-Hey everyone. First post so take it easy on me. ;-)

Anyway, I've finally hit the point where I'm able to pick up my dream car. I'm looking/thinking about a '96 or '97 XJ6 Vanden Plas and am wondering what suggestions you have? Are there certain things I need to look for or watch out for? I ran a few searches but didn't come across anything. Sorry if this has been posted before...

Thanks in advance for any help ya'll can offer.

Ok. Here's the update. I think I found one. It's a 1995 XJ6 VDP in excellent condition. One minor scuff on the front bumper and that's it. Interior is flawless. Engine looks to be in great condition. Regular service records. Drives smooth and quiet. No leaks, no smoke, no noise. Everything works. 84K miles and they're asking $6995. Whadya think?

 

Go for it , you can't regret .

 

There really is very littleto watch out for on this series. If you live in a hot climate, you can expect to replace the headliner ($400-$750), and the cupholder will probably already be broken. There is an at-home fix for the latter if you are handy with hot glue, or you can buy a new top for $250-$300. If the car has a lot of miles on it, make sure the coolant has been taken care of properly, orthe car could needa head gasket in the future. Another concern on high-mileage cars is the rear differential, so turn off the radio and listen for a whine.

Otherwise, make sure you flip every switch and try every feature. It is not unocmmon for these cars to need a seat memory brain (like mine), or the gears for adjusting the steering wheel. Oh, and speaking of the wheel, dont be surprised if there is some "play" up and down when you reach for the wheel. There is a bushing in the column which I think is made of plastic, and it tends to be worn out even on low-mileage cars, like the one I bought.

Thats off the top of my head. If anyone can think of anything more, please chime in.

 

Thanks Censport for the info. Helps tremendously. I did look at the only one in my area that I could find on Sunday. It was a 1997 XJ base with 70K miles. The add listed it in "perfect condition" but it was FAR from it. It had been in a fender bender so the entire front bumper needed to be replaced. The antenna mast was broken. The interior was TRASHED. I almost cried at the site. The leather on the driver sear was cracked. The arm rest and shifter knob were so dirty that they were black in parts. The rear vents were broken. The third brake light was hanging by a wire. Everything was sticky and grungy and dirty. And the guy was suprised that it wasn't selling! I told him why...

 

Sorry to hear that you experienced a nasty case of false advertising first-hand. I learned back when I was collecting Corvairs that whena car was advertised as "Mint", it meant that the seller was hoping to make a mint on it.

From your description, it sounds like that car would make a good track car, if purchased for about $2,000 or less.

 

I just recently bought my 97 vdp black with cream/tan interior and absolutly love it. Mine was dealer serviced for it's whole life which spoke well for it. You can find this out on carfax. Inside and out it was spectacular. Do try every single switch as mine had a faulty electric mirror module and steering tilt and telescope function. As censport said do take a look under the car at the rear dif. Mine had a slight weep that I had to repair right away ($900) but definitly better than a whole new diff. Also make sure that the keys work in the tunk latch. the battery is in the back on these cars and the latch is electronic other than the key itself so if your battery is dead and the key doesn't work your rather stuck... Other than that I changed all the fluids and filters on the car and it runs like new. the last thing I can think of is look at the auto dimming rear view mirror (look for foggyness) and clock as these are very commonly broken. Other than these little things these cars are bulletproof.