1972 XKE/4.2l/auto/Coupe/Is that a good one?

[dougsjohnson]

Hello,

Let me start by saying I know nothing about Jags. My father
came over asking a bunch of questions, and he is equally as
uninformed. His friend is selling one and he is thinking about
buying it. He is going to bring it over Monday. So, I will repost
with more details and some pics.
Do you guys know if this is a desirable year/engine/trans
combo. He said it is in good shape. I know it will be tough to
answer this without all the detail, but what is something like this
worth?
Thanks in advance with the help!

Doug

[jdrubin]

I don't know what the 72 XKE coupe is worth. They made a 2+2 version that is worth less than the 2 passenger. The engine design did not lend itself to easy modification to conform to the then current emission rules. As a result, they went to a 2 carb version that got much worse mileage than the earlier 3 carb version, and the extra fuel went into heat. As a result, they tried really hard to upgrade the cooling system to prevent overheating. If you like the way this car looks, you may enjoy it. The most difficult things to fix are the hand brake because the pads are near the differential along with the inboard brakes, and the timing chain. You can tell if the timing chain is going bad by blipping the throttle a little, and listening for a tinkling sound coming from the front of the engine on the overrun. The chain tensioner design on all the XK engines was pretty poor. If you have one with a good chain, use synthetic oil and change it and the filter often. I believe the factory recommends 2500 miles, and you probably shouldn't exceed this.
Note, by design, the XK's tend not to get more than 500 miles to a quart of oil. The primary demand for these cars is for parts. Good straight hoods, never dented and no rust are worth several thousand dollars.
Good Luck