hi all,

it appears i have inherited my Father's love of Jags...

the time has come for me to purchase a new care and i'm fixated on the XJS. i'm wary of a v-12 (fuel consumption and serviceability) and am considering the following:

- a stock V6 model
- an LS1 conversion on a non-runnning V12 model

feedback on the quality and reliability of the Jag V6 is much appreciated.

i'm sure most 'purists' cringe at the LS1 idea, but if anyone can comment on how 'seamlessly' a LS1 and OD trans interface w/ the Jag electronics, etc. when using a conversion kit from Jag Specialties or the like it would be much appreciated. i would have the conversion done by an experienced mechanic.

thanks very much for your help!

 

Bad new Brycycle. The XJS was never made with a V6 engine.
They were produced with a straight 3.6 and 4.0 litre engine.
I think we need to know more about your requirements.
Fun car ?
Everday car ?
Will fuel and servicing bills be tax deductable ?
How many miles / year will it be driven?
Budget ?
etc. etc.

 

of course - my apologies; i was watching too much of the Barrett Jackson auction encore this week - my head is full of 'V's!

the car would primarily be driven on the weekends as i commute by bike to work, though i would require the confidence that it would be ready to roll at a moment's notice.

as i am currently employed as a consultant in my profession (architect), yes - some service and mileage would be deductible.

budget? roughly $8-10k US or CDN.

thank you for the prompt reply, Rich.

 

Contrary to popular belief the V12 is a very reliable engine, it's not uncommon for one to rack up 500,000km with out a rebuild. It is all of the other components that bolt to the engine that have reliability issues.

It does however have a thirst for fuel but not much worse than an LS1. I get about 21L/100km from my XJS using it to commute to work, one of my colleagues has a manual Commodore with an LS1 and he manages 20L/100km for a similar distance.

The I6 is a more fuel efficient option and does not give away much in the way of performance in a stock XJS to the V12.

I don't know the XJS prices are like in USA but look for one that has a good body first. I have found one of the best places to shop for this type of car are the car clubs, these people generally look after their vehicles. With the XJS the purchase price will be the smallest outlay if you buy the wrong car.

 

Pleased to hear you have a reasonable budget, which should buy a pretty decent coupe.
You would need to target the style that you prefer as the 'classic' XJS style changed in 1991. The earlier cars are known as pre facelift.
Newer is not necessarily better as they all tend to rust. Some of the older cars have had the expensive work done, some of the facelift cars are just waiting to surprise you !
Iv'e not had an LPG conversion but have owned the 5.3 V12 and a straight 6 3.6 manual.
The standard V12 cars are lovely , but are very heavy and feel like a big saloon in a party frock to drive. Great in a straight line but not so great on a winding road.
The 6 cylinder cars are much lighter and with the sports suspension feel more agile and sporty on the road.
The AJ6 engine which powers the 3.6 and early 4.0l cars are said to be the most reliable engine Jaguar ever produced. Mine has not missed a beat in the 2 years that I've owned it.
A well looked after V12 will not cause problems if serviced regularly and have a character of their own.
Expect 11 - 17 MPG fron the V12 and 18 -28 MPG from the 6 cylinder cars
The best advise would be to get any potential purchase checked out by a XJS specialist who knows what and where to look for expensive problems.
Happy hunting !

 

thanks Rich and Warren,

was the AJ6 engine made available on the pre-'facelift' models? if so, what years should i be targeting?

thank you

 

Yes the 6 was available but was market dependent - ie Australia never received any 6 cylinder models, I don't know what the US got but I6 was available in the UK from mid 1980's

 

Add to that all the possible problems with the rest of the car.

I was nervous about the V12 when I bought my XJS. Turns out the V12 engine was the most reliable part of the car. 'Twas a slew of other things that kept me on my toes :-)

Cheers
DD

 

Hello!!

I will throw in my 2 cents as well.

1995/1996 XJS's have the AJ16 engines, the same that the 95-97 X300's. Those are one of the most, if not the most reliable engine Jaguar ever made. You can expect to have problems with things such as coils, TPS, CKPS and other electronics on this application. Other than that these engines typically go well over 200K without head gasket, valve or any other engine issues. If you are mechanically inclined these are extremely easy to work on yourself. I only use mechanics for work I can not do such as A/C, or work that requires a lift or involves fluids (I just don't deal with those).

A V12 engine is like a spaceship. It is designed to last forever, but the maintenance involved requires either the resources or a very high skill level and knowledge to maintain as a regular driver.

Please keep in mind that all this is within the context of Jaguar ownership. I would say both my V12 E and my AJ16 XJS are as reliable as anew car, and they are, but it takes a lot of effort, dedication and preemptive work. You can buy a Toyota with 150K miles from a woman that never changed the oil, and you could easily drive for another 100K. These are NOT those type of cars. Even with the bullet-proof AJ16 you should be prepared for a higher level of owner involvement than with your regular Japanese appliance.

Also, an LS1 aberration....sorry, "conversion" will not be any more reliable or cheaper than an AJ16 XJS.

My advise is find the cleanest straight 6 95/96 you can afford . Change the some of the electronics on it, and with some regular maintenance and involvement you will be set for many miles of happy motoring.

 

brycycle, like said a good condition body car is #1 most important, and if possible with a bad engine,it would be very cheap.

like you said, an LS series GM engine and transmission combo, would make a honest and dependable car.

an LS, and they made at least 6 versions of the things,
most desirable would be a late model with Drive-by-wire system, ,you would have to get the GM factory computor from the donor vehicle,along with engine harness.

YUP th.at would make a great car out of an XJS

 

all very helpful opinions, thanks all.

the lighter, more 'sporty' comments about the 6-cylinder models are quite intriguing. i've started looking for '95s with the AJ16; obviously this narrows the field considerably, not to mention most are convertibles (not for me) - is the AJ16 that big an improvement over its predecessor, the AJ6? obviously it would be nice to widen the net a bit...

as for the LS1 conversion, it is becoming the distant 2nd option - though i'd appreciate being pointed towards anyone who has successfully done the conversion. i'm assuming their must be some compromises in regards to the electronics, etc.

 

Why not buy a Corvette? If you have a love of Jags, then you remove the engine which is the best-built and most reliable part of the car, you're left with all the Jag "extras" behind that cause known problems, plus you just flushed your resale value and an extra $5000+ down the toilet, and for what gain? 0.5 sec off your 1/4 mile? Maybe you gain 2-3 mpg...but how long does it take for that fuel savings to recoup the cost fo the swap and that hit to resale, if you ever recoup it at all?

Please don't tell me swapping engines makes the car more reliable - again, you've left behind the unreliable stuff - all of which could easily be repaired with a service manual that now that you put a different motor in, does not exist!

Transmission swaps - YES! It's a Chevy transmission anyway - get rid of it! But I cannot comprehend for the life of me swapping engines. Just go buy a Chevy.

Not trying to dog on you...kudos for seeking out an AJ motored car so that you don't feel the need to swap engines! But I simply can't grasp why it'd be an option in the first place. Best of luck to you in your search for a Jag-engined car!

Just my $.02.
D

 

Here is a link to a guy who has installed an LS1 into a S3 XJ6 very detailed build might give you a good idea as to what is involved.

XJ6 - aka purple shitbox, purple people eater, now with more LS1

Also Jaguar Specialties have a kit and have done the conversion.

Jaguar Specialties

 

hi Darel,

i'm starting to come to that realization rather quickly; but thanks for illuminating what's been dawning on me so bluntly.

back to my last post - besides the revisions to the ignition, are there any upgrades between the AJ6 and AJ16 that affect longevity and reliability?

and of course, if anyone has an eye-out and comes across a nice face-lift 6 cylinder - do let me know! black and tan preferred.

thanks-

 

The AJ16 is the AJ6 refined and perfected. Its head gasket design was made to avoid failures, and with very few exceptions AJ16 owners go well, well over 250K miles without even taking the cam cover out. The AJ6 is prone to have head gasket failure at around 100K. The AJ6 will require a little more involvement than the AJ16. If you are OK with that then you can broaden your search

The AJ16 differentiated from the AJ6 mainly in:

Camshaft position sensor replaces distributor-has never failed on mine
Plug on coil system-coils will go out and can be pricey to replace
Idle speed control is controlled by ECU. (can no longer be adjusted by screw)
HP 237 at 4700RPM compared to 219 for the AJ6
OBD2 system (very easy to hook up any OBD2 reader from Autozone and read sensor activity as you drive. A real plus)

I can tell you all about the idiosyncrasies of the AJ16 and what parts you should expect to or should replace upon purchase, but I am afraid I can not do so with the AJ6. Perhaps a member with a 93/94 model can chime in on what to expect with that

 

Just reading some of that forum and looking at their images gave me quite a bit of indigestion. Its like Stanley Kubric just vomited all over Madmax. Really disgusting. But I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion and aesthetic as tasteless as it may be.

 

hahaha - that's great...ok,ok; 6 cylinder it is.

yes, hearing from a 93/94 owner would be great!

 

That reminds me of how my XJS use to look..... I love purple



That had a supercharged V8 in it for a while

 

Sorry i stirred the pot, full moons coming,

i shall add this also, many comments about it for last 15yrs, HAHA!

 

I'm not the only one who wishes Jag put a little more effort into making an otherwise impressive engine LOOK nicer.