Hi all, just joined the forum, hopefully I'll be spending a good amount of time here if all goes well!

So here's my situation, one of my close friends' grandfather bought a 1976 XJ6 4-door when it was new, he drove it for a few years and then once it started showing engine wiring issues, he drove it into his garage, parked it, and it's been there ever since It has about 40,000km on it (25,000mi).

So the car hasn't been driven in 30 years, but has been living in a garage (I think it was heated) and now he wants to sell it to me so I can fix it up. I can't find information on what it's worth but I want to go in with a decent offer.

Does anybody know what the car is worth in it's current state, and what it would be worth once it's restored? Assume the body is in perfect shape. I'm told it was professionally repainted before it was parked.

Any information or advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Well, two things:

You don't say where you live.
You haven't checked to see if the engine will turn over.

Put a new battery in it, replace the bodily fluids, and check to see if the engine will even turn over.

My guess is that the car is in pretty much pristine condition if it's been garaged for 30 years. However, cars of that age aren't really worth a whole lot. Here in the States, a car like that may be worth about $3000 to $5000. Restored, maybe a thousand more.

1976 XJ6s are plentiful here (at least in New Mexico), so they're not really worth a lot. Plus, people who own them, know they were wrought with electrical problems (like what I'm going through with MY 76 XJ12).

More to the point is "What is the car worth to YOU." If you have the skills to get it running again, always know that your car will give you problems every so often, and (depending on where you live) you'll probably be the ONLY person who will want to work on it. I've called 10 to 15 auto shops near where I live and none of them will even LOOK at my electrical problem, so I'm stuck learning to do it myself.

 

Ah good point on the location, I'm in Toronto, Ontario, the car is in Montreal.. so i can't really run over there and play with/work on it to see if it'll turn over, it's going to be one of those "go look at it, buy it, and throw it in a trailer, or walk away"

I'm making the purchase on the assumption that the engine will not run or turn over, and they're selling it on that assumption as well.

I'm surprised they're that abundant down there, I don't think I've ever seen a series 2 jag up here on the road.

As for my abilities, I'm definitely capable of fixing it up and dealing with the wiring issues, so that's not really bothering me.. actually my biggest problem right now is finding a place to store it while i fix it up.

I'm thinking of offering $2000 for it... is that reasonable or would the repair costs be so high to fix all the wiring issues that I should go lower? I do still also have to figure out how to push it into my trailer or hire a flatbed tow truck.

 

$2000 would be generous, IMHO.

After 30 years of non-use you will likely be facing many repairs issues. Rusty fuel tanks and brake hydraulics, hoses, anything made of rubber, stuck piston rings perhaps, etc etc....

Sounds like a great project, though.

Mechanical repairs ar pretty straightforward on these car....uh...most of them, at least. A decent DIY guy won't have many difficulties.

It's the paint, leather, wood, trim, etc that run into big money. And if the car has rust issues it is virtually worhtless, to be honest....so make sure it's not a rust bucket

Good luck
DD

 

Good point Doug, I paid 2K for a good runner with no rust. Id pay 500 dollars knowing everything needs attention. A better bet would be to buy a running car, and pick up the other one as a parts car.

 

Understand that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar.

Knowing what I know about 76s, I'd go about $1000 to $1500 Canadian. That's about $950 to $1400 American, which is a "fair price." The best way to tell if the engine isn't seized up is to hand crank the engine (grab the belt and give it a whirl to see if it moves at all). Best case scenario is that all you need to do is fix the wires, hoses, and all other rubber/plastic components (as Doug said). With MY 76, I've found a lot of the wire insulation as brittle as fine China, so I'll be replacing wires as I go. Doug was also right on the fuel tank rust, etc. Mine had a small rust spot that ended up being a BIG problem. I swapped the tanks for 76 XJ6 tanks (remember, my Jag is an XJ12). I didn't need the fuel return lines since my engine is a Chevy 350 V8 with a 4 bbl carb on it.

Whatever you do, DON'T just go out and buy a wiring harness. It'll run you more than you would probably want to spend, and you're better off just getting a few spools of 12, 14, and 16 gauge wire (different colors, of course), and leaving just enough of the original wire at both ends should you need to replace some.

If you find the tanks are rusted, you can either do a tank repair (an interior coating after a number of good washings) and an exterior repair (welding sheet metal or putting some silver caulk if the hole is small enough).

No doubt, you'll find plenty to work on, but, in the end, since they're not very common up there, is that you'll have a "head turner" no matter what. Even though we have several 76 XJ6s and XJ12s running around town, I always got compliments wherever I went. People who had seen one or more of the other ones in town told me mine was, by far, the nicest one they had seen of them. That always made me feel good. I also felt REALLY good when an XK8 driver told me my car was gorgeous...lol.

 

I for one(my opinion) would buy it , offer $1000 if not rotted away. The real issue is not the cost or if it runs , but really how much of your free time....that is if you have it.....will you need to spend just to get it started and usable. Time is far more expensive and valuable the mere cash. Good luck. Sounds like a great thing .

 

It is worth what ever anyone will pay for it.

You don't say which one it is, 3.4, 4.2, V12 5.3.

Sure they are nice classic cars, just not very valuable. Your $2000 CAD sounds to be too high to me, for a restoration project.

 

Yea I don't know which size engine it has, but I know for sure it's a 6, not v12. glad to know $2000 is too high! Makes my wallet happy. Free time isn't a huge concern, I'm a university student.. my real issue is an indoor space to work on it and store it... my garage is too full of tools to fit a car in it!

M0t0rmouth & Doug, thanks for the information, I now have a much better understanding of what I'm walking into.

What is everyone's opinion of the value of the car if I restore the original powertrain or drop in a GM one? I've got plenty of experience with carb, tbi, tpi and vortec chevy's and it would make life pretty easy for me, but if I go to sell the car once it's restored is it going to be devalued if I have done the swap?

Also if the engine's only got about 25k miles on it and I sell it is it worth anything at all, or is the GM swap the norm?

 

OK...let's start from the top:

If it were me, I'd move the tools to a spare room or something. That's what I have an enclosed back porch for...so that I have a place to keep my tools organized and a clear place to work on my cars.

Hopefully you truly DO know what you're getting yourself into.

Again, on a car that old, there is no way of narrowing down a set "value," with or without a GM powertrain. The only TRUE value is that of a collector/appreciator. XJ12s with the 350 go for around $4000 here in "OK" shape. I've seen some for sale for as much as $5500, but $4000 is about average. You shouldn't worry about the "value" as much as you should think about what it is worth to YOU.

The V6 would be worth something to someone somewhere, but to whom and where are the real tricks. Checking out Ebay is a good thought. Also, go to some local car clubs and see if they have any interest. Don't just stick with trying to sell it in one place (should you decide to do the swap).

The GM swap IS a norm with 76 models, I've found, BUT, there ARE purists who would LOVE to get their mitts on a 25k engine from that year or period. My guess is that you engine is carbureted? If so, the 350 swap will be MUCH easier. John's Cars is perhaps the best known place to go for conversion kits...they even sell wiring harnesses for the conversion.

If you DO decide to do a swap, let me say two things:

First, you'll have your hands full from the gate (no doubt you'll have your hands full with the car anyway), but the end result will be something YOU will have done, and along the way you can customize it any way you want it.

Second, you should try to get a TR-700R4 transmission (as opposed to the TH350). Your engine (and you) will be much happier having overdrive than having to stay with 3 gears. You'll have to modify the driveline, but the extra gear (and better gas mileage) will be WELL worth the work.

Above all, don't ask what things will be worth...with cars like ours, we have to think of "What's it worth to me?" Mine is worth VERY much to me, and though I've got more issues with her than I've thought I'd have, I wouldn't trade her in for anything. I like knowing that everything that's being done to her is being done by ME and no one else. That, to me, is priceless.

 

Good remarks from Motormouth. I pretty much agree on all counts, FWIW.

I'll only emphasize the obvious and say that the engine is only part of the story. Even if you get everything squared away engine-wise that won't do anything for the many other potential problems.

My own experience after years Jag ownership is that the engine turned out to be the least of my worries :-). Of course, if it's "hurt", you'll need to deal with it one way or the other. But if it's in good shape it'll like soldier on for decades with minimal care. In a Jag that simply means oil changes and keeping it cool.

Cheers
DD

 

I checked out John's cars, if I do the swap I'm going to go with one of their kits to make life easy. I was however thinking more along the lines of Vortec and 4L60E rather than the TH400 route.. I know it's a lot more electronics and a bit more complicated but I strip a Silverado every so often for parts (there's actually a vortec sitting in my garage right now) and I like the one in my current truck MUCH better than the 305 in my old one. much smoother ride and idle, more torque, more power.. less gas. Plus it would be more incentive to buy the engine computer tuning software since I'd have two vehicles running those engines to justify the purchase.

As for the tools in a spare room idea, I still live in a student house so there's no spare room or free space... In fact I'm completely hogging the garage. And my summer car is already taking up half the garage at my parents' house. Hopefully I will have a job secured in the coming weeks and I can start looking for a house nearby that'll have plenty of garage space.

 

Thanks for the kudos, Doug.

stuey...since it seems you know abit about cars, then you should also realize that if you put a TRUCK engine into a CAR (specifically, into a Jag), you'll DEFINITELY want to tinker inside the rear-end. The gears inside the pumpkin won't handle the torque from a truck engine and a 4L60E. You'd have to replace the rear-end in about a year if not less.

 

This time I disagree, Motormouth :-)

The Jag differential is very stout...waaaay overbuilt for the amount of power the Jag engine put out. It's basically a Dana 44 diff, same as used in Corvettes, Jeeps, etc but in a different housing.

Assuming it isn't already injured it'll hold up fine behind a V8 unless you're talking about some sort of 600 horsepower mega thump giant killer engine.

Cheers
DD

 

Wow...one thing I didn't know!! Thanks for the info!

 

Agreed, impossible to price. Here in the UK - where everyone loves Jags! - the 1970s XJ6 is still really undervalued. But prices are all over the place. I bought my 1974 Jaguar XJ6 or 6k US and it needed work. Ebay dogs start at a few hundred pounds and concours cars are 20k. For a car like the one you'd describe I'd go in very low - it's worth nothing compared to what it could cost you.