Hello,
I always dreamed to have a Jaguar. I like most hte XJ40.
I found this Xj40 in a very good shape.
it is from 1991, just a minor tear on the driver seat and a little fading near the sunroof but overall it looks amazing.
Car has only 57000 miles.
Owner says no leaks, no heating issues, valve cover gasket replaced,
new air filter kit, everything works.
Car is sold at $3000. IS it a proper price ?
the price looks good and the car is in a great shape.
I Wanted to ask what kind of expenses I may encounter buying this car ?
Is the maintenance a killer ?
I would like it just as a week-end car so probably no more than 50 miles/week

here is some picture







thank you

 

Hello xjfourty,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

You have good taste in automobiles. That's a very nice-looking XJ40 with low mileage for a car that is 25 years old.

There are numerous details you will need to know in order to determine whether $3,000 is a fair price. First of all, can the owner provide a full service history, or only the fact that the air filter and valve cover gasket are new? An air filter is an inexpensive regular maintenance item, and the valve cover gasket set is just $37 at Rock Auto and takes about an hour to install, so the owner hasn't saved you much money on those items.

I would suggest you run a Car Fax on the car, and ask the local Jaguar dealer if they can provide any service history on the car (you'll need the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN in both cases).

I would also suggest that you have the car inspected by a mechanic who is knowledgeable about Jaguars. Just because the owner says there are no leaks or heating issues doesn't mean it is true.

Some of the common issues include:

Leaks in the Self-Leveling (rear) Suspension (SLS) system. Not all cars were equipped with SLS, and many been converted to conventional rear shock absorbers. Check to see if the car still has SLS or has been converted.

Perished shock and suspension bushes. One of the keys to Jaguars' smooth ride and excellent handling is the design of the suspension, which uses rubber bushings to isolate many of the key components. Over time the rubber softens, cracks or crumbles. In a car that is 25 years old it is very likely that some or most of the bushings have deteriorated unless they have been replaced. Any unusual noises or knocking from the suspension is a good clue that some of the bushings need to be replaced.

Oil leaks, especially from the valve cover gasket and on the left side of the engine block where the oil filter, oil cooler pipes, oil fill tube and oil dipstick attach.

Coolant leaks from a hose hidden beneath the intake manifold are common and time consuming to correct.

The front wheel bearings require more frequent attention than on most cars.

The rear axles are part of the rear suspension, which puts extra strain on the differential output shaft bearings. Oil leaks at the seals or a whining or grinding noise from the rear can indicate a failing bearing.

Corrosion or looseness of ground stud connections and battery power connections can cause all sorts of electrical gremlins, battery charging issues, and starting problems. Have the electrical system tested. Most auto parts stores will do a basic test for free.

Cold and/or starved solder joints in fuse boxes and relay modules lead to problems as the XJ40s age. This is difficult to test for until a circuit malfunctions, but once identified it's usually not too difficult to rectify.

The owner states there are no heating issues, but what about the air conditioning? Check it thoroughly to be sure it is blowing cold air with plenty of air flow from all the dash vents. The electronic speed control circuits for the two blower fans are a common failure point, and when one fan fails the flow of air from the vents is greatly diminished.

Tires: The wheels on this car are probably not original. Check the size of the tires to see if the rims are 15 inches. If so, there are very few tire makers offering the high aspect ratio tires that fit the original 15 inch rims.

Brake Power Assist and Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS): On the XJ40 these systems rely on hydraulic fluid pressurized by an electric pump and stored under pressure in an accumulator sphere. When you first start the car after it has been sitting for a few days, the Anti-Lock and Brake warning lamps should illuminate, then extinguish within about 30-40 seconds. If you have just driven the car, shut if off, then restarted it, the Anti-Lock and Brake lamps should extinguish very quickly. You can test the accumulator by running the engine for a minute at about 1,000 rpm to allow the accumulator to be pressurized, then turn off the engine. Now press and release the brake pedal repeatedly, counting the number of presses it takes before the pedal feels hard. Off the top of my head, on a '91 a healthy accumulator should give you 30 presses, and the bare minimum is something like 9 presses. The accurate specification is probably stated somewhere on this forum.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some things you should check. Hopefully others will fill in the blanks.

Cheers,

Don

 

hello Don,
thanks you for taking your time to answer me.
I am really amazed by all the knowledge you have on this car.
you are really like a Bible on Jaguars

this is actually the car

**1991 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS * 57,300 miles~CLEAN & BEAUTIFUL

I plan to bring the car to a jaguar mechanic and have it deeply inspected
even if I spend $200 then I can really know id the car worth it or not.

I really want to own a jaguar.
Just in case... What do you think about X300 or X308 ?
are they more reliable ? The STS suspension problem makes me worried.
There are a lot of them at a very good price.
And as I said I just plan to own one as a weekend car. So I do not plan to do more than 10000mi/year

 

Hi xjfourty,

Please let us know what the mechanic has to say about the car.


I like the X300 and X308 a lot. They are built on the same basic structure as the XJ40, but their front and rear sheet metal is more curvaceous. Their interiors are similar to the XJ40 with some evolutionary revisions that make them seem slightly more "modern," but still strongly linked to the Jaguar tradition of opulent wood and leather.

Compared to the AJ6 engine in the XJ40, the X300 has a slightly more powerful AJ16 straight-6 engine and a number of other improvements that make it a little quicker than the XJ40.

The X308 has a V8 with even more power and torque, so it is quicker still.

Typically the newer the car, the more expensive. The advantage of the XJ40 is the low entry cost, and if you get one that doesn't need much work, it can be a very affordable car to own and drive.

The X300 and X308 are known to be fairly reliable cars, but of course, they're only 1 to 9 years newer than the XJ40, so on top of normal maintenance you can expect the occasional necessary repair. Like the XJ40, most of the things that go wrong tend to be common and well-known with lots of info on this forum.

Cheers,

Don

 

Well the owner of this xj40 turns out to be a mean guy.
He told me first $3000 at the phone, then when I asked him that I need to have it inspected by a mechanic, at my expenses, he told me that then the price is 4000$.
I do not like this behavior. How can I just go there and buy blindly for $3000 ?
yes I can try the car but I am not a mechanic so... maybe I will search for a X300.
What do you think about the XJR ?
less reliable because of supercharger ?

 

Hi xjfourty,

I agree with you that life is too short to deal with a seller like that. Walk away. There are plenty of Jaguars to choose from if you are patient.

The XJRs are fine automobiles and there are some issues you'll need to be aware of, but in general there is no reason to avoid buying one that has been well cared for. They certainly get up and go, at some expense in fuel economy.

Let us know what you find!

Cheers,

Don

 

This car has been for sale on craigslist for at least a year. It starts out every time at a different price point. I cant say anything about the condition of the car because I didnt go look at it when I was looking for one. If I remember this car correctly the headliner was also sagging and that is a horrible weekend long job if you do it yourself. It also has chrome wire wheels which are not rated for a car this heavy. My car had the same and I quickly switched to alloy wheels from a later model XJ12 and many things got better as a result.

Keep looking...... I assume you are in the bay area...... plenty of nice, well kept old Jags around here. Key is getting to talk to the owner and learning if he actually knows anything about the car or how its been cared for.

It may be a good idea to go drive the different models and see which one you like. Ive had Series 2 XJ, Series 3 XJ, XJ40, x308, x350 and have acces to x300s. They are all different and each of us will pick a different as our favorite.

 

thank you Sarc.
the owner of this car is really unpolite. I found another xj40

**Very Clean 1990 Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign**

the owner won't go under 3500$

he does not have service records and owns the car since 3 months...

then I have found a 1997 xj6 at 3000$ only 60000 miles. looks like a deal.

how is the AJ16 engine vs AJ16 ?

is the X300 reliable?

thanks

 

The fact that he has only owned the car 3 months and has no service records would prompt me to keep looking for lots of reasons.


A well-cared for X300 is probably as reliable as any 20-year-old car.

The AJ16 engine features a number of refinements compared to the AJ6 and both are excellent engines.

Cheers,

Don

 

looks like that any of these x300 have the headliner which is saggy...
I found a good one only 60000mi. The owner is a mechanic and he has three X300.
The car has the driver seat which does not work. He replaced the module and had it working in a few hours again. Looks like he can help a lot of you buy his car but he wants $3000. Kelley blue book says $2550...

 

Hi run across this gem

1994 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas

only $2000
and it has 12000 miles

a lady is selling it... looks like impossible, there must be something wrong...

 

Buy this car today. Do not hesitate !

What a beauty!

Larry

 

Probably a Craigslist type scam. The car is in place "X", you just need to send me $200 to get it delivered to you, etc, etc

Where is the car ? and where was it advertised ?

 

Headliners are a weak point on XJ40 and X300. I had to change the headliner on my XJ40, despite the fact I bought it with only 16,000 mile on it, and it had been stored indoors its whole life.

The other one you pointed out (The green one) looked ok, although I made my comments about wire wheels on these cars to you in a PM......

 

Hello.
Yeah the green one is fine but it has not a low mileage and the guy has no records of the car and he bought it 3 months ago... looks like he buys cars and resell them. he wants $4000 I think it is too much.

 

I found the car listed on Craigslist Sacramento, too bad I'm in Canada or I'd JUMP on it, it's the finest 94 I've ever seen with a fantastic colour/trim - Who cares if it even runs? Look at it!!

Too good to be true? Is that why you think it's a scam??

ice cold 1994 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas

Worth an email dontcha think?

Larry

 

yeah it is the same I contacted too.
if it is in Sacramento I will go to take it asap... but she is not answering my mails anymore...
hey I Was the first to find it it's mine!

 

so far all the XJ40 I have seen have many problems to be fixed.
I also like the xj6 III series but I am afraid of reliability.
Anyway this looks really nice at a reasonable price.

1986 Jaguar Vanden Plas

I am sorry if I am goign off topic.
What should I pay attention to regarding the xj6 III ?
Which are hte most common troubles ?
this has 180000mi. Looks like really high mileage but I am looking for a weekend car not a commuter.

 

In my very humble opinion, the Series III is one of the prettiest sedans ever designed, and I hope to one day own a really clean one.

I don't know about using one as a daily driver though. For one thing, the six-cylinder cars are at least 29 years old and the 12-cylinder cars are at least 24 years old. They were not exactly high-tech even in their day, and they are quite "classic" compared to an XJ40, which is significantly more modern, with safety features like ABS and, in the later cars, air bags. The XJ40 is a few hundred pounds lighter and more fuel efficient, though the early XJ40s with 3.6L engines and 2.88:1 differentials were criticized as less exciting to drive compared to the Series III with the 4.2L.

One issue that surprises folks new to Jaguar is that on the Series I - III, the rear brake rotors/calipers are mounted inboard, near the differential (as on many race cars). This reduces unsprung weight at the wheels and is one of the reasons these earlier Jaguar independent rear suspensions (IRS) are highly regarded by custom hot rod builders. In fact, I personally think a well-sorted Series III may have a better ride quality than an XJ40. But the downside is that to replace the rear brake rotors the entire IRS has to be removed from the car, and the brake calipers and rubber seals suffer from the heat of the nearby exhaust pipes.

Cheers,

Don

 

188k miles on an 86 is ~6000 miles per year, so not bad in the scheme of things. My thoughts are if the thing has managed 188k miles, it'll probably allow you to do 200~300 miles per weekend leisure driving relatively trouble free, assuming it is in good shape to begin with. New leather is a great plus, and shows pride of ownership to me. Nice that it's also on a California blue plate (probably from new). Go see it and drive it. NOTE : Your Crown Vic is going to be faster than a Series III......... but the ride will not even compare, so depends what you want..... sublime waft, or some semblance of speed. Go see it and drive it.

I assume the red "94 12k miles $2000 car "disappeared" ?