I am looking at buying a true "Pig-in-a-Poke". There is an 85' XJ6 at a local towing yard to be sold @ auction this week end. Black with tan interior.

The car is locked and therefore the towing company has no idea if it even runs (state law will not let them pop the locks as they do NOT own the car), however, a worker told me "off the record" that the car is without body damage that the interior has the normal amount of wear for its age and that all 4 tires are round and black it is not leaking anything on to the ground under it......also the oil is dirty. (can you open the hood on a locked 85 Jag?)

I was told that there will be a locksmith at the auction to open the locked cars for their new owners.

The question is......If I can grab this lady up for about $150.00 to $200.00 good deal/bad deal and what are the odds that this thing may be a pearl in a pile of poop?

Thanks

Dennis

Submitted by reisdp@hotmail.com on Fri, 02/13/2004 - 23:19

Well guys the auction is tomorrow @ noon.

Please pray to Gods of Jaguar that this is a running CAT!!!

I am gonna GO FOR IT!!!

Thanks

Dennis

Submitted by reisdp@hotmail.com on Tue, 02/10/2004 - 12:56

Jerry;

I am in Tacoma, WA. The car is at a yard not far from me (Federal Way).

I hope that you are NOT going to the auction, I have to work on Saturdays and a neighbor is going in my stead with my wife to do paperwork should we win the bidding.

Thanks

Dennis

Submitted by wljenkins@usa.net on Tue, 02/10/2004 - 11:57

For a couple of hundred dollars you can't go wrong. I picked up a "project" 1986 XJ6 for $1,500.00 a few years ago and it has more than paid for itself as a donor car to two other XJ6's that I've worked on.

I'd say the car is worth up to $500.00 sight unseen.

Submitted by SC20-30420CJ on Tue, 02/10/2004 - 11:28

Hi Dennis,
You can open the hood on a ser1 - 3 XJ with the car locked. Inside the front wheel wells, about 9 inches back from the shock absorber mount and about 10 inches in from the outer lip of the fender, there is a rubber plug about 1 inch long (or simply a hole if the plug has gone missing). With a screwdriver positioned up through the hole, you can move the latch mechanism back and release the hood pin. Do the same on the other side and the hood will open.

For $200 or so, it might be a great buy. YOu can always part it out and get your money back. Getting it back to a reliable form of transport may not be easy. Neglected Jags are not happy jags. Perhaps you can bid on the car with the right to back out of the deal if it's not what you want after you get it all opened up and have a better look.
John Testrake
Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis

Submitted by jam@ispwest.com on Tue, 02/10/2004 - 11:04

errr, (cough, cough), for $200.00 I'll put on some surgical gloves, clip my nose with one hand and dig in the pile of poop with the other for the Pearl, it's all organic anyway. Just bring a can of Lysol Desinfectant to the auction. There's a way to pop the hood open but I'm not going to be the one spilling the beans. 'Your Locksmith should know, yeahh, yeahh, yeahh, Your Locksmith should know, ahh ha'. There's even a secret spare key hidden away, and chances are you won't find it. An attorney would call that: 'Privileged Information'. Overall, I think you are being lied to, no 1985 car is leak-free, and all tires are black anyway. But go right ahead do yourself and us a favor and rescue it, another John Egan-era XJ saved from the Salvage Yard Co. Inc. Ltd. Corp. LLC. (not too many left I don't think).