Hi, it's me again (the Jaguar hunter! LOL)!

Looking at 1985 XJ6, with clean Carfax, two owners, lifetime in CA. The owner reports "transducer out - odometer not working", and "fuel levelers needed". Since I'm sailing into the uncharted waters (for me) with XJ6 of that vintage, I wanted to ask you,......what am I in for? How much/how difficult to get the parts (I DIY everything, and am VERY capable)?

The rest is in GREAT condition (interior is 9,5/10), some paint fading (original paint, so understandable). IF it's a "go", it WILL be painted,....NO rust, no mechanical issues, brand new tires with warranty. Odometer shows less than 90K (seems to jibe with Carfax report, so "odometer just went out" is not BS!). Failed last smog check in July, and designated "the gross polluter", at 83K miles.

Looks good in pictures, and I need to drive 1,5H to see it. Will decide whether to drive or not, depending on your answers.

Thank you.

 

A speedo transducer is about $90 and 10 minutes to replace once you have the car safely elevated.

"Fuel levelers" ? Fuel tank sending units, perhaps? Maybe $50 each (one for each tank) and 20 minutes each to replace.

In one of the sticky threads at the top of this section is a buyers guide that you might wanna breeze thru.

A good Ser III is a wonderful car, the most modern of all antique automobiles. Parts are no problem, most repairs very DIY-able.

Climate control repairs can be a bitch, though, so a fully operational system is a big plus.



Cheers
DD

 

I would personally not be too worried about the transducer on the transmission being out. Could be just the wire that's come off or the transducer itself requires replacement, not a big deal in either case.

The fuel levelers I suspect are the change over valves for the fuel tanks. as little as one of them or all three could be faulty. Again no big deal to replace.

I would be more worried about failing the emissions test and getting the gross polluter designation. That could be the result of anything as easy as the timing being off just a little to a cat convertor replacement being required.

I would adjust my offer to reflect the worst situation.

 

Tis all a bit confusing.

1. The transducer is a device mounted on the transmission that converts rotary motion into pulses for the electric speedo to present as MPH?KMH. However, if the speedo needle still reads fairly stable, the transducer is fine. But, the innards of the speedo as to the odometer may be outta whack. It might even be stuck between reset and function. That is if it is the trip miles and not the total, the odometer reading total miles. . Same logic applies as to getting pulses from the transducer. Remedy, get it fixed, fix it or get a used unit that works from lister David Boger.

I see you are in CA. The "gross polluter" label is applied to a class of cars, not individual ones. My 83 and 94 Jaguar and Jeep respectively are so designated,, though each has passed SMOG just fine.

Ugh, BAAQMD offered to pay me a grand if I would junk my 94 as a "gross polluter". They aim to update the fleet to newer and cleaner cars. Tis "cash for clunkers" CA style. Oh, Tax payer money!! The guy in charge is a bicycle guy, no car owned or driven by him. He lives and stays in SF all the time. Any bias, yuh think!

The fuel leveler? I think that might refer to the changeover valve in the boot. These cars have two tanks and a button on the dash to select tanks. it operates a valve that not only directs which tank to draw from but which tank to return the excess to. This stuff found just behind the spare in the boot well.

Enjoy the challenge, it is fun!

Carl

 

Thanks guys. Speedo/ODO is confusing to me as well. Supposedly speedo works fine, but ODO does not (seller thinks it's the transducer, but I don't think so). In any case, this is NOT something I'm worried about. I am fully aware that I will be the last owner of this car (if I go for it), for its "value" (selling price) is equal to a weekend in Vegas (why sell it for "peanuts"?), so if the ODO is counting or not, ....no big deal. "Fuel levelers" ARE the valves to distribute the fuel between the tanks, and I was just trying to find out how expensive they are (OEM), and how readily available.

Just received a new word from the seller! Car DID pass last emission control, and has the current registration. That's good news! He claims the car was "garaged and covered" for ten years, and driven ONLY to and from emissions inspection,.....old fuel, oil, etc. that needed to be "burned out", and it passed just fine. THAT is a little fishy. I have couple of vehicles that I don't drive (stored), and I was too lazy to put them on "non op", BUT I don't register them every year either! (it will cost me some penalty at the time I want to bring them up to current). So why would someone have a Jag under registration, not drive it at all, and only drive to the inspection to renew the registration? Oh well,......I am skilled enough to see if there is anything amiss in this story.

Waiting for the more detailed pictures of the car, need to see DETAILS of the paint, and try to figure what I need to spend on it to make it PRISTINE (and I am SO ****, that I won't drive ANYTHING that's not PRISTINE, regardles of the age of the vehicle).

 

You're like me, but it will cost you, that I don't doubt !

 

It's only money my friend. I made enough to last well after I'm dead, and there is NO WAY to take it with you. So either I play, enjoy, and have fun, or my heirs will have a year or two more to waste it all away. I think I'll play. At 59 (in October), I probably have another 20 years, or so. My well devised plan is to play to the max, and leave no more than 5 years of "worry free" to my heirs. The "golden rule" is: Don't leave too little behind, that they CAN NOT do anything with, and don't leave too much behind so they WON'T do anything. Leave enough to do something with it, but it needs to be invested wisely, and they'll have to show up for work every day.

Anyway,....that's MY philosophy, and I'm sticking to it. Example: I "invested" over 10K to restore a nice XJS (worth less than half of that at the time), got bored with it, and sold it for 4K!! Foolish? Maybe,.....but it was FUN!

 

Just got TON of fresh pictures from the seller. And you guys were right,.....although the car spent all its life in CA, it has rusted out on the driver's side under the windshield! I hope that's the only rusted spot (verifying with the seller as we speak), and the pics are forwarded to my body shop for the estimate (I DIY mechanics, but I leave the welding and paint to the pros!).

So,.....why do they rust under the windshield? Draining problem? I think it can be cut out, and welded just fine, but then we are faced with matching the paint. I definitely don't want to paint the whole car. IF the match is not possible, I'd rather pay double the asking price for the one that does not need paint.

The color look some odd shade of green in pictures (I hope its the camera!), and I think it should be "British Racing Green" with tan leather. VERY pretty combo.

 

Underneath the rubber and brightwork surrounding the glass there's a void that simply traps water.

After the rust repair and glass reinstallation simply fill the cavity with urethane.

This was a very common issue. This many years down the road it would be a rare Ser III that doesn't have it....even including some of the better examples that have lived rarified lives . But, if you keep looking I'm sure you can find one.

From that era the green might be Alpine Green (light silver-ish green....like 'Frost Green'), Sage Green ( a bit darker), Moorland Green (a bit darker still), and Jaguar Racing Green....which was the Jaguar flavor of BRG. The first three are a bit rare in the USA

Cheers
DD

 

pictures

 

Danielsand.

Flivvers are fun too! I've had a bunch of them as well as some very slick cars.

My Jaguar is not concours or even close. But, it's Grosvenor brown and Doeskin are striking. It is still shiny and clean and draws compliments.

As well as my Jeep. No dents, shiny paint, clean interior. Not striking in it's rather generic pewter with grey like interior. Well over 200K and tight. It's drawn a compliment or two.

The Jaguar gets the garage and the Jeep gets the weather. If I need to go somewhere in bad weather, it is the Jeep. A heritage thing. it's FWD rarely engaged. I follow the principle that it is there to get one out of trouble, not get in trouble!!

59!!! I wish, or do I? At 84, I'm still counting, a bit slower though. Son admonished me for getting up on a ladder to mount a solar powered security lamp!!

Daughter always after me for doing yard work!! Took over for late wife, I suppose!

I adopted Coco from a rescue. A good mutt. Said to be age six. I say, good match, old guy, old cars and old house!!

But, I do have tools ranging from ancient to new. I know the difference between a pipe wrench and a monkey wrench!!

Early AM rumble done!

Carl

 

Sorry,.....pics of the 89 XJS were lost in the computer crash of 2005. I owned it for five years, and loved working on the V12. After restoration it was MINT, with 74K on the clock. Before I got it, it was sitting on the street in West Hollywood, parked for two years, while the girl that owned it, went to France to school. She came back, the car was ruined (birds, sun, pollution did the job on the paint - midnight blue),......paint was gone, wood around the shifter popped, but the leather/dash/door pannels survived. It was given to me as a present (by her father, and a business associate), and I spared no expense to bring it back.

Anyway,.......I am not sure about this XJ6 I am looking at. Paint is original (fading), rust below the windshield, and blemishes in MANY spots (some scratches, and the shadows of the bird droppings/tree sap everywhere). Bottom line,......it WILL need the complete paint job. The way XJS was done. Taking all the glass out, all hardware (includes door handles, mouldings, badges, etc.). That kind of paint job on XJS was $6500 in 2001. The car needs to be stripped down to the bare steel, and built back up. All rubber seals need to be replaced (old ones don't take removal very well), and probably some chrome.

I can buy a PRSTINE, original for less than the paint job would cost, with no headaches in dealings with the body shop. By the time this one would be up to my standards, I'd be 8-9K in it, and it wouldn't be original. Too bad. Such a beautifull car, and so simple to take care off. Which compells me to give you all an advice (I am sure most of you know it)........keep a roll of paper towels in the trunk! (and this comes from the guy who owned TWO full service car washes, with detail shops) A spray bottle with Windex is helpfull too. When you return to the car that was parked, check for bird droppings, and spray them with Windex, carefully wipe the crap with paper towell, and drive to the car wash, or go home and put the hose to it! Windex WILL neutralize the chemicals in the crap, but it will also strip the wax. With tree sap you have a little more time, but a good practice is to remove it ASAP. WD40 on the paper towell will do that. After you wash it, WAX IT right away (Carnuba wax is the best). Keep a nice thick coat of wax on it at all times (rewaxing after every 3-4 washes) and the bird **** will have much harder time to penetrate. Wash ONLY with auto shampoo, and NEVER use the dish soap. Every six months or so (depending on climate, driving habbits, etc.) have the car CLAYED (or DIY).

IF you keep it like that, there will be no need for buffing,.....ever. The more you buff, the more clearcoat you take off,...hence "paint is fading".

I'm almost sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but seeing this poor thing, I am amazed that people took VERY good care of the interior, and the exterior looks like a flock of birds used it for target practice, and it was left on the paint for days. (in the sunny/hot climate, bird **** WILL penetrate the clearcoat in 24 hours, and leave a permanent mark).

Couple more things,.......water spots, and eggs! Water spots NEED to be removed ASAP, because they WILL eat (etch) the clearcoat as well. There are chemicals to buy, but at home you can use 50/50 sollution of white winnegar and water (in the buckett, and rubbing the spots with a SOFT sponge in circular motion!!). Stubborn (old) water spots need to be removed with CLAY bar, NOT the BUFFER! This also strips the wax, so you need to reapply it. And I don't even have to warn you about the eggs? (some kids think it's fun to "egg" someone's car, and they have no idea how much it can cost the owner, if the egg white is left to dry on the paint)

Even a carefull guy like me ends up with waterspots sometimes. I park in front of the restaurant/business/hotel, and the ill adjusted lawn irrigation soaks the car! I made few companies pay for my water spots removal, and waxing. If it happens to you, note the time, place, have a whitness, and take the car to the best detail shop in town. Serve the business that's responsible for the sprinklers with the bill, and the letter of complaint drafted by a lawyer (you can include the lawyers fee too!). Since I am a lawyer (not practicing) I do it myself. A good wash/clay/wax will cost about $100 in CA, and why pay for it yourself when sprinklers are supposed to soak the lawn, not the parking lot?

Just a few advices to help you maintain these beautifull machines.

Sorry about the long post.

 

Well Carl,......"old" is only a state of mind. After 20+ years in the uniform, three wars, three failed marriages, and living alover the globe, I feel old sometimes. Living in paradise now! 140 acress in the mountains (bordered on three sides by the national forest), with six horses, two GSDs, one Malamute, three cats, six cars, three motorcycles, and a Piper (not to mention a GOOD, beautifull, professional wife!). Doing a little consulting on the side (to kill the boredom), riding my horses, shooting my guns, traveling.....good life. In the house that was built in 1800s, and it's furnished with original furniture from the period. We also had MANY Jeeps over the years. Just bought a Cherokee (a week ago) from Caltrans (2000 MY, LOW miles and maintained to the "T"). Wife wanted it to commute to her hospital 5 miles away. The thing is like new (inside and out, with 129K), and I got if for a song. This is now our designated dog waggon, and something we don't mind leaving on the hospital parking lot all day in the sun. Sold two lifted Wranglers a year ago.

I've been shot few times, had quite a few hard jumps, and although I look like I'm in my late 40s, I sometimes feel like I'm in the 80s (at least what I percieve the 80s to be!).

 

Your 100% correct regarding purchase price versus price for a high grade paint job. If you want a Jag to really be proud of it cheaper seek out and pay for one that already has beautiful cosmetics

Sad, but true.

If had the means and the room I buy up all the Ser IIIs I could....just because I love 'em....and perhaps ....perhaps....they'd be worth enough one day to justify new paint jobs.

Cheers
DD

 

On the car like this, one can simply NOT put Maaco, or Earl Scheib paint job. The shop I deal with, specializes in hot rod, custom paint jobs (kinda like the doufus "Danny the Count" in LV, but without the skulls and horns!), that take WEEKS to finish. The end result is WAY better than the factory finish, but......the car is never original again! My XJS they worked on, was stripped to the shiny metal shell, and sprayed, "blocked", and sprayed. Finished off with six coats of clear. The paint looked like it's wet all the time, and you can dip your finger in it.

This type of paint job doesn't come cheap. Based on the pictures I provided to the shop, they estimated $7500 for the work. That doesn't include new seals, mouldings, badges, as needed, etc. Providing that the car is mechanically sound (and no major repairs are needed immediately), I would be in it for about 11-12K. Considering that a mint example can be found for half of that, the answer is clear.

It really is too bad. Some of these deserve to be restored and preserved, but who will dump the money? Original (and later) owners did not care properly for the vehicle, and it's gone. Now some kid will buy it, and beat it to death. All these classics are going away, and what the world is left with is all these little, oriental made, lookalike, "gas savers".

 

Well,....it's gone! Sold yesterday to somebody that is "very knowledgeable about Jags" (according to the seller). That's good. Whoever the buyer is, hopefully he will restore it. My math didn't work out, and maybe if one does the body work himself, it would work. I CAN paint (in someone else's booth), but I can't weld worth of crap, and I am not equipped for painting.

Now looking for another target, and in the meantime lurking on the forum, and learning.

Thank you all for your responses.