I'm perusing classic jags for sale. I'm mostly looking at XJ6s but when I feel particularity... foolhardy I have also looked at some XJ12s. My question is should I really be worried about miles? For example, a car with 50k miles but no maintenance performed seems like more trouble than a car with 200k miles with lots of maintenance performed. Am I missing something? What are your thoughts on miles when considering the purchase of a classic Jag?

Thanks for your feedback.

P.S. Speaking of miles there's an XJ6 right now on ' bringatrailer' that has less than 8,000!

 

My opinion has always been a car that has been driven and has service history to prove its been taken care of is better than a low mileage garage queen.

 

At this age of car, evidence of servicing and general cherishing of the car is paramount. If you can find a car on low(ish) miles you still need to inspect it diligently. A car with a huge file of invoices and photograph records is usually a good bet. Either way you're going to have to spend at least some money after a purchase of one of these cars. The key to this is the condition of the bodyshell, paintwork, and trim, because these are costly to repair unless you're skilled at this sort of thing, (i.e. DIY).

A car that runs at least some miles a year is preferable to one that has been in a barn for the last 20 years. These latter can end up costing lots of dollars to recommission the car. On the other hand, you might be lucky.

I had a Series 3 4.2litre for 14 years and did a helluva lot of work on it. However, I wouldn't go back to one having driven an X350 XJ6 since 2010. The later cars really are better made, although the Series 3 is elegance personified.

 

I agree with Andy but with the caveat that if you are buying from a hobbyist like me there are often no receipts to back it up. For instance, when I change the oil I buy a jug at Wal-Mart along with normal other items and throw away the receipt. I usually depend on my own inspection and my gut feel as to the seller's honesty. Of course, the holy grail is to buy from a rich original owner that always dropped it off at the dealer and told them to take care of everything. I hate to sound like a snob but when I look at ads I give extra credit if the photos are taken in front of a nice house. If the photos are taken in front of a garage packed to the gills with junk, you can be pretty sure the car has been sitting out in the elements.

Another thing I always question or disregard is the phrase "always garaged". That often means they drove it to work and left it in a parking lot all day under the baking sun. Then drove it home at night and parked it in a nice garage to protect it from the harsh moonlight.

Jeff

 

If you're looking for (and willing to pay for) a car that is in superb cosmetic condition, well, those are often the ultra-low mileage examples....and often the better buy, in the long run. If merely 'good' or 'really nice' cosmetics is tolerable then your choices really open up

Cheers
DD

 

Agreed on all points

Agreed again ! And this is where paying more up-front usually represents an overall savings

Agreed again !

Long term 'dead' storage is really hard on a car. BUT....it really doesn't take much use to keep everything exercised and limber, so to speak. If a car can be driven, let's say, 2-3 times per year at 50-75 miles per outing, that should be enough to prevent the dreaded deterioration of dead-storage....and still accumulate very little total mileage.



Chance does play a role in our lives !

Cheers
DD

 

yes.... mileage matter unless you are going to rebuild the whole car with new parts.

With a high mileage car all intangibles and little things get worn out... door hinges get grumbly, pedal bushes loosen, window regulators get loose, wiper motors get tired, switch gears get loose, seats get flattened, and differentials get lashy. These aspects and many others adds up to a certain feel of use and age. This is very difficult to undo, as many of these parts can not be practically replaced.

I have a very low mileage XJ coupe. The quality of the drive and over all feel is very difficult to quantify but It's way better.

I have another coupe with a front suspension from an XJS that had only 40k miles, it feels far better than any rebuilt rack I have every installed and I've done many.

And even servicing wears things out. The act of removing and replacing parts can make things brittle or looser and the quality of the service is impossible to know.

For me, I'll take a low mileage undisturbed car over a high mileage one.

 

with the Series 3 XJ-6 and 12, my only concern when buying by odometer miles is that the speedometers in these cars are easily replaced.

whether they are replaced to fool an unsuspecting buyer or because of speedometer failure, that is another story.

it depends on the seller. If the seller acts fishy, then you wonder why.

If it is an honest seller, he/she won't have any problem disclosing problems, previous repairs, a speedometer replacement, etc.

Mileage can be proven more or less. Is the seller the original, second, or third owner?
The DMV would have a more or less truthful record of mileage when the car was resold.

When I look at an old car, I look at the overall condition, and then the specifics, I let the smell of the car talk, those are better indicators of condition than the speedo mileage.

 

To me mileage is just a number, I always buy on what I see when I inspect and test drive and a huge amount of gut feeling. Only been burnt once in 30+ motorcycles and nearly as many cars.
I have sold motorcycles I have done over 100,000 km on that look and run like brand new. The buyers looked and bought usually at my price because they couldn't believe the vehicles had done the mileage............It is always just a number, I have seen vehicles with 20,000 km on them I wouldn't touch.

11 years old and 106'000 km on the clock when this pic was taken. First looker bought it for $200 under my price.



14 years old and 90,000 km on the clock, first looker didn't even start it before he offered the deposit. I made him ride it before I took his cash. No negotiation, he was just happy to pay my price.



20 years old with 224,000 km on the clock, sold in one day with no receipts for servicing as I did it myself for most of it's life.

 

Around here, we have two general classes for 'ordinary" cars. Freeway flyers vs around town put puts. But, the days of yore are diminishing.
Freeways now involve a lot of stop and go!


Decades ago, 100,00 miles meant the end! Exceptions, of course. In 51, I bought a very nice 49 Black Mercury coupe. Very mush sought after. 100k on the clock brought it within my budget. And a newly rebuilt engine. Three on the tree and OD. One of my all time favorite cars.


In 2001, I came across my 83 Jaguar. 115K on the clock. Not quite perfect, but detailed to the max, it looked and ran just great. Looking back, with a wealth of acquired knowledge, I suspect it had just received a head gasket replacement!!! Still in my garage. Back on the road after a SMOG test adventure. Speedo is nuts. Not an issue, I delight in driving it.


Oh, and my faithful 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Well over 200K and counting .Tight and shiny and runs just fine. A bit bumpier on it's Goodyear Wranglers. Road wheels and tires now match the original never on the ground spare wheel and tire....


Carl

 

Husband talked to a local farmer recently who had a Toyota pickup that had over 300,000 miles on it and ran just fine until it got hot once (knew he had a leaky radiator but didn't get to it quick enough).

He pulled the head, took it to a local machinist who leveled it so the head gasket would seal, slapped it back together, and it's run another 5 years with not a single hint of trouble.

However, he now pays better attention to his cooling system.

Said he wouldn't take any amount of money for that pickup, it's just Too dependable.
(';')

 

Mine had a non-functioning speedo when i bought it.
I was aware of that fact and disregarded it, because all the paperwork that came with the car showed a nice steady increase in mileage.

I had a revised speedo adjusted to the current mileage and then installed that one...