Rusty But Trusty

In the 1970s and 1980s, many Jaguars succumbed to the Chevrolet 350 “upgrade”. And while the 350 and its small block brethren are excellent engines for some purposes, the XK inline six cylinder engine was far from fragile itself. It was most often the components around it that failed, leading to it cooking itself. Or, once the engine was worn out, cared for or not, slipping an easily available V8 was a cost-effective way of getting back on the road without sacrificing power or durability. So it’s not so easy to find an early chrome-bumper Jaguar XJ6 sporting its original engine, and in drivable condition to boot – a quick recent survey of west coast listings shows that, among the few available XJ6s, around a third to half retain their inline sixes, and of these, a fair proportion are non-running project cars. So let’s take a look at this 1973 Jaguar XJ6 for sale for $3800 in Port Townsend, WA.

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The Jaguar XJ6 is a classic shape, but what if you’re worried about the reliability and performance of the mostly-bullet-proof XJ engine, which by 1972 had become somewhat strangled by smog regulations? Or, what if you want engine parts availability at any old auto parts store counter? Many people performed V8 conversions just because of those reasons, and while most converted cars are relatively expensive, the odd deal is out there to be found. Check out this 1972 Jaguar XJ6 V8 for sale for $2500 in Portland, OR.

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