Fan, I also fitted Scorpions (same as Paul) on my series 2 last year and they are doing the job well.
/Marc
I’ve driven an XJC; the cowl flex was disconcerting to me. Jaguar had cowl flex issues on the convertible a few years later, and came up with a fix for it! They installed X-braces under both ends of the car. Then some aftermarket outfit came up with a kit for installing an X-brace under the front end of earlier cars (the front one was considered far more important than the rear one). The kits don’t exactly install the same way as the later OEM convertibles, but they have the same effect. Some reviewer tested the aftermarket version by driving a car with it and then removing it and driving the car again, and said the difference was considerable.
If you haven’t driven too many other Jags, you might not even think you have cowl flex. But my recommendation is to install an X-brace – even if you have to make one. They’re not exactly rocket science, any good shop should be able to put together an X-brace from steel plate, tubing, and a few bolts and whatnot. Probably need to modify the forward jacking points to mount it.
Thanks, Bob. From your thumbnail I gather you also own an XJ S2? Have you done anything to firm up the ride?
cheers.
Peter
Hi Kirbert,
Thanks for your kind input. I must say the X-brace is a foreign matter to me. I’ll check what design input I can gather on the web. You didn’t mention the usual suspects such as anti torsion bar, coils and shocks: Any thoughts on these if I may ask?
thanks!
Peter
XJ12 anti roll bar on the front will firm up the body roll.
Peter, some member was tracking the same XJ Restorations suspension package maybe one month ago. More info was provided by other members about business carrying the same suspension upgrades. It can be found here:Suspension modification - #28 by MrFlyingPig
Hi Peter,
Yes, I have a series 2 (74) but I’m in the camp of ‘I like it the way it is’! I have thought about replacing the rear shocks but if I were to do something I would keep it as stock as possible. I replaced the anti roll bar bushes on the front but I stuck with the rubber ones in preference to the harder compound ones.
Regards,
Bob
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To Mr Flying Pig and Robin:
Thanks for the input. Driving these cars is a joy, and taking care of them plus fitting some smart upgrades also is. But creating solutions from scratch is beyond me: I feel more comfortable with changes that have been tuned & tried by competent people .
In the meantime I checked SimplyPerformance’s website and it look like they have exactly what I was looking for. And the stiffer ARB from a V12 should also be a no-brains fit.
Thanks again!
Peter
Hi Fan, I don’t find them at all noisy. Paul.
You should address the cowl flex before you even consider things like uprated anti roll bars or even better tires. All you’d do is aggravate the cowl flex.
You definitely need to check the steering rack mounts. If they are OEM you need to be replacing them with aftermarket poly or Delrin. Installation must be done correctly, don’t just drop them in and expect satisfactory performance.
Hey Peter, lovely XJC,. do like the white walls, they make the wheels look bigger. Honestly, you are a better expert then me here… and I don’t really know what the full spec of Harry’s suspension, but I do know he used (like me) GAZ adjustable dampers and I think Eibach sport springs, that seems to be the norm for more suspension control, a big reduction in bottoming out. The big issue as always is bushes. I have retained Jaguar bushes throughout, these retains the Jaguar NVH and the dampers can be adjusted to standard or firmed up if you like it that way. The trailing arm buses I again used OEM jag ones but turned them upside down which give better rear cage control and location without the roughness of poly bushes…
I set my dampers slightly firmer.
Maintaining 15 or 16" wheels also helps with bump and noise isolation as the 55/60 ratio tyres help with the ride quality/damping effect with the larger wall thickness.
I am not sure if Harry changed the roll bar set up. I do know that Harvey Bailey Engineering was and is still the go to place for upgraded anti roll bars, without effect the ride too much.
I kept the standard Jaguar steering bushes but remember I had fitted a XJRs rack and bushes. This modification/repair was performed by Racing Green sometime ago.
Braided hoses and EBC Yellow stuff pads did the brakes wonders, I will when the car is recommissioned shortly replace the fluid with Dot 5 as the rears callipers do over heat on the track…
Last but not least tyres, everyone has an opinion on this, but I will fit Dunlop Blue response sport tyres which has ample grip but very low noise at 69Db’s.
Harry had his engine rebuilt at Tom Lenthall, Tom will be picking up my car this week to fit the new V12 and 5 speed box plus get everything else recommissioned, mot’d and ready for the summer… All my parts are here and waiting now… cant wait to get the old girl back up and running.
Keep us posted on your restoration, we would realy love to see how you are getting on…
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Did anyone see the new instalment of Harrys Garage… he is getting some colour on to the body shell now…
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To be honest, I like that Aston safety car color alot. It will look hot on that XJC
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I agree, I think the modern metallic paints look really good on classics and the green is lovely…
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Hi Mike,
Agree with your statements. My preference is to paint 1970’s jags in an attractive (to me) colour that doesn’t clash with the original colour of the motor compartment. I learnt that from the previous owner of my XJC who painted golden sand over the original old english white: not shocking when you open the bonnet.
Next week I should receive from Italy an XJ S2 4.2 manual in Fern Grey (which is more of a green than a grey, and not attractive to me). After inspection I’ll decide whether to bring it back on the road (I hope) or use it as a donor for another S2 I’m working on.
If I bring it on the road I’ll look for a more recent colour that fits. See illustrative example that could come close. All the better if I can find an original Jaguar colour to do it.
Best regards
Peter
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I had to stick to the original colour on mine when I had it restored and repainted, not because I didn’t like other colours more, but because the wife had no idea I was spending that much on a repaint and would definitely notice a colour difference, I told her I just had the car polished up and it ‘only cost a couple of hundred but didn’t it come up nice’, I’m afraid the reality was somewhat different.
Jag light blue or the rather lovely Lavender (not quite period for my car but close) would have been preferred period options. If I was going restomod I had a lovely porsche 928S4 in lagoon green (actually blue) or that olive metallic smilar to the pic above.
I always think it best to have a light colour on a car with no AC, it makes a big difference to cabin heat.
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And she never reads JL?
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Beautiful car, fabulous color. Whereabouts are you located in Belgium? Back in the 1990’s my father spent a great deal of time in Antwerp, to where he shipped his early Damson Red XJ6 from New York. Over the years, the car was fitted with Dunlops & Pirllis, but now, here in the US, my series 3 XJ6’s are both fitted with Bridgestone 21570R15’ tires, wich feature a smoother ride & achieve improved fuel consumption figures as well.
Bertie, that’s a brilliant story!
Hi MRCHB,
I live between Brussels and Antwerp. Belgium is so small that basically everyone lives “near Brussels” anyhow.
The XJC has original spec wheels and tires, but on my XJS I went with a more modern approach. I took wheels from an XK8 with 245/45-17 tires, and they look good (to me) and fit without rubbing
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