hi i have bought a 1999 s type 4 litre for spares repairs, good level car but it has been messed around with electrically as it would not start, apparently the last owner accidently jump started it with the leads wrong way round !
now no dash lights come on and its stuck in park etc etc,
also relays seem to have been mixed up but this was after this first problem

anyway any one experienced this before ? basically alarm comes on, but when key goes in there is no dash lights and its original battery is completely goosed
all fuses seem intact as well

This has happened before so you'd do well to Search and read the previous detailed threads - which are not pretty reading.

Expect to spend a lot of time diagnosing/fixing it and you'll need to be good at reading the Electrical Guide. Get a JTIS cheap from fleabay.

Don't plan to replace any module(s) unless you've proved it/them faulty. (Complex and expensive to go that route.)

You'll need a good battery and expect to have to recharge it to keep it topped up.

You'd be well advised to get at least a decent OBD tool but better something like AutoEnginuity so you can see which modules are plausibly OK.

If this puts you off, sorry but quit now whilst it's cheap. It's a hi-tech car.

i am quite good with electrics and such having built bikes and cars from scratch over the years,but yeah its fairly hi tech for fixing without computer equipment.
i will try search the threads ,any ones you know about, and shoul i maybe just avoid it all together?, its 85,000 miles t plate and £400

If you need wiring diagrams for it pm me and I can send them to you.

Electrics will be easy. It's the electronics & computers to worry about. If you've plenty of time do lots of reading.