Hi All,
I was out in red- my 94- today and I saw my "neighbor" -1/2 mile down the road- out on his tractor cleaning up some brush from a recent storm. He flagged me down and asked "Do you need another one of those?" I was somewhat shocked because hes always been.... a private fellow. I asked "Like this?" ... "Yes".... again, "Just like this?(tapping the door because people see the leaper and assume)" He said "Yes, Its right over there" "Can I come back around?" ....
So its an 87, claimed low mileage, last on the road in 1998. This appears to be a car where the bottom half is more solid than the top half but nothing is "bad" but the paint. Claim is that its been in a barn since at least 2000. I pulled up the drivers carpet and saw shiny grey metal, but theres rust bubbles at the bottoms of the side windows and above the fuel filler at the rear window. I am sure I will end up with it, but unsure what i will do with it. If it is as solid as it seems, I may cut the bottom out and apply it to red, or conversely apply red's useful parts to it .....Talk me down guys.....Ive got other projects and this shouldnt take precedence....
"Jaguars Really Are like cats.... They tend to follow me home."

 

If you've got room, go for it. It'll keep you young and think of all the typing practice you'll get typing on the forums

Larry
(currently regretting the recent purchase of a Mercedes R350)

 

I second the motion "if you've got room". Part it out to finance something more important.

 

Ok all. I'm bringing this back around---- same car, the guy has the title, but now he wants $1000 up from a supposed $800... I am familiar with the barn find thing of late..... do I want to play that game, use it for study on the various fora, break it up for parts, set it aside for use (as if....) . The thing that's got me is that tried to get $2000 and I am just not going there, but $1000 is still more than it's worth..... thoughts?

 

Ifr you absolutely have to (LOL) aquire another machine, get an X300 just as cheap and maybe not as problematic as an early 40? Of course they are uglier than the 40 but lying under either covered in oil searching for that 10mm socket will yeild a very similar experience

Managed to get rid of the Mercedes and foolishly bought a 1987 Kawasaki Voyager XII that wife threatens to leave me if I even think about riding it, so situation normal around here, just another day.

 

I rode a big "dirt bike" One time. Scared the Willie's out of me. That's a thrill I don't need. I notice that among all the other differences, it doesn't use a Tibbe key. Call me ignorant....

 

Offer him $500 cash on the spot with the money in your hand.
Otherwise give it a miss as these sorts of people are WOFTAMS. (waste of f-------g time and money)
Plenty more projects out there waiting to be discovered!!!

 

Hi Jerry,

+1 to advice from Bill Mac and Lawrence, although . . . from owning each, I would up the ante and bypass the X300 and go straight to the small block X308. That sweet revving 3.2L quad cam V8 is super reliable and a joy to maintain, while the XJ8 platform is a far superior vehicle all round.

Unlike down under where the XJ8 commands a significant premium over the X300, and more still for the rarer Sport variant, you may find that this is not the case in your NA market. Observing finds and prices across your country for all 4 saloon forums (XJ6 S3, XJ40, X300, X308), my recommendation is not meant to upset any enthusiast of the earlier models. I own or have owned all of them, although I am down to six at present. Each has its appeal . . . and its unique weaknesses.

However, I do believe that both this 3.2L engine and this XJ8 platform are among the best value saloons that Jaguar produced. Better rust protection and paint, better door seals and soundproofing, more modern styling and better vision. So . . . rather than playing footsy with an on -again, off-again seller who is pining for what he paid before consigning it to the barn, I would go looking for an XJ8 for what may be very little extra cash.

Cheers and best wishes,

 

Well, As I think you all knew I would, I got it. Its in my driveway on my trailer. I gave the Thou, thinking partly that " a rising tide raises all boats", and that Jaguars' current path is Very Questionable, making future info from JLR a bit questionable. The little bit I looked the car over says that as a whole it is 95% unmolested, although certainly not in Good condition visually. The title says 24000 miles, and a sale date of 9/1/87. Im not sure what to make of that.... Dealer demo perhaps? I dunno, I have it. My plan is very uncertain. I'm as likely to try to make it run as to part it out. I think I must try to make it run.....

Barn Find at its finest!

 

Just as an aside, In 2015 I bought my spare XJ40 - (a running 1994 with 69,000 miles) for CAD$400 (US$280). I then took it to pieces to create a parts stash which has served my DD very well over the years.

 

I was just recalling, I bought a 94 xj12 minus motor for $600 and stripped it clean. I have used parts from it on ALL of my Jags, plus my Toyota van (being metric) and also sent parts to Hong Kong and Ohio. So not a bad buy there either. Thanks all for your input, I really wrestled mentally until it was pointed out to me at my work- "there wont be any more of Those" --That and the proximity of "yes I can see it from my house." I imagine that come a good time, and decent weather Ill try to make it run, just to say I did.
Looking at that pic again, I am amazed at how straight those doors are! And not even clean----

 

Congrats on your cat rescue, Jerry!!!! You didn't mention the transaction price. My perspective on the XJ40 models is that many remain for sale indefinitely. I like the Bill Macs WOFTAMS approach and offering him $500 (though whether you followed this advice or not I don't know). Regardless, these are the type of cars that seem to be dying out quickly due to marketplace preferences, multiple owners indifferent or incapable of proper servicing, and general attrition. The "barn finds" I see requiring "just a little work" require money and or talent, along with the drive to keep it. I monitor the market, and I often wonder if some idealistic person ends up buying one, and then learns the lesson of "Nothing more expensive than buying a "cheap" Jaguar". Heck, there was a video on YouTube of some scrapyard (I believe in the Chicago area), that was going over a low mileage XJ40 to see whether it was worth saving or scrapping. There were problems with it, and he didn't think that parting it out was worth it as "no one is interested in the parts". I believe it was scrapped, which is definitely not good news to me. One really needs to love the XJ40, and just not sure of the following for these. Who knows....if Jaguar's rebranding takes off, maybe interest in these cars will increase significantly. I hope not because I like having a car that I consider unique and under the RADAR. So Jerry, glad you made the right move. Only a person on this forum, and a veteran of the XJ40 thread to boot, with the knowledge, experience, and connections could have saved this car, so you definitely made the right decision! But wow, such an early build date that in reading the title, I thought it might have been imported from a different original market. Regardless, this will provide for excellent reading as you tackle the issues in this machine with a goal towards roadworthiness.

 

I will admit that I went the $1000. I shouldn't have. At the same time, I have not seen another one of these in a Very long time- I think it's been as long as 2 years. I also think that it's solid enough that I can make a save of it and that as such I can deal with it as I get time or see fit. I have dumped some Marvel mystery oil down the cylinders to let it soak for a while. I had become worried that the spark plugs would have stuck, but they came out quite nicely. Just to correct for the thread title, it was built in July 87 and is titled as an 88.

 

Sorry Jerry...I was just curious about the transaction price and not trying to shame you!!! I was merely blathering about my thoughts on conditions, availability, and prices at the moment. As Bernard Shaw observed, "A cynical is someone who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing." Just like you say, you haven't seen another in two years. In my area of the rust belt, I've seen only one other roadworthy one (I did a U-turn to chase down the driver and stop next to him at a red light to ask some questions), and one that sat in the lot of a repair shop for over a year until it disappeared one day. Again, the car meets its good fortune by finding itself in the care of a knowledgeable afficianado who actually has the knowledge and wherewithal to get it roadworthy. How many people are left like that today? I rely on an excellent shop that despite not having the training like Motorcarman on here, they are quite willing and capable to do what they can to keep mine in top condition. Let me tell you, that is difficult, and becomes more so each day. It will be interesting if you get some history on this early car! I tip my hat to you for your willingness in tackling this project!!

 

Youre fine, the only shame comes from the little voice in my head anyway. I am way more worried about not being able to keep it covered than about more money gone in the direction of the garage (the chief and I have a mutual enabling pact- she makes quilts and has a Very expensive sewing machine). Youre right though, the stars align sometimes (for good or bad), the guy flags you down and wham theres another car and you just have to make the best choice at the time.


resting under a tree between 2 Mercedes' after being exhumed
Im pretty sure that the seller got dollar signs in his eyes. I drooled on the white SL also at this point when I first saw it. He asked if I was interested in it too, but the little voice wasnt there on that one. Its a great car, but I dont have time or expertise on Mercedes. Upon loading the Jag onto my trailer he said that the white one was a 64, and that he had got $20,000 for it as is (both of which I tried to tell him at first). I see clearly how that would raise my cost in his eye. Nonetheless, he wanted it gone and I was there with a trailer.
For me, I noticed a long time ago that there really is a "little voice" and that its usually right. For instance, in the case of reassembling a project and you keep hearing "Hey dummy, you missed something." Then when you get done you find that hose clamp that should have gone first.
Thank You for your kind words. I dont know how long it will take but I will attempt to keep us all informed.
By the way, Yesterday I gave it a superficial "wash" by way of brooming a load of very wet snow off of it. I have a soft pushbroom that I got special for brooming snow from the cars and nothing else. At least it Looks cleaner. I should remove the carpets and let them air out.

 

As a fan of aforementioned Shaw, couldn't help question the source of the quote as it really didn't sound like something GBS would say - fyi that quote is usually attributed to Oscar Wilde.

 

Correct. Shaw is my favorite writer, and yet I've somehow attributed this to him for years. Maybe because it sounds more like him to me?

 

At first glance, I thought this was your property, and you had the white Pagoda Roof Mercedes and the blue W107 there as well as projects. Look at it this way, Jerry: you don't want to get involved in too many projects and spread yourself thin. And as far as the money goes, yeah, he may have gone lower with his original price, but $1,800 doesn't sound entirely unreasonable. It retailed at what, nearly $40,000 in 1988? I can certainly see you wanting it as well, but you'll have your hands full with the XJ6 alone. Myself, I've learned to stay focused despite such alluring distractions, and don't have regrets on passing up things. I am extremely interested in following your progress. And perfect relationship where you each have your own interests and can stay out of each other's way when need be. You sound a little bit like a Jay Leno relationship where his wife is an avid reader. They would come to my town, and he'd go to car museums, while she'd stop at antiquarian bookstores. I don't typically follow threads, but this one I will.

 

I washed the black one last week and it shined up pretty nicely for no polishing. I had been wanting to do this pic for some time. Ill have to stick a battery in it and see what I can learn about it that way. I havent really done much with it yet beyond cleaning up the engine bay ahead of the planned tinkering.

 

The photo looks like "the league of extraordinary gentlemen" if they were all in mechanical form. Either patroitic US red, white and blue, or Union Flag red white and blue....take you pick.