But my Series 2 has them.
(';')

 

Ditto on the V12.....
I have owned both and they are both reliable engines.

 

I've got two S3's and as mentioned, they're mostly very reliable, easy to work on (get the company workshop manual), and because so many were produced, both used and new parts are usually easily found. I prefer the later S3's (1983+) because of lower mileage and some occasional build issues during the earlier period. Most common (& easiest) repair: window switches & bulbs. As mentioned, the a/c can be a problem - if needing repair, you'll probably have to have the whole system converted to R134 unless already done. If you do, get good quality parts and a warranted repair - I had to have mine done 3 times in a year! In the US, look for a Western car if possible - less likelihood of major rust.
Good luck - these are beautiful cars.

 

you can download the 6 cylinder Series III Factory Service Manual sections and the Factory Parts Manual sections free at my Jag Upgrades website.

https//jagupgrades.webstarts.com

 

Having an older car as a daily family car is possible, especially if it is not an only car. Issues will pop up that need to be attended to, and with a family you'll need a reliable late model available. Be sure that the suspension is in perfect shape before you b uy. I find that I dislike suspension work the most, since you've got to get down to it's level. Good luck, let us know what you end up with. Oh, I'll throw my two cents in, an X300 is almost as beautiful as a Series Three and is much more modern.

 

If you are going to buy a classic Jaguar XJ6 to use few times a week as a driver, then I suggest you buy the most practical and modern car available unless you have lots of money, and then it wouldn't matter what you buy. The X300 with the straight 6 4ltr engine as is the best value for money you will get, but pay the price and buy a good one whilst they are cheap with low milage and you will have a great car. If you are a racing car driver or think that you will be breaking the speed limits occasionally on the motorways with speeds of 155mph then go for the later V8's. I doubt that the series 3 XJ12 though would go much faster than the XJ8 but some just have to have V12's and V8's to make them feel better than the car. I have had a X300 for 5 years (with very low milage) and I won't be selling it because it is the best jaguar saloon I have ever had. it is also a piece of cake to work on my self. I know people with the V8's and V12's but they have more money than me and never get the chance to get the performance out of them. I on the other hand for the price of what they pay maintaining their big engines I bought a 2001 X Type to run around in and the X type is much harder to look after than the X300. I hate the X type engine and running gear but my wife loves the car so I have to keep her happy. The X type is a totally different car. By the way if you want comport then buy the standard model X300 or Sovereign as they give you a more comfortable ride than the sports models with the larger rims and stiffer and harder suspension. Good luck.

 

more opinionated opinions:

I would not judge a Series 3 by its mileage. The speedometer can be replaced in under 5 minutes with one that has less mileage.

the later cars after the Series 3 ( XJ-40 onwards), depend on many digital circuit boards that burn out, are expensive to replace and difficult to diagnose.

If you want to confirm that opinion, go to the XJ-40, X300, X350 forums and read what owners report about those cars.

I prefer the analog Jaguar, where little if any digital components were used. The most modern of those is the Series 3 XJ. After that, all hell broke lose and Jags started to look like glorified Fords or Toyotas.

 

Decent Series 3's seem to be appreciating fast here in Oz, so get in while you can.
And don't buy a basket case (like I did with my S1). It can cause severe depression!
Only downside, no picnic tables in the rear. The grandson want (demands) somewhere to sit his lap-top

 

Good advice there Jose. I never judge a car just by its speedo. I go for low milage cars by their log books and then compare them to the speedo.That's a good start for me. No log books then I'm not interested. A quick clue is often the drivers seat. The wear of leather should coincide with the use and age of the car. Then the log books and the condition of the engine bay. Older Rolls Royce's are the trickiest without log books because the speedo's turn over at 99,000 MPH/Klm. None of this matters to a lot of buyers because price comes first or sometimes it just has to be a V8 or V12 over the better car. "You don't get what you pay for, You pay for what you don't get"

 

back in the seat,

yes, the driver's seat is a good witness to the condition of the car. The flattened seat foam in particular.

and not many owners keep a maintenance log. The mileage cannot be used. Not saying that car sellers do it on purpose to misrepresent the mileage, but the speedos and tachs fail and need to be replaced.
Even the Service Manual shows how to test for a not working speedo. The factory knew they fail.

 

Compared to the later cars the SIII is the easiest to live with if you plan on keeping it a long time (some of this pertains to the SIIs as well) - most of the electrical bits including switches can be taken apart and cleaned to restore to working order. The mechanical bits can be repaired with ordinary hand tools and parts aren't too dear.

I lived with a 2002 VDP for a decade. The V8 is nice and powerful and X308s resemble the older cars somewhat. Unfortunately craptastic plastic parts dominate the car under the hood and these will break, causing air intake and coolant leaks, or worse (prior to mid 2001 the secondary timing chain tensioners were plastic - my car missed the change over by a month). The ABS and security modules are prone to failure and the ZF gearbox can exhibit a sticking pressure regulator valve which will destroy the A-drum in the gearbox. I personally dealt with all of these issues; the gearbox fault was the last straw so I traded it off - and I generally don't trade cars.

Can't personally vouch for the XJ40/X300 but the drive trains have a reputation for being bulletproof.

 

Long ago, it was common to check the level of wear on the brake peddle rubber pad to coordinate with the mileage which was never used as an accurate indicator.

 

Right. Durable drivetrains.

But a durable drivetrain isn't quite the same thing a a reliable car. And reliable isn't the same as trouble-free.

Though I sold it 6-7 years ago I had an X300 has a daily driver for several years. Towards the end I was adding 15-20k miles/year. I agree it was a great car. It was very durable (sold it at 171k miles and, overall, it was holding up very well) and it was very reliable (never once refused to start, never left me stranded). But it was by no means trouble-free. I had to do a LOT of repairs during my ownership.

As good as they are the X300s are getting old and accumulating miles. This eventually takes a toll on any car.

Cheers
DD

 

I see you have a 1965 "S" type. My very first car in the early seventies was a Jaguar 420 which was very much the same car but with the first 4.2ltr engine. The rear end was the same as the S but the front was like the MK 10 or the 420G. It was a very nice car but I bought a Series 1 XJ6 (Daimler Sovereign to be exact) That was a gorgeous car. A remarkable car for its time. When they went to the series 2, I missed the Series 1 traditional centre cluster dash. The nicest dash I have seen since then is the early Bentley Arnage dash.I was never a big fan of the series 3 even though they sold more of them than the 1 & 2's. Most people liked the Pininfarina blend with the traditional original shape. The XJ40, even though it was the least XJ6 Jaguar curvacious shape it did have good balance with the square lights at the front and back. When they came up with the X300 I was sold on jaguar saloons again. . Then after the X300 shape that was the end of the iconic XJ6 shape. The modern S & X Types still Had some Jaguar appearances inside and outside, but the after those two I could not see anything that got my attention and reminded me of the Jaguar cars I knew and grew up with. Some people just don't see the beauty in the old traditional designs that we lovers do. You either get it or you don't.
1996 Jaguar X300 LWB 4ltr (My Private Limo)
2001 Jaguar X Type. (Our regular run around)

 

I loved the 2002 VDP as I though it was the ultimate luxurious X300 design Jaguar car. However in Australia unfortunately we never got them. The US took most of them. Every time I see one on You Tube I just drool. The timber work is just fantastic and very traditional. Not a lover of the V8 because I don't have the ability to drive a car fast like others think they can. The guys on Top Gear are doing it every day so they are experienced. I would;d tolerate the V8 though just to have the VDP version. Perhaps it might have been a more dependable car if they had just stuck with the original X300 4ltr straight 6. Your 1973 XJ6 is most likely a series 2 and that XJ6 shape was as good as they got it for the XJ6 design. After that William Lyons had retired and things were just not quite the same. William Lyons and his team really made some of the most beautiful cars in history. I don't think we will ever see that mixture of love and enthusiasm and individuality in car design again. And certainly not from Jaguar.

 

You're right Doug, age does take it toll on cars. But I still can't find anything as good value for money as a very low milage 20 year old Jaguar car. Nothing new comes near them and when they do they are too expensive and over engineered.

 

Most of my problems with Jaguars have been caused by poor maintenance by previous owners. This is especially true of my Daimler Double Six. What I can't blame on POs have been the radiator blocking with sediment and rust particles in the fuel system from corrosion inside the fuel tanks. There's also been a blown transistor in the air con. The driver's seat went a bit flat and developed a crack, both of which I fixed. Most likely an X300 or X308 would have done better. And they have fewer rattles.

My Mk2 only ever stopped due to a very slight leak from the top hose dripping coolant on the distributor and for that I'll blame the PO. It's had things fail and break, but it's never stopped.

My more modern Jaguars have not lived up (or down) to the popular reputation on reliability.

Non-Jaguars that I've owned, rented or travelled in: the engine of a Chevy ambulance called to take my wife to hospital failed outside our house; Minis had water pump failures; Toyota overheated severely; Renault, the same; Mercedes didn't stop, but the stench of gear oil suggested it would soon; Alfa engine that from time to time refused to run below 3000 rpm ... .

In summary, so long as they are properly maintained, Jaguars, including series XJs, are as good as any other make. And, as I've said may times, there's something very special about a series XJ. In its day, it was the best car in the world and in many ways it still is.

 

Yup.

With an X300 you get a lotta car for the money. They're a bargain!

Cheers
DD

 

So true about the way people look after Jaguar cars. Even though the traditional Jaguar cars were fast they were also rather delicate and refined by comparison to other cars. William Lyons had a taste for refinement and it showed in his cars. Just those words which were Grace, Space and Pace or Leather Wood and waft. I would tell people if you want a tough car then buy a Mercedes or a BMW but if you want a fast unique car with the refined luxurious touch only found in a Rolls Royce then you buy a Jaguar. The difference between a Jaguar car and other cars is like the difference between a Chesterfield couch and a ordinary common looking sofa.The down side of a car that is refined and delicate that is like a fine piece of Jewellery, is that it needs to be look after more carefully. Finally too many guys have bought Jaguars for their speed alone and they really don't care about the refinements of the interior of the car. As long as it has a V8 or V12 that's the go. Remember how so many guys bought series 1's and pulled out a perfectly good motor and replaced it with a V8 just to go a little faster and make more noise. They are very lucky to get them so cheap second hand but then they just make them cheaper. Finally with the traditional Jaguars cars "you either get it or you don't".

 

[/QUOTE] Perhaps it might have been a more dependable car if they had just stuck with the original X300 4ltr straight 6. Your 1973 XJ6 is most likely a series 2 and that XJ6 shape was as good as they got it for the XJ6 design..[/QUOTE]

I wondered that since I prefer the inline sixes. Maybe they had reached the design limit on reliable power but I've seen a stock XK take a diesel turbo and 15 lb of boost and take it.

It's funny you consider my '73 a SII car. As I've been going through it I've found a mix of SI and SII components. The grille is definitely SI but the engine wiring harness is SII - it stumped me for a bit until I realized what they did.

The SIII is my favorite but I like them all and there is no reason why any of them can't be used as an everyday driver.