Hello,

I have read the Buyers Guide and it has been very helpful. Though I have found two that have caught my attention.

I have a good local mechanic if I run into trouble and he loves these. He says they are as relaible as most cars but have to be addressed quickly or you will pay dearly for it.

He knows of one that might come up for sale and gives it a good to go for purchase. He has worked on it since it was new so he knows the car quite well.

The other is a 1986 XJ6 sitting in a barn. I found this one and it has most of the interior redone, and just needs some tlc it sounds like. It has 114,000 miles and needs the following;

Rear Brakes
Front Brakes
Brake master cylinder
Tires
And some small body work.

Would the rear brakes make a car a no buy? He is not asking much for it and I think I could get it for $500.00

 

This vehicle would be a 4th car most likely for sometime. I know storing any car requires lost of work and time to bring back. Fuel systems can be fun and if not a nightmare. I was thinking of more of a project and at somepoint becoming a driver (say six months to a year).

I asked the guy if it gets started and he said he goes out and runs it about once a week. It is drivable other than the brake fliuid leaks out due to the master cylinder having a bad gasket or piston. So it is matter of debate really. I am thinking of either spending money upfront and buy say one for 4 grand and only have a little to do or spend $500 and then the 3500 have some work in it.

I know on a benz a cheap one is an expensive one. I figured the same on a Jag.

 

Yup, there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Jag :-)

But it can be fun and rewarding and it sounds like you know that you'll be in for a bit of work...so go for it. If you provide a DIY labor then it might not be too bad, money wise, as most parts are fairly reasonable.

On these cars it's the cosmetics that'll bury you with expense

Cheers
DD

 

I normally do all the work on my vehicles. Though this last time on my Land Rover I was having issues with the ECU and the harness. That went to a shop due to being a complicated and potentially expensive repair if screwed up. Worked out got the car back in two weeks and runs like new.

On this it would sit in the garage and be a weekend toy. Hopefully in about 6 months it would be ready to go and be back on the road. The wife wants one for a daily driver. This one sounds like a nice deal due to having the seats recovered, the wood redone, and some other interior work done/fixed.

I am going to go look at it next sunday and hopefully it will be a nice car. Though I will have to wait till a few week break in the weather so we can get it on a trailer. Dont want to tow a trailer in a snow storm plus also have to wait for that vehicle to get out of the auto body. Should be about 3 to 4 weeks before that happens.

 

Buy them both and make one nice one out of it. The interior bits alone would be worth 500 from the sounds of it.

 

It sounds like the first one would be a wiser move from a mechanical/reliability standpoint. It is ready to use, but the second one could be a real long term project.

You didn't really say anything about the condition of the bodies, as far as rust and paint, but the decision comes down to how much time and money will you devote. If you just want a car that can be driven, go for the first. If you really want a nice car at the end of the project, pick the car with the best overall body and least rust. Use your mechanic's seasoned eye to help in this decision. Or buy both since 500 for all the nice interior bits is a good price. You could swap the crappier interior into the barn car and sell it off as a project car, maybe for 500.

 

From what I understand the 86 has a few body issues that would require repair. There is a dent in the left rear quater and then the typical rust around the windshield. The last thing is that the previous owner added the Jaguar to the hood of the car and he took it off so it needs that finished our put back on.

I gather the 87 is ready to go. Though I like the body style of the 86 better though they all would work. I am going to go out and look at it on sunday next week and I will post pics of it.

What I want out of my first Jaguar is something that will be a good driver eventually. If buy one for 4,000 and then it needs all the same work then I would have rather purchased the one for 500.00. Now if the engine is blown or needs serious repair then I will look elsewhere. Might still buy it and part it out and keep someparts for my self.

 

Are we on the same page?

A 1987 Series III and a 1986 Series III are identical in appearance/body style.

If the '87 you're talking about is a different style than the '86, it (the '87) is the "XJ40" style...different car in all respecs other than the name

Cheers
DD

 

Bear with me I am still learning about Jags. Yes it is the XJ40 style it has the flatter hood and etc. Not a bad looking car but my wife likes the older "bubbly" style. Since this is her car then by all means I have to let her pick it.

Cant complain she let me get my benz.

 

The early XJ40s....first couple years or so....don't have a very good reputation. Be careful !

Cheers
DD

 

I have first hand experience with this exact situation. My Jag sat for a long time and I had to put a lot of time and moderate amount of $$ into the fuel system. Essentially, I replaced the fuel tanks, all fuel lines, had the injectors cleaned and installed a few strategically placed fuel filters beyond the one in the boot. A good learning experience and now the car runs very dependably.