Hello,


I am Stephane, a new member in Miami.


I am looking to buy an xjs 6 cylinders probably between 94 and 96. there are several cars for sale around me and looking for buying advice and information on the weaknesses of the car priorly.


i heard that 95 and 96 are the best years and most reliable car?


Has a buying guide ever been posted on this forum?


finally is anyone knows a jaguar Mecanics around Miami. Thank you.

 

Hello and welcome. I purchased a 96 4.0 Celebration convertible 3 years ago this week. Had 48k miles on the odo then.. sitting on about 60k now so I drive it regularly. It was in pretty good shape when I bought it but I ended up spending some money on the AC (and again this year had to charge it), new tires, wheel resto, and some odds and ends. It runs good and is as reliable as anything. It still suffers from a somewhat irregular high idle (which I understand is common and it needs a Jag computer to reprogram but my mechanic is an hour away so I just live with it). Otherwise it is solid and I love it dearly. It has its quirks but so does any car. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one (with eyes wide open) in good shape and drive it anywhere.

There are those who will tell you a 6 cylinder is the way to go and others who woudn't have anything other than a 12. To each his own. I would entertain a 12 if I had a good mechanic nearby, but the 6 is adequate for my needs and it just goes without issue. It really pulls strong once the revs build. On a B-road put it in 3rd and on Sport setting and just enjoy the analog handling and smooth powerband. If you want to sleep better at night go with the 4.0 and 94-96 is best. Happy motoring!

 

Check out the sticky thread XJS 'HOW TO' quick links at the top of the XJS forum page...there's a buyer's guide in there by esteemed forum member D.Dwyer.

The age of the car is probably going to be what causes problems if certain things haven't been replaced, such as fuel and coolant hoses that can harden and crack over time. I'd suggest you get to know the XJS by reading and even driving some that are for sale. They aren't problematic by nature but need to be used regularly to keep them limber.

 

Thank you your responses. I will have a look and hope to get back soon shortly to show you my new car.

how difficult is it to find parts in the US?

any recommended website for parts?

Are they cheaper in Europe and more available ? Thank you.

 

I own both a 95 xj6 and a 95 xjs. The xj6 is my daily driver and is extremely reliable. I just replaced my a/c compressor on the xj6 and the cost was under $200. Of course I purchased the cheapest compressor I could find with excellent feedback. When I first got my xj6 and xjs I purchased the best shocks and tires that fit the car. These were expensive. The thing is that the jaguar WILL benefit by good shocks. I would never buy these shocks for my wife's suv because her car won't benefit from these shocks. Same with tires (she doesn't get why I buy $75 tires for her car and $200 for my car!) I would never be cheap when it comes to tires and shocks on a Jaguar!
In the end, I think that prices are quite reasonable for Jaguars and almost always easy to replace.
I would buy a 95 just so you don't have to deal with failing inspections because the check engine light is on.

 

Stephane,

As most owners will tell you, you should really buy an XJS on condition and maintenance history rather than anything else. There's no such thing as a cheap XJS! You either buy a good car or you spend even more making a poor car good!

As you're looking for a 4 litre, in general, the later the car, the better. There are 3 key changes in the last few years of production.

At VIN 194774 (April 1994), the AJ16 engine and other trim changes were introduced. More powerful than the previous AJ6 engine, the AJ16 is one of the all-time great Jaguar engines, capable of huge mileage.
At VIN 198335 (October 1994), the brake system changed to the now less troublesome Teves IV system
Then at VIN 221855 (April 1995), the car was designated "Celebration". This was the final major spec change for the car.

If you're looking for something between 1994 & 1996, I would definitely go for an AJ16-engined car. All other things being equal, I would look for the latest car that you can find.

As regards parts, ALWAYS start by looking at Jaguar's own parts website, even if it's just to ensure that you're identifying the correct part number. You can then also verify if the part is still available from Jaguar (They have a very large parts distribution capability in the US). With the relatively small number of cars made, there is not the enormous aftermarket parts production availability that you may expect for other US classic cars. However, there are 2 big independent UK Jaguar parts suppliers, who can provide some OEM or pattern parts for certain items. These are SNG Barratt & David Manners, both of who have US distribution capability. OEM is fine, but personally, I don't buy pattern parts unless I absolutely have no choice. Then there are a number of US aftermarket parts specialists of whom your US colleagues can give you good advice and recommendations. A large number of parts are just not available, such as various trim parts, panels, headlights etc. So you'll become well-versed in sourcing used parts.

Good luck with your search for the car!

Paul

 

Thank you very much for your precious advises. The car I’m interested is equipped with the AJ6 engine unfortunately with vin 194352. I’ll keep looking. Thank you again.

 

There's really nothing unfortunate about having an AJ6 engine, Stephane. The earlier "facelift" cars (93-4) that have it in the USA also have different bumpers from the later cars, which some people may prefer. What might be of interest to you is that the rear brakes moved from inboard to outboard sometime in 1994. The outboard ones are much easier/cheaper to work on.

 

Stephane,

As mentioned, there's nothing wrong with a late AJ6 engine! It's a good strong engine.

All cars after 188105 (May 1993) had the big plastic bumpers and the outboard brakes, so that will be the spec of the one you've looked at (194352). One can argue that an inboard brake model has better weight distribution, but the much simpler maintenance of the outboard disc cars makes them a much better option imo.

Cheers

Paul

 

Unsprung weight reduction, Paul! Not an argument, it is true. But you are quite correct about far easier maintenance on the outboard axle. But who buys a classic jaguar for easy maintenance?!

I am (sadly) old enough to fondly remember how important that was to pre-aero racing cars...

 

Fantastic that you are considering obtaining one of these classic cars.
I did so last September, I did not find this forum until after purchase, Please Please make a budget for this car; plan on the following items once you take delivery.
1. Replace the battery
2. replace belts
3. replace ALL fluids, oil, trans, coolant, brake ETC
4. brake pads
5. Fuses

ENJOY THE JOURNEY