Discussion
Dear all, I am considering a sunny Sunday morning Jaguar....Advice and experiences please would be appreciated on taking the classic XJS route or a later XK8 option. Budget is tight, maybe £3,000 plus a bit. Fuel consumption not paramount, ie. I wouldn't rule out V12 XJS, but value your opinions......
My opinion is, unfortunately, that you should double your budget, unless you are a really handy mechanic.
Others better informed than me will tell you about XJ-S's and the potential pitfalls. With regard to XK's, I would say the best advice is to get a good one, whether it is an 8 or an R - either way it is a great car, and still in the opinion of quite a few including me, better looking than the X150 aluminium model, which is itself a good looking car.
If you are particularly tall the convertible will be a tight fit. The chassis structure is prone to rust if not looked after, and the body particularly on the earlier 4.0 models is liable to rust in a few specific locations - the front footwells generally from a poorly designed folded flange on the underside. The wheel arches can also go, as can the sill flanges. Worse corrosion is likely if the car has ever been involved in an accident. Nikasil problems should be sorted by now and a good plan might be to find one with a replacement engine. Early timing chain tensioners were plastic and can fail disastrously. Water pumps are another known weak spot. Brake pads and discs need to be in good order and correctly fitted.
If you can get one with a full & thorough FJSH - they do exist I have one - I think that you are on a better bet. Drive a few to get a feel for them, and see some of the problems.
There are some excellent books out there regarding the XK Nigel Thurley's is one. Buy it and read it carefully before buying a car. Good luck.
Others better informed than me will tell you about XJ-S's and the potential pitfalls. With regard to XK's, I would say the best advice is to get a good one, whether it is an 8 or an R - either way it is a great car, and still in the opinion of quite a few including me, better looking than the X150 aluminium model, which is itself a good looking car.
If you are particularly tall the convertible will be a tight fit. The chassis structure is prone to rust if not looked after, and the body particularly on the earlier 4.0 models is liable to rust in a few specific locations - the front footwells generally from a poorly designed folded flange on the underside. The wheel arches can also go, as can the sill flanges. Worse corrosion is likely if the car has ever been involved in an accident. Nikasil problems should be sorted by now and a good plan might be to find one with a replacement engine. Early timing chain tensioners were plastic and can fail disastrously. Water pumps are another known weak spot. Brake pads and discs need to be in good order and correctly fitted.
If you can get one with a full & thorough FJSH - they do exist I have one - I think that you are on a better bet. Drive a few to get a feel for them, and see some of the problems.
There are some excellent books out there regarding the XK Nigel Thurley's is one. Buy it and read it carefully before buying a car. Good luck.
At that budget you will need to be very careful in buying a car. XKs are pretty much at their lowest value and can be worth that in parts. Don't buy unless you can either afford to maintain it or risk your investment. A £3K Jaguar will cost the same as a £6K Jaguar to maintain only the bills may be coming sooner on the lower value car. The only killer is rust , check the car carefully.
Join a club like xkec, JEC and plunder the forums to see common problems and fixes (also here and jaguarforum.co.uk)
Join a club like xkec, JEC and plunder the forums to see common problems and fixes (also here and jaguarforum.co.uk)
Interesting question, to all the above it may be worth adding that XJS values seem to be on the way up, the XK8 may be getting close to bottoming out, but I doubt prices will rise for a little while. Means the XJS may be a better investment if that is of interest, but running costs could potentially over-ride this anyway.
I think either are good looking cars, I love my XK8 despite having a few issues with it. I've considered replacing it but the only car I can think of to replace it is another XK8 so I may as well get mine right.
I think either are good looking cars, I love my XK8 despite having a few issues with it. I've considered replacing it but the only car I can think of to replace it is another XK8 so I may as well get mine right.
GavinPearson said:
The XK8 is a far, far better car to drive than the XJS.
Test drive them both, look for examples within your budget of the car you prefer.
I had a very late 96 XJS (june one of the last) it was a very very nice car to drive.I now have an XKR different cars but both a great drive.Test drive them both, look for examples within your budget of the car you prefer.
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