RE: Spotted: Jaguar XJ-C

[Ftumpch]

Style to burn, and my god that's cheap!!

I reckon the straight 6 would actually suit this car better than the V12, which is a much more rare incarnation that I think I remember seeing advertised for about 20k a little while ago.

Spelling, Ftumpch...

[rtz62]

I believe, in response to T.K, that cloth was the default trim, not leather??
The girls father, in my previous post, deffo had cloth in his 5.3C, I'm sure it was red in contrast to the silver paintwork (when black cloth would have oozed class, in the eyes if a 16yr old schoolboy!)

[M3John]

Absolutely love these and would dearly love to own one some day.

[ArthurDaley]

I'd love one but 'er in doors would have a fit

[cookie1600]

My Dad took a Daimler XJC 5.3 V12 in part-ex for a brand new Range Rover in the 1980's. He was trying to practically give it away afterwards as it was so thirsty and no one wanted it. I said I'd run it for a while but at 19/20 years old my wages wouldn't run to the petrol costs let alone the insurance and I think it ended up going to auction for next to nothing.

It was like this one, in that awful 'baby cack light brown' that so many of them seemed to be in:



I wish I had of stored it away somewhere as it was a real beauty and I lust after one even to this day! Perhps it could be restored to full Broadspeed livery and body:



Or in Steeds BRG?



Lots more info on the Ralph Broad cars here:

http://broadspeedcoupe.tripod.com/id1.html

Swoon........

Edited by cookie1600 on Wednesday 18th July 08:51

[richw_82]

I do like the XJC, I managed to get my hands on a Squadron Blue car that had been stood for a long time, but it was bit too far gone for me to save - having corroded in some really 'interesting' places. My brother had another one not so long ago, but that one also had to go as he had too many projects on the go. The Avengers car (green XJ12C) was a good looking thing and there's a chap that has built a red version but with an XJR6 supercharged engine for anyone that wants inspiring!

I think a wander over to ovalchat is in order to see if I can find something worth saving. I even have a brand new vinyl roof waiting for when it comes along.

Anybody that's seriously thinking about it - take a brave pill and crack on. You can get most parts brand new now, making owning one a whole lot less scary.

[infradig]

wildcat45 said:

MarkwG said:

Oh yep...the police car, the dark metallic blue & the red one...& a mate had one in yellow...there was even a coastguard one, I think...hence always wanting the real deal, but never quite having the required bravery...

Me too.

And me, I even painted my red one with Airfix enamel green paint to make it look like Steed's.

[richw_82]

cookie1600 said:

It was like this one, in that awful 'baby cack light brown' that so many of them seemed to be in

'Greensand' was the name of the colour. It looks great when clean, but really awful as soon as it starts to get dirty.

[SESH]

I had a red one in the mid 80's. Overheated due to a split bottom hose and a temp gauge that didn't show the overtemp. It cracked the block between two cylinders. There was not much metal between the cyliders of a 4.2 !! Great car though, but that was the end of that. Although I did buy another 4.2 Coupe in the early 90's in Lavender Blue.

[stuttgartmetal]

The long door was actually two doors welded together.

Boring but true.

[PatrickOUFC]

Lovely motor
Can just see Arthur and Terry wafting around the streets of West London in this car...

[Davey S2]

My father had a Daimler Double Six Coupe for a few years. Very fast, very quiet and very thirsty but also very cool.

He part ex'd it for Gordon Keeble.

[theJT]

I always wished they made an X300 / X350 in this style. I love the old one, I really do, but I just couldn't live with the effort required to take care of a vintage Jag. A 2 door X308 with that menacing face and a 4 litre V8 in it would be just heavenly.

[Domf]

The rear quarter windows proved to be a big problem for Jaguar in that no 2 cars seem to fit the same frame, no doubt the curve of the roof caused issues, but it led to the dreaded rot as water ingress around the ill fitting frames led to severe rot in the rear side panels, thus causing many to disintegrate. Not forgetting the coupe was built betwen 1975-77 BL's poorest quality period, strike after strike and attrocious build quality. This car was produced during the launch period of the XJS 1975 and therefore Jaguar had 2 large engined coupes in a market ravaged by the oil crisis of 73, no wonder volumes were low. The early XJS reliability was legendary in been non existant.
The New Avengers production company had taken on board product placement as used by FORD with the SWEENEY (Granada MK1, Cortina III etc) but unfortunately used BL Steed (Jaguar XJC), Mike (XJS) and Purdey (TR7). The cars were so unreliable that filming was often held up because one or more of the cars was not working and BL couldn't provide replacements.

[stuttgartmetal]

More boring but true facts from the boring but true fact file.

TWR raced these at the ring.
After lap one, the Jag emerged 45 seconds into the lead!
However the collosus went through brake pads faster than a fat geordie lass goes through breezers chips and cock on a friday night in toon.

[Miguel]

MarkwG said:

Oh yep...the police car, the dark metallic blue & the red one...& a mate had one in yellow...there was even a coastguard one, I think...hence always wanting the real deal, but never quite having the required bravery...

I had the metallic yellow/gold one with a flat black roof. I'm pretty sure I remember getting it and specifically wanting a civilian version.

[Miguel]

Rumblestripe said:

The inner anorak in me needs to tell you that they all had vinyl roofs because the factory couldn't get them straight/stable enough for paint!

Not sure if this is urban myth but it is true that there were none without the vinyl roof!

I have soft spot for pillarless "coops" and this oddball is just lovely.

The version I'd heard is that the welds were rough looking, and that's why it needed the vinyl top. It's true that all of the coupes had vinyl tops, but the reason as to why turned out to be an urban myth. Sorry to spoil a clever story.

I also love pillarless "coops."

BTW the Jaguar XJC is too low and elegant to look anything like a bowler hat. The car that I always thought looked like a bowler hat was the retractable hardtop Lexus SC430 with the top up.

[LewisR]

IMO, this car is spoilt a bit by having a cheapo sunroof and a leaper on the bonnet. Still, top motor.

[P2BS]

Riggers said:

This particular XJ-C must have been one of the last of the breed to be built, as its S-plate reg number means it was registered no earlier than 1 August 1977

It was registered on 01.01.1978. Back when VRO's opened on New Years Day LOL.

[Patrick595]

I sold this only 2 months ago. It now resides in Yorkshire.