For the better part of a week now, the only two soundtracks I’ve been hearing involves all sorts of rock music from satellite radio…no shock there…and the booming noises that indicate that late-model GM powertrains are being beaten to within an inch of their life. Camaros and Corvettes and Chevelles, oh my! Mustangs and Nissans and even a Ferrari, too! You’d swear that a whole town of midgets had beaten the sounds of late-model GM grunt into my brain with lollipops the size of ten-pound sledgehammers. Nothing against LS Fest whatsoever…the folks at Holley outdid themselves yet again putting on the show and Beech Bend and NCM Motorsports Park graciously welcomed gearheads aplenty. But sometimes, you just need a break after you’ve had so much. It’s like wine-tasting…you tend to lose the distinct differences when all you’ve had for the last hour in your mouth is wine. That’s why you get cheese, or crackers, or maybe a slice of a tart fruit to shock your tongue into remembering that there are other flavors. And for the LS march, this 1985 Jaguar XJ6 is the perfect candidate.
Unless you’re a die-hard fan of Roadkill’s “Draguar”, you probably haven’t given thought to a Tawny Kitean-era Jaguar. Most people write them off as an eccentric choice, a car plagued by the dark side of British automotive manufacturing, horrific electrics, and engines that are gorgeous, when they work right…correction: if they work right. Generally, this is another engine swap choice, and there are kits out there just for that reason. But as many LS haters love to bring up, why not use what’s already there? The XJ6’s 4.2L inline-six is based on a platform that was cranked out for over sixty years and fitted to the likes of such cars as the Jaguar XK-E and the XK 150. Why wouldn’t you give it a shot…because it’s an old design? Ask anyone who rebuilds a first-gen small-block Chevy…they’ll tell you to use it because it works. In the Jag, you’ll have to deal with the demons, sure, but the engine should be the least of your worries if it’s the six. In fact, a little work here and there and for the first time ever, I can say that I like a Jaguar sedan. That normally never happens!
Have always liked this bodystyle, and the interiors are wonderful, in that British kind of way. However, those electricals and intake systems have always been too much of a black hole for me to ever want to explore. The builders seem to have come up with a great formula. And the wheel/tire combo and stance on this one is absolutely killer. Would like to see a more thorough article or video on this car. No offence, but I’m not a follower of the hosts, and the endless burnout bull***t on their channel is a massive turnoff, but that’s just me, and I know that appeals to others. Kudos to the builders for a very cool car.
Drifting is up there with burnouts for me as a waste of a car. But this is one sweet car – no LS and sticking with the original motor shows a fine sense of originality. The coupe version of the XJ6 is the second best looking Jaguar after the E Type and I’d love to see a one with a 4.7 litre stroked turbo motor cruising the streets instead of being a mobile smoke machine.