I just acquired a very forlorn and rusty Federal Series 1 XJ12 from the second owner’s grandson. In the trunk I found most of a plastic/vinyl tool roll that is very much like one from a Series 3 E-Type - German Heyco wrenches, leather belted part etc… Right down to the extra-long V12 spark plug socket which I found in the jack bag. It appears to be a mostly unmolested car except for a circa 1979-1982 Alpine Stereo Cassette deck.
My questions is for US/Federal spec S1 XJ12 owners. Does anyone have a S1 XJ12 with the original tool-roll? I have pretty much all of the XJ books including the Nigel Throley ‘Original Jaguar XJ’ which says that S1’s use the hardura roll with Jaguar branded tools but I find this a little suspect and it doesn’t say anything about S1 XJ12’s specifically. I would postulate that if a N American Jag dealer’s customer wanted a tool roll for their brand new XJ12 they would give 'em an E-Type roll. Just curious if anyone else has one of those tool rolls in their S1 XJ12 that they think may be original.
~Mike
though it’s neither SI nor 12 cylinder, but I believe my tool roll to be original and complete and it is exactly as you describe: black vinyl roll with leather strap and bluish Heyco tools. The original tools and roll should be in the parts catalogue for your particular car. I only have the XJ6 SI catalogue available and that’s what it looks like
Wow! Congratulations on extending your S1 collection, Mike. Planning on restoration or an engine transplant to one of your other three S1s? With the Rustfee moniker I predict the latter.
Yup - I have the S1 XJ6 parts manual as well so I’ve seen that image but thank you for taking the time to post it! I don’t think (not sure though) that there is a S1 XJ12 parts manual - if there is I’d love a copy/PDF. Maybe there is a V12 supplement??
What I wonder about is the information in Nigel Thorley’s book that I mentioned. It’s a guide to original XJ equipment but it’s a little vague and I think downright incorrect about the tool-rolls in S1’s because it does say that the only S1 XJ6 tool rolls are the version that is pictured in the S1 XJ6 parts manual you shared with Jaguar branded (not Heyco) tools. It also goes on to say that the tool-roll material is supposed to be hardura not vinyl. I have a 6 cylinder tool-roll that I bought for another S1 XJ6 that is the black vinyl version with Heyco tools. It’s interesting that you say your S1 XJ6 has the vinyl with Heyco tools version and that you believe it’s original… What year is that XJ6? I theorize that Jag woud use the hardura rolls and Jaguar branded tools until they ran out and then just use the newer version since it is basically the same as the S3 E-Type’s. Pure speculation though but it makes a little more sense in light of you saying that your tool-roll is original. I would love to see a pic of it open - especially the small parts - screwdriver, air-pressure gauge etc… cause there are different versions of those things. Yours being original, would be great to see.
@Robert_Wilkinson Yes Bob you know me well! This car is unfortunately a serious rustbucket. Although it was well loved it really suffered in the elements. I just so happen to have a super-clean California XJ6 with a bad engine that is gonna get the full V12/manual transmission treatment. I’ve been planning this for a while but there are quite a few little bits and bobs that are needed for a complete XJ12 metamorphisis. This car has everything I was missing - including the obvious V12 of course, in dire need of rebuilding. I think if I have one really nice manual S1 XJ6 (the blue one with the triple SUs) and a really nice manual S1 XJ12 I can be happy with my S1 XJ collection and finally quit buying them.
car is at another property…it is unreg, due to needing rust repair, it was my daily driver for 6years, but has been a coastal car all its life. I really miss driving it, its actually a Daimler VandenPlas Double-six…I put a 5speed Supra box behind it when I blew the auto up.
Now that you mention it, I think the vinyl color is more black than grey.
see if I can get a pic next time I am down there…now u remind me, promised someone I would take a pic of MKVII woodwork attachment too
Of course, I cannot guarantee they came with the car, but I got the car with the tool roll, the jack bag, two sets of keys and all books, so I assume it is original.
Thanks for the pics Jochen! That is the same 6 cylinder tool kit I have exactly. I see your car is a S2 which is supposedly when Jag started with the Heyco tools.
That page from the XJ12 parts manual is interesting… is that the S1 XJ12 specific manual you mentioned? The wrenches look like they say ‘Snail Brand’ which is the company that made the earlier ‘Jaguar’ branded versions… Also the S1 XJ6 catalog drawing says ‘Snail Brand’ as well. I couldn’t tell in my PDF version. I can’t find the S1 XJ12 catalog PDF anywhere - do you have a link by any chance?
@awg That 5 speed Daimler Double-Six VDP must’ve been great! They are rare in the US. I was looking at a black one in Canada a few years back but I was worried about bringing it into the country. Still regret not getting it. I know that in Oz there is a company that specializes in doing the Supra Box conversion. I actually have another Jag manual overdrive box but I may either do the Supra or T5 version when I get around to it. T5 would be the most cost effective after the Jag box.
While the pics of the rolls in the XJ6 SII catalogue and the XJ12 SI catalogue look pretty similar, there are some differences in the equipment and even the part numbers for the spanners are different. So it may prove that the rolls differ; the fabric should be the same however as the part number of the roll itself is identical.
Hi Mike. I have an original 1973 S1 XJ-12 with original tool roll. Looks identical to Jochen’s from memory, but I will have to check the spanner branding. I also have an original S1 XJ-12 parts catalogue.
In my experience Nigel Thorley’s books aren’t definitive. For example he states that every S1 XJ-12 left the factory with air con. I understand about 62 cars came to New Zealand. I’ve come across forty odd, not one with air.
Thanks Neville. Definitely let me know if you confirm that your original S1 XJ12 has the black vinyl tool roll and Heyco branded wrenches.
Interesting about the a/c mistake in the Thorley book. It always seemed he was a little too sure of those sorts of things when these cars went to so many different markets.
Hi Mike. Yes, I looked in the boot and the roll is identical to Jochen’s. Black PVC with Hayco spanners and Hardura jack bag. My car was built somewhere around March 1973. There is a tag tied to the underside of the rear seat squab that is stamped ‘Series II’. I guess there was a process of constant improvement going on at the time.
Thanks Neville! I guess my XJ12 tool-roll is probably original then. Missing a few pieces but it does have the V12 specific spark plug wrench. I’m guessing yours has that as well?
Another odd thing - In both my S1 XJ12 tool-rool and what I believe is my S2 XJ6 tool-roll the largest of the Heyco spanners is bluish in color while the 3 smaller ones are more of a silver color.
The company is Dellows Engineering, Sydney, Australia
not sure if they still supply the V12 to Supra kit, or how available the Supra box is.
Probably both still available, cost me <$3000 (more than 10yrs ago)
allegedly the Jag Overdrive unit is inadequate for the torque of a V12
certain Supra boxes are marginal on torque, others are more than adequate.
great to drive,the weight of the car though at @~1830kg, could not outrun a V8 GM Commodore @1350kg
my tool roll has the sparkplug spanner, but not the expensive air pressure gauge
Oh yeah… I actually contacted them about an XJ6 conversion kit without the gearbox before I found my manual overdrive boxes in the US.
I have also heard somehow that the Jag MOD gearbox was a problem behind a V12 XJ but I know that there are some very early XJS’s that have them so I wonder - hard to imagine such a heavy, cast-iron behemoth wouldn’t be up to it. IIRC the XJS versions didn’t have overdrive so maybe it’s the overdrive that’s the issue?
I lived just outside Melbourne for a while and had a clapped out V8 Holden Commodore - might be faster but it certainly couldn’t beat the Jag in the looks and presence department
