Hi guys!

I just signed up! Seen a lot of helpful posts on this forum so thought I'd be a part of it


Just curious, I've just gained a taste for the 88 Jaguar Sovereign.
I've never owned a Jaguar before, I've come from a loyal Ford family.
Over the weekend I will be visiting a few people - and hopefully picking one up.

My questions are:

What should I watch out for when buying an old Jag?
What are some problem issues with jags and so on?

Also - One of the cars I am seeing over the weekend has an issue with the door...

Owner says "It opens fine with the key, but the door handle doesn't work, I think it's loose or broken from the inside" - whatever that indicates...


Thanks for any help

 

Also, it's a 3.6L straight six.

 

Is that you Matt?

 

Welcome aboard.

The "owning an old/er Jag", basically says it all. OLD being the key word. Age is a mongrel with any car, followed very closely by NEGLECT.

Maintenance here is the key. Listen carefully to the seller, he wants your money, you want the car,then walk away, think quietly and carefully. Think, be aggressive with yourself.

I always try and leave emotion home, hard I know, but this is business.

Go around the car MANY times. Drive it, drive it again. If the car feels like a JAG, restart the buying process.

Open and close ALL the doors, they should open freely, and close with a gentle "thud", NO rattles, clatters. That will indicate money/time needed.

Look carefully in the boot, for water ingress. Common on the XJ40, via the tail lights.

The door handles are/were a nightmare. They broke regularly.

Electrical gremlins abound, MAINLY earth related.

The 3.6 and the ZF 4HP22 trans are bullet proof. Quite forgiving, and need little major sorting in the big scheme of things.

Most of these came with self levelling rear suspension, MAJOR $$ if it dont work. MOST have been retro fitted with the "non self levelling" rear bits from later versions. I would NOT touch one with that system still fitted, unless the $$ to R&R are calculated into the price. These bits are still to be found in OZ, but getting harder as age creeps on.

The BIG headlamps are huge $$ if found at all, so check them carefully. The change to the 4 light system is common.

RUST abounds in some strange and hidden places, so be vigilant here.

Make sure all the 'lectrickery bits work properly, as sorting them can be a serious challenge.

These early '40's also had a hydraulic ram arrangement in lieu of a vac booster for the brakes. This is now becoming an issue due to age. A retro kit to use the X300 vac booster set up is still available, and about $900 I think ??.

The list goes on, but that is enough I reckon.

Take your time, there are plenty of these cars out there.

 

Hi guys, thanks for the feedback


Got a sad story...

Bought the jag today (before reading the reply above) - and all was seemingly fine.

20 meters away from home I got T boned at the roundabout.
Other drivers fault.


Now it crabwalks.



From looking at it - it seems as if her camry hit the rear wheel arch.
Now the wheel has been pushed back 5 inches or so.
The wheel on the other side seems to have moved forwards also...

What does this mean?

Is the car completely ruined now? - or can i simply replace some bars or something... I'm unsure how jag suspension works :S

Any advice is hugely appreciated!

Thanks

 

OOPS.

I have just opened a fresh JD, and will have several swigs in memory of that car, and the ultimate deflation and numbness you MUST be feeling right now.

Sadly, my experience is a total in the real world.

Everything is obviously fixable, and is purely governed by $ and passion.

From your description, and many hours under these things, it sounds like the cradle has been ripped off its mountings. Simple sounding, but there are just sooooo many components that have taken a WHACK, and that is fact.

Insurance will total it I reckon.

Maybe some snaps would help see what exactly is out of place.

 

That is a sad story. It doesn't sound promising though,Good luck

 

tsk tsk tsk, should've just bought mine..

 

If you are from aus, forget about it. Not worth it to fix at all.




I've got a 88 for 5k with 160k if you are interested

 

Hi guys, all finished with insurance and everything now.
I bought back the car as a fixable write-off.
So - it can be fixed and re registered as soon as it passes a RWC.

(insurance valued the car at 6k in current condition - before accident.)


Wish I just bought that other fellas Jag :/

Prepare for another post on the main page of this thread.

 

I've moved your ad to the market place section, ads are only allowed to be posted there, not in the technical or regional sections, good luck with the sale.