Hello to all (from someone who has never owned a Jaguar)
Generally I play with Pontiac Fieros, however recently my wife told me how much she would love to own a Jaguar. Now I am a mechanic and have owned many cars, but I know absolutely NOTHING about Jaguars. I believe I am lucky though because my wife is not picky, and for those who are not familiar Jags, the XJ6s look a lot alike over a wide variety of years.

So, I come here in search of knowledge and advice. We are looking at the 80s-90s Xj6s and I want to know what common issues are for these vehicles. Are certain years more desirable than others? At what mileage do things start to go down hill?
I am not unfamiliar with engine conversions and I would have to say that I would consider one in the future,(SBC). Are there vehicles that these conversions are easier on?
Thanks for the help that I am sure I will receive.

 

Hi :-)

"80s-90s XJ6s" encompasses three different cars that carry the same "XJ6" name plate :-).

An 80s vintage XJ6 could be a "Series III" or the entirely different "XJ40" type. ("XJ40" is the engineering designation often used to distinguish the later model from the earlier Series III car).

The "XJ40" type XJ6 morphed into the "X300" (another engineering designation) type XJ6. The X300 has *some* fundamental similarities to the earlier "XJ40" cars.

At the top of this section is a buyers guide which includes the Ser III cars (1980-1987). At the top of the X300 section is a buyers guide for those models (1995-1997). Both should give you some basic background.

Not sure if there's an XJ40 buyer's guide (1988-1994). Roughly speaking the '88-'89 models were known to be troublesome. The 90-94 models got progressively better.

Note that "model year" can be a bit confusing on these cars as different breakpoints were used for different markets. What I've written above applies to USA-market cars.

Any of these cars are now old enough where the care given by previous owners has a much greater bearing on "trouble areas" and reliability than any design weaknesses. And, sdaly, most older Jags do NOT get proper care as they age.

I suggest reading the buyers guides first then coming back to fill in any blanks.

Cheers
DD

 

Not going back too far I will start with the sedan models years 1982 to 1985 series III XJ6 and Vandem plas cars, nice dependable cars provided they have been looked after. 1986 to 1987 Series III are the best of the lot provided again that they have been looked after. 1988 to 1990 leave completely alone.1991 to 1994 (XJ40) XJ6 were not bad again if maintained correctly.1995 t0 1997(X300) were renown to be the best of the best but remember everything is getting older and older means less reliable and takes more maintenance to remain dependable. 1998 to 2002 (X308) lots of expensive hidden problems that you could stumble into if you don't know what you are looking at. 2002 to 2003(still X308 without the problems) really nice cars.

If you can narrow down a little bit more what years you are looking at we can get a little more detailed. Would also help if we knew sports or sedan.

Hope this helps you just a little.

 

I know the car your wife wants: it is the Series 3 XJ-6 made between 1980 and 1987. Why? Because in the late 1980's a women's magazine did a poll about women's favorite cars. The Series 3 XJ-6 won by ten miles. That's why.

Even better news for her, you can get a Series 3 XJ-6 for under $4 grand in nice condition with the usual things to fix here and there. So if you're handy with a Fiero, the XJ-6 will be a piece of cake for you. Check your local and near Craigslists and you'll find them. After 1987, Jaguars became "digital" and they have lots of electronic digital gizmos which never fail to go bad. The Series 3 is the last of the "analog" Jaguars and are easy to repair.

Even better better news for you, the Series 3 XJ-6 has many GM parts which can be sourced from 1980's Buick, Olds, Pontiacs or Chevys, or you can get them at local parts stores like CarQuest, Autozone, Advance, etc.

NOTE: in 1988 the XJ-6 is called or "badged" the (Series 4) XJ-40, though people keep calling them XJ-6. The XJ-40 has a 4.0 liter engine, the Series 3 has a 4.2 liter engine. Just so you know.

Personally, I don't subscribe to engine conversions because it "butchers" the car, but if you must, the Series 3 XJ-6 has a gigantic engine bay where Jaguar used to install a giant V12 5.3 liter engine and the model was called the XJ-12.

good luck!

 

Thank you all for the reply. Yes Jose I believe you are correct. The series three is what I believe she likes. I have been searching the papers and Craigslist and see many cars, now with some more info I can narrow the list down and look for something more specific. According to peddlarbob, 86 & 87 are the best, why is this? One reason I had considered an engine swap was do to the fact I know very little about these engines. It appears that they came with the 4.2 inline 6 cyl. What can anyone tell me about the longevity of these engine? I completely understand that regular maintenance is key, however I also know with any engine there are weak parts of the design. Example, GM 60 degree V-6 (3.1) cars had bad intake gaskets, Saturns burn oil due to a faulty finish in the cylinders from the factory etc. With that being said I am ready receiving a fair number of warnings from friends claiming that a Jaguar will be a maintenance nightmare. None of them have any experience with Jaguars, and that is why I am here.

 

You're really looking at essentially two completely different eras of automobiles when you say 80-90s XJ6s . The 80-87 cars are true, honest to goodness old world cars. It's essentially, at best, a 60s car with Bosch EFI and a catalyst slapped on it. Other than trading a carb for injectors it's mechanically just about the same as the original 68 XJ6, using the XK engine (which dates from 1948) which was already beginning to be long in the tooth when that original XJ was released. Rust will be more of an issue but they're simple to repair and keep running mechanically, imo (trust me, working on modern German cars and their wacky computers everyday makes keeping these simple old things going seem like child's play ). Due to financial and other reasons, mainly cleaned up labor situation and a cash infusion the later of these the better the build quality. In particular be skeptical of the early 80s ones which had not yet received updated coolant passages which prevented block failures.

The 88-94 XJ40 cars were the first all truly all new sedans for the company in many, many decades, thus the problems spoken of in the first couple years. To me, these are my least favorite of the XJ6s though they've grown on me a lot in recent years. Rectangular headlights and tail lights took a long, long time for me to get used to on a kitty.

The 95-97 X300 cars are fantastic and probably one of the best built Jaguars out there, plus to me at least, the styling is more timeless and classic than the XJ40.

If you're a tinkerer and if you want to go the swap route (I wouldn't unless it was turning something beat up into a track car but to each his own) the series 3 might be the best bet. It's an underrated classic with much of the charm and simplicity of the way things used to be done but it's also a feasible daily driver. It never ceases to amaze me how little they can be had for.

Series 3



XJ40 and X300

 

The most modern of all antique automobiles. Built like a tank and drives like velvet :-)







I agree with Bob although we might have different reasons. For me, it's the minor trim upgrades found on the 86-87 cars.







Chances are you won't have much opportunity to learn. Darn near impossible to kill 'em. Might have to replace the head gasket though....that's one sore spot.

The fuel injection is old school Bosch. Most faults and fixes are well known.





Head gasket and oil leaks. Tappet guides can come loose unless a stake down kit is installed. That's about it.




A well maintained Jaguar is a purring kitten. You will be repaid in more than equal measure for the love you give the car.

An ill maintained Jaguar is an unforgiving bitch who could care less if you live or die.

There is *some* truth to the horror stories but they are wayyyy overblown. The Ser IIIs in particular can be very reliable daily drivers. I had one as a daily driver for many years. Never once was it on the back of a tow truck. Just takes love :-). For most of us that's part of the fun.

But, you're talking about cars that are 25-30 years old. Unless you get lucky and/or are very selective....and willing to buy at the higher end of the market.....it's virtually a given that any Ser III you buy is gonna need some repairs. As would most any 25-30 year old used car....Toyota, Ford, Buick, BMW, whatever. It just isn't realistic to think otherwise.

So, plan on spending some time and money doing all the things the last 2-3-4-5 owners never bothered to do. After that, enjoy !

Cheers
DD

 

I don't think we are that far apart Doug. As you said, better trim and fit. I will add to that, better seals around the front and rear windshield and better paint. In addition to little things like the door locks and linkage.

My 86 cranberry red series III Sovereign took me all around Central Canada as a Sales rep for seven years without missing a beat. Never late for an appointment and never missed getting home each night other than when I was due to stay over. Also never failed an emissions test. Had that car from 1989 and it just left my home for new owners six months ago.

My son ran a Honda Civic SI and we once compared notes on the cost of ownership. His Honda cost for one year nearly twice what my Jaguar cost to keep on the road and I was doing four times his mileage.

 

if your friends have never owned a Series 3 Jaguar XJ-6, they shouldn't be giving advice on a car they've never dealt with.

I've owned my 1984 for 23 years now, most reliable car I've ever owned, yes I have had to fix things over the years, including a leaking tank, which happens to most of them, usually the Passenger side tank, but other than that, it's always ready for driving. Look at the Cranberry example posted by VWtechnician, that's the Series 3 XJ-6 your wife wants, that is the one everyone loves. 1980-1987, all the same with minor trim changes over 7 years, otherwise identical, just improved and perfected.

note that the Series 3 XJ was kept in production until 1992, but only in 12 cylinder and not exported to the USA for reasons of EPA emissions regulations. You can find those in Canada if you want one, some are already here in the US. Same car, different engine. The 12 cylinder does require mucho maintenance, so not recommended for a first-timer.

start out with a nice-condition Series 3 XJ-6, keep it for a year or two, if no like, resell and move on to a XJ-40 or later. But the XJ-40 (Series 4) is not as electronically-reliable as the Series 3, mucho issues with electronic circuit boards controlling the a/c, blowers, radio, and what have you. And the recent XJ-8 have a troublesome Ford block which in my opinion sucks, has many engine reliability issues, it's not a real Jaguar like the Series 3. (sorry guys, but that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it).

 

So Jose I never knew you once owned a V-12 Series III or an XJ8.


Seeing as the subject of V-12 has been bought up I will add that in my opinion formed with owing so many of them. That the series III V-12 is the ultimate driving machine of all Series III Jaguars. As far as maintenance, certainly it does look formidable when you open the hood but is really no more difficult to maintain than a straight six other then there are far more plugs and wires to change and they can be a bit of a challenge to get too. However this is far offset with the extra smoothness, comfort and power it allows and the superior highway mileage it gets over that of the XJ6.



Sort ofagree with you re reliability on the early XJ8 (AJ26) but not with those produced after the manufacturing year of 2002 ( AJ26S). AJ33 for example which is the engine used in the X350 stands for Advance Jaguar series 33 Ford had nothing to do with it other than the money..

 

not me thank you, but I know owners of those specific models who went through hades to get them repaired after breakdowns, not to mention the costs involved. I don't know about the later 8 cylinder XJ, all I know is that a Ford anything is not a Jaguar, that's why I stick with the Classic Jaguars, (the real Made-By-Jaguar-In-Coventry-Jaguar). Anything after 1989 I won't touch with a 10-foot pole, they are just unreliable and the evidence is out there for anyone to research, not to mention they are so un-Jaguar-looking. I'm old skool, I like old cars, no modern car impresses me, no Infiniti, no Toyota, no Camaro, nothing, only the new Maserati, beautiful and powerful, but I don't have that kind of dinero to put in a gas guzzler. For what? to beat Hondas at a red light? nahhh, I'm past the teenager years. I want comfort and reliability, my two Real Jags give me that.

 

Yes the engine does look intimidating but is simple to work on once you get over the initial shock of its size.

 

So here is one of those Unreliable cars built after 1989. This is a 1992 series III V-12. Finest and the most reliable series III ever built with the edition of anti-locking brakes and a CD changer. It is in fact a Dailmer Double six hand built on a special assembly line at the Browns Lane plant (while Ford owned Jaguar) and branded as a Jaguar exclusively for the Canadian market. This one I purchased sight unseen and I flew out to the other side of Canada to take delivery. I spent three days gloriously driving it home and the smile never left my face the whole time. Except when I nearly ran out of gas passing through the rocky mountains.

 

Couple of nits to pick here. If you want to question the Jaguar Mond....er X type, maybe even the S type that's fine but the XJ8s of the vintage you're speaking of are Jaguars through and through. Their chassis' are an evolution of the X300, which stems from the XJ40, which still has some relation to the S1-S3 cars. The block and anything about the AJV8 are all Jaguar engineered and built in house. People think otherwise because this engine showed up in the Lincoln LS but unlike the Duratec V6 in the X and S types, Jaguar designed and engineered that engine on their own with nothing more from Ford than money and Ford borrowed it for the LS. It is not in any way a Ford engine and those cars are in no way shape or form Fords. My father owns a 00 XJ8 that he's had since 07 and it's been a very reliable car. Everything about it, from the cramped front footwells and low roofline, to the interior quality, ride, handling and the overall smoothness of the car all are XJ in full and do justice to the previous models bearing that name, imho.

 

I had a Series 3 4.2 for 14 years, the longest time I have ever owned a car. The ride is an absolute magic carpet, there is nothing quite like it, certainly not in the later cars. You feel you could drive across Europe in one in a day and not get tired. Broadly speaking, previous posters are smack on the button regarding the Series 3.

Reason for buying a later Series 3, (from about '84-on), is the block machining was changed to stop blocks cracking between the bores. This cracking essentially wrote off the block. How do I know ? Well, I'm sure you can guess ! Despite this, the head gaskets can go but are easy to fix.
Of course you need to be aware that this engine came out in 1948, and apart from the DOHC is essentially a pre-war engine, certainly the block design.
Almost all the wearing parts on the car are quite cheap to buy and freely available even 25 years after production stopped. DIY is perfectly possible if you are a good mechanic and have the tools. I did all my own work, and rebuilt the engine, and the suspensions front and back. No pesky complicated electronics to worry about, its all discrete components and analogue technology. However bear in mind the very latest six cylinder car will be 26 years old, so try to buy a car that has been cherished by its previous owners. BTW, the 5.3 litre V12s carried on until 1992, but only about 50 a week, if that. I remember seeing the body shells for these being put together by grey-haired old guys in a separate shop at Castle Bromwich in the late-eighties, on a factory visit. I was lucky in being able to visit the body plant at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham and Browns Lane in Coventry when I lived in Rugby.

IMHO forget any XJ40 before 1992, they were a troublesome car, (although the engine was good).
A well-maintained X300 is a reliable well-made car, but only made for a very short time, (1995-97).
At this point, Ford decided to put in the V8 engine to make the X308, and trouble then started in a big way with the engine, and was not finally sorted out until 2001. The last of the X308 V8 cars were very well made, and reliable cars. Then in 2003, along came the aluminium saloon, (which I have got). This was the last of the cars styled in the lines first established by Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar, in 1968. The current XJ saloon is a fine car, but very 'avant garde' and has no styling links to the previous cars.

Don't leave out the later X308 saloons from 2001 onwards, plus an early X350, the aluminium saloon. I am very happy with mine, the build quality is exceptional, even though the car is not totally fault-free, but then, it is a Jaguar !! These cars are seriously cheap, right now.

If you want total reliability, buy a Lexus, but would you really want one ?

 

A word of caution if I may. Be careful when quoting model years because in North American they differed from those in Briton. Roughly North America was one year behind what happened over there, most of the time, so it can get confusing

 

I've owned one for 23 years so I win

 

Congrats on owning your car so long !!

Trouble with my Series 3 was it had to stay on the driveway all winter, as my garage is too small, (it now holds my MG MIdget). I had another car too in the last 3 years I owned it, so it was used only in summer.

I am a lot happier with my current X350; it has v ery similar looks, and better build quality, but I also no longer have suitable facilities to fix a Jaguar, and anyway, I am just a bit too old to go crawling underneath cars now. When I fixed up my Series 3, it was in the early 90s and I was in my 40s. I have found an excellent independent shop fairly close by so they do my work now.

 

I just saw an X350 and it is a very good looking car. I am older than you, so I win there too. But i still get under my cars to fix them, that's my exercise.
Sometimes it's like : "HELP!, I CAN'T SLIDE OUT AND GET TO MY WRENCHES!, SOMEBODY PULL ME" but I always get out.

 

Jose I am like you. I do all my own work as I don't trust other people working on my cars. They seem to always want to take the short route to make more money while I just want the job to be right.

Thankfully I don't have to crawl around on the ground any more as Jaguar gave me a really nice four poster Stenhoj drive on hoist for my Garage.