Anyone drive an XJS manual?

[alabbasi]

I bought an 85 XJ-SC here in the US with a 6 cylinder engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. The 6 cylinder car was not officially available until the post face lift models in 1993-1996 and 5 speeds are rare.

Of course it was not running but I've been slowly fixing it up. The gearbox has some serious slop in the shifter and I can't find reverse. Anyone know where it is and whether there is a lockout?


Also will the later transmission bushings work on the earlier cars or is it a different gearbox?

Thanks

[Orcadian]

alabbasi said:

I bought an 85 XJ-SC here in the US with a 6 cylinder engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. The 6 cylinder car was not officially available until the post face lift models in 1993-1996 and 5 speeds are rare.

Of course it was not running but I've been slowly fixing it up. The gearbox has some serious slop in the shifter and I can't find reverse. Anyone know where it is and whether there is a lockout?


Also will the later transmission bushings work on the earlier cars or is it a different gearbox?

Thanks

Hello from over the Pond,
I had a 1985 3.6 Cabriolet for nearly 25 years which I built from a damaged donor car and a new body shell. I sold it about 5 years ago and if my memory is not failing, reverse was across to the left and up (next to first and no special lock out). Quite crude as you just ‘whack’ it to the side past a detent. The gearbox is a 5 speed Getrag and the clutch can be heavy as time passes because the release mech fork goes dry. Mine was never sloppy but the change mech is bolted to a carrier on top of the box with four bolts which I suppose could work loose.
Did you mean that 6 cylinder cars were not available Stateside as they certainly were here from 1983?
Not quite sure which bushings you refer to.

Some pics and info about my car on my site

Look in the Jaguar section on www.stallard-engineering.co.uk

Best regards,
Ian

[alabbasi]

Ian,

Thanks. The 6 cylinder cars arrived with the facelift models in 1993. Some were available in a 5 speed. This car is an XJ-SC and they were only imported as a V12. The guy's estate is selling a couple of V12 that have been converted. One is a black XJ-SC with an Chevy LT1 and 4L80E. I'm also trying to buy that one. Black , GM drive train and T-Tops. I feel the need to paint a screaming chicken on the bonnet.

[Orcadian]

So if it’s a 1985 car, then you are saying it’s an import - is it left drive then?

XJ-SC is a Cabriolet with removable Targa panels - is that what yours is?

Do you have any pics?
Regards,
Ian

[alabbasi]

Ian,

Yes, This is correct. There was a big big private import business in the 80's where private importers would bring in cars form Europe and sell them in the US. Car manufacturers lobbied the government to put an end to it as many of these cars under cut the dealer pricing and the business pretty much ended in 1986.

I suspect that this was one of the cars that was imported in that era. The car appears to have some aftermarket body kit and mid 90's era XJS wheels.



I bought it as a non runner and have been documenting the progress that I've been making on it on Youtube.

Here are the links if you're interested in seeing it

part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6L-wmTyEyM&t=...
part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJzCmPvFSOg&t=...
part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXNMdY34zwo&t=...
part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Noj-be3x840&t=...

Edited by alabbasi on Wednesday 28th November 19:58

[Orcadian]

Interesting clips,
You say your car is a 1985 but that 4 litre engine would have been later (for the UK market anyway). So did the car have an engine change in the US? The rear lights are certainly pre facelift but the genuine Cabriolet was phased out long before the facelift anyway. Just as a matter of interest, is there a stamped number in the rain gutter in the trunk? Mine was 515 I think. John Bleasedale in the UK had a register of a great many Cabriolets and can possibly identify your rain gutter number to the VIN.

It’s a great looking car, especially with those later wheels.

Did you sort out reverse yet? - the rear gearbox crossmember and mount has a bit of adjustment and the lever can hit the tunnel before you are all the way across the gate.

Keep us posted on your project - the 5 speed 3.6 was almost as quick as the V12 auto, so a 4 litre should be even better

Ian

[alabbasi]

Thanks, I'm pretty sure that the engine was swapped out. To my knowledge, there were never any 4.0's installed in the cabs. That engine became available after he convertible came out.

I spent a lot of time yesterday in the boot of the car which is not as much fun at 45 as it used to be. I have the fuel tank back in, installed a new fuel filter and ran some new hoses with proper fuel injection hose clamps. I still have to finish it up but it now runs with gas out of the tank.

i'll post a video update shortly.

[alabbasi]

Here's the video

https://youtu.be/4UXihTmOGiw

[geeman237]

I had one of the 93/94 US spec 5 speed 4.0 coupes. Its the only Jaguar and XJS I've driven. The gear change was OK, not a rifle bolt action as I recall, but not sloppy. I can't compare the performance to an auto 4.0 or V12 but you had to get on it a bit to see the performance through the gears. Still more of a GT than a sports car though. I remember in 4th at the right speed and hoofing it, it did then pick up and surge forward rather nicely. I had to change the slave cylinder once, and I think they are now NLA for the later 4.0's. Sold it early 2014 I think for about $12,000.

[alabbasi]

Thanks, I think that the later cars used a different trans to the earlier ones as the shifter patterns seems different. I've seen an earlier car on a lift in the past and it appears that the transmission is a Getrag 265 which is commonly used on BMW's (earlier 5 series an 6 series cars). It should be a nice gearbox once the shifter stuff is sorted.

Bringing this car back to life has been a fun project. I look forward to driving it soon.

[Drclarke]

A manual XJS takes me back, I bought my wife one back as her birthday present back in 1987. It was a huge pain to get Jaguar to sell me a manual at such short notice as they were tooled up specifically for automatics.

In the end I called in a favour from one of my old clients who was high up in the firm to get us the car, red with magnolia leather if it’s still around??

[alabbasi]

Drclarke said:

A manual XJS takes me back, I bought my wife one back as her birthday present back in 1987. It was a huge pain to get Jaguar to sell me a manual at such short notice as they were tooled up specifically for automatics.

In the end I called in a favour from one of my old clients who was high up in the firm to get us the car, red with magnolia leather if it’s still around??

If you remember the plate, the SORN database will tell you.

[Burt124]

I have a 95 manual 4.0 Coupe, it's in winter storage at the moment but I think reverse is to the right and back i.e. behind 5th.

The box has a nice change but it has a reasonably long throw.

[alabbasi]

Thanks, I found reverse. It's exactly where it is on an 80's BMW which is where that box is most commonly used (left of 1st gear).