Apologies in advance if this is the wrong section. Never been a member of a forum before, and with Graham's advice he suggested I post in the XJS tech section....

I have about a million questions, but I'll try to hold off until I've sifted through some of the forum. My purchase has shifted to a 96 xjs 4.0 conv, with 66k miles. White, cream interior with piping. Some of you may have seen it recently on eBay. It appears to be in rather tidy order, but I'm sure I'm paying too much from a logical stand point.

My question is what do you think is a reasonable price range for an exceptional example?

 

You'll likely get several opinions

First, though, "rather tidy" and "exceptional" are two very different descriptions of the condition.

Exceptional cars will often get quite a bit more money than 'good' or 'excellent' cars. But exceptional is exceptional.....and naturally only a few cars would meet that description.

I'm thinking $6000-$10000 for 'rather tidy' to 'excellent' examples

Cheers
DD

 

It is worth what it is to you and how it makes you feel, sometimes that is priceless and sometimes that may be zero. Never think about how much it is for the feeling it gives you. At the end of the day, it is onlywhat some one else will pay. Consider it entertainment and you can't go wrong. But welcome here.

 

Thank you Doug and dsetter. You both confirmed the feelings I've had. From a practical standpoint, I am overpaying. Compared to others I've seen, I believe this car is exceptional. No flaws to speak of. That being said , it is a car that I've been tracking for the past 10 years and I'm really not purchasing it with resale in mind. Ive been trying to heed the advice of others by spending my money on the front end, and buying the best that I can.

Anything I've seen even worth considering has been over 12 grand and that's in the middle of winter in the northeast.

 

Just for what it's worth. I have read a few posts recently with regards to USA XJS prices.
I followed these posts as I think the XJS will be one car that will appreciate. Just nothing out there that compares to what you get for the money,even in Australia they are affordable.

Here the Datsun 'Z' cars are going through the roof. 260Z etc. (around $15K AUD) And I could buy a nice XJS for the same or cheaper.

Recently there was a post where an XJS was over $20K and entry level seemed to be around $6K as suggested above.
That's a big gap I know but if it is going to make you happy.....and in the back of my mind I'm thinking one might make me happy too.

Good luck with what you decide and maybe some Pics?

 

As others have said, value is in the eye of the beholder.

I reckon the market for good to exceptional cars is 6-12K. If you think of price variation as a normal distribution curve, most of the cars sold will live within the 3 sigma limits. There will be outliers that sell for more or less for various reasons.

There were a lot of XJS built and it never really had the caché of say an E-type so in my view prices will never "go through the roof" I don't think they will go down either but just appreciate very, very slowly.

Exceptional can mean different things. Is it cosmetic?, mechanical? one owner? have a full documented service history? Original? Low mileage? All of the them?

Even if you check off all of the above, you are buying a car that is 19 years old so expect anything to go wrong. Some can be easily fixed, some not so much.

All that said, it is a wonderful, elegant, individualistic car that can give a lot of pleasure. I know, I have owned mine for 20 years and love it as much today as I did when I bought it

If it stirs your soul, buy it and welcome to the forum!

 

Good that you've set your sights a bit high and are shopping around. When it comes to used Jags, finding the right car is more important than finding the right price.....within reason, of course.

A really good Jag is a joy. If you spent a couple thou more than you intended, no big deal. The sting will disappear quickly.

A lousy example will torment you. You'll the purchase forever even if you got a really good price. The sting never goes away.

Cheers
DD

 

I've bought two of these cars. Both under 60k, and both in BRG.

I would say that judging from the pictures, this one seems to be in excellent shape. If I were into:
1. white cars
2. no seat heaters
3. ugly wheels (I prefer the 5 spoke wheels)
4. chromed wheel wells...what's it hiding?

I might consider paying $10k for it. No more than that.

It does have:
a. good condition driver's seat, which is a tell tale sign of condition
b. unbroken front spoiler, a common cracked part

I would also have to check the a/c and cruise control to make sure they worked as well as the existence of the front under tray. (usually there with an unbroken spoiler)

Now the bidding on this car went all the way to $11,600, but didn't sell. I would suspect that the seller is negotiating with the high bidder.

I would advise someone, that if this were the perfect car for them, meaning you love the color, etc, then I would seriously consider this car at that price. (under $12k) For me, there are too many deal breakers, but hey, we're all different.

I purchased my first BRG from someone in my neighborhood, or close to it. I got it for $10k flat and it had 56k miles on it. I drove it until it had almost 80k on the clock and it got rear ended.

The next one I bought was the exact same model, except it had 59k on the clock and I bought it just south of $8,300. It had some issues, but because of the previous car, I knew what I was getting into. I now have about 66k on that car and things are great!

I hope this helps.

 

On the surface this looks like it could have been a very good buy.

1990 Jaguar XJS Convertible West Palm Beach, Florida | Autos of Palm Beach

They posted this same car for several thousand more on e-Bay....

Jaguar XJS Convertible | eBay

 

Very nice. Congratulations!!

 

This is a subject that will get as many opinions as there were years the XJS was built. I will point out a few things that are seldom discussed when this topic comes up.

First, by Jaguar standards there were a lot of XJS' built (around 115K) but keep in mind they were built for 21 model years. So for example if you want an XJS convertible and you prefer the 4.0L, you really do not have that many choices world wide just based on the number of these cars built. Then if you take into account how many of the facelift 4.0L were imported to North America then you find that in many parts of the world there is not a huge selection of these cars. Now, if you want a 4.0L with a 5 spd or AJ16 model you find how limited your choices really are. Then take into account color combinations, mileage, condition etc. and at any given time you might be limited to just a few choices that meet the criteria you are looking for.

All that being said there is still a huge price variance on these cars ( at least here in the USA ). I spend a lot of time looking at the price range of these cars and have done this for many years more as a hobby then anything else, and one thing I can still say in confidence is you never know what you are going to see. For the most part I am seeing an up tick on the asking price but when you consider that we are just climbing out of a large recession I attribute this uptick as more of a correction then a true appreciation change. If you were to compare a 1975 Coupe to a 1996 Convertible you are as one would expect really looking at two completely different cars. Because all the XJS cars are grouped together on the forum we are going to get as many varied opinions as we will XJS'. So with this comes pricing.

Take your time and decide first what XJS you really want. Once you have figured out what fits you best then the search for the right car for you begins. A few words of caution: Do not buy sight unseen if you can avoid this, get to know the cars so you know what you are looking at and above all be patient and buy the best car you can afford. Do not under estimate what a quality repaint job or interior work etc. can run on these cars. Rust is a concern on all cars but can become a huge issue on the XJS, even the facelift can rust.

A good example for 10K may in the end be a much better value then a fair example at 7K. A fine example at 13k may be a much better value then a good example at 10K ; it all depends on the car and what you as the buyer will be happy living with. This in my opinion is one of the most important components to buying a car like the XJS and that is ; what will really put a smile on your face?. At the end of the day a car like the XJS is not a need it is a want. If you are the type of person that wants a project and enjoys working on things then find the XJS that fits you best. If you are the type of person who wants a turn key, in as close to like new condition as you can find for a 20 year old car, then you should really take your time to find the best example you can afford. If for example the paint is just not quite right for you or the interior is looking tired and somewhat neglected you may very well find yourself spending more on the car to bring it up to your standards or personal taste then you would have spent on the car that would have fit you to begin with.

I have two XJS' and both are '95 4.0L convertibles. Both are very nice low mileage examples. One I paid under 10K for and the other I paid over 10K for. If pressed I would have to say the one I paid over 10K for was really the best value in my opinion because it has about half the mileage, had the last set of factory chromed 5 spoke wheels available new in the box put on it and is just a very nice well kept example. I have never regretted my decision to buy the XJS. I did my research up front decided which one fit me best and found two examples that I have been very happy with.

Pictures can hide a lot. How a car is described and how the pictures look may in reality be nothing like what the car really looks like in person and up close. Before I found my second XJS I had found one on E-bay that was being sold by a dealer in the Southern Ca. area. The pictures and description made this car look like a fine example. I flew down to buy the car and was shocked at what I was looking at in person. The asking price for this car was 8K which for a fine example would have been a great buy but what I found myself looking at in person I would not have paid 2K for nor would I have even spent the time to get the car home for a parts car. Be very careful making decisions buying a car like the XJS on line. Do not assume because it is a dealer that the car is being represented correctly or honestly. I know of another person who bought a '93 with 33k miles from a dealer on the east coast. The car is a very nice well kept example so this person bought the car unseen and had shipped to Idaho. What the dealer neglected to disclose in the description of the car and the photos were the large chips that were touched up on the red metallic paint. So standing in person looking at the car you were able to see large chips that had been touched up and looked much darker then the rest of the paint. This was not just on the hood but in the center of the fender and doors etc. The person paid top dollar for the car and a good amount to ship the car only to discover the car needed extensive paint work to correct.

 

Here are a few production figures for the XJS that will illustrate my point why certain years and models are getting harder to find :

The following figures are from the book "you and your Jaguar XJS"

From 1987 to 1991 there were 13,197- 5.3L convertibles produced

From 1993 to 1996 there were 73- 6.0L convertibles produced (yes you saw that correctly 73 )

From 1991 to 1993 there were 3803- 4.0L AJ6 convertibles produced

In 1995 there were 2324- 4.0L AJ16 convertibles produced and only 3022- coupes were produced with the 4.0L AJ16.

Now, just for a quick comparison of another car that was produced in 1995 alone, what would you guess was the overall production number of the 1995 Mustang?

If you guessed right around 175,000 you would be correct.

 

Thank you for all of the input. I purchased the car and spent the past couple days driving it back to upstate NY from Florida. Made it back with out a hitch. Kinda cold for pictures right now but as soon as the weather turns I'll polish her up and post them.

I'm certain I over paid, but as its been said, I'll get over the initial purchase and I think all will be well. Chrome flares aren't hiding anything fortunately. Body seems solid, my biggest concern is the reputation of the dealer I bought it from. Its mine now though. The worst part is the drive from warm to cold has now caused a few cracks in the wood trim.

 

Good for you - if you bought it, drove it all the way up North from FLA and like it, then you didn't over pay. These cars are quite a good value for the $, as long as you like a project. Seems like you can get a nice specimen for $10,000 - 12,000. Outliers and such, obviously -- but that seems about where pretty good ones are going for.

 

I'm going to consider this an outlier....for my owe piece of mind. I paid 13,600. The worst part however is the drive back was so quick, the wood trim didn't have a chance to acclimate and....you guessed it. The sub-freezing temps overnight in DC caused a few cracks.

 

Sounds like you did just fine on the price. Small price to pay to put a smile on your face. What was your impression on how the car drove and overall looks etc? Did you have lots of people checking out the car ? Gas mileage? What do you know about the history of the car? Did you find yourself looking over your shoulder to get a second look when you were walking away?-LOL

 

It's funny, my girlfriend flew down with me, I'm sure all the while wondering why I was looking at a close to 20 year old car to purchase. How shall I say...a gentleman's car at that. Which I am not. I think she understood why when we got there. Cruising through Florida there were a couple stops that we received a thumbs up from "gentlemen" and she got a kick out of that.

The car definitively handles speed well. I think I need to tighten up the suspension a bit. Maybe new shocks (does it have struts in the front?) and new polyurethane bushings. I should have figured the gas mileage more completely but I believe I was get around 21 at highway speeds of 85 or so.

The car fax shows a pretty good service history up to about 50K miles. After that it falls of a bit so I don't know much. The dealer had been driving the car as his own and so it wasn't properly detailed when I arrived. All I could think as I walked away and looked over my shoulder was how I need to get at that thing with some paint cleaner and polish, but she is pretty.

I plan on going through the fluids first thing.....If anyone can provide me with a link for recommended fluids ie... coolant,brake, trans, oil and caveats as I start this process, it would sure be appreciated. No formal training in turning a wrench, but I've never brought a car to a dealer before either. I've replaced timing belts, head gaskets, and basic services, but this car scares me a bit. I think because of the negative reputation that jaguar has developed, rightfully so or not. When when 94 Blazer stops running I can throw parts at it because they're cheap...no so with this one.

 

Congrats... The main thing is that it made it back to DC without a hitch. Just do the basic fluid changes that you mentioned and enjoy and also make sure the belts and hoses are in good condition. Other then what we all should do with most older cars, I plan on doing a yearly drain and fill with regular green coolant. Sounds like you got a good one.

 

My impression after driving a late model 4.0L is that they do feel a little light at higher speeds. Car in my opinion feels great driving around town and up to around 65 to 75 mph but I think the 4.0L being lighter just makes the car feel a little "soft or light" at higher speeds. This took me a little getting use to and I suspect the heavier V12 would feel just the opposite. Since 95% of my driving is lower speeds the 4.0L feels just right for most of my driving. What I have heard is the front bushings and ball joints etc. are very critical for proper feel at higher speed driving so I plan on up- grading the XJS I usually drive which has around 64K miles.

Overall I have found the 4.0L to be very straight forward to access and work on. Parts to maintain these are not outlandish at all baring buying parts at the dealer. A few things I have found is to make sure your crank sensor has been replaced already as the magnets can get weak over time and start causing issues. The crank sensor is very easy to change out and I carry a spare one with me just in case. The coils above the spark plugs can start to cause issues as mileage goes up so see if they look like they have been replaced. If it looks like some already have I would go ahead and update the rest when you can and keep a few spares for backup on trips. As in all cars each model has their own special needs and pitfalls so if you have any specific questions or concerns always feel free to ask here as I have found a great wealth of knowledge from other owners. For me learning about the car has brought a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment. The latter 4.0L is a very reliable engine and I think you will find a fairly easy and straight forward platform to maintain and deal with. Many AJ16 cars have already racked very high miles-take a look at the X300 95-97 to confirm this.

 

Is there a preferred brand of coil or one to steer clear of?