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frank horton
V twins are great but 4"s rule.........
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when I lived in California, we used to convert em.......thro away the V12 and put in a bran new 350 Chevvy engine and gearbox, either auto or manual.........a new prop shaft and a new 5 core radiator was the main fix.......
after that just regualar servicing........
also used to convert MG TD's witha a 1500 Datsun engine and gear box.....after that starts first time and no oil leaks.........
when I think, what a load of rubbish we used to make........no wonder the motor-motorcycle industry went bust......
after that just regualar servicing........
also used to convert MG TD's witha a 1500 Datsun engine and gear box.....after that starts first time and no oil leaks.........
when I think, what a load of rubbish we used to make........no wonder the motor-motorcycle industry went bust......
CompoSimmonite
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Mechanically, other than the engine, they are basically the same as an XJ6. I had a S2 3.4 for years and simple to maintain with service parts being reasonable. At the time there were plenty in the scrap yards but rarely need to buy secondhand parts. The V12 can be a nightmare to work on so I'd avoid. Neighbour asked me to get his XJS V12 started so he could drive to garage after auto inhibitor switch failed and access is terrible. Friend had a S3 XJ12 and told me it took 1/2 day to change the plugs. Personally I'd say only buy a post facelift HE XJS with the straight six engine and best body you can find. Anything cheap (say under £2500) is going to be a money pit and probably will need as much again spending on it to bring up to reasonable standard. Even a totally rotten car which is only fit as a spares donor and absolutley no chance of ever going back on the road will still probably be over £1000. Don't underestimate the size of them or cost of "cosmetic" repairs like trim and bodywork. Price up a few spares like bumper, wing, headlight etc to see what type of motoring expenses you intending entering. If you save up a few pennies an early XK8 in need to TLC is going to actually be cheaper than a good XJS so worth considering.
8ob
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Never underestimate a V12 Jag, witnessed one at a goodwood track day wipe the floor with everything there. He popped in what looked like a very leisurely lap and the time was not beaten all day despite there being some hopped up hot hatches, Turbo technics capri`s and a few Porsches in the mix. A good one running on all twelve is a very nice car indeed, a good one that has been maintained properly and garaged is the one to look out for. I think the problems really start with the second owners and go down hill from there, run on a shoestring by folk trying to live the champagne lifestyle on cola money , poorly maintained and living outside is a killer for cars like these.
Bob
Bob
keithski122
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Pain in the ass to do rear brakes, especialy changing the discs.Inboard brakes next to the diff.I think it could be an exhaust off or diff down to change the discs.
Oh, and if it hasn't been mentioned watch out for rust.
Oh, and if it hasn't been mentioned watch out for rust.
owas
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Im not really a fan of the xk8 (i cant get insured on it either),
Ive got up to around 6k to spend on one so should be able to find something decent i think.
Does the XJ40 fair any better rust wise? I quite like the look of those too.
colnerov
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Hi, Really and truly this is a different discussion, which is partly numbers and partly jingoism on the Americans behalf. They just didn't get the way we engineer and built cars, we had a restrictive road tax system that not only limited the capacity of our cars but their power output. When it ended the attitude to engine size continued and we tried to get the most out any given engine size leading to higher stressed parts. Even today we have tax systems in place that perpetuates it, not only emissions vs road tax bands but income tax influenced engine sizes and mileages. The other part is the volume of sales, the Americans have such a vast market size that prices are cheap because of it. If they wanted parts for British cars they had to go to a main dealer and there was little aftermarket stuff, that Brit cars almost became semi-exotic foreign cars.
I digress, so I will shut up now.
Colin
zzr1200
Working at 650 ft on open steel work.
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Your obviously not old enough to remember Datsun 240Z's and Fiat Miroforiy's then...
To work on a XJS, better train as a gynaecologist.......
rtcosic
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Short answer - not much better. Any still alive today are likely to be low mileage freaks for show use only and much too good to use as a daily or shiny rotboxes.
But - the 3.6 XJS had the first iteration of the AJ6. This grew to 4 litres in the XJ40 and morphed into the much improved AJ16 in the X300. I bought an LPG converted XJ40 as a donor car. Shiny, rotten but the engine had over 300k miles on it and still ran nicely. Blue haze at startup from the valve guides. This engine family is considered the most long lived Jaguar engine.
Which of course also came in supercharged form - not that I'm suggesting such a modest updating would be at all desirable.
I thought the last iteration of the XJS has the outboard discs as the XJ40/X300?
My s/c X358 only has 195k miles on it so far. It's aluminium body so doesn't rust. But to keep up the tradition it has steel subframes which do.
CompoSimmonite
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I replaced my XJ6 with a 2.9 XJ40 and hated it as nowhere near as good as the earlier model. Nothing to do with poverty spec 2.9 engine but it just felt like any other Ford, Vauxhall, Rover rather than something special. Mine started to rust on inner wings but probably better overall than a XJS of same age. With an XJS, and other Jaguars, it isn't just being able to buy one in the first place but you need to accept the far higher running and maintenance costs compared to other cars.
I'd love another XJ6 (S2) or an XJS but simply couldn't afford to run one anymore.
owas
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Noted, ill stick to the XJS,dont want something that just feels like a normal car at all,where's the fun in that
Tbf,my BL era land rover has been utterly reliable
atomant48
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Drumtochty?
Olderisbetter
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Always liked the look but the rust scared me away, I have looked at mk2 jags a few times but that means using my garage as a garage...and its not a garage anymore
8ob
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Your obviously not old enough to remember Datsun 240Z's and Fiat Miroforiy's then...
They were special
One of the local hooligans had one of those, it was a Samuri 240z ( Spikes own car) and it broke in half on landing the other side of a hump back bridge Worth a fortune now but in the day changed hands for very little.https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1973-datsun-240z-super-samuri
Bob
Olderisbetter
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Transits rust? this is news to me
zzr1200
Working at 650 ft on open steel work.
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Colin[/QUOTE]
Jezzzus......48,000+ for a jap rust bucket.
They were special
https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1973-datsun-240z-super-samuri
Bob
Jezzzus......48,000+ for a jap rust bucket.
