kind of a hybrid technique since I drive around 90 miles daily for work using my 2020 Subaru WRX which has been great and I plan on keeping for the long haul. My backup is a Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon which I bought new that my wife used as her daily for 9 years, then went through each of my 3 kids, coming back to me with around 200k miles needing some work/TLC. I have gone through it mechanically and had a repaint so now and it drives so well-use it for weekend working and all errands, giving the Subaru a rest. I like driving it more now than ever and will never sell it. Since it is over 25 years old, no emissions exam is required with only a basic safety exam yearly- for around 5k miles/yr it should outlast me. Always look forward to your videos and wish a Happy New Year to you and your family.
Similar idea, my last 6 years of working I drove either an 88 Porsche 924S or 84 944 to work. It was 150 miles a day, so I totaled over 150K between the 2. The cost of the cars broke even ( I sold them for what I paid), and there was some maintenance. A bonus was several times going through a drive through for coffee, the person ahead bought it for me - saying nice car! keep the old cars rolling.
My son who is only 16 and has just got his license is using a 67 jaguar S and a XJ6 s3 plus we have just got a 84 XJS he doesn’t like modern cars so watching your videos has been great
I’d say you are spoiling your son, but then again some kids get brand new mini coopers and nobody cares.
@ the S type was a barn find has been sitting for 20 years and has done most of the work himself and it’s almost ready for its road legal check
The xj6 would now be in china but that was a cot case with lots of rust blown head gasket but it’s back on the road were it’s going great your videos are always interesting and have been very helpful thanks
I have a 14 year old Range Rover L322 but that is about to be supplemented with a 1969 Morris Minor Van which will be used for local trips. The Range Rover will continue to be used for long journeys , off road and towing (We have a small farm). I love the XJ6 and it does make a great daily having done that myself a few years ago.
great vid and you're fully right - I have a1993 (Mod 94) Jeep Grand Cherokee ltd 5.2 which I use every day. My father bought that car as new in spring 94.
Dad passed away in 17 and since we kept her in the family. Maintenance I do myself, parts are not expensive from the states, customer service perfect, friendly and reliable, shipping costs abs ok.
This car has soon 200t km and runs fine. no rust, no issues in electric or mechanic components. suspension parts should be done when it gets warmer outside. bushings are partially hard or bad.
No leas costs, no high insurance rates, tires, oil and much more abs affordable. Not one reason to sell this 1st hand car for a new, costy unreliable computer on 4 wheels ;-)
I feel cool in my 20 year old SLK, can't imagine how cool a mid-70s Jag must feel as long as you can afford the petrol.
My daily, kind of by default, is a Mini Cooper Convertible 2009, which was my late wife's pride and joy - and is never to be sold. Between us, it's been in our hands for ten years, to date. Then there's the XF, my indulgence, again never to be sold, as the weekend/when not working car, for longer journeys, too.
It makes sense.
Great video !!! Very well explained !! I was raised by a Jag lover and I have raised a son who is one also. We have 8 in our family.
Great video thanks Adam.
Thanks for watching!
Totally agree with your philosophy. Im still restoring my xj6 s1 Daimler version. One my biggest expenses recently was renewing the front steering and suspension. It will finished when the weather improves.(No garage). My daily is a '99 Vauxhall Vectra I rescued and restored from the breakers. I do very minimal mileage well under 1000 miles a year. I also help my niece run a 2012 Kia Rio. I dont agree with the knockers of these cars, properly serviced they are reliable and good to drive in town. Thats enough of me, looking forward to seeing the xjs pass its test.
I drive a 2001 SUV daily but i also have my 1990 Jaguar XJS V12 HE coupe . When I owned a business before retiring I leased a new upper scale car . It fit my tax bracket and was deductible tax wise .
Great statement from You ! I do the same and like it very much . A lot of people start talking to you at the service station . I drive two cars as daily so one has always enough time for the repairs or inspections needed . Daimler XJ 6 3.6 L from 1988 (XJ 40 ) and my Daimler Double Six series two from 1977 running the V12 on gas ! Runs like a kitty cat ! Greetings
Great video!
I think the main thing here is that you need to want to have old cars. You need to enjoy driving them sure, but you also need to enjoy working on them yourself. Most people are weird and don’t so they go for a new purchase or lease.
I own a 73 Mercury Marquis and a 74 Ford Capri that are my ‘fun’ cars. They only get used in spring & summer so they don’t get ruined by bad weather and salted roads.
But my daily driver and do everything car is an 88 Volvo 740 estate/wagon, which easily copes with everything I throw at it and it’s fun to drive, nice to work on, cheap to run and sooo comfy! It gets used all year round in all weather as needed and never causes me any problems. It gets well cared for though too which definitely helps.
I used to work on cars for a living and I absolutely hated it! It was almost always working on modern cars though and they just leave me cold to be honest. Awful things to work on. But the big killer for me is the styling - or total lack of it! Rock hard church pew seats in them don’t do me any good either.
I’ve been driving electric since 10 years. My wife drives a Honda e. I have an Ioniq 6. Saved around $25’000 or 14 cubic meters in fuel. Other costs like depreciation is similar. Less cost to maintain with service and repairs: Cars I’ve sold have been passed on in good condition. I’m interested in classic cars but haven’t really found the motivation of keeping one myself.
Hi Adam. Well my daily is a 2003 Citroen Berlingo (gifted to me by my wonderful cousin who had to return to the States ) But l was regularly driving my '78 MGB roadster until the clutch blew ! And l'm determined to drive my '66 "e" type once it's finished !
I’ve had lots of jaguars since my first one mark2 that I bought in 1977 then two XJ6 saloons and a XJC 2 door manual with over drive and 2 XJS V12 HE and a 3.6 automatic I now drive aBMW E60 2.5i now 19 years old with 90 thousand miles on the clock I’ve had it since 2015 second owner never lets me down from Scotland 🏴
Opel ( Vauxhall ) Corsa C 2000 75HP I bought the car “cheaply”. I also put the purchase value into the car. Check him regularly. It's rust-free, runs well and parts are cheap so far. It has to be said that the parts are slowly becoming significantly more expensive. But I am very happy with my little Corsa
Sure, I like new stuff, especially when it gets old.
Daily a 09 Merc E350 Estate 4-matic. Bought it in 2019 with 92k for $9,700. It now has 140k miles. It replaced my 01 Merc E430 w/ 167k miles that was overrun with rust (a problem for that generation of Mercs. I loved the car and miss it very much.). I enjoy caring for it, service and maintenance, but also preventative work with an eye toward long term ownership. Mpg is 20-22 - not great but I don’t drive more than ~8-9k miles per year.
Another thing I appreciate is that I can operate everything without using a computer screen. there are lots of good old fashioned buttons, dials and levers. When I reverse I simply twist around and look or use the mirrors.
Thanks for the refresher on why you live with a classic.
Regards from Minnesota USA.
I daily a 2004 Saturn Vue. I paid $2000 for it with 192,000 miles in October 2023 and put $1000 into it. Now it’s at 215,000 miles, no problems, 22-29 mpg and it uses no oil between 5000 mile changes.
That’s great! Hope you get more years out of it.
Why not? Such a (beautiful) car like this needs a lot of passion first to be driven as a daily! Racing is not indeed its cup of tea!
Rost is the first enemy, then the lack of good servicing, because of its complex engineering which needs to be paid attention very well.
If you do servicing on your own, well, it can be cheap! A good piece of new? All spare parts are available and are cheap too.
Thanks for sharing 😊!
Nice video. The older the car, the more simple it is to maintain. Spark, fuel and off you go. If the car is solid then you can ride it daily with lower cost than leasing a new car which will never have the charm as a vintage car. Nice Jag!
I have a 74 Jag!! Greetings from Costa Rica
Awesome! How is it to drive in Costa Rica?
I would like to see the outside of the car in its surroundings. Like in the tag pic. Not a still. Talk while driving and standing next to car. Gives story continuity.
Drove my 1968 , 280 s Mercedes for22 years, very sorry when it finally rotted away. Super reliable.
Love this Adam, I couldn't possibly pay for a new car. I daily a 1992 Mercedes 220e and I love it.
70’s jags are my favourite models .my father had Daimlers when I was growing up
With regard to the clean energy and the environmental movements, the World's largest battery storage facility for "Clean Energy" is now burning out of control in Moss Landing, California. The fire departments are just letting it burn to the ground, because there is no way to extinguish the lithium batteries once they catch on fire. There are enormous clouds of poisonous, toxic gases being spewed into the atmosphere by the fire. Mass evacuation of the City of Moss Landing has been mandated by the local governments, as well as all of the local schools being closed. The local governments are also telling the residents in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties to keep their doors and windows closed so the smoke and deadly gas cannot enter their homes. It's a huge disaster. The company responsible is Vestra Energy.
I wonder if the smoke from a burning petrol storage facility might be less toxic than the fumes from that battery storage facility...
It all depends. Yes I absolutely love my XJ40, but there is no way that I'm putting it on our Canadian super salty winters. Fuel mileage also gets quite bad when it's getting near the winter. Yes it is very cheap to run and repair for me, as I fix it myself, but if someone was going to send it to a shop for repairs, it wouldn't be as cheap as running a 5-10 years old normal car, as my 2008 Mazda 3 or a Corolla. The Mazda 3 also take half the fuel and always works, but it's a cheap winter beater, and not a wonderful Jaguar with an amazing suspension. There is also the wood factor. 😊 The Jag has plenty of wood!
mmmmm...wood! Cheers!
A 1992 Peugeot 205 which I've owned for nearly ten years and done 45,000 miles in out of 121,000 in total.
You are fortunate to be able to do the work yourself. If someone was paying to have repairs done, things would get a lot more expensive, IF you could find a mechanic. Hard to find anybody willing to work on older cars. Mechanics nowadays are used to plugging in to the car and reading the diagnosis. I have a fleet of old Lincolns and parts cars and, like you, I can do the work myself.
Lexus IS250 from 2011. I keep it well maintained and intend to keep it for many years. RWD and six cylinders is a good concept.
Great stuff, all valid points, if you can source a points ignition system you would be rolling in great style after an EMP..respect.
The car looks cool in the location.
I daily a 23 y.o. Toyota Avalon with average miles and full history. In great condition and plenty of modernity without intrusive tech.
It makes great sense to keep it going and its a much nicer drive than a lot of the tinny SUVs costing $60,000 new
I haven’t personally bought a new car in over 20 years, and even then it was with company money.
I have a 2018 Lexus Hybrid CT200h, which is very cheap to run on fuel, but more expensive on insurance than I would like. Very dull to drive, but calming and reliable! I guess that would be my daily, even though it might not get used a few days per week.
The car I really like is my 1998 XJ8 4.0 Sport. I use it 1 to 3 times per week. I’m in Australia, so it was a lot more to buy than your 1975, but I have no finance. $60 less per month to insure than the Lexus. A classic club plate is an option, instead of full registration, but that’s quite limiting on usage. I love it! Had to do a couple of high ish cost thing (chains and tensioners), but rest looks good. I’ve done some improvements inside, all with used stuff off eBay. Plan is to keep hold, and values are steady and even creeping up for well looked after examples.
I have a company car, but i still use my 1997 SL280/R129 minimum ones a week....summertime in good weather daily. Various sensors on this car costs 25-100 euros, whereas on modern cars they can cost several thousands....
Been using a 99 Mustang for 2.5 years now. At 6 feet away it looks great. Getting 18-19 mpg with the 3.8 V6 puttering around town. And it keeps miles off the 2018 Taurus that I love. Obviously the 2018 car is worth significantly more than the 1999 ... but it's the 26 year old that gets 'nice car' at the drive through or random thumbs up from people. Very simple engineering and a platform from 1977, engine from 1982 honed over the years so Ford got it right by 1999😅.
Great work, and a lovely car (I always loved these old Jags...but never got around to owning one). My daily is a work car (self employed) - 2009 Skoda Superb Tdi as I do a fair bit of long distance trips hence fuel economy is important. However I am in the process of getting a "modern classic" ready for "personal" use - it's a 1993 Ford Fairlane Sportsman Ghia. I have never in my life leased a car or taken finance (except for a couple grand from my parents for my first car - which I paid back when I started working) to buy one. I am now in my late 50's and my plan is to run a small fleet of classics as daily's when I retire in a few years (my thinking is that at least one of them will be running properly at any given time, and here in Australia (VIC), classic registration and insurance is cheap). Cheers!
My car is not old (2013 subaru impreza). But I want to keep it longuest possible because I like it and it has a manual transmission and awd. No more new manual in the same range.
For years I prefer to run older cars, for almost the same reasons as you mentioned. Although I make around 30.000 km for work, so I use more cars 😊. Last year around 7500 km with the XJ6 X300. I want to make new youtube video’s this year about some maintenance topics. There is not so many content about X300 maintenance. I also used a 20 year old mini, which I sold last autumn, and recently bought a 20 years old Citroen Picasso as a winterbanger. Besides this we have the good old daily of my wife (Volvo XC70, only 14 years old) and I also drive in summer my MotoGuzzi motorbike, which is quite new.
I daily drove a 1961 3.8l Mk. II back in the 80s. I believe I spent almost as much time under it as in it. Major time waster. It had the head off and hadn't run in 13 years when I bought it, plus parts had been cannibalized. I got the wrong fuel pump for it and it was constantly flooding. The driveshaft shook violently at cruising speed.
I daily a ´91 Mazda MX5....without having a modern car so regular insurance rate but beeing the lowest you can get for a car in germany...
Bought for 900€ in 2020, I did some maintenance (timing belt & all fluids) + minor rust repairs and enjoy it ever since..
Great vid Adam. I drive a 2001 XJ8 V4.0. Just love it. Agree with your environmental comments - nope I'm not a denier. My XJ is like my favourite old coat, I have others but this one just feels right. Keep up the good work.
Not sure I'll fit in, but I have a 2005 Fiat Panda. It runs flawlessly, and despite it being an Italian car, I will likely outlive most of cars currently in production, because it is simple and dead easy to maintain.
Hi Adam I love you XJ I was daily driving my 1995 XJS currently still with my mechanic I lost reverse after a metal pipe on the ZF transmission failed I had to nurse it off the highway parts from ZF arrived so he is attempting a repair in situ the good news was no metal in the pan so now I drive a Subara Forrester 2017 model hoping to get the Jag back soon unless Tim has to do a full rebuild which he can do he has worked on Jags for almost forty years a full rebuild kit is $649 so we will have to see what happens as regards insurance for the XJS full cover for the year with Hagerty was $630 with a driving range of 7000 miles a year loved the video best regards Andy Allen.
I have a few classics that I alternate between, mostly old Mercedes but also a Citroen and a Jag.
Hi from Sydney, Australia. I'll be 69 years old in a few days, I was 26 years old in 1982 when I bought my last new car, which I still own, was paid for by insurance as the 1980 model was stolen and policy had a 3 years new for old clause if car was a total loss for some reason. I own 4 other classic cars besides the 1982 replacement car.
When I was a young doctor just out of uni' the national government placed an extra import tax on imported cars & also on luxury cars, that was a 44.75% tax PLUS sales tax. HUGE extra taxes, but not on older but good condition secondhand luxury cars and if I chose to register for/as business use I could claim EVERY CENT back from my tax bill, so all mechanical repairs, fuel, insurance, tyres. Aussie tax office sees a person in an older car registered for business use as a genuine person claiming business use costs against their tax. However our tax department sees a brand new luxury car as a "show offs personal look at me statement" charged to tax as they could not otherwise afford to own it. So some 20 years ago the tax department/government said ZERO REFUNDS WHEN CLAIMING an under 10 year old luxury car, and worse the Taxman saw it as business possession, an asset that could have even further tax charged against it until 10 years old. These new tax rules near wiped out the sales of S class Merc's, BMW 7 series, Jaguar XJ's, Rolls/Bentleys, so from near 2000 NONE were being purchased as company/business cars, the few being sold were to "old Money" well off people who could simply afford to buy them outright.
The only new Merc's & BMW's you see on Aussie roads now are the little cheapie entry level versions the young monied kids buy or receive and then thrash and crash them. Other thing with a lot of the Euro cars is electrical component failure when parked daily in open air carparks in the Euro car killing relentless Aussie sun
My two favorites out of my five classics are my 1967 Jaguar MK10 or 420G as the 3rd update was called and my 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Talisman. Talismans were something completely special made for just 3 years with the first the '74 model being the most elaborate. I bought it from its original owner in 1982, have been driving it as my primary daily car ever since, I've serviced it properly & now, today in January 2025 it has 712,000 kilometers on it, I've put 610,000 on it, and the car still looks very nice. Some of my colleagues cannot understand or get why I'm still driving it. As a Talisman it came with "Maxtrac" joint traction control and ABS (brakes), additionally self levelling air shocks (so like modern "active" suspension) ACRS air cushion restraint system (airbags as GM patented airbags in 1973 & fitted them in cars as an option from '74) but best off all as a factory RHD export special, ZERO anti-pollution equipment so you get real performance from its 8.2 litre V8 add to this it has the high altitude kit with larger radiator, larger tranny cooler and the GM THM400 tranny has the variable pitch stator and stall kit like the original 400's had before accountants cost cut them. This adds to fuel mileage from such a big heavy car as it's a 2 x 6 metre vehicle, weighing in at 3180 kilos unladen.
It has advanced safety equipment recently fitted to cars such as traction control, ABS brakes, Airbags and an active suspension system but this is in a THREE TON car , not a little plastic one, and out front is & feet of steel before you get to the cabin, and it has crumple zone in it too, so who needs a new car when you have one of these and as the export version engine they were built to run on any petrol from 75 octane unleaded ethanol, right up to 102 octane leaded fuel with internals and block/heads of tungsten ferry chrome steel made to last forever.
The ill-informed knock old Jaguars saying unreliable, money pit etc, however the doctor who ordered my old Jag new selected the ultra-high performance bronze head, like was used on their race car engines, so no usual alloy head on steel block woes. In the 50 years I've owned it, there have been no major issues, just routine servicing. I get as much fun now, today in 2025 driving it as back in 1975 when I bought it, it's been loved & looked after, they just DO NOT make cars like this anymore. Plus, when I bought it from its original owner all those 50 years ago he had ordered it with the heavy-duty suspension option which included bigger front sway bar and Koni gas shocks all around so when cornering it stays almost flat like on rails, excellent, like a rocket propelled lounge room on wheels.
My daily is a 2001 Fiat Brava 1200… scruffy but lively and economical and full of character…. with a 2005 Rover 75 1.8 as a respectable quality backup.
I might consider a 7 or 8 year old Fiat 500X 1.4 turbo now they are becoming affordable…..
I saw a Fiat Brava a few weeks ago. First time I saw one in years. Always liked their styling
I’m trying to get my 1969 Rover P5B V8 (same engine as your P6) running well enough that it could be my daily. But it has no aircon and I am in Australia so aiming for Winter, Spring and Autumn use only with very occasional Summer use.