ok the 88 looks like it was an import from GB? Has a compliance plate also.

Similar scenario to Whitey back on the Sunny Coast? What were we saying again about the issue being an import? Ill have to check back through the thread on whitey

I think your right. Sounds like it could be the wee 6 cylinder lass

 

Hey Paul

Back in the day the XJS was a very expensive Car, you are probably talking in the region of 40 to 50 grand!

A 1990 Convertible was almost dead on 50 grand to buy new.

 

Going on the fuel consumption given in the Stats, it sounds more like a V12

 

Hey ... whoa up fellas!

Firstly, please be aware that in Oz, as elsewhere for online car sales sites, most data in "Standard Features" or "Specifications" is generic and lifted straight out of databases. Never, but never, assume it is describing the car on offer ... until confirmed. This ad is a perfect example.

I can almost guarantee that this latter car is NOT the 5.3L V12. How? Because in the all-important description by owner, he is specific about it being "Rare 3.6 litre auto roadster" ... All the rest of the V12 waffle, including the fuel consumption figures are therefore completely inappropriate to this specific car ... even data like kerbside weight will be wrong, because it will be for a V12 coupe. Go back and check all the myriad of cars you have been discussing (whether on gumtree, carsales, ebay) and you will see they all have identical "default" specs unless a seller has gone to the trouble of overriding ... and very few private sellers do, or even know how! Dealers, by contrast, are legally liable.

Welcome to the biggest trap of all in relying on these online agencies ... very risky trust indeed. By all means, use them as tools, but assume nothing, and confirm everything in writing with the owner.

Secondly, having said that, and my previous posts congratulating contributors here, can I on behalf of all those 1700 viewers, ask where this thread is going? All of us, I am sure, have been fascinated by the parade of pictures ... but ...

• what have you learned Paul?
• how has this shaped your "wish list" of MY, variant, features etc?
• has it re-shaped your budget ... and if so, how and why?
• have you gained a structure for your search? If so, what is it?
• how will you now maximize your advantage as the buyer?

Sorry if this makes me sound like a stale old fart ... and let me finish by saying it's not US that need to know these answers, but YOU. It is fun to have the cash burning a hole in your pocket ... even more fun for your mates to help you spend it ... LOL. But, it's also tantalizing that we have all acquired so much enjoyment from this discussion ... without learning how you will best profit from the process.

Again, my 2c is offered free,
Ken

 

1988 Jaguar XJS Coupe | Cars, Vans & Utes | Gumtree Australia Swan Area - Bellevue | 1049993866

Paul, I can only see one picture of the car. If it has a modification plate it would be under the bonnet,not visible from the outside.
Every state has its own set of rules for compliancing and registering an import, I have heard storys of people registering a less than ideal car interstate(choosing a state with more relaxed rules) then registering it in Queensland. Since the car is already registered it can be registered in Qld to the same owner without further checks I am led to believe,but you have
to confirm this.
This ideal if you are importing the car for yourself,but can catch out the second Australian owner.

 

heh guys thanks again for the input. Wow 1700 now! I cant wait to post the results of the "Find Paulyling an XJS mission"lol. I can tell you I am honing in for sure.

Wow OG. $50k back in the day eh for a 90. Anybody know what the 85 sold for back in the days of bad fashion?

Ken I have learned heaps mate, and yet only on the tip of the ice berg. I guess the learning will accelerate once I have a jag in front of me. I certainly know more now with what to look out for but also more about the XJS's history as well, which is cool.

My wish list was originally a dark shiny convertible after 89 but that changed due to price. Then it was anywhere from 76 to 89 but that changed after learning that HE was better than pre HE....then came the Marelli era, and had a few prospects there, but still almost breaching the budget. Oh and not to mention colour. It was strickly the darker shades and then Mellow Yellow came along, and I almost got to see her in the flesh.

But you know, I still have so many manuals and stuff I downloaded off this forum that I have been trying to read at night also, plus, a book I bought out with me on the rig about car maintenance in general.

Next week will be an interesting week......

 

Back In NZ when I was an apprentice(80's) both of the company owners sons had black BMW635csi's,and *****,the 75 year old owner had a Series 3 XJ12. Pretty cool being a 15 year old with an open licence and getting to do smoko runs or deliverys in the company cars.
Anyway,in 1986 when I was a third year apprentice,Ian the youngest son took delivery of a dark metallic green XJS V12.
We printed the form guides you get at the horse races for every race meeting in the North Island,so one Friday afternoon our books didn't make the transport company in time to get to Auckland for the Pukekohe race meeting the following day so a volunteer was called for to make the Friday evening run from Tauranga to Auckland,200 km of gorges and wonderful driving roads....


I am sure you are forming your own image in you head right now. So I got the keys to the XJS showing 800km on the clock(and I was nearly 18 and new it all after 2 1/2 years of driving). With the boot and back seat loaded with 800 kg of boxes of books I hit the road only to stop at the first phone box and dropped in my 6 cents(3 x 2 cent pieces) and call my flat mate to come for a cruise.
About half way there is a pub in the middle of the wildest go fast road known to kiwi kids with 750 motorcycles,and they sell to anyone. So a six pack of cold tallies(750 ml beers) and away we go.
Arriving at Pukekohe you have to do about 3/4 of a lap of the road race circuit to get to the entrance to the horse track in the centre,doing about 175kp/h my wing man pointed out the gap in the barrier with the gravel track....well somehow with a truckload of braking and oversteer we got sideways through the gap only to find we were not on a "hard and fast" horse track,but a wet quogire from the previous days rain.
So after about two 360's we came to gentle stop not far from the stewards in their yellow coats weighing horses. Then looked down to see the tallie I had between my legs upended oozing onto the carpet between my feet.
After a gentle drive home(no more than 140 kp/h) I had to call on my Grandad (my dad would have knocked my head off)to help with deoderising said beast.
I still to this day remember that drive like it was yesterday,and wonder why I was only given the Mitsubishi L300 van to use from that day forward. I did get a letter of repremand(not quite a warning) as the racing club phoned my boss.

Anyway, Paul,the whole point of that story is that it was rumoured that car was worth around $60k NZ$.
It was a lunch room talking point for months to come.

 

ha ha ha thats a cool story. thanks for sharing Clarke!

 

The one and only time I got to drive an XJS. Loved the drive but it was no series 1 XJ6 I lusted after for 38 years. Never drove an XJ6 but those grills below the high beam lights drew me in when I was 6 or 7 years old,even at primary school I knew the "fake series 2" from the real thing. And it had to have a leaper.

 

i dunno myself if ill sport the leaper or the growler on mine....i like em both

 

Tell yah what Paul,if you buy a car with a growler and decide you want a leaper I have this one hanging around in my garage pretending it is a door handle. But we would have to meet in a cool hilltop hinterland town like Montville to exchange it for a coffee/beer,whatever suits the day of course.
Or you could leave it off your car and just take it to sea with you.

 

Bad fashion, I think we dressed pretty smart in the 80's. At least our jeans didn't show a plumbers crack like you 90's kids,lol.

 

ha ha ha.nah i love the 80s. i was actually born in 1980 so i am a product of He man and transformers! lol

that trip up to montville sounds cool man. My eldest son is gonna freak when I bring home a jag and tell him we are gonna meet up with another one!a hellllll yeah

 

It is date then, my wife and I love the whole Montville area and have talked about retiring there since we were newlyweds 20 years ago.

 

[QUOTE=paulyling

 

1983 Jaguar XJS HE

 

ok she sounds nice

a little pricey for the 83.....liking the white exterior.....no rego..bummer....no RWC....aint worth a biggie as some states dont have is as a mandatory.

mmm.....pretty low Km's really for that year. Hasnt been used much by the looks.

So how does the term "grey"import come about?

Damn the XJS has a nice ***!

 

hot damn!

Jaguar buys $170M worth of classic cars - Road & Track

might buy me the red one mummy!

 

Paul, have a read of this,Wiki knows all. Much faster than me trying to type my explanation of grey imports.

Grey import vehicle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Cheers Clarke! interesting read

heh guys. Those that have the V12. How you find that feels being behind the wheel? How would you compare that compared to a V8? Big noticable difference?

I have read that the "rare" straight 6 XJS that i see pop up ocassionaly, is said to have just as much power...really? how does that work??

On another note....this one is a real stunner but $43 k? Really? Wha??a

1985 Jaguar XJS

dreamer?

What do you guys think?