Having recently been bitten by the Jaguar bug, I was considering something classic (or at least classic by my standards) to add to my stable. The allure of a 12 cylinder droptop has my interest. I know this is probably not the smartest thing to do and since I've traveled down this road before, I should know better. When I was younger and bitten by the Mustang bug, I purchased a 67 V8 Mustang (Rustang is more like it)...and after putting more money into it than I should have, I sold it for far less than I put into it....but...there was nothing cooler than owning a 67 Stang. Now I'm eyeing an 88 H&E conversion in a nice dark red/dbl black combo. I think it's priced right, given the mileage (mid 90's) and the unmolested original condition (solid chrome, clean body - aside from some small rust bubbles around the wheels and very clean leather - probably garage kept for most of its life)...but I do have some reservations. I know these are notorious for leaks and Lucas gremlins. Should I be looking for anything in particular? The engine is a vacuum hose nightmare, but I've been turning wrenches for some time, so I'm not afraid of a mechanical challenge. It has ARE mesh wheels on it...are these correct? I've seen the BBS wheels on later models, but could the ARE's have been an option on the 88's? Your thoughts?

 

XJSs are fantastic when properly sorted and unless you've found the one-in-a-thousand exception, it WILL need sorting...but it sounds like you're up to the task.

An '88 would still be on the "Starfish" alloys. For '89 model year (in USA terms) Jaguar went to the "Lattice" wheel....similar to BBS but not quite the same.

H&Es have their own unique quirks but I'm not up to speed on the details.

Cheers
DD

 

I agree with Doug these are brilliant cars once everything is working right.

Does it have the Updated seats? Jaguar changed these in 88 and they are certainly far more comfortable than the older style. I think the mechanics are the easiest part to sort, I would be looking VERY closely at the rust, a few small bubbles can mean hideous cancer lurking underneath.... check all of the usual places
rear screen, sills around the front and rear jack points, front spring area, floor pans etc, use an ice pick if you need to, to test the metal. I don't mean drive holes through it just tap it lightly.

Rear wheel arches are notorious as the inner and outer fenders are spot welded together and they leak worse than the Titanic after hitting the iceberg. This also allows water into the boot (sorry Trunk) side pods so check these for rust around the drain holes. You will see these under the rear lower quarter panel just behind the rear wheel.

If you find one with no rust buy it immediately as they are very rare.

 

Did anyone else make these conversions during this time period? After doing some internet research, I noted that this car does not have the H&E emblems behind the front wheels, so it may not be an H&E (or could have been forgotten in a repaint). The roofline is also a bit wider in back than most that I've seen with original tops (could be an aftermarket). It has wide chrome trim around the wheels and the wheels are not the typical BBS style found on later models. They have "ARE" in large letters on the center caps. I thought this may have been an aftermarket wheel someone put on, but I found an almost identical chrome wheel trim/wheel combo on another '88 droptop XJS while searching. I swear I've seen these wheels on something else from that period - maybe an ASC/McLaren Mustang/Capri conversion. Did ASC make a droptop XJS? The car is being sold as a cabriolet, so I thought it might be an XJ-SC, but the top is definately a convertible and the logo on the rear states XJS. Having been a teen during the 80's, I recall many backyard tuners making "their own" custom versions. Is this thing legit or is it some backyard conversion?

By updated seats, do you mean the ones with wider upper bolstering? If so, no, this car has the flat, uninspiring looking seats. Although, they appear to be in near excellent condition.

With regard to the rusting, I know what you mean. One year after buying my 89 Mustang new, I removed the rear spoiler, only to find the mounting holes already starting to rust. It seems that nobody (especially the Japanese cars) from that time period was very good at rustproofing. In fact, remember the tar-like undercoating the dealers were putting on new cars? My 89 had the undercoating, as well as Ziebart rustproofing.

 

Where in NEPA are you? I'm in Mountain Top.

And I actually did manage to find a rust-free car in NEPA!

Darel

 

I'm near Bushkill. Rust-free is a foreign word around this area.

 

I'm close to Wilkes-Barre. Trying to save up for a paint job (faded / cracked) and maybe sell it in the summer in favor of a MkII or III Saloon. Depends on if it pisses me off or not. It sure is a blast to drive.

 

HI, pastype, everybody on this site has seen my XJS Roadster V12, modified.

here are some pix, complete rotessorie restoration, NO rust , car is for sale.