Parts Available? and Lucas Electrical

I am / was about to buy a 1974 xj12L for a good deal but have lately been hearing horror stories about the Lucas Electrical. What is the main terror of this system. Is it the actual wiring that has problems or is it the componenents such as the motors, connectors, relays etc... Is it reasonable to be able to replace the whole electrical with something reliable? It doesn't seem to me that there are many parts like these available. For example, a window motor. The parts I have been able to find seem to be expensive. Any thoughts or ideas? What should I do?

If everything works on this car, and you think that it's a deal, then go for it and don't worry about the components, electrical or otherwise. I owned a 1976 XJ12 (40th fuel-injected car made) and it was the most wonderful experience. In two yeard of using this car as a daily driver, the only component to give trouble was the ignition amplifier. This unit is prone to breaking down if exposed to too much heat, and on later cars it was mounted at the front of the engine compartment. On mine (and yours if you buy it) it was mounted right in the middle of the two cylinder blocks. Let it cool down and you are onyour way again, but that was the only thing, and a friend gave me a new one anyway.

1. If it aint broke don't worry about it. You may have to replace the odd item once in a while, but if it is still working after nearly thirty years then there can't be too much wrong with the component.

2. You can't treat the Jag V-12 as you would a Toyota. You have to check oil and coolant levels each time you drive it,change the oil often, and keep the coolant fresh and at the right concentration, but keep up on maintenance and lubricate what has to be lubricated and you will be fine.

3. Yes, there are many horror stories about Lucas, but there are millions of British cars on the road, using Lucas components.

I'll think of a few more reasons why you should not worry about this, but I say "Go for it". You may not get another chance. If the car is a good one, buy it!

It actually has had the conversion to the 350 Chevy engine. Do you know if the parts are expensive, such as window motors and if I can even find these parts? Thanks for your input!

I believe that you can still find these parts, and that they are not that expensive. I know that they are available in the UK.

I would recommend joining one (or more) of the Jaguar clubs. I am a member of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club https://www.jec.org.uk/

UK based, but heavily oriented towards spares and DIY maintenance.

Many of the parts for these cars are also interchangeable with less expensive American-made parts, such as Delco. In fact, many of these parts were Delco! Check this out:XJ PARTS INTERCHANGE GUIDE

[ 08-15-2002: Message edited by: J. Christian ]</p>