The Curfew XJ-S - V12 manual

[B'stard Child]

lukeharding said:

The Capri V12 is an interesting one. It is very much a project and barely viable at that. For me, it would need a manual conversion, dry sump the engine so it could sit further back and lower in the engine bay - so it would have half a chance of being able to drive anywhere near properly. I do like it though, and might get around it at some point.

Some photos...

I expected that to be a really really snug fit - I was wrong - looks easier to work on than when fitted to E32 or E38

[lukeharding]

B'stard Child said:

I expected that to be a really really snug fit - I was wrong - looks easier to work on than when fitted to E32 or E38

Yes it isn't too bad, but then the Capri engine bay is cavernous.

The problem is the placement, as the sump would foul with the steering arms etc if further back.



ETA....a photo which shows that better

Edited by lukeharding on Monday 15th February 15:44

[j4r4lly]

I do like a Jaguar having previously owned a Series II Daimler Sovereign LWB and a Jaguar XF. Still very keen on an XK but it will have to wait for a little while.

I'm intrigued by the V12 Capri and wondering if rather than just service my 2.8i you could slip the V12 under the hood and see how much fun can be had!

[lukeharding]

Having had a couple of 2.8s I know they’re not the quickest but I do enjoy them. I’d be curious to weigh a dressed 2.8 against this V12, just to see how much weight I’d be adding over the front.

I’d really love to make the Capri-12 a viable thing, but I’m not sure how much gain that engine would give it and if it could be made to drive well. I’d leave it looking how it does though I think.
Unfortunately it is way down the list of projects, and there are at least two modified projects in front of it as it stands (and plenty of projects I’d like to modify). However, I may get around to it at some point though!

Here’s more of a look around it for anyone interested.

Edited by lukeharding on Monday 15th February 18:24

[j4r4lly]

Indeed, not the quickest, but they feel faster than they are and they make a nice lusty noise. With roads as busy and strewn with cameras as they are now, I find really quick cars mostly frustrating with very small glimpses of fun. The Capri is a good antidote to the mundane practicality of the modern Eurobox.

I'll be giving you a call to get mine booked in so you can sit it on the scales while it's with you to get a comparison with the V12. As the Cologne is a bit of a cast iron boat anchor, it will be interesting to see what the difference is.

[lukeharding]

j4r4lly said:

Indeed, not the quickest, but they feel faster than they are and they make a nice lusty noise. With roads as busy and strewn with cameras as they are now, I find really quick cars mostly frustrating with very small glimpses of fun. The Capri is a good antidote to the mundane practicality of the modern Eurobox.

I'll be giving you a call to get mine booked in so you can sit it on the scales while it's with you to get a comparison with the V12. As the Cologne is a bit of a cast iron boat anchor, it will be interesting to see what the difference is.

I completely agree. It’s the same thing with the Alpine GTA, as it isn’t the quickest, but it feels like you’re actually driving more quickly than you are, and that’s no bad thing. More easy to enjoy it.

Look forward to the call. As you say the V6 isn’t the lightest, so maybe there isn’t too much difference in it

[P5BNij]

I've been reading some of the period road test reports for the XJ-S from when it first came out, they're very mixed, especially so concerning the looks but the overwhelming opinion is that the refinement was top notch and very hard to beat at almost any price point. Looking back I wish my Dad had had a spare £10k knocking about in the mid '70s, but I suppose we can all dream!

I see Harry Metcalfe's 1980 car is up for grabs, it's way out of my league but it looks fantastic, I remember seeing it at the NEC a couple of years ago and it really is an eye catcher....

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1257102

[lukeharding]

P5BNij said:

I've been reading some of the period road test reports for the XJ-S from when it first came out, they're very mixed, especially so concerning the looks but the overwhelming opinion is that the refinement was top notch and very hard to beat at almost any price point. Looking back I wish my Dad had had a spare £10k knocking about in the mid '70s, but I suppose we can all dream!

I see Harry Metcalfe's 1980 car is up for grabs, it's way out of my league but it looks fantastic, I remember seeing it at the NEC a couple of years ago and it really is an eye catcher....

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1257102

Yes, some mixed reviews, but in reality they are a lovely car to drive and most people are surprised how well they drive now (if they've never driven one or not driven one for a long time). Andrew Frankel's group test of a facelift XJR-S is worth a read though.

I'm a big fan of Harry's old XJ-S. If it was a manual car it would be the perfect spec for me. I love a yellow car and a pre HE XJ-S is one I've got to own.

[P5BNij]

Here's Harry's car at the NEC back in 2015, my mate and I couldn't take our eyes off it - he used to work at 'The Jag' from '86 to '92 and spent loads of time on the XJS line.... he told me when they were bored he and his mates would scrawl rude messages on the bulkhead before fitting the dash assemblies....!





Even at £30k I think it's a great value classic, granted, that same £30k would get you some tasty Italians but none of them have the refined package that the XJS provides.

I like the look of these two....

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C984012

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1236392

Edited by P5BNij on Tuesday 16th February 12:19

[lukeharding]

Personally neither of those would do it for me when you can buy a 3.6 manual or a V12 auto for similar money.

The first car looks alright but no idea why they'd make the leaper a feature

The second car says it is a rare electric sunroof but the XJ-S only came with a metal sunroof, so that isn't original, even if they only managed to replace the metal with glass.

Plenty of lovely XJ-S out there though!

[P5BNij]

lukeharding said:

Personally neither of those would do it for me when you can buy a 3.6 manual or a V12 auto for similar money.

The first car looks alright but no idea why they'd make the leaper a feature

The second car says it is a rare electric sunroof but the XJ-S only came with a metal sunroof, so that isn't original, even if they only managed to replace the metal with glass.

Plenty of lovely XJ-S out there though!

I know, I'm still looking!

Any idea how many manual 3.6s were made...?

[lukeharding]

P5BNij said:

I know, I'm still looking!

Any idea how many manual 3.6s were made...?

Not sure, but plenty of them, and there are usually a couple for sale at any one time. 4.0 manuals were rarer.

[P5BNij]

lukeharding said:

P5BNij said:

I know, I'm still looking!

Any idea how many manual 3.6s were made...?

Not sure, but plenty of them, and there are usually a couple for sale at any one time. 4.0 manuals were rarer.

Thanks - food for thought. Youtube is currently getting a thorough spanking, there are some beautiful examples out there being filmed

My other half's Mum's next door neighbour had a very late one in a fantastic shade of dark green, it looked almost black in some lights, it just oozed presence and sheer class.

[lukeharding]

P5BNij said:

lukeharding said:

P5BNij said:

I know, I'm still looking!

Any idea how many manual 3.6s were made...?

Not sure, but plenty of them, and there are usually a couple for sale at any one time. 4.0 manuals were rarer.

Thanks - food for thought. Youtube is currently getting a thorough spanking, there are some beautiful examples out there being filmed

My other half's Mum's next door neighbour had a very late one in a fantastic shade of dark green, it looked almost black in some lights, it just oozed presence and sheer class.

Personally I would look for a 3.6 manual sport pack car. They are lovely as non sport pack, but the mildly lowered suspension does give it a little edge on b-roads.

[P5BNij]

lukeharding said:

P5BNij said:

lukeharding said:

P5BNij said:

I know, I'm still looking!

Any idea how many manual 3.6s were made...?

Not sure, but plenty of them, and there are usually a couple for sale at any one time. 4.0 manuals were rarer.

Thanks - food for thought. Youtube is currently getting a thorough spanking, there are some beautiful examples out there being filmed

My other half's Mum's next door neighbour had a very late one in a fantastic shade of dark green, it looked almost black in some lights, it just oozed presence and sheer class.

Personally I would look for a 3.6 manual sport pack car. They are lovely as non sport pack, but the mildly lowered suspension does give it a little edge on b-roads.

Thanks again - I'll keep my eye out for one

[lukeharding]

The man in the petrol station was very confused on Tuesday....



I had to do a site inspection in Kent and my only options for transport were the Alpine GTA (which has lost its coolant the last two times its been out), or a Mercedes Citan. The answer was obvious, and given that pipes have been replaced, that most of the miles would be on A/M roads, and that I wouldn't be driving it particularly hard, I wasn't too worried that it would all go wrong. As it happened the little Alpine excelled, and only got a little warm when going through a town with lots of speed bumps.

Some things I learnt about it:

It sounds utterly fantastic going through the Dartford Tunnel - probably one of the best cars I've heard through there.

It is surprisingly good at speed bumps (better than my normal XJS which will catch if you don't go slowly)

The wipers, though funny to watch, are a bit naff - but that could just be the blades.

Though it isn't a quick car, the in gear acceleration at motorway speeds is deceptively rapid.



Yesterday I had a 500 mile work day, and the only thing I was going to take was J258. It didn't miss a beat, was entirely comfortable and returned over 25mpg. Just love this car.

[P5BNij]

J258 looks just right with the darker wheels and at that ride height. Just watched Hubnut’s video of the car from a few years ago, good stuff

[lukeharding]

P5BNij said:

J258 looks just right with the darker wheels and at that ride height. Just watched Hubnut’s video of the car from a few years ago, good stuff

Thanks! The sport pack does make a big difference in my eyes. The wheels will be refurbed this year along with a lot of other work so it should look smart again.

As it happens the XJR-S wheels just came back from Lepsons. lovely stuff!

[P5BNij]

Very smart! The later XJs have got me thinking about what I'd like to replace my daily Alfa Giulietta with at some point in the near future, since my average milage is quite low I'm toying with going 'backwards' and bagging a wafty X300 / X308 X350 if the right one comes along. This thread is / isn't helping....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I need to do the research as I'm not really that clued up on them, I'm not really that bothered about mpg though, the most important aspect will be reliability. They all look fantastic

[lukeharding]

P5BNij said:

Very smart! The later XJs have got me thinking about what I'd like to replace my daily Alfa Giulietta with at some point in the near future, since my average milage is quite low I'm toying with going 'backwards' and bagging a wafty X300 / X308 X350 if the right one comes along. This thread is / isn't helping....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I need to do the research as I'm not really that clued up on them, I'm not really that bothered about mpg though, the most important aspect will be reliability. They all look fantastic

The X300 is the last XJ that I really like (apart from the one most recently out of production, and even then its hit or miss). An X300 XJR would be a nice daily I think. I missed out on a manual one a short while ago.