Thank you for allowing me to join this group. I bought my XJ-SC eleven years ago as my first car. I paid $4,500 dollars for it (my life’s savings at the time), drove it to high school and five months later a fuel injection hose burst and it went on fire.

My father and his mechanic friends declared it a total loss but I wanted to fix it. I told him I only had two opportunities in my life to take on a foolish task like this, right now when I was young and stupid or when I retired. And, i didn’t want to wait.

I knew very little about working on cars and didn’t have much money for parts but, I found a very tired rust-ridden XJ-S coupe to use for spares and set to work.

Over the past eleven years, I’ve replaced the entire wiring harness, interior, every hose and wire in the engine bay, head gaskets, rear main seal, crankshaft bearings, re-upholstered the top/hood and targa panels, and even done some minor body work.

I’ve made improvements along the way too. Like installing a Wilton wool headliner, fabricating custom air intakes for the 5.3L V12 and fitting the car with period correct-ish BBS aftermarket wheels.

This car has taught me many valuable lessons about auto mechanics, patience and perseverance.