razoredge

409s are cool looking with the valve covers, my buddy had one he put in a 56 Chevy that he eventually sold. The GMC heavy truck V6's had a similar look, largest being a 478, which I have and can attest to its reliability and rugged duty service. this is a 351 The king was the 702 V12 or "Twin Six" plaid valve covers cool site http://www.6066gmcguy.org/

Bugs is my buddy ahhh, whats up doc! silly wabbit

I have just a bit recently, cleaned house, came to face with reality and the amount of time left. Do I want all the baggage or do I want to live ? Do I want to have to stay home on Sat and Sunday "because I have to____________", or do I want to live and see my friends and take trips, just sit by the stream or chase the woman around the house..............I choose the latter. I/we have four more dogs left and we're all getting old, we decided no more animals, we love them dearly and they have been the center of our lives for 10 years now but that comes with a responsibility, one in which you can never go anywhere for more than a day. Over the next 4 years I will have my heart broken over and over and over and over.................... I dedicated 20 years of my life to a business that went south of the border. I have spent the past 6 trying to redefine myself, only to find that I am what I became but am no longer that vital young man..............confused ? join the club.......... This situation caused me to do some irratic things, like trying to leave my "wife" and daughter and start new like none of it ever happened, get back to where I was before everything went south, not that they made it go south, I was just running because nothing else I tried made me feel like the man I once was. When you dedicate your youthful decades to dreams that evaporate it leaves you feeling like you accomplished nothing which in fact is true, its a total loss, but not just financial its a loss of those vital years, you dont get them back. I felt like a shadow of myself, now only a pawn instead of the prince of fools. Recently I have come to terms with the reality that I cant get back to that vital young dreamer and that is was time to get rid of some baggage and prioritize. Am I happy ? I have never been happy accept when I had my heart rate pounding and the addrenaline pumped up, I became an addrenaline junkie, when I stopped doing what I conditioned my body and mind to address, it through me into complete tormoil, physical and mental. Even today when I get going on something that starts that rate back up, people find me strange and over the top. Everyone that ever worked with me said I was two different people. Its an on going joke actually. Im one that would sit and talk patiently and understandingly, but then when I put that hardhat on and the visor and ear muffs down I became a whole nother creature. Now I realize Im too old to keep pounding my body and am trying to be a gentler, kinder Steve................... but no way in hell am I going to give up the "edge" and become a gumby.

yea, gotta wonder what one can see throu the three spoke wheel, two spoke as usual, onces again rules. Sunbeam had a two spoke banjo, no obstruction, I actually dont like these three spoke "sport wheels" at all. Polished aluminum and wood or not, look nice but Im all about function.

maybe the cam grind was different because torque was all they gained according to book. They were probably paying attention to American V8's being how that was the competition and whatever Mercedes had at that time. Knowing low RPM grunt was better for typical driving.........perhaps they camed the larger 4.2 for more torque ? Actually my book says the Sedans were the "bread and butter" but they had too many lines and it financially stressed them in mid 60's. There were 2.4 & 3. something Sedans too, we didnt get into them and Im lazy now and dont want to pull out the book. That was the cure the XJ series was supposed to help correct, it was a downsizing or consolidation of sorts. All of England was scrambling at that time, thats how British Leyland came to be, it didnt help. Chrysler bought and destroyed Rootes Groupe (Sunbeam, Hillman, Singer and I believe Talbot but I forget) My books reads like the engines were dirty and already struggling, loosing HP to be on the American market and meet polution requirements as early as late 60's. It states that this is partly why they developed the V12 because the old I6 just wasnt enough engine anymore. I guess the I6 in the XJ6 was a "totally" new engine not the old 3.4 or 3.8. The XK's and E types are still a bargin compared to muscle cars today. Its good to see the muscle cars finally get their time but now they belong to the rich guys not we lowly, I can even see here in our Wantadd, that now, thanks to Barret Jackson and the rage, everyone that has any kind of junk seems to think its a gold mine. No matter to me now, I know whats involved and I've lost interest. Though I do still have two projects that probably still wont get done........... and the 75 Delta, how can I afford to do Sunday drives in it, even at 15 miles to the gallon.........I surely have dropped all hopes for a 68/69 spec Regency engine, what were they now? 365/510 ?.....wow I forgot, imagine that........ I'll have to stick with the denutted 350, it does get a clear 15mpg, better under continous cruising............. Wanna know more about how Jaguar got its acclaimed reputation...........through the raceing success ? I can get into that tomorrow night. Its my last face card........... I believe we are nearing the end for Jaguar...........another one gone and another one gone, another one bites the dust........................

Geeze, we just dont communicate well. Lots of other factors today, yes, 20 years ago yes, still what a mess they made when clearly the ideas, potential, engineering were there and yet they trudged onward with the same ol, same ol..............see BMW's "great ideas" Benedict Arnold commercials............ in so many ways that seems to me like a direct poke at the American automotives state of being. How many times have they dropped the ball when it was a clean catch ? I know ! I know ! the energy crisis and environmental concerns occupied all resources during the 70's and 80's but still, I look back to all that was put on the back burner or ignored and the styling of the exotic dream cars just barely showing their face on production cars just burns me. Well maybe thats how GM survived, by not sticking their neck too far out there and keeping tight budgets......yet they spent all that money on teases.............hey, Im no accountant, no marketing manager, so I guess there were legitimate reasons.

agreed, it works out better, less awkward. The yellow Skylark GS conversion privately done is still my favorite, you know the one.

So Harley.........Mr Photofinderman...........what did Cord and Auburn have back in the day ? My search for French dash design exhausted me and left me fairly fruitless.

thats what I meant about that photo, though a bit is cut out in the shot it is otherwise such an angle to give great effect. Only thing that would improve it would be the music under that hood. yes that piece of wood and stainless in XP shot is awsome, must be the other 37 Packard is somewaht different ?

Well I went to see what the early obscure European cars had for dashes, hard to find for starters. The famed Bugatti type 57, forget it, very stark, the various body shells on the other hand were quite nice. This is still kinda base compared to the Cadillac of the same early 30's 1932 Delage D8 SS Four Seat Tourer by Chapron

I was gonna say, the Mack Im driving has one of them............well you know how Packards and their electrical problems were.................... :AH-HA_wink:

That 42 Packard must have some early plastic ey ? Its got a kinda pearled effect, so cool. Somehow that cover on the top, is it an ashtray top ? Somehow that looks fimiliar.............maybe something similiar on some old early AM radio that was around ? I cant remember any Packards in the family. Now the steering wheel and horn ring are a showpiece in itself. I knew an older fella that survived the "Pacific Theater".......he told me "the best is gone" though it sounds bleaker than reality actually is, there is also alot of truth in it. This is but one example.

This Pontiac frontal treatment, I never liked, even when young, its just too much The 66 version is acceptable but Im still glad they did not make it, the Lemans & GTO were better off without a "truck" in my opinion. Somehow even the sixties Pontiac frontend doesnt go well.

That 1932 Cadillac Sport Phaeton is just perfect, a full set of gauges right infront of the driver, not sure if all can be seen through the wheel but if so, its perfect. The automobile and cancer, mankinds only natural predator..........let the chips fall where they may..........or at least bring back the sabretooth tiger :AH-HA_wink: I still do and always will love this photo nothing fancy just the goods with a V12 under the hood 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder

you dont understand my point...............actually my point was similiar to yours though I do feel GM spent way to much time showing what they coulda shoulda woulda but wont..............just because ? penny pinchers ? profits ? whatever, todays its bitting them in the ass............OHC V8 finally made it to market in ? 92? 93? and its a mechanics nightmare. Independant rear suspension finally made it to mass market in typical cars, when ? Not Corvette or the invisible Tempest but when ? Aluminum castings, when ? better suspension technology, when ? Now today this very same company is playing catch up and some hardened fans of this company wont cut slack to companies struggling to just catch a foot hold in post war torn Europe............ that was where I was comming from. We could be the next DeSoto, Jaguar, Hudson, Triumph.............as the "world" turns. Then Ill be defending General Motors cars on some Kia forum.............. understand now ? :AH-HA_wink:

This is why I keep stressing the huge cliff that faced all of Europe post war, it just wasnt a level playing field. They had one thing in mind and that was to get back to where they were, kinda like that "south is gonna do it again" or little red chu chu attitude, that is where the Jaguar pride came in. Read a book on them if you could bare it, details inside mine as brief as they are indicate all the hardships and bring to light just how small the company was. American sales reached a peak of 24,464 in '86, not much financial clout behind that for keeping up with the Jones........especially in this narrow segment of sport or luxury cars with no bread and butter economy cars. I had a 74 Jaguar sales booklet back then at 16 and was impressed. There was 4 models which in reality was 2 with 2 different engines. The XJ6 and XJ6C and the XJ12 and XJ12C. These are what started my love of Jaguar. I knew about the XKE but thats about it, learned more since. Prior to this period I thought 66-70 Mustangs and 74 Cudas were the end all of automobiles, then I began to find the more feminine body lines of European sports cars and real roadworthyness far more appealing. Then in the 80's and 90's I began to appreaciate the Domestic luxury 60's cars I just took for granted or even ignored because they "werent cool" somehow around 96 or so I realized I never even knew the G2 Riviera existed, I just paid no attention, all caught up in "muscle cars" as a boy. I did have faint memories of the Toro as well as the Boattail but never anything on the 66-69 Rivs...........today they (both2A/2B) are high on my list of styling statements..........though the dashes aint much, the consoul is interesting. This photo could best define why Jaguars have an aura in my heart this car failed in the market and was dropped in two years . Now I like 73-76 B GMs, bumpers and all, probable more than anyone but come 77 what did GM have that could hold a candle to this styling ? Nothing in my eyes. The 77-85 years make my eyes sad excluding a few specific models that I only cut some slack just because............ http://www.julesverne.ca/jaguar/xjcbrochure.html

As per usual on S&M Lars and James drowned everything else out, I have that one. Savatage does a much better job with the classical blending and influence. Some of the arrangement that guy did, the composer, I cant come up with his name now were good but others a bit lame and A typical I felt, once again Savatage & TSO is far and beyond. That composer died about three years ago. Still was quite moving to hear one of the greatest metal bands on stage with a full orchestra.

I somehow know about Wood, not sure why but I do. I have no problem with veneer, it gives better utilization of rare trees, makes book matching grains more interesting and workable. I have no idea solid or not, my book has a Mark X Jaguar advertisment that says "Cabinet work is of hand crafted Walnut, mated and matched. Walnut tables, each with its own vanity mirror" I believe I already quoted this, what now seems like nearly light years ago............. photo of a 67 340, an economy version of the 3.4 Mark II economy sedans shows and states " These economies reached inside the car in the form of vinyl upholstery rather than the origional leather and thinner padding on the seats (can't wait to hear my already predicted responce to that) The burl walnut veneer dash, however, was retained from the mark II sedans, as was the TRADITIONAL round, white on black instruments" This dash is also laid out exactly like the Mark X dash and the E type dash............I dont know what it is, and I dont really care, this is how they felt all their cars should be, a specific location for all switches and yes even the key, its not my problem and I really have better things to worry about as to why there was insistance on this. Wireing harness versatility, cheapness, lazyness, stupidity or tradition I really dont give a &#036;h&#33;...........I like the dash ! "4.2L six claims 265 HP. Seems weird that the 3.8 also put out 265 in the Mk X- like I said, I saw 2 sources that said 220. " I also already posted on this what seems to be lightyears ago, way back when I showed the 3.8 Mark X had nearly identical performance to the 63 Cadillac. I have posted all the information on the various tunings of these engines(excluding the 250hp 3.4 used in the racing D types) and I know my sources are accurate so look all you want I cant just keep repeating myself, over and over. If your finding 220 Mark X's either the motor was changed or your really finding the lower scale 3.8 Sedans. I realize the confusing nature of them not nameing thier cars and using the same engine, but by now............... I realize in WAR this is how you ware down the opponent for ultimate victory but once again that is not why I come here nor is it the way I choose to enjoy cars. If it was I would be on here trying to destroy all topics concerning Novas, Chevelles, Malibus and 4 dr hardtops, that is not me. I even contributed to the 4dr hardtop topic................only to have &#036;h&#33; shoved in my face less than a month later because I contributed to a mid engine topic and someoine had a boner over the new Camaro and couldnt control their hyperactivity...................true colors ! " I am shocked the asking price is only $29K." Much like Buicks and Oldsmobiles, comparitively speaking these cars are a "bargin" in collector car terms because they are not the hot item like origional low milage "hemis", Elleanors or Copos..........in my eyes that is a win win, not that I care about collector cars for myself anymore, got over that one. Other bargins relitively speaking are two of the worlds most venerable supercars from the 70's. The fastest things to hit the streets at that point in time..............the 512 Boxer and the Countach..........nobody wants them.........this is somewhat fueled by expense of rebuilds as well as out of current taste wedge styling but still...........to me Hemi Charger < Boxer, for the money no interest in one and large interest in the other. 25,000 for a Boxer + engine rebuild, and I'd still come in under a restored Charger and have 10 times the car. But there I go again with my sick and twisted taste buds.......................

I have never seen this car before its 2006 Wow, thats a beautiful interior.......................and distinctly creative sheet metal...............very classy front grill/headlight treatment. I have never seen this car before in my life............its 2006 and Im a ignorant Nova lover that thinks the last great car was the 72 Nova.................Im walking through a car show that has 18 Chevelles, 20 Malibus, 12 Novas, 8 Camaros, 10 Mustangs, 9 Galaxies, 11 Fairlanes, 14 Monty Carlos, 13 Impalas then there these "other things" like 1 Buick something or other, 1 Oldsmobile something or other, 1 Cadillac something or other and some strange thing that cant be from this planet............Im going to think I died and went to haog heaven. Am I going to stop and look at those "other cars" ?.............. OK I have never seen this car before, its 2006 and Im an Buick Oldsmobile Freak...................... what cars at this show am I going to walk right past and what cars are going to make me smile ?............................ I cant believe we are having this conversation...................... To me this is a segment leader, that is why I put the effort into those Caddy pictures, ONCE AGAIN..........while I recogonize the MODERINIZATION of the advanced AMERICAN Cadillac dash I do not find its seats or other features as classy, nor do I find the dash as classy, this and other luxury Jaguars have this touch of elegance be there nit picky flaws or oversites they are still very classy elegant. Like I siad that went right over your head............they give me solid Walnut wood :AH-HA_wink: I love those switches, I love whats going on down by the heater or whatever that is, I love that consoul, I love those old style door levers, I love that old style steering wheel, its classy tradition, same as old 60's GM is felt to be classy today, maybe Im just too old or the extra nearly decade put me more in line to like this type of auto...................Im still not big on the 50's Domestic which you are, I dont question it, I understand it and accept it, Im also not real big on this Jaguars tubular bulbulous body but I find it classy ..................now take a 74 XJ12C and once again I got solid Walnut. I also love the American detailed steering wheels of the era, I also love the interesting door levers seen in the Buick pictures I posted that we have seen in so many GM's including my favs, the G1 Toros and G2 Rivieras Still somehow, by some amazing freak of nature I still find a Jaguar very appealing, sexy, inviting, stimulating, classy, elegant and highly desirable...........apparently they have had this effect on a certain portion of the population and this has created an "aura" damn all our poor tastes right straight to hell.....................

yea they better bust a move quick in a somewhat smaller model from a modern design. Lacrosse is just sitting and sitting and sitting. More Lucernes seen already. Lacrosse is a great car but it looks old and out of place on new dealer lots. They still need at least two car models but should really have 3 or two versions of two models. Like maybe a 2dr. or a more aggressive personal lux grand sport.........ah.....its just not 1966 anymore and not enough people want that type of car.

Wow, thats alot of coulda, shoulda, woodas but didnt's. Look at all the money wasted..............musta been nice to have all that industrial and financial might and just toss it to the wind. Now look today, way behind the manufacturers they were fighting down back when we stopped the world from becoming a very dark place. Gotta give the Europeans credit for doing the very best they could with what they had left to work with, while here, the Big three just balked and teased with what they could do but wouldnt. Wonder if thats why they survived better for longer ? Could it just be ? ........... Great post Harley, thanks !

So which is it ? As far as I know most problems have been electrical like none of them will run when its humid or raining ? yarite ! I also have heard people cant tune them or very few that is. Well, what do I say ? I say, it seems to me that has been a problem with all big dollar cars from the 80's & 90's, that were trying to be state of the art and meet all the CAFE and Emmisions standards. Look at the 86-93 Rivieras(Reattas) and Toros, lots of electrical problems. Many a great car went to the JY because people just got tired of trying to figure it out. Then theres the stories about expensive BMW repairs and Mercedes problems, nothing I know anything about so I wont speculate. I had a friend with a 84? SL380 ?...........engine electrical problems. I realize Jaguar was "notorious for this" but boy so were alot of other cars, but they came from manufactures that also had simpler cars to offset the stats. Mechanical ?........well shall we talk about the Standard of the World 2/4/6 ? Or how about the 4.1, 4.3 & 4.9 Standard of the World ? then theres the old rock solid 304 Olds engine which I understand and accept but yet look at all the bashing that poor old boy gets. What about the GM Diesels ? What about the early 3.8 RWD carbed engines that have recieved plenty of bashing ? What about the Olds 350 that was choked down to 185 HP by '75 ? Nearly any car can be a punching bag, we've seen it all happen here. Jaguars are not the only cars I have hours into defending around this place. What about my very own 75 Datsun L20B, known as bullit proof and one of the first high mileage with low maintenence engines, infamous in its day. Yep..........electrical problems! engine would not run right, electrical carb system haveing substance abuse problems, no one could figure it out. Cured by replaceing with an aftermarket Holly made for that problem, that only required a hot wire for the electric choke.........problem solved. How many domestics have we seen that some "have wrenches will turn" has gotten wires all over the place, burnt, new ones pulled all over, looking worse than a bad hair day.............must be those systems were designed by Jaguar ? I drove my Lucas electric 64 Sunbeam for 2 years that included two winters, every day, rain, snow or shine, sub 0 to 90's. Just touch the key and it was ready to roll. Fastest starting car I have ever had. I go so used to it I could start it where the starter was nearly unheard. Never a problem, notta none. Replaced the starter with a used starter so I guess that was one problem because I never replaced a starter in any other car..................... Lights always worked, wipers always worked, fan always worked, it was a simple system, 2 fuses and many gauges were mechanical, Jaegar gauges, that always worked and looked great. Then I became self employed and pickup truck and chainsaw became the center of my mechanical spare time so the poor old Alpine sat, outside up on blocks for over 15 years, right beside a creek in a N.E. mountain gorge. No humidity here............ Undercarraige went the way of the world so I sold all my stuff to a Alpine guy. Before he came, I freed up the rear drums, front calipers were fine, cleaned the carb diaframs and oiled the little plungers, files the points by passed the old fuel with a hose into a antifreeze jug full of gas and hit the starter, was running in a second. All electrical still worked, took him for few last blasts up and down the road just for memories, it hurt like hell. My 64 Fordson County Super Six a large 4 WD tractor was built entirely in England, in fact all casting say EnFo on them, really classy. It has a Lucas system. I replaced the generator with a one wire Delco because I got tired of replaceing the tail bushing every year, it never failed, it just started squeeking, I wasnt great at oiling the thing which is a requirement. The stater has never let me down in 20 years of dayly use for hot starts to sub zero mornings of some pretty good abuse. When I took the starter from my 65 GMC that was tired, to an old Italian man that rebuilds starters, alternators and generators. I mentioned that Lucas starter to see if he would know how to rebuild it, I had been expecting it to fail anyday, he told me that Lucas starter is a piece of work and dont believe the tales. Still to this day, 25 years since I bought "Ol' Clyde Dagenham" he still starts "on a dime" with the same damn Lucas starter...................go figure. Myths and Legends fits so well into the English country side dont they ?

Weight - I dont know, but just look at the car, thats alot of sheetmetal either way, looks beastly just like a Cadillac to me. Mark X used E types 265 engine. The 3.8 Sedan and others used the standard 220 engine. Then the 3.4 Sedan used the old 3.4 engine that was the origional engine designed on fire watch during the bombing like so many things in England were. I believe the 3.4 Sedan is the car in the photo posted by XP. This is an actual quote from a 1959 add for the 3.4 "Versatile beauty, Responsive as a sports car yet meticulously fitted with all the appurtenances of supreme comfort. Tailored for family driving." my book goes on to say "The 1959 Jaguar 3.4 Sedan offered everything a Jaguar owner would want in a compact sedan. For less than $4,600, a buyer could obtain performance of an xk150 (same engine and tranny) with the traditional luxury of a Jaguar sedan, all in a compact package. " This 3.4 had 210 HP which was 1 per cube and they were quite impressed with themselves. That was good at that time and even beyond especially when you consider the gas situation in Europe. Ive read various articles on race cars and how engine requiring high octane needed to be avoided in Europe becaue the gas just wasnt there to run high compression. I cant find any compression listings for Jags in my books. I know a 64 Sunbean Alpine had 9.2 where standard engines had 8:1. I dont think there was any going up to 10:1 or beyond in Europe. It just pops up from time to time in articals I read. Just something to remember, this is why they (euros) were always smaller trying to build more HP other ways..........gasoline. As for torque, as is typical even today, these DOHC engines produced less torque than HP so any torque numbers I find are 3-10 less than HP. You just have two different approaches to two different types of performance vehicals be they sports or be they luxury. More separation than just the Atlantic.

{>>"please explain to me why everybody feels that British marques such as Jaguar have a sort of aura surrounding them and where they get this great reputation from"<<); I asked nearly the same question 3 pages ago but got no answer. Oh, so somehow you figure I should be qualified to answer this question like I am the one that decided Jaguar should have an "aura" which clearly in your eyes, they do not deserve ? Boy thats putting alot of weight on my shoulders. Am I supposed to get all Shakespearian and puff up something that reads like an add campaign ? Even if I was qualified somehow it would make me sick to sound like one of those magazine writers getting all mushy with terms we are all so sick and tired of hearing................just doesnt sound like me does it ? Did you read my review of my own G6 GTP, I didnt know what to say because I sure as hell wasnt going to sound like the same old broken record we read over and over, "the controls are all well within reach, the knowbs fit perfectly between my fingers, the DIC is easily operated and legible, the shifter is stimulating to the touch, the clutch pedal pressed with the silky smoothness of a rose pedal" .....................aint me man........as you can see I cant even pretend to do it. All I care about is I cant heal and toe the damn brake and gas peddle............something Im sure couldnt be done on the 63 GP either. However Im nearly 100% positive that could be done on the E type............now to some sports cars drivers that could be a considered luxury ?...........NO ! Not really, that is a prerequisite ! So are guages you need not look down by your knees to read. Then combine those round poorly located gauges with the ribbon speedo or whatever they call that style and you dont have uniformity or as you said "compliment each other". That is a modern dash the puts form over function. In your opinion a miss placed key is terrible but in mine poorly placed gauges or lack there off is a biggity biggy. Im not downing that type of speedo either, my 86 LeSab and 75 Olds has that style and I love it, reminds me of Dads cars when I was young...........I understand it and accept it...however a full set of individual round gauges w/chrome bezels gives me solid Walnut .............now, ponder why Jaguar used black bezels on its luxury car when clearly chrome bezel gauges were available...........there has to be something behind it..........like it or not......probably the same thing behind the lack of fancy exterior trim.

Oh, I see, then you must be talking about one of these........... three............ " While the 421 HO Tri-Power was the top street engine for 1963, it was possible to order a 421 Super Duty Grand Prix for competition purposes. Only three were ever built, one with the 390-horse NASCAR 4-barrel 421 SD, and two with the 405-hp 421 SD with dual quads and aluminum front ends! Unfortunately, none of the three are thought to survive today." seems like these 0-60 times you posted are not in typical corrolation to the slow 1/4 mile times, not that I have spent much time worrying about what a car can do in 18 seconds or less. Somehow though a 17 second car achieving 60 in 8 just seems off. A 17 second car is like an 80's mph right ? that means it took like 9 more second to gain an additional 20mph ?????????? So through all this you could then admit that a little 231 I6 pushing a large lux.......sorry....... large pretend to be lux to 60 in less than 11 pretty darn good ?