Me too.

I have no objection to some subtle enhancements or concessions to practicality but not to the point where its original essence is lost.



Which is why I consider the Series III to be "the most modern of all antique automobiles" . There's an 'olde world' flavor to them but they're still very satisfying to drive in the modern world.



It's already happening with pristine Series III V12s, although in small numbers. Several Canadian market Series III V12s have changed hands in the $25k-$30k range. I must emphasize *pristine* here. Average or poor condition examples are not worth much, if any, more than an XJ6 in the same condition.




I'm pickin' up what you're layin' down

Cheers
DD

 

Just because it found one cashed up Pom willing to shell out the big money, does not mean it'll find another. Unless the new owner converts it to RHD, it's going to be an absolute pig on those narrow British roads. & if they do convert it, it further isolates from it's most lucrative market, the U.S. I don't think fuel economy is going to bother someone who's got the cash to buy & ship a car like this. But it'd be an issue for most Brits, which is why lumps aren't popular over there. &, as has been already stated, this car is on another level to your average lump, which is why it fetched the money it did. & I'd imagine that it's new owner just wanted something different, & was prepared to pay for it. So, in that way, it's the exception that proves the rule.

 

.

actually NOBODY absoutly needs a 12 cylinder car!

but we do it because we can, and there cheap to buy! even for free no charge!

some of these modern 4 cylinder turbo cars have great performance ,good MPG, and will cruise all day long at 100+ MPH!

and some are big sedan types, Space -Pace,, Grace is a girl i know?? ah hah.

 

Now for some silly!

there is NO such thing as a completly original car(except when bought NEW from a dealer).

example; some one says to me " my 1958 Jaguar is a nut and bolt perfect as delivered",

thats big time BS, i ask him if it has 1958 petrol in the tank?

does it have 1958 air in the tires?

he looks at me and says No that cant be done , i say NO sh#t dick tracy, so it aint really original!

 

Well... at least two cashed up poms...since the retro power car certainly didn't pay for itself. I suspect there are even more hidden. As a mater of fact I know of another very high end coupe restoration in progress...with a lump too. I have no permission to disclose details.

XJ Coupes are the next big thing lumped or not and prices will reflect this. The reason...They offer an impossible combination of classic style, modern performance, capable handling and comfort. I can think of no other classic that has all three, performance, looks and comfort.

 

I doubt fuel economy comes into the equation but if it did its hard to imagine an LS motor of any generation doing worse than an XK motor, unless hopped up considerably.

 

Glad you said silly

Sounding like the plot's been well and truly lost.

 

No it doesn't. Little if any difference. Jaguar built a high end car for those who didn't need to worry about the price of fuel thus the XK was never intended to compete on economy.

 

Wow . . . back in the past when a Regional Co-ordinator, I not only got use of the corporate jet (Hahaha) . . . I was able to tap the table and hint that we stick to the topic and do so with tolerance and empathy.

We don't have to agree with opinions of others, but let's make friendliness our byword and choose appropriate language. I guess I'm showing my old fashioned side, but though not a muscle car fan, even I shudder at terms like "truck engine".

Interesting how many of the last 30+ posts have veered way off topic;
. . . and how many others have included "To each, his/her own" . . .
Why is it that no-one is listening?

Just my

Ken

 

Agreed. Current vernacular has included "pick-up truck engines", "tractor engines", XK's have even been compared to "dog waste". Not nice. Several recent calls for tolerance of opposing views have been pretty much ignored which happens on many forums, as does getting off topic, but we could definitely do without this labeling. Beyond that, I find this forum is one of the more respectful compared with many.

 

No argument there. I'd buy one with any engine in it, or even no engine! But I'd be looking to plonk a fully worked Jag V12 into it ASAP, as that's just the way I like 'em.

 

That is carrying things a little far, though it's not unheard of. I've read about a 71 Falcon ex-Police pursuit car, which is basically a Phase III GTHO in plain clothes, that still had it's original Dunlop Aquajets on it. So presumably they also held 46 year old air. It was a real labour of love to keep them though, as Aquajets were never that valued back in the day (aka Aquaplanes!) & keeping them on today, in their hardened state, is just downright dangerous. Especially with the power of 1971's fastest four door sedan anywhere on Earth powering them!
Though to be strictly true, things like fuel, oils & air are ancillary items that aren't a part of the car, & are meant to be replenished regularly. The clutch, tyres, brakes, steering & suspension are also governed by a strict maintenance regime, which requires regularly replacement, & are therefore not subject to the strict demands of concourse originality.

 

you are right.

some things are carried to far, especially some of the concourse restored cars!

some 10 times better than factory original, with 20 times the cost of original.

these type people have to much money and indirectly get prices so high regular guys are out of the game!

BUT it was regular guys that got it started in the 1st place!

 

Cars like this belong in a unique category, as they're a bespoke build, without regard to costs. They're not backyard Rods, or something a few mates knocked together in a shed in their spare time. This is a professional build, done to showcase the skills of the shop who built it. & it's meant for a discerning Buyer, who can afford what they want. In that regards it really is a classic Jag, just like Sir William liked them, & I'm sure he'd approve.

 

One note here- this car is really not that custom. Besides the engine conversion, it is basically a standard XJ6C with great paint and new interior. Everything else is either aftermarket bolt-on upgrades for this model, or standard Jag from later Jag models (like the outboard brake 3.54 rear end). This car has all standard XJ6 electrics, standard HVAC, brake hardware, standard (Euro style) bumpers and outer headlight set, standard Jaguar suspension (with bolt on upgrades as above) etc.,.etc.,. Any end user could duplicate the results here without any custom fabrication skills. Even the engine conversion is a bolt-in; there was no special fabrication there either for the drivetrain installation- the needed parts were either part of our conversion kit or supporting pieces, right off our website, or off-the-shelf GM parts available anywhere (if you know what to ask for)

Perhaps the only variable in the level of cost might be how detailed one might get in the paint department in body prep and application. That can be expensive, but you can still get a pretty great paint job for $10k, including an engine compartment. That may not be quite to this level, but as another reader mentioned, that aspect of this car was intended to show off the capabilities of the owner's body shop...

When I think of custom (or bespoke), I think of cars far more re-engineered, re-imagined, and re-executed. That's not what we have here. Here you have a car, essentially as Jaguar might build it, with the exception of the drivetrain....

The point is that (aside from the level of cosmetic finish, which is a personal decision) anyone interested in a car like this could easily have one with modest means. I want to be sure the takeaway from seeing this auction result isn't that these cars are now out of reach for the masses. They're not

My $.02

Andrew
Jaguar Specialties

 

With respect Andrew, I'm a bit confused as to where this car does sit.

We have to agree it's not original, or restored to original condition, so those categories are out.

If it's neither bespoke nor "really that custom", maybe an acceptable description is *substantially modified*, which IMHO would be more accurate than "basically standard XJC". The boundaries applied to the definitions of custom, bespoke, modified etc. seem to be ever more fluid and somewhat subjectively applied according to the impression a modifier, seller or buyer may wish to create.

 

Perhaps more semantics than boundaries?

To have another stab at what Andrew was saying....

For many, 'customized' means hand-built for one particular car. So, for example, using off-the-shelf Jaguar parts for the outboard brakes isn't a customized brake system. But if you had a one-off system designed and fabricated from scratch....that would be a 'customized' brake system.

As for the car being fairly standard, well, that's a bit relative. I know some people who build 'customized' cars where all the major aspects are one-off fabrications. To them the Jag in question would be a fairly standard car, yes. They'd say "It's just a Jag with an engine swap and some bolt-ons".

Cheers
DD

 

I concede that this car's a long way from a Lister Le Mans, but it's still substantially above the average restomod. I know I'd love it to be in my shed, even as a left hooker.

 

I'll buy semantics since it all comes down to interpretation. An average back yard enthusiast may hold a different definition of custom to that of someone who does it for a living, therefore descriptions become relative. However *Customizing* isn't necessarily predicated exclusively on specific components being individually designed and hand fabricated. A literal definition quotes: Customize: to modify or build according to individual or personal specifications or preference.

This one-off car was deliberately pulled down from factory spec and rebuilt to a set individual specifications using components not original to the model, and with some parts not original to the make. To me, the result is a customized car. At the very least it's fair to call it modified. It's only the descriptions of "not really that custom" and "basically standard" that become confusing when neither is definitive. Just my view!

 

Agreed. I've got nothing against lumping a Jag. In fact I don't really care what anyone does to their private property. & I think this car if effin grouse! But calling it basically standard is stretching that description a little far. I agree it's not James Bond bespoke (Q hasn't worked his magic on it). But it'd fit me like a Saville Row suit, & that's bespoke enough for this little black duck!