I'm still undecided as to which XJS I would like tobuy(newer 6.0L V-12 or older style XJS with 5.3L). At any rate, I found a very nice '86 coupe with under 70K miles and clean as new penny both inside and under the bonnet. The only "major service" that has been done to it was a new rear end. Supposedly it had a Dana differential in it that wasnt serviceable, so a rebuilt other type (I dont recall what it was) was installed. Is a differential replacement a common problem? (I know my '94 Vanden Plasstarted leaking at theouter seals when it was about 5 years old.) Should I check anything further prior to purchase with respect to the differential? I found out the shop I was going to use for the pre-purchase inspection is the same shop that redid the differential, as well as some other service (oil change, wiper motor, front rotors). I'm also wondering if I should havethe cartaken to a different Jag place in Portland for inspection for fear of a potential conflict of interest. This isa long distance purchase, so I am at the mercy of the inspection mechanic. Apparently, there are two good ones (maybe three) inPortland, OR - one of which is the one thatdid the repairs.

 

I wouldn't worry about the diff. The XJS and older XJ6 models did not have the diff problems as the earlier cars.

 

Thanks for the info. Are there any "typical" problems with a mid-80s XJ-S to be on the lookout for? I have heard of A/C evaporator issues.The evaporator in my '94Vanden Plas had to be replaced as it developed a leak and I hear that several other years had A/C evaporatorissues.This car has theoriginal R-12 system and supposedly it still blows cold. I have a '73 Thunderbird and '65 VW with their original R-12 systems and no issues. I'mof the philosophy "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

Your posts are a little hard for me to follow, but that might be my fault... I've never heard of a '65 VW with A/C, and I really don't care to.

Salisbury and Dana differential faults are more common than leaking A/C evaporators on XJS. If you find a car with a replaced diff, and it's not noisey, consider it a plus and forget about it.

There is quite a bit of difference between 6.0L cars and mid 80's cars, like major discrepancies in availability and price. If you want a mid 80's 5.3, there is no reason to buy one long-distance. They are everywhere, even nice ones.

 

What's with the attitude? York/Borg-Warner was authorized to make A/C systems for VW and distribute them through VW dealerships. Given the added expense, it's a very rare option.

Availability and price diffecences between a 6.0L and 5.3L tell me nothing about the mechanicaland reliabilitydifferences - whichare most important. No kidding there are more 5.3s than 6.0s around. 6.0s were only made for 4 years.How about some substantive feedback - oris the point of your post just to be a smartass with a bad attitude??