Im pretty sure I already know the answer to my question but I'm going to ask it anyway. I'm 18 and I have some experience with cars fixing up my 1976 skylark. I love the xjs and I found a really nice and clean 1990 v12 xjs in SD for 3000 with only 30k miles on it. It runs fine but I was wondering if it would be completely out of the question for me to buy this car and use it close to a daily driver. Thanks

 

Not out of the question but it DOES take money and effort to keep and XJS in good order....especially for a few months after you've bought one because you'll be catching up on all the things the previous owner didn't take care of.

Did you check out the buyer's guide?

Cheers
DD

 

Went through the same question on a local car a month or so and got it. Haven't regretted it. If you hand and have the money and time to wait for parts then I'd say yes. However, That 3 grand sounds slightly on the cheap side to me (though I haven't priced a 1990). I'd definitely give it a good going over - there appears to be a fine line between a Jag that needs a little love and one that is a black hole of mechanical need (especially if it has been sitting for a while).

 

3000 does sound a little on the cheap side, especially for a car in the condition that 30k miles suggests it would be in. Take it for a test drive and have a local JAG mechanic look at it. I bought my Jag for $2000 and was $5500 into it before it was even drivable. (not the least of which was paying off numerous parking tickets from the previous owner before I could even get it registered!) Since then it has been a daily driver. Regular, scheduled maintenance plays a large role in the longevity of these cars.

 

If you can afford to drive a 11mpg vehicle...then the investment is minimal.

I'm thinking that even if you feel you've made a mistake 3 months down the road, you'll most likely recoup that money.

The v12 is much more difficult than your '76 in the fact that you will have no room to get to anything easily.

Now the straight 6, you can practically stand in the engine bay. It's really quite a bit closer to what I think you got used to with the Buick, in terms of relative simplicity and accessibility...and you might get 20mpg out of it too.

 

Yeah the original price was 4000 but i got it down to 3100. Its an older guy who wants to sell it and he just wants to get rid of it because it's not practical for him. when i went to see it it started up pretty well and we drove it around a bit. He didnt want me to drive it because it hadn't been registered yet but everything seemed to run smoothly. The only downside to the car is it needs a new convertible top, other then that the interior and exterior are perfect. How much would a new top cost?

 

If you just need the material for the top then Jagbits I noticed has them for $641. The headliner is about half that on top of it if you need that too.

 

That sound like a very good price to me if the car is in good condition. I just bought a 1990 in near mint condition with 40k on it for close to 10k. Anyway it's two months later and I am just getting what I thought was a near mint condition car on the road. The low miles is a big plus but as I soon found out that there are a lot of things to replace just do to age. Particularly anything made of rubber...hoses..mounts..gaskets..suspension bushings..ect.. The 1990 also has a Marelli ignition which usually needs a little preventive care due to safety issues. Just expect to spend some time getting things up to par. Having said that I am very happy with my decision. The XJS is an amazing car to drive and the V12 engine has a powerfull smoothness that i have never felt in anything else.

Dan
1990 XJS V12 convertible Marelli

 

There is also a coupe for sale for 1800 with 100,000 miles on it but the guy says it needs a new ignition module. I was kind of looking for a coupe over convertable because its a little more practical, but would this car just be a money pit. Thanks

 

Oh and its an 87 so it doesnt have the problematic marelli system

 

Let me put it this way:


In '02 I bought an '88 XJS for $6000. It was nicer than many others and drove well. In the first year I spent $3000 taking care of overdue maintenances items and various small repairs that the previous owner didn't do. That doesn't include the transmission the puked or the differential that went Tango Uniform after I had the car a few weeks. But, hey, those things happen with used cars. There's risk involved no matter how careful you are.

But, realistically, what are your expectations? Volvo, Camaro, Mustang, BMW....whatever.... ANY 24 year old used car is gonna need money spent on it. Especially in the price range your shopping in.

Do you like tinkering (sometimes intense tinkering) and will you have some cash leftover to care of problems as they arise? If so an XJS is a great choice. If not, then, no....don't buy it.

Cheers
DD

 

I do like working on cars (even though I dont have an extreme amount of experience) and I was looking for a car that I could work on. I am willing to put in all the work but Im skeptical on the price of parts. What parts are compatible with GM and will the price of parts dry up my savings significantly faster then an old buick, chevy, etc. Thanks

 

I'm going to jump in here if you don't mind. I'm in the middle of rebuilding an XJS I found in a scrap yard.
The price of parts really depends on what you're looking for. If you go to a parts store and ask for a Jag ignition module, they'll quote you around $300. If you remove the 4 tiny screws on the back of the module, you'll find a $20 GM module inside. The moral of the story is this: research equals savings! Not everything equates to such a dramatic amount, but you certainly can get most parts at reasonable, or better than reasonable costs.

Doing the work yourself will do several things. First, it will save you money by saving on labor. Second, you will learn more about the car than you will ever be able to read about. Third, it will teach you to either have patience, or you will go bald early.
These cars are not as easy to work on as an old small block chevy. There is little room to work in and they are more complicated (ie: you have to remove A, B and C if you want to get to D). However you can do it with average mechanical skills. You also have a large advantage by belonging to this forum where there are members who have already been there, done that.

Lastly, when all is said and done, you have a JAG! Compare it to the average vehicles you see running around your neighborhood and you'll see it stands out from the crowd!