All right, so I realize I'm somewhat spoiled (so far) on the reliability of my '95 XJ6 (X300), but I'm drawn to the series 3 XJ6s. Just love the styling. I think I might NEED to have one someday.

The 1986 model has caught my eye.

Is there a better year than others to look for?

 

I like the '86 and '87s because they have the updated interior trim.

Mechanically very little changed over the years. Engine/trans/differential/suspnsion all the same. There were some cooling systems and emission changes circa 1982-83 as well as some small interior changes about the same time (console design, mostly) ....oh, and different gauges about that time as well, including an electric speedo. The power door locks changed mid-85.

I could write a full list of small changes but they are not consequential. I'd buy according to condition, not model year. A pampered mint condition '83, for example, is a better buy than and average condition '87.

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks, Doug, for the info on the Ser. 3 XJ6. Good to know no real mechanical differences during that model run; makes the chosing easier.

No purchase plans for me now....but down the road perhaps.

 

The later the better, imo. Jaguar had a lot on running improvements following the depths of the British Leyland collapse and the quality of the cars steadily improved. Earlier models, pre 83 I believe, others can chime in, had issues with engine blocks that cracked that were fixed later. I would look for an 86 or 87 model, best build quality, best interior of the series iiis and many of the mechanical problems they knew about earlier but couldn't afford to fix were finally fixed.


Edit: Take your time and find one with good chrome, interior and, most importantly, no rust. That's the stuff that gets tricky and expensive. Working Delanair HVAC is a plus, too, as parts for it can be expensive, horrible to replace and hard to find. The mechanical parts to keep them running and driving right are fairly cheap and easy to find in comparison, they're actually fairly simple cars at the end of the day. If I'm going to take on a project I'll take one with a blown up engine and a good body vs a good engine and holes in the floors and rockers any day.

 

Hi,

I ran a 1986 Sovereign for about 4 years until last year and I agree totally with earlier comments. Rust is a nightmare on these cars, and like icebergs 90% of the problem is under the surface. If you can't weld you will spend a fortune if you pick one with a rust in the floor.

Walk away from anything that has rust around the wind shield (back and front).

Fuel injection engine is very reliable, electrics are not. Buy a Voltmeter because most issues after rust are electrical. Frustrating, but fairly easy and cheap to resolve.

Interior is easy to obtain bits for, biggest nightmare is headlining. A sagging headling has to be replaced and this is a screen out job!

A plus note for the summer is that the Air Con was fanatastic.

Series 111 XJ12 and and Series 1 are probably most collectable after the Coupe models.

 

They do indeed crack !! The cracks occur between the cylinders of the siamesed bores. When the engine was increased to 4.2 litres, the bores were shifted so the two groups of three had siamesed bores, (between 1-2, 2-3 , and 4-5, 5-6, four in all). In production, horizantal slots were cut in between the four groups of bores to make coolant passages across the block, and the "slot-type" holes in the cylinders covered with a thin pressed-in liner. However, the metal at the top between the bores now became a thin and fairly shallow bridge. Over time this cracks to the top of the block, and the loss of bridge strength causes it to sink slightly, taking the pressure of the head gasket, so the gasket blows combustion gases into the coolant, blowing the coolant out and overheating the engine. This happened to me until I rebuilt the engine using an uncracked block. (70% of 7L blocks, and 80% of 8L blocks suffer this cracking). Use of lipped, ("top-hat") liners, can cure the problem at some considerable expense.

However, clearly somebody at Jaguar noticed something was amiss, because later on, (circa 1983), this method of creating a cross-block coolant passage was changed to be a vertical slot about 1/8" wide between the bores thus eliminating the need for a cylinder liner. This cured tghe cracking, and considerably lengthened the life of the head gasket.

I have to say that anyone who wants to move back to a Series 3 from an X300, needs to think very carefully whether it is a good move. For a start the Series 3 will be much older and rustier, and more worn-out. Not only this, but the X300 series was the one that put back reliability into Jaguar cars. Back in the 90s, owners were reporting mega-mileages without problems, almost going to Mars and back on mileage. So disappointment beckons for a person who has run an X300 and got used to the much better reliability.

SO think very carefully about this. As a second low-use car, OK, but make sure you have roadside assistance !!

 

I'll chime in and stick up for the series III. I have an '86 VdP and use it near daily ( I also drive an '85 BMW M635 and a '56 Triumph TR3) for ~30 miles 1 way. It's true when I first got the car I had to take some time to work though mostly common maintenance items, but after that she's been the model of reliability for me. I've put on ~25k miles in 2~3 years. My 2 cents, if the car is driven regularly then I think you minimize the surprises.

Your results may vary, and maybe I just got lucky, but I have jumped in my Jag and taken her on longer journeys as well as the daily drive and she hasn't left me stranded yet...where's that wood to knock on???

Good luck, I agree the series III looks great. One of the, if not the, best looking 4 door sedans ever made.

Oh yeah, to answer your original question, I also concur with the comments above. When searching for my car I was focused on the 86/87 models.

Eric

 

Thanks, all, for the replies. There's alot of good info and advice there and I appreciate it.

Joe

 

Thoughts?
<a href="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/mtox1"><img src="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/t/mtox1.jpg"></a>

 

Thoughts?

 

I'm kind of going the opposite direction.. From a Series 3 daily driver to an X300 family primary car....
I've had several versions of the Series 3... I currently drive an 84 daily. My favorite was probably an 87 that was a total rust bucket, but it was a bit quicker and more responsive.
I drove an 81 for a year or so, and liked the interrior better, with the chromed A/C surround, and clock instead of trip computer. On that car i changed the fuel rail from the circular type to the straight type, and changed all the cooling componets to the later (post 82) version...
I do like the styling upgrades of the 86/87.. Little bits of chrome and the inlays in the doors... But a 82 VDP would do "almost" the same...

There isn't a lot of changes through the years... and they are fun to drive and simple to work on... Parts are almost totally interchangeable...

I was told by a factory mechanic that one of the reasons they got away from the XK engine was that they were starting to have alot of problems with the machining of them. He said the same machines were in place since the 50s, and by the mid 80s they could tell a difference in the quailty of the work.. Whether it's true to an extent to be worried about the later cars, I've never seen or heard of it...
Whatever you decide, good luck with it...

David Boger
Everyday XJ

 

I've recently gone from an X300 (which has become my wife's daily driver) to an '84 series III. The X300 is a better car in every regard and it's the one we use when we travel anywhere out of the area.

That said, the series III puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it. The look of the gauges, the smell, the sounds and even the circa 1968 handling, all conspire with the fact that it's drop dead gorgeous from every angle to make it the car I'd rather drive. My commute is only 15 miles door to door so it's not a lot to put on the car but any day it doesn't look like flooding, I drive my series III with pride.

The X300 is faster, more nimble, brakes better and is technically superior in every way but the series III is magical. And, for my money, better looking. But, honestly, drive one before you decide. Actually, drive more than one because, if you're used to the X300, even a really good series III will seem broken to you, at first.

 

Series III Jag......

"The most modern of all antique automobiles"

Those Ser IIIs really DO have a special feel. As good as the later cars are they just don't feel the same as a good Ser III

Sooner than later my X300 is going away and I'll be focusing on my Ser III project.

Cheers
DD

 

I agree with David. I have an 82 xj6 and an 87 vdp. VDP is more luxurious but enjoy driving the 82 more. Like the older look and feel of the interior and it feels more nimble thru the curves. This could be do to the more comfortable seats in the XJ6

 

I had both and as good a car as the X300 is, I found it boring to drive at normal highway speeds. It would be happier on an autobahn. I got lots of speeding tickets because it's such a smooth, quiet, capable car.

The S3 is a classic and feels like one, however it's a rare classic in that it is reliable once sorted and can easily keep up with modern traffic, so there's really no penalty in driving dynamics. I find it more comfortable than the X300.

I love my S3 and miss my X300.

One thing to note about the S3, they used thermoplastic acrylic paint (TPA) through 1986 then switched to base/clear in 1987. The TPA cracks and stains and has to be totally sanded off to repair.

 

Well, my 83 has been here since 2001. After an engine failure, it became different.


Not concours by any means, but still quite striking. The original thermoplastic paint on my car has done well. I've seen no signs of a respray.


A VOM and a test light has lead me to solving electrical issues. Fiddly, but quite doable.


Alas it is dormant now. But, somewhere in the crank circuit bridging Jaguar to GM!!!


Supposed to stop raining and I'll look into it.


But, amongst a bunh of cars since 46, it ranks up amongst the top few of my favorites.


And, for most electricand mechanical issues are far easier to remedy than rust issues.

 

I should have said, when the TPA paint is good, it's a beautiful glossy finish, and not all cars suffered like mine has. My '86 has terrible TPA--cracked over much of the car and stained on the hood by windshield washer fluid. I really don't know why it happens to some cars and not others. Mine hasn't suffered any sun damage so that can't be it in this case. Maybe the temperature extremes in Ontario winter to summer.

 

something about looking out over that '84 xj6 series III bonnet ... ... ... ...

 

ok you hit the nail in the head ! that is exactly what happened to me back in 1989. I was asked to help move 6 cars from one house to another, and one of the cars was a 1984 XJ-6. So I drove 3 cars to the new house but what remained in my brain that night was the lines of the hood/bonnet of the XJ-6, there was something about it. It was like a new antique car?

maybe Doug has it right too. "The most Antique of Modern Cars".

that did it for me, I bought THAT car and have owned it since.

 

"The most modern of all antique automobiles"


The Ser IIIs really DO have a special feel.


Cheers
DD