Picked up a new to me Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Strangely enough, I just picked this one up in Atlanta, where it has been since sold new in late 1984. It made the trip to Nashville perfectly! This addition arrived under its own power and doesn't need much work at all (yet), which makes it a bit of an odd-ball around my workshop...

From what I understand, nothing ever goes wrong with these things.

Travis

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Nice car Travis, the color combo is perfect. The only things that would make this car perfect is a wood steering wheel and some chrome over the wheel wells. Enjoy it.

[David T]

Strangely enough, I just picked this one up in Atlanta, where it has been since sold new in late 1984. It made the trip to Nashville perfectly! This addition arrived under its own power and doesn't need much work at all (yet), which makes it a bit of an odd-ball around my workshop...

From what I understand, nothing ever goes wrong with these things.

Travis

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Yea, Jags are known for their reliability! NOT! And the V-12's are known for their difficulty to work on. As they get older they do not get better either. If what you want is an expensive, unreliable car then keep it and enjoy it but realize there are better ways to spend your time and money.

[tgraham]

If what you want is an expensive, unreliable car then keep it and enjoy it but realize there are better ways to spend your time and money.

Perhaps, but my transportation of choice so far has been Land Rovers and DeLoreans (and now a Jaguar) - reliability is boring

Travis

[Michael]

Yea, Jags are known for their reliability! NOT! And the V-12's are known for their difficulty to work on. As they get older they do not get better either. If what you want is an expensive, unreliable car then keep it and enjoy it but realize there are better ways to spend your time and money.

Jeez could you be any more condescending?" You...a freaking DeLorean owner actually talking down to someone about their choice of car?

[David T]

Jeez could you be any more condescending?" You...a freaking DeLorean owner actually talking down to someone about their choice of car?

I speak from experience. I have had many Jaguars. The newer ones after Ford bought them got better but they were still overpriced for what they are. Even when new the older jags were never reliable and leaked all over the place. A Delorean by comparison is a LOT less expensive and can be made to leak a lot less and be very reliable.

[skill]

I own a '02 Jag X-Type 3.0 manual and it's currently sitting disabled on the driveway. The car had amazing power. It turned heads where ever I went. I still love it; but damn so many damn P error codes that filled up two pages of a composition book! This poor man's jag started with issues in fuel injection, then to the unbelievable "cruise control not available" error on the LCD! This error would without notice take control of your jag when you hit 75mph! Dangerous! Yep, Ford took it over and if you flip over the fuse box housing you see Ford branding all over! I wouldn't recommend one, but if what catches your eye is design & styling then go for it but plan on having a laundry list of both electronic and mechanical problems.

[opethmike]

Jeez could you be any more condescending?" You...a freaking DeLorean owner actually talking down to someone about their choice of car?

+1

[DMCVegas]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Motorcars LTD. of Houston is the absolute best source for Jag & Land Rover parts that I've encountered.

http://www.motorcarsltd.com

Their customer service is amazing, they have fast turn around times, and their return policy is hassle-free. They have a full breaker yard, and they also sell stuff from Black Dog Manufacturing.

http://www.blackdogmanufacturing.com

Black Dog either makes improved parts, or complete retrofit kits to get rid of Jag & Land Rover problems too. I fully plan on buying more Jags in the future, I just love them. And the only reason is because of the Motorcars LTD. and their supply of new, used, and improved parts.

[tgraham]

Wow. I haven't logged into dmctalk.org in months! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. But, just to confirm and/or refute expectations, my 30-year-old XJ6 has been doing great!

Sure, a few things have broken in ~2000 miles... I had to replace all of the alarmingly-cracked fuel hoses (that's just minor reconditioning!), resolve a few oil leaks (and it still leaks a bit if I'm honest... there must be a hole in the gearbox!), the air conditioning didn't work at all (total overhaul there, but back on R-12 and ice cold now! That A6 is a tank.), the alternator failed (that was a rough one... wish I had known that was about to fail when I pulled the compressor!), and there were a few other odds and ends, but no big deal. Oh, and the parking brake is totally inoperable... looks like I'll be pulling the IRS at some point. That'll be fun (though can't be any worse than the alternator).

But, on the whole I think we're getting there. It's pretty solid, for the moment, I think... haven't driven it in a few days. But it looks great and it's a lot of fun to drive - WAY more comfortable than the DeLorean and Land Rover.

Travis

Seriously, though... I have yet to find the secret combination for the gearbox pan gasket. Tried an NOS cork gasket with Permatex "The Right Stuff" (a combo that works great on the DeLorean... miserable failure on the Jag). Next I tried a neoprene gasket with The Right Stuff (not as bad as the first try, but still a failure). I think it's demanding Hylomar...