I am looking at a fun weekend, or every once in a while, ride and the XJS convertible keeps pulling me in. I've found a 1994 locally that has relatively low miles around 59,000 and it has been a one owner car. The original owner is not the seller and the dealer has had the car a while. He sent it for a new compressor and AC filter/drier as the AC was not very cold. They replaced those parts and it still wasn't right so they went on to trying to clean out the evaporator thinking it may have been clogged. Through my conversations I found that the car has been at a local Jag indy and so I called him asking for him to give me a read on the car and so far he thinks it is a pretty good car. He has the AC working now and since I called he noticed it starting slowly so he has been investigating fuel pressure and should have that sorted. With that said, I don't really know much more about the car but luckily it is with a third party at the moment and he is Jag specialist so he can shoot me straight. I think the upholstery has been replaced either by this dealer or the person before. I guess the good is that the seats are new looking, but is that a negative or a concern?

I appreciate your thoughts as well as things to consider when looking at a 1994 model. Is that a decent year? With little history other than knowing its mileage and one owner status I know that makes it difficult. I have done lots of reading on this forum so if I buy this car or another I look forward to getting involved in the community. I've been a Porsche guy in the past, for hobby cars, but this community appears very friendly and helpful so thank you in advance for the pointers!

 

I guess I'll be the first to comment:
I found that the car is generally in good shape except that the fuel pump catch valve is not operating. That means teh fuel feeds back to the tank when the engine is off. There it takes a while of turning over the fuel pressure to build up and finally get into the engine. A workaround is to turn key for a few seconds, turn off, turn key for a few, off and then start immediately. That may work but obviously not ideal. I did some searching and am surprised I haven't located any videos or picture walk throughs for chanigng the fuel pump. Is this a big DIY job, how to do it, how much should it cost at a garage?
Also still looking for comments on the car and now with the fuel pump issue. thanks

 

Hello scb

I have very limited experience in the Jag world and there people on this forum with a lot more knowledge than I ever will have

But - I believe the shape of the XJS is still the most beautiful car that has been developed and even though mine is still not on the road (coming up to her 1st birthday with me) - it still brings a smile to my face every time I walk past her.

With the one you mentioned above - the 94 is getting to the end of the road - so she was a lot more reliable than the early ones. Also presuming a straight 6 motor and not the V12, which means a lot better (room wise) to keep the maintenance up on her.

One owner - does she have the records saying that the services was done - or at least the dockets of the parts that has gone in her over the time?

She might be one owner, low milage - but she still is 25 years old, and things can still wear out through lack of use.

People love the convertible - coming from a family of red heads - they are not allowed here, but they do look nice

At the end of the day - I believe that cars talk to you, if you find one that feels right - go for it

Cheers
Steve

 

Hi scb

Having read between the lines of what you have been saying I think that I would leave that one alone, as replacing the upholstery on a fairly low mileage Car like that, is a Big Red Flag!

It's also sounding like this Car has had its share of problems, with maybe more to follow and so unless they are almost giving it away, then I would be very inclined to pass on this one

These Cars are so beautiful, that it is very hard to walk away but buying the first one that you see can be a major mistake, so I would use it as a bench mark to try and find yourself a better one and if you can afford it, a V12 all day long!

 

Hi Scb

If the Car you are looking at, is a 1994 XJS 4.0L Convertible that has an 'In Tank Fuel Pump' changing this is not a big job but a Massive one!

As every piece of Trim inside the Boot/Trunk needs removing including the Big Steel Baffle Plate at the Back and then the Fuel Pipes taken off from underneath the Car in one of the most awkward places that you can imagine, so you can pull the Tank back to replace the Pump

I've had to do this Twice on my Car and even though I have done it before, its a Total PIA Job! for which a Shop could easily charge you $500 or more!

You can see how I did this, as well as what was involved when I changed the 'In-Tank Fuel Pump' on my 1995 XJS 4.0L Convertible, even though you don't have to pull the Tank right out like I did

Have a look at the Link Below from Page 91 onward (How I cleaned the Fuel Tank and changed the 'In-Tank Fuel Pump' on my 1995 XJS 4.0L Convertible)

Changing the 'In-tank Fuel Pump' on my 1995 XJS 4.0L Convertible

 

This may be a great deal if you can get the right price for it. You mentioned low mileage, new upholstery, which is good- I am not sure how clean the body is or the condition of the canvas top and headliner.....I have to say that I have seen some low mileage basket cases and some cars with over 150k miles that have been so meticulously maintained that they still look brand new, but the cosmetic condition of an XJS is a good indicator of the mechanical state. If an owner has kept the body and interior pristine, then it’s highly likely he has done the same with the mechanical aspect.

Obviously the problem you are facing at this point is that you don’t really know what else is wrong with the car...the fuel pump issue could be masking other problems or it could not. Usually, the model you are looking at (assuming it’s a straight 6 AJ6) is a pretty strong, reliable, straightforward engine, but owner involvement and maintenance are needed....But you said you are a Porsche guy before, so you are familiar with that.

IMO, if the car is cosmetically pristine, and you can get a great deal for it, I would take it.

 

Wow. Thanks for the heads up and warning. I enjoy messing around and learning new things but taking the tank out is definitely not going to be for me. I suppose if I need a new fuel pump I'll have to pay a garage for that.

 

Hi Scb

The Fuel Pump is the cheapest part and mine if I remember correctly was under £15 but the cost of the labour for doing this job can be massive and since I've done this job twice on my Car, it doesn't get any easier the Second time around

This is a PIA Job if ever there was one!

 

Install, an external check valve like I did in my XJ40, no need to mess with the pump, you can see the brass fitting in between the fuel line. I use a made in USA racing check valve, and its been fine for over 2 years. Redoing the pump for just that was not an option. My car is a daily driver and has over 180k miles plus I redid the interior because it was worn.

 

The AJ6 engine is proven, and should be fine with that mileage. But don't let the mileage fool you into thinking there shouldn't be any other problems. With these cars, its not so much use, its age. Parts get old. Rubber deteriorates. Plastic becomes brittle. All issues that manifest themselves because of...age.

Have it thoroughly gone over by yet another independent guy, not the one who is doing the current work, and have him give you quotes on what it would cost to make things right. Big things, yes. Little things...well it is a 25 yr old car and is surely not being sold as new. So what can you live with? Make sure he checks the ABS pressure accumulator.

My biggest concern with this car is its location/history. I am very leery of Houston cars given some of the flooding they've had there. Just have it thoroughly checked out for water issues. All cars from Houston are not bad, but there are more flood/water issues with cars from there than most anywhere else right now...Don't be shy. Its your money, and as you said the dealer has had it for a while. Why is that???

 

I took a look at this one today and it is a pass for sure. It didn't feel right and was not at all what I was expecting. The indy mechanic was a good meet though. He is a straight shooter.
Darn it, back to digging around.

Smart idea with the external check valve. I wondered the same. If I end up with that issue in the future I imagine I will follow that path as it appears very logical. That is a good looking engine bay for an old car by the way. Nice work.