# Building Jaguars in the 60's



## alloy (Jun 30, 2019)

I usually never post facebook links here, but this one was worth it.

Shows machining the engine and assembling the car. Very interesting to a machinist and a gear head like me.






__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10211544790615699


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## benmychree (Jun 30, 2019)

I have rebuilt several of those XK engines; the heads are a bit tricky -----


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## Larry42 (Jun 30, 2019)

Had a friend that bought a new XKE V12. He didn't get to drive it much, It was always in the shop being worked on.


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## samstu (Jun 30, 2019)

My father had a couple XKEs.... Wonderfully unreliable and reliably wonderful.  Maybe the best sounding motor ever.  Those cars taught me a whole lot about trouble-shooting electrical circuits.

There's a documentary on netflix "inside jaguar" showing modern XKE creations for the uber wealthy.  IF you have enough coin and connections, Jaguar will still hand build you a new one......


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## benmychree (Jun 30, 2019)

I had a '67 E type, after I overhauled everything (engine, trans, suspension) it was dependable, had little or no electrical issues, which the XJ6 had plenty of; one thing I discovered was that a lot of the problems were due to the "Lucar" connectors, which would age crack and exhibit poor conductivity, especially where wire harnesses joined under the car, where corrosion from moisture was a problem.  Also, the Lucas rocker switches were a problem, they had used a lubricant grease that corroded the contacts, only good thing, they were able to be taken apart and cleaned up for a second life.  A Jag is like a boat, very happy when you buy it, equally happy when you sell it!


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## astjp2 (Jun 30, 2019)

One of the only cars worth more with a small block chevy!  If they build airplanes like they did the Jag, we would have lost the war.


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## PHPaul (Jun 30, 2019)

They don't call Lucas "the prince of darkness" for nothing.

Ya know why the Brits drink warm beer?

Lucas refrigerators...


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## HarryJM (Jun 30, 2019)

Brought a smile to my face. While my experience with British transportation is limited to 2 MG Midgets and 2 Norton motorcycles, I still remember the saying of “Joe Lucas, the Prince Of Darkness.”


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## alloy (Jun 30, 2019)

There is a company in Pleasant Hill  CA called Jags That Run.  They made there name for making swap kits to put small block Chevy's in them.  Hence the name, "Jags That Run".  Pretty much in the hot rod community that saying is, If you want to make it run put a Chevy in it. I do transmission mods and they are all for GM transmission.

I love watching these race street race shows with LS Chevy engines in Mustangs.   It is hard to beat an LS engine.  They are plentiful and cheap.   I have an LS2 in my Trailblazer SS and it's rated at 430 HP from the factory.  It's about 50 more now that I've gotten a hold of it.









						JTR Stealth Conversions V8 Swaps
					

V8 Swaps that work. Conversion Manuals and parts for V8 S10, Datzun Z V8, Datsun ZX, Jaguar V8, Astro Van V8, Chevy TPI & TBI, Chevy Colorado, Volvo 200 & 700.




					jagsthatrun.com


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## astjp2 (Jun 30, 2019)

alloy said:


> There is a company in Pleasant Hill  CA called Jags That Run.  They made there name for making swap kits to put small block Chevy's in them.  Hence the name, "Jags That Run".  Pretty much in the hot rod community that saying is, If you want to make it run put a Chevy in it. I do transmission mods and they are all for GM transmission.
> 
> I love watching these race street race shows with LS Chevy engines in Mustangs.   It is hard to beat an LS engine.  They are plentiful and cheap.   I have an LS2 in my Trailblazer SS and it's rated at 430 HP from the factory.  It's about 50 more now that I've gotten a hold of it.
> 
> ...


Still does not get the respect, oh's,  and ah's of a Hemi...just sayn, 50 chebby's at a car show and 2gen 2 Hemis, the Hemi's will always have a crowd, this applies to a SOHC 427 and a Boss 429, chevy never did anything special except for aluminum...


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## pdentrem (Jun 30, 2019)

Cool video! I remember doing many of the same steps in my engine builds. I would not mind one of those cars but would remove the poor wiring systems.

Not too many hobbyists can afford a properly built SOHC 427! Typical cost more than the car!
Pierre


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## astjp2 (Jun 30, 2019)

worth more than a complete running JAG


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## alloy (Jun 30, 2019)

astjp2 said:


> chevy never did anything special except for aluminum...



Well a nice 409 gets a lot of attention.  Saw several yesterday.


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## Bob Korves (Jun 30, 2019)

As far as I am concerned, the early E type Jaguars are the quintessential sports car, perfectly beautiful and desirable in spite of it's flaws.  I didn't have enough money for one at the time, and put a '66 MGB together from several hulks.  Took a full year to do it, but it was handsome and reliable after that aside from the starter commutators (I had 2 spare starters), and I knew how to repair them properly and had my own armature lathe/undercutter.  Prince of darkness for sure.  However, on the good side, every part of the electrical system had copper wire grounds with black insulation, amazing for a car with 4 tubular fuses total.  I was never left stranded by that car.


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## bill70j (Jul 1, 2019)

astjp2 said:


> One of the only cars worth more with a small block chevy!  If they build airplanes like they did the Jag, we would have lost the war.


I bought a Jag XJ-6 in 1986.  The problems began surfacing 2 years later - mostly with Lucas electrical glitches.

But then, at 10K miles, the worst of worst happened -- "the steel tappet guides in the aluminum head came loose and crashed around inside the engine with disastrous results."  This was a known problem with 1974 - 1986 in-line 6 Jag 4.2 engines.  Those of you who have rebuilt the heads will recognize this problem.

My choices: (1) get rid of the car as junk; (2) spend $4000 to have the head rebuilt; or (3) replace the drivetrain and continue to permamently fix the Lucas problems as they come up.

After the car sat for almost 30 years, I chose the last option.  Bought a $1500 1994 Buick Roadmaster and transplanted its LT-1/4L60E into the Jag. Happy with the results, but still dealing with the "prince of darkness."

*The low mileage Jag



The destroyed 4.2*


*The donor, RIP*




*The Transplant




*


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## Choiliefan (Jul 1, 2019)

I've owned and actually driven  '61 3.8 MK II and '66 4.2 Mk X sedans when I was much younger.
The MK X had the three SU HD8 carbs like the XKE I never quite could afford to buy.
Eventually ditched the British stuff and went French via six assorted Renault and Citroen autos.
The '83 Renault Fuego Turbo was actually my most satisfying 150000-mile car ever.  It had it's Jaguar/Lucas-esque quirks but parts were plentiful and cheap.  The Jaguar MK II is a very desirable sedan these days.


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## alloy (Jul 1, 2019)

*bill70j*

You did a beautiful job on the transplant.  The LT1 looks like it was born there.


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## astjp2 (Jul 7, 2019)

I went to a local car show, there was a ratio of 50 chevy's and about 10 fords for every mopar ... no 409's, no SOCH or Boss 429's, no hemi cars except for a few street rods and coupes.  But there was 8 Austin Healy's and 12 jags in a field of about 750 cars.  I was able to have a nice conversation with Trixie from Rat Fink.  It was still fun.  I got to see Survivor and Loverboy.  Loverboy put on a great concert.  Survivor didnt have enough music that I was familiar, eye of the tiger was is.  The lead singer of Loverboy just kept the audience going and played top song after top song.  It was a good night.  Tim


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## Larry42 (Jul 7, 2019)

Choiliefan said:


> I've owned and actually driven  '61 3.8 MK II and '66 4.2 Mk X sedans when I was much younger.
> The MK X had the three SU HD8 carbs like the XKE I never quite could afford to buy.
> Eventually ditched the British stuff and went French via six assorted Renault and Citroen autos.
> The '83 Renault Fuego Turbo was actually my most satisfying 150000-mile car ever.  It had it's Jaguar/Lucas-esque quirks but parts were plentiful and cheap.  The Jaguar MK II is a very desirable sedan these days.


I always wanted to get a C2V Citroen, wicker seats and all. Amazing engine sounds. If you got lost you could always follow the cloud of oil smoke back.


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## Choiliefan (Jul 7, 2019)

Always loved the 2CV as well.  
Corrugated steel sides and huge sardine-can roll-up sunroof...

The Traction Avant is another great model.  
The Citroen logo represented the herringbone gears Andre Citroen pioneered.


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## amsoilman (Jul 7, 2019)

Larry42 said:


> Had a friend that bought a new XKE V12. He didn't get to drive it much, It was always in the shop being worked on.


I almost bought a 66XKE with the V12 used. It ran perfect, very smooth at high rpm.  The aluminum body condition scared me off.  Will always remember that ride in it.


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## Choiliefan (Jul 8, 2019)

I was plagued with overheating issues in my '60's Jaguar motorcars.
A car savy friend bought a beautiful late-90's XK8 in 2000.
He told me about sitting in traffic on the Ventura fwy and having the radiator expansion bottle blow up.
Apparently, Jaguar still hadn't quite got the overheating issues fixed thirty-plus years later.


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## Bob Korves (Jul 8, 2019)

England has a cool climate.  However, my MGB never overheated while I owned it...


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