Hi all.
After a few years away from the Jaguar scene, I´m back as owner of a XJ6 S1 1973, BRG RHD SWB 4.2. It´s my third of this model, but the first RHD ever (living in Sweden). I just brought it home and it´s in my front yard, waiting for some much needed TLC.
This is probably going to be a long time project and in these times of Facebook, Twitter and what not, I´m looking forward to once again being able to search and find, real information in this beautiful site. Undoubtedly I´ll post some questions as well.
Was Sweden still driving on the LH side of the road back in 1973?
Looks like good timing to get back into a project with compulsory “social distancing” now making us feel virtuous when disappearing into the garage for some XJ therapy.
Let us know if you managed to drive her home or if you had to get a piggy-back and share a photo when you can.
Thank You both for replying
Yes, the timing makes this a win-win situation.
For me this is mostly a nostalgic thing, since my first Jaguar (bought 42 years ago @ 19) was the same model and year.
This car had been in storage for some 30 years, then just serviced and MOT:d before I bought it.
I did drive it home, a distance of around 400 km. Half way I had to stop to change the fuel filter, which had clogged from rust and grime that had been “shaken loose” in both tanks. But we made it home after that.
I have not yet examined it thuroughly, but I expect that I may have “to go through everything” to make it beautiful and reliable again.
So, this will be a rolling restoration and my therapy for the next ten years or so.
Yes, I was. Started online in 2004 I think. I´ve changed my mail since then and forgot my old login, so I had to create a new User ID.
Don´t know if the old ones can be merged. (gunnar.larsson@aecab.se and Larsson_Gunnar)
My ending signature will be the same though.
They could, certainly, we have messages going back to the early 90s, with the users.
I’m wondering if your old S1 with the AJ6 engine is local to me these days. Had a look at it a few years back. Still not a common sight to see the AJ6 conversions (though mine is waiting for the same).
Oh, if merging could be done it would be really great! I like things to be strictly organised when possible.
Very nice to learn that my Old Blue is still alive! It was sold to Norway, so I wouldnt be surprised if it´s in Your neighbourhood. I don´t suppose I could buy it back?
Anyway, I like to kind of “modernize” a classic to make it more useable (and trying to get fuel consumption down) while still keeping the old looks.
Lets see where the current project takes me… If the originals aren´t good enough to restore, it might become an X300 hybrid of some sort.
Well congratulations - can you maybe post a pic? My sister car to yours ('73 S1, SWB Manual OD) just coming back from paint in the next few weeks but in the time I drove it before that she was very usable and I don’t think I felt any area in which it needed much modernising…………except sound system and fuel consumption.
My local Jag specialist has been trying to get me to spend money by telling me about one of their other clients who has gone for updating the original engine with reworked heads & cams, manual OD gearbox, electronic ignition and a longer diff. They have a lot of Jag racing experience. It’s substantially improved performance and improved fuel consumption. Biggest difference is the manual gearbox and longer differential apparently.
Not sure if an X300 drivetrain upgrade would be more effective or just more expensive for me but I shall follow your progress
Thanks.
I can say now that the car is in a fairly good state, in fact much better than my previous XJ was when I started on that 20 years ago! So I think I´ll make it a rolling restoration project and skip the X300 conversion this time. A manual box and a longer (LS) diff might be a good idea though
Of course it has some metal worm in the first and last 5 cm of the sills, and a little on the ends of the wheel arcs and the plates under the rear bumper. Not too hard to fix.
On the positive side it still has the original sheet metal front fenders, and they are in good shape, The floor and the jacking points are in really good order. Doors, bonnet and trunk lid are all rust free!
Someone put a stainless exhaust on it.
Inside I find a really nice wooden steering wheel. I think it´s a Nardi. All the carpets are very nice and clean and the underlying felt is quite OK. Heating controls are fine, Instruments are fine. The clock still works (!). I will need a new headliner, and draft excluders all round. The foam in seat cushions and head rests in front has deteriorated, The leather needs to be cleaned and touched up. Minor things…
The mechanics will be needing some attention. It runs smooth and quiet, no tappet noise or other rattles, but the head gaasket is blown and the power steering need a complete overhaul. The carbs as well. These will be the first tasks on the work sheet.
I would also like to convert it to LHD, so if anyone has the bits needed or perhaps only a spare LHD steering rack, I´d be very interested !
The absolute best modification for performance and fuel consumption is fitting electronic ignition (if your carbs are good, and properly adjusted, not only “it’s running” adjusted, wideband O2 sensors are very revealing in this respect).
EFI would be the next step, as would a manual gearbox.
I’ve been running Megajolt for almost 20 years now and it transformed my car.
Interesting, please tell me more on how to go about the EFI thing.
I was looking at Megasquirt a few years ago, thinking about hiding the injectors under the manifold and leaving emty carbs in place only using the butterflies. That would perhaps be a good alternative to an AJ6 or AJ16 replacement.
As I said before, I like the combination of modern tech & keeping the old looks
There are throttle bodies for EFI now that look as close to the original carbs (at a price). Or maybe just polish up the S3 intake? Definitely Megasquirt over the original EFI-ECU though, both for tuning possibilities and actually being able to diagnose the running).
I think transplanting a later EFI engine is still the way to go though, for running costs and environmental reasons. Running on old carbs and distributor in 2020 may satisfy a certain pedant for originality, but in every other respect it’s well below acceptable.
I Agree. For me it has always been function over originality ( my wife disagrees, but then again she´s not the one having to tinker with old stuff, or pay the running cost…).
If I have to choose, it also funcion over cosmetics. I´d rather spend money on getting things to run good than to just look good. If I have to choose…
Could You please elaborate on why You think it would better to transplant f.ex. an AJ6-4.0+4sp ZF autobox, compared to installing Megasquirt + manual (OD) box on the existing drive train? I´d like Your thoughts (and others’) before deciding for myself.
Well-stated: I understand the impetus to “get the feel of how the car was, back in the day”, but when I converted Tweety to a MJ-controlled EDIS, it was astonishing how much better it performed.
To be honest, the electronic ignition is a quite low cost thing to do and maybe first on the list as the most cost effective step. I’m not sure how much you can trust a nearly 50 year old distributor anyway.
A 123 distributor really isn’t much different cost to a replacement original and gives quite a lot of benefits (and removes a lot of variables if you are making other changes). If you do ever do a Megasquirt or similar you’ll need it for tuning.
For me, having a car with a manual box changes the car character quite dramatically, it becomes much more of a sports saloon, a more involving drive, it feels (and is) quicker, makes a better sound and of course helps fuel consumption. Motorway driving with overdrive is I think around 125kph at 2500rpm (from memory) with my standard diff, but you do need to remember to switch overdrive off (it’s VERY easy to forget…). 5 speed modern gearbox options are available.
I’m happy for mine to be non original where it’s logical to be so and objectively speaking a mechanical distributor and carburettor are both incredibly complex and convoluted solutions which electronic distributor and FI are ultimately better suited to. I’ve done neither just yet because car runs OK but will be fitting electronic ignition when I get car back.
If you want any free and unwanted advice please feel free to ask the forum - everybody enjoys coming up with bright ideas and spending your money I reckon I’ve just spent 10,000 Euros of your money so do let us know how it goes…
Thanks! Free and unwanted advice is just what I want, -er …
How do You feel about a complete X308 conversion?
Everything is possible I suppose, but would it be difficult? Pro’s - Con’s ?
Anyone done it before?
Not that I have done it before, but I think the hardest part will be the electronics and the instruments.
I guess the easiest would be to find a complete car as you will need the complete harness, ECUs etc etc.
You might as well through in the X308 dash, and center console as you will have to fit the J-Gate, and even the seats… just a thought.
You will also have to figure out what to do with the climate control, ABS, alarm, immobilizer etc. I don’t know how interconnected all those systems are in the X308, but if it has a central possessor, like for example my Range Rover, it could be quite complicated.
BTW, the X308 has also a fantastic sound system…
It will be a lot of work for sure.
If you do it you should document it, it would be fun to see.
By the sound of it it would be a hell of a lot easier to buy a better X308 and just enjoy it as it is!
That said, I think those that have used the Jaguar V8, outside of it’s original application, have gone with an aftermarket ECU. Note sure how the transmission has been handled.
