Jaguar xjc 4.2
Discussion
xjc said:
I've been thinking of building a replica of Steed's Coupe, I'd been trying to find out the original cars where abouts before it turned up for auction a couple of years ago, unfortunately it sold for more than could afford. Does anyone have any information on the wheels they used on that car as I would like to source some or have some made. They were five stud/hole wheels unlike the Broadspeed race cars centre lock nuts.
Good luck with your project, I will watch with a keen interest to get my Coupe fix.
Being a jag, the 5 stud hubs are changeable with earlier splines with the centre nut. I’m not 100% sure if the broadspeed wheels use the same splines though? Good luck with your project, I will watch with a keen interest to get my Coupe fix.
Just thinking rather than you build a steed replica why not build something more unique? Fibreglass body kits always seem too stuck on. If your xjc needs new arches why not flair them into the original metal? I’ve got 9j width rear wheels under the standard rear arches so go for 10j perhaps?
TR4man said:
Have you decided the final spec yet?
Are you going with original and a set of Kents?
The body will stay standard. It has the original option fitted tinted glass. No wheel arch mods or changing the bumper style.Are you going with original and a set of Kents?
The outside and interior colours will change though. Currently I’m liking a mid shade of silver for the outside with a boot leather brown interior. The walnut dash will stay with its original dials but with silver bezels. The dials black paint cleans off leaving anodised silver surrounds. I’ll fit green led illumination for the dials to keep the look of the original but it will give a more consistent colouring for the dial illumination.
The interior carpet will be black as will the furflex on the door shuts. The headlining and surrounding trim will also go black. I may cover the dash top in black leather. Not sure yet. I would like to fit late xjs front seats trimmed in a matching style of the original 1977 rear seat but I’m not having much success finding someone to do that. Early days though so not sweating over it yet.
I still have the original steering wheel so will re-fit that. It’s a big diameter but does suit the car.
The rear axle I’m hoping to do an outboard disc brake conversion. The car will be lower than standard with poly bushes rather than the original metalastic type.
The wheels I will probably have two sets. I prefer the look of 18” wheels but I will also obtain a set of original steels if I ever decided to sell in the future.
The gearbox is currently a Jaguar 5 speed manual of which I’m happy with as I get to keep the original diff ratio. The 5th gear drops the revs nicely for cruising but pushes the top speed beyond 130mph when on just the 2 carburettors.
The original engine seized up and was beyond repair over 10 years ago. The current engine used a nos series 3 4.2 block, crank, rods and pistons. The cylinder head is a used fuel injection head that had a skim, bronze exhaust valve guides fitted and the valve seats all re-lapped by myself. The cams are standard fuel injection inlet and exhaust. The intake manifold and set of triples are from a 420g with a Haywood and Scott exhaust manifold.
So technically it should move with a bit more oomph.
The sound system was newly fitted in 2005 which is still good. That will be re-fitted with new cabling. The subwoofer enclosure will be modified to have the ports firing into the cabin via the rear seat pull down armrest.
The amplifiers are old skool now but have a lovely sound if not as efficient as the latest digital versions. I’ll have a think if I can re-fit them in a way to match the new interior rather than a stand alone boot install I previously designed and fitted.
This lot will take about 2 years.
Wheels on that look small to me 
well it has a Daimler grill but without seeing its log book I personally wouldn’t be able to tell the jaguar/Daimler coupe difference. I thought Daimler’s had velour interior as that was the upgrade to leather back then, but not sure if that’s true?
The diamond pattern seats look a little style dated now. I think facelift x types had that seat style fitted. I don’t think it really works on the xj coupe though but they are in better nick than if it had it’s original seats. The red looks angry with a black exterior. Red interior with a bright silver or old English white exterior. A black exterior with a biscuit interior I would personally prefer if a factory look was required.
Price wise is that reasonable or expensive?
well it has a Daimler grill but without seeing its log book I personally wouldn’t be able to tell the jaguar/Daimler coupe difference. I thought Daimler’s had velour interior as that was the upgrade to leather back then, but not sure if that’s true?The diamond pattern seats look a little style dated now. I think facelift x types had that seat style fitted. I don’t think it really works on the xj coupe though but they are in better nick than if it had it’s original seats. The red looks angry with a black exterior. Red interior with a bright silver or old English white exterior. A black exterior with a biscuit interior I would personally prefer if a factory look was required.
Price wise is that reasonable or expensive?
Front fog lights polished up well. The reflectors inside were also remarkable good for 41 years old.
The headlight bowls were in good nick also. Although I still beadblasted them back to metal. The grey is etch primer. The 4 chrome rings that keep the headlights in place polished up well like the front fogs. They too are an original 41 year old part.
Nothing too scary to repair for a 70’s built jag.
Above reveals a shocking repair done by a specialist I paid good money for being told minimal filler, butt welded repairs. What the shot blaster revealed was a bit of cill I assume from a 4 door pushed under the original. The style line from the bottom of the rear quarter meeting the original cill was simply a groove ground into the filler and oversized cill being used. The rear drain hole had been blocked up. As I say not what I would expect for a specialist restoration firm.
Well outer cills will be removed to check the inners and replaced with new once I’m happy the inners have been checked/repaired.
Been looking for a reasonably priced db7 or late xjs rear axle. Well managed to get one. Rear axle rebuild will be a mixture of my original 77 axle and this outboard rear disc version.
My only issue at the moment for that axle is getting the handbrake linkage working. Nothing a good toolmaker can’t suss out
Now I have rear brake discs to show through the wheels I’ve gone back to the image wheels site and I’m liking there brm6 classic build style with the covered wheel nuts and spinner. I think the coupe or a 4 door xj would look good rolling on those wheels.
Then whilst looking for Jaguar colours i became interested in the jaguar insignia versions for inspiration.
Picture shows an insignia xjs colour which I really like
The Mrs said why don’t you create your own insignia version based on that colour but still keep the 70’s coupe essence. Sounds like a plan to me
My only issue at the moment for that axle is getting the handbrake linkage working. Nothing a good toolmaker can’t suss out
Now I have rear brake discs to show through the wheels I’ve gone back to the image wheels site and I’m liking there brm6 classic build style with the covered wheel nuts and spinner. I think the coupe or a 4 door xj would look good rolling on those wheels.
Then whilst looking for Jaguar colours i became interested in the jaguar insignia versions for inspiration.
Picture shows an insignia xjs colour which I really like
The Mrs said why don’t you create your own insignia version based on that colour but still keep the 70’s coupe essence. Sounds like a plan to me
Before and after cleaning of the 4 small gauges. All series 2 items with the black removed from the inner edge of the bezel as shown on the before picture of the oil pressure gauge.
If wondering why series 3 speedo and rev counter. My manual gearbox has the electronic speedo drive from a series 3. The rev counter was changed to match the numeral font on the speedo. Method to the madness as they say
gf15 said:
Excellent thread, thank you for the updates. Surprised the 6 has a rev red line at 5k.
Glad it’s ok to read. Nothing exciting really at the moment, but any parts cleaned up or repaired I’ll do my best to show them .The rev redline at 5k is just due to the engine having a long stroke. So when compared to high revving engines it’s bhp seems low for a 4.2 but its torque that helps shift these old jags rather nicely. Steel cranks are available to increase the redline, obviously at a price, but to be honest I won’t be going racing and the car has got to 135 with only 170bhp and it’s 5 speed gearbox.
Needed new gaskets for the reverse light lens. Originals seem to be made of a sponge like material which obviously absorb water. So had a go making my own from silicone via a quick mould I machined.
The bathroom silicone is mold resistant and won’t perish like a rubber gasket so in theory it should be good
My lump of dirty, rusty, greasy late xjs outboard disc rear axle. I had already removed the shocks, discs and calipers to make it less heavy to remove from the estate car.
Rusty cruddy rear brake calipers in bits ready to clean up
The rear brake caliper and carrier castings back to metal and ready for paint. Nothing fancy just a silver colour
ndtman said:
That's quite a transformation on the brake calipers. What's your cleaning regime, blasting, chemical or both?
No secret method Just shot blast. It’s quite a fine powder. Any little nooks and crannies that are missed i use a bit of 80 grit emery. Just make sure the internal bore and hose connections have a suitable bung fitted. Once blasting finished, obviously remove bungs and blow out any grit. I use water soluble machine coolant oil to coat the bare castings to stop any rust before paint.
I’m currently stripping down a late xjs outboard disc rear axle and noticed the radius arms have provision to fit the sport rear anti rollbar. I can’t seem to find any pictures to show how it attaches to an xjs to see if it could fit my xj6? If anybody could post a link or picture that could help I would be very thankful
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