I've been inside several Series 1 XJ and never seen that a/c system before, very interesting, obviously made for Australian XJ and they took care of matching the "Ambla" vinyl.

I have a friend in AU who recently installed a re-designed version of the GM Harrison A6 compressor used in the XJ. If at some point you need to replace the compressor, I'll send you his contact info and you can get his help and experience. He ordered the compressor from Retro-Air / Mr. Jaguar in Texas. Porsche Air Conditioning & Jaguar Air Conditioning

 

Have done all the possible mods to my AC system. Using modern cross flow condenser and have new expansion valve (adjusted 1.5 turns in before installing) and it is working well. Using R134 in both S1 cars..

Have the late model ('72 up) fans and two center vents now. Seeing side vent temps of 38F with good air flow from all the vents. RR vent is now connected to RF center vent.

 

Thanks for the air con details guys.

 

Hi Davo,

Did the smell in the cabin went away after you fix and repair it? I have the simaliar problem in my 71 XJ6, the smell is coming from the trunk but both tank are working fine when switching to left or right. Thanks in advance.

 

Bit of an update. Think I deleted my previous post by mistake after a few cold beverages. I've had a local Jag mechanic replace both fuel pumps and sender units so now have working fuel gauge on both tanks plus the raw fuel smell seems to be gone from the boot area. I still want to replace the boot seal and rehang the boot lid as it's sitting skew and I think is letting in exhaust fumes. I'll check those boot vents under the parcel shelf at the same time.

Had a reasonable result fixing the surface rust on the paint. Got some decent rust converter anti oxidant from a panel shop. Cleaned the whole car with it then rubbed back the surface rust with 600 wet and dry. Used Kitten No.2 cut and polish to buff it up. Came up pretty well.

BEFORE


AFTER


Here's a pic of the whole car after polish.

 

Looks like some nice leather there, my swb s1 has dark blue cloth all through it, and no air con, most of the gauges dont work and neither do half the lights. On the way to getting her started, but for $600 not a bad deal. Do you happen to have a good series one front bar??

 

No don't have a spare front bar. I'm pretty fortunate in that all the chrome and body fittings are complete and in great condition. Rear bar only has a small ding I'm hoping will knock out. Is the cloth trim in yours original factory? Is it a 2.8 or 4.2lt? Good to hear of another Aussie S1 getting back on the road. $600 is a steal. Good luck with it man.

 

My car is azzure blue I think, a deep lighter blue than yours. Good colour. The interior is dark blue cloth which is a bit disappointing, but there you go cant have everything eh. The car has an interesting background having been restored by a guy who was very fastidious and quite talented, but he was an older bloke who sadly passed away. His son kept the car for the next 7-8 years but it did little driving and when it eventually stopped it was left to sit in a seaside carport. The chrome is a bit tarnished by the salt air and the front bar was badly re chromed by some shonks and the chrome has lifted.

Im glad ive found this forum so I can bore people with my progress and ask inane questions LOL.

Getting some spark at the plugs now, fuel pumps going like the clappers but no fuel coming out of the line. Could well be a matter of no fuel in the tank!!! Will be undoing the fuel sump plug tomorrow see what comes out!

Got the cute little glass bowl fuel filter in the engine bay...tell you what I wouldnt replace that with a plastic filter if you paid me!! Interestingly when I took it out it had no filter actualy in it...the things some people do.

Valve timing as per previous thread is when number 6 piston is at tdc on compression stroke.

Picked up some nice petrol filler caps with a keytoday, $50 was cheap. Got a nice second hand grill for $100 today...maybe cheaper to buy a real good series one jag,, but the resto job on this wasnt cosmetic every panel has been painted inside and out, a tribute to the gent who did the work.

Should be a 4.2 its got the 4.2 badge on the boot...not sure what other way there is to tell!

All the best, Mick

 

Engine number L14994 according to the badge on the body so if this is the origonal engine its a 4.2.

 

If you look at the right hand side of the engine block it will have 4.2 cast into the metal. Think all Aussie delivered XJ's we're 4.2. I was just thinking yours may have been a 2.8 as cloth interior was standard in the lower end model. A few 2.8's have been privately imported from the UK, but very rare in Aus. Sounds like you've got yourself a very clean body to work with. Please post some pics don't think I've seen an Azure blue S1.

 

Popped a pic up Davo, see new post. Pretty sure thats Azzure blue, correct me if Im wrong. Mick

 

is this hinged a/c panel just a "controls & vents" panel? if yes, where is the evaporator located? or does it use the XJ-6's factory evaporator?

I notice the a/c Control finisher/escutcheon/embellisher, is the same shape as the Blower Speeds and the Heater Control finishers/escutcheons/embellishers. Even the Knobs are the same. Even the Ambla vinyl is the same. (by the way, those black-and-silver Knobs were used all the way to 1987 in the Series 3; we have them at the rear end of the center console, used to open and close the rear floor air vents).

AMAC must have worked directly with Jaguar Cars Australia to design this add-on a/c system. I would spend a little money and have it diagnosed by an a/c specialist, well worth restoring it.

 

Those glass bowl filters were common, way back in the day. Some had a simple copper mesh on the top portion to catch the boulders. Some had a ceramic bowl shaped element that actully filtered smaller particles. Each also served as a sediment bowl allowing junk to sink to the bottom.

Kinda neat, except for the risk of fuel flowing if the glass were to be broken!!

Lousy chrome plating usually is the result of cheap work. Clean straight metal plated in copper, then chrome. The cheap guys skipped the copper faster and less expense!!!

Because of environmental reasons, chrome shops are a dying breed.

Happy New year

 

Hey Jose. Yeah I'm looking to find an air con specialist to restore the system at some stage. Seems like the AC fan switch knob on the facia was changed/rewired at some point as off is now hard left then low centre and high hard right (not as it appears on the surround) The condenser is above the passenger side foot well I believe. Has a hard plastic moulded cover hiding it. Very nicely intergrated into the space.

 

the switch must have malfunctioned and they couldn't find an exact replacement but I bet you can nowadays. There are many retro-a/c businesses, in the US one is called Retro-Air/Mr. Jaguar in Texas, and they do classic Jaguar a/c systems. you might contact Rock Browning, (the owner) at some point for help, he recently shipped six re-designed Harrison A6 compressors to a friend in AU, member of the Victoria Jaguar Club, I think they pooled their money to buy them. (the original Harrison A6 compressor for the XJ-6 was re-designed, it is now lighter and more efficient and Rock has them). If you want I can put you in contact with him (he lives in Victoria) so he can tell you about his experience with the new Harrison A6 compressor.

Porsche Air Conditioning & Jaguar Air Conditioning

 

That's some good info Jose. Just had a look at Retro-Air web site. Their Harrison unit looks good I'll keep them in mind if I need any bits. Hoping my existing compressor is ok? I know the air con system was used and regularly serviced by the orevious owner. So hoping it's just a matter of re gas and maybe some new hoses. Air con specialists that know about the old stuff are pretty rare in Sydney.