Well, haven't been on here for sometime or posted, so figure this is a good one. I rebuilt most all my suspension when I got the XJS. The rebuild was done 2 years after I got it, and will say the drive and handling after the rebuild is amazing. Glides along smooth like being planted on the road, and corners great. I had mine to up 125mph/201kph (for a short, don't need a ticket at my age) and was st as smooth as at 70mph/120kph.

 

My 1990, 3.6 is almost 30 years old now. A large amount of steering / suspension work was undertaken by previous owner and I have finished off so there is very little now that is more than 5 years old. Every time I drive it I am amazed how well it feels on the road. Difficult to put into words - precise, confident, predictable and forgiving - but maybe I am not driving fast enough! Seriously though, a well set up XJS should feel as good (and probably better) than a modern performance car.

Sort it and really enjoy it.

Cheers,
LeeP

 

Same thing I experienced. I bought my 91 XJS in Sierra Vista from some people who had absolutely no clue about how the automobiles should function, be maintained, and "feel". I drove it home to Prescott and was extremely unimpressed by the handling and power. Actually I was probably driving a time bomb since all of the high-pressure injector lines were cracked, one of the lamda sensors was inop, and all but two of the injector heat shields were missing. Fortunately we have a local shop whose owner, Darren DeYoung, is a mechanical engineer who has thirty years' experience with upscale European cars and who truly loves great cars. All of the subframe mounts were bad as were the power rack mounts. All were replaced, everything was aligned, and I replaced the Brand "X" tires with the Pirelli P600 originally specified for the vehicle. At present (and after a total of about $15K in repairs) I can honestly say that the vehicle "feels" better than any other car I've ever driven.
I have one more oil leak to track down and some cosmetic work to do, but I like the ride better than most modern, current offerings. If the engine and tranny are basically sound I really believe that the car deserves to be set up properly, and you'll love the ride.
I will also ask if anyone has any recommendations for any source of original carpeting material. The carpeting over the rear compartment is in terrible shape, and I need some replacement material.

Thanks,

Bill

 

Did I miss it or nobody mentioned steering rack bushings? When I replaced mine with stiffer aftermarket bushings it gave me much more precise steering experience.

 

That is very true. Either oem sport bushings or SuperPro/Superflex Poly bushings will make the car drive like a dart with one finger on the wheel, almost too twitchy.