Finally found a low mileage Vanden Plas that is located near family to have it checked out.
1) What do you guys think of this one? Price?
(I'm interested at $8000 cash)
2) What are the most important questions you would ask based on what you see in the ad?

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

 

It looks nice, however, it is missing the volume knob for the radio. I would want full service records, but it's always difficult to know what's done/needs to be done with a 14-15 year old car that only has 30,000 miles. I suppose it's a good price if the car is %100 perfect. I saw another similar one selling at the same price. However, I wouldn't go in at more than $85,000, and even that may be a bit of a stretch because if the car's damaged (like in an accident), then it's drastically worth less.

 

Looks like an extra-nice example.

Even though it's very lo miles it would be nice to see service history, if available.

If everything works and it runs well...it ought to, for the price.... you'll probably get 70K miles of use before having to worry about anything major.

If there's no maintenence records proving otherwise I'd plan on a major service just on general principles.

Cheers
DD

 

Looks like it's on eBay. Maby you can get it for under 8 grand depending on the reserve price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jagua...t_14151wt_1079

 

Looks like a damn nice VDP. Under different circumstances I'd be tempted to snap it up myself!

Cheers
DD

 

Looks NICE!!

I bought a '97 VDP earlier this year...same color and LOVE IT!! ...even though it needed some work when I bought it (and still does need some).

A few items worth checking out (should all be in good order for the price!)...
- does the tilt/telescoping wheel do both?
- does the seat memory work?
- are the radio / speakers clear sounding or distorted (use the fader and balance to hear all)?
- is the interior rear view mirror LCD dimmer intact or does it have leaking LCD elements?
- does the heater blow HOT?
- look at the top of the front shocks under the hood...are the isolators (bushings) full and flat along the sides or concave indicating substantial deterioration?
- how is the clear coat...any sign of cracking or lines is an indication that it will only get worse...perhaps quickly.

All of those items are common issues with these cars.

I notice that in the ebay description, in the middle of the "comfort notes" the gear shift knob is listed as burl walnut, but obviously in the photo, it isn't...simply a sign that the listing is generic for the vehicle; not necessarily for that individual car.

Every little item could be bargaining power on your end...it is a beautiful car and they are an absolute pleasure to drive!!!

Don't forget the CARFAX!

 

I have a 95 just like it (except mine is not in as good shape) and I love it. Where has this car been for 14 years and only having 30,000 miles. I'd have it checked out my mechanic and if he said it was in good shape I would snap it up quick.

 

I saw it on ebay this morning and a couple statements concern me:

1. "The only real flaws I see with this car is the stereo is not getting power and the rear view mirror has a little fading at the bottom of the glass. Overall this is a great car at a great price."

2. They list everything on a chart as "extra clean" except the paint and exterior as one rating lower at only "clean".


The autocheck on ebay and the free carfax on autotrader look good, but no service is listed in them.

My wife's parents live in the Houston area and are going to go look it over today. My mother-in-law does not think we should buy an older car and is picky. That should be a good thing as she will look for every issue and reason for us to not buy the car.
I am asking her to ask if they have all the service records and if a recent maintenance service has been done.
They printed out this to take with them as they look over and drive the car: http://www.go-lpg.co.uk/X300_faults.html.


Should a 30,000 mile have been done???

 

Here is what I am about to send my in-laws for when they look over the car.

AM I MISSING ANYTHING???




On the test drive:
1) Ask for all service records and find out if a recent service has been performed.
2) There should be no weird noises from the rear end.
3) There should be no ticking from the engine (though clicking fuel injectors are both normal and OK).
4) It should not visibly burn oil. If it is visibly burning oil, walk away, someone did something stupid with adding boost and caused premature engine wear.
5) The temp needle should sit almost precisely in the middle of the range, perhaps a needlewidth towards cold. If it runs any hotter than midway without flogging, then you may have cooling system issues - such as a clogged radiator. Uncommon, but it happens when some idiot who doesn't bother to read the X300 manual and dumps Barr's Leak Stop into the cooling system as a preventative measure.

Exterior:
1) Look at the top of the front shocks under the hood...are the isolators (bushings) full and flat along the sides or concave indicating substantial deterioration?
2) How is the clear coat...any sign of cracking or lines is an indication that it will only get worse...perhaps quickly!
3) Other than dings, scratches, etc - the main external problem to watch for is RUST around the wheel arches, the radius arm mounts, and around the top of the trunk cut. They're far less susceptible to rust than anything prior from Britain, and their sheet metal is on par with BMW - so watch for rust. If you see severe rust around the wheel arches, just walk away. If just minor rust, it can be caught and remedied more economically - but you must catch it before it gets nasty. This, of course, applies to most modern luxury sedans.

When inside the car::
1) Check ALL the functions!
2) Don't forget to check to power seats and the memory functions on them.
3) The clock/temperature lcd display(s) in the center stack tends to either lose its backlight or have the display go blank entirely. Relatively easily fixed; lots of good used ones out there.
4) Is the interior rear view mirror LCD dimmer intact or does it have leaking LCD elements?) The cupholders in the armrest tend to break with age. Repair is, again, easy and relatively affordable.
5) Does the heater blow HOT and the air conditioning COLD?
6) Are the radio/speakers very clear sounding or distorted (use the fade and balance to hear all)?
7) Does the tilt/telescoping wheel do both?
The only bit of ugliness is the automatic steering column - I don't know where they sourced it, but it likes stripping the teeth off the nylon gears in the electromechanical gearbox inside it after a while (80-120K miles). Not all that hard to fix, but a pain at the wrong time. The workaround is to set the column to manual, not auto (it moves up and forward a bit to let smaller people out of the car), or to get the gearbox replaced with a stronger one out of a late from a X308 or X100. There are also some retrofit kits to remedy this with improved parts. This does not cause the steering wheel to go unstable or flop around when it fails - it just simply stops moving around and is no longer adjustable.


Used Jaguar X300's - Common faults.
Back Axle noise, especially on the over-run.
Don't be tempted to buy a car with any appreciable noise on the 'back end' You may have been told that the noise is due to a worn wheel bearing but this often not the case. Mostly, worn differential bearings are to blame.
Repair is expensive in both terms of parts and labour and there aren't many mechanics that can (or will) do the job. Finding a second-hand differential unit that is genuinely quiet is difficult, and the last thing you'd want is to spend a lot of money in having a used Diff. fitted only to find it is also noisy and the assurance that it is 'guaranteed' is worthless. The only way to buy a used unit is to stick to what you can test drive before buying and make sure that it is that unit you end up with. A new or reconditioned differential unit will set you back a long way, possibly costing half of what a car is 'worth', plus the labour of removal/refit.
Note that the labour element of this job is unpleasant to undertake, whilst seized bolts can hinder the job further. In my experience, the labour cost of removal and refit of a diff. unit is somewhere around £400 - £500, and that is without the supply/ repair of the diff. I have got 'lucky' in finding a used diff. unit that proved to be quiet but the total cost of buying it and having it fitted exceeded £800, not good if the car is 'worth' only £2000.

Alleged 'Spongy' Brake Pedal
The X300 braking system is quite different to that fitted to the XJ40. The XJ40 has a real 'drivers' pedal, moving very little before the brakes are being applied. The X300 (and XJ8 for that matter) have much more pedal travel before the brakes actually come into play.
I have heard XJ40 drivers make comments about 'Sponginess' of the X300 / XJ8 brake pedal and making an incorrect assumption that there is 'something wrong with the brakes' on X300's or XJ8's. I even had one MOT tester try to fail a car on 'no reserve footbrake travel' but soon educated him on these differences by inviting to speak to a Jaguar Agent and giving him the chance to try another car.
The plain fact is that the X300 / XJ8 has more pedal travel than XJ40's and some other makes. When someone claims to have found a 'brake fault' it is often due to them being unfamiliar with the model.
Digital Dashboard Clocks
I only see around 5% of cars with this clock actually working. There are replacements available from E Bay or similar, costing £35 - 70 plus fitting which can be DIY, although there is quite a lot of work involved removing trim etc. I have heard that the clock can be repaired by simply sliding in a piece of cardboard behind the PC board connection in order to tighten it up but I have not tried it to date.
UPDATE -
I found the description of this repair kindly posted by someone on the excellent Jag Lovers website. Click this link - Jag Lovers - Dashboard Clock

Oil Pressure readings low or Zero and Oil light coming on
This is a common problem, especially on older or higher mileage cars. It can be alarming as it often denotes an engine which is about to expire on other makes. Worry not. I have had several cars that have shown zero Oil pressure, normally just after warm up. The X300 engine is 'bombproof' and I have never seen one quit in such circumstances. When checked out, it always has actual Oil pressure if checked with an in-line (mechanical) pressure gauge. The cause of the errant 'Zero' pressure indication is the electronic sensor which fails to work at certain temperatures when close to the end of its useful life. The cure is to fit a new or even a used sensor. This is a relatively easy thing to do although it is hard to get at.

Central Locking and Alarm Key Fob not Working
Key fob transmitters have a hard life and do wear out. It may be that new Fob Batteries (there are two, part number 2016) will bring the fob back to life. If that is the case then you are lucky. We often see fobs that have only one battery fitted by a previous owner and its not surprise that the fob does not work. Again, if that is the case with your fob you might get lucky, because....
A replacement fob costs around £120 plus VAT from Jaguar and then it must be adapted to the car. A secondhand one can be bought and adpated to suit the car if you can find one that works.
Cars that have 2 servicable fobs are rare, mainly because the first fob packed up and a previous owner moved on to using the second one. To be fair, getting one working fob with a car that has covered 100k miles is a bonus. Two working fobs is almost unheard of! If you haven't got a working fob at all and don't want to replace it, you don't have to buy one at all. The Alarm will be armed and disarmed by using the key to lock the doors. When opening the doors you have to get the key into the steering lock and switch on the ignition pretty quickly to stop the alarm horn sounding. See the Driver's handbook for more on this.
Boot opening (external) switch not working
The button used to open the X300 boot from outside the car operates a small switch. This can fail, although most often the wiring that crosses the boot hinge will have become stiff and broken through. It is not expensive to fix the problem but like many electrical jobs it can soak up a lot of expensive diagnostic time. It is always much cheaper to use the boot button inside the car, or the key from outside and leave well alone!

Heater not supplying hot air
In just about every case, this is due to the failure of the electric circulation pump, fitted on the NSF inner wing. Replacements are not cheap from Jaguar although a used one might be good. Specialists like David Manners can save you money on a new one.
NOTE! If your car is LPG converted a failed heater coolant pump can cause all sorts of problems because the LPG system relies on hot coolant being supplied by the heater circuit. If it doesn't get that, the LPG system will not perform properly.
Another cause of heater failure can be Air Locking, especially if the air is trapped in the heater matrix. This problem is much that same as Air Locking in a house radiator and has the same cure. There are various methods for 'bleeding' the air out. In extreme cases we've had to raise the front of the car whilst bleeding air out of the matrix.
If you bleed the heater matirix successfully only to suffer the same problem later on, start looking for a coolant leak before things progress to a more serious level.

Screen Washer Pump not working
Most often the pump itself will have failed. It is not easy to get at, requiring the removal of the OSF inner wing liner. Jaguar charge £47 inc. Vat for a new pump although note that many types of Ford screen wash pump can be made to fit. I have bought these at £2 each from a breaker. If you go down this route, take some of the wiring and the connecting plug along for the ride. Often these differ whilst the pump is similar mechanically.
Other causes can be simple blocking of washer nozzles and pipes or failure of the in-line non return valves.
There is a pictoral 'how to' item on Screen washer pumps on one of our other Jaguar pages - Jaguar faults

Rear Bumper Top Face Bright Trim.
These are often dented by careless folk dumping heavy items on top of the bumper before opening the boot. The top trim is not chromed steel as many expect, but high quality stainless steel. A new replacement trim costs £165 plus Vat from Jaguar. They are held on by all manner of awkward clips which break easily. Also be aware that the bumper has to be removed before replacement can commence, something which brings its own problems in terms of seized bolts and broken plastic.
Add the labour cost to the cost of the replacement trim and you could easily spend £300 total. If you are lucky and the dent is not serious, it is possible to remove the trim and carefully roll out the dent. For best results, ask an experienced panel beater to do this for you – NEVER use a hammer on the back of the trim without a sandbag on the other side or you'll end up with a worse dent in the other direction!

Rear Windows not working
This is another common X300 problem which is often due to simple lack of use. The motor is not too hard to remove and may respond well to freeing oil and TLC. You can plug the motor back in when it has been removed and check it for operation using the door switch (with ignition on) but mind your fingers!

Rear Shock Absorbers – Rattling noises on the back end………
This problem is often passed off or misdiagnosed as loose exhaust mountings, items moving in the boot or perhaps a loose rear bumper. If the noise occurs most often after going over a pot hole, it is more likely that the mounting bushes and bearings of the rear shock absorbers are to blame.
If the shocks themselves look old it is often a mistake to have them re-bushed. The only way to deal with this is to fit complete new shockers or have then fitted. The Jaguar replacement items are very expensive although David Manners supply a new pair (and I'd only recommend fitting a pair) for £127 delivered.
Don't be tempted to buy cheaper items as the top of the shocker shaft can snap right off during a good jolt, meaning the job must be done all over again. Removal and refit is, like the rear differential, not a fun job. Labour cost is around £150 a side (as long as none of the bolts shear off when being undone) making the total cost of a pair of rear shocks around £450.
I do not recommend DIY for this job. The good news is that the handling of a car with worn and noisy rear shock is dramatically transformed by fitting new ones!

Aerial Mast replacement
Often these are broken, damaged or simply seized. If seizure is the problem they do not normally retract or extend properly. The major cause of seizure is lack of regular cleaning of the mast by the previous owner or driver. As prescribed by Jaguar, the mast should be cleaned every 2 weeks or so using WD 40 and a soft cloth, wiping in an upward direction only. This stops the dirt from being pushed into the joints of the mast. If the mast has to be replaced beware that new ones are not cheap - £47 from Jaguar.
Air Conditioning not working.
By far the most common used X300 fault. The cause is often no more than a lack of use by the previous owner(s). As prescribed by Jaguar, the Air Con, should be turned on every 2 weeks or so to keep it maintained, Winter or Summer. The reason for this is simple once Air Con is understood;
Air Con. has many mechanical parts that require lubrication, bearings, seals and so on. The Air Con. system contains a gas that tends to remove ordinary mineral based oil or grease. To get around this problem a special lubricating oil formulation is added to the refrigerant gas. This oil only circulates to where it is needed when the Air Con. system is working. If this oil is not circulated, mechanical seizure can result.
Secondly, the many seals that keep the gas in the system will tend to dry out and shrink if they do not get a regular supply of this special oil. If the system isn't used regularly the seals will shrink and the gas will escape, leaving the system inoperative the next time it is called upon. As a result of this there is no special oil left in the system either. You will hear many people speak of a car's system needing a 're-gas' but this is often unsuccessful. Once those seals have shrunk to a certain level they will not come back to useful life and the gas just put in will leak out within a few days. A large repair bill then looms.
It is easy to spend £1000 or so on a Jaguar Air Con. System that has been neglected. On older cars it has to be judged as to whether it is worth doing this. If you are lucky enough to have Air Con. working in an X300 or any other car, look after it by running it every 2 weeks or so. It really is a case of 'Use it or lose it'.
Note that cars fitted with 'Climate control' only but having no Air Con, system are actually preferred by many – If Air Con. isn't fitted, it cannot break!
Cars that will not allow 'Drive' or Reverse to be selected from a start
If the brake light bulbs (or the circuit that feeds them) do not work, the gear selector interlock will not release from the 'Park' position when the brake pedal is pressed. It can take ages to select a gear in such a case. Also note that the Brake light switch itself can be faulty or out of adjustment, causing a similar problem although the bulbs are both good and the circuit is working.
Front and Rear Brake Discs - Warping and Wear
Wear is clear enough to diagnose. When the brake discs become too thin they need replacing. They are checked on MOT but sometimes a 'borderline' case will be let through the MOT, only to be well below par after a period of frequent use later on. Only replace them (or have them replaced) in pairs, 2 front or 2 rear, and with new pads. If you are DIY'ing, make sure the protective coating is cleaned off the discs before fitting the pads.
Disc Warping will manifest as 'pedal bounce' and may be felt through the steering, especially in the case of front discs. Replacement as prescribed above is the only realistic cure.

Petrol Cap drain blockage and Water Contamination of Fuel
Owners still using Petrol to run their cars get to see the petrol filler every day or two but those running on LPG rarely see it!
The filler drain hole and its filter are both prone to blockage by leaves and other debris, causing the filler to collect water. This is really undesirable. The water can leak into the Petrol tank under the submerged cap and cause you all manner of problems later on.
Check that your filler drain is clear. If it isn't, take out the filter and clean it. The drain pipe itself can be unblocked with a length of stiff wire. Test it out afterward with a little water and remember to keep an eye out for the next blockage (most likely in Autumn). For pic see our other page on Jaguar faults

Car Wash Damage to Paintwork
Easy to spot and often worse on top surfaces, roof, bonnet and boot lid. The laquer finish is 'fogged' (scratched) by the coarse nylon brushes. Often the damage cannot be polished out. Avoidance is easy - Never put your X 300 through a car wash!

Cars that Idle Eratically or Stall at Junctions
The first thing to check for is any air leakage after the air mass meter. The rubber 'Bellows' fitted to the inlet manifold is the main area to concentrate on. The second thing is much more subtle - Have you recently changed the spark plugs or had them changed?
X300's are notoriously sensitive to spark plug resistance. If this is incorrect, the ignition timing can oscillate between high advance and retard values, making the engine speed change dramatically. This makes the engine idle badly or stall. Some engines may not even start at all. If you find this just after changing the plugs, put the old ones back in until you have sorted out what is wrong with the new ones.
Replacing Oxygen (Lambda) Sensors
These are a consumable item and have a finite life. Testing or replacing them can be difficult. We came up with the X300 Lambda Connection Modification to make life easier.

Siezed Front Brake Calipers
A lot of X300 calipers sieze, we have replaced many. Dissasembly shows the cause to be split rubber piston seals which allow road water and salt in, resulting in corrosion. Almost without exception, the blame lies with the last but one person to change the pads, having used some unsuitable instruments and little care. The seal is damaged then, and in time corrosion takes its toll on the unprotected piston. Next time new pads are fitted, even by a careful person, the corroded portion of the piston is forced back into its cylinder and it will eventually sieze up.

Replacing the Fuel Filter
Take great care when undoing the union nuts to the filter - Often the fuel pipes are corroded and fall into a pile of dust. If that happens it's best to go back to good pipe both sides and splice new sections in, but it would be unwise to do this with worm drive clips and bits of fuel hose. Get same diameter push-on hydraulic or air connectors, they are an absolute doddle to fit and no risk of leaks as they are designed for far higher pressures than present in Jaguar fuel delivery. Best to check that what you are buying will be fuel proof too. For the missing pipe you can use new plastic fuel pipe. At the filter end(s) things might be easy or complicated, depends on the conditions of the union nuts. If they are scrap then you could replace them or go for a filter with different connections that can be bought to match.

 

The 'autocheck' for that car states:
"Reported registered/titled prior to storm event in FEMA designated storm area. We recommend a professional vehicle inspection to confirm no storm damage."

Sounds like it was registered in an area hit by a severe hurricane. I would also be sure to check for rust, water spots, etc...

 

Thanks, I missed that.
My in-laws are going to end up looking at it tomorrow; got too busy today. Said they called, and the salesman they talked to said the service records are on the carfax. They responded that there is no service mentioned in the carfax, and he said that he did not know then.
So, it is not looking the best; but they are taking the list I have (post from above) and going to look over the vehicle and quiz them.

Will keep posted.

 

It almost seems like there are some more issues than I'd like to have in a car of that price. Hopefully everything will be clear.

 

I'm starting to feel more and more the same way. I'm trying to keep an open mind until they see it in person tomorrow, but my mental price keeps going down - now thinking $7K cash in hand.

Have you seen any low-mile/amazing condition X300's for sale recently (mostly looking for Vanden Plas)???

 

Well, the proof is in the pudding so lets see what the in-laws think when they see and drive it in person.

As for "issues"...well....work a new mirror and repaired radio into the negotiations. Both are common problem areas with this car...no surprise there.

Cheers
DD

 

Looks very fresh. 8k? you can find them much cheaper than that but It does look nice. BTW does anyone VDP's window's roll up on their own after you lock your car? Mine seem not to.

 

In-laws did not go again yesterday claiming too busy. I think they just don't want us to buy the car and are being difficult. It is up to $6100 on ebay with lots of time left, so it looks like the window on this one is passing.




Can you give some links of low mileage VDPs cheaper (this one had 30K miles)?
I'd appreciate the help/input, because I'm not finding them.

 

You can find average examples for $2500-$4000...but they'll be 100k+ mile cars and probably not as nice as this one....if this one really IS as nice as it looks.

Keep looking. Another gem will come along.

Cheers
DD

 

On occasion I find cars with 70,000-100,000 miles less than $7,000. Usually they have a few minor cosmetic issues, but similar VDP's are harder to come by since there were less in the beginning.

 

It's at $7100 now on ebay with reserve still not met; I'll keep looking.

I do find lots and lots for $2500-$4500 with about 100K; and find still quite a few for under for $4000-$7000 with 70-95K; but few under $7000 with 60K or less; and almost none with under 40K.

I still like this White 1996 VDP (with 47K miles for $7995) if I could get it for $6500, and I would even buy it sight unseen for $6000 with the 11 years of service work at the local Jaguar dealership on the carfax. The seller said $7000 cash was his bottom though.

 

Call 1 800 Jaguar USA and be real nice to them. They won't tell you everything about the service record, but usually will tell you how many times it has been to Jaguar and when the last service was. You really gotta smooze them cause the call people aren't supposed to say much. I found out that the VDP that I bought with 100K on it hadn't been back to Jag since 17K. Also from the owner find out where it was orig sold and call them. They might give out more info.