Reference section
Jaguar Mk2 Knowledge Base
Beyond the upgrade guides, this is the reference section: how to buy a Mk2 well, where they rust, how the legendary XK engine works, and the racing history that made the fast-road Mk2 what it is.
Showing 17 of 17 articles
Buying a Jaguar Mk2
Why rust matters more than mileage, the engine and gearbox checks, 3.4 versus 3.8, provenance, and how to avoid a money pit.
Rust & where they rot
Sills, floors, jacking points, valances, wheelarches, boot floor and suspension mounts — the structural areas that decide a car's fate.
The Coombs Mk2 & competition history
John Coombs, the saloon racers that beat everything around 1960, and the conversion that became the template for every fast-road Mk2.
The XK engine explained
The twin-cam straight-six of Le Mans fame in its 2.4, 3.4 and 3.8 forms — how it is built, and why it responds so well to tuning.
Starting in extreme heat
Why a Mk2 can be hard to restart on a scorching day, how heat-soak affects the fuel system, and the restomod upgrades that quietly cure it.
Oil pressure: what's normal and when to worry
What a healthy XK shows hot and at idle, why the gauge or sender is so often the culprit, and the sensible order to work through before blaming the bearings.
Why they overheat in traffic
Why the engine-driven fan runs out of air at a standstill, the damage sustained heat does to the alloy head, and the fixes that keep it steady.
Oil leaks and the rear crank seal
The XK's notorious rear crankshaft seal, the other usual suspects, and how to tell a nuisance weep from a leak that needs attention.
Blue smoke: what it's telling you
Worn valve-stem seals and guides versus tired bores and rings — how the timing of the smoke and the oil consumption tell the two apart.
Timing chains and top-end rattle
The XK's twin chains, why the upper chain's hand-set tension matters, and what a cold-start rattle is warning you about.
Are Mk2s expensive to run?
Fuel, servicing, parts and insurance day to day — and the one expense, bodywork, that decides whether a Mk2 is manageable or a money pit.
Values: what a good one costs and why
The 3.8 premium, the 3.4 sweet spot, why condition and provenance decide everything, and how sympathetic upgrades add value.
Mk2 vs 240 and 340
The 1967 run-out cars explained — slimmer bumpers, Ambla trim, the all-synchromesh gearbox and the 240's straight-port head.
Which Mk2 gearbox?
The heavy Moss four-speed, the far nicer all-synchromesh manual, Laycock overdrive and the Borg-Warner automatic — and which suits you.
Are Mk2s reliable?
The tough XK engine, excellent parts and club support, the five real watch-points, and the upgrades that buy dependability.
Insuring and using a classic Mk2
How agreed value, limited mileage and classic policies work, plus practical notes on tax and MOT exemption, SORN and storage.
MOT and tax exemption
Why every Jaguar Mk2 qualifies on age, how a restomod can fall outside the 'substantial changes' test, and where to check the current rules.
More reference articles are in preparation. For work on the car itself, see the upgrade guides.