About a week and a half ago, my dad and I bought a beautiful, red 1995 XJS 6-cylinder coupe from a lovely British lady in Annapolis, Maryland! Her name is Edie.
Her exterior is beautiful, though there is some paint damage and the XJS logo is missing from the trunk lid.
Her interior is okay, but the front seats and back bench probably need new leather.
The previous owner apparently took good care of her and I have a lot of records and receipts going back to about 2002, when she was purchased.
She failed her emissions and safety inspection the first time around, due to a leak in the exhaust system. A local Jaguar specialty shop replaced her catalytic converter gaskets and she passed with flying colors the second time around.
I still need to get her left rear wheel hub bearing replaced, which I am planning on getting the same specialty shop to do.
I would like to do as much as possible myself - this is supposed to be a project car for myself and my dad - but I think the hub bearing is out of our league, based on JaguarForum threads and this YouTube video:

We already replaced the spark plugs, which I'll document in another thread. What else should we take care of right away? Hoses? Ignition wires?
I appreciate any advice! I've been watching this forum for a while now and have gotten a lot of great info.

 

Awesome car! Well done!

 

These really are terrific cars. I've owned a '95 convertible for more than 5 years and 65,000 miles. I drive it every day in Tampa am and pm rush hour traffic. My car will turn 97,000 miles within the next week and it hasn't failed me once. The AJ16 is dead on reliable. Well done and welcome to the club!
Bravo!

 

FYI ...

Although the process is similar that video doesn't apply to your car anyway. You have a different type of hub and the bearings are set-up differently. If you wouldn't be comfortable doing what you see in the video then you're smart to let an experienced shop handle the job.

Or, DIY with an experienced person watching over the job.

Cheers
DD

 

Nice car you have there, and I really like the condition of the wheels. Nice to see the coupe getting new, excited owners.

 

Congrats on the new car, I have always liked the look of the coupe and I'm actually toying with the idea of getting one to go along with my convertible

I'm not sure you need to start changing a lot of parts right away unless you have some specific problems. I would however change all fluids and filters. That means,
Change engine oil and filter
Change transmission fluid
Drain, flush and refill radiator
Drain, flush and refill brake fluid
Change fuel filter
Change air filter
Also it wouldn't hurt to go through all the electrical connections and make sure they are clean and free from corrosion and pay particular attention to the ground connections. Check the condition of all hoses and belts.

Most important, enjoy your new ride!!!

Allan

 

EastRando,

Maybe I missed it but how did you pay and which region are you in?

I always like comparing prices. ...

Charlie

 

Welcome!

Car looks beautiful. Wheels do indeed look in great shape!

Like Roger said, the AJ16 XJS is very reliable and durable. It's pretty low maintenance -within the context of Jaguar ownership.

The trunk logos can be found on ebay.

 

Thanks, everyone!

Doug, yeah, I think that's too much for me to handle.

AllanG, thanks for the advice! I'm definitely enjoying it and want to make sure she lasts a long time.

Charlie, I live in Falls Church, VA and bought the car in Annapolis, MD. It was $9,000.

Spikepaga, I've seen the trunk logos on Ebay - would they match the Jaguar emblem?

 

Nice find! Give the leather a thorough cleaning with Gliptone or Leatherique products. Then slather (and I mean slather) on some leather conditioner, wrap the seats in saran wrap or black plastic trash bags and leave it in the sun for a week. I am not kidding. You'll be surprised how much the leather can be rejuvenated. Then you're only looking at stitching the cushion.

 

Flint, thanks for the info, I'll try that. Great name, by the way.
Allan, are those filters standard parts I can get anywhere, or will I have to order them?

 

Not sure what's available near you but plenty of vendors online. I always buy mine online and receive them very quickly, best prices too!!

Cheers,

Allan