I bought a '90 XJS V12 yesterday. My first Jag!! Very clean, two owner CA and AZ car, 50k miles, white with tan. 200 mile drive home yesterday afternoon, so far I love it. Temp stayed on low side of normal and all other gauges and electricql items work. My goal is to do what is necessary to make this as reliable as possible and to ward off any gremlins with preventative maintenance. It will not be a daily driver, like that's gonna happen, but that's the kind of reliability I'm aiming for. I have a lot of research to do and I'm looking for a place to start. I found the name Kirby Palm on line and will start trying to peruse what seems like an enormous amount of info.

There are a couple of little things that need to be replaced, the latch clip(?) thing for the console. The part on the bottom not on the lid. Is missing. The plastic frame that the 2 window switches and the convet. top switch mount in on the console is broken and the switches fall through. Are these little things and similar items readily available? The dash, door panels, rugs and mats, seats and all trim are in excellent shape except the usual wear on the driver seat left side bolster. The top is like new as is the boot that goes over it. All five lace type wheels are in excellent shape and the tires are new.

I would truly appreciate any suggestions for leather and wood care and any type of manual or anything else that will prove to be a wise investment. Also any sources for these little parts that seem like they may be hard to find. Any ballpark figures for gas mileage? Dash lights seem dim as does the display panel on the dash, is this normal? Did I mention that so far I really like this car??

Sorry for the long post and all the questions.

Thanks in advance,
Terry

 

Hi Terry and welcome! Brace yourself...you will soon have more info than you know what to do with!

 

Welcome to the madness :-) You're off to a good start by joining this forum & downloading Kirby's book. I'm at work right now, but scroll down the page a bit and you'll see my second round with the notorious Marelli ignition. READ IT.

Also, check the condition of your fuel injector hoses.

A fault in the ignition or fuel delivery systems can incinerate your dreams in a heartbeat.

Also, post some pics man!!!


Welcome!

P.S. The weak points of the XJS are well documented. Stay ahead of the curve on maintenance, and there's NO reason she can't be a reliable daily driver. Mine has yet to leave me stranded since I caught up on maintenance (on purchase day).

 

if i was missing those parts in my pontiac GP (outnumbers jag 100 to 1) the only place i would be able to find them is a junk yard or donor car. so the chances of finding them for your jag outside of a yard are 0.

 

[QUOTE=Terry;437148]I bought a '90 XJS V12 yesterday. My first Jag!! Very clean, two owner CA and AZ car, 50k miles, white with tan. 200 mile drive home yesterday afternoon, so far I love it.
Lots of archived commentary on leather treatments. Everyone has their favorites. Use the samw polish/wax on the wood as you use on the paint. You're not waxing wood. You're waxing the polyurethane (or whatever it is) that was applied over the wood.

Dim panel lights is typical. There are bulb upgrades out there. Cleaning the circuit board can help, as can bypassing the rheostat

Cheers
DD

 

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. There are a couple of other things.

I did forget to mention that the struts on the hood are weak and only work after things heat up under the hood. They look to be a fairly common item. I also only have one ignition key, are these a dealer item?

 

The plastic holder is called a bezel. The clips usually break off when someone tries to prise it out from the top of the 'ski slope' instead of via the inside of the armrest.
I can recommend this seller as he shipped it to me in the UK cheaper and quicker than I could get it here. It was a perfect fit for my 1990 car but check with him first. He is a useful contact for other XJS parts.

1988-1996 Jaguar XJS Window Switch Bezel - NEW! | eBay

The dash lights are not that bright, but when it gets dark they should give a gentle and subtle greenish glow. The rheostat knob can be temperamental and sometimes needs a good talking to, or a bit of a twirl ( like adjusting the wonky volume control on an old radio ) before it does it's job.
Don't forget you've bought a cat - It will tend to do things when the mood takes it.
When you have a spare 10 hours try figuring out how the Delanair air con works . Switch to cold and it has a good think about it, then just as your about to open the window it blows icy air into the cabin, Iv'e had mine 2 years and still can't fathom what knobs to push or pull
Good luck with your new toy !

 

Heh... I have also yet to see a used XJS with the center console clip still in place... most likely it's knocking around in the transmission tunnel. Dim dashboard lights are a fact of life at this vintage. Check out v12s.com for a full LED replacement set. Still mulling over stock green or BMW orange - the orange is really easy on the eyes at night.

 

red is the best color for preserving your night vision. blue is the absolute worst, and green is probably close second to blue.