I’ve stumbled across a sort of beat up 1970 Jag. Looks nice but I don’t know how it drives yet. But the price is so right I’ve got to question it.
Anyone have any tips for what I should ask/know about?
Do you have a degree in electrical engineering?
…and a high limit credit card?
They are nice looking cars and the 4.2L inline-6 is smooth and reasonably powerful for its time. The 1970 models are pre-emissions as well, which simplifies the mechanics a bit. That said, I understand it’s a very complicated engine to work on. The carburetors are finicky. Switches and electrical parts fail frequently. Parts are both hard to find and expensive. The costs to restore one are as high as for an E-type but the value in the end will be lower.
If you don’t plan to work on it yourself, get it checked out by a good Jaguar specialist. His estimate will probably reinforce my opinion that the most expensive exotic cars start out as the cheapest.
I also found this buyer’s guide online. It’s not terribly specific but it will remind you about some of the things to consider.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/xj6-xj12-series-i-ii-iii-16/4539d1281197818-xj6-xj12-how-quick-links-buyers-guide-ii_jaguar-xj-series-1-2-3.pdf
Good luck.
Yeah, I’d heard such things about them. I think I could do the work myself (but I probably wouldn’t) but it’s how much that weirds me out.
On the other hand, it appears the engine was replaced with a Chevy V-8. I can’t find a Jaguar XJ with an 8 cylinder engine from the time period and the seller hinted that it was a Chevy in an email.
Still, only $2500 for a project doesn’t sound bad.
on a more serious note, this is part of why the electrics in these cars are notoriously problematic. unsealed, non-latching connectors.
that’s a (somewhat) common swap. The GM LSx V8 will fit in almost anything, is an order of magnitude less complicated and more reliable than the Jag engine, and replacement and performance parts are a dime a dozen. It’ll even fit in a Miata in practically the same space as the stock 4-cylinder.
There was no V-8 version of that car. After the model year on the one you’re looking at, a V-12 became an option but never a factory V-8. Somewhere along the way someone did a Chevy engine swap, which may not actually be a bad thing since it sounds like you’re not planning on restoring it to showroom specs.
I owned a '73 Triumph GT-6 as (as my main driver, doh!) and quickly developed the ability to remove the center dashboard section to investigate smoke that would magically appear. All while driving down the freeway (hey, if you pulled over everything something went wrong, you’d never get anywhere!)
Just FYI for owners of British autos from the dark days, here’s the Lucas Smoke Replacement Kit
You can get projects for free if you look hard enough. You can get a solid-running Jaguar XJ6 with its original engine in good cosmetic shape for less than $4000 any day of the week, particularly if you are willing to take one of the later rubber-bumper models. It sounds like your example needs cosmetics too.
That car got an engine swap because someone didn’t love it enough to maintain the original engine. I would wonder what else they neglected. The engine swap probably makes it faster and easier to maintain but kills its collectibility. Jaguar’s inline 6 has a long history in its race cars and the E-type. Without the original engine, I’d lose interest in it.
I had a 68 Mustang a few years ago I restored to (almost) showroom. I cheated and put in disc brakes, seat belts (I have kids) and a modern radio that kept the original faceplate. It was fun.
So I’ve been down that road. I thought something that would be fun to drive and easy to maintain might be fun to have.
I don’t know much of anything about cars but I remember during long drives in the 60s and 70s noticing how many Jaguars were broken down along the highways.
I’ve heard of engine swaps like putting a V8 in a Jaguar, but I’ve always kinda wondered how it was done. Even if the new engine will fit under the hood, are the motor mounts in the same place? Is there a standard arrangement of bolt holes and shaft sizes such that any motor can attach to any transmission?
No, there’s usually a lot of fabrication required, unless you’re lucky enough to pick a swap that someone puts out a kit for. Even then, there are a lot of little things (throttle linkage, shifter linkage, instrument wiring, etc) that you’ll have to figure out yourself.
When I used to drive a Corvair, it was not uncommon for folk to shove them in the back of those cars. Made 'em wicked fast - AND LOUD! :eek:
There are two reasons why Jags of that era were called “road sculpture.”
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They were beautiful
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They were most often seen standing still
You say it’s “sort of beat up.” Are you talking about the body, and you want to do the bodywork yourself? That might be fun. . . if the rust isn’t too bad, you aren’t worried about breakdowns, and you accept that you’ll never get your money out of it because it has a Chevy engine.
Otherwise, listen to that voice.
Mine was a '58, five years old at the time. Before I bought it, I asked my mechanic’s opinion. He said 'If you buy it, you will spend all your Saturdays down here with me". Sure enough, I got to know him very well. I put his kids through college.
I own British cars, MGs - never a Jag. The people I know who do own Jags all have rich mechanics…
I like British cars, I have had a few and still have my first car, a 1957 Triumph TR3 that I have owned since 1964. But Jags of that era, ohh my.
I remember sitting in my a friend’s XKE. All the vent louvers on the dash pointed to the floor. There were lots of them. I pointed one upwards like it should be. It slowly drifted down. Another - it dropped with a thud. I went to crank the window down and the handle came off to the apologetic grimace of my friend who had forgotten to tell me the threads were worn out and it can’t be fixed.
When I had opened the door to get in I thought it dropped a bit. Yes - it would not close until you picked it up. A chrome strip around the back window was sticking out of the rubber and I pressed it back in place. It laughed as it straightened out again.
Lucas starters of that era had a square end on the main shaft that stuck out the back and was covered with a small cap. That’s where you placed the wrench to un-stick it. My 67 GT-6’s manual had a picture of this operation.
Meanwhile my 67 BMW 2000CS manual had photos of a white gloved hand gently pressing buttons and polishing the woodwork.
Dennis
I’ve done simple repairs all the way to frame up restorations on more different cars than I care to admit. The only Jag I ever tried to work on was a mid-50s estate model. I crawled away with my tail between my legs utterly defeated. I can’t really articulate the whys but I find the things totally impossible to understand or really fix up and the people who can realize they have a special ability and make you pay through the nose.