Looking to be a XJS owner redux

Power windows, A/C, cruise control (after '80 or so, I think) and most other "stuff" was all standard issue.

The level of stanadrd equipment increased over the 20 years of production and, for the USA cars at east, there were few "options". That is, the cars came fully outfitted....the buyer didn't much, if any, choice of selecting the various items individually.

I think, at various times, some paint, trim, and suspension options were offered but that's about it.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR
1988 XJS

I'm stll looking at various cars, but I have a question about optional equipment. As near as I can tell, power steering, brakes, windows, and AC are all standard, I'm not sure about cruise control, and all other power goodies were extra; is this correct?

Thanks, Steve

Oh, yeah, my email is craziesywave.com....

Ronald, where are you, and can you send me pics and a full description? That's in my price range, so I'm interested.

looking to sell my 1988 XJS with 40K original miles and less than 500 on the original motor rebuilt. No rust excellent body. Yours for less than $3,000.00

You're 100% right about mechanical vs. cosmetic repairs. Unless you are talking about a major engine/driveline problem, mechanical work is generally much less expensive....assuming DIY labor, of course.

Florida is a hot-bed of used Jags but I don't think rust is too much of a problem with them. It the cars that are used on salted roads that suffer the worst.

Plugs are probably easier than on your FE-engined Cougar (been there, done that) by virtue of that fact that everything in your way can be removed and/or repositioned to gain access. No undoing motor mounts, etc. required :-). Stll a big job, though.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR
1988 XJS

Thanks, Doug for taking the time for my 'newbie' questions.

I wondered about the moonroof; that's not a plus for me (never could figure WHY anyone would even want one; wanna-be convert?) but isn't a deal-breaker. Looks like a cleaner-than-usual install. I think I'll see if I can get some additional photos of the car. There seems to be a bunch of cars in Florida, but I'm paranoid about rust. With the cost of quality body/paint work these days, mechanical repair can be considerably cheaper.

I'm glad to know parts aren't a big problem; I've owned several imports in the past and parts availibility/cost is what killed the joy of ownership on every one. I had a Anglia in high school and the only gasket I could buy for that was the head gasket. Honed my gasket-making skills to a fine edge before I rid of it. Also learned about whitworth vs. standard threads (the hard way....).

The spark plugs surely can't be any worse than the 428CJ Cougar I owned!

If patience is the greatest virtue in working on one these, I'll be ok; I have plenty of that...

Thanks!

Steve

I found a 1991 XJ-S for $4200, 16390 miles and all but new interior. I had been looking for 6 months, checking E-bay, the AutoTrader, and local papers. One day I notice a 1991 with way to low miles so I think it's A) a New Orleans car, B) a miss-print, or C) there is a lot of info left out. The ad was in AutoTrader and there was only one side view picture and no VIN number. Sounded like a scam so on the way over to look at it IÔÇÖm thinking of the reasons that I wonÔÇÖt buy it. When I get there it was like walking back in time. The car was in a single car garage with stuff piled high on each side and when he took the dust cover off I couldnÔÇÖt believe the condition. On the entire car there was one dent above the rear window where he said a branch fell on it. The engine looked brand new and the underside of the car had cob web just like the ceiling in my basement. I drove home and told my wife I would kick myself if I passed up this car. That was November 10th and since then IÔÇÖve replaced all the tires, oiled then started the engine and burned a mouse nest out of the tail pipe.

The Ebay car looks like a good candidate for the money. Some of the cosmetic add-ons don't appeal to me but that's neither here nor there.

The moonroof is aftermarket, I'd say. Yeah, they leak sometimes. More common by far is rainwater leaks through the windshield rubber....although replacment, if needed, is no big deal. A bigger problem is IF the windshield leaks the under-dash electrics become corroded.

Gasket, filters, etc are no problem...readily available....as are nearly all the parts you might need. Perhaps not at your local chain-type auto parts store, but there are many Jag specialists on the www. You're right. Most of them are less expensive than one might assume. Parts are the least of your worries.

Count on replacing fuel hoses if not done in the last few years. This is quite important and often neglected....and one of the reasons burned out V12 are often seen in the salvage yards.

Fuel odor in the trunk is common and can be a difficult problem to fix....some of us never do eliminate it entirely it seems. A really strong odor could mean a leaky tank.

The cooling systems sufffer from clogged radiators (internal and external clogs), weak fan clutches, etc. It is a very unusual flow arrangment....and everything must be just right, including proper air purges, to make it work. Overheating often results in dropped valve seats....$$$$$$....which is the most common reason for the V8 conversions you see out there.

An '86 will have Lucas ignition....and unless proven otherwise the distributor advance will likely be seized. Common fault.

Suspension: if you ever done ball joints, bushings, etc on any other car then you can do 'em on a Jag, no problem....easier than many other cars, in fact. The ONE really difficult thing is lower control arm bushings....big project.

Brakes-caliper-rotors last as long as on any other car. Rotors are so cheap it doesn't pay to resurface them. Calipers are easily rebuilt. On the rears, it is *removing* the calipers and rotors that is the problem. Most owners drop the entire rear suspension assembly to do this job although it is not strictly necessary. Either way, a full weekend of labor for sure. Brake *pads* are very easy to replace.

Tunes-ups: allow about 4 hours for your first plug change :-). Do the cap, rotors, wires, etc at he same time. Like many things on an XJS, patience is required and they have a way of fighting back if you rush. These cars are complicated but you just have to look upon as a challenge and a diversion from your normal daily grind :-).

On the bright side, once you get everything sorted these are a terrific car to drive and very rewarding to own. For several years I used mine as my "road trip" car, often knocking off 600 miles in a weekend without thinking twice about it....and the car never skipping a beat.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR
1988 XJS

Doug, I appreciate your response and am going to take you up on your offer of more answers. Right now I'm looking hardest at a '86 in Pennsyvania; low miles (55K), that appears to be in excellent shape. It's only major drawback (to me) is it's moonroof, a possible leak. Here in the NW if you don't use a vehicle in the rain, you won't be using it much! It's at a car lot, but the guy has 100% feedback. He says in the ad that everything works, but I'll call and ask questions before I place a bid. Any Jag-specific questions I should ask? Ebay item 330060429806 (sorry, I'm not good at pasting URLs). Shipping will be expensive, though....

I looked at the only local car I could find, but it had way too many problems.

All the west coast cars seem to have much higher miles. I'm assuming it's because they get driven more due to the less harsh winters and lack of salt use. How much possible repair work will be mileage-related and how much age-related?

A complete fluid change would be the first thing on the agenda for anything I buy, after getting a factory manual. Anything to look out for here that the book may not address well? You mentioned the cooling system; anything Jag-specific to watch for? Does the trans use 'standard' gaskets and filters?

How about tune-ups? Best left to professionals, or is this something that can be tackled at home (assuming no major problems)?

Lastly, brakes/suspension. It appears to me that suspension repair is mostly labor-intensive, with common repair parts being fairly inexpensive ($300 more-or-less if you don't need a new rack or other major part). Is that a fair statement? At what mileage is this usually needed? Same with the brakes; how far do the originals usually go? You mentioned the rear brakes specifically as needing the rotors/calipers replaced. You can't turn the rotors? I used to rebuild my own calipers until it became almost as cheap to buy them already done; are these doable at home, or have the parts become not available to the general public (this is/was a problem on the early ford four-piston calipers)? What goes bad on them? The 'labor-intensive' bit is getting them off/on the diff?

A lot of questions, and anything you can tell me will help. I'll agree that in my self-imposed price range you need to be very careful, but I've found that a higher price doesn't always mean a better deal. I've had the best car-buying results trading 'newness' for low miles, assuming that the previous owner hasn't driven the car as far past the maintainence points. I'm handicapped here because none of these cars is close enough to go look at.

Anyway, thanks again!

Steve

You'll have lots to choose from. The '82 thru '91 coupes were all very similar so you might as well look for the best car in your price range and forget about the year.

The '82-'87 cars were pretty much identical with only minor trim and mechancical changes....the one significant change being the Mk III climate control in '87: easier to work on but more expensive to repair in some cases than the Mk II type.

1988 cars had a number of trim changes but no major mechanical changes. In 1989 came ABS brakes which can be a bit of a problem at times. Mid-89 cars had Marelli ignition--- a problem only if neglected. I think 1990 was the first year for air bags.

Very few had sunroofs....I've never seen one, actually. The wiring was pretty much the same although there were some small inprovements in some of the connectors starting in '88 or so. With the exception of the fuel injector wiring....which bakes to death on the engine....there really aren't any major wiring issues....although there are plenty of minor ones.

To be honest its a good thing that you are mechanically inclined because you are shopping in a dangerous price range: high enough to avoid obvious junk but too low to ensure getting a really good example---although you may get lucky.

As with most used Jags plan on spending a chunk of money catching up on neglected services and repairs that were never done. Once you get everything sorted you'll spend a few weekends each year keeping it that way. Theses cars can be quite reliable....but not without effort.

If you wanna keep the V12 just make sure the cooling system is 100% up-to-snuff as about the only thing that'll hurt a V12 is overheating. Keep 'em cool and they seem to last forever.

Make sure all modes of the climate control work. Some of the repairs here are labor intensive and expensive.

Rear calipers and rotors are labor intensive. Plan on replacing them unless you have proof that it has already been done. Big job. The front suspension will need overhauling if not done already: ball joints, ties rods, bushings, etc.

What I've mentioned just scratches the surface. If you ahve specific questions, fire away.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR
1988 XJS