1986 Jaguar XJ6 4.2 liter in line 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

This car is a gem and a pleasure to own

Faults:

The air conditioner went and had to be reconditioned.

The muffler went and had to be replaced.

Cruise control works sporadically.

The rear gas cap lock broke.

The passenger side door lock works sporadically.

General Comments:

In general, the car is a fabulous machine, well worth the care and attention you put into it.

The drive is phenomenal and the car is an eye catcher.

The car is slow off the start, but once it gets moving, it's a real tiger on the highway.

It is very luxurious.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th March, 2005

1986 Jaguar XJ6 4.2L Inline-6 from North America

Summary:

A beautiful, comfortable highway cruiser.

Faults:

Left cam cover gasket failed (due to age), exhaust transition gasket failed (due to age), voltage regulator failed (a common weakness in these cars), fuel tank changeover system inoperative (due to age), climate control system inoperative (due to age).

General Comments:

Slowly working on the age-related maintenance issues on this 18 year old car. The ride is fantastic...it's like driving a couch! The acceleration from a standstill is sluggish (this is a 4100 lb car), but once moving, acceleration is brisk. And there is possibly no more beautiful saloon car ever built!

The only remaining problem issue is fumes in the cockpit. After replacing the cam cover gaskets and exhaust transition gaskets, there are still fumes. Need to track that down before I burn my lungs/eye up!

All in all, not bad for a car that I bought for only $2700.00!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th July, 2004

27th Jan 2005, 10:49

I enjoyed reading your generally upbeat article. I would like to have seen a little more detail on repairs already done, like miles,date of repair and cost to effectuate repair. Also date and miles when you purchased as a used auto, with work history.

1st Aug 2006, 13:35

I agree with your statement of this being a magnificent ride. I bought mine for $400, and figured there was a lot of work to do. The fuel tank switchover has failed (like you said, due to age), but my climate control is still operative. The wiring on these cars is a little hectic to understand, but once you get it all together, it's worth every second of frustration (especially when you see peoples jaws dropping on the side of the road as you drive by). Altogether, a very well built car, could have stood to lose a little weight (for acceleration purposes), and, as I said before, the electrical could be a lot more simple.

My Jag is the 86 XJ6 Sovereign model, still has the original leather and Carpathian elm panelling (something about the scent of the combination keep me from replacing them), has around 177,000 kilometers on it, which isn't bad considering it's age. Very little work has been done on is with the exception of a body panel being replaced, and the regular maintenance that comes with owning a vehicle. Apparently there is a small problem with the rear right brake, but as of yet I haven't noticed any problems and am waiting till my next paycheck to address the issue.

View 6 more comments