Growing up, in the 50s and 60s, what little I knew about racing including books on thundering European sedan racing. And while today, 'sports sedans'' are quite common, BMW, Audi, Infiniti, Subaru, even Maserati and throw in a Turbo Bentley....but fifty years ago, there was one. Jaguar. And the best of the best was the fantastic 3.8 Mk II. Especially those raced by John Coombs.
Well, both in the jungle and out of the road, Jaguars age. But this one, THIS Jaguar has seen a new life. Restored body with new metal welded in place wherever rust was seen, stripped to the bare metal and resprayed in a 'period' blue, all new red interior (with heavy sound and heat insulation under the carpets), new panels, seats, headliner, refinished interior wood trim, absolutely beautiful And best of all, a rebuilt complete drive train, updated from the original 3.8 liter Jaguar twin cam to a modern Chevy 4.3 liter V6 attached to a modern (that is, reliable) Chevy auto transmission. Even modern power steering. And no doubt about it, the Chevy engine allows more room in the engine bay and is lighter.
And a 'real car' capable of duplicating the function and utility of a contemporary car, has modern air conditioning and even cruise control. Coupled to the Jaguars four wheel disc brakes. All new wiring and electrics, all new gauges (and yes, they actually work), and for the period look, chrome wire wheels.
Trunk is spotless, has the original picnic tables on the back of the front seats, all of the exterior chrome has been redone, even windshield seals and compression strips are new.
So, delivered to our dealership and took it for a ride. Later in the day, took it to lunch, And at the end of the day...drove it home. Cruises nicely at 70mph (had the a/c on), depressing the throttle causes a kick down and quite rapid acceleration (the engine is probably a bit less than the Jaguar in horsepower but, at the same time, superior in torque). VERY exciting.
So, there it is. As classic a sedan as one might expect to use but now with power steering, auto trans, and a modern engine that can be serviced at any gas station. No odd clunks or vibrations, smooth acceleration, positive shifting, and modern creature comforts. Even inertia belts and a modern digital stereo/CD. A wonderful car.
