RE: SOTW: Jaguar XJS V12

[300bhp/ton]

xjsjag53 said:

Any excuse ......!

That looks great. I do admit to being a fan of the earlier shape and rear lights, but on those wheels I reckon this is about as good as an XJS gets. Simply wonderful. Is it a 4.0 or a 6.0?

[Stick Legs]

heppers75 said:

Well if everyone else is posting their XJ-S pictures it would be rude not to follow suit...

And all those that have suggested MPG is terrible I have news for you.................. You are spot on 8-10MPG on my 12 mile jaunt to work cross country and circa 15MPG on a decent NSL run. Mine is going to France next month so a 2000 mile road trip in the old girl... Can't wait!





And finally the two current steeds side by side last weekend...

YAY! My old car! :-) Nice to see it in such nice condition!

[V12 Migaloo]

pSyCoSiS said:

Oh MY! That's one sexy cat!

Cheers dude, but hang on, just checked out all your previous owned motors... WOW, so whats the verdict German or Jag?

PS: for all others out there, WSM in Guildford have a V12 Manual XJS, absolutely stonking mjechanically, could do with some buffing here or there or just fit a cage in for some track fun... I have no idea how much but if your interested drop me an email...

[V12 Migaloo]

W124Bob said:

The man himself

Bob, I didn't give you permission to post my photo.....

[xjsjag53]

300bhp/ton said:

That looks great. I do admit to being a fan of the earlier shape and rear lights, but on those wheels I reckon this is about as good as an XJS gets. Simply wonderful. Is it a 4.0 or a 6.0?

Thank you for your kind comments. It is a 4.0.

I suffered a pre-HE V12 in the 80's, something major and expensive went wrong almost every time I turned the key! However to my eye, the shape got better and better, I've had this one about 12 years and am still in love.

I agree with you about the wheels, as far as I am aware they are "standard" and were designed for the "facelift" model. Yet I seldom see them on other XjS's.

[V12 Migaloo]

grosserbaby said:

Nice too, I'm off to Le Mans this Weds, never made the classic though might try next year.

Grosserbaby, I think the classic is every two years, but you should definatley try it, I found it far more interesting then the normal 24hr LM and more well behaved as well, no one fell on my tent or pi**ed against my car! Plus when the cars are racing their is always other series cars being prepared in the pddock, top fun, only down side is a distict lack of totty!

[k-ink]

My Dad owned one from almost new (G reg) for around 20 years and 98k miles. In fact its last year was under my ownership. Admittedly it was run properly from day one. Which meant specialist Jaguar servicing from Alan Collins, daily parking in a garage, everything done on the dot. It never had an issue in all that time. Our mechanic said it was one of the best he had seen underneath. Its new owner agreed with this after viewing many examples. It sold some years ago for £3500. Pittance considering it was circa £53k new.

If you have never sat inside an XJS you may be in for a shock. Although it is about as long as a pier it is more cramped inside than a motorbike side car. The windscreen sits in front of your face like a pair of glasses and every surface is right in your face. Claustrophobiacs need not apply.

As a drivers car I would say it does not like to be rushed. Even thought the engine offers effortless grunt, the chassis is not keen on pace at all. It wants to travel at a sensible rate, so if you push harder the car actually seems to fight you. Turning it into a corner you can feel the chassis flex. The odd pot hole causes creaks and groans like an old galleon. Really it is a car to cruise along with and no more.



Edit:

I forgot to say mine was a V12 auto. I suspect the smaller engined manual would be preferable as a drivers car.

Edited by k-ink on Monday 11th June 10:40

[300bhp/ton]

xjsjag53 said:

Thank you for your kind comments. It is a 4.0.

I suffered a pre-HE V12 in the 80's, something major and expensive went wrong almost every time I turned the key! However to my eye, the shape got better and better, I've had this one about 12 years and am still in love.

I agree with you about the wheels, as far as I am aware they are "standard" and were designed for the "facelift" model. Yet I seldom see them on other XjS's.

Think you are right about the wheels. But they certainly suit the car 100%, it really does look supercar good IMO.

[heppers75]

Stick Legs said:

heppers75 said:

Well if everyone else is posting their XJ-S pictures it would be rude not to follow suit...

And all those that have suggested MPG is terrible I have news for you.................. You are spot on 8-10MPG on my 12 mile jaunt to work cross country and circa 15MPG on a decent NSL run. Mine is going to France next month so a 2000 mile road trip in the old girl... Can't wait!





And finally the two current steeds side by side last weekend...

YAY! My old car! :-) Nice to see it in such nice condition!

Hello chap,

Did not know you were on here!!

How goes it?

She is still going very well... Flew threw her MOT a week or so ago and she is about to go on a European jaunt in a few weeks.

Best..

[hairykrishna]

I badly want this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-Sport-6-0-V12-TWR...

[XJ40]

hairykrishna said:

I badly want this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-Sport-6-0-V12-TWR...

I've been watching that, awesomeness with four wheels. The two-tone bodykit is a bit eighties cheese even by my standards so I think I'd body colour it, also a black interior wouldn't go amiss, otherwise dream car potential. Surely a valuable future classic.

[Stinkfoot]

I have fond memories of the XJS as years ago I went out with a grand to look at a nice Granada at a local dealers, rejected it because it was brown and got talked into buying a nice looking red V12 XJS by the said dealer.

Even a soaking wet floor never stopped me once I had enjoyed the test drive. No history either but i needed new car for work and quick so my grand was spent and the XJS was mine.
I started to have doubts a couple of days when i mangaged to get rid of 3/4 of a tank of fuel in around 30 miles after some 'spirited' driving but to be honest the car was faultless for the next week and a half until the temp started playing up - a leaking heater matrix hence the soaking floor.

So 3 cans of rad weld, some mats from the breakers yard and 2 solid days with a fan heater to dry out the worst of the water and it went up for sale and I sold it for £800 2 weeks later.

My dad (rip) never stopped laughing but i enjoyed adding the XJS to my car CV !

[mgrays]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-LISTER-XJS-7-0LTR...

Lister storm for £23k (7 litre 500 hp)... little out of SOTW but related!

[splitpin]

mgrays said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-LISTER-XJS-7-0LTR...

Lister storm for £23k (7 litre 500 hp)... little out of SOTW but related!

Errrrrrrrrrr, know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but that's a definite pass from me.

[V12 Migaloo]

mgrays said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-LISTER-XJS-7-0LTR...

Lister storm for £23k (7 litre 500 hp)... little out of SOTW but related!

Real powerhouse that, WSM in Guildford have a lovely Blue one too...

[hairykrishna]

mgrays said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-LISTER-XJS-7-0LTR...

Lister storm for £23k (7 litre 500 hp)... little out of SOTW but related!

That's not a Lister Storm. The Storm was a proper supercar;



That's either a Lister 'Le Mans' which was a widened XJS with lots of bespoke bits or a normal XJS with a Lister tweaked engine and, maybe, some other stuff.

[urquattro]

hairykrishna said:

I badly want this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-Sport-6-0-V12-TWR...

Unless I am mistaken, Barons sold this car for £5.3k at their recent Auction, probably end April or early May.
The reason I connected with it is the exhaust manifolds, which look a s/steel art form and sure not many around with that engine bay, be interested to see if it gets to Auction value plus some premium.
Could be wrong though. !!

[pSyCoSiS]

V12 Migaloo said:

Cheers dude, but hang on, just checked out all your previous owned motors... WOW, so whats the verdict German or Jag?

PS: for all others out there, WSM in Guildford have a V12 Manual XJS, absolutely stonking mjechanically, could do with some buffing here or there or just fit a cage in for some track fun... I have no idea how much but if your interested drop me an email...

They are two totally different kettles of fish!

To me, the Jags have a drive like no other. I don't know what it is or how they pull it off, but the way these XJs just waft, is on a different level.

I will say that I do feel the German cars are way better engineered and put together than the Jags - almost all of the Jags I have owned have had loose bits of trim in the interior, and alot of them suffer from rust.

But, it's the way you can pilot one with finger-tip control, the low, wide-screen affect windscreen, the majestic lines, the twin tail pipes and the extraordinary sillouhette that is known the world over as a great British motoring icon that makes me love them (also, the 'dodgy geezer' image does it for me!).

As long as you have one in decent nick, you can pull up anywhere, at any given event, and that car still commands (and receives) alot of respect, and does not look like a car you can pick up from the £500 mark!

Keep your one forever mate - the Series 3 are definitely some of the best lookers, and your's has to be the best I have seen in a long time!

[cml]

XJ40 said:

hairykrishna said:

I badly want this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-Sport-6-0-V12-TWR...

I've been watching that, awesomeness with four wheels. The two-tone bodykit is a bit eighties cheese even by my standards so I think I'd body colour it, also a black interior wouldn't go amiss, otherwise dream car potential. Surely a valuable future classic.

Like! Manual V12 woo. Wonder what it'll go for? MPG disaster though.

AJ6 Engineering bits a good extra too.

[BlueEyedBoy]

V12 Migaloo said:

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.....

Where can one find one of these in good nick in black? I was trying to find one at the weekend as it happens to no avail!