Dating all the way back to 1968, the Jaguar XJ remained a full-size staple of Jaguar’s line-up through 2019. And of that specific model, the XJ6 variant (1968-1992) was one of “The Art of Performance’s” most popular offerings. Today’s find is a member of the XJ6 Series 2 (1973-1979) and is one of 91K to roll off of Jaguar’s Coventry, England assembly line. This beautiful sedan is located in Quincy, Illinois and is available, here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $6,500.
While Jaguar did build an XJ6 coupe (1975-1978), this XJ6 is a typical four-door “saloon” (sedan) and is described by the seller as being rock solid with a super straight body. It certainly shows well with its surprisingly deep onyx black finish and brilliant brightwork – impressive for a 45-year-old car that has not undergone restoration. There is no mileage listed so that may be an item to take up with the seller. The enhanced black rubber bumper “rammers” don’t do this Jag any favors but they didn’t do any car of this era a favor; it was one of those regulations that had to be accepted. At least they’re in good nick without the typical fading and/or splitting. Generally, white-stripe tires would not seem like the province of a Jaguar, but in this case, they work well.
The engine is not identified with specifics but it is more than likely a 162 net HP, 4.2-liter in-line six-cylinder powerplant working through a three-speed automatic transmission. The seller states, “It is in very good running and driving condition, but at this time it has a motor mount that is broken and needs to be repaired“. That’s an item that I would place in the “needs immediate attention” category – a shifting engine can cause some unexpected, and unwelcome, driving dynamics. Interesting to note is the GM Frigidaire A-6 A/C compressor.
The interior mostly shows very well – the seating upholstery looks like new, ditto the door cards and console. The instrument panel has a bit of a problem with delamination – it almost looks as if there is a cellophane wrapper that is peeling away. Fortunately, all of the instruments appear to be very clear and legible. The dash pad may have a split at about the center point, the image isn’t clear enough to tell for certain.
While not an uncommon Jaguar, like some of their models, this full-sized XJ6 is still an impressive road car, and this particular example appears to have been well maintained and cared for. There are numerous images on Fotki, it would be worth your time to review them all. If British motoring refinement from this era is of interest, this Jaguar XJ6 is one to consider!
A pit waiting to have money poured into it.
I know I’m in the minority, but I’ve always preferred the look of these to the XKE. They just exude such class!
This one isn’t perfect by any means…..but for the price, you can fix what is wrong. The interior, with the exception of the dash and dash pad, seems to be in beautiful condition.
I looked at one of these over the winter that wasn’t near as nice as this example. Agree that these exude a lot of class. It is a temptress and like a trophy wife, something that will be expensive.
I owned a series I for 16 plus years. No reason for this to be a money pit. Cosmetics are always the expensive areas, especially f you can do mechanical work yourself. There is lots of support on line, both for parts and info.
Money pits: Chevrolet Equinox; water pump is $1000 plus installed. Tahoe; Taillight assembly, (LED no replaceable bulbs), $726, part only.
I used to say any old car can be a money pit. Now, any car out of warranty can be a money pit.
other money pits: wood boats forever leaking….
And motorhomes…
I’ve owned lots of Jags, including a ’74 XJ6, and a ’76 XJ12. They are wonderful cars to drive and easy cars to work on, with cheap and plentiful parts. Not money pits at all. I drove the XJ6 for 4 years and apart from one power steering hose and, coincidentally, a motor mount, only did routine oil changes. One of the cheapest cars to own I’ve ever had.
tompdx – you are the VERY RARE exception. Your Jaguar experiences are unique. However, the ¨money pit¨ remark indeed holds true for practically all cars these days.
Beck Arnley motor mounts are inexpensive. Why not replace the mount(s) and then advertise the car for sale.
funny remark about the white stripe tires – I have definitely seen more of these with them than without. They really suit this car.
Send offer to collectorcarsandparts@yahoo.com