Topic: Chaos' Black Beast XJL-R

[Fobroader]

Well Porsche had a part in developing the Duratec V6.  SVT did some head work. All I know is that it developed it's power way up high,  loved to rev and sounded great doing it. Probably best described as an American version of the Alfa.

Was the engine hard to work on? Probably although I sold it before any major work was needed. No worse than working on a modern engine such as lets say a 5.0L AJ engine shoehorned into an LR4..

I worked at Ford during the time of the Contour. The V6 and SVT were virtually unsellable, the biggest sellers were the stripper deluxe, 4 banger models. I enjoyed driving the V6 and SVTs, but they sold like crap.

[ktm525]

Well Porsche had a part in developing the Duratec V6.  SVT did some head work. All I know is that it developed it's power way up high,  loved to rev and sounded great doing it. Probably best described as an American version of the Alfa.

Was the engine hard to work on? Probably although I sold it before any major work was needed. No worse than working on a modern engine such as lets say a 5.0L AJ engine shoehorned into an LR4..

I worked at Ford during the time of the Contour. The V6 and SVT were virtually unsellable, the biggest sellers were the stripper deluxe, 4 banger models. I enjoyed driving the V6 and SVTs, but they sold like crap.

Yeah they were too expensive for what they were and less room than a Taurus!    I bought mine used for pennies on the dollar from some rich guy. I asked him why he had this Ford (stablemates were a Range Rover and a 911..) . He had built up so many points on a corporate "Ford" credit card and the points were going to start expiring. He wandered down to a Ford Dealer and couldn't find anything to tickle his fancy except for this oddball little Euro car. He bought the SVT on points lol. After driving for a year here and there he decided to make garage room. I believe I picked it up for about $18k with 9k kms on on the odo. Drove it to about 80k kms and flipped it for $15k.  I had to add seat heaters as it had leather and no heat. WTF?

[blur911]

Well Porsche had a part in developing the Duratec V6.  SVT did some head work. All I know is that it developed it's power way up high,  loved to rev and sounded great doing it. Probably best described as an American version of the Alfa.

Was the engine hard to work on? Probably although I sold it before any major work was needed. No worse than working on a modern engine such as lets say a 5.0L AJ engine shoehorned into an LR4..

IIRC the exhaust manifold was a single piece, yes on a V6, and it was troublesome, can't remember if broken studs, cracking, something like that.

[Arthur Dent]

A whole car on points? 

I obviously live in a different world. I got $10 off groceries at Safeway on Airmiles once.

[dirtyjeffer]

The entire chassis, actually.  And most of the drivetrains.

Yep, and we HATE working on them. Hot garbage these cars were...

ah, the Jaguar Taurus.

The Contour....

The Contour was actually a decent little car for Ford.  Didn't translate well to a luxury brand, though.

ah, that's right...forgot about the Contour...i think some of the interior bits were the same as my Taurus though (as i remember thinking about that when i had my Taurus).

[ktm525]

A whole car on points? 

I obviously live in a different world. I got $10 off groceries at Safeway on Airmiles once.

Corporate card... I think they have cracked down on that stuff now.

[Triple Bob]

The entire chassis, actually.  And most of the drivetrains.

Yep, and we HATE working on them. Hot garbage these cars were...

Specifically why? I owned a Contour SVT which was related and it was a fabulous little car. Still to this date one of the best handling FWD cars I have driven. The only problems it had IIRC was a plastic impeller water pump. Did the Jaguar version add some other components? The upside to the X type was that it was available with a manual so there is that.

If I had to say which Jags were hot garbage then the X type doesn't make the top two. It has to be the XJ V12 (great looking though) followed by the AJV8 nikasil affected cars in the mid to late nineties. Again the XJ.

My favorite Jag is the previous version XJR:

edit: I take it back reading XJ articles I don't know which I prefer. They are all good.

I hope you're watching Harry's Garage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw5PMKa88Ng

Part 4 where they get to the engine is very interesting. You can tell he's tempted by the 7L upgrade.

[Triple Bob]

What about the e-type clown shoe coupe?

Compared to a Ford in a light disguise.....I think the E-type still has some redeeming qualities. Where the Xtype was just a "I can't afford a real Jag, oh, I can get a Presidents Choice Jag, ooohhh, shiny".

I wasn't comparing it to anything. I was just saying the 2+2 wasn't a looker by any stretch.

[Arthur Dent]

Did the 2+2 ever come with the ugly rubber bumpers?

[Fobroader]

What about the e-type clown shoe coupe?

Compared to a Ford in a light disguise.....I think the E-type still has some redeeming qualities. Where the Xtype was just a "I can't afford a real Jag, oh, I can get a Presidents Choice Jag, ooohhh, shiny".

I wasn't comparing it to anything. I was just saying the 2+2 wasn't a looker by any stretch.

I don't know, thats still pretty feckin gorgeous to me...compared to the convertible E-type, its not as good looking but thats one of the best looking cars ever made.

[Firm]

Did the 2+2 ever come with the ugly rubber bumpers?

Yes, here's one my dad had a few years ago, late (74?) V12, rubber bumper 2+2...automatic. Probably the least desirable of the E-types, but still a sweet car IMO.



Worth noting that there are actually a lot of variants of E-types....S1, S1.5, S2, S3, and then roadster, coupe and 2+2 versions of each. S1s are the most desirable, but the others are not exactly low-rent these days either. 2+2 have always been looked down on versus the roadsters and coupes, but as the e-type market exploded the 2+2s went with it, so even they are bringing really good money these days.

Edit: just realized my dad's did not have the full-sized rubber overriders, guess his was a 73 or maybe early production 74....Either way, such a thing did exist on a 2+2.

[Arthur Dent]

Did your Dad convert from rubber things to the metal-ish over riders?

The 2+2 is still a good looking car. It just looks a little tall and the top part of the door is a awkward. The MG A pulled off its coupe conversion better.

[Firm]

He didn't convert it, but it might have been done prior, I am not sure.

I really like the E-type coupe (non 2+2), some angles it's even better than the roadster, but I agree that the 2+2 is awkward.

[Triple Bob]

I don't know, thats still pretty feckin gorgeous to me...compared to the convertible E-type, its not as good looking but thats one of the best looking cars ever made.

I have to disagree.

[TheHire]

Man, y'all need Apollo 5000GT coupes like Peter Thorndyke.

[Firm]

Man, y'all need Apollo 5000GT coupes like Peter Thorndyke.

There's actual one in Ontario, the bodyshop that did my dad's MGTC a couple years ago had it in there when we were checking in on the TC...It was even yellow and had a 'Thorndyke' plate.

[ChaosphereIX]

Car in the shop, I think my tune killed a couple of weak coils or new spark plugs. CEL, rough idle and accelerations after a "very legal speeds" drive on some back roads 

FBC issues and "I told you sos" aside, lets hope it is a quick couple of coils to replace and I am back out there roasting my rear tires today. 

[Gurgie]

 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Car in the shop, I think my tune killed a couple of weak coils or new spark plugs. CEL, rough idle and accelerations after a "very legal speeds" drive on some back roads 

FBC issues and "I told you sos" aside, lets hope it is a quick couple of coils to replace and I am back out there roasting my rear tires today. 

Thanks for being honest with any issues that may arise, though. 

In the same way that I'm honest with the fuel economy of my Tundra, I appreciate your honestly with any 'Jaguarisms' that you may encounter.  A full accounting of the ownership experience, so to speak.

[ChaosphereIX]

Car in the shop, I think my tune killed a couple of weak coils or new spark plugs. CEL, rough idle and accelerations after a "very legal speeds" drive on some back roads 

FBC issues and "I told you sos" aside, lets hope it is a quick couple of coils to replace and I am back out there roasting my rear tires today. 

Thanks for being honest with any issues that may arise, though. 

In the same way that I'm honest with the fuel economy of my Tundra, I appreciate your honestly with any 'Jaguarisms' that you may encounter.  A full accounting of the ownership experience, so to speak.

I will not sugar coat anything, honest ownership account for all my cars. Good and bad. Who gains if I do otherwise? 
Fingers crossed indeed.