RE: SOTW: Jaguar XJS V12

[urquattro]

BlueEyedBoy said:

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!

Can provide a telephone number if you are serious, I know a nice black one is on the premises, but not at shed price though.

[XJSJohn]

ahh go on then, CGY503Y



1982 5.3 HE which i converted to a Gertrac 5 speed manual!

I thought she was gone to the scrap yard in the sky after being written off in an Autobahn shunt nearly 7 years ago, but it seems that she languished in said scrappy back in the UK for several years then someone here on PH dropped me an email that he had salvaged and resurrected her. She has subsequently been sold on eBay a few times and the the story of her off in Germany grows every time!

But then she always was a rogue's car - the original Park Lane XJ-S subsequently sold to a naughty toff that did an insurance scam on her (and the rest of his house etc apparently). He did some time at Her Maj's pleasure and sold the car on release, where i acquired her!

[V12 Migaloo]

BlueEyedBoy said:

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!

I would suggest you spend some time going to the various Jag meets that the JEC (Jaguar Enthusiasts Club) organise, join the club and you should get access to a plethora of XJ's. Also buy Jaguar World Magazine and try www.clarkesjaguar.co.uk/ and www.roberthughes.co.uk
An excellent original spec XJ will cost you around £10k.. You can find cheaper ones and some are in very good nick but generally buyiong from a specialist like these you do pay a tad more but then they know the cars person ally and wont sell any duffers.. If you want something more, something slightly modernised and fettled then try KWE, they take the XJ and XJS and completly rebuild them, just like I did.

Just one more photo from me...

[grosserbaby]

V12 Migaloo said:

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!

Never any Totty at Le Mans when I've been.

[V12 Migaloo]

grosserbaby said:

V12 Migaloo said:

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!

Never any Totty at Le Mans when I've been.

Shame, oh well at least we can concentrate on the motors..

[SKiwi]

Top shed - best XJS story was to see 6 of these coming down the front straight of Eastern Creek in formation !!! You won't see that again for a while - there's a big Jag club in Sydney..... (Before the days of digital cameras - would have to search for the photos)

[XJSJohn]

Talking of XJS racing down under .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhxrIhkbhk&fea...

[V12 Migaloo]

XJSJohn said:

Talking of XJS racing down under .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhxrIhkbhk&fea...

Fantastic, race course, car and driver (RIP) I actually drove it in a Nissan X-Trial, took a lot longer then 2 minutes though

[chris2010]

Always wanted one... 10/10 for me.
Very tempted but have to go up to GB to get one, a long way (drive to) from Geneva in a shed car... But I'm expecting XJS to be reliable.

Edited by chris2010 on Wednesday 13th June 12:42

[garypotter]

Saw my friend Dingle's v12 twr xjs the weekend with man gearbox straight through pipes, he has just built new inlet manifolds to release a bit more power! and is currently manufacturing a ram air system for it.

Holy carp, it sounds like a WWII aircraft on tick over, can't wait for it to be MOT'D and on the road.

[SKiwi]

V12 Migaloo said:

Fantastic, race course, car and driver (RIP) I actually drove it in a Nissan X-Trial, took a lot longer then 2 minutes though

Ah those were the days before the Ford vs Holden boredom of Aussie touring cars took over !!! Bring back the foreigners I say - we used to see Sierras, Skylines etc etc ......

I have also driven the course at Bathhurst - it is a public road when there is no race meeting & I take my hat off to anyone racing there - the section coming away from the crest is downright scarey !!! & they have now put a chicane on Conrod straight to slow things down before the turn to go past the grand stands......

[Ftumpch]

Well, one thing I've noticed about the XJS is that, with the possible exception of the odd Bristol (and their odd owners), it seems to be the only car more than about 20 years old that you regularly see driving around in the centre of London. That must say something about their reliability in comparison to their contemporaries.

I've always wanted one... but admittedly only in my dreams. Real life is unfortunately quite a different matter

[Royster]

urquattro said:

Here is one recently gone to a new owner, it was one too many and should be really good when some odd bits done, its a 1979 pre he V12 with the sweet but very greedy early engine.

I like those wheels. Are they from a different model Jag?

[XJ40]

They look like XK wheels. The good thing is that Jag kept the same PCD and bore for ages so series XJ, XJS, XJ40, X300, X308 and XK rims are more or less interchangeable.

Had some 18" XKR wheels on my '40, though perfer a more period design.

[JulesB]

BURN IT, BURN IT NOW!

[geeman237]

A bit late into the game with this one. Had to post some photos of my 1994 XJS 4.0 with a manual gearbox, v v rare here in the US. I just had it repainted, original black, new badges/trim and changed the headlight surrounds from chrome to satin black, new upper grille with satin black strip and I had a set of Jaguar wheels powder coated a non-original scheme.







Thanks

[ClaphamGT3]

On the topic of reliability, my father has a pre-HE XJ-S V12 that he's had from almost new. Its now done 330k miles and never had a major mechanical component let go. It was his every day car from 1980 - 1994.

I did once try and work out his cost of fuel...

[XJSJohn]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Its now done 330k miles

I did once try and work out his cost of fuel...

If you do, for God's sake don't tell your mother, she will probably kill your father

[mikey77]

>>Very tempted but have to go up to GB to get one, a long way (drive to) from Geneva in a shed car... But I'm expecting XJS to be reliable<<

Brought ours down to SW France from Huddersfield, no problems - but it isn't a shed.

[MycroftWard]

geeman237 said:

A bit late into the game with this one. Had to post some photos of my 1994 XJS 4.0 with a manual gearbox, v v rare here in the US. I just had it repainted, original black, new badges/trim and changed the headlight surrounds from chrome to satin black, new upper grille with satin black strip and I had a set of Jaguar wheels powder coated a non-original scheme.







Thanks

Loving that, looks great in black.