Car Wizard Tackles Jaguar XJS V12: Video
The Car Wizard enjoys a challenge, so he was eager to crack the case of a Jaguar V12 that wouldn’t start.
The Car Wizard rose to YouTube fame by helping Hoovie from Hoovies Garage with the many, many mechanical gremlins he encounters in his pursuit of cheap exotic vehicles. And while I’ve always found the banter between them to be on the cheesy side, I have always appreciated the bits of actual mechanical knowledge which stubbornly push through the pair’s goofiness. So I was stoked to see that a recalcitrant 1982 Jaguar XJS recently rolled into the Wizard’s shop, as I love these machines, and always get excited whenever I happen to see them on the road.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m going to full admit this isn’t exactly the most gripping piece of video I’ve ever posted on the blog. So if you’re looking for white-knuckled excitement? You might want to watch Grant Williams hurl his MK1 around Goodwood. That said, watching the Wizard walk through his process for diagnosing such a complex, intimidating engine was pretty fascinating. And now? Now, I know that the Lucas ignition module that sits on top of the mighty mill is just a fancy box for the same bit that did the job in a K5 Blazer. Pretty cool, right?
If that doesn’t make you popular at parties, you’re going to the wrong kind of parties, and there are lots of other interesting bits of info here too. I do feel for the poor bastard who tried to get this running before the Wizard though, as the video suggests the big cat gave them one hell of a time.
Now, given that this is Jaguar Forums, which is about a sympathetic audience to Coventry’s product as you can find, I know any answers I get with this question are going to be slightly biased. But I’m still wondering just how finicky these 12-pot mills are? If you managed to find a survivor that had been well maintained over the years, just how hard would it be to keep it in running shape? Would it be even possible for a shade-tree mechanic that wasn’t a Jaguar expert?
Given the aluminum construction, I know that overheating could be a death sentence for these engines, and given my well-documented fondness for lumps, any V12 which came into my possession would likely wind up as decoration for in my dream garage. That said, I’d imagine that parts wouldn’t be too terrible to find, since loads of these cars were produced. But given the amount of surprises which lurk in the classic car world, I try never to assume too much. So shoot me a PM and let me know what you think — I always love hearing from the membership!
Photos: YouTube