Hello everyone! I'm thinking about acquiring an XJ40 ( preferably 1992-94 ) and I was wondering what the major issues / expenses are? Are they smooth, reliable?
I saw a beautiful british racing green XJ40 at my local british repair shop and I can't stop thinking about the XJ40's!

Thanks & have a good weekend!

- Pilotman

 

Hi Pilotman,

XJ40s are great cars. I've had two, the current one for more than 16 years. If you can find one that has been well cared for, most of the common issues will have already been sorted.

Most of the other things that can go wrong are also well known and usually resolved without too much time or expense. Aside from the head gaskets, the engines are essentially bulletproof. The transmissions are likewise robust. But like most 20+ year-old cars, there's almost always something that could use repair or improvement. Most owners learn to live with a few "niggles."

The '93-'94 cars are the most advanced, but the '90-'92 cars are nearly as good. The '88-'89 cars have the 3.6L engine and taller gearing in the differential, so acceleration from a stop is not as brisk, but otherwise they're excellent cars too, and since the engine runs 500 rpm lower at all speeds compared to the later cars, they're wonderfully quiet on the highway.

It's worth paying more for a low-mileage example with a full service history. Buying a high-mileage car with no service history is likely to be more expensive in the long run. Probably the biggest issue to avoid would be any serious rust.

Hope you find a good one!

Cheers,

Don

 

And how reliable do you want a 25 yr. old car to be on 25 yr. old parts?

 

I expect to have minor problems. I'm just seeing whether there's anything that's major something like the tensioners, trans, ect. that need to be changed asap.

 

I've had my 94 for almost 4 years and for the mast part has been my DD. Its had a few issues on and off but nothing insurmountable. I bought it with 135K and now its 180 ish

The radiator started leaking and I did have a hard time getting a replacement due to availability. I just couldnt find one.

I had a coolant leak at a crossover pipe under the manifold and in the end just replaced every hose on the car along with the broken bolt in the head.

Most recently the harmonic balancer failed and I had to send it out for repair.

All in all its been a great car. Quiet and smooth, handles well, extremely comfortable to drive and with all the amenities I like, but still being simple enough to work on and not needing expensive diagnostic equipment just to replace a remote or key.

Yes it needed maintenance, like tires, brakes, shocks, tune up and some other odds and ends. But any car needs those same things unless its new. If you are unable or unwilling to perform some basic and maybe some not so basic things these cars of this vintage may not be for you, but if you can and are willing then you will have a far more rewarding experience for far less money than owning a modern basic appliance car.

 

I love my XJ40. It just floats down the motorway and it's been very reliable (knock on wood).

My advice is to have an independent Jaguar mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection. That will give you an idea of what needs to be done to the car and may improve your negotiating position.

The 3.2 and 4.0 litre engines can go a long way before needing any major work. However, they are heavy cars and the suspension components and brakes do need to be maintained.

A complete logbook/maintenance history is always a + when purchasing any used vehicle.