On the HP, Cameron asked which one of these babies would you pick up? My vote is for the XK8... though I'd prefer the hardtop.... How about you?

 

I really this black on black takes the XK8 to the next level...

 

XK8 is by far the easier car to maintain and drive. Depends on the XJS but some of them are nightmares to keep running.

 

Put 300,000 on my 1977 XJS then drove a 1985 for a few years. Current is an XKR Convertible. Any XJS earlier than 2000 had several issues with over-heating (dropped valves), electronics, etc. (if you want warm beer, buy a Lucas refrigerator. You will have warm beer). The fixes would be to install a larger radiator with dual electric fans, replace all rubber hoses, bushings and injector harness, go to platinum plugs. The V-12 dual overhead cam engine with the 335 rear-end and automatic had serious top-end, but took forever to get up on the cam from start. If you just fall in lust with the XJS, convert it to XKR supercharged V-8. Better yet, buy a XKR. Be very careful when buying an S to check the mileage on the Carfax ( I've found several that odometers had been tampered with). Good luck

 

I've thought of this very thing...Will the wider DOHC V-8 fit in the XJS engine bay? Has anybody done it...pictures someplace?

 

Haven't seen this with an XJS but have seen two Series III XKEs with this conversion successfully done. They basically dropped the XKE body on top of an XKR. Even the interior (including the critical dash) was from the XKR. That way the ECU didn't need to be reprogrammed. Had to be wicked expensive. A better path would be a kit from Jaguar Specialties and an LS1 engine. That is a far easier swap and you end up with something that is far easier to maintain when you are done. The XK8/R engine was also used in one of the Lincolns and a friend of mine is building one out as a race engine. Not clear how he is going to deal with the ECU yet but he is an electrical engineer by trade, retired, and very proficient with car tech.

 

Given what I know about early X100 NA cars and what I do know about late XJSes, I'd actually take the XJS. The 97-02 XK8s had a ZF 5HP24, which those are a problematic unit; I have had them in 2 Audis and a BMW, 2 of the 3 had the transmission fail before 100k. The XK8 will absolutely need all of the timing bits done as well. Early water pumps are suspect, and the plastic thermostat housing needs to be upgraded. If you pay someone, the WP, tstat and timing bits are 3500-4000 installed, and even if you do some upgrades to the ZF gearbox, it's sketch. Late 6cyl XJSes really are fun cruisers and don't give up much in terms of power of the 8, which having driven XK8s and having owned an XKR and XJR, can say the 8s are much more cruiser oriented than the R cars; so if a cruiser is the goal, the 40hp and whatever in torque isn't enough to worry about.

I'd find a nicer XJS though, without the leaper and chrome wheel arch eyebrows. In flamenco red and no extra crap tacked on, they look gorgeous, and can regularly be found in nice shape under 10k. If I had more garage space, I'd definitely have one around.

 

The late 6 cylinder XJSs were pretty easy to own in the grand scheme of specialty/luxury cars. I say 'were' because age and miles...and the typical lack of TLC.... eventually takes a toll on any design. So, nowadays, simply buying a late car may not guarantee a happy experience

As a hobby/specialty car for the DIYer, the older V12 XJSs (or sedans) are a great choice. It's probably easier to own one now than it was 25 years ago. There is great internet support; virtually all faults and cures are well known. Once properly sorted....which is part of the fun for most owners.....they can be quite reliable, requiring only some tinkering from time-to-time. It's sorta like owning a boat. Proper upkeep is part of the fun. If that doesn't appeal then it's the wrong car for you. And if you're not a DIYer then you better have deep pockets.

Cheers
DD