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I recently purchased at an online auction a 1973 Jaguar XKE Series 3, 2+2. I got a very good price for it however the car had sat in a climate-controlled warehouse for 32 years. It's in a shop right now undergoing a mechanical makeover. I have been told and read on a couple of forums that I need to go with electronic ignition unless I want to walk. What is a good brand? The car has a little over 23,000 miles.
After looking at your pictures again, I see you have the V-12 engine..... My recommendation were for for 4.2 6-cylinder... I used this setup on my 1968 XKE and was very satisfied...
The V-12 experts will have to step-in on what Distributor Upgrades are available and reliable.
I have a 69 series 2 coupe and reluctantly put in a Pertronix after continued issues with points & condensers. My shop guy swore Pertronix problems were all in the past.. Fortunately I wasn't far from home when it died.. A side issue is that you can't keep the ignition on in acc position to test anything( other components) because it will fry. Do a search of this forum as well as jag-lovers and read what others have to say. Some Es like pertronix and some not. I went with the 123 and its companion coil, though it doesn't appear that there is a12cyl version on the US site, but description for the 12 is here:
https://www.123ignition.de/123-ignition-en/ignition-distributor-jaguar-e-type-xke-serie-3-v12-bluetooth.aspx
Last edited by Valerie Stabenow; Apr 16, 2023 at 09:33 PM.
The original V12 Lucas OPUS ignition is electronic but unfortunately they aren't very heat resistant and the middle of the engine "V" mounting location is probably the worst place Jaguar could have picked for the electronic amplifier (which is the part that tends to fail). They'll usually give you some warning when they're about to die so you shouldn't get stranded. If the engine won't fire at all (as opposed to being hard to start or stumbling) on hot restarts that's a clear sign the amplifier is on it's way out. Usually if you let the engine cool down you can get going again but you'll need to address the problem right away as it doesn't take long after for the amplifier to completely fail.
One fix is to install a later version of the V12 distributor, coil and amplifier that is more heat resistant. I believe Terry's Jaguar and SNG Barratt, amongst others, sell those kits. They're not cheap but it works and looks stock, if you care about that (I do). There may be other options out there as well. In the meantime don't be afraid to drive your new toy. While they do fail, the stock ignition is not as horribly unreliable as some might have you believe.
Last edited by lrgridley; Apr 17, 2023 at 01:04 AM.
I have a 1966 XKE that only worked well with the petronix module and flame thrower coil after I changed to low resistance plug wires. My two cents for what it's worth
I researched it and determined the SNG Barrett upgrade was the way to go. I see no reason by the Pertronix would not work but the SNG Barrett also replaced the distributor and looked most original.
Electronic Ignition
