My Jaguar Stories is a collection of "recollections" from Jaguar (club) members
By Edward Brett
So, in late 2016, I’m driving East on Cherry Street (in Tulsa Oklahoma) and being careful because of the potential for entering traffic or pedestrians and catch a glimpse of a black 2 door Jaguar parked on the North side of the street. Just a glimpse, but I decided to go to the dealer to find out what I had seen.
(*NOTE Cherry street in Tulsa (15th St.) is a VERY busy street. It runs e-w. and is full of HIP stores, and busy restaurant's. It's one of a few "restless ribbons" in Tulsa, OK.)
The dealer said the only 2 door being made at that time was the F type. I noticed a 2015, green 4 door sedan, XF for sale and drove it. I fell in love with the torque and level cornering, Jaguar style, ride and Handling along with the “British Racing Green Metallic” color and styling. The price quoted seemed high but I was not familiar with Jaguar prices. So I went on line and found a new 2016 in the same interior and exterior colors and called the OKC dealer and made an offer stating If they would take that price I’d buy it. They acknowledged they would and we did. We happily drove that car a couple of years and while checking XKE prices on line I stumbled on a 2001 Jaguar XK8 for sale at a used car dealer here in Tulsa. So I went to check on it and all the paper work for the cars history indicated it was originally owned by a California doctor, presumably to drive to the golf and country club, as it was low mileage after 10 years. He sold it to a Tulsa man, that owned the Fiesta Marts seen in this area, for his Arizona house where it lived on a Battery Tender for the next ten years and gained very few miles. Presumably it was used as his golf club car.
So I had the used car dealer put it on the rack and checked it out underneath and found it totally rust free. It looked like new everywhere.
Subsequently, I brought Patricia to look at the car which was inside the used car dealers showroom and at some point she grabbed me by the collar and said “I want that car”.
I also drove my now deceased bosses convertible XK8 and found it in need of a lot of work. I could have bought it for about 40% of the asking price of the coupe’. But the coupe’ was so clean and beautiful I wanted it and started negotiations for it. I love to negotiate and drove a hard bargain. They eventually took my offer of 75% of their asking price.
It gets a lot of thumbs up when we drive it. We never drive it in the rain and baby it in every way. It stays tucked away in the garage with both the 2016 XF and the 2006 Pontiac Solstice in which in about 2012, I installed a Chevrolet LS1 engine, Tremec T56, 6 speed transmission, Cadillac CTSv, Brembo brakes and Corvette C4 leather seats.
The irony of the story is that I’m pretty sure the car, just glimpsed, on Cherry Street is the XK8 we now own and also love. The oldest car we own has the fewest miles and the youngest the most. And that event initiated the whole Jaguar Club of Tulsa episode we enjoy so much.
Edward Brett
And on behalf of the Jaguar of Tulsa club.... Thanks ED!!! Great story! And (again) thanks for taking the time to write it!!
I purchased the car in 2002 from a good friend and fellow collector. My first experience with a XJR was in 1997 when I rented one from Hertz while visiting Denver. I thoroughly enjoyed the car, and a few years later, I had the opportunity to buy this one from my friend. I’ve been driving it ever since. It currently has 56,000 miles and is in excellent condition. However, I need to replace the headliner because the adhesive has started to fail.
Here's some photos of Ed's BEAUTIFUL XK8 coupe.
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Here's another GREAT "My Jag" story by:Tom DeLorbe
TOM, thank yo for sharing your story, and the photos of your SUPER COOL XJR!!!! Great looking Jag! I personally know that XJR's are GREAT driving Jags!
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My FIRST Jaguar drive: By club member Mr. Philp Dooley
My first Jaguar Drive. Outside my parents home in Sussex England - 1971. A work friend dropped by to show off a second hand 1968 primrose yellow beast he fancied that he’d taken for a test drive. £2,000… He didn’t buy it seemingly because a Black Ferrari 365 GTB passed us on the A27 close to Arundel at some excessive speed that left us in the dust..
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My Jag stories By: Stan L.
This is my 1997 X300 (XJ6) , BUT, it's wearing VDP rims. Why? Well because I also own a 1996 X300 VDP, that unfortunately has had it's wiring consumed by rodents!
I'm the second owner of THIS XJ. In Dec of 2024, It came to Oklahoma from Redwood city CA. It was transported to Oklahoma via the Heir "to the estate". I bought the car from the estate Heir. This XJ6 was dealer purchased, and dealer maintained all of it's life. With the death of it's original owner, it sat for about 4 years while the estate was in probate. It was (still) a RUNNING Jag when I bought it. Being a garaged car, it looked (looks) almost like new in, and out. Yes, when I bought it DID (like many "NOW" vintage Jags) need a bit of maintenance. Some of the maintenance was preventative , while other work was (is) cosmetic. The paint on the hood, and passenger side door tops need repainting, and I'm getting that taken care of.
Being a 97, and a calif car, it has three things going for it. 1. with only 99,950 "on the clock" it was (is) pretty low miles for a Jag of this vintage. 2. being a (garaged) California car there's zero rust on the car. 3. Because its a very LATE 97 model, its one of the very last "classic" 6 cylinder XJ's made... In late 97 Jaguar started production of the XJ8...
The of the "97 XJ6's (X300), AND the First of the XJ8's ( X308) BOTH displace 4.0 liters. The X300 & the X308 BOTH have 245 HP. Both have a top speed of 145 MPH, and they have similar (identical) performance stats. To me, the X300 (XJ6) is the very last of the TRUE Jaguars. X300 Jaguars were produced under Fords ownership, and were only produced for three years. 1995, 96, and 97.
The X300 is considered to be the VERY best XJ6 that Jaguar ever produced.... It was said that it's interior appointments of the X300 VDP, rivaled that interior appointments of a RR. ..............And? And I LOVE IT!!! lol....lol..
This XJ is finished in the color "Topaz" and will in the near future have it's original 97 X300 rims back on it....
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Below are photos of my 1973 series 1 (short wheel base) XJ12. There were only 3,500 Series 1 XJ12's produced. 1,750 were RIGHT hand drive and 1,750 left hand drive. THIS LHD Series 1 (SWB) XJ12, is purported to be one of the (only) 400 known series 1 XJ12's left.
I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE this XJ12... In 1973 this V12's top end was 143 mph, and 245 HP. In 1973, the XJ12 was the fastest production sedan in the world. The SWB (short wheel base) series 1 XJ's (both 6's and 12's) are nimble, and handle well! ME? I love the smell and feel of older British cars. Sedans, Coupe's and ragtops.
Old English cars always (to me) smell like Leather gas, oil, and FUN!!! LOL.. I've owned this XJ12 for about 2 years. It only has 52K miles on it. While it hasn't been started in 24 years, with the help of a friend (an ASE Master mechanic) I'm expecting it to be running (not driving, but running) in about 2-4 weeks from this posting. ~"It's all there" ~and it's my intention to have this XJ12 as a daily driver.
Yes, It'll need about 3.5K in parts (and my free labor) to get it to the "daily driver" status, but many of those parts are already there, I just want to replace a few of the older parts with Newer parts. To get it to where I'm going to drive it daily, I'm going to put in an all new leather interior (the carpets are fine) , a full repaint, new 160 mph rated tires, new brake calipers, and the NEW exhaust that will be "kind of growly/angry sounding... Hopefully". It's a carbureted V12, NOT injected,(it has 4 carbs) BUT I understand "all that MULTI carb balancing stuff", and am looking forward working with them... When it's "road" worthy, do I plan on checking it's top speed?
Ummmm That's a good question... I doubt that I'll get it to 143, (series 1 XJ's want to FLY at about 125) but I'll definitely Be "GETTN me SOME"....lol...
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