Gents,

I'm normally on the XK8 forum but had to ask about the attached Jaguar. It has peaked my interest. I can tell you every negative and positive thing about the XK8 but this a totally different cat to me. Any advice?

1967 Jaguar 420

 

Hi Dave,
Based on the pics, this car looks to have had some form of restoration. Looks can be deceiving.

However, the price is comparable with that of those I have seen for sale in the UK though this particular car looks to be in much better condition.

If you are tempted, then I would certainly get underneath and have a very good root about.

If it checks out then you would have a very cheap classic that will, in my opinion, start to appreciate more when all the E-types and MkII's prices have gone into the stratosphere.

 

I'm in Abu Dhabi right now and have nothing better than look for cars that will **** my wife off. I think the car looks rather elegant, almost regal. are these cars hard to maintain?

 

I believe these cars were basically a MkII under the skin so from a maintenance point of view, fairly easy to work on. Parts will be available too.

A nice piece of old English urban chic to add to the Californian sunshine.

 

Are you a used car salesman?! LOL

 

Never tried my hand at that one, LOL

 

The 420 is actually a quite interesting pastiche of Jaguar parts. The 4.2 litre motor is basically that of the XKE (or Mk 10/420G) minus the third carburetor. The IRS rear end was carried forward from the S-Type (and a big improvement on the solid axle Mk 2), as was the interior, except for the updated, save-your-face padding where there used to be wood veneer. The body work was scaled down Mk 10 front end, mated to the S-Type rear sheet metal. So it is pretty much proven components from previous Jaguar models. So there are no unique weak points to worry about, except those characteristic of the same-era Jaguars.

Somehow the 420 never caught on - probably fading in comparison to the S1 XJ6 that came online a couple of years later. Stylistically, the front and rear did not seem to work well together (one of the best near-contemporary sheet-metal changes that I have seen was to open up the rear wheel opening so that it matched the front wheel opening). The 420 has always been under-priced in the Jaguar market (my belief). I always thought it was a lovely motor-car.