Would an XJ6 with a manual box be inherently wrong?

[George7]

I've been looking at buying a new car recently, and the Jaguar XJs (mostly the XJ8) feature highly on my list, however, I've stumbled across an XJ6 3.2 with a manual gearbox; if I'm honest I didn't even know they sold these, but as manual is my general gearbox preference, I can't help but be tempted. I'm just wondering if this would feel completely wrong in an XJ? The majority are autos, and this sort of car pretty much always has an auto, however, having never driven a car this large, auto or manual, I find it hard to judge and therefore ask for this forum's expertise on the matter.

Thanks

Edited by George7 on Wednesday 5th September 15:11

Edited by George7 on Wednesday 5th September 15:12

[Jaguar steve]

Jaguar offered the option of a manual gearbox on the X300 you've shown in your picture. That was the last XJ to do so and it'll be a Getrag 265 5 speed which was a big improvement over the hideous Rover 77mm box previously used in the much earlier Series 3 manual. You'll find most of the manuals on the base model cars with cloth interiors and steel wheels.

Advantages really are improved fuel economy - a sensibly driven manual XJ6 should manage 30MPG on a run, and better acceleration times compared to the equivalent auto versions, especially on the 3.2 engined version which is hampered by a crude automatic gearbox that only changes up into top gear and locks its torque converter up at 50 MPH.

Disadvantages are a little more noise and vibration at very high engine speeds, the gearchange action is heavy and agricultural compared to a lot of other cars and so is the clutch, which personally on the few manual XJs I've driven I found awkwardly placed and out of sync with the pedal effort required on the brake and accelerator.

Much more important really is to buy the very best example of any old XJ you can find and not worry too much about the spec. - if it's an manual then have a long drive and see if you like it.

[NormanD]

I am so close to getting a manual gearbox into the XK8 and XKR

Last problems sorted, I should have the bell housings this month


I see no reason why it shouldn't fit into the XJ8 and XJR

[SV8Predator]

NormanD said:

I see no reason why it shouldn't fit into the XJ8 and XJR

I think the reason they won't be going in to many cars is the cost you've quoted in the other thread.

To the OP: the manual box XJ is just terrific and you should be well pleased with it. Totally transforms the character of the car.

[Tame Technician]

I used to have 2 customers with X300 XJR's 4.0 Straight six superchargers with manual box's. They were so much faster then the auto's. I wish they had never dropped the option when the V8's came out. Manual gearbox's is how cars are supposed to be driven.

Not to most Jaguar owners taste and to be fair not the most refined gearchange, but no definatly not inherently wrong, just not very "jaguarary"

[George7]

Thanks for the replies; to be honest it sounds ideal for me as I've been fancying a comfortable cruiser as my commute is the Witham - Colchester stretch of the A12 which is in quite bad condition, but have been wary about switching to an auto. I've posted a link to the car in question below, it seems rather good for a grand, but in reliability terms, how likely is it to let me down in a big way? Being that cheap, it wouldn't owe me too much in the first place, but I don't want to buy something that's living on borrowed time. I've noticed XJs, especially X300s are very cheap in the first place, but I'm not sure where the sweet spot or cut off point is.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

[NormanD]

SV8Predator said:

NormanD said:

I see no reason why it shouldn't fit into the XJ8 and XJR

I think the reason they won't be going in to many cars is the cost you've quoted in the other thread.

We all know of car owners spending £10,000 to put in special in car entertainment or special body mod's, what's the difference



I realise I'm not going to sell 1,000's but I do have owners that have paid up front,
and more that want to see that it all works first

Here is a picture of my customers car with the Mark 1 version with the 5 speed gearbox
I should have my car, the Mark 2 with the 6 speed gearbox on the road by the end of the month

Here is a picture of the XKR with a Gear lever

Edited by NormanD on Thursday 6th September 14:26

[Ecurie Ecosse]

I had an X300 3.2 manual. It was spectacular - so much fun and a completely different experience from the auto.

It was like piloting a Spitfire, as it also had a sports exhaust which sounded superb.

[NormanD]

Ecurie Ecosse said:

I had an X300 3.2 manual. It was spectacular - so much fun and a completely different experience from the auto.

It was like piloting a Spitfire, as it also had a sports exhaust which sounded superb.

I have to agree, having driven the above, THAT a differance

[SV8Predator]

NormanD said:

I should have my car, the Mark 2 with the 6 speed gearbox on the road by the end of the month

You've been saying that for months and months and months!

Have people really been paying you up front for this and waiting all this time?

But I think it's a great conversion and would absolutely love to have it on my old bus.

Maybe you need to market it carefully at the very upper end of the market, ie, new or nearly new cars. Is the conversion suitable for 2012 model cars?

[SV8Predator]

Ecurie Ecosse said:

I had an X300 3.2 manual. It was spectacular - so much fun and a completely different experience from the auto.

It was like piloting a Spitfire, as it also had a sports exhaust which sounded superb.

I know, I know, the 3.2 is not that fast, but a 4.0 litre would have been like piloting a GT6!

[George7]

One other concern I have, is with the manual XJ6 being so rare, how easy would be be to source a replacement gearbox/clutch, for example? I'm not massively mechanically minded so I don't know if the clutches are a generic item and if gearboxes could be sourced from other cars which also use the same Getrag transmission. Thanks again to everyone for their experiences with the XJ6 manual and to Jaguar Steve for the very useful techincal info, it's made me want this car even more

[naki]

my personal preference is manual box too, but as you say most jags come with autos, though this must have been "customer preferences" at the time of original purchase. it really doe sbaffle me that more owner did not choose a manual box! V12 jags only had the manual option on the Pre HE V12 XJS (70s), but all 6cyl jags had a manual option up until the end of the x300 production in mid 97.
i think its a real shame that more customers did not choose a manual box, especially the sporty variants (XJR & Sport models).
ideally the 4.0 manual is the one to go for, as it has identical mpg, but more power and torque, and is a better drive all round, but they are much rarer than the 3.2 manuals.

good advice though, buy the best xj you can afford, as unless you are doing the work yourself, the big bills could start coming quickly.
i would say dont rush into it, but do test drive both versions first then make up your mind. a heavy manual car could be a bit labour intensive if you do a city stop/ start commute for instance, where as if you drive brisk country lanes, a manual could be ideal!
make sure you try a 4.0 auto version (and use the sport switch!!) too before deciding on the 3.2

i have a couple of manual XJ40, and one more manual kit to to convert a 3.2s to 4.0 manual (Getrag 290/ prop/ manual ECU/ pedal box and 3.58 LSD etc)

here is my 91 sportpack 3.2 manual, with my favourite black interior. yummy

Edited by naki on Friday 7th September 11:03

Edited by naki on Friday 7th September 11:06

[George7]

Lovely looking interior that. There is something about Jag interiors I love. Unfortunately I won't be able to test drive the XJ6 manual if I go to see it, as I'm only 21 and insurance wouldn't let me (it's a private seller). There are however a few other XJ8s I've looked at from dealers which I'm sure I could test drive. I might look a bit strange though, 21 years old and looking to buy the epitome of an 'old man' car. I do love XJs though, I've always wanted one. I'm just nervous that at £995, this one might break in a big way and not be worth repairing. It's not like there's a more pricey one either, that's pretty much the only XJ6 manual within a 100 miles of me. What are the big things that can go wrong on one of these and things to look out for if I decide to go and check this out?

Also, I'd rather have the 4.0 manual, but being quite young, it may do bad things to my insurance, although, the 3.2 is surprisingly cheap to insure, considering the engine size. I guess they're not commonly driven by hooligans There's also none at all on Autotrader currently

Edited by George7 on Friday 7th September 11:35

Edited by George7 on Friday 7th September 11:35

[naki]

if you really want a manual, you will have to be prepared to look nationwide, and not expect to find the perfect car on your doorstep.
there are currently 4 manual 3.2 x300/xj40 on ebay right now, in various conditions and prices. not surprising but no 4.0 manuals! i bought one of two that were for sale last month though! haha!

xj40
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-JAGUAR-XJ6-3-2-BLAC...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-JAGUAR-XJ6-3-2-RED-...


x300
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-JAGUAR-XJ6-manual-7...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-JAGUAR-XJ6-3-2-RED-...

and a 4.0 manual xjs
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-JAGUAR-RARE-MANUAL-...

or if you are feeling really flush and fruity, i know of a black x300 xjr (Supercharged) manual, thats for sale, but not online yet. but he will want top money for it (over £5000!)
though if you are struggling with insurance on a 3.2, you wont have much chance on a supercharged car!

[naki]

personally i would not go for an x308 on a budget. thats one car, that is too much of a gamble unless you are getting a really good one (with full history and evidence of the latest timing tensioners, water pump, gearbox all been replaced, full corrosion inspection (especially front inner wheel arches) and preferably a steel lined engine replacement too! phew!

try adrian flux and lancaster. not sure how they do on young drivers, but i have all mine with lancaster. with limited mileage, on a driveway, and over 30, under £200 f/c. they do a really good quick online quote too, where as with adrian flux it s along drawn out phone call......

[Jaguar steve]

George7 said:

Lovely looking interior that. There is something about Jag interiors I love. Unfortunately I won't be able to test drive the XJ6 manual if I go to see it, as I'm only 21 and insurance wouldn't let me (it's a private seller). There are however a few other XJ8s I've looked at from dealers which I'm sure I could test drive. I might look a bit strange though, 21 years old and looking to buy the epitome of an 'old man' car. I do love XJs though, I've always wanted one. I'm just nervous that at £995, this one might break in a big way and not be worth repairing. It's not like there's a more pricey one either, that's pretty much the only XJ6 manual within a 100 miles of me. What are the big things that can go wrong on one of these and things to look out for if I decide to go and check this out?

Also, I'd rather have the 4.0 manual, but being quite young, it may do bad things to my insurance, although, the 3.2 is surprisingly cheap to insure, considering the engine size. I guess they're not commonly driven by hooligans There's also none at all on Autotrader currently

Edited by George7 on Friday 7th September 11:35

Edited by George7 on Friday 7th September 11:35

The X300 XJ6 is pretty simple and robust mechanically - it's essentially a reskinned version of the previous XJ6 and uses components that have been in Jaguars since 1983. There are several aftermarket parts suppliers so sourcing parts will not be a problem, there are always lots in breakers yards and advertised on ebay too if you need anything else. The X300 is a reasonable DIY or local garage car too and is very unlikley to need specalist attention unless there are electricial faults. Most parts are very reasonably priced although quality varies.

Principal concern will be rust. Check rear wheelarches, door and wing bottoms, round front and rear screens, inner and outer sills and closing panels, around the jacking points and as much as you can see of the engine bulkhead and scuttle panel. Walk away from any car with serious corrosion - it's a killer.

All XJs are hard on suspension and brakes. Check front tyres for even wear and brake action for a straight and judder free stop. High mileage cars may have some diff whine. Check all the electrics work including the remotes for the central locking. Listen for any whining bearings or rattles over bumps. Look carefully for evidence of clean fluids under the bonnet and take off the oil filler cap and look for contamination inside. There may be a hint of blue smoke on start up which usually is nothing more than leaky valve stem seals. Auto gearboxes are tough but crude - don't expect velvet smooth changes and look at the dipstick, the gearbox oil should be reddish in colour. If it's not or smells burnt then the gearbox clutches are worn.

A well cared for XJ6 is capable of very high mileages. I took my old one to over 100k and know of others that have done a lot more than that without any serious problems.

Whatever you do buy on conditon alone. Look at several too so you can get a feel for what's on the market, that way you'll know when the right car comes along. I'd look in Jaguar World magazine, PH classifieds, Carsandclassic and join the Jaguar Enthusiasts'Club to get access to the club classifieds.

BTW just because it looks very similar don't think the later V8 is pretty much the same car - it's not. The XJ8 is a totally different driving experience and is considerably more refined, dynamic and powerful than the equivalent capacity 6 cyl car. It's also potentially a much bigger world of pain and has to be bought and maintained very carefully indeed to avoid the well documented issues a worn or neglected one will have.

[naki]

good advice there. but i wouldn't be afraid of a 6cyl car with over 100k on the clock, as long as the overall condition is good too, and paperwork to support it. engine and gearboxes tend to far outlast the bodywork. so as has been said check everything works and a thorough corrosion check, and you shouldn't go far wrong.
stick with 6cyl if you area novice and on a budget. the v8 can be a nice car, but its not for the jag beginner!

[naki]

talking of high mileages, there is an xj40 in scotland somewhere, that has over 330,000+ miles on the clock and still going strong!
food for thought!

[Jaguar steve]

I sold my old X300 to a guy who had an XJ 40 with around 250k on the clock. It had ground it's diff to dust but apart from that and a couple of fluid leaks was still going strong