Im about to check this 1987 xjs v12.
not much about the car.
car clock at 110k miles and owner claims engine starts but battery died.
im new to jag so anything to look out. Judging from the photos car is straight and well sorter.
price tag $2000.
what kind of battery should i pick to try and crank it.

Thank you

 

Yes - everything!
A V12 XJ-S is an old vehicle with a lot to go wrong, and it didn't have flawless design and build quality to begin with. There are buyer's guides online, such as this one: JAGUAR XJS BUYER’S GUIDE
Why don't you just try jump-starting the car? Its battery is in the boot / trunk.

 

Hello Louie

Depends on what you want - if you want to purchase any 30+ year old car that the history and maintenance is unknown, then the car will need a good going over (fuel hoses, coolant hoses, etc). Well maintained and documented XJS cars cost a lot more than $2000. If you want a car to work on and have the nicest looking car ever made at the end of the project, then the above description seems ok.

Personally, if the current owner claims that the motor goes but needs a new battery - be careful, as the cost of a battery (and the installation) is not much, and the value increases remarkably if the car goes. The fact the current owner hasn't done this may mean there are other issues that he is not telling you

Cheers
Steve

 

I tend to agree, BUT if you like a project, then this is your baby.
If your plan is to fit a battery and have a daily driver then a Volvo maybe a better choose.
I have loved owning my XJS - 12, as long as you have a garage and are in no rush... this thing can cause you to drink a lot.
I even just look at my car with a beer and say... what a cool car..
9 beers latter I go in for dinner lol

 

200% agree with all of this.

People selling cars want YOUR money and the car GONE, bottom line.

Soooooo, a missed detail here and there, not their problem.

I strongly suggest to "LEAVE EMOTION AT HOME", its a business deal end of story.

Mine was found in 1994, a 1985 HE, and all the service etc etc ticked, 2 keys, and drove well and NO fuel smell. Cost me $21K then, and in 2 years I was in for another 10K, and I dont count receipts, so best guess, BUT, I had the best of the best, and it did what it was meant to do without flutter, and hundreds of thousands of KMs.

I do ALL my own work, and if I cannot fix it, it is NOT broken, simple.

Read my stickie about oil leaks for starters, it will give you a small idea of what its like. The one about "no start" might be a good idea as well, by the sounds of it.

FORGOT

Welcome to the Forums.

Please do an Intro in the New Members Area, it keeps the head honcho warm and fuzzy.

 

Alarm bells are going off so loudly I can hear them all the way over here.
Start your bargaining at $2,000. That he will pay you to take it off his hands.

 

Run, don't walk, away from a $2,000 XJ-S. Well-sorted ones in the U.S. go for around $10,000 +/-. Check out values on Hagerty or Bring-a-Trailer. The most expensive car you can buy is a cheap XJ-S.
If all it needs is a new battery, why doesn't the seller install a new battery and raise the price?

 

Trouble

 

I've been burned (showing the singe marks on my wallet), and I wouldn't buy another XJ-S that I hadn't heard and seen start and run. Having said that, they are addictive and, IMHO, the V12 is the way to go. Be brave, Grasshopper, but be wary, and check for rust, especially underneath.

 

Also, talking of rust, check out the Where the XJS Rusts and Why series from Just XJS.

 

It's important to hear the motor run if you are considering buying it. I was looking at an old Hess and Eisenhardt convertible conversion a few years back. I took the battery out of one of my other cars and took it, a gas can, and some jumper cables with me. Surprisingly the car actually started and ran but it had the dreaded "dropped Valve seat syndrome." Good to know I passed on that one. When I bought my current XJS the seller used a battery that he borrowed from another of his vehicles to start the car. While it didn't have dropped valve seats it did have a problem with the transmission. It was slow to engage and slipped, I was hoping that it was just gummed up from sitting and would respond to a fluid change. Didn't help. It did respond to a transmission change though. Try to get it started, just knowing that the motor spins freely is important. These cars are complicated I wouldn't recommend buying one that you can't hear run, even if for just a little while. The mileage is not a problem. These cars have a tendency to develop problems that lead to them sitting idle for long periods, often for years. I would rather find one that is in constant service, but the non runners are the real cheap buys. But you know the old saying, "the most expensive Jaguar you can buy is the cheapest one." Inspect the car carefully and good luck.

 

This is not the model to cut your teeth on. It is not a starter set.

 

But Grant

You are The Head Honcho!

Don't tell me I went and built you that Shrine for nothing!

 

Alex,

I was trying to nicely say, I wouid NOT buy it, and I am supposed to know what I am doing with the V12, but this just sounds so bad in so many ways.

A project for a very LONG time, and a budget we wont talk about, ANYTHING is able to be rebuilt. Just not for me EVER, and certainly NOT as a first jaunt into Jaguar ownership.

 

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/c...ing/2629011581
Here is an XJS that was listed for $1 reserve... good luck to the buyer.
If I don't mind saying looks like a good buy!
current bid $3,119 USD ... .

 

I got mine after it had been sitting for like 12yrs. No papers, no driver's floor. Interior a gut job. Work needed ranged (and still does) from A to Z,,, and I would do it all over again knowing what I know now. I had never worked on a Jaguar, never mind the amazing and beautiful v12 XJS...

A little more than 2 years in, and what I consider to be very little $$$$, I drove here 65 to 80mph up the Merric Parkway top down, light traffic. WHAT...A...JOY... I can't overstate that. And felt relatively confident. And yup,,, upgraded my AAA roadside assistance policy just before leaving, lol

This week I'm dealing with a fouled spark plug, I have oil leaks, and a LH over axle exhaust pipe that is tapping on the bleeder valve of the rear inboard break... Have a set of sway bar drop link bushings on there way from Welsh (mine are TOAST) a new Eurospare black rad fan to replace the yellow one. I could go on... OH,,, an AC compressor I should have by mid week, next! I can't wait to DO the work.

If I had to pay someone to do this I'd be living under a bridge,,, doing it myself VERY manageable... I take a VERY modest salary.

I would love to see a photo of your "maybe" car.

I would only do this if you were willing and able (with practice and the forum) to do the work yourself!!! And, if time is in your side... I cannot imagine what it would cost to have alllllllllll the work done at a shop...