So to start this out I would like to thank everyone who has helped me on previous issues I have had, and apologize for not being active on this wonderful site.

With that out of the way this is the story of my poor xj6. I first saw this car when it came into the shop I worked at early last spring. The car was a mess, it hadn't run in over 3 years and had been sitting in this older lady's driveway, she just wanted to see if the car ran and if we could make it roll freely (rear parking brake was locked up) she had no interest in the Car. I fell in love with the big long sleek body and the allure of the beautiful aj 16, and the beautiful interior. The lady didn't want to spend the money to have it fixed and was going to scrap it, so I bought it from her for a great price, and I had it towed back to my house were it has slowly been receiving attention.

The good:
Clean clear title,
Mostly clean interior,
Mostly clean engine bay
Complete service history

The bad: (long list)
Blown front shocks,
Rust everywhere (found after I had already purchased the car)
Bad fuel and brake lines
Cut parking brake cables(your guess is as good as mine)
Needs pads and rotors all the way around
Will not start or run
Holes in trunk floor
Small crack in windshield(my fault)
Bad rearview mirror
Slide out cup holder will not close (not a huge deal)
Needed rear axle nut
Discoloration below rear window
Falling headliner

What I have done to the car:
I have not given the car the attention it deserves, but the first thing I did was make sure the car would run, I replaced the crankshaft position sensor and replaced all fluids, and spark plugs. the engine fired up with a little hesitation on the original gas, I have sorted out the rear axle nut and purchased parking brake cables.

What I need to do: replace the front struts, the car sits extremely low to the ground in the front and is extremely stiff. Rust...... Rust.... and more rust, all of the the drivetrain parts are clean and in good shape, but there are two rust holes in the front fenders and the rear fender on one side is rotted out. It has several small holes in the trunk, and all along the insides of the pinch welds. It needs fresh fuel lines and brake lines all the way around.I know It will need much more after I drive it down the street and figure out what else is wrong with it.

In the end I realize this car is a huge piece of work and will cost me an arm and a leg, but I enjoy the challenge and it will all be worth it in the end when I am able to drive the big beast. I have already found great help from this site. Thanks again and let me know what you think.

 

Once you get it sorted out you will not be disappointed.

 

Much as I hate to say it, you might be better off buying a better example that isn't rusted and keep the one you have as a parts car. These cars are not expensive to buy now, and I could see you easily spending as much as it costs to buy another car on fixes to your car and end up not having one as nice.

Brakes, headliner and cupholder are not that expensive to repair, but rust and repaint is.

As the saying goes, there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Jaguar.

 

I would have to agree with Jagboi, and was wondering as I was reading your post whether you were talking about an XJ40 rather than an X300, as rust is not a particular problem on the latter in the overwhelming majority of cases. I hate the thought of one of these cars biting the dust, but it sounds as if it would be more realistic to start again. These are lovely cars, and thankfully there are still a lot of them out there at bargain prices.

 

As you guys have said, i know that it will be an expensive project but i have the experience and tools to do all of the mechanical and i have a friend that is a trained body man who is willing to help out, i have considered finding another car, but in my area there are no good examples of my car.

 

beautiful cars,however I agree. find a rust free example and keep this one as a parts car,they do come in handy.i have a 96 xj6 that has a lot of rust issues,and decided to quit running 2 weeks after buying the 01.the 01 xj8 has 45,000 miles on it.i also have an xk8 with 54,000 miles.all three are black on black,they turn heads where ever I take them,steve.

 

I would tend to agree with the view that it might be better to get a better car and keep your current one as a donor. This is what happened to me. I bought a 97 3.2 Sovereign, with fairly high mileage and peeling laquer all over the place. It needed work but was do-able.

Then I saw a nicer, lower mileage 4.0 litre Sovereign, which cost a good deal less to buy than what I would have spent on the 3.2. And it had 6 months road tax on it, an important consideration given my annual €2,000 road tax bill.

Unless you want a (long term) project or you want a car that you can drive and enjoy, then the choice is clear. Good luck with it whichever way you go.