• I’ve recently acquired a 1975 XJ6C. It has had a few modifications over the years. The interior is a medium blue cloth with white piping. Very 1970s and in a word, hideous. I’ve obtained a 1984 XJ6 and the front seats work and I am working on the rear seats. The Coupe seems a bit narrower.
My question. Were these seats original? Did Jaguar ever offer cloth seats in 1975?
Nick
Monza275
monza275@verizon.net
Yes, that material (Dralon I believe) was an option and I had a Greensand Daimler DD6 Coupe with black roof and Dralon and piping. In hot weather it’s nice not to stick to hot upholstery and in cold weather the seats feel warmer (seat heaters not having been invented at the time). Someone somewhere will want thos seats for their rarity value - maybe even the next owner of you car, so don’t discard them.
With luck it will be like the Greensand colour they were so proud of in the mid seventies brochures and lots of people painted over to red of black or whatever. Now it is such a rare colour it’s nice to see a survivor.
If it’s original, it’s pure Pinto.
The give away to me that this is all aftermarket is the headrests. Ever factory cloth interior I’ve seen has used IDENTICAL patterns to the leather seats. The headrest side panels here have a simplified design. I’d have to see more details to know if this was all done later.
The gauges aren’t original so someone along the line didn’t care about originality. Also extra switches on the console. That contrasting piping is another sign this is all aftermarket. It’s chubby too.
XJ6 seats don’t tilt forward, so you won’t be able to get in the back seat if you swap them out.
Someone looked at that car and took “Make it yours” to heart. You should do the same thing… and that might include a more traditional interior even if that “rare velour” is original.
Peter and John
Thanks for the reply and insight. I agree with Peter that this really looked like a factory interior but I didn’t know enough about the history to say so. And who knows? Particularly the rear seats that are a different size than the 4-door but were really nicely (no matter how dated) done. The dash has been redone in the 90s with tacky gauges; it even has a horn “button” screwed into the console.
I acquired a 84 XJ6 parts car that had a good red leather interior. The front seats are a bolt in and since the originality ship has long sailed I’ll see about switching the new red console and gauges.
And in the spirit of transparency, it has a SBC 350 that was put in very poorly. Probably done in the 1990s judging by the gauges and other work. Most damage was done to the original wiring harness. It looks like the back of my stereo shelf from the 1970s, wires everywhere and most original wiring just cut off.
It’s too far along to restore but I hope to make it a more presentable/tasteful resto-mod but my final results will be good or bad in the eye of the beholder.
But I really appreciate the feedback and I will have more questions, issues and who-knows-what for the forum in the future.
Thanks to all.
Nick
Monza275@verizon.net
Nick - just to cover again Johns point, if you fit saloon front seats you’ll not be able to access the rear seats at all. The saloon seats don’t tilt forward.
Hi,
The rear seat is the same as 4-door, that is a Series 1 or Series 2 4-door, not the same as the Series 3 4-door.
It’s the front seats that are unique to the 2-door coupe, as they have a seatback tilting mechanism no 4-door car ever had. But if you want access to the rear seat, a tilting seatback makes it a lot easier. 
Like others have pointed out.
Cheers!
Your original blue seats are the coupe tilt ones (the lever on the side is the clue).
I’m pretty sure that you could swap the rear and base from the later ones. The later seats may have a motor to adjust the seat in which case it may be possible to cut and weld the frames to get the tilt and motor combined (my plan when I get to that stage)
The rear seats are different, or at least the base is IIRC. (edit both the back and the base are different as the XJC has a deep door pocket which the four door does not)
Here you have a choice, either strip the leather from the later ones and adapt to fit the coupe springs by cutting/folding and resewing if springs in good condition or if the springs are not in good condition your will have to adapt the spring on the later seats as well by cutting and welding/wrapping.
The doorcards are going to be difficult, the only way is going to be to vinyl paint them red to match the console etc.
Carpets - it may be an option to dye/ spray them black
Might be easier to have your later seats re-dyed to blue.
Point taken. I’ll leave the kids at home or take the Cayenne. If this works out the way I’d like it, it should not matter. But thanks.
Nick
Ptelivuo
This is why I love this Forum. I’ve received more helpful information in the last few hours than I have in months by asking local Jaguar folks.
So its not that the coupe and 4 door are different. It’s the Series II and my parts car (Series III) that are different.
I’ve going to take the leather off the parts car and replace the cloth on the seats. In theory it should work. The Series 3 is wider and has more material.
Thanks for the feedback.
Anjum,
We’re on the same page. I’m taking the leather from the Series 3 and putting it on the original seats (I’ve got an interior guy).
The red carpeting works pretty well since this is basically a Jag hot rod.
The panels I was going to have my interior guy recover the old blue ones. But I’ve had success with Vinyl Spray paint (don’t laugh) before. I’ve got a 1936 Chevy hot rod that had a Back and White stripped Interior (done in 1965). I sprayed in all back 20 years ago and it still looks pretty good. Not ready for Amelia Island but for a fun car, it works.
Thanks
Nick
Hi Tony
Looking forward to seeing the results.
20 years seems like an acceptable result!!!
White car with a red interior - classic!
If possible could you post as many details and pics as you can.
BTW the coupe rear seats are different to the four door, any series, as the seats are narrower and a slightly different shape. The series 3 Has headrests, different patterns etc.
I love a red trimmed car, it works so well with white, black or grey exterior. I have a theory that the attraction is because when you climb into a red interior, it’s subliminally like going back to the warm, red, comforting inside of your pre-birth existence inside your mother…
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Which implies that a PO had trouble with the horn circuit, Nick…
…which might have been a simple fix with some level of knowledge…
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Frank,
Thanks. But my list of major issues puts the horn button in the future.
The car sits very high. I found the previous owner moved (Im not making this up) the lower rear shock mounts 1 1/2" (35mm) higher. Not only raising the rear of the car but screwing up the spring travel. It looks like I can just cut them out and reconnect to original settings. But that’s the kind of odd stuff I am running into. Yikes!
Nick
Now that is weird.
20 char…
Fat Hoosier rear rubber to match the good ole boy V8?
Its got a long way to go but i appreciate the feedback from the forum folks. Here are a few shots from the exterior.
