Does anyone know the reason the XJ6 is so susceptible to rust. Is it because we keep them longer, metallurgical reason or how it was put together.

 

Mostly because it's a 70s-80s design. Almost everything of that vintage rusts out....USA, Euro, Japanese, whatever.

However....

The front and rear screen rust, common on the Ser III sedans in particular, was simply a bad design that trapped water.

Cheers
DD

 

I agree with Doug, it also depends on the weather that the car has "lived in".

I have a 1984 XJ-6 that has no body rust other than the typical front and rear windscreen rust spots at the corners. In the USA, the worst rusted cars are in the North and Northeastern states, where road salt is used.

 

The quality of metal used by Jaguar in the 70's was very low and rust prone. I can tell you from experience repairing both series 2 and series 3 cars its not just corrosion protection. The steel is quite different. This was most evident when I welded series 3 floor panels into a series 2. Series 2 metal is much software and bends easier. This makes sense in a way...soft metal was chosen because it's easier to stamp and weld, the Jaguar XJ with it's very complex curves required soft metal. By the 80's alloys got better and perhaps Jaguar didn't care about the dies lasting since the Series 3 was past it at that point. Also Steel was a regional commodity back then and British, German, Japanese and American steel were all a bit different. Today Steel is a global commodity adhering to international ISO standards for alloy and other properties so its basically all the same with minor variations. Compounding the issue was all the crevasses and sculpted body metal of the body design, all of these features disappeared on the XJ40.

 

Except, of course, that the XJ40 was also a rust bucket ! Worse in many aspects to the Series 3. The X300s were much better, after Ford had taught Jaguar how to build cars properly, and also installed modern production machinery and protection and paint processes.

 

I agree about the XJ40 being a rust bucket. Mine rusted much faster than my series 2 and 3 cars. Worst of all, the subframe on the XJ40 is filled with styrofoam (probably sound deadening). The downside to this is that the foam traps water and creates the perfect rust environment.

I traded mine to an unsuspecting dealer after the left front upper wishbone tore loose due to rust. The car was still drivable but wandered all over the road. Scary!

Cheers

 

Buy it ,drive it and enjoy it. If the rust annoys you fix it.
Mine has rust, I ignore it and it ignores me. We get along fine

 

Whilst they may rust a lot, they can be fixed, because the car is built of a lot of small panels, and many are available to buy. In the early 90s, I put in: -

- outer sills and closing panels
- wings (these are bolt-on)
- trunk floor
- rear valance
- front valance
- rear quarter panels (bolt-on)
- repaired back of rear inner wings
- trunk lid replaced
- windshield aperture repaired

Not all at once, mind !

 

I am in the process of doing a minor resto on my SII XJ which is rust free due to a long life in the blast furnace known as Western Australia. While disassembling the front clip I was astounded at how many smaller bolt on bits there were. I can clearly see how many of these cars rotted away.
Where the front wing meets the sill is a perfect place for water to pool.

 

All above and door's.


And yes they can rust ALL at once.


Stig

 

Diligent body maintenance and continual rust prevention can stall degradation of the body. But the final is rust. Only fixing of panels immediately upon suspect will keep body clear of rust. Waxoyl products help but you have to do annually and drill holes for access to inner panels. Replacement of rubber seals occasionally as they crack and leak.

 

I have a 72 XJ6 which belonged to my dad. The rust on this car is less than on my golf clubs. It was built in the Blackheath plant in Cape Town, South Africa. I can ascribe this to treating the car with love and always cleaning and maintaining. I love taking things apart and am astounded by the construction. My windshield rubbers are the only item that has noticeably perished. Love this car.