Cat, or Dog? Cheapo 1992 Jaguar XJS 4.0
Discussion
I agree with all of the above, the xj-s has aged very well, mine is an early 3.6 but goes pretty well and makes a lovely companion to my Jensen, you can tell there are 20 years between them when you drive them back to back but I find the Jaguar very modern to drive even if the windscreen seems a lot closer than a 'modern' barge. Fabulous value as well, its an awful lot of car for the money I paid for it...
BV72 - I am shortly to view a V12 XJS.
It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
Doofus said:
OK, I've finally sussed it!
You're a barrister, living in leafy Oxfordshire, you like to use idiosyncratic language, and you own a rapidly increasing number of quirky cars.
I suspect that every legal case you get is a murder, which you take it upon yourself to investigate, much to the annoyance (but ultimately the grudging gratitude) of the Thames Valley Police.
I fully expect to see several series of dramatised documentaries about your life appear on ITV on Sunday evenings once the summer nights start to close in again.
By the way, I think it would really help your cause if you were to have a busy-body wife, an idealistic pupil, a clerk who is a whizz on computers, and/or a three legged cat.
You're a barrister, living in leafy Oxfordshire, you like to use idiosyncratic language, and you own a rapidly increasing number of quirky cars.
I suspect that every legal case you get is a murder, which you take it upon yourself to investigate, much to the annoyance (but ultimately the grudging gratitude) of the Thames Valley Police.
I fully expect to see several series of dramatised documentaries about your life appear on ITV on Sunday evenings once the summer nights start to close in again.
By the way, I think it would really help your cause if you were to have a busy-body wife, an idealistic pupil, a clerk who is a whizz on computers, and/or a three legged cat.
post of the year BV72 - lovely choice. Nice to see the axis Being appreciated.
i'd never really got the XJS...
in my youth it represented so much that was bad about BL. And Roger Moore drove one.
Later when i drove a couple they were a little lardy and wallowy for a young man in a hurry.
However, at the weekend i had a '94 4.0 as my Goodwood chariot, and i'm smitten.
The car seemed tight for a 100k plus example. Such a svelt ride, what a joy. And when pressing on, the suspension firmed up and handled the curves with great composure. For sure it's no sports car (what i wanted when i drove early examples as a younger man) but it was firm and predictable, a proper old school GT car.
The exterior is ageing well and looks very classic imo. The interior is a disappointing parts bin hotchpotch, shocking when i think to the Saabs and BMWs i had of the same age.
Prices seem all over for post 1990 cars... from 3k to 20k? I'm sure some dealers are speculating.
One little quirk, every time i acknowledged another driver my fingers hit the windscreen, modern windscreens are so much farther away!
Great car for a long journey. Great classic.
in my youth it represented so much that was bad about BL. And Roger Moore drove one.
Later when i drove a couple they were a little lardy and wallowy for a young man in a hurry.
However, at the weekend i had a '94 4.0 as my Goodwood chariot, and i'm smitten.
The car seemed tight for a 100k plus example. Such a svelt ride, what a joy. And when pressing on, the suspension firmed up and handled the curves with great composure. For sure it's no sports car (what i wanted when i drove early examples as a younger man) but it was firm and predictable, a proper old school GT car.
The exterior is ageing well and looks very classic imo. The interior is a disappointing parts bin hotchpotch, shocking when i think to the Saabs and BMWs i had of the same age.
Prices seem all over for post 1990 cars... from 3k to 20k? I'm sure some dealers are speculating.
One little quirk, every time i acknowledged another driver my fingers hit the windscreen, modern windscreens are so much farther away!
Great car for a long journey. Great classic.
Breadvan72 said:
The car is still going very well, and is a hoot to drive. I think that the car may have, if not a dicky alternator, the wrong battery in it. The battery looks too small. I have not yet checked the numbers and the book. The car tends to run a bit short on volts when electrical services are in use. The heater is still playing up. The main beams sometimes come on when asked to, but mostly don't, so that may be a wiring problem or summat. The oil pressure gauge sometimes reads low, but I have been told that under reading on the gauge is a common fault with the XJS. Sometimes the needle does not move at all, but it flicks into life when the guage is tapped sharply with a finger. The car is doing about 26 MPG (No, I don't believe this either, but that is what the trip computer says). I have found a scrappy who can sell me whole wings to swap out for rusty ones.
I don't know if it's the same on them, but with similar age XJ40s the fuseboxes in the footwells get cracks in the solder that cause all sorts of random electrical issues. I split mine open & resoldered them, which fixed 90% of the quirks the car had at the time.XJR500bhp said:
Breadvan72 said:
The late ones became all coy and adopted a modern style cover. This is the engine of a 1994 car:-
Just so you're in the know, unless I read this wrong. That's not a different cover, it's a different engine. AJ 16 and AJ6 comparativelyCharlesdeGaulle said:
BV72 - I am shortly to view a V12 XJS.
It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
Mon General et M. le President, I have not yet sorted the bodywork on my car, so cannot tell you the full horror. I hope it will not be too bad. When I have a moment, I will email you deets of a specialist Jag scrappy. You could prob get a complete wing for about 150 quid ish. Put in on, paint it, off you go. I may buy a donor car that has an XJS number plate that I have been offered for not much. Body on that one better than mine, but it has some mech issues, so mine may be the one to save, possibly with a plate transfer to add chav points and maybe resale value, not that I GAF about the latter, as cars are for fun, not investment. It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
PS: surely you should have a DS Pallas?
Breadvan72 said:
Mon General et M. le President, I have not yet sorted the bodywork on my car, so cannot tell you the full horror. I hope it will not be too bad. When I have a moment, I will email you deets of a specialist Jag scrappy. You could prob get a complete wing for about 150 quid ish. Put in on, paint it, off you go. I may buy a donor car that has an XJS number plate that I have been offered for not much. Body on that one better than mine, but it has some mech issues, so mine may be the one to save, possibly with a plate transfer to add chav points and maybe resale value, not that I GAF about the latter, as cars are for fun, not investment.
PS: surely you should have a DS Pallas?
Many thanks. I'm hoping to view at the weekend, although with 3 old Mercs already on the drive I suspect I may soon need a divorce lawyer. A Citroen would guarantee it!PS: surely you should have a DS Pallas?
I don't know much about bodywork costs and have yet to find a classic Jag specialist with sensible costs close by (Gloucester/Cheltenham), so any info you can provide on real-world costs would be much appreciated; obviously I'll respect the confidence. Bon chance!
P.S. Is an XJS plate a good idea? Really?
Breadvan72 said:
I know that, cheers! The AJ16 is, as you know, a development of the AJ6, with coil on plug ignition and various other changes. I have driven cars with both. The AJ6 is, I think, a bit more rorty, but the AJ16 is even smoother than the already smooth AJ6 and has more torque.
Good man - I love both engines, but it's your engine that powers my racer
Hooli said:
I don't know if it's the same on them, but with similar age XJ40s the fuseboxes in the footwells get cracks in the solder that cause all sorts of random electrical issues. I split mine open & resoldered them, which fixed 90% of the quirks the car had at the time.
Many thanks, I will check this, as the car does have a few electrical oddities, none of which have thus far caused a big problem, but which it would be good to resolve if I can. The battery was indeed hopelessly mismatched, and was a tiny thing more suited to a small hatchback than a big engined car. New battery now fitted.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
BV72 - I am shortly to view a V12 XJS.
It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
There was a recently updated thread somewhere on PH where an XJS had bodywork and an exhaust it was south coast/solent way, you may be able to find it if you search. It has some rust which seems to be superficial and surface, but I won't know for sure until I view. Would you mind giving me an idea of ball-park costs for rectification based on your experience please? It's on a front corner of the bonnet and on one wing.
I know that bodywork, panels and paint all add up pretty quickly, but a sense of the rough order of magnitude of what someone has paid recently would be very useful.
Cheeky I know, but thanks in advance.
Does anyone want a light blue six cylinder auto XJS convertible that has groovy quad headlamps? Looks OK from a quick shuftie. For sale near me, might be gettable for 4500 ish.
My Jaaaaaag is a rusty as ever, but is running smoothly. Apart from being mega rusty, its main issue at present is a knackered gearbox mounting, attributable, I think, to a very badly designed speed bump at a posh hotel not far from where I live. I am not usually one for complaining and suing people and stuff, but I might bang off a polite but firm letter about the damage. I drove mega slowly across the bump, but the bump was so high and pointy that it did for me anyway. The car weighs a lot, and is quite low. Ker-runch.
Here is the car during and after getting the love from the local Romanian/Hungarian car wash dudes. Hard working guys, they put in a big effort. The car looks much better in photos than it does in real life!
My Jaaaaaag is a rusty as ever, but is running smoothly. Apart from being mega rusty, its main issue at present is a knackered gearbox mounting, attributable, I think, to a very badly designed speed bump at a posh hotel not far from where I live. I am not usually one for complaining and suing people and stuff, but I might bang off a polite but firm letter about the damage. I drove mega slowly across the bump, but the bump was so high and pointy that it did for me anyway. The car weighs a lot, and is quite low. Ker-runch.
Here is the car during and after getting the love from the local Romanian/Hungarian car wash dudes. Hard working guys, they put in a big effort. The car looks much better in photos than it does in real life!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff