Hey everyone,

I just sent my S-type V6 to the mechanic due to some knock I was starting to hear. When he got to looking over the car and checking the engine, he noticed that it was leaking coolant onto the front of the engine and that is sounded like it has a spun bearing. This didn't have any warning for me, but he said that it is not uncommon for hot days (was around 100-104 degrees F that day) to cause enough pressure in the coolant to break through subdermal cracks that would have been present in the existing hoses.

At any rate, it looks like I am needing to look at rebuilding the engine, replacing it with a donor, or selling it as a repairable with a clean title. I am able to hold onto the car for now and bide my time for any situation, as I can commute to work through public transit easily and have another car I share with my wife.

I am wanting to see what advice any of you might have for this situation, though. I see the possibility to rebuild it and hold onto it, as it has been in the family since it was bought new back in 2004. I also see the option to sell it, but am trying to figure out if I should sell it as is or if it would be wiser to fix it then sell it. It has always shocked me to how poorly most modern Jaguars hold onto their value. If I were to sell it, I just don't know if it would be worth it for me to fix it first. I do not have anywhere to work on a car or the capability to perform a replacement/rebuild, so I would have to pay for all the labor involved in the process.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated. I really enjoy this car and always considered it to have many more years to it.

 

There's your answer. The car is virtually worthless without a running engine so selling it would be close to giving it away in net value.

Find out what's really wrong, then choose to repair or replace the engine with good used.

 

That sounds like an excellent course of action. The repair might not require an engine replacement. Though an engine replacement usually requires less labor.

 

Hey Mikey,

Thanks for your advice, it is much appreciated. I will have to see how things play out over the next several weeks. I have been getting some offers on the car in its current condition that may make it worthwhile to sell without repairing it.

When I last spoke with the mechanic (euro/jaguar specialist here in Atlanta) he said that it could range between $3,200 to $4,000 for the cost of parts and labor. In the end, I can only expect to get the car sold for around $5,000—if I am lucky. Does any of this sound correct, within respect to the cost of repair and the potential cost of selling it repaired?

Still not sure if I will hold onto it after it is repaired or not, but trying to determine the best path/scenario.

 

While it is always nice to think that our cars can benefit from a specialist, any competent shop can do the work. I would look online for a specialized Jaguar/Euro wrecking yard that sells used motors. They could probably line you up with a shop that has done work for their customers. If you can find one within a reasonable area that might work out. I might also look for a shop that does work for the Datsun 510 tuner crowd. These guys are always swapping in all types of later model motors and transmissions in these cars. I have seen a lot of very nicely done conversions done on these locally. Just crunch all the numbers before making your decision. There are lots of good running cars out there selling for around three grand. I've seen several nice S types selling locally for between 3 to 4 grand. Not to mention x300s.