E-type, S type, XJ-6, brought together in one panel.

I went remodeling-crazy:

mounted a 1966 E-type ashtray in my XJ-6 center vertical panel where the silly plastic leaper used to be. (the plan is to eliminate the two ashtrays by the shifter, they are useless).

grafted 1964 S-type chromed knobs to XJ cigar lighter and dimmer/rheostat. (this style of knob is original to the 1963-1968 S-type and other Jaguar Saloons, used for adjusting the air vents; Jaguar reissued the same knob style in the Series 2 and 3 XJ, but in black plastic).

That looks pretty awesome. Nice job!

that does look awesome. nice work

glad you liked it guys!

here's the chromed knobs in their original setting, (in my 1965 S type). They are identical to the black plastic knobs in the Series 3 XJ. The rear shafts are different, they have to be ground off and then grafted to the XJ shafts.

here's a picture of the "BEFORE". a bit boring if you ask me, too "spartan".

yeah man, i agree.....quite spartan indeed.
if you did...what other options did you ponder before deciding on this modification?
im always thinking about ways to add classy visuals and unique gadgets to all my vehicles.

didn't have many choices, but the little plastic leaper looked so tacky, I just knew it had to go and something else needed to go in its place, like a "drawer" or compartment. Then one day I saw the E-type ashtray assembly on eBay and after confirming the measurements I had the answer. It fits perfectly, there is enough depth for the ashtray assembly behind the panel, but cutting the hole in the panel is another story, the 1/8" steel is very hard to cut, I had to drill about 70 holes, then cut between the holes, then file down, a pita.

when I first saw the Vent knobs in my '65 S type, it dawned on me the knobs in the XJ were identical but el cheapo plastic with silk-screen printing! That's when I started looking for a used S type vent assembly, to use the knobs from it. Found a used Air Vents assembly on eBay with the knobs. Sent the knobs to get them rechromed, ground their shafts to the base, then cut off the plastic knobs off the XJ knob shafts and glued the chromed knobs to the plastic shafts with epoxy. (no they won't come off, they are permanently and securely attached, I made sure of that).

Super,Super job. BTW i have been reading all of your posts and responses. Just purchased a Series II for the powertrain to convert a Series III that I purchased with a chevy engine. I started the SII today to verify the working condition. It seems fine so far. I don't have any specs on this motor. Any Ideas?? The VIN is UF2T55236BW. Need to find somewhere on the web to decipher this vin to see what I got and what issues I will expect with the particular twin carb engine.

thanks for the compliments.

you can decipher the VIN by contacting the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. For a fee they will send you a report showing the original colors, engine, original buyer (usually a distributor unless it was a custom-order car), date of build, and any other info. available in Jaguar's records.

go to their website to order the report: Jaguar Heritage

as far as I know, all XJ Series 2 built for the US market would have the 4.2 liter engine just like the Series 3 XJ except with carbs. (count your blessings, the carbed engines are easier to maintain, ask me how I know). Jaguar had smaller engines but those were not sent to the USA.

also a bit of trivia: the Series 3 XJ-6 last year was 1987 for the US market, but Jaguar kept building Series 3 XJ until 1992 with the 12 cylinder engine only. Because of emissions regulations in the USA, most were shipped to Europe, Canada, Australia, and a few made it to the USA through Canada. Also those cars had Special Serial Numbers or VIN's.

If you should need carb service/rebuild, contact Joe Curto, he's well known for his carb rebuilds.

http://www.joecurto.com/

PS: I just learned that the JDHT is moving and won't be accepting orders for Car Certificates until after September 2012.

PS 2: I forgot: I recovered the little shelf below the center vent (the shelf above the trip computer) in Black Velvet. Very sexy! hahaa!