How I Aged Almost Overnight

"mikecyc72usa" (mikecyc72usa) 03/02/2015 at 01:51 • Filed to: Miata, Jaguar, Triumph

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If you've read my semi-regular posting, a few things become apparent. First, I love British cars. My eye has always been attracted to all the two seat classics, like Triumphs, Jags, MGs, etc. Second, I put thousands of miles a year in said cars, mostly my Triumph Spitfire. Until recently, that is. If you recall, I had some issues with my Spitfire enroute to Hilton Head, SC to visit my parents for Christmas. Well, it's still there, and I drove my mom's 96 Miata back to Austin, TX. Ethanol wreaked havoc on the cylinder head, and the Miata is doing a good job filling in.

Yet a funny thing happened on the epic "Holiday Road Trip Saga". I began to think about how the Spitfire and Miata were great cars, but not that great. They ride similarly, drive about the same, get similar mileage, but for a 1000 plus mile trip each way aren't so great. One has seats that aren't the most comfortable, the other has not nearly enough legroom for my 33 inch inseam.

So, by now you're asking "What in the world does all this drivel have to do with your title?" Well, it's pretty simple. I suddenly find my interest has shifted focus. To GT and Executive Transport sedans. In fact, this transition started in January 2013 when I bought a 1987 Jaguar XJ6. This is a car that has appealed to me for quite some time, basically since high school. Classic looks, a great ride, and in the 80's, 200+ plus HP was a pretty big deal.

As you can see, I got a Jag in pretty good shape. Sure, the speedo, cruise, and horn don't work, but the way it drives is incredible. Not only is the ride the most comfortable of any car I've driven or ridden in (and that's a LOT of cars from the 50's to today), it's also incredibly agile. Imagine a car that's as responsive to steering inputs as a Miata, but rides like sitting on your sofa. All while taking a great set around backroad corners.

But what really appeals to me is not only the smoothness, nor the tsunami of torque through the rev range. It's how comfortable and easy it is to drive. A girlfriend of mine remarked how it always seemed like I was working hard while driving my Spitfire. At some point, all the quirks that made driving and living with the Spitfire daily lost their appeal. I found myself wanting air conditioning (it gets hot here in Austin), and things like a weathertight cabin.

I mean, talk about an eye pleasing environment. Plus the seating position is absolutely perfect. That aftermarket Momo wheel doesn't hurt, either. It's as comfortable as it looks and then some. Even the back seat is just as luxurious.

Everything came to a head on that epic trip to Hilton Head. The Spitfire, which is fine for a 3 hour drive really showed its' shortcomings in a 23 hour drive. The noise, the stiff suspension, the mostly weatherproof cabin, while charming, got old. The seat wasn't as comfortable after 600 miles as it was at the end of first 200.

So I found myself wishing I was driving the Jag (which I need to replace the head gasket on) instead of the Miata by mile 500 of my return journey. By the time I arrived home in Austin, I found myself missing my Jag, that girlfriend's 2014 Altima, or even my friend's Fiesta. (It's not really a bad car. Honest.) In one 21 hour drive, I suddenly aged. As my friend Myles quipped the day I bought the Jag, "When did you turn 65 overnight?" Pretty funny, but somewhat spot on.

Now I will never sell my Spitfire as I need an FSP car for autocross and other events, but I am itching to return the Miata to my parents. I also am looking forward to replacing that head gasket to get the Jag back on the road. Plus, once I finish and sell my 1971 MGB (hint hint to interested parties) I'm going to be on the hunt for a Jag XJS with a V-12. Because, well, a V-12 powered GT is really one of the most amazing things to pilot on a road trip. Hilton Head, anyone?

mikecyc72usa > mikecyc72usa 03/02/2015 at 02:55

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I should add that HP figures vary for the 1987 XJ6, I've seen anything from 178-212, and torque always seems to be in the 230 range.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/02/2015 at 06:18

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Dude! A Spitfire, a series XJ and an MGB. Very jealous :)

Personally I daily drive a '92 XJ6 4.0l manual. Fantastic car. Truly brilliant :) I've also got a '74 Spitfire that I'm restoring and swapping in the 2.5l injected I6 from a TR6 along with various other little improvements. Big fan of British cars :)

Here's a couple of pics:

Vimto > mikecyc72usa 03/02/2015 at 08:05

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Funny how I had fairly similar experience.

I've only been driving for a few years, but after my parents bought me my first car (Kia Forte) I was constantly in search of something manual and bare bones to 'connect' with the road more. I thought owning a Nissan Versa in the absolute most basic trim would be wonderful because it was just an engine, 5-speed manual, and hardly anything else. No power features to break or fancy technology to distract me from the wonders of the road.

Well, after a few months I got tired of having to walk around the car to unlock the doors (2 roommates = frequent 3 person shopping trips), if I was alone I could only roll one window down, the gears weren't spaced very well and the list goes on.

I traded it for a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis, the most heavily optioned one I could find (everything except the air suspension) and instantly fell in love. It was sooo buttery smooth, loved to eat up the miles on highway trips and never bothered my back once. Sure, it wallowed like a pig in corners and wasn't really fast enough to get out of its own way but I discovered while owning that car that my true passion for the automotive world lies in roadtrips - mostly the journey rather than the destination - not so much racing and trying to be as pure as possible.

CalzoneGolem > mikecyc72usa 03/02/2015 at 08:22

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I see you follow the way of May.

mikecyc72usa > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/02/2015 at 09:26

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Nice. I should add the rest of the stable is a 1962 TR4, 1981 TR8 convertible, 1996 Miata, and some other non British cars back in SC.

mikecyc72usa > Vimto 03/02/2015 at 09:29

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I just realize there are different horses for different courses. The Spitfire is a great car, but it's set up for autocross, not roadtrips. Also, arriving at my girlfriend's place with a change of clothes to go on a date due to it being 103 degrees with no AC got old.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/02/2015 at 09:37

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Nice :) we've got a '49 MG TC, and a host of other non-Brits as well.

Very jealous about that TR8. I'd love a FRC one of those at some point.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/02/2015 at 10:47

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I still have your cars as one of my wallpapers.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 03/02/2015 at 11:51

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That still makes me smile :) it is that one with the Spitfire and Jag together in front of my old garage?

mikecyc72usa > CalzoneGolem 03/02/2015 at 11:52

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Except that I am a pretty quick driver.

Jefffthereff > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 18:58

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Nice, did you end up with the good headlights or the boxy hurrmurrican ones?

505 - morphine not found > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/07/2015 at 19:18

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Imma let you finish mickecyc but i got to talk to my man here, sorry.

Simon, I just sent you something on g+ regarding that xj40 you have. I finally found that old jaguar xj brochure i thought i lost, and in it there was the description of the sports handling pack. A 4.0 manual with that... yeah, i can completely see how i, or in deed anyone would be head over heels with that.

Quadradeuce > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 19:36

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My goal is a GT sedan as a daily driver and road trip car, and a fun toy for the weekend. My 65 Tempest counts as the toy (or at least it will when I get around to fixing it up), but I'm still looking for the GT. Gotta pay off some debt first.

Kevin Rhodes > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 19:56

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Everyone needs a little British car for fun, and a big British car when you need to go in comfort. Living in Maine, my big British car is a bit more all-weather than a Jaguar (but I do love Jaguars):

I would trust my Spitfire to do a 23hr drive in fine style, but I am also quite certain I would not be able to walk for some time afterwards. And the thought of driving it in Texas heat makes me want to faint dead away. On the other hand, I bought the Rover in San Antonio and drove it home to Maine over 4 days 1.5 years ago. Very comfortably. I find the Spitfire to be MUCH more comfortable than an early Miata, I just don't fit in them at all. Amazing how much interior room is freed up by leaving out all the creature comforts and safety paraphernalia...

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 20:29

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i know how you feel

Ian McDowell > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 20:47

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Love to see some british love in here. I have been driving an XJS daily since I got out of high school in 2010.

I am pretty interested in an XJ6 or 12, probably a 6 because it would be different from my XJS and easier to find. I just find myself looking for a four door sometimes.

The suspension on these cars, like you mentioned, is amazing. For the most part, the XJS, XJ6, XJ12, and XJC all have the same suspension with very slight variations. This vintange XJ12 was called the most comfortable car in the world by mister clarkson.

The XJ6 has plenty of pep,idk what that regularcars review was talking about. Both have lots of power all over the range, although the three speed is definitely the biggest bottleneck to this era of jaguars.

The V12 is amazing. Everyone loves to badmouth british cars, and when it comes to the v12 it is always 285hp from a v12? Whaaatt?
Yeah 285hp, from a 5.3l, in the 1980s. American V8s putting out the same and even more displacement were make what back then? 190hp,220hp? The straight six is even putting out more power than those.

The XJS will do 100+ speeds all day long and was one of the fastest cars back in the day. The oversquare design means it LOVEs to rev.

grats on the car, it is even the right color. I really would like a different vintage to change things up, but the 80s XJ6s are really tempting. Great highway cars. drop a 5 or 6 speed in it and they will idle at 80mph.

Something you don't understand until you experience it is the smoothness. Even high end v12s aren't as smooth, because so much power is pulled out they are still a little rumbling.
I have never driven an electric car, but the v12 is probably as close as you can get. The car never complains or shifts around in its power, it just feel unlimited because of how buttery smooth it comes in.

With all forged internals, as long as your radiator is in good shape (replace the stock electric fan with a new one) you can drive across continents in these things.

Filmlandgrab > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 21:37

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I had heard the Jag mystique, since my dad raced his daily driver in the 50s and 60s, a '54 xk120 roadster (I know, right?). Then, finally and by surprise, I had accumulated a boat load of points from my rent-a-car company, and my free upgrade was a Jag xj6 (first of the Ford versions—1994, huge rectangle headlights). Anyway, holy shit. What. A. Perfect. Car. I was not the best judge, since I owned a Wrangler, and before that a Squareback, so a then-new 1994 Jag would've been like having sex w/1994 Cindy Crawford. But good Christ it was truly great.

twochevrons > mikecyc72usa 04/07/2015 at 22:29

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Hooray, another British car owner. I've had some kind of British car or another at my disposal since forever – when I was young, my father restored a Jaguar XK150, I learned to drive in a Triumph 2500, later owned a Rover SD1, and now I have a '56 MGA roadster.

If it weren't for my MGA (which is a family heirloom and ongoing restoration project, although I hope to have it on the road in a half-finished state this summer), I'd be very interested in your B. I've always lusted after the Series XJ6s as well – they're beautiful cars, and they seem to strike that sweet spot of comfort and handling that is so hard to get right. Lovely engine, too, though. Glad to hear in another comment that you're keeping the faith and not swapping it out for a V8 – without the silky-smooth engine (and the lovely sound that it makes when wound up), it just wouldn't be the same.

TheRazorsEdge > mikecyc72usa 04/08/2015 at 00:55

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This man approves of this message!

lecrab > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/08/2015 at 01:25

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Uploading the pictures in Kinja must have taken longer than the actual rebuild. Nice work!

CheezSauss > mikecyc72usa 04/08/2015 at 07:26

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Are you sure you aren't my father?

He had a Spitfire before I was born, long lusted after an XJS, and has an 87 XJ6 sitting in his garage (one owner). The XJ6 is almost identical to yours - Dorchester Gray, but black interior.

Rusty_Jaguar > mikecyc72usa 04/08/2015 at 09:00

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You really like cars that are notorious for self-destructing don't you? I had a 97 XJ6 and it was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. That said, thanks for this. You reminded me to run non-ethanol marine gas in my Jensen-Healey.

boobytrapsandtreasure > mikecyc72usa 04/08/2015 at 09:49

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There's nothing like a long road trip to make you change your outlook on cars. Best of luck with the Jag.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 505 - morphine not found 04/08/2015 at 10:28

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Neat :) how that passed me by I have no idea...

I think mine might have the front ARB from a sports pack model. It's thicker than the bushes I got with the standard bush replacement kit I got for it :)

No LSD until I swapped mine in though, so I think that's the extent of the modifications...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > lecrab 04/08/2015 at 10:28

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Hah :) not far from...

Thanks :)

Stan > mikecyc72usa 04/08/2015 at 10:57

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You want amenities that work and you went with a Jaguar? :-O

mikecyc72usa > Stan 04/08/2015 at 12:00

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Sure did. If you know what you're looking for and at they are incredibly reliable. Also, everything electrical works on mine.

RallyWrench > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 04/08/2015 at 13:42

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Wow, an XJ40 with a manual? That's a car I'd drive, no questions asked.

mikecyc72usa > Rusty_Jaguar 04/08/2015 at 14:03

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Funny thing is my 1973 Porsche 911 was one of the worst cars I ever owned. The British ones have been rock solid. I look at 75,000 miles roughly in five years from a Triumph as anything but self destruction.

mikecyc72usa > CheezSauss 04/08/2015 at 14:19

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Ha! I'm only 43 and have no kids I know of. What does your mom look like?

mikecyc72usa > Jefffthereff 04/08/2015 at 14:23

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My XJ6 is a Series 3 so it has the four round headlights. Any XJ6 made after 1987 isn't really an XJ6 other than in name. Totally different car. I have yet to buy an XJS.

mikecyc72usa > Ian McDowell 04/08/2015 at 14:36

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Precisely. Well said. What many here don't know is I've had over 80 Euro cars in 24 years. SAAB 900s and 9000, Sonnet, every model Triumph sold in the states, (over 40 so far), 2 E Types, an XK140, my XJ6, Toyotas and Hondas, MGs, (Twin Cam MGA coupe, MGBGT, MGB I'm restoring right now, a Porsche 356, a 1973 911 Targa (way overrated crap imo for many reasons), as well as a few American and Italian cars, including an Alfa and a Maserati. All my observations and writings are based on first-hand experience. And I have a comprehensive library of magazines, period road tests, and retrospective road tests with data catalogued.

mikecyc72usa > Filmlandgrab 04/08/2015 at 14:38

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Nothing rides and handles like a Jag. Period. My dad was a crew chief for Cunningham racing when he campaigned D Types, Lister and Osca racers, so I've grown up with firsthand knowledge handed down to me.

mikecyc72usa > TheRazorsEdge 04/08/2015 at 14:39

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My buddy Myles refers to me as the Equalizer...

DrScientist > mikecyc72usa 04/10/2015 at 00:36

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another xjs fan!

just got to here from another of your posts.

what's your time frame for selling the mgb and looking into the xjs purchase? i'm thinking its time to move on from mine and look into other "desires."

what's your price range/level of wrenching expected? as you know these will be inversely proportional, but maybe my rolling project will match your needs.

youre exactly right that there is no better car type than a v12 gt for a road trip. mine has been around the country, literally, in an epic, 4 part road trip. see some of my previous posts for pictures.

mikecyc72usa > DrScientist 04/10/2015 at 00:42

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MGB should be on the market by the mid summer. I want to buy as nice an XJS as I can afford, so it depends how much is left over from the MGB sale. I'm pretty comfortable wrenching on just about anything.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > mikecyc72usa 04/10/2015 at 01:20

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That was a good read, man. I agree with you on the Miata's lack of comfort on road trips... I live 370 miles from my home town and I usually make the drive stopping only once for fuel (if I'm alone). It really puts strain on my legs and I could see the use of a gt car like the v12 jag you speak of. Though being that I'm still in my 20s I will just tough it out for now haha.

mikecyc72usa > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ 04/10/2015 at 02:01

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I'm almost 43 and have broken my back in 3 different places. The XJ6 is a great road trip car, with two 11+ gallon fuel tanks. Glad you liked the post!