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Ronbros, That's all well and good. But I'm not going to buy a Pink one even if it's in great condition. Because I don't like Pink! If 2 cars are of the same general condition I'd go for color. Otherwise as long as it isn't Pink. I'll go for the better of the 2. LOL!
Clearly Connecticut salesmen have a different definition of "good" to the rest of us....
While I disagree that new paint would be "bodywork" (which seems to me to be panelbeating, that sort of thing), you were definitely right to pass on this. They didn't even remove the rubbing strip for respray, it seems. That means that the PO didn't bother taking care of the car much.
Unusual for the rear seats to be worse than the front--too small to use unless you answer to the name Mini Me. Perhaps the owner transported his dog (or dogs) there.
Looking at pics of the BRG you just checked out, the antenna doesn't go all the way down, the LH driver's grab handle shows signs of the chrome capping being scraped across it (to remove the door card), and the speaker grill doesn't quite fit over the carpet properly. Definitely aftermarket speakers.
The seats don't actually look that bad, though I would definitely prefer the wood ski slope. Does anyone know what year the V12 started getting the inlaid look for the door wood?
No photos of the engine.
The San Diego one is vastly nicer. For the same price, it's not even a contest. The company seems to have very good condition vehicles, though they may simply be detailed to within an inch of their lives. (The manifolds are really shiny. The rear cross-pipe, less so...)
While, annoyingly, you can't click through the photos at your own pace, the engine shots are intriguing. Those green ties around the fuel rail, etc. appear to be holding the wiring loom up. If so, I'd get this one because it implies a PO has either redone the loom or at least moved it out of the Valley of Death. Which means a good and attentive owner.
Engine pics look okay I second the loom ties...very smart. My fan hit the shroud when I first bought the car, many years and 20,000 dollars ago. Believe it or not it was a combination of trans and engine mounts that caused this. I promptly had ALL mounts and bushings redone in new OEM or Poly were applicable, and a few blank cheques later its all good.
Yellow fans are a redflag liable to fly off at 5000rpm destroying everything - good thing a new one is cheap.
So I found a few more.
A 1992 which was sold by the time I called. Appeared to be all original, and very few miles the last 15 years or so. I do like the pre face lift looks better, but this car seemed nice enough for a second look.
A 1990 Green Coupe that they are asking $18K for. Although it appears to be in good condition, I can't find anything remarkable to be asking so much more than other cars
.
A 1989 Gold Coupe. At first I kind of breezed by this one, gold is not at the top of my lists. Going back through them, I gave this one a closer look. There is a lot of good pictures, the car looks very clean and was a one owner car that appears to have been taken care of. The underside of the car is very clean for 30+ years old. Price is reasonable. However the shoulder harness is the auto type, and the belts themselves are not attached nor does it look like any provision for alternates have been done. The automatic hangers(?) are in the doors, and both are in the forward position whether or not the doors are open or closed. So either the owner got tired of dealing with them, they are broken and have been disconnected, and the shoulder belts are missing. Going to try calling them later today, or Tuesday if no one is home today.
The 1990 Blue one in the original picture is still attractive. The last 2 years it was serviced at Eli's in San Diego. I mentioned I talked to him, and he would do a pre buy inspection even though he is not a fan of the V12's. I called 3 places, the other 2 were relatively inexpensive at about $130. Eli said he would have to do a compression test, and since that involves removing all the spark plugs would be labor intensive and run me about $500. The seller had told me last week he was raising the price to $15K after the weekend, lol. Sales pressure? If he does that , then we're done.
A 1992 which was sold by the time I called. Appeared to be all original, and very few miles the last 15 years or so. I do like the pre face lift looks better, but this car seemed nice enough for a second look.
A facelift car might well be easier to live with. Even the engine bay isn't quite as terrifying (my 1992 looks positively spartan compared to that 1990). Unless you really need those Gothic rear lights and that plastic panelling on each rear quarter window, it's something to seriously consider.
Originally Posted by Chap1958
The 1990 Blue one in the original picture is still attractive. The last 2 years it was serviced at Eli's in San Diego. I mentioned I talked to him, and he would do a pre buy inspection even though he is not a fan of the V12's. I called 3 places, the other 2 were relatively inexpensive at about $130. Eli said he would have to do a compression test, and since that involves removing all the spark plugs would be labor intensive and run me about $500. The seller had told me last week he was raising the price to $15K after the weekend, lol. Sales pressure? If he does that, then we're done.
Sales pressure, yeah. The guy I bought my car mentioned he was thinking of increasing his prices the following week or so. Didn't affect my decision in the slightest. If Eli did the work on that car over the last two years, he should have a decent idea of its condition. Ask him why he doesn't like the V12s. Shouldn't be because they're "unreliable" or anything like that....
A facelift car might well be easier to live with. Even the engine bay isn't quite as terrifying (my 1992 looks positively spartan compared to that 1990). Unless you really need those Gothic rear lights and that plastic panelling on each rear quarter window, it's something to seriously consider.
Sales pressure, yeah. The guy I bought my car mentioned he was thinking of increasing his prices the following week or so. Didn't affect my decision in the slightest. If Eli did the work on that car over the last two years, he should have a decent idea of its condition. Ask him why he doesn't like the V12s. Shouldn't be because they're "unreliable" or anything like that....
If I come across a 1992 or newer V12, I would most definitely consider it. The one that sold was close enough for me to go look at, but too late. I really do like the instrument layout much more in the 92 and up.
He told me that he didn't like the V12's in the XJS's because of too many heat issues. Heat would cause the rubber hoses to deteriorate, and even harden the wiring harness over time, leading to electrical issues. It sounded like he has seen only the problem cars, which isn't a surprise with him being a mechanic is only going to see cars with problems for the most part. He also stated that in his opinion, XJS's were only going to continue to decline in value until they were all gone. Then he started talking about other cars I should look at that would appreciate. Most of those the price of admission is way too high. What he doesn't understand is I'm not looking to make an investment. I'm looking to own a V12 and a pretty cool car at the same time. The fact that they are reasonably priced is a bonus. As with most things I buy, or have bought, seeking enjoyment have all NOT been good investments, lol. Airplanes and rebuilding motorcycles have all been losing propositions from an investment standpoint, but also priceless in terms of enjoyment and therapy. I'm looking at this venture in the same terms.
Airplanes and rebuilding motorcycles have all been losing propositions from an investment standpoint, but also priceless in terms of enjoyment and therapy. I'm looking at this venture in the same terms.
The best possible way to look at it, of course. It's more or less what I tell my wife, minus the aircraft part....
I'm pretty sure Eli's wrong about the XJS prices, however. A number of publications have included it among cars that will appreciate, you can check out past sales prices on BAT and other sites, and even in my own hunting over on this side of the Big Pond I've noticed prices rising--one reason I bought when I did.
Heat cooking the wiring and rubber is certainly an issue, and I think maybe a bigger issue in the pre-facelifts due to the more crowded vee. Keeping an eye on them is of course the first step in preventive maintenance. (And in this Sandy Eggo one, the wiring being elevated will help a ton.) In mine, I stuck heat-sensitive labels around the engine, including the water pipes, to see how much hotter it got under there after the engine was turned off. Not really that much hotter - ten degrees maybe. (Hard to tell exactly as the labels weren't in single-degree increments.) On hot days, I might leave the bonnet open to cool, but I suspect that's more for my peace of mind than the car's well-being....
So I found a few more.
A 1992 which was sold by the time I called. Appeared to be all original, and very few miles the last 15 years or so. I do like the pre face lift looks better, but this car seemed nice enough for a second look.
A 1990 Green Coupe that they are asking $18K for. Although it appears to be in good condition, I can't find anything remarkable to be asking so much more than other cars
.
A 1989 Gold Coupe. At first I kind of breezed by this one, gold is not at the top of my lists. Going back through them, I gave this one a closer look. There is a lot of good pictures, the car looks very clean and was a one owner car that appears to have been taken care of. The underside of the car is very clean for 30+ years old. Price is reasonable. However the shoulder harness is the auto type, and the belts themselves are not attached nor does it look like any provision for alternates have been done. The automatic hangers(?) are in the doors, and both are in the forward position whether or not the doors are open or closed. So either the owner got tired of dealing with them, they are broken and have been disconnected, and the shoulder belts are missing. Going to try calling them later today, or Tuesday if no one is home today.
The 1990 Blue one in the original picture is still attractive. The last 2 years it was serviced at Eli's in San Diego. I mentioned I talked to him, and he would do a pre buy inspection even though he is not a fan of the V12's. I called 3 places, the other 2 were relatively inexpensive at about $130. Eli said he would have to do a compression test, and since that involves removing all the spark plugs would be labor intensive and run me about $500. The seller had told me last week he was raising the price to $15K after the weekend, lol. Sales pressure? If he does that , then we're done.
For the automatic belts, the door needs to be closed and the engine needs to be running for them to retract. If the door is closed and the car is running and they don’t retract, then they’re probably broken. Since they are a substitute for airbags, they are supposed to be warranted for life, you may be able to get Jaguar to replace them for free.
OK , something realistic here ,,any car you are buying is an old,old car!
no such thing as factory perfect, they were not 2020 perfect like todays cars anyway!
OK , something realistic here ,,any car you are buying is an old,old car!
no such thing as factory perfect, they were not 2020 perfect like todays cars anyway!
Back in 2003, I bought an old old airplane. A 1965 Mooney. Believe me, I get it. Most "affordable" single engine airplanes are quite old.
It's fun to look, and there's nothing wrong with looking for a car that was taken care of. I've bought some vintage motorcycles that were loved by their owners, and I've bought some that weren't. In this case I'd like to find a car that was.
There may be a green 6 litre coupe, probably a 94 available in Reno NV from a retired Delta pilot. I bought his 6.0 litre vert from him last fall. When I bought it he advised that he was going to sell it this spring. If you have an interest in it pm me and I will send you his particulars.
seems most here are going to buy a car according to color!
logic says buy a car according to condition?
color being last!
That blue pre-face lift car is just beautiful. Sometimes it's hard to resist a pretty face . I'd gladly slog thru a bunch of mechanical rehab just to have that sweetheart sitting in my driveway!
Eli said he would have to do a compression test, and since that involves removing all the spark plugs would be labor intensive and run me about $500. The seller had told me last week he was raising the price to $15K after the weekend, lol. Sales pressure? If he does that , then we're done.
I guess a comp test is never a bad idea but I've never viewed it as mandatory. If the engine runs well and sounds OK, I'd be sorely tempted to save the $500.
What's the biggest known mechanical failure on the V12s? Dropped valve seats.You don't need a comp test to determine if the valve seats have dropped. Other than that they're a robust engine. You very seldom hear of any other internal engine problems, excessive oil consumption, lower end failures, stuck rings, piston failures, oiling system failures, etc.
. However the shoulder harness is the auto type, and the belts themselves are not attached nor does it look like any provision for alternates have been done. The automatic hangers(?) are in the doors, and both are in the forward position whether or not the doors are open or closed. So either the owner got tired of dealing with them, they are broken and have been disconnected, and the shoulder belts are missing.
Could be a problem; merits some checking ahead of time.
These belts were subject to a recall (which covered certain specific parts) and a lifetime warranty (of certain specific parts). For quite a few years the repair parts were flat-out not available. I think that was resolved a a couple years ago. But missing parts certainly wouldn't be covered.
Anything is possible, as the saying goes, but ending up with fully functional seat belts might take some time and effort.
Speaking of parts......
Seems to me that an increasing number of parts are discontinued for the face lift models....and sourcing used parts for the facelift models is more difficult as well. Especially anything specific to the 6.0 engine cars.
Seems to me that an increasing number of parts are discontinued for the face lift models....and sourcing used parts for the facelift models is more difficult as well. Especially anything specific to the 6.0 engine cars.
A great example is the headlight washers, Been unavailable for years and the car looks silly with a broken cover.
I bought my '94 6.0L V12 in BRG from that CT dealership! The car has been excellent, and the guys there were very thorough.
If they don't have what you are looking for, then tell them what you want and they will find it. I prefer the late models... 94, 95, 96. The engine appears bullet proof, and mine is my daily driver.
If he does that , then we're done.
