If you had a '97 XJ6 that had 140k on it with zero service history but no current performance issues:

1. What would you check and/or replace to ensure it would drive the next 10,000 to 15,000 miles without issue?

2. Would you bet a single cent that it could do it?

3: Bonus question: Is anyone in the Inland Empire (Ontario, Rancho) that could recommend a reliable mechanic to work on said car?

 

1. What would you check and/or replace to ensure it would drive the next 10,000 to 15,000 miles without issue?

Oil Change/Filter, Transmission Fluid/Filter, Air Filter, Fuel Filter, Differential Oil, Brake Fluid flush/change

2. Would you bet a single cent that it could do it? Yes

3: Bonus question: Is anyone in the Inland Empire (Ontario, Rancho) that could recommend a reliable mechanic to work on said car?

I've private massaged you also.

 

Depends on your definition of 'without issue'.

I assume you've just got the car, or it'd have at least some history! In addition to the above, brakes and suspension (balljoints, bushes etc), exhaust (inc mani), chain tensioners, cooling system (inc coolant change) would definitely need checking over for a start, change the spark plugs as a matter of course and all of the coils (for new ones from the right manufacturer) if you want any confidence of really having no issues there. Likewise with a battery of unknown age. There are still a lot of little niggly things that might show up... I'd rate your chances pretty highly of nothing critical going wrong though.

 

I'd change all the liquids (oils, brake fluid, PAS fluid, coolant) and all the filters + spark plugs. After that, as mentioned, inspect the suspension and everything underneath. And that should keep it happy for some time.

 

Ziggy -

I actually don't have the car yet. I'm just entertaining a car that might have specs like that. I might as well share the full story:

The car would be for my mother in law down in Rancho. She is not doing all that well financially, so I try to keep her on reliable wheels as I can. The Jag would be the fourth car I've gotten for her over the years, and each of the other three have met a similar fate: Terrible mechanics doing some combination of terrible work and/or ripping her off... she doesn't have $500 to spend on repairs that aren't needed, you know? Some fault of that is her own - she fails to notice warning lights and gauge readings, etc., so often small repairs (like a flat tire) turn into major repairs (like new tires).

My thought this time around is to buy her an older highline car as they tend to have single-make repair shops... places that know the cars they're working on. When you have a Chrysler or a Mazda, you end up at generic repair shops and in my experience those guys don't tend to do a good job. I've been looking at Volvos and Mercedes, as there is one Volvo-only shop and two Mercedes-only shops within a couple miles of her house. If there is a Jaguar specialist somewhere near her, I could put them on the list as well. If we can establish a relationship with that shop, then hopefully I can be involved in repairs and work out payment so they aren't a burden to her. Pep Boys etc. isn't so accommodating of taking a credit card over the phone... Plus, they're jerks.

She only drives about 8,000 miles a year and it's virtually all freeway with a little stop & go - she drives down to Corona, I think, but not during the heaviest rush hour... around 9am and 7pm. The car doesn't need to do a lot, but for my peace of mind I need it to reliable and I need it to be safe. Fuel economy is a consideration, but with her limited mileage it's better to rack up a slightly larger gas bill than stick her in something that will be uncomfortably small (she's tall and getting up there in years) or get her hurt or killed in an accident.

That's the nature of my post... I'm just trying to do some leg work so I can hopefully find the right car for her. I'm just trying to determine whether a relatively low-mile X300 would do the job for her. Actually, maybe an X308 might - I just guessed the six would get slightly better fuel economy than the eight, but maybe not. My only facts come from my '03 XJR, which doesn't return the best mileage... especially the way I drive it.

 

Trouble is, you won't find a lot of things out until after you're committed. With a 17-19 y/o car you will have to be lucky in the extreme to hit the jackpot, especially given the reasons you need to buy this car. If it were me, I'd look more closely at a high miler that has a solid service & maintenance history, before going near a low miler without. I'd say the same for an 8 y/o car.

These are lovely cars, but are they are aging and need good close care and attention to keep serving well, i.e. issues will be mainly with ancillaries. The straight six engine is otherwise virtually bullet proof unless it's been run with low oil or water, and who knows how it's' been treated if the history is unknown....

Best of luck.

 

Hmmm... sad to say, but I don't think I'd go there tbh. I'd have no qualms about recommending one to someone who can be relied on to keep an eye on it, but tbh I'd be steering more towards that old Volvo in this case!

X308 possibly even less of a good idea - would you 'trust' her to notice rattly chain tensioners in time?? They're great cars, but have a reputation for being less bombproof than the AJ16 engined ones...

 

Totally agreed on all fronts - especially about the x308. I'd rather have the last of a generation than the first.

As for maintenance records, it's been a LONG time since I've seen a car with actual, solid maintenance records. People just don't keep cars like they used to, highline or otherwise, and since 90% of the time those cars are traded in at least once or twice in their lives whatever maintenance records might have existed get lost in the shuffle. It'd be amazing to find some one or maybe two owner x300 with full documentation, but since we're talking cars that are 20 years old (sheesh!), it seems unlikely.

My order of operations for these cars is always the same - buy the car, drive it for 2-3 months while I go through it and repair anything that needs it. That way, I have a good handle on where maintenance is *and* some hands-on experience with systems and such. I've been somewhat successful with that approach, getting a solid 12-14 months of trouble free driving. But, like *clockwork* around month 19 stuff starts to go wrong - and I can never tell whether it's stuff that would have failed anyway, or stuff that was broken/damaged from neglect. It's a little crazy how routine it is! To that end, I'm not *too* worried about taking on a car without a history as I'll have a few months to sort it out - I just don't want to turn over a car with a surprise impending failure. Or, hell, buy a car with a surprise impending failure!

The Volvo really is (was) my best bet, but finding the magic two years of "good" Volvos from the '90s with less than a bazillion miles seems an impossible feat. Understandably, these family cars were used as family cars, so the vast majority are well past 200k and often quite ratty. It's tough to collect ~15 year old commodity cars. :|

On the subject of x300s, how do they do for fuel economy? I'm guessing with four litres under the hood they're good for ~20mpg or so on the freeway, fair?

 

My XJ6 came with records all the way back to 9000 mi. and two owners. The one I bought it from had spent $14K in the previous five years for repairs and service, not counting the paint job he had done. He finally got tired of supporting it.

 

As with any used car purchase, a good baseline is always a good start. Fluids, hoses, bulbs, and other mechanical bits. But, especially parts that have a high failure point for a particular model or marques. Keep receipts in a folder and create a history for it...

 

Speaking from Experience this is not a Car you should buy and think you'll have low cost fixing or servicing it.

I have 1996 XJR with 96000 Kilometers on it and god it gave me some troubles for past year.

On the other hand I have a 1997 Honda CR-V as well (Wife's driving it) and the car is a WORK HORSE. we drove 70'000 Kilometers in past 3 years with this Car and i am changing Oil and putting Gas in it. Once i did change bushings and all the rest "rubber" parts in suspension but it didn't came up to a Big SUM.

 

Mine also came with FSH right back from new, took a while to find and yep, they're scarce. Despite that I've still spent plenty on continuous maintenance & improvement, its the nature of the beast.

At the very least a reasonable documented history, even for standard servicing, will let you know the essentials have been taken care of throughout the car's life.

I hate raining on anyone's parade, but simply put, if I were in your shoes considering a car for the purposes you want to buy it (ie. reliable low cost transport for mother) I probably wouldn't be looking at Jaguar's of this age. I think they are more sought after by enthusiasts who enjoy getting their hands dirty, and understand that a bit of cash will be needed to keep her up to scratch - ongoing.

 

brand new kia with a 5 year warranty?

does mitsubishi still do a 10 year warranty?