hi all - - im buying an 89 XJS V12 like ive wanted to do since i was 11. (im 36)


soooo sexy!!







it has the dreaded "ignition problems" and the guy wants 1800

ive read the threads on ignitionj problems and we have the module , and amplifier, right ? is there a tell tale so i know what the problem is and make the appropriate offer.

thanks in advance!!

 

If She is a 'non runner' she is going to be a really hard sell because anyone but an enthusiast who knows what they are doing, is going to be throwing a ton of money at her.

Have you heard her running? If not then how will you know if its not something major.

Maybe the engine has been cooked, or She had got a dropped valve.

Personally I would walk away and spend a bit more money on a better one, that starts on the button and drives or in no time at all you could have spent double what he is asking.

Its always very tempting to buy the first one you see, as many of us have done it and lived to regret it.

Have you got a place to work on her or any mechanical skills.

An XJS with problems can quickly bleed you dry.

I might take a 'punt' at $500 but just seeing that Sunroof stuck on there, would totally kill it for me.

 

Not that many out looking to buy non-running XJSs. My dad was a car dealer most of my life. Like he said, you can always come up. I would offer 500.00, just to get his attention. Treat it like a parts car, just in case it turns out to be one.

 

Hi,
I totally agree with OB. If you know what you are getting into then it is up to you to decide if you want to take on the challenge. In your case you have no idea what you are getting into. I would run from this car.
Jomo

 

Beware of 'The Anchor!'

You may never have heard of that one before but its one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to selling something.

This is how it works:

Lets suppose he is willing to take $500.

He asks $750 so you don't have any problem knocking him down to $500
hey! its only $250 less than he is asking.

Lets suppose he is willing to take $500 but is asking $1800!

That $1800 asking price is very firmly 'Anchored' in your mind!

So it would take a lot of ***** to offer only $500

What if he laughs in your face? How bad are you going to feel?

So as he's Asking $1800 you might offer $1500 or even manage to talk him down to $1000 by pointing out all the things that you can see that needs doing.

Which is maybe Twice or Three Times the price of what he is hoping to get.

But there may be a lot you cannot see!

Maybe the Rotors need doing, Maybe there are problems with the Master Cylinder or the Brakes.

Just to put things in perspective a New Master Cylinder/Actuator Unit is Circa: £2,000! (UK) if you can find one!

Any unsorted XJS is a Cash Cow!

If it was an easy fix he would have her running by now, so he's probably had an estimate for $ Thousands! $

Don't give into Temptation!

Walk away and buy a better one.

 

Just picked one up that when first listed was $2000.00 all it was good for is parts. Rust in all the usual places. After 3 months with no takers it came home as a parts car for the cost of the fuel and a little time to load it on a trailer. If the body is sound and the interior in good shape give it a go. If the V12 is toast and you don't have the money to make it right there is always an SBC looking for a new home. Nothing says you can't put the V12 back later.

 

I agree that if it was a quick cheap fix he would have done it himself and sold the car for alot more. You dont know condition of engine, tranny brakes and so on. I bought a cheap convertible with the hope of getting it on the road. I ended up parting out.
I was going to put in 350 Chevy into it but found another XJS with sbc for a good price and bought it.
I love that car

 

WOW - thanks for all the fantastic replies -
i come from the turbo Audi world, so i am what some would call "STM Certified" (Shade Tree Mechanic) meaning i can strip down a block / do timing belts but get hung up on things like pulling cylinders etc.

but as the Audi was my daily, so i never had the flexibility to "just tear into her".
This thing will be garage bound and a toy. my plans for her include anything from a wash and wax to a small block swap.

and that sunroof isnt stock? bummer ...yah $500 it is. plus id have to flatbed her from 60 miles away.

 

haven't seen many out there for that much in non-running condition.
i'd imagine you could find good running cars with little rust for just a little more.

 

.

 

im going to offer $500 and see what happens.

heres what i wrote:

Ah, so its just one or more of the coil packs? That could be an easy fix.
Ive been going over the Jaguar Forums and it seems it could also be an ignition unit which goes for around $1000 or even a few other things.

Long story short, I cant offer anything over $500 -$600 for her since she is not running. I don’t mean to insult, but I have one shot at getting an XJS and I don’t want to blow it. I don’t mean that you are being dishonest by any means, but it could be something more serious that we don’t know about.
Id be glad to install the coil packs and fire her up, after which I would GLADLY hand over way more than my offer (also a flatbed tow to St Louis is roughly $500 so getting her running is a priority).

Again, please don’t be insulted – like I said, Ill happily pop the hood , swap packs, then hand you hundred dollar bills with a smile on my face.

 

If you haven't already sent that letter, then I suggest you don't do so as it really isn't the way to buy a Car, especially an XJS that may be frought with lots of unknown problems.

You are already up to $600 so all it may take is a nudge from the Seller to get you up to $1,000.

And if that wasn't bad enough, if I understood it correctly, if you change the ignition parts and manage to get her 'started' then you are committing yourself to buying that Car at full price.

As it looks pretty much like you're entering into a Contract, regardless of whatever else you may find wrong.

I know its not the answer that you really want to hear and may well have been hoping, that 'we' would get behind you and encourage you to buy her, though I really don't think that this is about to happen this time round.

The problem is that the XJS is a really amazing 'looking Car' but you want a 'Toy' you can use and enjoy, rather than sit in the garage while She's eating her way through your wallet.

There are dozens of XJS's that are up and running so take a step back and try not to get fixated, on the first one that you see, or you may well end up spending double or treble the asking price and more.

The advice will always be the same 'Buy the Best one that you can afford' rather than the first one that you go and see.

 

In my several years of experience, more Jags than I can count, I can honestly say that the best Jag I owned, (other than the two new XJRs 01 & 04), was the most expensive at that time. It was a 95 6 liter convertible. Saw one sell on eBay the other day for a little over 10K. Wonderful cars. Have bought a couple really really cheap too. Be patient. Look CONSTANTLY.

 

Pass unless it's free or at least sub $500. Save up $3k and find a running example on Craigslist or Ebay.

 

thanks again guys-
Guy declined the offer, but im going to leave him a standing offer for $1000 for the car in as is.
$1000 for a non-running XJS is fine with me. heck, i planned to spend 5k on an 05 TT or 77 vette in shaky condition.

and yah, i do plan on her sucking up my $ like a car wash vacuum. in fact its my hope! i try to live by this restoration mantra:

"if you replace enough parts, eventually youll have a new car"