I'm considering a 1994 XJS V12 coupe with 57,000 original miles. It will not be a daily driver. The car is in almost flawless condition and looks like new. The only thing I noticed is the ABS light and brake light came on when I started the car and I was told the ac button or switch did not work. One of my good friends knew the owner who recently passed away. He said it was maintained very well. Looking for any suggestions of things to look for that I may be missing, what costs I can expect to maintain the car as I was worked the V12 is expensive to maintain, what money should I consider paying for the car. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

Desirable model, looks sharp !

Make sure the cooling system is up to snuff. V12s will tolerate just about any abuse except overheating.

Service records proving regular servicing...full servicing, not just oil changes...are always a plus. Sometimes low mileage cars haven't really rec'd proper servicing "...because they hardly get driven....".

Even though it looks great carefully inspect it for rust, just to be sure

Not sure about price. Facelift V12 coupes are a bit rare and don't change hands too often

Others will chime in

Cheers
DD

 

Being a 1994 it is also in the last couple of years of production and a 6.0L with 4 speed. If the price is right I would buy it, can't help you on price as prices for these 6.0L cars here in Australia are in $50k region. In fact there a 1994 TRW for sale for $100k yes that is $100,000.

 

Its not the ABS Light being on that is the problem, that is supposed to happen when you turn on the Ignition but when the Car has started, the

ABS light and Brake light should be going off.

When you Turn on the Ignition, can you hear the ABS Pump Priming and if so does that cut out after about 30 Seconds.

Then does the ABS and Brake Light both go off.

That seems to be the only Gremlin at the moment but also a Massive Bargaining Chip to the tune of $1,000 on the asking price what ever that is.

It could be an easy fix or maybe not

It could be something as Simple as a fuse! and if it is then I would keep that to yourself.

The Fuse should be under the knee pad on the Passenger Side.

There are 2 X 30 Amp Fuses which are Separate from the others and should also be clearly marked.

One is for the ABS (That's the one it might be, either blown or dirty)

The other is for the ABS Brake Pump.

Otherwise what's not to love!

Price wise $7,000 at least that's what I might be willing to pay with that possible fault.

 

I'd say take it for a decent test drive to make sure the temp's fine, check for rust, and then if both are fine, get it. Depending on price, of course. But that looks gorgeous in black. I'd have loved a 6.0 l, but they are so rare....

 

Forgot to mention: on my 1992, the ABS screwed up and the brakes became like concrete anchors. However it wasn't expensive to fix at all.

 

I have the 1994 2+2 V12 Convertible. The engines are much sturdier than earlier models. I have had no issues whatsoever. The greatest maintenance cost is gasoline.

Pricing on this year specifically and on the 6.0 are all over the place. I've seen over 50k in the UK and Australia, however they still trade around 20k in the US for some reason. I strongly believe this is the model to purchase. Whether as a daily driver or as a collection addition. Good luck.

 

Thanks very much for the comments! I really appreciate it! I'm thinking of offering $7,000 if everything checks out.

 

Hi Geberhardt

If the Seller knew how to fix it they would have done it by now, so that's a massive 'bargaining chip' you are holding.

If they say the Brakes are working, then that would be 'Normal Non ABS' Braking'

which of course is not quite the same thing.

There is always a way to fix these things, even if it means taking the whole unit off a Parts Car.

So you should point out that Spares are unavailable and even if you could find a Brand New Unit, that would set you back North of $1,500 plus Labour!

 

So I looked at the XJS again today. The ABS light did go off after a minute and everything else was perfect except the A/c (climate control system) was not working at all. They had got a qutoe of $3,000 to fix and the best I could get them to do on the price was $9,000 and still having to fix the a/c would push my total cost to around $12,000. I had really wanted to be around $7,000 with a max of $9000 with all known problems fixed. Initially I was not really looking for a car but ran across this one and told my wife If I could get it at a good price I would buy it just because it was such a beautiful car in just excellent condition.
Had I been actually looking for a XJS v12 coupe to buy I would have bought it because I don't think I could have found a nicer car out there. So long story short I passed on the car�� Thanks again to all who have posted comments I really appreciate you help!!!

 

Pity. She looks gorgeous, and for $12,000 I wouldn't hesitate, assuming the a/c was the only major issue. Hope she goes to a good home.

 

I think you have been very sensible. The aircon could be just engine bay stuff; but it could equally be the in-car unit, which depending upon the fault, could be a dashboard-out job to fix. This is the worst job to do on an XJS by far, and quite complex with a decent chance of other stuff (like an instrument or two) not working when it all goes back in.
If you really wanted an XJS and could do it all yourself, great car. But bearing in mind what I hear about USA prices for the cars, $12000 with duff aircon is too much.
Greg

 

Well, boils down to one thing:


Nine grand with bad AC.


So, the three grand to fix is the wild card. What does the 3 grand fix include? At the very least a new compressor. If so, that means a dryer as well. Flush and charge.
Evaporator and condensor probably not included.


Or, merely a leak. Hoses and recharge. Done, cooool AC???


Stretch your offer to 8 grand?


Hold off and recheck. Might still be there and the seller more fexible.


Sure is nice looking car. A cheaper one might turn out to be even m ore expensive.


Carl

 

Offer them 7k and tell them the offer stands. They'll come around when they realize it won't move at their price. Anything Jaguar pre XJS is a fairly easy sell, anything XJS and up is not easy to sell. People are afraid of Jaguars and the XJS never had a good rep in the US and aren't "sought after" cars here. I'm not saying they won't get 9k but I just don't see it.

 

I tend to agree with JagCad. If the car has been as well-maintained as it appears to be from the original post, it's certainly worth at least getting a second opinion on how bad the A/C issue is. You'll end up paying $12,000 anyway, whether it's in later repairs or paying for a good one up front (I took the former route, it turns out...).