********HAVE UPLOADED PHOTO ALBUM TO GIVE BETTER INDICATION OF CONDITION********

I have spent the past 72 hours using the search function and feel I have overwhelmed myself.

I am at a point where I am unsure of my course of action.

Briefing: '86 XJ6 previously running and well serviced. Minor rust around window sills and poor attempt of 'bogging' around right fuel receptacle. Minor paint damage. I have driven as daily driver for last eighteen months prior to electrical fault (likely culpret alternator related). Leather seats require replacement, wood panels require attention as well as inside panels, center console. Overall vehicle condition : GOOD

Objective: Sweeeeeet running Jag. Transition from current Cranberry colour to deeper shade of metalic burgandy fixing botched 'bogging' and cutting out minor rust around sills (possibly more with investigation)...restore interior completely. Leather is solid and torn. Recon chrome etc etc

Action: Car is towed Monday to garage for mechanical rectification.

My question is, in what order should I attack this project (first ever) My background is electrical not mechanical.

Once I get Ms Moneypenny roaring I just want some advice on the best coarse of action as to my plan of attack.

P.S I love this forum!

 

My plan has ALWAYS been.

1) ALL mechanical work, and I mean ALL, including wiring,a/c, etc etc. No matter how careful you are later, that paint will get scratched.

2) Paint work, and rust as required, including front and rear glass out.

3) Interior trim. Trimmers are generally more careful of paint than painters are of trim.

 

If you want a Jag to really be proud of, and it sounds like you do, it's good that you're considering a "plan of action".

You've mentioned rust repair, paint, chrome, wood. Complete interior restoration. This type of work is enormously expensive. I can envision many, MANY thousands of dollars being spent on cosmetics alone. Unless you're absolutely in love with THIS particular car and can't bear to part with it, I'd suggest finding another Ser III in mint cosmetic condition. You'll save tons of money compared to taking an ratty example and bringing it up to the same standard.

With the possible exception of a major engine/drivetrain failure most mechanical repairs on these cars are not particularly expensive....and are usually done on as as-needed basis. A couple hundred dollars here, a couple hundred there.

Paint jobs, interior restorations, etc., on the other hand, are major lump sum expenditures.

On the other other hand, if you love this car and have the money to spend, go for it! There's great satisfaction in bringing a tired Jag back to former glory status.

Cheers
DD

 

I second Doug's advice. I started on a restoration on a car my family owned from new... after compiling quotes for the work I knew I had to figure out a different plan of attack. I instead of spending the 12k-15kUS for new paint, leather, wood, electrical, engine work, and a host of other things that would crop up I found the best car I could. I recouped some of the money by parting out the car after choosing parts that I figured I would need over the next few years.
If you're picky like I am even the "best" will require some work. Doing it this way I have a car that looks like it just drove out of the showroom for about half of what I would have paid to get my original car into shape.

 

I also agree with Doug. First thing is to realize the few really expensive issues that could ruin your day AFTER you've spent a ton of money on it.

1. Fuel tanks ...if they're original they're probably full of gunk and rust slurry. This also means the 3 electric fuel valves, the non-return valve in the trunk, and probably the fuel pressure regulator and injectors are too. Large money and you HAVE to start at the tanks to cure this problem. And you could still have fuel odor in the cabin...

2. Transmission, avg life around 130k miles. Mine went exactly that far. A 700r4 conversion makes a hell of a great driving car.

3. Head gasket issues!

4. Cooling issues, since you've been driving the car 3 and 4 may be ok.

5. Air conditioner evaporator problems!

In my experience these are the expensive things that that may be lurking and pop up after you've spent thousands on paint and interior. Just wanted to mention as a heads up.
Bill

 

Hey...thanks very much for that!

It certainly gives me a good base and some things to chat to my mechanic about.

I will keep you all updated!....and will no doubt have plenty more quetions

 

forget the mechanic, he only loves you for keeping him working and feeding him money!!

you can buy a better condition 1986 or 1987 XJ-6 for a fraction of the money that you're going to be spending on your 1985. And if you "Seek And Yee Shall Find", you can find a cherry Series 3 V12 in Canada, shipped there from 1988 thru 1992 but none to the USA, they are awesome cars.

All XJ rust around the front and rear windshields, but not all XJ rust on the door sills, and you will find out there is more rust underneath than you ever calculated. That work will become an endless money-pit and it will never be right, as in a bunch of patches and bodywork.

buy another XJ, and keep that one for parts. The bottom line is, you will spend less $$$$$ and TIME at the end of the day.

 

Yeah! He has a lot of nerve wanting to work for a living, feed his family, and send his kids to college. Terrible !

Baldie hasn't said anything to suggest problems with his mechanic, has he? For all we know his mechanic is the greatest guy in the world.

Not trying to pick a fight, Jose, but having spent my life in the auto repair industry, I have a hard time letting gratuitous, disparaging characterizations pass without response.

Cheers
DD

 

Jose:

I worked my way through college at full service stations. A couple included mechnical work. A couple of major jobs as a gofer for a real mechanic. Rebuilt a kaiser engone and a flat head ford. The latter, i was good at.

Later when i installed the present engine in my XJ wuzza six, i got stalled on SMOG inspection at the requred referee station. A nearby patient tech found two obscure wire issues n the 'special" harness. Unseated black ground in the EGR connector and reversed leads in the O2 sensor connector. Fixed and passed with fying colors in 2006. It has passed each biannual test since then.

Thanks to a real tech, not a mere part replacer.

It is hard work, cold in witer and hot in summer.

Oh, my son has an auto machine shop oroented to performance equipment. no warranties. I'll co my best, you race it, you bust it, it's yours!!

The local Tiger club loves hs engines.

Carl

 

I'm not against mechanics! I use them too, but very selectively.

I'm advising baldie_77 to put his money in a better condition XJ-6 instead of spending so much money on repairs he might not be able to do himself, and which entail more of a restoration than a repair, on a car that can be found in better shape, for a lot less money, than it will cost him to get his restored due to obvious rust issues.

Chances are the mechanic is not going to tell him that! but I can! And if baldie_77 prefers to spend the money doing the restoration than buying another car in better shape, then it is his money, his choice, but at least I've done my part. You're no stranger to this advice because you have advised the same thing in many other posts, so I don't see why you get so clogged catalytic red hot!

I saw a neat 1987 selling on Craigslist for $2,500.00 or best offer. It's a shame, these cars are selling for a song. You yourself saw the 1995 being parted out in Orlando Florida because "the computer is bad".

 

Back to the subject Baldie was asking about.

Before you tackle your car take a look around and really look at the numbers. My current car was involved in an accident and to repaint it properly (going back to bare metal, removing all trim, taking all glass out, taking out the interior, and most importantly putting it back together properly) cost the insurance company $8,500.00... and remember my car is rust free and was in mint condition before the accident.
Not to get upset but I ended up getting into a fender bender that put scratches down both sides of the car. Of course the other two drivers did NOT have insurance and one didn't even have a drivers license and was illegally here.(sorry for the quick rant)
Then you have to look at your interior. To have a new leather interior fitted would cost $2-3k+ and sometimes doesn't look as good as the original. My wife didn't like the faded dash- not cracked, just faded. I am having a new dash fitted and it is running $1,200+.
But before you tackle the cosmetics how does the car run and go down the road? You don't want know what it will cost to properly rebuild a neglected XK engine... then there is the transmission. If it doesn't stay planted on the road either front or rear suspension units will require attention.
There is one bright side. The cars are old fashioned and built using old techniques. I've had the door panels off a few times and they go back without rattles. The dash comes apart and has SCREWS to put it back together. I wouldn't want to see what happens to my Lexus LS when the dash or door panels need to be removed in 25 years since everything seems to clip together with plastic clips.
Sorry for the long rambling post.

And contrary to what some people think make friends with a GOOD-HONEST British repair shop and it will save you money in the future. They are the ones that recommended me to scrap my family car and start over. With their help I found a car that had front and rear suspension overhauled, was local, was always garaged, and serviced every 6 months regardless of cost whether it was driven or not. Once the original owners widow realized I would maintain the car to the same standards that her late husband did she sold me the car for less than it cost for the suspension overhaul.

Sorry if it is a little messy - Typing on an iPhone.

 

Neither clogged nor red hot :-)

I thought your wording was disparaging. On the other hand, I'll confess to being very sensitve to how mechanics are characterized....which is often a case of being MIScharacterized....because I've had to listen to it for so many decades.

I guess I've over-reacted. I apologize for that. Not the first time for either.

Cheers
DD

 

ORDER IN THE COURT! ORDER IN THE COURT!

 

a trained Jaguar technician showed me how an XJ-6 Series 3 will pass State inspections even without catalytic converters.

 

I see both sides on this one. From one perspective you have the guy that loves his job, there is nothing more fun than to work on cars, he/she can take the pressure in stride, does not work on commission, and truly cares about the customer and repeat business. And then the other – auto maintenance is just a job, responds to the pressure by pushing out substandard work, and will blame anything on somebody else – usually YOU the customer. I tend to lean towards Jose’s “General” opinion only because I have only had the luxury of meeting a few mechanics that can really communicate the technical sides of the job, explain what is happening, and make me feel good forking over money for something I could/should do myself. There are times when it is just easier to pay for it; times you need to pay for it due to whatever is happening in your life. But you always need to weigh the pros and cons. I work on aircraft for a living, and I know the difference. Some don’t.
Examples – a few years back we purchased a Honda mini-van for the wife. It occasionally stuttered while cruising. (That’s the only way to describe it…) and we took it back in for servicing. First, I have never worked on a NEW Honda. Second, we shelled out the cash for the warranty, so why not? Our first visit, the mechanic suspected one of the cylinders was dropping out – this has the system that effectively “Turns Off” 2 cylinders at cruise to lower fuel consumption. But no codes, so really nothing to do until it gets worse? (Yeah, that’s what he told the wife. She told me, and I told her to take it back.) Next visit, I took it back – grabbed a different mechanic (Just a kid really, maybe 22, maybe – I wouldn’t sell him a beer…) and went for a ride. He told me this was common in the vans – Honda used a paper fin setup in the torque converter to save weight – and it didn’t work out. They were failing internally. Made the swap – all under warranty – no problems since. Good guy, good mechanic, took the time to go for a ride and hear/see what was happening. He explained it with proper terminology and with confidence. And just a baby compared to some of us out there. That’s a GOOD mechanic, and I know from the grease on the uniform and the callus of the handshake – this “Kid” works for a living.
Now Yesterday – and WHY this particular thread caught my interest… I take my Jeep in for an oil change. I got a coupon in the mail – 20 bucks, they change the oil and rotate the tires. I currently have a JAG in my one stall garage too, so I went ahead and took it to the dealer with my coupon. The job was complete, and they parked it out front. I got in – noticed a strange noise in the front end – and then the tire came off before I could even “Think” what was going on. The Jeep landed on the tire on the way down, took out the Drivers side fender & fender flare – and ripped the lower molding off. Suffice it to say, I am driving a rental – and my Jeep is waiting on body shop parts. The Service Manager told me that he fired the mechanic earlier in the day – but he was told not to come back tomorrow – not to leave the premises immediately. So, he had the change to trash my Jeep. I will load some pictures of this injustice later – for some reason they “Fail” to load at the moment.
So, I guess the moral is – “Trust but Verify” when it comes to these things. Take the time to know the mechanic working for you if you can. Ask a few pointed questions to get the measure of the man, if you are technical – ask some related questions. You would be surprised, it does not take much to determine if this person is honest, cares about the customer or product, or is just selling you a line… It’s worth the time.
As far as the JAG in question… I tend to lean more towards my gut. The 96 VDP I am working on needs a lot of time and money. But, I really want to return it to its glory, and all these guys on this forum have taken the time to point me in the right direction. For me – I don’t trust anybody else to work on it – and nobody else will. Is it worth the money? Probably not, but again it is not just about the money. These cars are elegant, rare, and actually not that expensive to maintain – as long as you maintain it. I also learned the hard way about that… Got the rotten engine out… and a new one on the stand…
Anyway – if YOU like that car, and YOU want to drive that car – Do it. Don’t worry about the cash until something happens to make you think differently. There is no better satisfaction to take a project from start to finish, and have something you did on your own, to show off. Whether you put together the talent to get the work done, or if you did it yourself, it’s still your car and your project.
IMHO of course, and I am a NOOB to the forum, so don’t take it my slanted opinion to heart.

 

86 VDP - And He had the CHANCE to trash my Jeep. (Fat Fingers and typo prone...)

 

I got one to load finally.

 

man, what a disaster. If it was me, I would file a lawsuit against the dealership involved in this, demanding any damages you may be entitled to under the law. Good thing you have photos of the incident, you could have had a serious accident. Make them pay. Consult a good tort law attorney.

 

I have to add my 2 cents regarding this rather interesting thread. Mechanics are hit or miss. I learned major life lessons when i made my original purchase of an 86 xj6 (which i made without any knowledge of this website and even more importantly the 86xj6 itself). It was an 800 dollar purchase that turned into me filing a civil suit against a mechanic for 3000 bucks. A long horror story short: i make the purchase (british racing green, nice wire wheels and a blown engine (figured it was blown when i noticed some AF coolant on the oil dipstick) . Mechanic tells me 900 bucks to fix b/c blown head gasket. took head off to do gasket and it turned into 2300k b/c need to get a new engine and car will be back on the road runnin like a CHAMP. This is what I needed/wanted to hear...so i gave the guy the money . And then it began, for the next year, id drive by his shop and see the car sitting outside...not in the garage itself being worked on. Hell, if i remember correctly it didnt even have the hood on it while it was sitting out in front of his shop getting rained on, snowed on and im sure he began pissing on it after I bombarded him with "WTF" phonecalls and visits. From Oct thru May it sat. I called the guy every other day for status reports. Ultimately I involved the courts and filed a claim. I eventually dropped the suit, reclaimed a large portion of the funds from the guy....2000 bucks. I took a deep breath and wanted to turn this nightmare into a happy ending.

i went on craigslist, found a car(inspected it on multiple occasions with people who knew a hell of a lot more about cars than I) we determined its in solid shape . was advertised for 3500, engine had 87k. I made the purchase for 2300 (wheeler dealer-esc negotiation skills) Took the one that sat at that shop apart totally, salvaged the good, trashed the bad and thanks to DOUG, GRANT, JOSE and many others, sometimes salvage the ugly with a little TLC.

Now I am the happiest a Jag owner can be...well at least when im not snapping studs. Still have tons of parts that I use whenever I can, and it feels pretty damn good when i fix things myself without having to rely on a mechanic or part purchases to get er done.

 

I would like to thank everybody for their input thus far. It is a great forum with passionate individuals.

In terms of specialists of any field, one cannot throw a blanket over them all. Some experiences are good while some will be bad. I have been referred to this particular mechanic by a good friend who has restored two Mustangs while using this guy. (He is more a British vehcile guy though)

I have added some photos to hopefully help with opinions.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...iii-1985-5424/

If this link doesn't work just check my albums.

I purchased this for $AU5000 (about $US3500) at the time and I feel it is in quite good condition. Car prices in Australia are FAR more expensive than what they are in the US anyway. It runs like a dream (or had been before it gave up the ghost), has been regularly serviced with a Jaguar specific car shop who has a long standing history for this vehicle on their database. (purchased from an mature Jag enthusiast/mechanic)

I hope the photos put into perspective my restoration goals as there were some suggestions to sell Ms Moneypenny and search for a better vehcile. These are somewhat slim in Perth WA anyway.

I have made note of all of your advice so far and certainly appreciate your time and energy.

Giddiyup!