The car is practically being given away for 350 bucks. It runs and drives but just curious if anything I should look for like common problems with these year cars. Thanks

 

I bought a 1987 XJ6 for $750 a couple months ago. I absolutely love it. Mine has been "lumped" with a chevy 5.0L and a GM transmission. (lumped is an acronym for less upkeap, more power)

What to look for is loose wire connectors here and there. You have two or three fuse boxes. One under each side of the dash, one in the engine compartment, driver side, which is for the lights.

If you buy it, check the windshield and rear window seals. Take some gray silicone and seal all the gaps...they are there.

Lift up the carpets to see how wet they are (comes from the windshield seal). If they are damp, take them out and let them dry.

Your windshield wipers are slow...live with it.

Clean your window switches so your windows will work. The switches rarely actually fail, it's normally just loos or corroded connection points. Same with the headlights.

If your turnsignals don't work, bypass them at the hazard flasher, that's what I needed to due. Look for my post on hazard flasher bypass. It's a simple fix.

The starter relay is at the top center of the firewall behind the engine, looks like the headlight relay that's near the headlight fuse box (mentioned earlier) The wire from the relay to the starter can slip off, so clean and snug it up, then you wont be in a parking lot with no starter engagement.

The engine generates a LOT of heat. There's not much heat insulation between you and the engine compartment, so you wont need your heater much, you'll see.

I also work for Boeing (everett) and drive my XJ6 every day.

 

Your inertia cut-off switch for the gas tanks is located on the opposite end of the dash from the steering wheel (you didn't mention left or right hand drive) If you didn't know it was there, you'd never see it.

 

In one of the sticky threads at the top of this section is a buyers guide that might help.

Cheers
DD

 

Rust, sun killed interior and blown head gasket are the expensive items to watch out for.

There are one or two inline fuses cleverly hidden in the console alongside the shift mechanism. Fuses may look god, but be internally open. Fuse clamps can be just loose enough as to not allow continuity. merely rolling the glass fuse in situy seems to restore it!!

The wires and insulation and connectors are fragile and prone to corrosion and outright breaking. Especialy those under the bonnet where temps can be tough.

Electrics scare some folks away. But, not that mysterious. The developed old jag mantra is clean tighten and lubricate connectors.

Many a window switch has been replaced, while in most cases, merely opening the switch and cleaning the contacts restores them just fine.

Same for headlight and starter relays, open the tin case, and clean the contacts. Although I prefer a generic Bosch relay as a starter relay. A solid state MOPAR unit might even be better.

Great looking cars and a blast to drive. Some say even more so, with a hundred or less pounds and another 70 or 100 HP with OD as a bonus!!

I liked my car in either form!!

Carl

 

I envy you guys i had a 84 vdp it was great until we had to replace the head gasket, then it lost most of his power, done that in sd jag specialist, it was the end of the car...