Engine removal R12 refrigerant The first step towards taking out the XK inline six engine involves the R12 (chemically named dichlorodifluoromethane but commonly known as freon-12) refrigerant used in the Jaguar air conditioning system. General Motors developed this ingredient for automotive air conditioning systems in the mid-1930s, and it was widely used...
Continue reading...Kriss Motors
Climate control options
Background Climate control refers to automotive integrated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (also called automotive HVAC). Modern electric air conditioning was pioneered in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier, a New York engineer who was the first to understand the dynamics of humidity control. Building air conditioning system components were...
Continue reading...Metal repair
Frame In general our 1972 XJ6 body and chassis survived in excellent condition. The paint isn’t original, but the repaint color match is perfect. There are a few surface dings and scratches, but nothing that requires any metal work on the body itself. However, the chassis has several vulnerable points...
Continue reading...Dash makeover
XJ6 critique After living with the 1972 XJ6 a few weeks, strengths and weaknesses have become more articulated. The elegant exterior body style retains the essence of Sir William Lyon’s esthetic genius that gave us the early XK roadsters, the E-type, and the classic saloons of the 1960s. Early prototypes...
Continue reading...Engine & transmission selection
Powerplant universe Which engine to use for the restomod project is the most important single decision as well as the first one since so much derives from the power plant choice. The transplant restomod approach stays with the Jaguar line of engines, but we’ve elected to follow the retrofit pathway,...
Continue reading...1972 XJ6 acquisition
Restomod candidate We acquired a superb 1972 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 — 4.2 litre engine, left-hand drive, short wheelbase chassis with a Borg Warner automatic transmission and factory-installed air conditioning — after evaluating many different saloon candidates. This well maintained one-owner XJ6 was purchased by Robert “Bob” Franklin Daniels of...
Continue reading...Classic saloon candidates
Jaguar classic saloons In both the transplant and retrofit approaches, major classic saloon mechanical components would be either transplanted from a modern Jaguar like the XJR (as fabricated by Dooren) or selected from best-in-class aftermarket components (as Primaz did). Therefore the primary considerations are the body footprint, visual appeal of...
Continue reading...Saloon restomods
Restomod approaches Beginning around 2012 a handful of innovative pioneers addressed the Jaguar saloon from a restomod perspective using three project approaches: Re-engineer the saloon from the ground up while retaining as much of the original Jaguar DNA as possible like the straight six Jaguar engine with its carburetor configuration...
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