Jaguar XJ 5.3 C V12 Coupe drive review (part1)
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Drive review of my 1978 Jaguar XJ5.3C V12, one of the rarest Jaguars made. This is a 150mph coupe, which has been modified to produce even more power and has also been fitted with a 5-speed gearbox www.footmanjames.co.uk
You sure have a way of finding the drivers gem's... V12 Jag with a manual and that roof line!! Nice find!!
only ever seen one XJC in real life and loved it just from the shape. definitely in the top 5 coolest Jags ever.
Just a beautiful car Harry. Great details in your video as always.
Nick Murra
Nick will you and Chewie be my friend
Nice motor I own one myself but why is there no vinyl roof I thought they only came with vynil top
@@nickfensome8855 You are correct, they only came standard with a vinyl roof, but most owners removed it and painted them body color
Harry would be the ultimate Top Gear presenter surly, a joy to listen to.
I own such a car - XJ 5.3 C with automatic gear box.
It runs 155+ mph on German motorways - with no modification unless change of wheels to 215/70vr15. I only did this once -8 years ago. With running AC.
The rev at top speed was 6000 - at 250 kph. Between Nürnberg and München on A9, tracked with my GPS.
I would say one of the best coupes Jaguar ever sold. Original engine and gearbox, 8 years ago.
Own this car till today. Will never sell the nicest Jaguar ever built.
My first car was a XJ6 4.2 LWB. LAB 334T. Swapped it for a Cavalier SRI saloon, I still have fond memories of the Jag.
Oh what a treat. You see this video and for me, it makes you want to weep when you remember what a tragedy Bl was and the lack of interest on the part of our industry to maintain such high standards that Jaguar and others reached,Thanks a million my friend!!
The sound of that Jag V12 is simply intoxicating. Just wants to rev forever.
I love your reviews, honest and informative.
I have owned and loved 4 Jaguars, a 59 xk150s, 62 Mk2, 75 XJ6C, and a 94 XJS, that I drove everyday for over 20 years. I love those CATS...
Keep rolling...
Beautiful car. I've been a fan of jaguar since the late 60s. I would love something like this one!
I've promised myself if I can ever get ahold of a two-door C coupe on my meager income, 6 or 12 cylinder version, I will pounce on it. If you think they are rare in the UK, try finding one in America.... rare and pricey.
Without doubt my favourite car in your garage Harry... I've been waiting for this video, thanks.
The coupe is simply gorgeous.. just stunningly beautiful
I don't think I new that there was a 2 door Jag. I always loved that car.
A bit of unicorn car for my self, and as Jag fan, I've never actually seen one these cars in real world, so it was real treat to watch the video.
When this car had its original GM400 auto box I had a bit of a race one afternoon with a Mercedes 450 6.9. The Merc could hold its own on the straight but the Jaguar beat it hands down on the corners, and that was before Harry eventually tweaked the suspension in the later video. Fond memories!! I also changed the problematic original Dunlop SP's for Pirelli P5's, as I recall.
you've one tank for reasonable, responsible driving, and another for everything else.
My pal had 2 of these back in late 80’s along with a V12 e type roadster. One of them was a Daimler double six which is probably even rarer than the jag. Harry, you were having waaaaayyyyyy too much fun there 😂 I loved it 👍
It's already in the dream-garage collection!
Sorry for being late to the party, only just discovered this Channel.......really enjoying vids....well done.
That old car seems pretty awesome in the way it can apply a smile to the occupants faces.
Wonderful car, great review and that strip of road to Charlbury is the perfect roller-coaster to take it on!
I’d give 5.5k for that allllll day long. Love the turbine like engine pulling those long gears forever. What a bargain
I love these videos.
The Jag is just great - it's got more power than an e36 M3 after the mods! Must be seriously rapid... but as Harry says it does look a bit floaty on it's dampers! Nothing a re-bush and new shocks and springs can't fix.
What a lovely Jag, I am looking for one of these, but the 4.2Lt more miles to gallon. Great colour as well.
Reading between the lines I suspect that car may have been previously owned by somebody famous - a legendary old hell raiser type character perhaps . . . Beautiful car. Changing out the cross spoke alloys for its current wheels really makes its appearance.
XJC is on of my Dream Cars, recently I watched Harry's Garage ...showing the Garage, and all his Cars, and I noticed how low U sit in the XJC , compared to other Cars displayed..!
So an Ultimate Dream for Me , would be to have an XJC fully Restomod without electric seats n windows , kinda like Ian Callum's Mark II.
And also recently I noticed on my X308 Super V8, and on a XK8 video how these Jaguars have a bit of Camber on the Frontwheels, while the rear wheels are straight !
Like a Cat, ready to attack !
Greetings to All !
you don't see many Chester registered Xj's no more, they rusted and got banger raced when worthless.. I had a few series 2's jaga and a Daimler..I loved the twin tanks,leather,electric roof and the Britishness silky smooth driving experience..keep up the good work H !
Think I've watched all your videos and liked them all but this one is the best. Looks like a fun car and man it does sound good. I have a pre-war Lagonda DHC that my dad bought long ago and hope I get to restoring it soon! Enjoyed the vid
I too had a pre-war Lagonda, an S2 LG45 3position dhc, body by Carlton. Needed full-hard-restoration. Later it found a wealthy owner qualified (owned a V12 dhc) to do it up. I had a dream but not the $$$$$. Best of luck, but be prepared
Cor this brings back memories!
My Dad had a couple of 4.2 XJ6's when I was a kid & he'd drive us all over the place on holidays. I used to warm it up for him (took about 15 minutes!) before we could go anywhere, but he used to moan about filling it up back then!
God knows how much it costs now but I bet it's well over a ton!
Best video)) You look so happy and young with that car! V12 with great sound, manual gearbox, 2 tanks - it's not Jaguar it's Spitfire XIV! Very lovely video and superb car!
Harry's recurring 'favourite' road is the A4437 towards Charlbury from the A361
I think the most beautiful xj coupe i've ever seen was a Lister one that was for sale near me a few years ago , it was black had moss and mould all over the inside and lots of rust , if only i had had the money back then
I love that color! Let me know if you need anyone to ferry that coupe to some far-flung destination...you can count on me, Harry.
You're right Harry. Mine has the vinyl roof on it still and doesn't sound as "tinny" when you close the door. Guess there's a function to the vinyl roof after all!
Love this car... cheap and cheerful to buy and good to thrash around... and how Harry thrashes it with a grin on his face. Lovely! LOL
What a car! Harry, thankyou very much for this video.
Jaguar should look at bringing back a limited numbered with a modern look but keeping in line with the classic lines of the original marque , Like what David Brown has done with his Speedback GT it's like a modern DB5 it's one of the most visually stunning car's i've ever seen created since the Jaguar xj220 / Mclaren F1
Appreciate your road safety observations, stunning blogs cheers.
Stunning! That's such a nice engine sound too.
Thanks for the video, very nice and rare car.
I must say I liked the set of wheels it first came with than the ones fitted now though.
Thanks Harry, a very enjoyable ride. I think the XJC is every prettier than the XJ, and that's saying something!
Great find & good for you to upgrade the brakes/suspension. I've done the same on my '68 OTS E Type & love driving it.
What you have is a fantastical beast. An English muscle car.
Fantastic car, like the classic Jags, but this one is really particular!
The xjc is the most gorgeous car ever rolling out of the Leyland plant. I personally think its at the most sexyest in a deep green color whit black original rims.
This might be the video in which Harry appears the happiest.
Harry , you know your Jags !!
Love the older Jags.
Deeply jealous,really lovely and interesting!
You sir have a very interesting car collection!
Really enjoyed that - what an interesting car!
Enjoy your video Harry, thanks.
Beautiful engine sound
What a fantastic video. Thanks
The most baller Jag ever!
Looking at this through different eyes now, knowing what lurks underneath the paint and filler.
never knew they existed , great video
No were near your league,but I did own and drive several OK cars at the same time.Subaru WRX,EVO X,Focus RS,911 Turbo,BMW E93 and a Nissan GTR R35. My wife died and I went car mad.
A laid back automatic coupe turned into a manual madhouse. Mmmm, not sure about this project Harry! Prove me wrong!
Wow,you have a big house plenty of garages in England,you must be a millionaire,btw nice Jag............
It's just a bit of a hoot! Good on ya Harry!
omg that was awesome, I would love to know what the poor fella following you was driving, hes bumping all over the place trying to keep up...
Interesting that although it was able to out-accelerate the 633CSi by 0.2 sec (as much as that!) to 60 mph, the mechanically similar XJ-S mullers it - 6.7 to 7.6. 11.9 mpg test average was amusing, though...
It's so beautiful. ❤
Great car, I'm having fun just watching the video, so imagine the fun you're having owning and driving it! I don't think you mention the make of gearbox fitted; is it a Getrag? Thanks for uploading.
Very well presented
I'm surprised there's not a giant V12 logo on the back like on the XJS.
Love that jag
Quality British engineering
my mate got oen for 500euros of a scrapyard . this year he's finishing it ,with some custom stuff done
sooi mews
Liar.
@Hulagan 808 will put a video up soon with some before pictures too
@@hyena131that's ur opinion
@@fedoremelianenko2404
No, it's not my opinion, it's fact. "my mate got oen for 500euros of a scrapyard", you say. First, your spelling and grammar is atrocious. Second, anyone that starts off a sentence with "my mate" is always full of crap.
hyena131 lol atleast I know it’s real that’s all that I care for. And well English isn’t my main language and I have 3 languages to know in my country so go ahead . How mad are u gonna be when I upload the progress in a week or 2 😂 u sir have no clue
wow, never knew there were daimler coupes
Yeah, looks good
Pops bought one of the 4 doors and the joke was that it was an awesome car..when it wasn't in the shop. And at least in our part of the US, the dealership experience was by far the worst of all time.
But what I wouldn't give for that car, or the one in this video!
not only in the u.s. the dealerships where worst. seems that `cars built for
the wealthy clientel` had been ripped off from their dealerships.
I could watch Harry doing a video on how to make the best scrambled eggs. Brilliant video as always, thank you sir.
go to Harry's Kitchen
It's just amazing how underrated these cars are....beautiful, luxurious, stellar quality and looks that just don't age...long live the Jag.
Stellar quality? Doors that sound like a baked bean can? 7:08. Tin roof like an old barn? 7:15. The door seals on those coupes leaked and there was quite some body flex. There is a reason they are not worth a lot more than they are...Jaguars were never known for their reliability.
@@MrGoogelaar Classic Italian cars aren't known for reliability and they're all worth a fortune. To address the tin sounding cabin, i can't speak for the coupe but the saloon variant are very quiet inside. Compared to a lot of classics that have increased in value these offer a lot.
@@robbo777cricket
I was addressing the “stellar quality” in the original post, a car can be worth a million dollars for all kinds of reasons and still be unreliable, of poor build quality etc.
My point was that the car in the video might be beautiful, luxurious etc as it was described but it is not of stellar quality. The same with Italian classics, they might be worth a lot, beautiful etc but as you say they are not reliable, that means that the build quality is not all that good. Just as you get reliable cars with good build quality that are not worth a lot, are boring and not all that good looking.
@@MrGoogelaar I acknowledge that you're addressing the issue of quality. My point is that you are using it to justify why these cars are worth less than other classic cars of the same vintage that objectively offer less. What I'm saying is that reliability isn't a preferential factor in determining the value of a car this age.
@@robbo777cricket I never said anything about the value of the car, or any other car, classic or not. I commented on somebody's comment that the car was of "stellar quality" which it is not. Being worth a lot, being a classic, being beautiful etc are not the same as good quality. By saying a car is not an example of good quality does not make it less beautiful or less of a classic, it also does not lower the value of the car, it simply says the car was not the epitome of quality, something the Jaguar definitely is not.
Just found your channel Harry (duly subbed) - lovin' your enthusiasm and style, be careful out there, only so many micromorts allowed a day!!
Some people in the U.S. have had so much trouble with the fuel tank changeover valves on the old XJ6 and XJ12, that they re-did the fuel hoses from each tank to meet in a Tee fitting, before the fuel pump, thus eliminating the fuel changeover tank selection valves and return valves, and eliminating various combinations of problems.
This guy talks more sense than those "top-gear" numpties. Give him a TV programme talking about cars as they should be, not doing gimmicks and blasphemy.
Agree with that 100^
Have you seen that abomination that is running on Channel 5 at the moment, with Quentin Wilson (whom I enjoy as a journalist, but as a presenter he is woeful) and Jodie Kidd who quite simply irritates the shit out of me!!...She did the Mille Miglia a couple of weeks back and it was all about her and her husband.....the camera was on one or either of them 90% of the time and they compressed the entire four day experience into about ten minutes...day one was covered in approx. 45 seconds.....bloody awful programme.....in my humble opinion!
How about Harry to replace sacked Clarkson. The BBC have cornered themselves such that there is no way he can come back and they need a new guy. Harry seems like a gentleman.
Stealth Motorsport That would only work if Top Gear went back to being a car show and not a light entertainment programme....by the way, have you seen that abomination with Quentin Wilson and Jodie Kidd about classic cars on Ch5? I had to watch it through my fingers it was that bad!!
NYJALB I really wish they would return to a car show, and skip the overdone police chases, and bad acting. The 3 presenters had a magic chemistry between them, but the latest years it mostly went out the window along with improvising.
Top car... the swan song of the classic era Jaguars. A great way for William Lyons to go out.
Beautiful car. These videos are a real pleasure to watch.
Great great true "petrolhead" kind of review. We almost can feel the car, like as if we would be riding it. Have you got any air cooled 911 on your garage to show us ? Thanks a lot.
Yes he's got a 930 turbo
I love the reviews made by this gentleman. I'm electrical engineer, but I love his profession. It's my dream activity. And he's at the same time objective and emotional, speaking about all these amazing cars. I mentioned an aircooled 911 because it's my favourite sportscar ever, and I wonder how a review by him on such an epic car would be. Thanks for the reply,
No problem buddy, I remember when he first started the channel he said he'd do a video of his 930 turbo,i guess it's in the pipe line for later on. You have great taste mate 911 are the dogs bollocks
Just love Harry’s enthusiasm for his cars, it’s a tonic to see an true knowledgeable ’petrolhead’ enjoying his cars and not just treating them as museum display pieces 👍
Yes, genuine enthusiasm, no filler razzle dazzle.
Working as a Jag tech in the 70's and 80's I realized these cars could beat
most any car given they had overhead cams, four carbs on the V12. 352 HP
here in the states for a 1974 XJ12. But the torque was exquisite. The ride quality
gave Jaguar that king-of-the-road status. It wasn't till I owned a 2004 Volvo XC70
that I again found that "driving on melted butter" feeling. One high point in my
career was rebuilding an E-type V12 engine and getting to break it in for 200 miles.
VOLVO V70 XC CROSS COUNTRY is a very special car. I bought the first in 1997 and the last in 2014 ...It is a car of its own ...I always had Y Speed Continental ...
@ASCALON Good for you, but I can't understand people who buy cars like that and then leave them to fester in barns (I've even read about a Lagonda being treated like that). If you don't want to drive it or fix it up, why not sell it to someone who does?
@ASCALON Thanks for replying. Fair enough but your cars probably aren't rusting away in your garage the way they would in a barn.
@ASCALON I was about to hit the thumbs up until I seen that you sold it!!! Aggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Very cool story, though :) I'd be very proud as I'm sure you were/are.
Superb!! worked on them in dealership too !! petrol heads are us !! fab trade -passion and life long hobby. :-)
Can't wait to hear that V12 on full song with a different exhaust! When you are going at elevated speeds you shouldn't say, you get creative with the numbers like TheSmokingTire "That's 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and we are going to slow down as we approach 14" :D
I can think of no better way to give an old car a new lease of life and maximising the fun factor than by swapping to a manual transmission.
LS swap!
Charles Flaherty /puke
Apart from the fantastic sound of the V12, an LS V8 is superior in every other conceivable respect.
Charles Flaherty That's not the issue. The problem is you would end up with a Jaguar with a Chevrolet engine.
Yes, you'd have a Jaguar with a better engine.
Definitely one of my favourite videos from Harry. It’s written plain and simple on his face how much he loves and enjoys that Jag. Great stuff. Makes a bloody good noise as well.
Such an overlooked car - have admired them ever since a child when my dentist had one from new.
I really love the rumble of a large displacement V8, but that V12 wail sounds fnatastic!
For its day, I have to admit this was a lovely looking car with performance to match. A true rare classic.
Jaguar with a stick, what could be better?
A great car and a perfect video!
This V12 is pure magic...
My favourite body style, I'd love to resto-mod one and make it modern on the inside but keep the classic looks.
So, this car is an ABSOLUTE RIP OFF of the Giugiaro penned Alfa Romeo 2600 in 1963 (credited as Bertone because Giugiaro was employed at Bertone at the time) . The Jag Coupe was produced from 75 - 78. Just as the Porsche 911 (1963) was heavily influenced by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Coupe (1956).....just sayin...
FORZA ALFA BABY !!! THE KING IS BACK !!!! ....See the proof below.....
www.classicdriver.com/en/car/alfa-romeo/2600/1963/582553
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Giulietta_(750/101)#/media/File:Alfa_Romeo_Giulietta_SZ_Sprint_Zagato.jpg
@@dinopappous6639 nothing like it, the Jag is a much better looking car.
I've seen attempts, they look like shit; first thing "modernise" seems to mean is to lose the gorgeous walnut dashboards in favour of tacky upholstery, etc..
@@racketman2u There's a black one on the internet, interior is stock, just swapped to a more modern v12, lowered and some vintage style modern wheels and new brakes. its really nice.
@@racketman2u ..Really...?
NOTHING like it ? Delusional Jag Fanboy... And I guess Lucas electronics are amazing !
Incredibly sexy car, and love those wheels on it, makes it look more sporty and less 'tweedy'. Looking forward to seeing your modifications!
Hi I served my apprenticeship on Jags, worked at main dealerships from 1963 through to 2008 when i retired earlly due to ill health. Through the British Leyland times these series 2's where piled high in the scrap yards of the usa. They suffered with oil leaks water leaks and numerous other faults. One main fault on V12 Engines was, on all models, an oil leak from the rear main crankshaft seal, the seal used to turn then leak, We had to remove the engine and gearbox and strip it down to replace the seal , one day to remove it, one day to strip it, one day to rebuild it and one day to fit back into the car.
Also the injection fuel rails used to glow in the dark, all the fuel rail with injectors and other parts had to be replaced about a 4+ hour job, eventually all these items were corrected at the factory on new builds. In my experience as a jiggler (jag) technicianu
Jaguar seem to release a vehicle before it's right, a classic example is the XJ40 we had to practically rebuild the car before releasing it to the customers.
First jag i worked as apprentice was a MK Vll then a XK 140 and all the other Marques up to XF XE.
All in all i enjoyed it, especially changing over body shell's on MK 2, S-Types and MK X. Cheers.
Jeffrey Price, I have owned two 1978 XJ6L, one of them for the past twelve years, this is in the U.S. Some of the things that the British did well, was the styling, metal body work, paint, exterior trim, glass, interior trim and finish, dashboard, instruments, seats, interior layout, color options, and special unique features like the grille, exterior ornaments, steering wheel, gear selector, and a few other things. The engine and transmission were very good, but there were a few things that ruined these cars, like the Lucas wiring and connectors, fuel changeover valve problems, and rust flakes in the fuel tanks. You are absolutely correct, so many series II cars ended up in scrap yards in the U.S. prematurely. Pleas read my article dickinson58601.com/2017/03/31/save-the-jaguar-xj6-and-make-them-run/
I’m currently looking at owning a classic jag as a Sunday driver. In your opinion what would be a better car to own in terms of reliability and what year is best? Any help would be appreciated:)
jeffrey price p
British Leyland killed the UK car manufacturing industry by producing poor quality cars. They took brands like Jaguar, Rover and Land Rover and made them with poor quality steel from Spain. Cars rotted quickly and chassis disappeared in clouds of orange dust. I used to like land rovers and knew to steer well clear of any layland era LRs. Jaguars , minis they were all poorly made rust buckets under leyland. It's a wonder their names survived at all.
@Michael Flitter British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd., historic British automotive corporation. It was formed through the 1968 merger of British Motor Holdings Ltd. and Leyland Motor Corp. Ltd. to create the entities known as British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd. (1968-75), and British Leyland Limited (1975-78). It was renamed BL PLC in 1978. With headquarters in London, the company had interests in about 95 percent of the British automotive industry, and it manufactured vehicles ranging from commercial trucks and buses to private automobiles, construction equipment, and engines.
Leyland, initially the dominant partner in the merger, was the first British manufacturer to concentrate on commercial vehicles. James Sumner of Leyland, Lancashire, built his first steam-driven wagon in 1884; and in 1896 he allied with the wealthy Spurrier family to set up the Lancashire Steam Motor Company, renamed Leyland Motors Ltd. in 1907, after its first experiments with gasoline engines. Except briefly in 1920-23, the company did not produce automobiles until 1961, when it acquired Triumph Motor Co. Ltd. (Triumph had begun in 1903 as a motorcycle manufacturer and began making cars in 1923.) In 1966 Leyland merged with another car manufacturer, The Rover Co. Ltd. (founded 1904), and the combined companies became Leyland Motor Corp. Ltd. The first chairman of the new British Leyland in 1968, Donald Gresham Stokes, Baron Stokes, had also been the old Leyland’s last chairman.
British Motor Holdings Ltd. had a much more complex history, but basically it grew out of three auto manufacturers: Morris, Austin, and Jaguar.
Early in the 20th century William Richard Morris (later 1st Viscount Nuffield) founded a garage in Oxford, which after 1910 became known as Morris Garages Limited. In the 1920s, with Cecil Kimber as general manager, it began producing the popular M.G. cars, which were manufactured until 1980, when they were discontinued because of rising production costs. The M.G. Car Company was created in 1927 and was absorbed by another Morris car company, Morris Motors Ltd., in 1935. In that same year, another organization, Wolseley Motors Ltd. (founded in 1901 and taken over by Morris in 1927), was similarly absorbed.
I used to work on car bodies as a panel beater and collision repair technician. Cars from that era were a nightmare to work on, in every way. I had 1967 and 1979 land rovers. I recall reading in a Land Rover magazine about BL land rover chassis rotting at an accelerated rate due to poor quality Spanish Steel, presumably sourced through the AUTHI Santanda branch of BL. From what I have worked on I would say that they also built a lot of jags, minis and morris minors with the same steel. I would assume that some late 60's models were made with British steel until stock ran out after the started sourcing cheap spanish steel. SO not only did this semi nationalised company destroy the British Car industry it also crippled the British steel industry.
A beast of a car.. my dad had the Daimler version 4.2 lovely car it inspired me to buy an xjs 5.3 decades later.. absolute classic heavy cars.
HI Harry - I have a 6 litre XJS coupe, but have always loved the XJC. You have a beautiful car!
Love your channel. BBC should be banging your door down. You must be richer than god to do all this on your own.
this just goes to show that if you like a car, dont worry what others will think or say just buy it, i best 90% of you people that like this video would be laughing at your buddy for buying a car with issues like this, harry knows why he bought this car and obviously it makes him happy THAT is what counts the most, not trying to justify your purchase to your petrol head friends
What a cool car, Harry! Thanks for this, it's one of the more fun reviews I've had the pleasure of viewing in the last few months.