Here goes... I have always loved the shape of the XJ Series Coupes and found myself buying one within hours of seeing the add on Facebook. Having owned/currently own an XJ6 sedan/XJ6 (XJ40) and a V12 XJS convertible the only thing lacking was the coupe. This one was only an hour from my house, so I was able to actually go and look at it without a several hour road trip and will not have to ship it.

Car is a 1977 model year in Squadron Blue (???) with black interior. Odometer shows 62,000 miles and it wouldn't surprise me if it was indeed 62,000 and not 162,000.

Details:
- SBC 350 swapped in 2014 using a kit from John's. Motor was freshly rebuilt when swapped and the TH350 was new from Summit Racing. Receipts as proof.
- No AC
- Not sure how I feel about the carbureted SBC. I like originality but will live with the SBC for now as I sort out the car. I feel coating the headers, removing the valve covers and going with some plain black stamped steel ones as well as a more OEM looking stamped steel air cleaner would make the car look less, muscle carish.
- Wire wheels. I prefer the look of the Kents and thankfully I have at least 8 or 10 spares.
- Nonstock radio
- Dash wood has been replaced. Looks like something that would come from Maderia or another professional. Not a DYI refinish.
- Rear seats have been reupholstered, but the backrest looks like the leather has shrunk.
- Front seats are replacements (leather), can't remember the brand, but look the part.
- Nice steering wheel. Not sure if it is a Nardi or another brand.

The car has been repainted and only time will tell what surprises lie hidden under the paint. The only visible rust is some bubbling on the passenger's side rear fender lip. The trunk looks solid, floors seem solid, rockers are solid, but I know when the time comes to properly repaint the car, I can expect some rust repair. The hood is tweaked and not sure if it is out of adjustment or what. The interior is in very nice shape compared to other XJ6 cars I have looked at when looking to buy.

Now the big reveal, I paid $9,200.00. Car is running, driving and passes safety inspection. I feel the price is fair and makes it easy seeing putting another $10/$15/$20,000 into the car given where values are going on the coupes.

Please feel to comment or give advice. I know the sedans decent enough, but the coupes and their uniqueness is all new to me. Colors, numbers made, what parts interchange and what ones don't, etc... I will be learning as I go.

 

Congrats, seems like a great deal to me, and in an uncommon color. Many coupes that come up for sale seem to be neglected rust buckets or ones that gave undergone extensive renovations and are out of my price range. I wouldn’t feel compelled to swap in a Jaguar engine when you already have a Jaguar V12 and an inline 6. The other needs seem pretty manageable. Wheel choice is a personal choice, but I agree with using Kents over wire wheels. Enjoy, the coupe shape is beautiful.

 

That seems like a great deal given the apparent condition. Agree with putting on the Kent's.

 

Raging bargain! Congratulations, but fix the bonnet as fast as you can! Squadron Blue was a very popular colour in the UK for these cars. Beautiful looking car.
What does it drive like, suspension, ride, etc? The steering wheel is Mota-Lita brand, a UK very high quality make, lots of Jaguar owners have replaced the OEM wheel with one, including me.

 

Definitely looks like Squadron Blue, (look at our RAF uniforms !). All-in-all looks very nice. Pity it was lumped, but to be frank, you're probably much better off with a US V8 as the straight six engine of the 70s onwards can be very troublesome, as I found out with a 1980 Series 3.

 

The hood/bonnet certainly looks like it is sitting far too high on the front left by the headlamps and perhaps this is preventing the original latches from holding it closed, hence why someone has added the extra catches

There is quite a lot of adjustment possible on the hinges but I’m wondering if the PO has had to do something to make it fit over the transplanted engine?

 

I think the hood is just out of adjustment as it clears the air filter fine. If I had to guess, I would say the hood pins were added just for show as the original latches still function properly.

Yes, I believe you are all correct, the color is Squadron blue. At some point the car will get a proper strip and repaint and I will be torn if I want to keep the original color or make a change. I have seen an Audi grey that I really like, with a gloss black painted roof instead of the vinyl that came on the car originally.

I have gone through the receipts and the motor is a 1973 vintage 350 rebuilt by a local Napa machine shop back in 2014. Receipts show the block was magnafluxed, bored, line honed, crank reground, all new bearings, an RV Cam (no specs on this), new 9 to 1 pistons, new ARP hardware, timing chain/gears and all the other goodies. The carburetor is a Holley 570 CFM Street Avenger sitting on a Summit Racing 513000 low profile, dual plenum intake manifold. The motor also received a new power steering pump, new water pump, new alternator, high torqued starter and the aluminum valve covers and oil pan. Transmission is a TCI TH350 from Summit Racing with a TCI Saturday Night Special 12" non lock up torque converter. It appears that the engine rebuild and swap was done properly given the parts bought and how everything was put together. Just not a used salvage yard motor dropped in and hope for the best.

The seats are Procar Pro-90 in leather These alone are $1,878.00 for a pair in today's dollars. Again, more evidence that at some point in the car's life it was given some love. The back seats are newly reupholstered in leather as well.

The car runs, drives, steers and stops as it should, but to be fair I have only driven it a very, very short distance, say less than a 1/4 mile as it isn't registered or insured yet.

My plans are to baseline all the fluids, check the belts and hoses, make sure brake lines are not perished, etc... I have not investigated it yet, but the seller told me that the dual tanks do not work and that each tank just gravity feeds to a single inlet and then to the pump. Not sure how I feel about this. The hood will be adjusted, and swap on a new front bumper. I would love to put on a Euro front bumper, but it doesn't seem worth the hassle to me, especially when I already have a nice spare US bumper. Wheels will be swapped out for Kents and a fresh set of tires installed.

Procar Pro-90 Seat | Procar by SCAT | Custom Seating Solutions

 

Congratulations. I had an SBC swapped XJ12C about 13 years which was a crude home made conversion but drove everywhere. I had to have a V12 so I sold it and bought a V12 which i've probably driven fewer then 10 times in 10 years.

 

How did I ever miss this post?!!
I *Luv* the coupes, as Series 2 (in my opinion) is the most Beautiful Jag ever to roll off the assembly line (I freely admit my Shameless bias). This one is Spectacular.
What a Score!

I agree with others, the left front corner of the hood is way too high. With care and a couple helpers, you could have it right in an hour or two.

And then after numerous slow lowerings and sightings down the lines for symmetry, and with great trepidation (been there so I know!),​​​​​​​ Always pulling up on the headlight brows to be sure it falls evenly. take a deep breath and let it drop.

I wish you success.
(';')

 

Again, still learning about the coupes, but it was interesting to learn the last XJC built, a November 1977 production V12, was in Squadron blue with a black vinyl top and Kent wheels. Maybe the color is unique enough to save when I do undertake a body restoration.

 

Squadron blue is a fantastic color. If you haven't seen the Harry's garage videos on Youtube, watching him blast around his squadron blue car should give you inspiration, Mine is silver, but instead of repainting it in Jaguar silver, I decided to go with Mercedes Benz astral silver (DB735) as I had a gallon laying round.

 

Would it really de-value the car significantly when the time does come to do a strip and repaint to paint it anything other than the original squadron blue and leave the vinyl top deleted? I know there is a lot to be said about originality and wondering if it really matters with the XJ6 Coupe cars. Especially with this car that already has the original motor swapped for a V8.

 

In that case it would make no difference, I believe.

 

I do have a complete 1983 donor XJ6 series 3 with a good motor and transmission that I could swap into the coupe, but not sure how easy or difficult going to the injected motor would be even if I have the harness and computer. Or if I am better off staying with the SBC and living with the car for a while. No rush to make a decision.

 

A local FB Marketplace find. Both are in mint condition. The owner's manual is pristine. The interests I don't think have ever been unfolded.

 

There's no doubt for reliability and availability of much cheaper spare parts, the US V8 engine is a better fitment for cars based in the US. Here in the UK, the XJCs are worth significantly more than the normal saloon in equal condition, but a non-Jaguar engine would kill the price.

 

This car or any Jaguar with a non-Jaguar engine is significantly reduced in value. There is nothing particularly unreliable about the Jag XK engine compared to a “small block v8”….one of my favourite Jaguar experiences was coming off a highway run in my 1966 Mark 2. At the first traffic stop after the exit, a fellow in a BMW who had been following me rolled down his window and commented on how fast the Jaguar was and then added “I guess you have a Chevy engine in there.” It was a statement, not a question.

My response was a simple NO and a smile.

 

A previous owner appears to have gone through a lot of effort to convert the car to a SBC, and going back to a Jaguar engine will be low on my priorities. I probably would only consider the swap when and if, more likely when, the car goes in for a total repaint. I am bringing the car home tomorrow, and will go about seeing what, if anything, needs sorting out.

Adjusting the hood will be a top priority, swapping on a good front bumper and replacing the wheels with Kents is next. I have a vision for what I want under the hood to look like and will share when I am done.

And the car needs an original radio reinstalled. I am not an audiophile, so a stock radio will be just fine and look much better.

 

I notice there are two distinct camps when it comes to converting these cars to Chevy V-8.

Many Mercans think V-8 conversion is the Only way to go, because, after all, if it's Mercan it's Best (Merca Centric).

If the owner is in any other part of the world, I understand that Chevy V-8s aren't exactly growing on trees, so to speak, and great effort is expended lengths taken to keep the original engine either in the car or replaced with a similar one, because that's what's available "locally."

I've also found that relative "Value" of Any car has more to do with Emotion than Hardware, unless one is dealing with a professional assessor who has a hard and fast Check List.

We've seen some Ridiculous money change hands for some Converted Classic Jags that I wouldn't have if they were gifted to me, and some Pristine examples, of well-kept Non-converted classics nearly given away for lack of interest.

"Value," I have learned, is whatever someone will pay for it, no matter the condition or what's been done to the car.
(';')

 

Lovely car ! I have a '77 saloon (sedan) in Squadron Blue and initially wasn't sure about the colour. However a lot of people comment on how much they like it and I think it does grow on you. Hopefully not like a wart though !