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S-type, Plate #AL 75-61 I'm told now resides in Japan even as a LHD car. I have been unable to confirm this as I don't have the body number.
Interestingly the CKD cars built in South Africa at CDA, East London & later Blackheath, Cape Town, of which mine is one (No 3 or 4 ever assembled at CDA), generally had better body fit. Browns Lane made up jigs for us to assemble the bodies accurately & Lyons himself came out to sign off on production.
Browns Lane got the bodies fully assembled from Pressed Steel including doors, trunk/boot lid & hood/bonnet. They then ended up having to do inspection & hand fettling to ready them for dipping & paint.
I feel when a car is as well restored as #AL 75-61 that along with a dark colour (as you correctly observe) it is less inclined to draw the eye to the suspect back door profile.
EDIT: Sadly both the cars shown above are slightly let down by their interiors.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-02-2018 at 10:17 PM.
Not even you can defy the laws of physics! You should always be interested in improvements. Your front end on the Z is fundamentally flawed. But you carry on. This is getting boring!
Glyn, You DO NOT know 240Z cars. They are one of the best balanced cars out there, took the SCCA C production national championships 8 years straight along with numerous other wins. My Z car takes even further and will out handle anything you have. Bring it on your the one whom is flawed making statements about a car you have no clue about.
Glyn, You DO NOT know 240Z cars. They are one of the best balanced cars out there, took the SCCA C production national championships 8 years straight along with numerous other wins. My Z car takes even further and will out handle anything you have. Bring it on your the one whom is flawed making statements about a car you have no clue about.
Gents, keep it friendly, you have very different cars and different opinions but thats ok.
One thing we can all agree on is that the S-Type (and the 240Z) is a damn fine looking car in any form! I loved my s-type.
Thank you HS. The 240Z as a car is not flawed ~ it is great ~ always has been. It has been made to be flawed by modification. Basic physics.
Nissan knows exactly what it is doing with performance cars. Look at the GT-R.
Beautifully engineered!
Now back to Jags!
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-02-2018 at 05:04 PM.
I like that a lot and I'm not into modern cars that much, mainly because the sheet metal on them is so thin, designers have to add bumps, corners and protrusions to stiffen up the panels _ new cars are bunch of bulges and poorly placed geometric shapes.
That design is quite clean and well balanced, makes me think of a Pininfarina design.
Deep doors and a low roof line !
IMHO...
Yes ~ It captures the essence of Jaguar. Better looking than the new XJ ~ IMHO of course. Styling wise I have big trouble with the tail lights of the new XJ.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-03-2018 at 11:07 AM.
Thank you HS. The 240Z as a car is not flawed ~ it is great ~ always has been. It has been made to be flawed by modification. Basic physics.
Nissan knows exactly what it is doing with performance cars. Look at the GT-R.
Beautifully engineered!
Now back to Jags!
I disagree, I have driven the GTR and while nice my 240Z does handle better and is faster in every spec for 0-60, 0-100, braking, etc. That is REALITY dude, real world rubber to asphalt results. You definitely do NOT know about modifying Z cars. I have been into Z cars for over 25 years and you do NOT know reality, stick to your stock Jaguars before you embarrass your self....
I am not embarrassing myself. I understand suspension design , offset & scrub radius intimately. Suggest you ask Nissan why they selected the front offset on the GT-R (& many other top performance designers/F1 designers) to get it round the Nordschleife so quickly. I'm out of here. I'm accustomed to working with pro engineers.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-02-2018 at 05:47 PM.
Glyn, your focus is on stock face it you just are not a fan of modified. The GTR and even the NISMO edition are great factory cars with a top speed of 197 and 0-60 in 2.7 which is fantastic for a production car but my car will be faster. The Primadonna is so aerodynamics that you can man handle the beast when you are over 165+ and you can latterly drive it one handed at 200. Robbie at RIPS racing will be building my next engine for that car. My car is basically a street driven IMSA type car with just brutal performance that exceeds even the GTR and it looks a lot better esthetically as the GTR is boxy and not the greatest lines. I put my car on the street and race it hard. Look up Rotura Import Pro Shop. Bring your car sports car and I will leave you so far in the dust you won't stand a chance...bring your Jag and my Jag you will do the same....
I've run race teams that are all about modifying cars. My Jag is about originality for concours ~ quite a different matter (a big boy's toy that will be driven on high days & holidays & taken to appropriate shows). I have also provided technical support to 2 F1 teams that we have sponsored in my area of expertise and learned a lot from other engineers in those teams. I got over my juvenile days of modding cars with a long string of 7 Alfas in a row.
Next thing you will tell me is that you are a better driver than Lewis Hamilton & that your 240Z will blow off a Mercedes AMG F1 W09.
I said the GT-R was beautifully engineered not beautiful. That it is certainly not.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-02-2018 at 10:19 PM.
I've run race teams that are all about modifying cars. My Jag is about originality for concours ~ quite a different matter (a big boy's toy that will be driven on high days & holidays & taken to appropriate shows). I have also provided technical support to 2 F1 teams that we have sponsored in my area of expertise and learned a lot from other engineers in those teams. I got over my juvenile days of modding cars with a long string of 7 Alfas in a row.
Next thing you will tell me is that you are a better driver than Lewis Hamilton & that your 240Z will blow off a Mercedes AMG F1 W09.
I said the GT-R was beautifully engineered not beautiful. That it is certainly not.
I will stick to facts rather than make assumptions as you have about my car. While I have not lost a race on the street maybe you would need to drive a AMG F1 to beat me? The fact is that my car has out handled an incredible amount of cars on the street racing and those are thru the canyons. My Z car and Jag turns head with constant positive praise and they both have the performance to match. The upgrade of the wheels/tires and suspension setup enables the Jag to take turns more than double what a stock Jag can do that is a fact, you may be against modifying a stock car but the reality is I've done it pretty well and the proof is the real world performance.
Things can always be improved. Talk to any professional suspension engineer & they will explain my point to you regarding scrub radius. You really don't have to believe me. No assumptions made. It is pure physics.
This is how you handle offset in a steady progression to wide body.
The Benz CLK GTR won 17 out of 22 races over 2 seasons against stiff competition & was then redesigned due to rule & homologation changes. That is the real world. On identical tracks & properly & repeatably measured.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-03-2018 at 11:52 AM.
Glyn, If my suspension was flawed as you say from not knowing my car then my car would not handle very well would it? Well then how is that my car has out handled so many cars as an example I have beat Porsche 911, 28, 944, Ferarri 308, Daytona, Mustang GT350, Corvettes, and more. My car is setup, tuned, by some great local speed shops so I guess non-engineers can make a car perform pretty darn good I do not need to use a race car that is a NON street car to show performance, when my whole point is street performance. My car is one of the fastest street cars and I am continuing to improve it.
On a Jag is so much more enjoyable to improve the performance so you can drive it not just go to a show, but you can drive it on the street and not get embarrassed by economy cars of today. My Jaguar 3.8s gets about 40,000 miles per year on the street, will pull 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, handles so much better than stock that I do not get beat by economy cars as the car used to and now can out pace most performance sedans and in general out perform the majority of factory street cars. But the car was built for cruising so the ride is smooth, I have all of the modern luxuries of a modern car from AC, power steering, upgraded 4 piston brakes, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, all leather electric Jaguar seats the comfortable headrest/back support, 3000 watts of AC power to power (refrigerator, color laser jet printer, laptop on RAM mount), back up camera, custom Focal separate speakers with JL Audio subwoofers driven with over 1000 watts of power, full LED lighting, and more. I have put over 100,000 miles in three years with all of these luxuries and performance.
And Glyn, why do you think my comparison to a Pininfarina body design is funny, the rear end reminds me of a 98 Buick Riviera, that's why I said that ?
And Glyn, why do you think my comparison to a Pininfarina body design is funny, the rear end reminds me of a 98 Buick Riviera, that's why I said that ?
Aha! I just thought you were having a humorous jab at Bertone! nothing more. I had no idea that Pininfarina had anything to do with the Riviera styling.
BTW ~ All the Benz cars I've shown above are street legal for Primaz' edification. Even have cup holders.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 11-04-2018 at 10:24 AM.
I do hope this becomes once again a classic Jaguar thread, as opposed to one dedicated to the "Fairlady Zeto" and extreme mods... (yawn).
Was reading through this thread and have to agree it deviated a bit from the original question: "Are wheels from a series one XJ6 compatible with early Mk2?". Without attempting to hijack it and with the hope that the originator got his answer, I would like to focus on the title of the thread "Compatible wheels". I fully agree wire wheels suit MK2 and S best, but am looking for an alternative as the stock rims with hubcaps are a bit dull, my view. It started with a MK2 I bought (standard wheels) in a sorry state which I am planning to restore (with wire wheels). Living in the southern tip of Africa, importing a set of wire wheels with hubs and spin-offs is extremely expensive. I came across a guy selling 2 x 3.8s cars (package deal) one with wire wheels. Needless to say I am sitting with 3 x 3.8S (3rd one also has a story). Now here comes the question. Apart from the MK2 with wires, I am planning on restoring 1, maybe 2 x 3.8S cars. The only item I am struggling with is the "look" of the wheels as this in my view could make/break a resto. Having said this and with apology to the long intro, are there owners out there who have compatible wheels on their 3.8S cars who wish to share photo's with us to get ideas?
Welcome fellow South African. You are going to have to check all the offsets, bolt circle diameters & bores. Tiger Wheels will always help you.
We know that this works (71 Series 1 XJ & pepper pots etc.) without spats & Coombs style arches & I know from experience that they also fit Mk10/420G without any mods.
The S Type rear arch is the potential problem but with a bolt on wheel I think the XJ steel wheel will fit. Suggest you borrow one & do a test fit for clearance. The only member on the S type Register I know with non standard solid wheels is Nigel who has Dunlop racing wheels on his car.
If no one else replies here then I suggest you post on the S Type Register.
I thought I was the only nutter with 3 X 3.8 S Types. One fully restored ~ 2 X donors. (see my signature)
Good luck!
Nigel's Racing Dunlop Wheels.
Racing S Types always looked good on Minilite wheels.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 06-03-2021 at 11:26 AM.
If you have converted the hub to a 5 bolt Jag then the pattern is the same as a Chevy. On my 3.8s I have - Jaguar 3.8S with 245 40 17” wide tires on all wheels front/rear, wheel rim is 8.5" with 5.75" offset going inside bolt pattern standard Chevy 5 lug with 4.75”
With the 5 lug you can a huge amount of different style wheels from cheap 1 piece that you will likely have to experiment for fit, or a 2 or 3 piece wheel where you can get the exact and correct offset you desire; just use a wheel measuring tool or rent one for $50 to find the ideal set up you want and order the wheels that match your taste. Here are mine with CCW three piece 17" wheels with 245 wide 40 series tires that do not rub and handle so much better than the narrow stock tires.
I tried some series XJ steel wheels on my Mk2 some years ago. At the front, the rim just touched the (original type) lower ball joint. A light adjustment with a grinder to the ball joint cap or a thin spacer to change the wheel offset (move the wheels out relative to the car) would have been sufficient to make things work. At the rear, the conventional spats touched the tyres. Some trimming and bending would probably have created clearance, but narrow spats or Coombs arches would have been better. I didn't buy them mainly because I didn't have time to make the modifs to the rear spats before a long European road trip.
I've seen Mk2s with series III pepperpots so they are possible. Depending on what other modifications you are planning and what's allowed in SA, I'd consider using larger diameter rims, 16 or 17 inch like Primaz. It widens up the range of quality tyres available at sensible prices and gives you more freedom for alternative brakes and wider wheels.
11-02-2018, 11:39 AM
I do not need to use a race car that is a NON street car to show performance, when my whole point is street performance. My car is one of the fastest street cars and I am continuing to improve it. 
