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I know it's a money pit. I wouldn't expect to drive it every day (once I spend the thousands to get it on the road)
I've even considered not fixing it and keeping it just to sit in to drink my morning tea to start my day off right.
I have always loved those 12 cylinder beauties.
I asked if parts are available on the Jaguar forum but didn't get much response.
My mechanic is closed this week or I'd just take it to him for a good diagnosis. If he would even take it on.
Anyone else love those cars?
I do like British cars. The Jag V-12 is a very expensive engine to work on, you know actually the valuable cars are the 6-cylinder XKE, particularly the early ones.
It would just depend on what kind of condition the car is in now. I do know that rebuilding that V-12 is a very expensive undertaking, just the parts getting close to 5 figures on cost.
Parts availability, I don't think is a problem, pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News, you will find all sorts of parts vendors. You can also cross-shop better examples of the car.
Usually very cheap examples of cars like this are a losing proposition. Even if you got the car for free, and spent say $8000 on upgrades, restorations, and repairs, you could buy a better car for $8000 to begin with.
MG-B is an easier to live with car, but it does not have the panache of the V-12.
I'm really bad with numbers. I seriously held fingers up to double check what I thought I heard.
Now I want to think of a way to incorporate it into interior decor.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
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Great cars but the Jetronic fuel injection requires old school expertise to keep running. If you ever want to have a tech-related nightmare crack open the ECU that runs the thing. Satan himself wouldn't build such a piece of equipment.
parts for these old lumps are relatively available with a bit of 'net searching for suppliers.
depending upon the source, however, parts prices will range from "hmmmm" to "OMG!"
on top of that, the labor times to install some of them will be substantial.
If you're a DIY'er and your labor time is cheap, then the labor of love is what will keep the car on the road.
If you've got to pay a shop to do the work, you'll be part of their retirement cash funding.
Thinking back to the last time I installed a WP on one of these 12 cyl Jags ... it was painful for me and the owner. Then we had some motor mounts that needed replacement. IIRC, the car had around 50,000 miles on it and the maintenance issues/parts replacements needed were comparable to 200,000 mile cars of many other makes.
At best, these cars were maintenance hogs per mile back when they were new. With years on them, they didn't get any better. I've got my well-thumbed Bosch FI manuals ... factory and aftermarket ... on the reference shelf by my desk here. Put more time in on those manuals for Jags than I ever did for any other make and attended Bosch FI service seminars/schools due to these cars more so than needed for 'benz or bmw.
If the driving of such a vehicle ... that 12 cyl smooth running power curve ... still has some "magic" for you, then the car may be worth all the effort and expense to you to have it.
For me ... my only 12 cyl Jag was a 2+2 E-type and I couldn't wait to find a buyer where I didn't lose my butt on that car ... it just wasn't worth it, so sleek and sexy and gorgeous and alluring as so many people thought these cars were back in the day. I'd take a TR6 over that 12 cyl any day of the week when it came to operating and maintenance costs ... and the TR was no sweetheart, either.
I'm back talking to him, seeing if it's still available. My awesome oldest son has my back, if my cohabitant does not. Thanks for the links!!!
Stay away from the light...!
Seriously unless this has been a garage queen in a desert state, or had been through at least one restoration, it's going to be a money pit, and source of frustration. They weren't particularly reliable cars in their day, and we're luxury too, meaning it was assumed the owner had money for mechanical servicing. In 40 years all that (in)famous 70s British Steel in any climate but low humidity is going to be nice and rusty (even if it superficially looks ok) and god help you if it's been used in the North East States in winter with salt.
Big warning, check the rear suspension swing arm seats for corrosion, more than one prospective buyer has been burned (not literally but figuratively) when the seats rotted out and needed a rear end strip down and welded rebuild.
One additional warning early 5.2 v12s liked to drop valve seats when running hot (like say Arizona in the summer heat, and with some aggressive driving). So even if it's been in AZ since 1st purchase there's little escape. Further early v12s had 1/3 of the radiator dedicated to one cylinder bank, 2/3 to the other, so what is hot depended a lot on which bank got hotter not necessarily what the gauge claimed. Oh and the ignition module, if stock, sat between the banks and overheated too, later models moved it to cooler areas.
Personally I'd run for the hills, early XJ-S (as they were XJS was later) had some significant issues some of which were corrected later on (like with the 6.0L)
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