New Member, New Car & New Radiator Needed!..

[OllieG]

Hi all!

I’m new to JEC, and fairly new to Jag ownership, so any help would be very appreciated!

I’m the proud owner of an ’04 4.2 V8 S-Type, however as of yesterday it’s off the road due to a (big) hole in the radiator
Has anyone replaced a radiator recently and know what sort of cost I should be looking at?

I’ve had 2 quotes so far;
1 from a local mechanic (who I’ve used for my previous Merc and was very good, but by his own admission doesn’t know Jaguars) - Aftermarket Radiator £210 + VAT and approx 3.5 - 4.5 hours labour. Total Bill in the region of £450
And the 2nd from a Jag specialist in Croydon - OE Radiator £258 + Vat and 4 hours labour. Total Bill £645

Is it worth the extra cost to get the specialist to do it? Or;
Has anyone got any advise as to the best place to source a good quality and reasonably priced radiator?
Has anyone got any experience with a good mechanic based in South London?

Just trying to make the bill a little less painful!

Thanks all,

Ollie

[J44EAG]

You have two independent operators in Croydon, Ollie. Milenium and Surrey Jag Centre. Both are well known for quality work. 4 hours seems about right on hours. The aircon has to be opened up to get the radiator out. Whilst your local general garage should be able to handle the work, going to a specialist who already knows what is required, is probably a more cost effective solution.

Then there is the issue of the value of the work set against the value of the car bearing in mind the general condition of the car and how much extra costly work will be needed at some point in the near or distant future. There does come a point in any car ownership where one does have to consider whether money would be better spent buying a newer car. A 4.2, though is a good car and still has some value and perhaps still has some very useful miles left in it. I`d suggest you get the work done in the knowledge that although it is a chunky bill, it is probably no more than the sort of money that is needed periodically to continue to enjoy the V8 experience.

Mike K
Former S-type Co-ordinator.