I am looking at a 1988 XJS convertible 4 sale for $3K.
The current owner says it will not start due to a bad coil and distributor
and a mention of other electrical problems. A Fire ?
Maybe a burned catalytic due to fuel dumped because of an inoperable coil
for one of the banks?

I currently have a 99 XJ8 and a 94 XJS 4.0L. A V12 will be unknown territory
for me. I am really considering a on site visit to give it the once over.

Any tips as to what I should look for in the way of "electrical" problems?
At this moment I do not know what size V12 I may be encountering.
A 3.6L(?), a 5.6L, or a 6L engine. Any tips on what to look for as to the
known gotchas for the engine?

I must be a glutton for punishment here. I am doing a restore on a 24'
Sea Ray cruiser and a 18' Sea Ray open bow boat. Now I'm thinking
about adding a crippled 1988 XJS V12 to the list.
I wonder how a Jag V12 would work in place of a Ford 351 V8 as the engine
on the Sea Ray? Lots and Lots of mods for that venture !

P O R (Press On Regardless)

 

RUN don't walk from this parts car!!!!!!!!!!!
You could offer 7 or 8 hundred bucks for it as a parts car; 3 large no way.
You are a multi Jag owner and I have no doubt that you are aware of our consensus of opinion on XJSs with needs.

 

Sounds like this 5.3 V12 has been the subject of a Marelli Distributor Fire, which burned out one of the Cats.

I agree run from this Car!

$500 for Spares, maybe a little bit more if She has Lattice Alloys with some good Tyres/Tires $1,000 max.

 

Not that it matters, but Marelli ignition didn't show up until later 1989 production

 

Okay, I just found out when I decoded the VIN and then asked again about the year,
that it is a 5.3L 1990 XJS !
According to the owner it ran fine until her next door neighbor borrowed it.
Now the ignition amp and a coil need to be replaced. No fire damage. ??
Lucky? Maybe the ignition amp killed it?


Does the fact it is a 1990 V12 change the picture any?
Is "Plan B" ( Run Fast, Run Far) still the best plan?


P O R (Press On Regardless)

 

Unless I missed it I did not see anything about the condition of the car, miles etc..

The biggest concern I would have on this car is in not being able to start and drive the car before deciding if to buy and how much. I would assume you would at minimum want to do a compression check if possible unless the price drops to a point that you could look at buying as a parts car if worse case scenario happens and engine or trans. was toast.

I would think it will come down to condition, miles and price and only pay what you are willing to for a parts car just in case.

I would really think about how much you want to work on a car like this as the V12 will require much more hands on attention to up get to snuff over your 4.0L.

If you are truly willing to invest this kind of time and energy then I am sure it will be a good project for you if you can get it so cheap that you can afford to look at it as a learning project.

Sure sounds like you already have your hands full with the boats you are restoring.

 

If She's a 1990 then She will have Mirelli ignition and if She was never properly maintained, then She could have been the subject of a Mirelli ignition fire.

As half the bank of cylinders will suddenly shut down, pumping raw fuel into the other exhaust pipe, which then catches fire and takes out one of the 'cats' or else could set the car on fire altogether!

Either way leaving the owner with a Car that very few people would ever want to buy, simply because like everyone else they want a perfect 'turn key' Car that they can drive away.

On the other hand you know a bit more than your average punter, so She could be a bargain if the 'Price is right'

She could well be worth the price of a new 'Distro' Coil etc and also you need to factor in the Services of a 'Shop/Garage' to get her running again, together with the cost of getting her home.

In the event that you find that the electrics on this Car are totally out of your skill set, although you have nothing to lose by having a go.

In her present condition, the owner has a 'non runner' on their hands and as such may not want to throw any money at her, which will invariably be the case, if they don't want, or don't know how to fix her.

In which case they may well decide that it is worth cutting their losses and taking a hit.

If you've got some spare room to park her up and she otherwise looks a little bit of a 'cream puff' you still need to buy her for spares in the hope you can fix her.

So bearing in mind She's is worthless to the owner in this condition, if you happen to have a grand burning a hole in your pocket and another one of those to put her right, then $1,000 is the absolute max I would offer.

Otherwise be prepared to walk away!

 

I agrre at the moment.

IF, and that is a HUGE IF, "it only needs.........", then why would the owner not do that and make a runner out of it, and get a tad more than it is currently sitting at.

"Lent to the nieghbour", OOPS, so its been FLOGGED, and it has died, and now it sits.

Smells a tad to me.

 

Good point Grant. Always a big red flag when the owner is removing them self from driving the car when it stopped running. That way if they know it was severely over heated etc. they can say they were not aware and try and get more out of it.

When you think about it how many people lend their XJS out to a neighbor?

 

I never lent any of mine even to the kids.

Thats what buses are for, and if you maintained the damn thing in the first place, this discussion would not be taking place.

 

I think you may have hit the 'nail on the head'

Why would you lend your XJS to anyone?

The neighbor must surely have their own Car to use on a daily basis.

Grant and Yourself seem to be in agreement that something isn't quite right and as such you can now add my name to that list.

Its certainly starting to sound as though the engine may have a dropped valve, which the owner Ahem...may know nothing about.

In view of the fact that the owner has distanced themself from the Car, this is one that I would now steer clear of!

Take a punt at $500 but only if you need her as spares for some other Car, as its always handy to have a spare ABS Actuator on standby just in case.

 

Ok. Some more details on this $3K XJS which has been sitting for 4 years now.
The previous owner bought it for his "trophy wife - 25 years younger than him" as a gift.
Soon after the divorce hits.
Was it something he said? It couldn't have been the Jag !
P.O. husband puts the top down on the car (which was immaculate then and ran great)
and leaves it outside for 2 years with the top down to show his displeasure with his now ex-wife.
So, now the inside upholstery is now crap.

The current owner acquires it from him because current owner had a 95 XJS (Real Cream Puff- won a lot of concurs events)
and sold it ($21K) 5 years ago and regretted ever since.
The new owner then spends $2.5K in maintenance on the 1990 XJS getting it to run 2 years ago.
During this period is when the mechanic detected the failed ignition coil after the car started for the first time
in 2 years.
The mechanic had enough sense to stop any further engine activity until the coil was replaced.

The battery was removed then and no electrical activity has been present in the XJS.
I inquired about bring my own battery to possibly test the non-starting electrical functions
gauges, lamps, and listen for the whine of the fuel pumps or their relays clicking.
I was told no.

The top had to be manually brought up by cutting a wire (?) before putting it in the garage
2 years ago..
So, the 1990 XJS doesn't use a hydraulic lift? Does It use electric motors and cables?

Ok, so the restore list is:
1. inop convertible top due to a cut wire (mechanical type or electrical type) Cost (?)
2. gonzoed interior - carpet and seats - $800-$1200
No idea as to the wood trim - another $300 - $600 ?
3. Maybe a weirded out motor due to Marielli ignition failure - $200 - $2000.
4. Oh, the windows won't go up or down. - $300 ?

Being a reasonable person and XJS freak I've decided to go view this horribly treated
XJS and maybe say a few last words like, "No, I'm not going to buy it. . . Okay, maybe for $500?"

 

This exchange smells real bad to me.

I think the owner realizes that if he allows you to evaluate the car in any way you are going to realize that it is nothing more than a non drivable, non repairable lawn ornament.

I think he is hoping some ill informed sucker will come along and give him 3K because it is, afterall, a "V12 Jagwire!"

I would run away and not look back.
Vector

 

She sounds a lot worse than I could have ever imagined.

I wouldn't waste any money on this, when there is much better about, this ones clearly destined for the Scrapyard.

 

I agree. Run. If he wouldn't let you hook up a battery to test there are bigger problems he's not telling you.

 

Maaaaaate.

You have spent tooooooo much money already just on communications.

Find a pub, have a few drinks, more satisfying.

 

I am swayed by the words of wisdom that have been laid upon me
and I will pass on this "Deal of the Century".

I think that because the U.S. yearly Taxpayer Day of Doom (04/15/15)
is nigh, that is the reason for the sudden interest in selling the 1990 "treasure"
that has been sitting in the garage for the past 2 years.
Because the IRS will not take XJS as a form of payment for a tax bill.

I hope someone who is not familiar with the XJS V12 does not acquire this
beast and then proceeds to berate all XJS models because of his failure to
recognize or get the advice I have received about the actual costs and effort
to get this car back in running shape.
"I pity the fool !" - Mr. "T".
"A man has to recognize his own limitations !" - "Dirty Harry"

I will be content with the 94 4.0L XJS 2+2 and the 99 XJ8 VDP as blessings
to my happy life.
So, sayeth my wife whose wisdom is above all and is to be obeyed. . . (_8^O

P O R (Press On Regardless)

 

Not that it matters at this point, but a 88 XJS had neither abs, nor Marelli.

 

That may be true for some US cars, but MY88 cars did come with ABS and Marelli when made in the UK in 1988

BB

 

The Car in question is a 1990.