Not that I'm aware of.

 

Since you have a pretty good budget for XJS shopping you should hold out to find a really good example. Why don't you contact the local Jaguar club and find if they know of a member that is wanting to sell a car. This seems like a good avenue to follow, club members are usually enthusiasts that can afford to properly maintain their cars.

 

There's a few for sale in the Marketplace of this very site. Most seem to be posted by "members" who joined simply to advertise their cars for free, so I'd probably only buy from a seller with a genuine posting history.

 

Hidden in this engine pic is a blown head gasket that ended up destroying the engine. In my limited experience, there are a few internal engine problems, most heat-related. R & R tends to be a not-for-the-fainthearted experience, due to the weight of the engine/transmission assembly.

 

90% of Jaguar HE V12 went down because of overheating, that usauly causes a dropped valve seat along with it!
ron

 

if you can’t do your own compression test you really shouldn’t buy a used car.

 

As for the automatic seatbelt issue. I have an '88 that came with the automated seat belts. The buckles were busted when I bought the car, but everything else was present and still working. I looked all over for parts to keep the old system: Jaguar, various sellers that specialize in Jaguar parts, even Amazon and Fleabay. No joy. The good news is I got a universal three point seat belt kit from Summit Racing for 50 some dollars and it went in over the course of a couple of hours of me taking my sweet-*** time. My only regret so far is that I didn't have the presence of mind to strip the carpet and sound deadening from that side of the interior while I had the driver seat out. BTW, the old seatbelt mechanism I pulled out is available if anybody wants it.

 

Thanks for all the replies to this thread. I'm still looking for "the car". I did have a pre-purchase inspection done on one I saw in Illinois.
https://www.greatlakesautosports.com...uar-XJS/515370

While not a Jaguar person, he has been doing them for about 10 years and does judging at car shows. A very likable guy, he took 223 pictures and wrote up a 5 page report evaluating the car. A couple of things about this car- It has been sitting for a while.. Only 2,000 miles in the last 12 years. The dealer acquired it with an E model from an estate. The story goes the owner bought the E in 1962, traveled to the factory to buy it new. Not sure about the XJS. It lived in the same area for it's entire life, but the car has no records or even the manuals that would have come with it. The dealer did go through the fuel system, pulled the tank and had it cleaned and the injectors as well. Did the brake pads in the front and the A/C has been set up for the R134 refrigerant.

The good- The inspector said the car looked great on first appearance. Paint is great, chrome good. Interior is the same save for a few cracks starting in one wood grain pc. The test drive on the car went great, engine very quiet and developing a good amount of power, hard stop, no pulling or shimmying. Car ran text book.

The not so good- the car has been sitting a while. It's evident when looking at some of the pictures of the engine compartment and the underside of the car. The car was not cleaned or detailed, so showed poorly in pictures of those areas. From what reading I've done on here and other places this car needs a thorough going over before I could ever consider driving it anywhere more than a few miles from the house.
He's asking $11,900. After talking it over with the inspector, He thought the car, all cleaned up and gone through was a 10-12K car. I countered that because of the sitting, I would be more comfortable around 8K. He agreed.

I asked him to look at another that was in the same area today, and got a call from him saying he was at the dealer and the dealer said he would not allow a test ride in the car. Only buyers were allowed. He also had it advertised on CL for $8900. The fact that he wasn't allowed even a ride in the car nixed that one.
https://www.myautoconcepts.com/vdp/1...OLIET-IL-60433

Haven't reached out to the guy with the blue one in my first post, but still thinking about it.
I like the 1990-1991 coupes with a V12. If you know of a nice one for sale, please message me. I'm not really in a hurry either, so I'm just going to keep looking & lurking here

Chap

 

I think that's the most important part, don't be in a rush to buy something. Wait to find just the right car and you'll be a lot happier.

 

So I think I may have found my XJS. It's been a good few weeks since I posted anything, but I have been looking for my car and reading more about these cars and the V12 engines trying to absorb what I can to attempt making a good decision about a car. I had a couple checked out, including the light blue one posted in the beginning of this thread. That one turned out to be rougher than the pictures showed.

This car is a 1986. I had the pre-purchase inspection done by a garage that regularly works on Jaguars as well as other European cars. 42,000 miles, Carfax shows service done on a regular basis with anywhere from 50-500 miles a year. The car has been garaged it's whole life and owned by the same owner since 1987. Still the car is not without a couple of issues noted during the inspection.
A/C needs to be charged at a minimum. Blows at about 68 degrees. Coolant system needs to be flushed, and hoses should probably be changed. The report says "Hoses- show some age but in good condition". The car has various "very minor" oil and leaks seepage/leaks. Speaking with the garage they told me these are all seepage, there is nothing with a drip.
So the 2 things mentioned really concerning is the rubber boots around the ball joints are torn/deteriorated from age, in good condition but they status the ball joints as in good condition but should be monitored. Same with the oil leaks, meaning they don't warrant the work required to change them out. Yet, anyway.
The garage said overall the car is in very nice condition and one of the nicest they have seen.
The coolant system was flushed out a few years ago according to service records.
At A minimum I'm thinking the cooling system will need a thorough going thru including hoses changed out.
Also tires before any long drives. I am trying to buy the best one I can afford, seeing that seems to be the best way to go.

Thoughts and comments welcome.
Thanks, Chap

 

Looks good.

1986 PreABS, best move ever.

MY OPINION

ALL, and I mean ALL hoses, coolant, fuel, steer, should be renewed without a 2nd thought.

Fuel hose, there a good number of them, should be replaced BEFORE any driving, Engine fires on these from fuel hoses are getting way too common.

Oil weeps. probably will take up with good clean oil and regular use.

Cooling system, NO shortcuts here, and I mean NONE. As mentioned, you over heat a HE V12, and the bank balance will plummet. There is NOTHING wrongwith the system, just age and lack of proper care, and the good old,"I will get to that later" attitude.

Balljoints are cheap, and DIY. About 6 beers per side.
Susoension rubber bits, and there a lot of them, will be showing age related issues.

Have a read of the Stickies I have at the top, that should calm the nerves a tad.

I have a laptop full of PDF "how to" files. If you want any, ask.

I DO NOT want to scare you, hell, but if the issues are not spelled out, you could be sad, and blame the car. I have had way too many to blame the car, it is 100% previous slackness that destroys them, always.

This attachment is not finished, have a read, it will also help you I hope.

It will be a sticky when I do finish it, soon I hope.

 

Chap - looks good. Hope it's a long way from you so you can get the hoses etc. replaced then have a nice long road trip home.

Grant - what difference to the experience does ABS make?

 

ABS =NO PARTS = National Debt when it goes wrong. This is the Teves I am mentioning, Pumps, Bombs, strange bleeding procedures, too hard for my liking.

 

Ouch. Nearly US$1,000 for a rebuilt second-hand one. Might be cheaper to rejigger the system to not use ABS if that goes....

 

Yep, and the blame is lousy fluid maintaining, etc etc.

Mate here had issues with the master cyl and other hydraulic bits. the only people that could have done something, would not touch it, as they had too many come backs.

He had a 1984 donor car, so swapped the whole package for the Pre ABS system and never looked back. The dash light was easy, took the bulb out, ha.

 

Hmmm. Well, I intend to get a complete change of fluids - transmission, brake, steering, coolant (not oil; just did that) at my car's WOF/MOT/Inspection whatever the internationally accepted term is next month. That should help prevent unexpected shocks....

 

Just a comment on mileage vs age...
I bought a BEAUTIFUL 88 XJSC. 27K mikes, but sat garaged for a decade.
EVERY single rubber seal on the car is shot. Brake calipers, front transmission seal, oil from at least two locations.
working through it, and don’t mind the process at all, but this is the kind of thing everyone is referring to.
Next time, I would likely buy a higher mileage car.

 

Before you pounce on an XJS..please take the time to contact one of our long time club members here in the Kansas City area, Tom Clemons, a JCNA member and Heart of America Jaguar Club member. He has an absolutely concours quality XJS convertible for sale. This car has been enthusiast pampered and properly serviced. A beautiful car looking for a loving home. He recently purchased an XK-R and is entertaining reasonable offers well within your price range. To my knowledge, this car is ready to enjoy and show. Contact Tom at sirvey@kcrr.com. Tom operates an engineering survey company, hence the email address. Hoping this will get you the XJS you lust for. Just my opinion, but as nice as many coupes are, future value retention is definitely on the side of the convertible XJS's.

 

Thanks Grant, that is much appreciated. I have started reading the stickys in the forum already, and also Kirby's Experience in a book. Lots to absorb. Prior to this adventure I was into buying some vintage motorcycles, and the first thing I always did was start taking them apart to see what I really had. Wouldn't even attempt to start them without knowing what was inside the carbs and cylinders. I won't go that far with this car, but everything under the hood will be inspected and every hose touched . As a pilot, I am someone who wants intimate knowledge of the machinery I'm in. There's a whole host of reasons for getting into this, and the utmost respect for all things mechanical.
Looking forward to asking a LOT of questions!
Chap

 

Thanks Lotibob, I'm just not wanting a convertible. I'm bald, and my wife is very sensitive to sun exposure. I'm sure that you are right about the values being what they may be coupes vs. convertibles, but this car is for me, and if the value does increase, that's great, but if it doesn't then my track record of losing money on vehicles will be unbroken.

Chap