In the UK that is. Or will it dissolve into rust before my very eyes!?

I’m thinking about importing a low mileage (29,000 miles) 1996 XJR6 over from Japan. It’s currently rust free, but sadly I don’t have a garage, only safe off street parking and I could get a decent cover.

Never having owned one of these beasties before I’m curious to know how well it might survive without a garage…

 

You did not say where you live, but I found UK as your abode.

Yes it will.
It may NOT be happy, you will need to talk more to it.
A GOOD, and I mean GOOD, car cover may assist.

We dont have the elements you do, and I have never parked any of mine out in the open at home, work and other places is accepted, sort of.

Others will have their opinions.

 

Having street parked various cars for years (in Oslo, which is probably quite similar to the UK when it comes to weather) it will survive, but it wont stay rust free for long - even if you rustproof it using undercoatings like Fluid Film and wax it religiously, the damp will start corroding stuff like nuts and bolt in the engine bay, heat shields, suspension components, exhaust and everything else not covered in grease.
Tiny chips and hidden scrapes can quickly start bubbling with rust, along with perished rubber seals allowing water ingress where it shouldn't.

When i got my own japan-import XJR, there was no way in hell i would subject it to staying outside, so i bit the bullet and rented a parking spot in a nearby underground garage.
These cars have already hit the bottom of the depreciation curve, so if you buy a rust free one and keep it nice, it WILL increase in value due to the increasing rarity of nice examples as the years go by.
If you allow the condition to decline, you will take a bigger financial hit when selling, and upkeep can become very expensive, so it might pay out in the long run to invest in a dry parking spot nearby (fixing rust isn't cheap)

 

Thanks Grant. I do start with “In the UK that is” but perhaps I could have been clearer.

Yes, it would have to be a very good car cover. Maybe leaving Japan to be much, much, closer to Coventry might cheer it up a bit?!

 

Thanks bjarnetv, yes I’d imagine Oslo is not dissimilar to rainy, green, Hampshire. A stone’s throw from London.

Sadly, dry parking nearby is not an option. I live in a small market town, it’s possible that a garage for rent might come up but I’ve not seen it in several years.

Can I ask who you imported your XJR through from Japan and how you found the process?

I’ve done it once before with an Alfa Romeo GTV but am always interested in alternatives. Thanks.

 

Mine was imported to the Netherlands by a importer and spent a year in Germany before i flew down and drove it home to Norway, so i didn't do the importing from japan myself.
I just saw it on Autoscout and jumped on an airplane with a wad of cash in my pocket and my good luck socks on

I think the main thing when importing from japan is to use a trusted exporter so that you don't get scammed, ask a lot of questions about the condition, and have a lot of patience for it to arrive by boat.
People love smoking in japan, so its easy to get a car that smells like an old ashtray, so having it inspected by the exporter before committing is a must.
You should also expect all rubber bushings to be in need of replacement, and a lack of service records.

 

The X300 is far more resistant to the elements than the earlier XJ's. My 1972 XJ6 was showing serious rust on the sills by 1976. My 1996 X300 lived outside, clocked up over 140K miles and was showing few ill effects five years later.

More important than outside parking is:

1. proximity to the sea. I'm 20 miles inland and have no issues with salt laden air but a one year old 2005 XK8 I purchased from Ayr on the west coast of Scotland developed rust on the wheel arches and ends of the sills very quickly
2. your Local Authority/Highways Authority approach to the use of road salt - salted grit is a killer
3. industrial pollutants - output from chimneys will affect the paint

Would this put me off Jaguar ownership. Not in the slightest!

Graham

 

Where do you find those japanese jaguars?

 

Japan?

Sorry couldn’t resist

 

Here's something to watch for if you store outside.....

The fuel filler 'pocket' has an odd looking rubber gizmo. This is the screen for the drain tube. Keep it and the the tube clear. If clogged, rainwater will accumulate in the filler pocket and migrate past the filler cap and into the gas tank.

Cheers
DD

 

I've had my XJR6 for 4 years now and it lives outside and we're only 2.5 miles from the coast. I keep it clean and don't use it if there's any liklihood of there being salt on the road. So far it has not suffered much although I did get some water in the ECU and have had to replace it and waterproof (I hope!) the replacement. I'm now looking at erecting a car port to keep the rain off.