The HE was approximately 40% better on fuel consumption through a combination of new combustion chamber design, higher compression ratio, new fuel injection system and taller final drive ratio than the pre-HE whilst also offering slightly more power. It's not *that* complicated really once you work out which wiring and tubes do what. It has a big vacuum system but generally it's a simple engine - there's just 12 of everything rather than 4 so the wiring looms etc look busier. It definitely is a TH400 gearbox, and on most of these cars the sleeve on the throttle cable for the kickdown switch is jammed from lack of use. If it doesn't kick down to first gear from below 40ish-mph when you plant your foot the kickdown isn't working and it isn't going to feel very quick. Usually they can be dismantled, lubricated, reassembled and it will work again.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Wow absolutely fantastic information. And very well described when talking about engine wiring and tubes . Makes it a little less scary thinking of it like that. Many Many thanks for talking time to write such a great comment. Fantastic knowledge

@lebojay

2 ай бұрын

My kickdown works, but it won’t shift to 1st at 40mph - 20mph, maybe. I think something’s not quite right. Confirmed: TH400 on all these H.E. cars. Jamie’s right. These engine’s aren’t that complicated or hard to work on. They’re just big, with 12 of everything, so it takes longer, but it’s not that hard. And they are very robust - 300,000+ miles without a rebuild is common. Getting your hands and tools to where they need to be is much easier than on a modern car with it’s engine bay crammed to the max with gadgets. I like working on mine.

I think the buttress / glass thing is just a bit of folklore. The XJ-S was designed from the ground up not to replace the E-Type in the sports car market but to move Jaguar upmarket into the luxury grand tourer market. Initially it was competing with the XJ-C, keep in mind, but there's a limit to how much more you can charge for an XJ missing 2 doors whereas the XJ-S as a luxury GT was unconstrained by XJ pricing expectation. The reason for the buttresses were for drag coefficient. Malcolm Sayer realised that despite the E-Type coupe being pretty and looking streamlined it actually wasn't. The buttresses ensured a sharp, clean breakaway of the airflow off the back of the car, and it had best-in-class drag coefficient for its time. Actually as you drive along in the wet the car makes two tight vortices with the spray as you cruise along so not as aerodynamic as a modern car designed with CFD prior to going into the wind tunnel but still much better than the E-Type drag-wise.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

This information is absolutely fantastic. Are you a motoring journalist? Very impressed with your comments!! And thanks for clearing up the whole :Buttresses" myth. Your comments are very very hard to argue with. That's fantastic thanks again

@lebojay

2 ай бұрын

Even the very earliest sketches of XJ-S have the engine at the front! 😊

The buttresses are an aerodynamic aid. The story about the rear engined XJ-S seems to have invented by James May when he did an article on the KWE XJ-S. While Jaguar did look at mid engine config (and build the XJ13) the XJ-S was always designed as front engined car. Oh and don't slam the boot...gentle press and click it shut.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely fantastic information. Thanks so much for your comments and clearing up the whole mid engine story. Nice and gentle with the boot next time. Nice tip. Thanks for watching and again for the comment

@coldhell3580

2 жыл бұрын

You’re right. The buttresses are there for stability at high speed.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for message and clearing this up

Loved my XJS 's from years gone by...a black T reg and a HE Y reg, the later one did 20MPG instead of 15....Jag had some good engineers behind the car and those unique instruments means you could just glance down and check everything was OK...a single line runs through them ,even better with half a tank of fuel.Now my new EV has a touchscreen with menus and sub menus,probably nearly as quick and far cheaper to run,but there is only one I would want to hop in for a drive.......

@spottedmotors

Жыл бұрын

What a fantastic comment. Thanks for watching and for the comment

HE stands for Higher Efficiency, this indicate better fuel consumption than the previouse model. XJS is known as a Grand Tourer. I had mine altered to duel fuel LPG years ago which is now 75p a Litre with no loss of performance.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Ah cool. Thanks for comment and info. And yes ! 75p a Litre with no loss of performance sounds like a win win. Even more so with petrol prices at an all time high.

What a nice motor, looks super clean for its age you can tell its been well looked after :) That back window kind of reminds me of my mr2 dunno if its because they're both black. Top Vid lads !!!

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and for commenting MR2.. now you say it. Yes it does !!

Thanks, pre HE cars more collectible, but HEs will have their day. Irrespective values on the up but still possible to get into one at reasonable money. To me the convertible (not the first cabriolets) are the real gems.

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Great comment and yes now you mentioned the Cabriolet they are such a beautiful looking car.

@annahopp

2 жыл бұрын

Pre-HEs are harder to get.

@uncommensense7768

2 жыл бұрын

But the Hess & E first cabriolets had the sleaker, lower resting top when retracted. Other than double the parts for some components, what’s the upside of the later models?

Good video. Sorry to throw a spanner in the works but I'm pretty sure it was first of all intended to be mid-engine.

@lebojay

2 ай бұрын

No, that’s a myth.

I love them cars. I had the chance to buy a 4l v6 about 20 years ago for £400 but my benefit got stopped then he decided to keep it. But the v12 is the one I grew up wanting. Ill just have to settle with my 2l diesel x type which actually sounds similar. It's the whine they have. Don't know if you have heard of a musician called Michael Chapman or not but I bought it off him and he recently passed away. It's also got a 666 number plate on😂👍

@spottedmotors

2 жыл бұрын

Wow interesting story. And I've always like the x type. My boss had a 3.0 V6 one and it was bloody lovely. Thanks for watching and for commenting

@lebojay

2 ай бұрын

Small correction: you mean a straight six. Jaguar didn’t offer a V6 until the X-Type, and that engine came from the Ford Mondeo 😊 Inline sixes are smoother, V sixes are easier to shoehorn into a wide variety of models and they leave more room for passengers because they’re shorter. All the luxury brands used inline sixes until greed changed their minds around the turn of the century, though BMW sixes are still inline.

Hi, nice vid I have an 88 XJS V12, lovely auto. But, tell me this, leaving it out in the elements, and if there is a heavy rain, I seem to get some water in the cabin. I think it is from the drainage track for the roof of the car. Please advise if you have any comments on this problem. thanks

@toooldclassics

2 жыл бұрын

Check your windscreen seal and any blocked drains behind the polished steel windscreen finishers. There may be hidden scuttle rot under the finishers too