XJ Restoration Feedback

Some kind words from previous and ongoing clients:

HIGH QUALITY JAGUAR SERVICE AND REPAIR ON YOUR DOORSTEP
Jaguar owners in and around Eastbourne we...re obviously dismayed by the closure of Caffyns Jaguar on Meads Road. Many were left wondering where they could obtain high quality maintenance and repairs for their vehicles within the local area. They needn’t have been concerned as right here on the doorstep, there is an independent company staffed by highly trained, skilled professional technicians with a passion for everything Jaguar.
Established in 2006 by Jaguar enthusiast Keith Parrington, XJ Restorations Ltd is an independent company offering a dedicated service to all Jaguar owners at an extremely competitive price that all can afford. The firm’s main emphasis has been on servicing, repairing and rebuilding historic Jaguar classics. However, the workshop also has all the facilities required to perform work on Jaguar models of any age to the same high level, be they rare classics or the very latest models to come off the production line.
To maintain those standards, only high quality Genuine Jaguar replacement parts are ever utilised. Unusually in this industry, the team aim to repair rather than replace during servicing and repairs wherever possible. This helps to restrain customer bills. In fact, at XJ Restorations, it’s entirely possible to have your Jaguar maintained and be able to pay a bill as low as half of that available at most main dealers for like-for like-work.
The team’s wealth of experience combined with their huge enthusiasm for Jaguar’s desirable models ensures that all work is performed to an impeccably high standard. Watching them carry out their work it quickly become obvious that their chosen profession means far more to them than a means of gaining a pay cheque at the end of the month.
XJ Restorations’ team of technicians includes Keith himself. He served his apprenticeship at a respected Jaguar specialist more than 17 years ago. Highly-skilled Jaguar technician, John Sawyer, used to be employed by Jaguar itself. Few people can match their knowledge and expertise when it comes to Jaguar’s big cats, and their passion for the marque and its fine models knows no bounds.
In a recent development, XJ Restorations signed up to the Young Apprentice Scheme which has seen the company provide a day’s on-the-job experience every working week for one local school pupil up to 14 years of age hoping to enter the profession. Keith said: “It’s all part of our wanting to pass on traditional skills to a new generation of up and coming vehicle technicians, skills that are being lost with the current trend of replacing rather than repairing vehicle parts. It’ll be good for us in the long run as we’ll be able to call upon the services of enthusiastic, fully-skilled mechanics. It’s also good for our local community when it comes to future employment.”
Perhaps best known for their Classic Jaguar services, XJ Restorations is able to undertaken everything from routine servicing to entire vehicle restoration programmes right down to bare metal reconstruction of what would at first appear to be old wrecks well past their best. These services includes authentic interior trim repairs, paint and bodywork repair and restoration, panel beating and fabrication work, the forging of unavailable panels and sheet metalwork, chassis restoration and realignment, engine reconstruction, electrical work together with transmission and rear axle rebuilds.
Most work is expertly performed in-house, while some areas such as interior trim and paint re-sprays are undertaken by long-established dependable specialists.
With all this in mind, why not call into XJ Restorations when your Jaguar is in need of a service or repair, or indeed anything else. There’s no need to travel miles to have your ‘big cat’ maintained when you have XJ Restorations Ltd to look after you and your beloved Jaguar.
You can find XJ Restorations Ltd at Unit 5c Southbourne Business Park, Courtlands Road, Eastbourne BN22 8UY. For more details about the comprehensive range of services offered telephone (01323) 720009 or log onto their website at www.xjrestorations.co.uk where you can read glowing testimonials from satisfied customers.
Remember that for this team, their work is a labour of love. They strive for perfection and their dedication shines through with everything they do.

Following a visit from the Eastbourne Herald.

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"Look no further for the ultimate Jaguar care and attention with a healthy heft of customer service excellence - than XJ Restorations at Eastbourne.   Like the Douglas Bader character portrayed by Kenneth Moore in the 1956 film 'Reach for the Sky', Keith Parrington, the proprietor displays a decidely heatlhy 'can do' attitude, dimissing problems into elements of simplicity.  He enthusiastically gets on with the job, devoid of jargon, unpriced works or unkept deadlines.  The whole experience from start to finish, was documented by photographs sent regularly throughout my engine and suspension works on my 1998 XJR, to my PC on a virtual daily basis.  I have never witnessed this level of communication from anyone - and certainly no one in the motor trade!  Like a breath of fresh air, the bill was exactly what was agreed, no hidden extras, no ifs, no buts - just what the customer wanted.  The distance traveled to Keith is now an experience I will willingly repeat.  Thank you."
 
Patrick Phillips
Head of Service
Local Authority

11/03/2012

Testimonial Keith Partington T/A XJ Restorations

I entrusted my XJ Coupe to the services of Keith after a bad experience at the hands of another restoration shop. Keith understood exactly what I wanted out of the vehicle restoration and explained how he would achieve this.
Keith is a true craftsman and understands metal and how to design and build panels when they are not available. This is a rare skill today as the patience and practice required seems to have long since gone with most restoration shops.
I had a specific design that I wanted transferred from my thoughts to reality in sheet steel. Keith has been able to think through the whole process and improve greatly on the structural design and integrity that Jaguar started out with. Keith has also been able to build the outer body panels in a time honoured tradition wheeling out the wheel arches and welding new metal in where required so that very little filler material will be required.
I have experienced many restoration shops in my time as a Jaguar enthusiast and Keith rates as highly as any craftsman I have seen. r know when I ask Keith for something he will oblige where possible and when not possible will explain why not. Therefore I am happy to work with Keith and take his lead.
It is only a shame that Keith cannot be cloned as the work he turns out can take a great deal of time but is well worth the wait.
I would have no hesitation in reconU11cnding Keith's services to anybody who is serious about having their vehicle restored. I would also like to thank Keith for his patience in what he has achieved on my car so far

Yours truly,

Tom Whitlock

Director

" I entrusted my one family owner XJ12 series one to Keith at XJ Restorations for some minor but intricate body work and rectification works.  To be honest,  I am very protective of this car as I have known it from the day it was delivered and it has been garaged for all of its life.  I need not have worried.  The car was booked in and was returned on the dates as arranged. The quality of the work was first class and further more the car was returned in a better state of clean than when it went in.  It is clear that Keith is extremely knowledgeable on these Jaguars and is a real enthusiast.  The best possible company to work on your valued XJ.  I have no hesitation is recommending the company, and have already booked in a fairly major rebuild of my fathers XJ6. "

Andrew Honychurch XJ12 Series 1

"Keith has been maintaining my 1989 XJS Convertible for a number of years. He has always been professional, courteous and competitively priced. His work on restoring the suspension has been particularly impressive. I would have no hesitation in recommending him to others. "

Chris Powell, Burwash Common, East Sussex

Hi Keith,

Just a line of thanks for your excellent work on my XJ-SC. I really appreciate the fact that you're prepared to go the extra mile to resolve the problems that result with an older car. It drives beautifully since the last service.

Kind regards, Archie.

The car taken in, initially in Aug 2006, to have welding work carried out
on floor pan on driver side, and to seat belt mountings, a potential M.
O.T failure.

I was most impressed with the speed of all repairs carried out, and
the thoroughness of every stage of the process.
Whilst other so-called Jaguar specialists in my immediate area, drew
in their breath and explained how difficult and protracted the work
involved would take, (and appeared reluctant to become involved) Keith
simply got on with the job and was very reassuring at all times.

Keith is very knowledgable of the XJS, and took pains to describe the
best way to deal with the car's potential problems. The excellent
photographic images supplied as J-Pegs on a CD Rom backs up his
methodical approach and is a great way of documenting work carried out.

I have returned to Keith on a number of occasions since to have
suspension renewed, localised paint repairs and general servicing.
A trip to Keith's workshops is for me a 150 mile round-trip. This to
my mind is a small price to pay for someone who can be relied upon to
do the best job.

Colin Lee

I own three jaguars and I have had them all remanufactured and serviced by Xjrestorations.

I trust Keith and his crew completly with my cars...That is why I travel 430 miles round trip to have my cars repaired and serviced.I think enough said.

Roland and Deb Oliver

P.S.please see the "gallery" section on the website for my Majestic and my Mark 10.

"....Four years ago I bough my next Jaguar - an almost thirty years old rusty bucket with floor pans falling out, practically non-existing brakes and the engine cutting of at the most inconvenient moments (plus so many other visible and invisible faults). However, I was happy - this was my dream car, Daimler Double Six Ser. 2 Coupe converted into a convertible by Avon. She looked beautiful to me - from a distance. The next two years were spent in attempts (not very successful) to use the car for holiday driving - and to find an understanding and cost-reasonable restorer to return her to her former glory. And at last I was happy to find (through an advert in JEC mag) Keith. He has  done an excellent and very thorough job. His achievements are best demonstrated in a full-sized article in the Jaguar Monthly's September 08 issue featuring my Daimler. .."

Dr. Schildbach

"I used Keith at XJ Restorations for the servicing of my 1985 XJS HE after having been disappointed by the lack of detailed knowledge of the car by Jaguar specialists closer to home.  I was initially hesitant in taking the car 60 miles for its annual service, but this proved to be unfounded as the car was returned to me in fine shape and with the work done to a very high standard. Keith was happy to take me through the work he had done, and to talk through a fault my previous garage hadn't been able to locate. Pricing was very clear - important to me as, at this age, the car always needs more than a standard service. Needless to say, I will be returning to Keith for next year's service."