Jaguar XJS restoration story: from Malta with love

This 1989 convertible XJS exudes sophistication with its sleek chrome and tan leather interior. Travelling thousands of miles from Malta, this fine specimen, fondly known as Jeremy, has made quite a journey, and is a far cry from the tired looking car we started work on earlier this year.

On arrival at KWE, it quickly became apparent that the bodywork was in much worse condition than was originally suspected. We found out that the car had been involved in a frontal collision, large amounts of rust were present, and much of it had been disguised with filler and newspaper!

We conducted a full-scale refurbishment that took many months to complete. The engine was stripped and sent to a specialist for internal cleaning and machining. The front and rear suspension assemblies were removed and rebuilt with completely new parts.

With the body exposed, the collision damage and rust were repaired at KWE. The body was sent off to our painting specialists, who completed the topside rust repairs and repainted in Jaguar solid black.

Our team of specialists then began the reassembly process. Everything from the lattice alloy wheels, headlamps, tyres and air conditioning were upgraded or refurbished to the highest standard.

A host of rewiring and electrical repairs were carried out – the car had been severely tampered with over the course of its lifetime. A full interior revamp was also conducted, in line with the owner’s preferences. KWE installed new tan leather and carpets, giving an elegant and timeless finish.

Although the classic car had been fully restored, its true test was yet to come. The car’s owner, Dieter Fenech, planned to drive 1200-miles from Greenham Business Park to Genoa and then again from Palermo to Pozzalo, something that would have been near impossible for Jeremy in the past.

Due to KWE’s carefully refined refurbishments and upgrades, this was no problem for the XJS, as it managed to counter any troublesome driving conditions. Mr Fenech told us about the car’s eventful homecoming: “I was caught up in very significant traffic both in Geneva and in Genoa, with ambient temperatures nearing 30 degrees.

“Nevertheless, with the air conditioning running at full chat, there was no sign of the temperature gauge even rising a millimetre above the bottom of the N mark – a feat that very few V12s ever accomplish. The pull from the engine is marvellous and we kept up nicely with all the modern Euroboxes, cruising at a very comfortable 80 mph.”

Mr Fenech was delighted with Jeremy’s new lease of life, stating: “The car performs and handles beautifully. I dare say the handling is better than a 2009 XK. You’ve brought back to life a beautiful Jaguar XJS – a far better version than Jaguar themselves built in 1989.”

All the different stages of this restoration were captured on camera and film, and can be viewed here.

If you’ve got a classic Jaguar car you’d like us to lovingly restore, visit our website or call us on 01635 30030.