Hi everyone! I am new to the forum, but it seems to be a great resource. I am looking to run down an XJS for the wife and I wanted to get some opinions of the one I drove today.

It's a 1990 model...70k miles...seems to be in pretty decent shape. No rust. New tires. The rubber bits in the engine bay appeared to have been updated. The top was in beautiful shape and worked flawlessly. It was owned by a fellow who has since passed, but his son says he was a Jag mechanic previously and constantly worked on this vehicle. There are two venting "cut outs" in the hood. Not stock, but they seem to be well done in both placement and fitment. The interior was in really good shape, and I was told that additional sound deadening material was added beneath the carpet.

I was told that the parking brake doesn't work. There is also a new aluminum radiator available. No visible leaks anywhere either. Brakes seemed adequate as well.

Overall, there wasn't a lot to be greatly concerned about...but then again, maybe they are...and I'm just not knowledgeable enough to know. Here's what I noticed:
-The gas pedal seemed to get stuck a couple of times. I was able to sort of "half stomp" on it to free it up, but I took a good look after parking it and it didn't appear to be catching on carpet or anything. Maybe the linkage just needs some lube?
-the far right warning lamp was on (yellow light with a bulb with an x through it), I'm guessing that a taillight was out?
-The temp was steady in the middle of the gauge...until I let it idle for about 4 or 5 minutes. Then it was way up near the top. I'm thinking a new radiator will remedy this.

Bottom line: it drove well, seemed to accelerate decently, and had no weird noises, squeaks, or leaks. I'm feeling that it will still take some effort (and some cash!) to make it more reliable. But for around 3k, I think it is worth it. What say you?

 

Pictures really help in a case like this if you want more accurate feedback.

A good clear picture of under the hood will allow the experts on here to see if the "typical" maintenance items (ie fuel lines) have been done

Hood vents is an interesting modification...... many of us have discuss ed it here at one time or another

What condition is the paintwork in ?

What condition is the interior leather and wood in ?

What condition is the top in ?

What condition is the headliner in ?

Those last 4 can cost many 000's to get right if they are in bad shape.

Is it a dry state car ? Any signs of even the slightest bit of corrosion ? (ie in the foot wells under the carpet)

The biggest issue is with the overheating. It appears the previous owner was aware of the issue and was planning on starting on the path to remedy it (a new rad is a good start here). If you start searching, you will find literally hundreds of posts here about "overheating a V12 spells death" You are taking a gamble, as there is no telling how many times the car has sat with the temperature going up and up into the high zone on the gauge. The effect of overheating "could be" a dropped valve, which usually spells the end of the engine, and it's not worth replacing the engine if you can't do all the spannering yourself. (You just go buy another XJS that hasn't overheated, its a lot cheaper)

All that said, if the paint and interior is good, and it's not some horrid color, I'd take the gamble at that price.

Posting pics will get you an immediate flood of opinions......

 

Don't know why I couldn't figure this out last night. I'll answer your questions in a while...I'm getting ready for work...

 

Color is ok. Paint is faded at least on the trunk lid. I guess it depends if you want a perfect looking show car whether this is an issue for you or not. My car had bad paint when I got it and I thought I could live with it, but eventually I got it repainted.

Body looks straight enough. No obvious signs of rust, but to be honest, if you can see rust on an XJS in pictures, you should probably walk away.

I'm not a huge fan of dark tint, so I guess thats your personal preference also.

Top looks ok from what I can see. Looks like it's been replaced at some point.

Interior looks well above average for the year. Very minimal wear on the drivers seat bolster and good looking wood (from what I can see)

Its obviously been owned by an enthusiast. The hood vents and the modified cold air intakes show that (at least that would be my read, not being able to talk to the actual owner) Someone that does these kind of mods to the car I would think knows these cars pretty well, so it's "unlikely" (but not impossible) that there are a lot of hidden things lurking around, as he obviously used the car and was trying to improve it (The cold air intakes is a known/proven mod that does work)

There's nothing here that would make me want to run away......... if you can live with less than perfect paint (at least for now), the dark tint, and knowing up front you are going to be doing a full cooling system refresh (of which the biggest part is the rad, which I assume is included in the selling price?) then I would say go for it.

 

And now the answers to your questions:

What condition is the paintwork in? Pretty fair. Some fading, but not bad for Arizona. I'm feeling that a good wax/buff job will bring some of the color back.

What condition is the interior leather and wood in? No cracks/rips in any of the leather. The large wood piece on top of the center console was cracked down the middle...but I'm figuring that is replaceable. Everything else seemed to be in good shape (console, door panels, carpet too!)

What condition is the top in? Like new

What condition is the headliner in? Also like new

Corrosion/rust? Not a speck. Arizona is extremely arid, so that is not surprising. But you never know...

There was also a battery disconnect switch added in the trunk, which I thought was a nice feature. I really like the color combination also. I'm more of a black car guy...but this looks classy to me.

I'm working out some time for my mechanic to check it over. I am a little hesitant to drive it an hour or so (up I-17, which is a treacherous drive to begin with...including a climb of about 4000 feet in elevation), but I will have the opportunity to pick it up on Sunday afternoon, so I think I should take advantage (and the chance), as I'll have a couple buddies along to follow and assist if it turns horribly wrong.

 

You beat me to posting my response! Sorry. Yes...I feel that it was thoughtfully taken care of by the PO. One other issue...the A/C is non-functional. But, to be expected with any car of that vintage. It's Arizona...but at least where I'm at, it's not generally hot as *****. So I think I can get by without for a little while.

 

The Overheating you noticed, where the gauge was near the Top, is something that would make me walk away, as if the Engine has been 'Cooked' then it's the 'kiss of death' or could well be.

So next time you go and look at her, take the Cap off the Rad and see if you can see any product that was put in there to Stop Leaks.

Next Start the Engine from Cold and then have someone Switch it off, while you are watching the Fan, which should Stop dead as soon as the Engine is cut.

If the Fan continues to Spin, then you will need a New Fan Clutch and probably a New Fan to go with it.

Next let the Engine get warmed up and then cut the Engine again, the difference being that this time, the Auxiliary (electric fan) should cut in and then keep running to Cool the Engine Down.

In the event that doesn't happen then I would say that the Engines has been Cooked, which is very bad news and would have me walking away.

Even in your Climate when the Engine is on idle, it would be very unusual for the needle to move any more than half way.

I've got one this Colour (Arctic Blue) and it is not an easy Colour to keep clean as when you wash her She shows every water mark.

The Soft Top looks like a replacement and those Tinted Windows would really put me off and I doubt if they would be legal in the UK.

On a more positive note, She looks in nice Condition but the Overheating problem would really worry me.

If the Engine goes then its no more than just another Spares Car and so I would keep looking if I were You.

 

At around 50~60mph, the engine should be getting nice airflow, and not being stressed very much, so as long as you keep your eye on the temp gauge, I would say its worth the adventure to drive it home. Get a back up car along with you with lots and lots of coolant in the trunk. And AAA might also be a prudent idea, as long as your home is within your tow range. Life is too short. I say go for it. But I would seriously haggle on the price........ The temp issue will put A LOT of people off, so there is not going to be a line of people wanting to buy it.

A/C is hit or miss. I've recovered a Jag A/C system with a can of squirty stuff from Pep boys (And it's still going after 3 years), but others have needed a complete rebuild. Again, a haggling point.

 

Just so your expectations are correct, a wax or buff might make a slight but very temporary difference. Unfortunately, new paint and clear-coat formulations were mandated when that car was produced, and this vintage of production suffers from premature clear-coat failure.

This can only be cured by a re-spray.

 

I hesitate to disagree with Sarc, but this sounds like a really BAD idea. The cooling system needs to be sorted before it tackles a drive like that. Either flat bed it to your mechanic, or deliver your mechanic to the car.

 

I see it as a more than decent car for it's vintage and genre.


The hood vents are a louvre idea. Logical to exhaust hot air from the engine bay.


Yeah, a squirt of a can of F124A with sealer might just revive the AC.


You could do far worse at that price.


Carl

 

Sarc...I can see that we are going to get along just fine! I've made the arrangements for backup...now onto the haggling!

 

Thanks, Carl. I will give that a try. Might need some pointers once I get there. But I'm sure they are posted out here somewhere..

 

I will damn sure have my nose in the temp gauge the entire time. Any sign of shenanigans and I will shut it down and tow it. You can bet that I will be very careful. But now that you mention it, I may see if I can just rent a trailer for the short drive. Thanks for the idea!

 

My thought on how you described the gauge is that there is an air bubble in the coolant. For it to shoot up quickly like that (assuming the fans were on) tells me that somewhere, it wasn't getting coolant. Either the thermostat was jammed, or air was doing what a liquid should do. The fact that it warmed up smoothly and then jumped all at once leads me to believe the thermostat was working at some point. Related could be "lost foam" around the rad, allowing "blow by".

Another thought is that there's a LOT of junk between the condenser and oil cooler and the radiator (again, this assumes fans are on). You will clear that up when you install the new rad.

The fan clutch has been mentioned, but the fact is that any speed above about 40 mph means that your speed will be pushing far more air than that fan ever will. I can't tell from the photo if the fan is white (yellow) or black, but if white, you'll want the black one. Easy to do as you pull the rad.

If you do plan on trying to drive, my first step would be to bleed the coolant by jacking up the front of the car. Other than that, "you pays your money and you takes your chance". For the price, you can't really go wrong. Even if the engine toasts, you can probably find another from a rust victim and still be ahead.

 

Ok my $.02 and it's not going to be popular. I've owned four Jaguars over the past 8 years, one is my current, well sorted XJS, V-12. I bought the X300 with 4.0 six for the wife which she drove with no issues, the XJS, nope, wouldn't even think of sending her out in it. Too many things to be careful of, too many "gremlins" to pop up. Not a car I'm sending the Mrs out in just to go fetch her later of have to pull a head due to a dropped valve seat because she drove it home with a coolant leak and pegged temp gauge.

 

True, true. I don't expect she will venture off on her own in it for a while. In my position as "house boy", I also double as chauffeur. She works some long and hard hours...and mostly just wants to be taken for a ride in a convertible. Hopefully, it will make her happy. Getting rid of the '68 Torino on blocks in the driveway and the 390 on a pallet in the garage certainly will. :-)

 

I am officially taking the high road and will trailer it home. It will be 112 on Sunday where I'm picking it up, and in the mid-90's up here. That is too hot to push it in the current state.

I also got info on the radiator. It's a Summit Racing model, but is designed for the V8 conversion. Here's the info from their website:

Application Notes: For V8 conversion. Radiator hose modifications necessary for installation with V12.

Oh well. I guess it will still work. And better than the current one. It will just require more effort (and $, I'm sure!). I'm certainly not turning away from a $600+ radiator. Thank you for the suggestions...I appreciate it!

 

Sounds like the cooling system needs an overhaul. Idling for 4-5min should not make a difference to a car in good condition. I bet the radiator will look like this when it comes out: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...3/#post1482144

My take on the hood louvres and modified air intakes is the previous owner was chasing overheating issues without success.

I would forget the Summit rad and the modifications needed, at least at first. Lets get to the root cause before making hack jobs to cover up a problem with bandaids.

Make sure the original radiator is clean inside and out. Replace the fan clutch if in any doubt, and add a black fan blade if it doesn't have one. New OEM thermostats with the proper foot are a must. Take a measurement of the depth of the foot to make sure it's sealing off the bypass openings. Check the electric fan, I think it should come on with the AC - assuming the clutch gets power. Wiring arrangements have changed over the years. If it doesn't, check the red relay on the header rail.

Do you have hard water in your area? I ask because I had an E Type that spent it's entire life in an area with hard water. Once it got to about 21-22C outside (low 70's F?) the temp gauge started going up and nothing I could do would bring it down. New fans, new rad etc were all useless. What I ended up doing was an acid flush to replace the coolant for a warmup and cool down cycle.

I got a massive amount of mineral deposits out of the block and it ran at thermostat temp after that, no matter how hot it got outside. It's possible the water passages in the block could be plugged with mineral deposits coming out of the coolant if hard water has been used to top up the rad.

 

I would not be surprised if that is what it looks like upon extraction! Actually, I hope it does...because that would be an easy cause to point to. I think we will try to resurrect the original radiator to start with...along with replacing fan/fan clutch, thermostats, hoses, and anything else I come across. I'm not convinced that trying to trick the cooling system with a radiator designed for the V8 is the best option, so we'll leave that as the backup plan. Hopefully, there is an experienced, reliable, radiator repair business in town. Ugh. Probably not likely...but I will see what I can find.

The water here is extremely hard, and I would not be surprised if this a component of the problem. Thanks for the great advice...it is much appreciated!

Can I ask (which I should probably do in a separate post, but here it goes) who are the good parts suppliers? I haven't come across a listing out here yet...but I'm sure you all have some favorites, right?