'92 V12 (advice)
 

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this part of the forum and am looking at a '92 XJS V12 convert, carnivale red with cashmere interior (or what ever they called it in '92) with 160K on the clock. Asking price is $3500. My wife and I looked it over today–I took coveralls and crawled underneath–found some rust around the left front jacking point, but nowhere else– I didn't have a pick in my pocket and wouldn't use one without permission on someone else's car, but I explored it with my fingertip–could've been just surface rust from a jack disturbing the undercoating, no rust on the right, nor on either side in the back. The mufflers in the rear look to be newer stainless as well as the outlet pipes. Ahead of that it looks like no stainless as far as I could see, but no heavy rust either. He said he thought there were no mufflers ahead, just cats. I was unable to get very far under front or mid car under the circumstances (on a dirt drveway) but was able to check the sills and wheel wells carefully and found them to be very clean. He bought it about six years ago from a doctor in CA and had it delivered here (WI).

He has an overhead lift, but had another vehicle on it; said he could get the car in on the lift tomorrow if I didn't mind driving back again (hour and a half each way). Sounded good to me.

Paint on trunk lid and hood/bonnet was oxidized, but only lightly. No body damage, not even dings. Interior: fake woodgrain on console and door trim was cracked and peeling, leather on passenger seat had multiple deep creases, no cracks or tears, driver seat minor creases only (I have no experience with Funiture Clinic kits or Seat Doctor, Only Hide food and others others of that type). No other interior damage except tears in the carpet cover behind the package shelf.

It started right up, though he said the battery is junk, and ran nice and smooth with no hesitation (I hadn't brought a stethoscope or a screwdriver either, but will tomorrow).

What do you think? Am I selling myself too hard, missing something? I'd very much appreciate any comments or advice, pro or con.

Thanx, Rick

I am no expert by any means, but i sounds like a nice project at that price point. And maybe not needing and major work? Just more minor stuff. Are you handy, or just want a turn key driver?

I paid about that for a '88 H&E convertible, that needed more things done, but it was 4 miles away, and I had a fall back plan for it if necessary. I wasn't interested in cars with ABS, so a later car was out for me, I didn't want a coupe, as almost all my cars are two seat.

I found myriad number of things on my car that needed attention, nothing terribly expensive at all, but things that sucked up some hours. A combination of age related things and horrors (mostly electrical) the PO did to the car.

I would verify everything electrical works, and if something doesn't, ask about it here.

Doug

Fair price. Buy it.

Make sure the aircon works, and the ABS - VERY important the ABS.

When was the switch to 6.0 / 4-speed / outboard brakes?

Rick,

On the face of it, it sounds quite reasonable and the climate has mitigated serious corrosion. However, I would have a deeper look at the front subframe and the front spring seats. Also the rear subframe, radius arms and mounting points. On the body, look for ANY bubbling of paint just at the edge of the windscreen trim to the scuttle. If there's ANYTHING there, that's a major issue. Lift the front carpets and check for any corrosion in the front part of the floorpans and edges. Lift the carpets behind the front seats and check very carefully for corrosion around the front seatbelt mounts at the outer edge by the sills.

You have inboard rear brakes on a 92. See if you can get someone to operate the handbrake lever whilst you check their operation. Do remember that it has a semi-flyoff handbrake lever. The ignorance of that is often the cause of problems. The car has Teves II brakes and ABS. People don't understand the system well. With the ignition off, press the pedal up to 20 times. The pedal should get increasingly hard. Now take your foot off the pedal and turn on the ignition, the brake pump should now audibly run for up to 40 seconds before cutting out and the brake light extinguishing. This is an important check. Now press the brake pedal, which will be softer / normal. Press it a few times and listen to see when the pump cuts back in. When you test drive the car, safely find an open bit of road and see if the car dives to one side when applying the brakes. This would typically be a symptom of a failed ABS valve block.

Check all trim parts and fixings. These are the difficult things to find with many parts now NLA. Check for any cracks in the lights, again unobtainable new. The "fake" woodgrain on the console is strange, it should be real veneer. And, as mentioned, check everything electrical. Obviously check the aircon, and remember there is no such thing as "it just needs regassing"!

Good luck! If it's a good car, you'll love it!

Paul

why? The car is pretty cheap. I would not expect the AC to work at that price.

It's a fair bet that every sub-system of the car needs at least some attention. Suspension, brakes, cooling, fuel systems, etc. That's the norm with most old Jags, especially in the low price range.

If you're a decent DIYer then a lot of mechanical work can be done reasonably and, depending on your frame of mind, even enjoyably. And a well sorted XJS is worth the effort, IMO.

Body repair and cosmetics....paint, chrome, leather, wood....can be huge expenses.

So long as you understand that you're buying a project car it sounds OK to me for just $3500

Cheers
DD

Many Thanx
 

Thanx to all

Great to get so many prompt responses, and the tips on checkpoints for our second look and test drive today.

Yes I have a long history with old cars of many makes, fully reported in my new member intro which I've been told is a good story. To touch on the other questions: the A/C has never worked for the current owner, but I only drive my converts in fair weather and park them inside with the top down all summer; still there's those sudden thunderstorms and the need for dry, conditioned air from the defroster when you get caught, so that will be a priority

This has the 5.3 and the inboard brakes, which I've repaired and replaced as needed on my XJ12 and XJ6's. I've read many complaints about them but don't recall having any difficulties working on them, but once took an XJ6 to a tire company to be reshod and got that expected call to my office about noon: "Mr. Hefko, we have your tires on, but there are some serious problems that need immediate attention, there are no rear brakes on that car, they've completely disintegrated, I've never seen any thing like it! And, the shocks need to be replaced, but somebody has welded on an extra pair on the rear, and I don't think you'd want us to replace both sets." I tried to explain to the mechanic that I had personally replaced the pads on all wheels the previous weekend, "But pads are only on the front, I'm talking about the back", he interrupted. I tried to educate him about inboard brakes and independent rear suspension, but he didn't respond. Two days later, I got a call from his manager, "My mechanic tells me that you picked up your car that had no rear brakes. You know we have to report that to the authorities." "I tried to tell him that I had just put new pads on all four wheels, but he wasn't listening," I angrily responded. "What kind of car is this?" He asked. "A Jaguar XJ6," I replied. "We don't get those around here much." He replied, "You have a good day now".

I guess I have to go give barn cat #8 her checkup now.

Thanx again and the best of everything to all, Rick

Because fixing it, if you want it, is often expensive and difficult. The mk delanair III is electronic and the main controller is not available.

You’re on Barn Cat 8? I’m only on Barn Cat 3. You must have been a car guy for a much longer time than me.

Cats and mice
 

Barn cat 3,

I'm almost 79, bought my first car when 15½ and my first cat when 39. I also have 3 mice (Midgets) in the former hay mow which were once daily commuters from April to October (40 or 55 miles each way) depending on which office.

BTW When we were young, 1970- 71, we lived in your neighborhood–Brookfield, CT and Dracut, Mass. Great country

Best, Rick

Second look, second thoughts.
 

Hello all.

Second look indoors on lift and under lights with top down not as rosy. My first look was along a dirt road next to a field on a cold windy (30 mph) day. Turns out that's where it had been the last three years–a wonder it started. The seats, though not torn, looked much worse, and the veneer, all curled and in tiny pieces looked like the car had been stored outside with the top down. The seller, a Ford mechanic for 20 years at a large dealership in Milwaukee now has a very small, rural "Auto Repair and Sales" business on his farm.
I also found that the A/C system had been removed before he bought it, seven years ago, and the cruise had not worked in that time either. The brakes would not pump up at all with the ignition off, but passed the other tests with the ignition on, and I did see that it had shiny new rear calipers. He wouldn't allow a test drive; because, "There are 1 or 2 lug nuts missing on all four wheels". He also told me it would need to be flatbedded or towed for liability reasons. Now I was worried! I more carefully examined the paint and realized it needed a respray. Not in my toolkit, though I have repainted a pickup and a station wagon, they were utility farm vehicles. I found no heavy rust underneath (The surface rust near the left front jacking stud was a scrape from a rock, or perhaps a parking curb–metal was solid, small dent. My wife stopped me from examining the interior floors due to the presence of mouse nests and the fact that I have two artificial heart valves, and hadn't brought a mask.

More importantly, she didn't like the car–said, "It didn't look like a Jaguar!" Sorry for repeating that in polite company. She said it would be okay to restore it and sell it, but that's not in my playbook. I hate selling cars. She thought it would be better to put the restoration money towards one of my other projects, and use the $3500 to replace my pit with a lift like one I was admiring in his shop. So, it's hard to give up dreams, but I'll be 79 in a couple months and 'thats life'.

Thanx again for all the input and best wishes to all, Rick

PS: If anyone else is interested, it can be found on facebook marketplace in Mayville, WI.

VERY sensible to leave it alone!

Agreed, very sensible indeed.

Wise choice