Hello all,

I have always wanted an XJS, and have found one that ticks the right boxes for me in terms of appearance, spec (AJ16*), location, price and timing. I know there are a lot of 'what to look for' threads and I've read most of them. Hopefully my questions are specific enough to not be redundant.

I have looked at and driven the car, just to make sure it wasn't a rough running rustbucket. It has a few cosmetic issues, but no rust, and runs very strong (although my current basis for comparison is a 27 year old truck that may have made 145 hp when new), idles steady, low and cool. It's a little floaty and the steering is a little vague, but overall it seems in good nick**. I am heading back to give it a more thorough going-over and possibly part with my hard-earned greenbacks.

I have read many of the threads on this forum (and others) to get a sense of what I may be getting myself into. This particular example has higher mileage (150-ish) and a somewhat spotty maintenance record (there are records, but incomplete), but I have factored into the price sorting out the suspension, steering, HVAC (Lord help me), fluids, etc.

What I've learned reading here is that there are some parts that are very difficult to find and / or very expensive, such that overlooking something requiring immediate, expensive repair could result in more headache than the car is worth. To that end I'm looking at the following as some areas to pay particular attention to:

ABS: What I am looking for is for the ABS light to go off almost immediately after startup, and not after six seconds. If it only goes off after a delay, referring to a post by XJRGuy - "With the key off press the brake pedal really firmly 20-30 times, this will exhaust the accumulator completely.Now start the car and watch the ABS Lamp. On a new accumulator it should take 30-45 seconds at least for enough pressure to be stored and kill the light. If it can't store pressure, that light will go out in the USUAL 6-7 seconds. That's a problem because it will wear out the pump, an expensive item." Therefore, I would plan to replace the accumulator if worn, but if the pump running constantly (or not at all), that would indicate a new pump is or will soon be required, correct? Is this a "run away" issue?

ECU: Looking for any signs of water entry, corroded or loose connectors. These are tough to find?

OBDII: I will hook up the scan tool, check for codes and refer to the chart on pages 111-119 of this handy document - http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Trai...20-%202000.pdf

The question here is whether, assuming the engine is running well, there are any faults that might indicate a serious problem. I assume that I'll be replacing a few sensors here and there, but any particular issue /code to look for and be wary of? It seems most sensors are available and not exhorbitantly expensive (O2, CPS, TPS, etc.). The only one I found as NLA is the temp sending unit for the dash gauge; any others I should know about?

I'm taking a bit of a chance on this vehicle, but the price is such that even if parted out I wouldn't take a total bath. "My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools." (I do have tools and space.)

This will be the newest, nicest vehicle I've ever owned. That is where some of my hesitancy lies - this will be my first vehicle with airbags, OBDII, etc. It will be my first in over ten years with ABS or even power windows. But I've got a voltmeter and a soldering iron and time and patience. This will not be a DD (yet, anyway).

Thanks for reading, I look forward to any comments or words of encouragement or caution. Although it's a cheap vehicle by any modern, retail, standards, it will be more than I've spent on a car in forever; and we all know there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Jaguar.

*re: AJ16, yeah, a V12 would be awesome, but would definitely be jumping in the deep end right off the bat. I'm liking the DOHC I6, but it seems certain parts can be tricky to find. Or should I just say "to hell with it" and dig through the couch cushions? Jaguar 1985 XJS twin super charged
Bradley Smith XJS in Detail

**I'm learning British. I'll add that the driver's seat in this thing is rather 'knackered.'

Thanks for reading.

 

Sounds like you're going into this with eyes wide open and reasonable expectations. Do it!! And post pics. And of course, it all depends on how much you're paying.

 

Thanks Flint. I am hoping this can be a 'rolling refurbishment' - that I can enjoy the car while sorting it. I'm just wary (as I'm sure everyone is about any major purchase) of running into an immediate 3,000 dollar problem before even getting 100 miles under the belt. I'll post an update after the weekend and welcome any other comments.

 

Well, did you buy it??

 

I did. There will be a bit of work getting it back to factory ride, but it does drive very nice and no immediately noticeable problems, aside from an occasional light 'clink' from the rear - trans mount or maybe just exhaust moving around (or maybe even just the spare tire or something in the trunk; haven't had time to investigate). Sadly it will be stuck in storage for the next two months, then we'll be right into winter, but hopefully I can get a couple drives in before snow.

The reason I was after this particular car is that a prior owner paid a dealership to install a Getrag 290. It's a little sloppy and the clutch pickup is sort of quick, and the footwell is a bit narrow (but again, I'm used to driving a truck), but I like it very much and it is a comfortable and quick grand tourer. Came with a good amount of records and even some extra bits.

Tooling around at 30mph in third gear and then just hammering it puts a smile on my face.

I hope to do a little fall foliage tour in a month or so, you'll have to wait until then for pics. It's a coupe- sapphire blue w/ lattice wheels.

 

Sounds like a keeper - enjoy her!! Look forward to seeing those pics.

 

Finally got out for some nice fall driving. Car runs well. Handles well. It's not really quick off the line but I love the 'merging speed' - 30 mph up to 70+ happens in a hurry. Really seems to handle well for its size and weight, once you get used to it. At first if feels like it sort of wallows or rolls into a corner, but then it kind of 'sits' down and you can gun it through the turn and it feels very well planted. Interesting car to drive, anyway. So far I am happy with the purchase. We'll see what's it's like to live with every day....

 

Oh, and, amazingly, CD and 5-disc changer works! Never had one of these 'in the trunk' changers. Kind of fun. What the heck do you do when you get through all 5 discs though?

Need to go to the thrift store for some cassettes....

 

Enjoy the car! And when you've listened to the 5 discs, then listen to the 6th disc! If it's the standard Alpine unit, then it's a 6-disc changer.

Paul