Hello! I'm new to the Jag forum. I think I would like to own an XJS convertible as a summer car, late 80's, early 90's, 12 cylinder. What can I expect to spend on one in good daily driver condition (does not need to be show car, but very presentable)? I've owned older Mercedes in the past, and my daily driver now is an 03 BMW. I do all maintenance and repairs myself, I'm not afraid of working on them. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I guessing $6-$8k for a better than average convertible. Maybe less in this economy. There'a a '94 convertible on Ebay right now that has bid up to about $13k....but it's an extra nice car with lots of recent work.

If you can live with a coupe you'll save lots of money.

Most older Jags have been neglected. Oh sure, they've been waxed six times a year, but, still, they've been neglected. Plan on spending some time and cash to catch up on repairs. A sorted-out XJS is a joy, though.... worth the effort and money to make right.

About the only thing that'll hurt a Jag V12 is overheating so make sure the cooling system is 100%. Cosmetics are hugely expensive, usually way more than mechanical repairs (since you're a DIY guy)....so good paint, leather, wood, and convertible top are a big "plus"

When you say "any advice appreciated" I'm not sure how much detall you want. I could spend a couple hours on the subject :-)

Cheers
DD

 

@Eva

Welcome to the forums.

Good advice from Doug as usual. I think there are nice usable cars out there for the money mentioned above... but you'll have to be patient and look at a good few before you find a good 'un. Most important is history and the owner you are buying it off....... are they car guys, and more importantly Jaguar guys ? As Doug mentioned, a lot of these cars have been mechanically neglected, or even worse subjected to the hands of a non-Jaguar mechanic. These cars do need kind of constant attention and things can easily start to go badly wrong if not done properly.

I was looking for a V12 conv also and I found that I could tell a lot about the car and the owner by asking 3 relatively simple questions over the phone.....

Q1 --> When was the last time you changed the fuel hoses to the injectors ?
(These pre 91 cars have very short 1 inch rubber hoses running between the fuel rail and the injectors which get hot, crack and eventually split, causing in most cases a terminal engine fire) The usual buying advice is to change them unless you have absolute proof that they have just been changed in the last 2 years or so.

Q2 --> What oil pressure does it run hot at idle and cold on the freeway ?
(Most of the "classic" jags have oil pressure gauges and they are usually a good source of information on the overall health of the engine)

Q3 --> How far up the temp gauge does the car run ?
(As Doug mentioned, overheating is the sure fire way to kill a V12)

I got a vast range of answers from "Does it have an oil pressure gauge?" to a 30 minute blow by blow account of the exact procedure the owner had used to change the fuel hoses :-)

I eventually bought a very sick '92 facelifted V12 Conv, which I really shouldn't have done, but I didn't pay much for it and could have broken it for spares and made my money back quite easily. 1 year and 10k later I have a presentable car that I absolutely love and would never part with, but it has been a rocky relationship on occasion. I think as long as you are patient and have the correct expectations (and have a 2nd car) you can have a good relationship with an XJS, and we are here to help you if needed.

 

Thanks for the advice. I read about the fuel injector hoses...I was wondering why I see so many carbecued (car + barbecue...get it? ) V12 cars out there. I am a maintenence freak myself, especially having owned older Mercedes, they require constant looking after also. My main concern is what I should be paying for a decent convertible. I found a nice red with black interior 92 in South New Jersey, but they want $9200 for it. The car is really nice, but I wouldn't consider the condition to be exceptional, and I was thinking the price should be no higher than $8000 (has 88k miles). Thanks again!

 

@Eva

As the saying goes, a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! You see a wide range of prices for XJSes so I don't see any reason why you wouldn't make an offer as you said.

My US geography isn't very good so I'm not sure if South New Jersey is a dry area? If not, of course you'll need to check for rust. XJSes rust pretty badly.

A '92 car will be facelifted which I personally favour compared to the 89~90 cars, but it's all a matter of taste I guess

Let us know how you get on

 

South New Jersey is somewhat less destructive than the rest of the northeast. They don't get as much snow, and when they do, they use sand on the road instead of salt. I'm going to check it out next weekend if it's still for sale, it's about a 120 mile drive from me, so I don't really have time to go during the week. I will update after I test drive.

 

Is there a huge power difference between the 6-cylinder and the 12-cylinder?

 

Yes and no ...it depends :-)

The 5.3 V12s used in XJSs until '93 or so don't really have all that much off-the-line ooomph...but once you get 'em rolling they're pretty quick.

In general driving the 4.0 six cylinder is probably quicker and more responsive until 50 mph or so....due mostly to different gearing. If you do a lot of city driving the six cylinder might actually be preferable.

The later 6.0 V12 is a real powerhouse, though. Tons of ooomph at any speed.

Cheers
DD

 

I'm in a similar situation. A father of a friend is selling an 86 XJS with 78k for a very low price. It's been taken care of very well (babied, actually). Never seen winter, etc. He's got some valid reasons for selling it at such a low price (biggest reason is that he has too many classic cars, and just bought another XJS with 12k on it). Only issue is a saggy headliner, which doesn't concern me too much.
I'd jump at it, but I want to know the 'real deal' on running costs (other than gas). The Jag-Haters Assoc. of North America is trying to scare me with tales of $1500.00 oil changes and a constant stream of expensive repairs, others are telling me that if it's in good shape to begin with, and the routine maintenence is kept up on schedule, repairs would be no more frequent than with any other car.
It would also be my third car, so I wouldn't be stranded if something did happen.
Any input? I know there is only so far you can go without seeing the car itself, but a 'broad brush' opinion would be welcome.

 

The usual scenario is buy the car, spend a few weekends and a chunk of cash catching up on the repairs and servicings the previous owners neglected to do, and then enjoy the car with occasional tinkering and routine servicing. If you are doing your own work the running costs are not so bad. If you are paying to have it done....well...that can be another story. On top of the expense, it's getting hard to find anyone who even wants to be bothered working on one...or who knows the quirks.

Fifteen and twenty year old used Jags, BMWs, Mercedes, etc are not cheap to sort out. They CAN be reliable but it takes some money and effort. Your "real deal" annual running costs have MUCH more to do with the care the car has gotten over the years than anything inherent in the design of the car. If you get a good one, it'll be a dream and won't cost you too much to keep it in good shape. A bad one will bleed you dry like an unforgiving bitch.

Unless you do your own work and enjoy the fun of a project, it is absulotely the best bet to seek out and pay the price for an exceptional car that you can enjoy right away without the expense and frustration of sorting out a 20-item list of repairs. Look at Sarc's post. He has it right. You want the XJS that the owner will burn your ear for 3 hours about all the love and care he has bestowed on the old girl, right down to the type of hose clamps and why he chose a particular type of brake pad. You want the car where the owner would never tolerate driving a Jag with a droopy headliner.

I've met many Jag-haters so I don't need to visit the web site. I've always found it odd that a 20 year old Ford/Volvo/Honda/whatever needing a fuel pump, starter, suspension bushings, or new radiator is shrugged of as normal and acceptable yet the same repairs on a 20 year old Jag relegate it to the "piece of sh*t" category. Nowadays when someone makes snide remarks about my Jag I just say "Yup, they're not a car for everybody" and leave it at that.

Ramble switch turned "off" :-)


Cheers
DD

 

@ Doug

I agree with you 100%. While I have not owned a Jaguar yet, I have owned a couple older Mercedes and now an 03 BMW. The American cars I used to have - Cadillac Eldorado, Lincoln Continental, even a Chevy Cavalier - were bleeding me dry, and completely unreliable. I do all my own work on my cars, and since I've abandoned domestic cars, I've not had to do anything but routine maintenence on the Benzes and BMW. I drove my 89 MB 300SEL to 320,000 miles before I sold it, and the only thing I ever had to replace was the water pump and the alternator. While you hear so many people say how expensive it is to own a Mercedes or BMW, I've found that they cost next to nothing in repairs compared to much less expensive domestic cars that I have owned.

 

In my case, I find it interesting that the seller is asking questions about me: am I the sort that would leave it parked outside during the rainy season, or drive it during the very harsh and salty winter months.
I've established via mechanics and whatnot that the car, as of this moment is rust free and mechanically and electrically sound, all in good working order.
Thanks for your input.

 

@protea and eva

Good luck on your prospective purchases. You never just own an XJS, you have a relationship with it, and all relationships have ups and downs.

Not trying to bias your thoughts but I had a very special moment last weekend with my XJS...... was going past the local dealer and spotted they had at last got a 2010 XJ on the forecourt. As it was early in the morning and the place wasn't busy I pulled up and went wandering over to the XJ to take a look. One of the salesmen came out, came up to me and asked "Is that your XJS?, wow, can I sit in it?" I kind of laughed a bit and said sure, if I can sit in the XJ. He laughed and threw me the keys. He then went back in and got all of the other sales guys out to look at the XJS. Some of the newbies had never seen an XJS before :-) So in summary you had me sitting in the New XJ all by myself, and 4 sales guys ignoring me and swarming over my XJS. I wish I had taken a picture!

Summary : it's a special car (And the New XJ isn't bad either)

 

Good story :-)

When you get an XJS dialed, there's nothing quite like it. I felt like king of the road whenever I drove mine :-)

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...ics/xjs106.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...forsale007.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...forsale001.jpg


Cheers
DD

 

Hi Doug

Looks great in that colour. Any tips on changing the steering wheel (to what looks like a Nardi) ?

The only negative about having a convertible is that is doesn't have the buttresses :-(

 

@ Doug

That really is a beautiful car.

I think the hardtop looks better than the convertible, but I want both a Jag, and a convertible. Since I'm 27 and still paying off student loans, I can't buy two different cars, so I'm trying to combine the best of both worlds.

 

That one is a Moto-Lita...nowhere near as nice as a Nardi. It's a 10 minute deal to swap wheels. Remove horn pad, remove horn contact (it unscrews and pulls out), remove steering wheel nut, give wheel a tug to remove it. Installation with new wheel is reverse.

Of course, whether you get a Nardi or Moto-lita, you have to get the right hub. Lots of nardis on Ebay...but finding the Jag hub isn't as easy.

I had a Nardi in my XJ6...it really complimented the interior.

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks :-)

For years I had both an XJS and an XJ6. When I bought the XJR I found that it did everything the other two did but in one package....so now I'm down to just one Jag.

I miss the old ones, though. They have a certain olde-world character that the XJR, good as it is, lacks.

Cheers
DD

 

Doug's advice is spot on. I just bought an '89 XJS about a month ago, it looks fantastic & only has 65k miles on it. I paid $5000 for it, then spent another $2000 on repairs due to the fact that the previous owner hadn't even turned the key in nearly 3 years.

Unfortunately, it really isn't practical as my only car, so I gotta sell it, & it's breaking my heart. Too bad you aren't in Indiana, I'd make ya a good deal.

 

@Eva -- S. Jersey weather should be a problem unless the car was right on the coast. The salt air will eat up a car faster than highway salt.

It sounds like the previous owner is the "right" kind of owner to buy from. I usually do as much research on the owner as I do on the car. Find them on forums and see what kind of questions/answers they had. Talk to their mechanic and see if they did recommended work or just the minimal. Even google their home to see what kind of hood they are in -- houses with nice garages. It's surprising what you can find out. Sometimes even getting an idea if they were able to "afford" the car. If they advertise on line, they often have their "on line name" as a contact. You can find them in forums with that. If you sent them and email and they write back, now you have an email addy to check them out with.
There was actually a case where I decided NOT to buy a vehicle that I liked because of what I learned about the seller -- which I didn't like.

Straight 6 or V12? I have had both.
The 6 drives and responds like a "normal" car. Doesn't feel a lot different that my V6 S-Type.

Now the V12... an engineering marvel! Artistry in montion! Perhaps one of the greatest engines of all time. Absolutly silky smooth, a silent giant and endless power. It's a whole different driving experience. And if you want the ULTIMATE driving experience team up that V12 with a Getrag 5 Speed manual transmission.
I was on an empty strip of I-40 Tuesday night -- had her going 100 in 3rd gear, hadn't red lined and still had 2 gears in the bank.
Cruised down I-95 in 5th Gear at 80mph getting 21 mpg. The tach was running a sleepy 2400rpm.