New Member with a Barn Find...
 

My name is Webb and Im a BMW guy deep as I go. However Im addicted to everything with wheels and some things without. I got this new toy on partial trade for a vintage john deere and couldnt be more excited. I love a car with a history and this one has it.

This Jag started life in california, and is a one owner car since 1978. It belonged to an IBM employee who had wanted a JAG his whole life. He bought this one in 1978 and immediately began to work (writing notes of work done and mileage driven as he went). In 1978 it had 100k miles, by 1980 it had 205k. This car was his family car and daily for twenty some years and the early 90s he had it "restored" so I was told. The paint is beautiful, as well as the interior, however I dont know enough about jags to be able to tell if either is redone or just in immaculate factory condition (considering the next part of the story).

In 1997 his wife passed away and he retired and moved to a farm not a few miles from me here in TN. He parked the car in the barn on the property where it sat until about two months ago.

My boss found the car and traded it to me, he saw it as a paycheck but I feel that this car should be seen as more.

The owner had factory manuals, inside of which he wrote notes. Obviously he worked on this thing himself and cared enough to keep track of what he did. He even cut down the california us spec plate to fit under the front bumper and look a bit european. Hell, it even has three carbs instead of the factory two.. (I was told it had an xke engine).

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As I sit now Ive battled with myself between selling it as is, getting it running and selling it, throwing in the one piece rear main chevy smallblock I have inside it, selling both the chevy and the jag as a package...

I have an e24 that Ive had longer than any car with an s38 engine waiting to go in, and an e34 wagon with a 4 liter swap being finished up. Im a young man and dont need a yard full of cars but if I have a gold bar that needs polishing I need you guys to tell me. As it sits, I have no idea where I want to go with this car.

-Webb

Weeeeeell, my observations from way down here.

New in 1978 I think is wrong. That is what is known as a Series 1 car, and finished "about" 1973, followed by the S2 etc.

They are RARE in any market, and in that condition VERY RARE.

The 3 carbies is NOT as it was made, so added on after the event. Probaly from a MK10 or similar.

The under bonnet is very tatty compared to the rest of the car in the snaps available, ALTHOUGH the brake fluid looks NEW.

An engine swap would destroy any resalability as a "Classic", which is where it sits right now. That carby, and maybe engine change would detract a tad, but they are still Jaguar, and of the era of the car, and would detract nowhere near what a foreign brand engine does.

The rest of the car looks "original" as best I can see, but as to whether its "factory" or "restored", NO idea.

awesome find!!
That is way older than a 78.
Thats a series 1 xj6 between 68-73
That is definitely a gold bar.
whats wrong with the engine?
they are easy to get up and running.

Sorry guys, guess I should have been more specific. The car IS a 71, but one owner since 78 (hence the 100k mile crack).

And yes I know the carbs arent stock, but they are stuck. Thats where Im at now as far as getting it running. I guess I need to pull them all off and lube them and get them to actuate.

Yall are making me feel a bit better now!

As a fellow Series 1 owner, I beg you not to put that Chevy engine in there. While the engine in yours may be a lot of work, it will be worth much more with the XK6 engine as opposed to a SBC. On that note, I am VERY jealous of the condition of that thing. Mine has issues with every part of it (interior, body, engine) and I am still absolutely in love with it. Yours... well from what I can see is in amazing shape as far as interior and body is concerned. In these old Series 1s that is a big deal. The engine can be sourced from different series xj6s if needed, but the other stuff would be more difficult to replace, as the styling is a bit different from series to series and there weren't a lot of these things in the states (in relation to other vehicles).

I'd say you got a great Jag and it would make a great country-side cruiser if you got that engine running. I often tell people they ride like you are driving on a cloud. Again, great looking Series 1. I'm a little jealous.

a great visual car, but if there is that much rust under the hood, time to get it on a lift and examine it under the car, you dont need any surprises.

70s XJ s are known for serious rust issues. ask me how i know?

Nice series 1, that engine bay needs a bit of a tidy up.I wish my interior was that tidy and original looking.

Wow that's a nice looking series 1. Never seen one in that light blue metallic down here in Aus. Wish my S1 exterior looked as good. Best of luck with getting her back on the road.

Oh, My!!
Be still, my heart, be still, be still!
What a Beautiful car you have happened upon.

Even though my car has a Chevy 350 (came to me that way), I would not recommend you do that to this car. There are other options available today that didn't exist at the time mine was converted, Looong before I knew a Jaguar was anything but a jungle cat.

Others here with much deeper experience than I possess have advised you well. Take heed.

Did I mention, What a Beautiful Car!!
(';')

Send the carbs and intake manifold to Joe Curto for a rebuild, don't mess with them unless you are way better than Joe.

JOE CURTO, INC.

Life in the barn was good!! Good research material in the boot as well as the scissors jack and bag. the hayes book mght be OK for that car, if you can ignore the later stuff just stuck in with little logic???


A compression test would go along way to determine which way to go. Hope it at least turns!!!


If the engine is sound, except for the dirty carbs. it can and shoulod be fixed and returned to the road.


If not and it needs an extensive rebuild, read issues and dollars. The good shops are less in number and one Ok with this engine, even less. Many will not fuss with them!! Even when mine cooked, my son, who is a top machinist and had a shop, didn't want to mess with it.


So, then perhaps a healthy used engine from a rust bucket. Good potential.


And, last, the SBC. Not cheap. But, they do turn out well. And if it saves a good car from Jaguar Heaven... . Yup, it is in stockton, CA!!!!


A real find, no question....


Carl

A great looking series 1 the body and interior look to be in good condition a great find' The engine though looks to be a later series two with MK10 triple carb fitted. The series 1did not have the hot air box across the top of engine from the exhaust manifold to carbs; also the cam covers on some early series 1s had the Jaguar logo pressed into the right hand cam cover rather than just a sticker. The lifting eyes were the aluminium type across the cylinder head rather than the metal type as on later engines and the air intake across the top of the radiator panel is series 2 plus the fuel cooler tube running through the air con pipe near the carburettors is series 2. may be at some time the original engine gave up so was replaced with the later version.


Cheers Ray

That info is exactly what I was hoping for Ray. I knew someone could simply see it and tell me what I had.

Guys, I know its a goofy thing to ask as youll get a thousand different answers but say this car has no rust (which I would verify before stating so) and also I know the engine is free now and does turn. What is this car worth, tops, in this condition?

I just got two more jobs to take in and would rather have my money out of the jag rather than sit on it for months and maybe make a few more bucks.


Id love to sell it to someone that will keep it as original as possible, Ive never had such a well put together car and it seems this one needs to stay in its current state.

-Webb

My '73 series 1 engine looks just like this, minus the carb setup. The air intake attached to the radiator core support, the hot air thing over the head, the fuel cooler. It all looks just like mine (or did, mine's changed a little).

Here is a couple of pics of my 73 Series 1 engine. All original as far as I know.
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I wonder, then, if mine is one of the first years of all the emissions equipment the US started making them install for our cars. I'm pretty positive mine is original as well, but it looks a little different than the pics of yours. I tried finding a picture before i removed a few things but came up short... Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.

As to the value: In my opinion, it is worth what someone is willing to pay (cliche, i know). There was one here in Boise that they were selling for like 4 grand, but it sat. For a long time at that price. A clean, running XJ12 S1 was selling for about twice that. Yours, not running is maybe worth a couple grand. I checked craigslist and that's about what they're going for (both in the Boise area and LA area). Again, this is all my best guess, as others may have more experience buying and selling these. I only paid $750 for mine, but the condition was poor and it didn't run.

I used to have a 1973 series 1 and it had an engine and engine bay like ( o1xjr ) I have also had a 1970 and a 1971 model which had the different cam covers with the Jaguar logo embossed in the cover rather than the sticker .It is possible the USA later series ones had the emission equipment fitted .As for the value I think that might differ from country to country as series ones here in New Zealand are on the climb in price as good ones are now hard to find Three weeks ago I sold my 1970 series one with triple carbs and 4speed manual with over drive for $6000.00 .


Cheers Ray

I still maintain there is nothing wrong with a tread running away from the original post. It only takes one post to get back on track and a lot of valuable or interesting chat can be had in the meantime.
:icon_beerchug:

Absolutely, Clarke!
Quite a lot of what I've learned about Jaguars in the last 8 or 9 months has been little tidbits in ramblings of threads having little to do with the original post.
(';')

Hi Webb
You really do not want to put a GM V8 in that car !

As a Series 1 with a very decent paint job, it is a rare survivor, what's more the engines of the Series 1s were better than the later long stud engines. Having said that, there is a lot of titying to do, and you really do need to get the car up on a ramp for an underbody inspection. If three is bad rust it will be an expensive job to repair.

The US seems to be full of old Jags with GM or Ford V8s in, and worth nothing too. Your car can be really worth something if it's restored. That engine compartment needs attention and you'll probably find things are needed on the suspension. All mechanical parts are available and even a lot of body panels, but very little trim items. However, traditional trim techniques are used and much of the stuff comes "off the roll" leaving you to refurbish the item.