‘One of a Kind’ Custom Jaguar XJ6 is Kind of Awful
Don’t walk away, run away — this disfigured custom Jaguar XJ6 checks all the boxes, in all the wrong ways.
In my opinion, the Jaguar XJ6 is one of the most beautiful sedans ever made. So I tend to be skeptical of any kind of custom body work, as Coventry didn’t really leave room for improvement. That’s why looking at this hideous creation I recently stumbled across on eBay actually makes me sad.
While the 1986 example was never my favorite of the line, this poor thing didn’t deserve to be hacked up like this. It’s been butchered so terribly, you can almost hear it begging for the sweet embrace of the crusher.
Billed as a Barone XJW coupe this “one of a kind” alleged prototype began life as stately sedan, before a fellow named Willie Wilson decided to hack it it into a coupe and completely ruin the lines. Maybe someone could have told him that Jaguar already made a two-door version of the XJ6, and it looks pretty good, and not completely hideous? That probably wouldn’t have stopped him though. Some men just want to watch the world burn. Ugh, there’s just so much wrong here.
Along with the fact that the body has been disfigured, the overall condition screams run. Now, as someone who loves lumps, even I will draw the line somewhere — and that’s using a boat anchor like the Oldsmobile 260 V8 instead of a Chevy 350. There’s also the terrible aftermarket sunroof to contend with, which makes any car — Jaguar or not — an immediate hard pass. Anytime someone cuts a hole in the roof, for me it’s not just no, it’s hell no. But wait, there’s more!
There’s obviously been some damage to the outside headlight on the driver side, and more importantly, there’s also loads of rust. Meaning there are holes in the floorboards, and even more disturbingly, there’s evidence that a previous owner sprayed rust-proofing undercoat over active oxidation. So the extent of the body rot is unknown. Like it matters at this point, but any potential buyers should note that the clear coat is bubbling and cracking.
The tires are shot too, and the current custodian of this ugly ducking notes that the engine leaks, the brakes are on the way out, and basically every inch of the sheet metal has rust holes, bondo, or evidence of armature repair attempts. Basically, if you were to run down a list of potential problems you might encounter when buying an old XJ6, this one checks every box. In case the ad disappears, I’ve included the full text of the description below. But something tells me this car won’t be sold anytime soon.
Photos: eBay
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Barone XJW coupe, one of a kind, the only one in the world, converted from a 4 door sedan into a coupe, replacing the engine with an Oldsmobile 260 V8, with an Edelbrock 4 barrel carburetor with electronic ignition and electric choke, read the full article on the history of this car in the February 1999 The Ontario Jaguar publication, Volume 10, Number 1, New battery, front rotors, calipers and brake pads, new air, fuel and oil filters and fresh oil change. Two headlights, brake lights, dash lights and turn signals all working. Radio/CD, electric windows, gas gauge, oil pressure gauge, temperature gauge, voltage gauges and tachometer all working, the speedometer and horn are not at the moment. Has Pirelli tires with good tread, but are older and cracking, but not leaking. The body has bubbling, flaking clear coat in some areas and amateur body work in some areas with unmatched paint. There is a small leak when the car sits, I believe from the transmission pan. The car starts right up, runs, drives and stops, I tool around town in it, but may need rear brake pads, I hear a noise when stopping. The under carriage has rust, it looks like it was recently undercoated over rusted areas. There are rust holes in the front of the floor boards. in the front wheel wheels mostly on the drivers side front fender, along with some amateur body filler repairs, I included some pictures of some of those areas, but please have the car inspected or see the car to determine the extent of the rust. The top is in okay shape with some repairs, I purchase vinyl paint to refinish the top which will be included. The pop up sunroof operates fine. All windows including the side, front windshield and rear window are great, no cracks. The exterior chrome is nice, no major pitting. The carpeting is in good shape and the seats are in excellent condition, the dash pad has 2 cracks. The trunk area is very nice. Due to the speedometer not working, I am unsure of the actual mileage, 50K is showing. The sale includes some extra parts, new outside rear window seal that is not installed, the Jaguar show license plates and frames, owners manual, wiring diagram and color brochure, the car has a clean Maryland title. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information or pictures.