CAT CAN’T START!
On the hunt for an affordable new battery for his XJ6, John causes confusion in mainstream motor factors
1971 JAGUAR XJ6 SERIES 1 4.2 SWB
I’d recommissioned the XJ and got it through an MoT in a rush to attend E-type 60, but the weekend of use also showed up quite a long to-do list, top of which was to solve the battery issue, because my portable lithium cell jump-pack ended up rescuing me not once, but twice.
I checked the alternator with a multimeter and was sure that everything was okay there, which pointed to the battery having passed its useful life while the car was standing over lockdown. I gave it a few days on my battery charger’s ‘repair pulse’ setting, but to no avail.
Having made the decision to spend some money on a new battery I had a look online at what Jaguar parts specialists recommended, which were both expensive and not that powerful in comparison to the more modern battery I have in my Opel Monza. I always like to have the most powerful battery that will fit in the space available in case I leave lights on, use the radio while parked or have to limp home with a failed alternator.
I removed the metal frame that sits over the battery and locks it into place, took some measurements and popped down to
Halfords one evening just in case the basic size had remained in production but was being offered at a higher capacity for modern cars. After placing my metal frame over two or three likely-looking batteries I was interrupted by a puzzled young Halfords assistant who, when he realised that my car was nearly 50 years old, amusingly – if slightly depressingly – exclaimed: ‘ That’s even older than my dad!’
Once he’d realised that I was of sound mind, even though I was waving a metal frame over his precious batteries, he suggested one on the bottom shelf which was spot on – a Yuasa 072 75Ah. It was nearly £100 cheaper than the black ‘classic’ battery and of a higher capacity so, while I admit that it won’t look quite as ‘period’ in the engine bay, it satisfied my criteria. Fitting it was slightly fiddly because it’s about 10mm taller than the old one, but it still provides plenty of bonnet clearance and the starter motor now turns over with renewed vigour. It’s guaranteed for five years, as well…
All this was done in time to attend the JEC and JDC joint Jaguar Summer Festival at Bicester Heritage, which I was covering for CCW and which, until about 4.30pm when the heavens opened, was a lovely event that I enjoyed immensely.
It had a great showing of E-types for the anniversary and a huge variety of Jaguars and Jaguar-linked personalities talking on stage. The XJ6 ran beautifully and provided shelter from the rainstorm for two friends stranded at the other side of the field from their E-type. It also garnered many comments along the lines of ‘You don’t see enough Series 1 XJs at Jaguar events’ – a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree.