Wow! My dad bought a new 84' Vanden Plas back then, one night I did 130 mph on a north jersey highway and it did it with ease, so quiet and stable. I remember we took it to my brothers engagement party, my dad had too much to drink so my other brother drove. Dad was in the back seat and put his window down then it wouldn't go up! It was winter and we drove an hour with the window down, the car was brand new! I was at the dealer every month for a repair.
Back in 82 I did 140 mph for 45 minutes which effectively cut the trip in half on time. My grandmother was dying. But she did manage to pull through and survived in a couple of years. That was in a 68 Chevy pickup. Only loaned it out once and the sheriff came looking for me. My buddy had passed them and maxed out the radar gun 165 mph. My truck wasn't in the shop every month and didn't cost as much as jaguars. It wasn't quite stock either. But my point is I never understood why people spend so much money on these cars and it seemed as if the mechanic had more than they did! But it's fun to reminisce about being stupid in the old days. Go in that fast is what I'm talking about.
I worked on a Jag in the 90s and the Guy that owned it had it at the Shop every week. I just did an oil filter and air filter & fuel filter. He was always complaining how it spent more time at the shop than in his garage or on the road lol. Well 1 day he stopped showing up for about a month or 2, and eventually he brought it back for another service, and strangely he was no longer complaining, he was actually smiling, which was real strange. I opened the hood to get read to do the service and in place of the original Jag engine sat a Small Block 350 Chevy Engine and Transmission. It looked like it all fit perfectly, the guy that did it knew what he was doing for sure. No lie I said how did you manage to pull that 1 off. He told me the time he was away from the shop he had taken the car to some guy in Alabama that finally fixed it right.lol He said the parts and labor were cheaper, lasted longer and he really just brought it by to show it off. Only showed up for oil and filters belts, little stuff from then on. Never will forget how happy that made him.
@@pauberrymon5892 I agree. That's pretty much what I was saying get rid of That Jag engine junk. I'm almost bought one a few years back perfect condition it was like 800 bucks. But then it was a four-door. The engine of course was no good but then it wasn't any good today they made it parrot I don't know what else is wrong with the drivetrain if anything. A lot of guys put 350s in there. But I guess you could say you kept it in the same family when you put the 351 Fords engines at 302 or the 300 straight 6 in the Jaguar. Since Ford did on Jaguar for a while. Maybe they still do. I'd accidentally clicked on this guy's TH-cam channel not the not this one but another fellas. Best I can ascertain is that he's from England. And by his own statement he said he loves to bash American cars. Well American cars aren't perfect but there sure is a lot more of them that's been made than anywhere else in the world except for maybe Japan. I know we import more cars from Canada than any place else. But most of them are Fords so an extension of American manufacturing. He was even touting on Fiat! Fix it again Tony come on. And he spoke with such reverence about the Jaguar. So it got me fired up. Then I watch this episode on this channel. I remember riding in them. But I remember more so people making them more reliable. I don't know where the guy was firm that took it to Alabama but there are plenty of shops and garages in the backyard of people's houses and they were doing the same thing. A few of them made it look real good too under the hood. I was looking at one of the car show and this guy come by just West Nora said he ruined that car and it's originality. I asked him what do you mean? He said he put that blank blank GM engine in there! I told him to look at the odometer and what Jaguar were ever had that kind of mileage on it! He just snarled and stopped away. What good is originality of an original was junk.
@@pauberrymon5892 yep and that's all I can say and keep it rated g. Haha. Anyway a friend of a friend and I got to see the car he put 383 stroker and one of them jags. You know you can still find them things sitting around and pick them up for next to nothing. I guess it's kind of amazing how many of those jaguars were scattered around the Midwest. Speaking of those long noses I guess there's more than around the Midwest than I thought. It's been a few years but when I was doing a different job I go into people's homes and businesses and give bids for work to be done. Then the boss will send out the guys and do the work. The point is you would be surprised at how many vintage cars I would see. The ladies in the office would try to schedule accordingly so I'd have time to look if they knew. There was somebody named Peterson you may have heard of had a bunch of old studebakers and I got to see a few of them he doesn't even show at his back then $100 plate fundraisers. Now the guy's name wasn't Peterson that was showing me around but that didn't matter. But I would see about at least three jags of week that we're sitting under somebody's car cover backyard pushing back of the garage and they would get to it one of these days. But one of the most memorable ones was a 64 and a half mustang convertible with all the right options and the original tires with 14,000 miles on it! I didn't say original style I said original tires. They had it setting up on blocks to maintain the tires and had it covered in when her husband left her he left her with the car. She offered trade the car for some work and I told her the car is worth much more than that and would soon be worth a lot more. I did the right thing and from time to time I'd see her and she would always thank me for being so honest. I could have had that car really cheap sitting in my garage. I never did get that dinner that she offered but that's all right. She had owned the car her entire life it was a gift here in high school or college by our parents. And I'm going back almost 20 years for that one. Okay maybe a little more. Yes she was older than me. But my point is there's still a number of these vehicles out there. And part of my network is these guys who go out and do bids for whatever that gets them inside people's houses and businesses. Just a helpful idea for anybody out who's looking to buy a car but don't Jip a little old lady or the recent divorced. Well I got to go get my trailer ready so I go pick up a 70 short bed. It's an interesting way to make a living.
There is 2 fuel tanks! There is an individual tank behind each rear quarter and a switch on the console to switch between. I own one of these cars so I know this 100%. Interesting to see your take on the old XJ anyway. Thanks
My brothers friends dad got one of these in the mid 80s, probably '86. I remember we were all over at his house and they were anticipating him coming home with the new Jag as we played basketball in the driveway. Sure enough he pulled up in a dark green Jaguar XJ6. We all looked over the car and marveled at it's beautiful lines and interior. His dad took his three sons for a cruse after dinner (was already late afternoon). As Steve pointed out, often a doctor or executive would buy one of these, well his dad was a heart surgeon cardiologist doctor that was always on call. He was the first person I knew who had a pager that would beep then you would hear the dispatch call for a specific doctor by name. His beeper would only activate on those special calls. You wouldn't hear the rest of the regular dispatch stuff for police and fire etc. He had that Jag for many years, and replaced it with another Jag, as the one in '86 had replaced a older one that day.
I had almost the exact same car as this, mine was an '86 though. Never had it leave me stranded, but it would always find interesting new ways to make me struggle. It actually does have two gas tanks, there's a switch on the center console to switch between the two on the fly
Yep! If your fuel tank switching valve between the two failed then it would let each tank drain to the other and level out but working correctly they are indeed separate tanks
Very nice to see you talk about one of these jagggs:) That one was left to rot so badly I’ve rarely seen such a bad interior. Still could be brought back to life I’d say..
Few glairing errors and omissions. This one deserves a revisit. 1. Gas tanks are separate, 11 gallons each. There is also a button on the dash that actuates the switch over valve. 2. Rear A/C and heating vents were present installed on all models starting with the series 2 in 1974. There are 2 knobs that diverts the air from the rear top vent for A/C to the two lower vent for heat. 3. Popular donor cars for hotrodders, Many 'a Jag IRS and IFS have been used in hot rods. Same for the gauges and fuel doors. These cars have a fully rubber isolated front and rear subframes and have a ride / handling that still can't be matched today. The front is rack and pinion and the rear 1/2 shafts serves as the upper control arm as well as inboard rear brakes. 4 This engine was built as small as 2.8L in Europe and also with a manual transmission. 5. Car is designed totally symmetrical, so could be easily built Right or Left hand drive. 6. Spare would have been full sized, not mini 7. Engine suffered from quality control problems, some are fantastic, some failed quickly from new and were often replaced with Small Block Chevy's and TH350's in the 80's. 8. With a Jag from this era you need not worry about oil leaks, you need to worry when it stops leaking becasue that means you're out of oil.
Steve, the XJ6 that your showing is a Series 3 XJ6, which was the last of the William Lyons Jags, and was produced until 1987. The car was redesigned for the 1988 model year, and then got a new engine to replace the old '49-'92 XK6 (the XK6 continued on in some Daimler cars thru the '92 model year) The new engine was referred to as the AJ6 (advanced Jaguar 6). The Lucas fuel injection system was actually a licensed version of the analog Bosch L-jetronic,and is super robust and reliable. In fact, the series 3 XJ6 was a really reliable car, as by then Jaguar had gotten rid of all the lower quality electrical components that had caused reliability issues through the Series 2 cars. Oh, and yes, the car DOES have two fuel tanks, one inside each rear fender. They're connected by an elaborate system of pipes and switches, controlled by a pushbutton on the dash. I need to get out to that yard, they've got stuff I can put to good use on my Jag Special build.👍 Great videos, man. Dig your content!
Hello. British viewer here. Jag-you-are! Had a lovely 3.2 litre XJ40 (the next body style on) myself a few years back. Lovely cars, they do rust for fun though!
Great video as usual, Steve and Shane. Remember these Jaaaaaaags so well growing up in Scotland. Very popular with bank managers and bank robbers! I own a 2002 XJ8 Vanden Plas (silent S!), drives me insane when someone says Jagwire!😫
Thanks to that "lot boy" job in the late eighties at Performance Motors in Falmouth, (the same job that allowed me to beat on a consignment Ferrari for two weeks) I cleaned up and drove both the xj6 and the xj12 when they came through the shop as trade-ins towards our Mercedes
Back in the early 80's I was doing part time work at a show horse farm and the woman that owned it and several other businesses had one of those Jag's and was very proud of it. Trouble was she would literally have it put up on blocks every fall because of the midwest winters and drive her Jeep Grand Cherokee and in the spring long after the threat of snow disappeared have it taken down. It would never start and always would have to be picked up by the closest dealer ( Chicago) about 90 miles away and they would have to go thru it replacing a bunch of stuff with a big bill. Everyone would try to tell her if she would just have someone start it at least once a month and exercise everything she wouldn't have that big expense every year.
Great find Steve! Growing up my dad’s friend had an older model (looked pretty much the same) and I swear it had 2 separate fuel tanks with a switch(s) on the dash to toggle between them. Even back then I knew that the prestige of owning one was the ability to afford to keep it running haha! The depth of its red paint was impressive though.
Bought a wrecked 77 V-12 Jag at an auction, wanted to build something Jag powered. Stuffed the engine in a 67 Cutlass wagon but needed the wiring from the Jag but had already sent what was left to the crusher. Sold the V-12 and transmission and put a Pontiac 301 in the Cutlass. Sold the Cutlass to a cousin, she drove that car the engine died somewhere in an Arizona desert.
My parents had an '87. These had rear inboard brakes which meant taking the axle out whenever you needed to do brake work. After doing that one too many times they sold it on.
Lol Steve, must be different to open a boot/trunk and not see the ground!!! In Australia and UK it is Jag-u-ar and one thing they always have in common is the headliner will always fall down, old and new models. Down here clean ones are slightly starting to get collectable but they are just painful to work on. They did make SWB and LWB models which was 4 inches longer on the rear floor pan or near the dog leg(Can't remember). Cheers mate, still loving this channel.
My Father-In-Law had an 1988 VP and at least in that model the VP had longer rear doors, longer wheel base, and more room in the rear. I assumed it was for folks who had a Driver but did not want the limo "vibe" and wanted to be a bit stealthier. The XJ-6L was set up similarly. Also had fold down tray tables behind the front seats similar to airline tray tables. Extremely smooth riding on the road even at very high speeds. Didn't hold value very well and decent examples could be had pretty cheaply compared to the price when new.
Keeping the super creepy deer head moving is nice touch to keep us fans interested!! Another great video Steve and a shout out to Shane on his excellent video taking and skill that it takes to make these awesome videos!!
Ok I give, whats the deal with the deer head. At first I thought it just happened to be in the trunk of the car in one of the first videos that I watched. Now its popping up all the time. Back story please?
A substitute teacher I had in elementary school in the mid 90's had one from 1972. The character Janine "Smurf" Cody drove one in the final season of Animal Kingdom during the 1992 flashbacks.
Jaguar, as it sounds. The same as the slow cat!! At one stage here there was more Jags with anything but Jag engines. Chevs the most common but I have seen Falcon 6s, Holden V8s, Fords and one with a V8 Leyland 4.4. All more reliable and leak less oil than the original. Problem is Jags have a shortish diff ratio, tallest is 3.07? so unless you use an overdrive trans they are fairly busy. As for those 12s,, drink more oil than petrol, and they LOVE petrol for fairly modest power
Great video! What I understand is the Lucas Digital Fuel injection is just a licensed version of Bosch L Jetronic so actually pretty reliable comparatively
I personally know where one is hiding out. Same model black, in better shape and has been waiting a long time for me to appropriate. That interior is thrashed. I need to go pick up that car. Thanks for reminding me how fast the interiors go south.
I was at a filling station and a women, an older lady was trying to fill her Jag XJ. She seemed to be having trouble getting the nozzle into the filler neck. I got out to help her. Sure enough the nozzle would not fit. I then asked if her car was Diesel to which she replied no, it runs on gasoline. I put the Diesel nozzle back and got her the gasoline nozzle. Glad I could help her. The car you show could have been used on the 'Equalizer' TV series of the 1980's starring David Woodward.
My Mum had elocution lessons in the UK and they taught them "Father's car is a Jag-u-ar" Just say "Jag" and avoid the confusion. These were fun to drive back in the day - I had a 74 malibu and stepping into this was more like a modern sedan in regards to handling.
A couple years ago Jaguar released a brand new 4.2 casting to correct the overheating related cracking problem. Many of these that are parked have the cracked block, but are probably too far gone to fix. The bore/stroke of the 3.8 is very similar to the Chrysler slant six,but the E-type with the hemi heads sure made a lot more power than my 225.
Rudolf riding in style now huh? Back in the 80s my shop had a few customers with this car but personally the v12 was a boat anchor, the 6 was much better. We also had 1 customer that retrofitted his with a sbc 350 ....complete with the gm a6 ac compressor that came with the jag originally. Ahhh yes the brick phone days lol you were cool to have one back then.
I have seen so many of those that got parked along the tree row with only minor issues that were too expensive and/or complicated to repair. And I've also seen them parked due to the chassis rust that basically made it a parts car. They'd look just fine at a glance but the rust underneath would be so bad that the car was inoperable. My uncle had an 04 model that he drove until the warranty ran out. During the warranty period it had all sorts of battery/voltage/charging issues that would have ran up into the thousands had he been the one paying. He did the right thing by trading it I'm certain of that.
There was a shop here in Baton Rouge back in the 1980's that specialized in shoehorning Chevrolet engines into these cars ( and Datsun Z cars). Some of the XJ's received big block 454's.
Hey Steve. That nylon part of the antennae attached to the metal antennae and coiled around the drive to raise and lower the antennae. Lots of manufacturers used a similar design. The nylon wasn't actually the antennae.
Sorry Steve, there are indeed two fuel tanks, one behind each qtr panel and you must use both fillers, the selector switch to swap over is on the dash. Just to add the Vanden Plas had a “fluted” grill surround, plinth and picnic tables on the back of the front seats, that looked like someone robbed a back seat and and rear emblem.
Although I have never bothered to research any info on these cars, this has been my favorite Jag ever since I started paying attention to cars in the early '70s. Just love that body. Unfortunately I have never known anyone who has owned one, so I could get a in-person look.
ours was a '89 XJ6 VP. The in-line 6 could run at 90mph all day. I did replace the drive shaft coupling and some other problem with the brake system that the specialty car repair place fixed. And one of the back windows wouldn't roll down. The car was a tank, the doors closed with a solid thump. Dreadfully slow off the line but once up to speed can maintain high speed, handling is not bad, but the weight of the car takes some getting used to. Would I buy another? Nope!
Steve, it is two fuel tanks with a switch on on the dash, the trany in the six is a borg warner and XJ12 had a turbo 400 and the rear end is a Dana 60 with independent suspension with in board disc brakes, pretty advanced for there time.
Drove an "85 XJ6 for 10yrs (1991 to 2001) Maintained properly myself, no issues. Oil spray kept body beautifully solid & sold it off in wonderful shape. If a "mechanic" could not properly tend to one of these, then they were by no means an actual mechanic (Just a parts changer, if that) . Well engineered, capable high speed saloon. For more than a decade I have been enjoying a 1997 XK8. Also a wonderful unit. Fully believe most Jaguar owners are shop-raped just because of their mechanical lack of knowledge.
Hi Steve Back in early 90's I did a 350 conversion, On a 2 dr, I don't think it was that model, 400 Bucks up and running,Friend of mind was given a jag, Perfect shape, It was easy, He drove that car a long time.
Jags do have twin fuel tanks not one . They are totally separate from each other and there’s a switch in the dash to switch from either tank . I’ve owned a number of these cars lovely smooth drivers.
would love to see about the geo metro convertible (behind this car) and its history. i used to install ac to these cars aftermarket and it really robbed them of their already little power. love your knowledge of these cars. keep it up
Man I always loved those! I just love the classic styling! Too bad I was a poor sap then that I couldn’t afford one of those beauty’s! Actually a guy from work had one of those! Exactly the same color too! Just one beautiful machine!👌🥰👍that one looks like it could still be saved! Nice 👍
Because those XJ's used a turbo 350 trans,v it was simple matter to repower them with a SBC. Especially when the owner of nice car found the engine was a bit fragile if worked too hard and repair bills were insane. There used to be a forum catering to owners of chev powered jags too.
Hey Steve, That thing in the boot that You said was the fuel pump, Was the switching valve To change from l/h fuel tank to the r/h fuel tank. The 2 fillers on each 1/4 panel that You said were joined to one main tank is not correct. There was a switch on the Dash so you could change from tank to tank and that was the valve that You were looking at in boot (trunk) You thought was a fuel pump. They had 2 separate fuel tanks. It was quite common to replace the l/h fuel tank. most people only ever used the r/h tank and the left tank rusted out from drying out and not being used.
Always loved that body style - one of the few foreign cars I lusted after back in the days when I didn’t have two nickels to rub together……🤤 Since we’re talking about words the Brits say funny, “Al You Minny Um” (aluminum) is the one that always makes me chuckle……😂
Look at a periodic table of the elements. The element Al is "aluminium". The Brits pronounce it correctly. I don't know why we Americans dropped the last "i".
The XK engine is one of the greatest engines ever built. Why are people on this site dumping on this engine? It won the Le Mans race five times in the 1950’s along with many other big races. Before Ford Vs.Ferrari there was Jaguar Vs. Ferrari Vs. Mercedes. The XK engine which was designed during WW2 made more power for its size than what the Americans produced. It is bullet proof. It was in production in various sizes for almost fifty years. The only reason why some people put Chev engines in an XJ is that it is expensive to rebuild a Jag engine but Chev engines are cheap and easy to find in useable condition. For people with limited means or abilities putting a Chev engine in their car is a way to keep it going at least. Also it is getting increasingly difficult to find a mechanic that knows anything about these cars. Even back in the day some mechanics were scared to touch a Jag. It is unfortunate because the six cylinder carb cars are really quite simple and easy to work on. I come from a long line of Jaguar owners and don’t recall any of my relatives having any engine problem. Currently I own a MK2 3.8 and a ‘74 XJ6. The engines are strong. Jaguars were built down to a price so switch gear like window switches for example suffered from quality. The engine and drive train along with the suspension and styling are world class. Even our 1960 MK2 had disk brakes on all four wheels. A 1960 Chev was a joke to drive compared to this Jag.
Love your daily videos. I would say a couple things about this one... (1) Vanden Plas: "Plas" is pronounced with a silent "s" in UK. (2) I think the Saint's car was a 2-door Volvo P1800 not a Jag.
a neighbor had one with the straight 6. the car felt like it weighed as much as a kenworth while trying to get away from a stoplight.dont know how much it actually weighed, but it definately felt heavy.perhaps it was just geared for highway speed & not normal accelerations.gearing is everything in heavy vehicles.
Back in my he late 80’s, or somewhere there abouts, I was seriously looking at buying a new Vandan Plas, they really seemed like a very classy car, beautiful inside and out, and something perhaps to do with exchange rates, it really seemed like a pretty good deal price wise. It would have been quite a change from my 340 4 speed 70 Duster.
Hi Steve, as a teenager I pumped gas at a couple of gas stations and I pumped gas into quite a few Jaguars. Earlier model Jaguars where equipped with dual fuel tanks, each of which having there own electric fuel pump(s) because the customers would ask me to please fill both tanks. Please reply. Dave...
Nice to feature an XJ but so much of the information was incorrect sadly. The tanks are not connected, they are separate and controlled by a switch on the dash. Many features you pointed out were standard so not just on the Van Den Plas. Great to show one though I just wish you had done some research first.
These could be restorable and worth investment in that condition if the electronics and fuel injection weren't so complicated. You really almost need Jaguar specialists who know that era of chassis to do the electrical and fuel injection restoration and trouble shooting. Interesting location for the cruise control switch, on the center console below the gear lever. Just kind of shows you these cars don't follow any sort of industry standard engineering.
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Same deer head in this trunk as well...too funny
Those old Jag straight sixes were certainly a work of art in their own right.
They are rugged and simple for a DOHC. A classic design. The last XK6 was used in a British military truck, the long stroke gives them decent torque.
Wow! My dad bought a new 84' Vanden Plas back then, one night I did 130 mph on a north jersey highway and it did it with ease, so quiet and stable. I remember we took it to my brothers engagement party, my dad had too much to drink so my other brother drove. Dad was in the back seat and put his window down then it wouldn't go up! It was winter and we drove an hour with the window down, the car was brand new! I was at the dealer every month for a repair.
Back in 82 I did 140 mph for 45 minutes which effectively cut the trip in half on time. My grandmother was dying. But she did manage to pull through and survived in a couple of years. That was in a 68 Chevy pickup. Only loaned it out once and the sheriff came looking for me. My buddy had passed them and maxed out the radar gun 165 mph. My truck wasn't in the shop every month and didn't cost as much as jaguars. It wasn't quite stock either. But my point is I never understood why people spend so much money on these cars and it seemed as if the mechanic had more than they did! But it's fun to reminisce about being stupid in the old days. Go in that fast is what I'm talking about.
I worked on a Jag in the 90s and the Guy that owned it had it at the Shop every week. I just did an oil filter and air filter & fuel filter. He was always complaining how it spent more time at the shop than in his garage or on the road lol. Well 1 day he stopped showing up for about a month or 2, and eventually he brought it back for another service, and strangely he was no longer complaining, he was actually smiling, which was real strange. I opened the hood to get read to do the service and in place of the original Jag engine sat a Small Block 350 Chevy Engine and Transmission. It looked like it all fit perfectly, the guy that did it knew what he was doing for sure.
No lie I said how did you manage to pull that 1 off. He told me the time he was away from the shop he had taken the car to some guy in Alabama that finally fixed it right.lol
He said the parts and labor were cheaper, lasted longer and he really just brought it by to show it off. Only showed up for oil and filters belts, little stuff from then on. Never will forget how happy that made him.
@@pauberrymon5892 I agree. That's pretty much what I was saying get rid of That Jag engine junk. I'm almost bought one a few years back perfect condition it was like 800 bucks. But then it was a four-door. The engine of course was no good but then it wasn't any good today they made it parrot I don't know what else is wrong with the drivetrain if anything. A lot of guys put 350s in there. But I guess you could say you kept it in the same family when you put the 351 Fords engines at 302 or the 300 straight 6 in the Jaguar. Since Ford did on Jaguar for a while. Maybe they still do. I'd accidentally clicked on this guy's TH-cam channel not the not this one but another fellas. Best I can ascertain is that he's from England. And by his own statement he said he loves to bash American cars. Well American cars aren't perfect but there sure is a lot more of them that's been made than anywhere else in the world except for maybe Japan. I know we import more cars from Canada than any place else. But most of them are Fords so an extension of American manufacturing. He was even touting on Fiat! Fix it again Tony come on. And he spoke with such reverence about the Jaguar. So it got me fired up. Then I watch this episode on this channel. I remember riding in them. But I remember more so people making them more reliable. I don't know where the guy was firm that took it to Alabama but there are plenty of shops and garages in the backyard of people's houses and they were doing the same thing. A few of them made it look real good too under the hood. I was looking at one of the car show and this guy come by just West Nora said he ruined that car and it's originality. I asked him what do you mean? He said he put that blank blank GM engine
in there! I told him to look at the odometer and what Jaguar were ever had that kind of mileage on it! He just snarled and stopped away. What good is originality of an original was junk.
@@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983 Nuthing like some real evidence to shut up a snobby high noser. Lmboao.
@@pauberrymon5892 yep and that's all I can say and keep it rated g. Haha. Anyway a friend of a friend and I got to see the car he put 383 stroker and one of them jags. You know you can still find them things sitting around and pick them up for next to nothing. I guess it's kind of amazing how many of those jaguars were scattered around the Midwest. Speaking of those long noses I guess there's more than around the Midwest than I thought. It's been a few years but when I was doing a different job I go into people's homes and businesses and give bids for work to be done. Then the boss will send out the guys and do the work. The point is you would be surprised at how many vintage cars I would see. The ladies in the office would try to schedule accordingly so I'd have time to look if they knew. There was somebody named Peterson you may have heard of had a bunch of old studebakers and I got to see a few of them he doesn't even show at his back then $100 plate fundraisers. Now the guy's name wasn't Peterson that was showing me around but that didn't matter. But I would see about at least three jags of week that we're sitting under somebody's car cover backyard pushing back of the garage and they would get to it one of these days. But one of the most memorable ones was a 64 and a half mustang convertible with all the right options and the original tires with 14,000 miles on it! I didn't say original style I said original tires. They had it setting up on blocks to maintain the tires and had it covered in when her husband left her he left her with the car. She offered trade the car for some work and I told her the car is worth much more than that and would soon be worth a lot more. I did the right thing and from time to time I'd see her and she would always thank me for being so honest. I could have had that car really cheap sitting in my garage. I never did get that dinner that she offered but that's all right. She had owned the car her entire life it was a gift here in high school or college by our parents. And I'm going back almost 20 years for that one. Okay maybe a little more. Yes she was older than me. But my point is there's still a number of these vehicles out there. And part of my network is these guys who go out and do bids for whatever that gets them inside people's houses and businesses. Just a helpful idea for anybody out who's looking to buy a car but don't Jip a little old lady or the recent divorced. Well I got to go get my trailer ready so I go pick up a 70 short bed. It's an interesting way to make a living.
The Jag next to the GEO Metro convertible is a stunning contrast.
There is 2 fuel tanks! There is an individual tank behind each rear quarter and a switch on the console to switch between. I own one of these cars so I know this 100%.
Interesting to see your take on the old XJ anyway. Thanks
Thanks for the info!
Yup! I remember filling up both sides, they were separate tanks
Remember switching over to the other tank thinking there was a 1/4 in there but was empty as well!
Had to call for help.
The deer head starting to be part of the show 🤣
Tony Souza Kinda like the pink gorilla that used to show up on the now canceled Dirt Every Day tv. show.
You just noticed that now where you been?
@@darrenbrisson4336 Maybe he's new to Steve's show. Give him a break.
Yeah, but keep your eyes peeled for the wheel barrow. First thing I look for.
My brothers friends dad got one of these in the mid 80s, probably '86. I remember we were all over at his house and they were anticipating him coming home with the new Jag as we played basketball in the driveway. Sure enough he pulled up in a dark green Jaguar XJ6. We all looked over the car and marveled at it's beautiful lines and interior. His dad took his three sons for a cruse after dinner (was already late afternoon). As Steve pointed out, often a doctor or executive would buy one of these, well his dad was a heart surgeon cardiologist doctor that was always on call. He was the first person I knew who had a pager that would beep then you would hear the dispatch call for a specific doctor by name. His beeper would only activate on those special calls. You wouldn't hear the rest of the regular dispatch stuff for police and fire etc. He had that Jag for many years, and replaced it with another Jag, as the one in '86 had replaced a older one that day.
I had almost the exact same car as this, mine was an '86 though. Never had it leave me stranded, but it would always find interesting new ways to make me struggle.
It actually does have two gas tanks, there's a switch on the center console to switch between the two on the fly
Yep! If your fuel tank switching valve between the two failed then it would let each tank drain to the other and level out but working correctly they are indeed separate tanks
That deer sure gets around.
Very nice to see you talk about one of these jagggs:) That one was left to rot so badly I’ve rarely seen such a bad interior. Still could be brought back to life I’d say..
Few glairing errors and omissions. This one deserves a revisit.
1. Gas tanks are separate, 11 gallons each. There is also a button on the dash that actuates the switch over valve.
2. Rear A/C and heating vents were present installed on all models starting with the series 2 in 1974. There are 2 knobs that diverts the air from the rear top vent for A/C to the two lower vent for heat.
3. Popular donor cars for hotrodders, Many 'a Jag IRS and IFS have been used in hot rods. Same for the gauges and fuel doors. These cars have a fully rubber isolated front and rear subframes and have a ride / handling that still can't be matched today. The front is rack and pinion and the rear 1/2 shafts serves as the upper control arm as well as inboard rear brakes.
4 This engine was built as small as 2.8L in Europe and also with a manual transmission.
5. Car is designed totally symmetrical, so could be easily built Right or Left hand drive.
6. Spare would have been full sized, not mini
7. Engine suffered from quality control problems, some are fantastic, some failed quickly from new and were often replaced with Small Block Chevy's and TH350's in the 80's.
8. With a Jag from this era you need not worry about oil leaks, you need to worry when it stops leaking becasue that means you're out of oil.
I remember the Chevy conversions, they did it to XKEs too. An XKE with an SBC can go like a rocket but somehow loses something too
Spot on !
Steve, the XJ6 that your showing is a Series 3 XJ6, which was the last of the William Lyons Jags, and was produced until 1987. The car was redesigned for the 1988 model year, and then got a new engine to replace the old '49-'92 XK6 (the XK6 continued on in some Daimler cars thru the '92 model year) The new engine was referred to as the AJ6 (advanced Jaguar 6).
The Lucas fuel injection system was actually a licensed version of the analog Bosch L-jetronic,and is super robust and reliable. In fact, the series 3 XJ6 was a really reliable car, as by then Jaguar had gotten rid of all the lower quality electrical components that had caused reliability issues through the Series 2 cars.
Oh, and yes, the car DOES have two fuel tanks, one inside each rear fender. They're connected by an elaborate system of pipes and switches, controlled by a pushbutton on the dash.
I need to get out to that yard, they've got stuff I can put to good use on my Jag Special build.👍
Great videos, man. Dig your content!
Love the deer head.
Cribbing Mark E Smith! Steve, you do impress.
Hello. British viewer here. Jag-you-are! Had a lovely 3.2 litre XJ40 (the next body style on) myself a few years back. Lovely cars, they do rust for fun though!
If I ever hear Steve saying "pritty pritty pritty Peggy Sue' again it'll be too soon.
Great video as usual, Steve and Shane. Remember these Jaaaaaaags so well growing up in Scotland. Very popular with bank managers and bank robbers!
I own a 2002 XJ8 Vanden Plas (silent S!), drives me insane when someone says Jagwire!😫
🤣🤣🤣
Thanks to that "lot boy" job in the late eighties at Performance Motors in Falmouth, (the same job that allowed me to beat on a consignment Ferrari for two weeks) I cleaned up and drove both the xj6 and the xj12 when they came through the shop as trade-ins towards our Mercedes
I did not expect to hear gags about Joe Lucas!! And well done for the correct pronunciation of Vanden Plas!!
Back in the early 80's I was doing part time work at a show horse farm and the woman that owned it and several other businesses had one of those Jag's and was very proud of it. Trouble was she would literally have it put up on blocks every fall because of the midwest winters and drive her Jeep Grand Cherokee and in the spring long after the threat of snow disappeared have it taken down. It would never start and always would have to be picked up by the closest dealer ( Chicago) about 90 miles away and they would have to go thru it replacing a bunch of stuff with a big bill. Everyone would try to tell her if she would just have someone start it at least once a month and exercise everything she wouldn't have that big expense every year.
Great find Steve! Growing up my dad’s friend had an older model (looked pretty much the same) and I swear it had 2 separate fuel tanks with a switch(s) on the dash to toggle between them. Even back then I knew that the prestige of owning one was the ability to afford to keep it running haha! The depth of its red paint was impressive though.
Probably did many jags had that
My 1963 Jaguar MK X (aka MK 10) has separate tanks and fuel pumps, one per side.
Like the deer mount traveling prop
Bought a wrecked 77 V-12 Jag at an auction, wanted to build something Jag powered. Stuffed the engine in a 67 Cutlass wagon but needed the wiring from the Jag but had already sent what was left to the crusher. Sold the V-12 and transmission and put a Pontiac 301 in the Cutlass. Sold the Cutlass to a cousin, she drove that car the engine died somewhere in an Arizona desert.
My parents had an '87. These had rear inboard brakes which meant taking the axle out whenever you needed to do brake work. After doing that one too many times they sold it on.
Lol Steve, must be different to open a boot/trunk and not see the ground!!! In Australia and UK it is Jag-u-ar and one thing they always have in common is the headliner will always fall down, old and new models. Down here clean ones are slightly starting to get collectable but they are just painful to work on. They did make SWB and LWB models which was 4 inches longer on the rear floor pan or near the dog leg(Can't remember). Cheers mate, still loving this channel.
My Father-In-Law had an 1988 VP and at least in that model the VP had longer rear doors, longer wheel base, and more room in the rear. I assumed it was for folks who had a Driver but did not want the limo "vibe" and wanted to be a bit stealthier. The XJ-6L was set up similarly. Also had fold down tray tables behind the front seats similar to airline tray tables. Extremely smooth riding on the road even at very high speeds. Didn't hold value very well and decent examples could be had pretty cheaply compared to the price when new.
Keeping the super creepy deer head moving is nice touch to keep us fans interested!! Another great video Steve and a shout out to Shane on his excellent video taking and skill that it takes to make these awesome videos!!
👋😂👍I was wondering the same thing! Lmfao!
Ok I give, whats the deal with the deer head. At first I thought it just happened to be in the trunk of the car in one of the first videos that I watched. Now its popping up all the time. Back story please?
I try not to look at the nauseating partially rotted deer head. Wish someone would heave it off into the abundant overgrowth.
I think its time to give that creepy deer head a proper burial, as its taxidermy is not holding up and its decomposing with each episode .
@@jaymichaels5187 Rudolf Dieselhead Rules!
A substitute teacher I had in elementary school in the mid 90's had one from 1972. The character Janine "Smurf" Cody drove one in the final season of Animal Kingdom during the 1992 flashbacks.
Jaguar, as it sounds. The same as the slow cat!!
At one stage here there was more Jags with anything but Jag engines. Chevs the most common but I have seen Falcon 6s, Holden V8s, Fords and one with a V8 Leyland 4.4. All more reliable and leak less oil than the original.
Problem is Jags have a shortish diff ratio, tallest is 3.07? so unless you use an overdrive trans they are fairly busy.
As for those 12s,, drink more oil than petrol, and they LOVE petrol for fairly modest power
Caught the Fall 'The Classical" reference, well done.
Great video! What I understand is the Lucas Digital Fuel injection is just a licensed version of Bosch L Jetronic so actually pretty reliable comparatively
I'd love to have a European spec V12 version. Just great looking cars
I replaced a water pump on an XJ12 coupe the day Princess Diana was killed. It was a 4 hour nightmare
Thanks Steve
I personally know where one is hiding out. Same model black, in better shape and has been waiting a long time for me to appropriate. That interior is thrashed. I need to go pick up that car. Thanks for reminding me how fast the interiors go south.
Love the jaguar. I have owned 2 . One 1986 and 1988 both xj6
I was at a filling station and a women, an older lady was trying to fill her Jag XJ. She seemed to be having trouble getting the nozzle into the filler neck. I got out to help her. Sure enough the nozzle would not fit. I then asked if her car was Diesel to which she replied no, it runs on gasoline. I put the Diesel nozzle back and got her the gasoline nozzle. Glad I could help her. The car you show could have been used on the 'Equalizer' TV series of the 1980's starring David Woodward.
My Mum had elocution lessons in the UK and they taught them "Father's car is a Jag-u-ar" Just say "Jag" and avoid the confusion. These were fun to drive back in the day - I had a 74 malibu and stepping into this was more like a modern sedan in regards to handling.
Love how he just ignored the deer head in the trunk. 😂
A couple years ago Jaguar released a brand new 4.2 casting to correct the overheating related cracking problem. Many of these that are parked have the cracked block, but are probably too far gone to fix. The bore/stroke of the 3.8 is very similar to the Chrysler slant six,but the E-type with the hemi heads sure made a lot more power than my 225.
Great styling on all Jags. I didn't know what Vanden Plas meant until now.
The only thing that saves these old-ish jag's is to have a 'Lucas-ectomy'
Rudolf riding in style now huh? Back in the 80s my shop had a few customers with this car but personally the v12 was a boat anchor, the 6 was much better. We also had 1 customer that retrofitted his with a sbc 350 ....complete with the gm a6 ac compressor that came with the jag originally.
Ahhh yes the brick phone days lol you were cool to have one back then.
The side mirrors on the XJ were also sourced to the Grand Wagoneer. They pivot as well.
Is that why the Cherokee is known as the XJ???😅
@@DanEBoyd perhaps. "XJ" apparently means "Experimental" in both auto makers. Rolls Royce used the same mirrors as well.
I have seen so many of those that got parked along the tree row with only minor issues that were too expensive and/or complicated to repair. And I've also seen them parked due to the chassis rust that basically made it a parts car. They'd look just fine at a glance but the rust underneath would be so bad that the car was inoperable. My uncle had an 04 model that he drove until the warranty ran out. During the warranty period it had all sorts of battery/voltage/charging issues that would have ran up into the thousands had he been the one paying. He did the right thing by trading it I'm certain of that.
There was a shop here in Baton Rouge back in the 1980's that specialized in shoehorning Chevrolet engines into these cars ( and Datsun Z cars). Some of the XJ's received big block 454's.
I remember after the stock market crash of ‘87, these Jags and a lot of BMW’s were available at wholesale auctions for a song.
Hey Steve. That nylon part of the antennae attached to the metal antennae and coiled around the drive to raise and lower the antennae. Lots of manufacturers used a similar design. The nylon wasn't actually the antennae.
Sorry Steve, there are indeed two fuel tanks, one behind each qtr panel and you must use both fillers, the selector switch to swap over is on the dash. Just to add the Vanden Plas had a “fluted” grill surround, plinth and picnic tables on the back of the front seats, that looked like someone robbed a back seat and and rear emblem.
Although I have never bothered to research any info on these cars, this has been my favorite Jag ever since I started paying attention to cars in the early '70s.
Just love that body.
Unfortunately I have never known anyone who has owned one, so I could get a in-person look.
ours was a '89 XJ6 VP. The in-line 6 could run at 90mph all day. I did replace the drive shaft coupling and some other problem with the brake system that the specialty car repair place fixed. And one of the back windows wouldn't roll down. The car was a tank, the doors closed with a solid thump. Dreadfully slow off the line but once up to speed can maintain high speed, handling is not bad, but the weight of the car takes some getting used to. Would I buy another? Nope!
Steve, it is two fuel tanks with a switch on on the dash, the trany in the six is a borg warner and XJ12 had a turbo 400 and the rear end is a Dana 60 with independent suspension with in board disc brakes, pretty advanced for there time.
The smallest XK engine was 2.4 not 2.7, the Mk1 saloon used the 2.4 ( Mk1 is similar to the Mk2 )
Hah, I thought it was Jag Wire when I was a little kid - and I also thought that '63-'67 Vettes were Jags too!
the plastic antenna is the inside nylon that pushes up a telescoping mast not the antenna itself.
There was also a 2 door version for a couple years. I worked on one in my youth in the early 80s.
Hi Steve, In the background of this video was a white Geo Metro convertible. I'd love to see a crawl video on that unique piece of auto history!
Lucas-the inventor of darkness.
Not to mention that most of these spent an equal amount of road time in the shop !
Drove an "85 XJ6 for 10yrs (1991 to 2001) Maintained properly myself, no issues. Oil spray kept body beautifully solid & sold it off in wonderful shape. If a "mechanic" could not properly tend to one of these, then they were by no means an actual mechanic (Just a parts changer, if that) . Well engineered, capable high speed saloon. For more than a decade I have been enjoying a 1997 XK8. Also a wonderful unit. Fully believe most Jaguar owners are shop-raped just because of their mechanical lack of knowledge.
Atta boy Shane! Great job!
Hi Steve Back in early 90's I did a 350 conversion, On a 2 dr, I don't think it was that model, 400 Bucks up and running,Friend of mind was given a jag, Perfect shape, It was easy, He drove that car a long time.
thats the only way to make them reliable.
Thanks for the info
Appreciate the reference to The Classical song by The Fall
Jags do have twin fuel tanks not one . They are totally separate from each other and there’s a switch in the dash to switch from either tank . I’ve owned a number of these cars lovely smooth drivers.
cool fact. next to the little fuel pump symbol by the gas gauge in your car is a little arrow. it points to the side of the car with the fuel filler.
Cell phone would have been handy for calling tow truck!
would love to see about the geo metro convertible (behind this car) and its history. i used to install ac to these cars aftermarket and it really robbed them of their already little power. love your knowledge of these cars. keep it up
Exactly I would find that Geo Metro convertible a gem to find 😎
putting small block chevs in Jagyouars was pretty popular in oz back in the day
I really have to concentrate when I say "Jaguar" because it wants to come out as "wire", which I know is wrong. I usually just say "Jag".
The Equalizer drove an XJ6, speaking of Tv shows.
Also… that deer head is creepy.
JagWah thanks Steve :-)
Owned a few jags, enjoyed them despite the pain.
Man I always loved those! I just love the classic styling! Too bad I was a poor sap then that I couldn’t afford one of those beauty’s! Actually a guy from work had one of those! Exactly the same color too! Just one beautiful machine!👌🥰👍that one looks like it could still be saved! Nice 👍
Please do a walk around with the White Geo Metro convertible in the background!
Because those XJ's used a turbo 350 trans,v it was simple matter to repower them with a SBC. Especially when the owner of nice car found the engine was a bit fragile if worked too hard and repair bills were insane. There used to be a forum catering to owners of chev powered jags too.
This is not correct, they used a BorgWarner with a unique to Jag bell housing bolt pattern
And then they are worthless with a Chevy engine.
Draguar!!!
Hey Steve, That thing in the boot that You said was the fuel pump, Was the switching valve To change from l/h fuel tank to the r/h fuel tank. The 2 fillers on each 1/4 panel that You said were joined to one main tank is not correct. There was a switch on the Dash so you could change from tank to tank and that was the valve that You were looking at in boot (trunk) You thought was a fuel pump. They had 2 separate fuel tanks. It was quite common to replace the l/h fuel tank.
most people only ever used the r/h tank and the left tank rusted out from drying out and not being used.
Always loved that body style - one of the few foreign cars I lusted after back in the days when I didn’t have two nickels to rub together……🤤
Since we’re talking about words the Brits say funny, “Al You Minny Um” (aluminum) is the one that always makes me chuckle……😂
Look at a periodic table of the elements. The element Al is "aluminium". The Brits pronounce it correctly. I don't know why we Americans dropped the last "i".
You and me both!
Did the Brits print that version of the Elementary Table my Dear Watson? (see what I did there?) -Steve Magnante
Makes me think of Uni, Roy and Al of Uniroyal tires TV commercial fame. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante Uni was the hot one, as I recall.
The XK engine is one of the greatest engines ever built. Why are people on this site dumping on this engine? It won the Le Mans race five times in the 1950’s along with many other big races. Before Ford Vs.Ferrari there was Jaguar Vs. Ferrari Vs. Mercedes. The XK engine which was designed during WW2 made more power for its size than what the Americans produced. It is bullet proof. It was in production in various sizes for almost fifty years. The only reason why some people put Chev engines in an XJ is that it is expensive to rebuild a Jag engine but Chev engines are cheap and easy to find in useable condition. For people with limited means or abilities putting a Chev engine in their car is a way to keep it going at least. Also it is getting increasingly difficult to find a mechanic that knows anything about these cars. Even back in the day some mechanics were scared to touch a Jag. It is unfortunate because the six cylinder carb cars are really quite simple and easy to work on. I come from a long line of Jaguar owners and don’t recall any of my relatives having any engine problem. Currently I own a MK2 3.8 and a ‘74 XJ6. The engines are strong. Jaguars were built down to a price so switch gear like window switches for example suffered from quality. The engine and drive train along with the suspension and styling are world class. Even our 1960 MK2 had disk brakes on all four wheels. A 1960 Chev was a joke to drive compared to this Jag.
still want one
Vanden Plas was the badge used in the US for what the UK calls a Daimler. So this car would be a "Daimler 6". The V12 was a "Daimler Double-Six".
I think Vanden Plas was only marketed in the US/Canada markets. In Britain the luxury Jags were sold as Daimlers
My 87 Grand Marquis had a similar power antenna. The telescoping shaft was 'pushed' out using a plastic rod, similar to a flexible rack gear.
I owned an XJ6 for a week. I sold it to another XJ6 owner as a parts car as soon as I discovered how bad the chassis rust compromised the car.
These are still holding down a lot of garage floors. And covered in boxes.
Love your daily videos. I would say a couple things about this one... (1) Vanden Plas: "Plas" is pronounced with a silent "s" in UK. (2) I think the Saint's car was a 2-door Volvo P1800 not a Jag.
a neighbor had one with the straight 6. the car felt like it weighed as much as a kenworth while trying to get away from a stoplight.dont know how much it actually weighed, but it definately felt heavy.perhaps it was just geared for highway speed & not normal accelerations.gearing is everything in heavy vehicles.
Back in my he late 80’s, or somewhere there abouts, I was seriously looking at buying a new Vandan Plas, they really seemed like a very classy car, beautiful inside and out, and something perhaps to do with exchange rates, it really seemed like a pretty good deal price wise. It would have been quite a change from my 340 4 speed 70 Duster.
I've always wanted one of these. But never pulled the trigger because of their bad reputation.
Yanks pining for Rovers resorted to Jags, and in between visits to the shop, the ride was nice.
"I've seemed to have misplaced my wallet. Be a jolly good chap won't you and pick up the tab."
Some Jaaag driver yelling at a sheep.
Hi Steve, as a teenager I pumped gas at a couple of gas stations and I pumped gas into quite a few Jaguars. Earlier model Jaguars where equipped with dual fuel tanks, each of which having there own electric fuel pump(s) because the customers would ask me to please fill both tanks. Please reply. Dave...
My 1987 jaguar xj6 has dual gas tanks you have to push the button to switch which tank you using it does not all go through one tank .
Nice to feature an XJ but so much of the information was incorrect sadly. The tanks are not connected, they are separate and controlled by a switch on the dash. Many features you pointed out were standard so not just on the Van Den Plas. Great to show one though I just wish you had done some research first.
These could be restorable and worth investment in that condition if the electronics and fuel injection weren't so complicated. You really almost need Jaguar specialists who know that era of chassis to do the electrical and fuel injection restoration and trouble shooting.
Interesting location for the cruise control switch, on the center console below the gear lever. Just kind of shows you these cars don't follow any sort of industry standard engineering.
Damn, you took my joke (Lucas fridge). ;-D
Steve they have two tanks.and a switch in the dash to switch sides.as I have one
If I'm not mistaken Roger Moore drove a Volvo P1800 sports coupe during his run as The Saint.
Bloody good show governor. Keep on crawling!
It's called "Book matched grains".
Worked at a jag dealership in Portland Oregon back in the 80's
Wish I had a dollar for everyone I detailed
The saint had a 67 Volvo p1800, you must mean the return of the saint. Even then it was a xjs 2 door😄