Brad,

the last statement says it all, this Seller says that the 1987 were the best because they (Jaguar) switched from Lucas to Bosch?

hehas to be kidding! It is the Bosch components that fail in these cars when the Lucas keep going 25 years later. Sorry, I don't buy that.

I haveowned a 1984 for the last 18 years and again, it is the Bosch components that fail, not the Lucas.

You can get a very nice 1985 through 1987 XJ-6 without a cracked windshield for around $2,500.

The windshield does NOT crack from defrosting it. Sorry. No cigar. It was cracked from some other reason.

My humble advice? pass on that car.

where are you located? I know of a green/tan XJ-6 in California being sold forlittle but ininmaculate condition according to the advertisement. The problem? Head Gasket.

here's the ad and phone number:

"My "in laws" have an immaculate 1986 XJ6 (drk grn, tan int) that recently had engine problems. Water is getting into the cylinders, pretty much the engine is gone. But they are the original owners and everything else about the car is absolutely beautiful. They are looking to sell it and I figured someone out there may be very interested, if for nothing else parts??? They are going to donate it and take the right off, but anyone interested needs to contact me ASAP, and I will put you in contact with them." Stew @ 951 295-4854


A head gasket job is about a $800. job. A new radiator: $220. if it needs one. So with $1,000. more or less, you end up with a very nice example for around, $2,500.-$3,000. A very fair price to pay and a better car than BMW in many ways that are not obvious. But the car you are being sold is not better than your BMW. Keep your Bimmer until you find a better XJ.


Jose

 

I can't make any of those URLs work no matter what I try, sorry. What am I doing wrong? It would be nice to see pics !

I am not quite willing to condemn the car because the seller is incorrect and/or blowing smokeon a few points. You're looking for the best car, not the best seller !

If it really does have a fresh transmission, a "gone through" engine, new wood, and lots of other new stuff, it might be worth considering. Of course you'll want to review invoices...whch the seller apparently has. His loss might be your gain

Here's a bit of reading material that will cover the high points:

http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjbuyersguide.html

If you are mechanically inclined you can find some real bargains on these cars, such as the example Jose mentioned. Most repairs are within the realm of a decent DIY mechanic and parts a readily available and usually reasonable.

However, paint, chrome, leather, wood...all that cosmetic stuff....is very expensive. Thousands of dollars. If you desire a Jag that really looks the part, best to find one in mint condition. If you're OK with decent-but-not-prefect cosmetics then the playing field becomes much wider and the prices much lower.

These are not rare cars so if this one isn't "the one" there are plenty of others to choose from. I looked at 30 before buying mine.

Prices range from $500 for a running parts car to $7000+ for a mint condition, 100% ready-to-go beauty. Or maybe even less, considering the economy.


Cheers
DD

 

An intermittant or failed transducer prevents the speedometer from reading, and also prevents the odometer from operating. If this is an occasional fault which drops the speedo needle to zero every now and then, no big deal. If you test drive the car and it's working half the time, it's counting half the distance traveled.

Now you have to trust a seller who claims the problem started last week or whatever, since you don't know how many miles are actually on the car. I had customers in the mid '80's who drove their cars for years a failed transducer, and replaced it when they were preparing to sell the car.

I have watched a crack spread across a windcreen with my own eyes, originating at a stone chip and reacting to the thermal shock of hot air blowing on cold glass. At least the owner got that part correct.

 

It's just a shame when you see beautiful cars that are going down hill...they're all worth saving, but at the same time none of them are. Somtimes I feel guilty parting out nastycars that I know could be reborn if the dollars weren't more precious.

Your investment will always be better when selecting the lowest mileage car in the best condition that your budget can afford. If you take the other route, you do it for the love and tolerate the increased investment of putting things right yourself.

The saying in motor racing applies to building up old road cars as well...The best way to make a million in the restoration business is to start out with ten million.

 

What soured the deal, if you don't mind my asking? From your description it sounded like it might have been a nice car.

Cheers
DD

 

I am kinda in the same boat about buying my first jag. Looking at an 1983. The car starts, but wont stay running. Its sounds like a fuel problem to me. My question is how difficult of a fix could this be? Im not worried about getting my hands dirty. I am more curious if this is a problem that some people encounter. I have noticed other fuel related posts in here but none seem to relate directly to the symptoms of the one im looking at. Any input would be great.

 

Doug, if you copy and paste those picture urls, look at the text and there is a space where there shouldnt be one. Remove the space and you will find a pretty nice car. The rear interior looked brand new! My 82 was treated to new upholstery and a headliner in 2001. Great, except that cloth and vinyl were used. My next cat will have leather.

Bradpitch92, to sell it after you get it....perhaps you should just get a really nice one that works exellent. You will probabally decide to keep it. I have had countless cars in my 15 years since I recieved my drivers liscense. Late 60's GM muscle cars, vans, japenese turbo charged sports cars, BMWs, Audi, Volvo (P1800), and lots of crummy ones thrown in to get me by in a pinch. I now FINALLY am over lusting for a different ride. My car, although FAR from perfect, is fantastic. I feel like we are long lost soulmates. Ill never get a different car, unless I decide to go for a better/cleaner/nicer XJ6. Or S Type, or of course the allmighty XKE!!!! Any way, as a newly born again Jag nut, I hope you too get bit by the bug.

 

I'm going to be the crazy guy here but I'd keep the 6 series and take it off the market. Of course I love the old 6 series cars

 

Most likely ignition switch or fuel upmp circuit. No guarantees but it shouldn't be too hard to fix

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks. Its more or less a project/weekend car and from what i can tell should be a blast to cruise in. And for 500 bucks.. if i cant get it working im sure someone that wants a bit more of a project will take it. Heck, the new paint job on it is worth more than that.

 

try thesechecks:

1) put the shifter in 1st gear (1), then turn the ignition switch to start the engine; Engine will not start or crank but you should hear the fuel pump whirring if you turn your right ear to the rear of the car. If you hear the fuel pump whirring, fuel pump circuit is essentially working.

Replace the fuel filter.

2) start the engine and once the ignition switch springs back to its default RUN position, try to manually move the key forward, clockwise, about 1/16th of an inch or so, to see if the engine stays on. If yes, ignition switch is worn. Thanks to Lucas, it can be removed, opened, contacts cleaned, apply dielectric grease inside, re-assembled, and re-used.

3) if no cigar yet,find the group ofRelays located on the firewall near the battery in arow, wiggle the wires of each relay making sure they are making good contact on all relays.

4) look under the front passenger side fender/wing. (removing the wheel will let you see better), look for any disconnected fuel vapor hose there, particularly at the Charcoal Canister locatedtowards thefront. (no smokingaround thefront of the car).

there's a few other places to check, but try these and report back.

Jose

 

HI Jose

On #4, checking to see if any pipes are removed from the charcoal can, How would this lead to a non running condition?
Only reason I ask is because I had heard of removing the line before the can to reduce the gas tank whoosh, venting straight into the atmosphere.
Bad idea (for the car) ?

Thanks
David

 

David,

disconnectingany hose to the charcoal canister and leaving it open to atmosphere, bad idea. Air gets into the Fuel Evaporative System, which is a Closed System. Why exactly this leads to a non-start or non-run state is unknown to me, but it does.

here's whatto doto eliminate the pressure buildup that occurs when the little plastic GM valve is installed on that line leading to the charcoal canister:

Thatcheck valve is the cause of the whooshing tanks.It is supposed to open at a certain PSI but it doesn't.

You can push a 1/8" drill bit through the check valve pulling it on the opposite side to break the membrane and the pressure buildup is eliminated, but once you do that, you re-install the check valve again to close the system. Another option is to replace the check valve with a hose-to-hose plastic splicer or connector to keep the Fuel Evaporative system closed to atmosphere.

Jose

 

I'm not sure what fault Jose is referring to that would cause a no-run. I ran with mine disconnected for years, and so have others <shrug>

Cheers
DD

 

Mine is disconnected on the other side of the can, the the purge valve. Reason I asked about that is I've never had a no start issue, but still having a problem going into wide open trottle. I thought maybe it was sucking too much air through the purge valve, which is open and is disconnected electrically ( I removed the air pump and all the wiring).
But I think that is stretching a bit as far as WOT issues. Now I'm leaning towards either timing or ignition amp. Runs perfectly otherwise....

I probably will disable that one way valve....

Thanks for the help.
David

 

Thanks for all the input. It makes this car sound like a steal.