A cheap Jag XJS - Am I barmy?

[C70R]

I'm going to point out straight away that my budget is meagre, at £3-3.5k. I don't strictly need a car, I live within a 30min cycle/tube commute and my OH has a perfectly sensible and reliable new car. As such, my car fund comes from a pot that I keep purely for toys/entertainment. On the plus side, this does free me up to buy something that is less practical and more 'project'. The unfortunate downside is that I park on a residential street, so full-on restoration is probably a touch beyond me.

Would it be feasible to buy and run an XJS (probably a 3.6/4.0, with preference for pre-facelift) at this kind of budget? Ongoing/preventative maintenance is not a major issue in cost or feasibility terms, provided that I'm not going to be required to do masses of welding and painting. Am I letting myself in for a world of pain?

Are there any other classics that I should be considering at this sort of price? Ideally an auto, with potentially a bit of poke, preferably with 4 seats (2+2 ideal), and that can accommodate me at 6ft3.
A Rover P6 3500 popped up on my usual Ebay trawl, which opened my eyes to the possibility.

[C70R]

Should I take that as a "yes"?

[C70R]

Thanks everyone - very much appreciated.

Unfortunately I think budget might be the killer for me here, based on trawling classified sites and looking at EBay completed listings.
I fancy owning something a bit unusual and uncommon, with a bit of character, but I feel like I'll be pushing it to get an XJS in usable nick for this kind of cash. I simply don't have the time/space to undertake a massive resto project, and I could do without a car that is going to spend extended periods with garages. Perhaps I should turn my attention to something a bit more readily available, like a W124 coupe?

[C70R]

Humper said:

300bhp/ton said:

That said, any classic ownership, and especially of this budget, should come with the expectation of doing work on them from time to time. So if you are wanting something without any risk of work, then a classic probably isn't for you.

Mine has it's own little whiteboard(all my stuff does) as I wipe off one job I usually add another.

I couldn't agree more. Part of the rationale of parting company with a relatively complex, modern V8 is to enjoy a bit of 'tinkering' time. What I can't abide by, given it's a car that I won't be using very often anyway, is buying the kind of car that needs constant specialist attention. I don't have the time/facilities to do big overhaul projects, so cars that need this kind of work periodically might not be for me.

I also stumbled across the Porsche 944 in this price bracket, which piqued my interest. It might be relatively chalk/cheese with the C124 in essence, but it fits a lot of my needs (auto, modest performance, comfortable ride, modicum of practicality/reliability). I think it might represent the sensible alternative to a cheap XJS.

Any other suggestions that meet the below criteria are welcome:
- 4 seats (2+2 ideal)
- Automatic
- Reasonable amount of poke
- Interesting/Psuedo-classic
- Not temperamental/high-maintenance

Something to stop me caving and buying a modern coupe, in essence.

[C70R]

Thanks all. I don't think a big Merc is quite going to hit the spot, although I had considered a 'mid-sized' C124 because of 'tinkerability'. A 6-series BMW would be ideal, but a tad unrealistic in budget.

The 924 is a tiny bit too basic for me (perhaps lacking a bit of the 'interesting' factor), but getting towards the right neck of the woods. I think I might explore the 944 in a bit more detail. I appreciate that the 'automatic' aspect probably limits my potential targets, but it's a non-negotiable for me.