Thanks guys, as always I appreciate the insight and encouragement!

Regarding the final check I will probably go to the Cat's Cradle and/or Brown's Lane...even though BL deals with primarily older examples I still think they could help me out.

Cheers.

 

I have heard good things about Cat's Cradle, not sure about Brown's Lane. I just know there there are some out there that people seem to hate in the city (not going to say the name on here but when you chat with local owners in the city you will know).

 

Any Jag is not kind to the budget. I spend $3K to $4K a year to keep mine going. I love the car, and get a lot of used parts from ebay. Doing EVERYTHING you are comfortable
doing helps. If you have a place to put it, a parts car will save you THOUSANDS of dollars. Dealer visits add up FAST. I spent $1,400 and they didn't fix the problem on mine. (I did get it fixed elsewhere). I could make payments on a new car for less $$.. The difference is I will drive the XJ8 for 300 miles just for fun and be disappointed I have to stop. They are awesome machines when running properly. Only you can decide if the sacrifices are worth it.

 

[QUOTE=Trubs96;1226858]Hey all,

Just purchased my first car and my first Jaguar yesterday... an all white '99 XJR supercharged. It came with 135k miles and isn't by any means in mint shape, but it runs (not well, but can hit 60-80mph before it starts to lurch) and that is all I can ask for when purchasing it for $1000. I've been browsing the forums for a while and am excited to start my adventure on fixing it up and getting her on the road!.....>>>>> [QUOTE]

First of all, welcome to the group Trubs96 ;o)

Put aside the 'waffle' for the moment and let's get down to basics.
You've bought a car for a $1000 as a project....at least it runs ;o))

You have basic skills, so let's deal with the basics.
I would suggest you treat this car with a clean slate....starting with an engine oil change and filter.
Remove all the plugs and check condition, re-gap and replace.

Regards that coolant leak, check the little hoses around the back of the motor that connect to the throttle body and heater pump and motor...including the one at the base of the expansion tank.
Give a thorough examination of all the hoses....any feel soft and squishy or look bulgy...make a list of replacements as you go along...as you are on a tight budget, replace the most needy as you go along.

Clean all the electrical connections, especially all the ground connections and start with the condition of the battery and it's connections.
Buy yourself a decent battery charger...preferably a good automatic one.
These cars have a big battery that has to power a lot of electronic gizmos
and batteries are notoriuosly neglected causing no end of 'little' problems.;o)
Arm yourself with a couple of cans of electronic cleaner/lubricant of the type available at your local electronic store.

Check drive belts for any squeaking and have a listen to the super charger for any rattles....the surging at 60-80 could well just be a blocked filter....it's easy to do a fuel pressure check on these with a gauge and a schreader attachment......looks like a bycicle tyre valve which is acessable at the front of the left hand bank (looking from drivers seat)

The supercharged engines don't like dirty air filters.

Start with these simple basics first and then see how it runs.
Then you start digging deeper....bearing in mind that most of this can be achieved by yourself, given time and guidance.
There are any number of good parts suppliers both new and s/h to bring this veeehickle into some semblance of order that won't break the bank.;o)

Get right in there and do some research as there is so much written about these cars....arm yourself with a copy of an on line work shop manuals....do a lot of reading and familiarise yourself with all that goes on with these cars and you will find they are relatively simple to work on compared to other vehicles of the same era.

You have accepted the challenge....go forth and conquer ;o))