Well, nearly - this is the Shed that got away, but we just had to write about it even so
The Jag that got away was the price of this tired one...
On the face of it a Jaguar XJS does not seem like the ideal Shed of the Week. After all, a fearsome reputation for unreliability, a dauntingly complex - and expensive to fix - V12 and the likelihood of frilly bodywork are not the best combination for budget motoring.
...but closer to this in condition...
But, as has been said many times before, Shed isn't necessarily about making rational choices - it would be a thoroughly boring weekly feature if it was. Which is why the idea of 5.3 litres and 12 cylinders of majestic Jaguar coupe for £995 is such an appealing prospect.
Sure, it's definitely-not-an-E-Type looks aren't the prettiest of lines, but there's an undeniable grace and presence to the XJS shape that makes it stand out from the crowd - it's aged distinctively if not necessarily well, shall we say.
Unfortunately, the car ad we had targeted as Today's SOTW - spotted by PHer RP1 - is no longer live, so we presume that some lucky/brave punter has already snatched it up. And it's a measure of how rare it is to find a clean, cheap V12 XJS HE (this one had tax and ticket, old MoTs, some history and looked clean, despite the seller admitting to a few rust blisters) that a thorough rummage around the UK's classifieds turned up nothing to remotely compare with it.
...from the sound of things at least...
The best we could come up with was this 1986 V12 which, apart from the colour and the absence of cross-spoke wheels is pretty much identical to that mythical near-miss car that originally caught our eye on Gumtree. Except that the seller of this Jersey-registered car (actually the one we've used in most of the pictures) wants a full thousand pounds more.
In fact, the only V12 XJS we found that was comparable on price was this distinctly ratty F-plate example with neither tax nor MoT, up for £790, curiously - and we suspect erroneously - described in the advert headline as 'supercharged'.
So what's the moral of the story? (I didn't know SOTW had to have a moral - Ed.) Well, we suppose it's that you can find shed-price V12 Jaguar XJSes out there, but boy are they rare. And boy do they get snapped up quickly. Although given the model's potential to become a money pit, perhaps it's a good thing they don't come along all that often...
Advert for the original find is reproduced below
11 MONTHS MOT, 6 MONTHS TAX, NICE GENUINE CAR, SOME SERVICE HISTORY, ALL PREVIOUS MOTS, HANDBOOKS, ENGINE AND GEAR BOX BOTH GOOD, BODYWORK GOOD FEW BLISTERS,
I spent nearly 3 years looking for a very good one and they can go for silly money, I was fortunate to get mine for a few times the shed limit but not too many and I have managed to get a very good one.
Around the £1k-£2k there are some comedy examples about but that one seemed nice for that money.
Drive it until something catastrophic inevitably breaks, then remove the engine, drain it of fluids, clean it up, and have it as a static display in your lounge.
Double kicking from the other half, but it would be worth it.
I like these, but will give it a miss thanks, will try something less risky, something like Crack, Free Climbing, Base Jumping or telling the missus her arse looks big in that skirt...
Drive it until something catastrophic inevitably breaks, then remove the engine, drain it of fluids, clean it up, and have it as a static display in your lounge.
Double kicking from the other half, but it would be worth it.
Depends on how tolerant your other half is.... Mine pinched my used up slicks to grow spuds in towers and is very keen to have my soon to be discarded six pot block from tme Monza placed in the garden to grow mint in the bores (apparently it needs to be restricted to stop it spreading and a block is perfect..... )
I think the xjs with a good set of wheels is one of the best looking cars ever, to be honest even better than an e-type in an 80's kind of way. I would love one.
Apart from being very thirsty are these much worse than other V12 engined cars for reliability? I know they used some cheap electrical connectors in the build which means switches have a habit of not working, but leaving that aside, aren't they quite a reasonable proposition to own.
...An old XJS was once used in an episode of Casualty, the Unscrupulous owner did not bother to MOT it and later in the story tried to drive it only for the whole back axle to fall off, he ended up crashing and on the ward for treatment..it was totally ridiculous
My brother had one of these for quite a few years (mostly sat on the driveway not moving), body was actually in great shape, unfortunately it had gearbox issues. Eventually sold it to some dodgy scrap dealers. They came assuming it needed towing yet it started and drove away fine. Think my brother was a little gutted at that!
Interior was lovely and the car got a few admiring looks, biggest problem was its immense thirst. If they were pre-73 I'd be tempted to keep one for a few 100 miles each year, but just can't justify the cost of tax for a car I'd only do 500 miles in!
...An old XJS was once used in an episode of Casualty, the Unscrupulous owner did not bother to MOT it and later in the story tried to drive it only for the whole back axle to fall off, he ended up crashing and on the ward for treatment..it was totally ridiculous
Ha! Was it one of those proper old Casulty episodes, where you could tell he was in trouble right at the beginning because he left the house saying "Nah, it'll be fine love, don't you worry about me..."?
Not wanting to go agaist the grain but I have to say that These V12's are reliable, if you drive them regularly and service them as and when needed. The problem is that people spend 800 quid on a motor that costs nearly a grand to have it serviced and maintained properly. They drive a few hundred miles, then sorn it for 6 months and then expect it to run like a dream afterwards... I have had one for 10 years now, I drive about 7k a year and it costs me about a grand in maintanance, expensive ?? Perhaps but cheaper then any other V12 out there... but hey thats what you have to expect with a V12 as it aint a push rod 4 cylinder..... of course the ancillaries can go, but generally a good one is bullet proof, if A) you let it warm up everytime you start it (otherwise the plugs will get clogged) B) make sure you have a clean coolant system C) change the fluids every 10k. These are great cars honestly, Im doing Lemans Classic in mine and cant wait. Go on do it, spoil yourselves, buy a V12, you know you want too.....
