Hey everyone,

I'm looking forward to becoming a new Jag owner in the near future and wanted to get some opinions on a car I'm interested in.

https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/...578664446.html

These late 80s - early 90s XJSs have really caught my eye and I'd plan to use it as a daily driver. Just wanted to get some opinions on it and any specific things I should look out for when I go inspect it. I've been trying to read up on what to look out for when buying an XJS but wanted to get some thoughts from experts on this specific car, since I'm new to all this.

I have some entry level car maintenance skills as I have been driving an 84 Saab 900 for the last several years and have tried to take care of the basics myself.

Thanks!

Rod

 

 

Hi Rod

She certainly looks a very nice Car and also a bit of a 'Cream Puff' at a nice price but if She Checks out and you really want her, then an offer of $5,000 would be the way I would go

Ideally you want Full Main Dealer History and do make sure She doesn't over heat and that everything works

More Pics would be handy to give you a better opinion

 

That's a good looking car. Drive it for at least 40 minutes, some of that in stop and go traffic. Let it idle for 5-10 minutes at the end of that drive and watch the temp gauge. Give it the gas from a stop - if she's healthy she'll squeal the tires. If not, something's amiss.

 

Thanks everyone for chiming in, with the information you guys gave I was able to confidently go test drive the car. I read over as much of the Kirby Palm book as I could before test driving the car today. There were quite a few issues. The body and interior were exceptional. However, the tachometer didn't work, the abs brake system was coming on almost all the time, there was vibration and a pulling to the right at speed, the ac blew hot, and last but not least there was some smoking coming from under the rear driver-side wheel well. Oh and he didn't have any service records...

Thanks again guys! The hunt continues...

 

 

 

Hi rdrc

That Car has some problems that 'may' not be as bad as they first seem

(1) The Tacho isn't working and although I'm not an expert, I managed to fix mine which was a Corroded contact on one of the Multiplugs at the back of the Speedo Binnacle, although it could be the Sensor in the IRS or the little Black Box in the Boot/Trunk

(2) ABS Light on all the time and Car Pulls to the Right
They are all the Classic Signs of a problem with the Master Cylinder Actuator

Which you can no longer buy as they are NLA which is probably just as well as a New one of those would cost you North of $1,500+ and very few people including some 'Shops' know how to fix one of those

If its what I think it is, then its an easy peasy fix that would cost about $30

But worst Case Scenario, you could get one out of a Parts Car from a Scrap Yard and just swap it over, which is a bit of a 'Walk in the Park' and very easily done in a couple of hours

(3) As for the Smoke from the Wheel Arch, I don't know as I am not there, though hopefully it could be no more than a hole in the Muffler but if its one of the Calipers in the IRS or something like that, then I would not be quite so keen to buy her

And so the big unknown is Number (3) If that Cars still of interest to you then you absolutely need to know what is causing that smoke, as that is the only 'Deal Breaker' that I can see

And like Flint says offer him $1,000 because with all those problems, I really feel he'll have a job to sell her and you could grab yourself a bit of a bargain

 

I may offer $800 to ship it to Texas Just kidding, not gonna snipe your car, but seriously...

 

Thanks for the follow ups. I was hoping to find something in better mechanical condition, so I could ease into the maintenance of an XJS.

Flint - you should go for it! Would be curious to see what he says...