Sponsored article presented by Carlisle Auctions.
Originally based on the platform from the XJ sedan, the XJS saw more than two decades of production, with 115,000-plus examples built.
What better way to enter the British classic marketplace than with this 1991 Jaguar XJS?
This XJ…
Beautiful cars, but that's the most complex engine compartment ever made, and now it's 30 years old. And ... it's just a 3-speed. Call me a heretic, but this is one of those times that an engine and transmission swap seems to make sense.
A 5 or 6-speed swap is *absolutely* necessary, that is for sure.
I own a black-over-barley 1993 XJS 4.0 convertible, "pre-facelift" model, which had body-coloured bumpers. Mine not only sports that incredibly torquey, athletic and durable 4.0-litre straight six, but it's one of only a handful backed up with a factory 5-speed Getrag gearbox. That manual 'box absolutely transforms the car. I also upgraded the springs slightly (the originals were tired anyway) and fitted KYB Gas-A-Just dampers. I didn't go the stiffer sway bar route as that's fine for track use but the car's standard roll stiffness is a perfect compromise between sharp handling in the twisties and comfort. It's nothing less than a terrific handling GT car and as entertaining as 2x the law will allow!
These manual XJS models (no standard V12s came with the manual 'box) are rare as hen's teeth but worth the wait. I searched for several years and found one in Maine, on Craigslist, and had it shipped in a blizzard in the dead of winter to Los Angeles on an open carrier. Needless to say, when it arrived, no one would suspect it was a black car! But a quick detail and it turns heads as much as my '73 E-Type V12 Roadster did, which I sold for ten times what I paid for this...and this is a lot more fun to drive!
In reply to sdkgt6 :
A 5-speed is plenty as these are torquey motors. A six-speed is an overkill complexity and makes you row the gearbox more. XKs Unlimited has a T-5 conversion kit for these. Requires a new pedal box too, of course. Not a quick modification but very worth the time and effort! See my comment regarding my 5-speed...
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