1984 XJ6 Series 3 4.2 Sovereign

Iain relays the joys and disappointments of buying an XJ6 Series 3 project car for our sister title, Classics Monthly

- Iain Wakefield

ONE OF the great things about working for a classic motoring magazine is sourcing a new project car. The second best thing is when it’s going to be a Jaguar. As editor of Classics Monthly, one of Jaguar World’s sister titles, my brief is simple. Track down a smart 4.2-litre Series 3 XJ6 for less than five grand.

A candidate on www.carandclassic.co.uk for sale at £4,500 fits the bill. It is at a dealer based near Northallerton, an attractive market town in North Yorkshire. A couple of emails and telephone calls reveal that this 1984 Series 3 Sovereign has a recorded mileage of 94,000, backed by a fully stamped-up service book. This metallic light blue saloon is no stranger to the paint shop, having had new front wings and a considerable amount of cosmetic surgery carried out around the vulnerable rear arches.

Arriving at the dealers, my first impressions are good – it has been well cared for. All the shut lines look good and, apart from a small amount of micro blistering on the rear wings, the paintwork is virtually unmarked. Opening the driver’s door reveals a tidy leather-and-veneer-clad interior, but despite everything ticking the boxes so far, including the smart Pirelli P6000-shod pepper pot alloys, my initial enthusiasm is dampened when the car stalls and refuses to start again.