Hello all,


If you didn't see my new members post I just wanted to introduce myself to the XJ Classics thread. I inherited my grandfathers 1973 xj12. He kept it running and to my knowledge in good drivable shape. It needs a new interior and paint job along with other things im sure.


My grandfather told me before he passed that this model was built for only half a year then they switched models. So to my knowledge there is both series 1 and series 2 xj12 from 1973. Is this correct? And if so could someone explain the difference between the two models of that year? Attached is a couple pics, ill get some better ones later. Can anyone verify which series this is?


My goal is to restore it as close to its original look when it left the factory. Everything seems to be there and its all original currently. I feel like a fish out of water though not being used to older classics (especially a v12). If anyone has any pointers or a plan of attack that I should follow please let me know.


Thanks for the help,
Patrick

 

That is a series 1 carburated xj12. Very rare vehicle but in this case rarity and value are not related. More value to you as a personal family item.

Probably still has a tall tower rack and solid front rotors.

1st thing to do is get ir running and make sure it has good oil pressure and it cools properly.

***Carful attention needs to be paid to he gas tanks before your try to start it.

2nd thing to do is get the car up and look for and access rust.

3rd thing do is check all the rest...transmission. Brakes and all the other mechanicals and evaluate the other needs
Make repairs as needed.

Then the cosmetics after all the mechanicals are sorted.

Enjoy the journey.

 

Thanks for the insight! I thought it was a series 1 but wasn't sure. I knew the series 2 had the horizontal bars for the grill. He told me there were less than 1000 made (not sure if that's accurate) but finding any history on the series 1 xj12 is hard.


Couple newb questions.
What in particular should I be looking for when you say be careful about the fuel tanks when starting it?
I assume I need to get a gage to check fuel pressure. What is the range it should be within?

 

Hello,

That is a very special car. I would love to have one.

How long has it been off the road? There are a lot of threads dedicated to starting a car for the first time, what to do, etc. That's part of owning an old Jaguar: Do a lot of research. Many nights I have spent reading about these cars, in detail. Books, forums, anywhere you can.

If you get this car driving 100% properly, no clunky shifts, no engine trouble, no overheating, weird RPMs, good handling, high speeds, and of course the car should be solid underneath, it is time to move on to interior and paint. The priority must be a car that drives good, handles well, has no rust problems and is reliable.

Many people choose to keep the interior original, with sundried leather. That's character. Old car, old leather. The seats might be collapsed and that can be fixed. I intend to keep my old, smelly leather. The smell is also part of the car.

It will take a lot of effort, a lot of hours, sweat and maybe even tears, but you will get a brilliant car for it. I've driven my series 1 XJ6 and it felt so relaxed, not like any other car I have driven. The V12 will add to that. The V12 is a brilliant engine, the stuff around it might not be so brilliant.

The difference with the series 2 is front grille, front bumper, front indicators, dashboard, steering wheel, rear bootlid chrome piece and some more. The difference is not big.

What I would do is take off the leaper, the US details and get European bumpers. In my opinion the European cars look better. I will include a picture of my car before I started the restoration.

What I would definitely NOT do is swap out the V12 for a V8. The V12 was developed by Jaguar as they needed something better than the very common V8 in America. An American engine in a English car.. Not my cup of thee.

Good luck and please keep us updated

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

 

The fuel system must be clean, no rust. The fuel tanks tend to rust from the inside. Drain a tank and all the debris will be sucked out and sent to the engine (through a filter). That's a problem.

 

The car was started regularly and probably hasn't been started driven for only 2 weeks. It hasn't sit for year or even months. It has about 80k miles on it or so. Oh trust me Im keep the V12 haha. As far as the interior he started with some of the trim pieces already taking the old fabric off and putting new fabric on. So I will probably continue what he has already started. The seats are another issue. The seats are not just worn but the back seat is all tore up. Im not sure how it got that way but I don't know if there is a way to salvage them?? They are currently out of the car and sitting off to the side. I need to gather all the parts he has out before the rest of the family starts going through the garage and mix things up haha.


Good idea with some of the European bumpers and such. I will have to look at them to see how the style is different. Please feel free to share your pics. I need inspiration


But he always told me it ran good, he was always tweaking it though to make it just right. So I hope that is still the case and I can start with some cosmetics. At least for now

 

The car is in good hands! New oil, oilfilter, airfilter, fuelfilter wouldn't hurt.

Rear seats in good condition are very rare. The series 1 has seats with 1 thumb wide vertical ''strips''. The series 2 and 3 have wider strips. The leather needs maintenance, rear seat gets a lot of run through the rear window and starts to dry up.

I have included a link to my pictures in my post.

 

Ill post some more pictures tomorrow. I wonder if there is a way to just re-stitch the seats and salvage the old leather? I think it would look weird to keep the front seats original and the back seats new? maybe not.


Oh thanks I missed the link. Yeah I like that front style bumper better. It looks more sleek and streamlined. Mine has these rubber blocks almost on it.

 

Hello, Patrick,
I'm glad you found your way over to our playpen. You and your car are in good hands here.
(';')

 

Great !! So...... start it up and get it out on the road then. My Jags can sit for months between uses, so this doesn't sound like an issue at all. How does it drive ? As others have said, it has the potential to be superb.

As also suggested, the big thing is rust...... get it up on a ramp and have a really good look at it (take lots of pictures and post here) If it runs, and its not rusty, then you have a fabulous car which requires cosmetic restoration, which is probably the most fun restoration type, at least for me.

 

Yes, the seats can be repaired in some cases. Often the leather or vinyl is dried out, but not so bad that one of the conditioners won't restore.
Leatherique comes to mind. Not much hope if the hydes are split badly.


And, it may be that the hydes are OK, but the threads have rotted.
Cotton was used in some cars and departed early. Rayon in others lasts much longer.


I fixed the cushions in an early VW. I removed them, took them to an upholstery shop. The guy made short work of restiching them in rayon. Scrubbed clean and they looked good as new.


On another forum a nucleur engineer regaled us with patching up decrepit Jaguars. Ingenuity ++++ He used old leather purses as a source of leather to sew in patches. Great needle work. Result, not all that bad.


Carl

 

I would depart a bit from the mechanical then cosmetic route.
Getting it albeit not concourse ready improves the incentive to
get it right.


Enjoy.


Carl
clean

 

Wonderful old girl!
As stated , I had both the xj6 and 12 , its a 1973 , the 1972 overiders were chrome with no rubber on the bumper overiders, It is a series one as well.
Its now a family member, the cost isn't as important as the memories.
If you can run a hose down both tanks, pump out the fuel , then add 2 gallons in each and split a bottle of chevron techron fuel injector cleaner.
IMHO.
Sounds like it hasn't sit long.
Get the moisture out of the engine by running it till hot.
If all okay, drain all the fluids, check hoses and take your time.
The rear has a rope seal which should seal itself up once you start driving.
DONT RESTORE THE CAR YET, It will cost you more than a new Mercedes convertible.
If you keep it forever then do what you like.
So much to do, take it slow, its a wonderful old girl.
Good luck!
GTJOEY1314