Hey all.
You dont hear from me much. I have a 92 Sovereign that gives me no worries at all, its a rust free daily driver of 172000 miles. The reason for my post:
On my way to work friday I spotted a 66 3.8S on a small lot so I risked being late to grab a couple of pics. The odometer reads 65000 odd miles, its complete, the glass is all very good, the chrome has only some minor pitting on the very ends of the bumpers, it has knock offs which are maybe average condition, but that i think i can make much inprovement on. The dealer claims it runs and the transmission is good but couldnt get it started as the battery is dead. He claims his price is $5000 but I think theres a fair bit of play. Honestly it needs a lot of help, but the rust is minor (I think)- yes i crawled under and looked. But i also honestly think i have a fair to middling shot at my abilities being up to it. I have never seen another one, and my dad says he hasnt either. I plan to try to buy it with my wifes blessing tomorrow after work. My Questions:
Is there a good source for used parts for a car this unusual? Who would be a good source for hard parts like master clyinder, fuel pumps, carbs or hopefully just kits, and the like?
You guys have helped me out in the past and I appreciate it greatly. Thanks in advance, and wish me luck! Jerry

 

XKs Unlimited comes to mind for parts from that era. It is, at the very least, a place to start. Jaguar Spare Parts for Sale | Jaguar XK8, XKR, XJ8, XK-140 & XK-150 Parts That is a heck of a find. The general manager at my dealership, a brit, remembers one he had very fondly.

 

That'll be a nice project--the original S-Type. Manual or auto trans? I think you'll be able to find just about anything for that car. Basically it's a Mk II with independent rear suspension and some interior differences. Much like the later 420.

If you don't see the parts you need online at SNG Barratt - The Ultimate Jaguar Parts Specialist, phone them. I also found Jaguar Parts, Jaguar Accessories All Jaguars very good to deal with and they were always able to get what I needed for my Daimler V8 250 (another Mk II variant). They don't list parts specifically for the 3.8S on their site but just send an email and you'll be fine.

 

It will be just that- a Project. I finally got to hear it run today. It idles nicely, smooth, no misses, carbs seem to be "working properly", trans is good. Its a 2 speed auto. Problem is that it makes a rather disturbing noise at the front end of the intake cam side. At first my thought was it sounded like a loose chain. I dont think it is, but it sounded that way. As it warmed up we found that at about 2000rpm, it went away. So i think its a bad cam bearing which worries me somewhat. There is a burned valve/ weak intake spring. and the ammeter showed no charge state at all. Either the generator or the regulator is bad. of these items, the cam worries me most, as far as amout of work and additional investment. The car is on consignment and i made a low offer. I will check back tomorrow and move on from there.
Thanks for the input, Ill keep us posted.

 

sounds like an interesting project - you might also try terrys jaguar parts in Kalamazoo Mi

http://www.terrysjag.com/

 

Its done. I bought it, and it arrived home yesterday. I spent some time crawling under and around, and finding nothing upsetting beyond 2 broken spokes. The spare tire is original, never been driven on- but is unfortunately badly stained. I dont think the jack has ever been used. I have most of the tool kit... I think. I am somewhat taken aback by the brake calipers, although it seems simple enough. I may try starting tomorrow. Needs battery and rather than bad generator or regulator i wonder if it may only need to be repolarized. Would i cause any problems by repolarzing if it doesnt need it?

 

Hello,
Good luck with this car, I have one also.
The valve train will always be noisy as the cams are pretty straight.
But I would check the clearance of the valves.
The autogearbox has 2 speeds and a direct drive!!( makes 3 speeds to me )
This one will always engage pretty rough.
A good resource is JagFORUM - the world's No 1 online club for Jaguar enthusiasts
Also see: Jaguar S-Type and 420
Regards, Peter Jan

 

I have been poking around looking over and under, seeing just what it is that Ive got myself into. I cant find the fuse box. I have looked in and under the glove box (the right side of the car), around the left side under the dash, in the engine bay but nothing. Is it in the trunk? or maybe behind the kick panels in the front? I really dont want to start taking pieces off until i have a definite plan- something more than finding the fuse box anyway. Thanks for the site suggestions so far, they all look like they will be useful.

 

Hello,

The Fusebox is behind the center panel ( with the small gauges and switches ).
2 scews on top needs to be removed, and the wooden shelve pulled out.
Main issues with these old jags are all the rubber bushings from the suspension.

Regards,
Peter Jan

 

Ah. Hidden, of course. Thanks Peter. I would have searched for...... a while longer.... You're dead on about the bushings. These are high up on the list of "very soon" things

 

HA! You bought it! Good for you Jerry.

 

I have not started it yet. I have become somewhat concerned that the tanks are.... not clean. I went to a restoration shop in La Porte In, called Dormans Garage for a bit of advice about tires and the charging thing, and he suggested that if theres was contamination that i would ruin the carbs. I admit right now that this had not even occurred to me. Ill use the excuse that theres so much else to think about too.... Yeah... thats it> Ha. Anyway, not disappointed or put off, just something else i need to do. All for now.....

 

Jerry,

Hi my name is Neal and I've owned a '67 3.4S for over 17 years and use it as a regular driver when I'm not work commuting. You will find that SNG Barrett (I've gotten master (brake & clutch)& slave cylinders, & kits usually has a decent range of parts for this model and if you do a little research you will find that many parts for the 420 and Series 1 & 2 XJ's will also cross over to your model. My vehicle is a right hand drive with a manual tranny w/OD. I do rebuilds on carbs for that era of jag. I have experience with SU's and Stromberg carbs as well as most other components related to peripheral systems. I know that some serial numbers (later year models) had different style calipers installed and parts are hard to find; I had my brakes bored and sleeved by White Post Restorations (I don't have their contact info on me) due to difficulty in finding new and/or rebuilt assemblies. Also, when I was last working on the brakes I could not find any aftermarket upgrades for my specific configuration. The braking is probably the worst part of this model related to performance due to the weight of the vehicle and the size of the pads. If you require rear brake work you will have to remove the rear suspension cage unless your model has some way to access them; this is not to major of an operation and I would highly recommend that you replace the inner & outer half shaft U-joints since they tend to be worn out on these earlier models. I have wiring schematics and the original mechanics manual for the 3.4/3.8S series. I rebuild the carbs for about $400/pr depending on their condition specific model. You should not be concerned about damaging carbs from debris in tanks if your fuel filter is in place and in good condition. My concern is for the pumps and I alleviate this problem by putting inline filters (readily available & inexpensive) at the intakes of the pumps. Also, although your tanks may be in decent condition, you may consider using Kreem fuel tank liner- this kit cleans & lightly acid etches the tank interior and completely seals the tank surface avoiding any further damage due to moisture. I've used Kreem in my older vehicles and it works great (no leaks after 15 yrs). I've said enough for now; I still think its the best looking saloon and will impress you with the ride and handling.

Respectfully,

Neal (nealstoll@live.com)

 

Thanks Neal. Ill refer back to this once i get it started, as it idled nicely on the lot. I had a DOH! moment today while looking through the manual we odrered for it. It explains a few things and I have to assume its right, but I feel its only safe to check in real time with real people first. This manual states quite firmly that this is a positive ground vehicle. I have to say I am not entirely suprised nor do I think its wrong but I just want to make sure. I'm sorry but it sounds so stupid to even have to ask. Is this correct?
In my defense Id like to point out that the previous owner OR the business trying to sell the car had the battery installed negative- to -ground, so I really didn't think much about the correctness of it. But the charging system wouldn't and the battery terminals were Dangerously close to the firewall. Also, I did not hook up my new battery out of suspicion that there was some problem that made the battery not charge.
Once more for my sanity, Is this a positive ground car?
Thanks Jerry

 

Hello,
Lot's of people converted there cars no negative ground.
Most electric devices don't care in the Old S-type.
You just need to reverse the AMP meter connections.
And to reverse the dynamo field. ( disconnect field wire and connect it to positive a few seconds.) And you are al done.
I converted to a alternator, that's always negative ground.

Regards,
Peter Jan

 

Hey all. I have a fresh installment for today. I got a weekday off so I decided to do some legwork on tires. When I called my wife with the prices she asked which I wanted and when they'd be done! HA! So I had to go home and Get them. I'll have new tires tomorrow. I also got my oil filter from XKS unlimited in 3 business days by mail. Kudos to XKs on prompt service! Changing the oil was an 'interesting' experience, as I've not dealt with a drop in element on the bottom like that, besides the drain plug seems to be just that- a rubber plug. The hole in the sump is not tapped, so I have to assume its normal for this car. I had a Mercedes 240D for a while (which I traded for Roger) and while that was a drop in element too, it was a cakewalk by comparison. Oh, and 3's a charm! I also got the top "bearing" in the steering column replaced. Yesterday I tried a strip of greased gasket cork, but found it to be too thin. This morning while I was out, I got a small sheet of felt surface protecor- the kind you might get to put on you chair legs- and cut a strip of it. To my good fortune found that it was almost exactly what I wanted it to be. There is no play in the steering column and the wheel still turns . Huzzah! A slight downer though, the dipstick seems to be.... wrong. So if anyone has a spare dipstick around (insert rude joke here) I'd be interested. All for now, any comments for the sump plug are appreciated. Thanks, Jerry

 

Jerry, there should be a warning decal on the battery holder strap with the actual ground data but I would assume that this is a positive ground system as is my '67. I do not recommend changing the polarity due to some components which will require replacement.

Neal

 

Hi Neil,

I disagree, there is actually only one component that depending on Pos ground.
That's the clock, but most of them are defect already.
Ok have to change wires on the Amp meter and on the Ignition coil.
some very late models had a capacitor in the fuel pump that has to be reversed.
That's it, the rest of the electrics don't care.
when you change to a alternator or want a modern radio,you have to change polarity anyway.
Have done it on my s-type ( 1967) and my XK150 (1961)

regards,
Peter jan

 

Hey guys, I plan to go with the positive ground set-up since it doesn't appear that anything electrical has been swapped . I really think they did it out of plain ignorance about the car, going from other things they said to me about it. There's also the whole (dare I use the word?) patina to the car. It's so completely as-it- was built. Except for the dipstick. I'm not sure what happened there. Got my wheels and new tires back! Mmmmmm fresh rubber! I hope to have the car in a suitable state to take it for a short ride in a couple of weeks for the wife's birthday. I may get it there....

 

Hi Peter,

I guess I was the one with the later fuel pumps, 'cause I knew that a modification/replacement was required for polarity reversal. My vehicle is still stock positive ground. I did connect a hidden negative ground sound system while retaining the original working radio for appearances. Thanks for the input.

Respectfully,
Neal