To XJR or not to XJR
Discussion
Hello Jaguar Folks, I'm new here (more a Biker Banter guy) so go easy with me... 
I've long hankered after something luxury in my life, luxury but sporty/fastish/make me smiley...
My local garage (not a Jag dealer) have a car they are selling on behalf of a customer that has caught my eye:
'98 XJR, 2 owners before current, Jaguar service history, 65000 miles.
The car has had a new engine in 2003 (goodwill from Jag due to "cylinder head pitting") but was parked up in 2007 and left idle until last year when the decision was taken to finally sell it.
Local garage have put it back on the road and done a service on it which included new plugs, new brakes, new battery and 2 new tyres and possibly a new fuel pump (not sure what else).
There is one declared fault which is that the kick-down in the autobox doesn't work, but this has not been explored any further than just confirming that it doesn't work.
It has general age related marks on the body but no significant rust (tiny bit of bubbling below o/s rear lamp cluster), a saggy headlining and slightly shabby drivers seat leather (ivory interior).
Price is currently £3200, but I think there might be a little bit of movement in there.
What do you think folks; is this madness or much cheapness?
Heck of a lot of car for the cash, but...
I've long hankered after something luxury in my life, luxury but sporty/fastish/make me smiley...
My local garage (not a Jag dealer) have a car they are selling on behalf of a customer that has caught my eye:
'98 XJR, 2 owners before current, Jaguar service history, 65000 miles.
The car has had a new engine in 2003 (goodwill from Jag due to "cylinder head pitting") but was parked up in 2007 and left idle until last year when the decision was taken to finally sell it.
Local garage have put it back on the road and done a service on it which included new plugs, new brakes, new battery and 2 new tyres and possibly a new fuel pump (not sure what else).
There is one declared fault which is that the kick-down in the autobox doesn't work, but this has not been explored any further than just confirming that it doesn't work.
It has general age related marks on the body but no significant rust (tiny bit of bubbling below o/s rear lamp cluster), a saggy headlining and slightly shabby drivers seat leather (ivory interior).
Price is currently £3200, but I think there might be a little bit of movement in there.
What do you think folks; is this madness or much cheapness?
Heck of a lot of car for the cash, but...
guru_1071 said:
I would say that its overpriced, if its got visible rust bubbles and a poor interior plus the gearbox fault (which will probably be a swine to sort) its at the bottom end of the price range.
an xjr is certainly a car to have - they seem to be under the radar when compared to bmw's etc and this is reflected in the price - they have great performance and as long as you can cope with the mpg's are a great car.
ive had one for just over a year and still love it, they are a sharp looking car (as long as they have the penta wheels on them
)
I honestly thing that the one you mentioned would be a sub £1500 car on ebay - they do like to rust underneath, and bubbeling under the back lights, back arches, the floor where it meets the outer sills, and the chassis behind the front shockers is all fairly involved to fix.
I was offered one the other week, it looked perfect, really tidy, but had a complete absence of inner sills........even the owner was shocked when i showed him how bad it was!
I think I've maybe made it sound worse than it is.an xjr is certainly a car to have - they seem to be under the radar when compared to bmw's etc and this is reflected in the price - they have great performance and as long as you can cope with the mpg's are a great car.
ive had one for just over a year and still love it, they are a sharp looking car (as long as they have the penta wheels on them
)I honestly thing that the one you mentioned would be a sub £1500 car on ebay - they do like to rust underneath, and bubbeling under the back lights, back arches, the floor where it meets the outer sills, and the chassis behind the front shockers is all fairly involved to fix.
I was offered one the other week, it looked perfect, really tidy, but had a complete absence of inner sills........even the owner was shocked when i showed him how bad it was!
The rust bubbling is definitely just surface rust, not rusting through from inside, back arches and floor are solid, strut tops and area around are sound, the interior is pretty good, it is just wear marks on the driver's seat from getting in/out.
Some quick snaps from my phone; the car has been sitting outside for a month so is quite dirty.
What would be a fair price anyway?
I'm not up on car values at all, so it seems like a lot of car for the cash to me.
Edited by Rubin215 on Saturday 18th July 11:57
Going to go and see it tomorrow, see if I can blag a test drive and see what it feels like.
Hopefully have more chance to poke around it too, maybe see if I can persuade them to stick it on a ramp for me (busy working garage y'see).
So what do the Jag-buffs of PH think I should be trying to get it for, if it all checks out ok?
Hopefully have more chance to poke around it too, maybe see if I can persuade them to stick it on a ramp for me (busy working garage y'see).
So what do the Jag-buffs of PH think I should be trying to get it for, if it all checks out ok?
Well, yesterday's test didn't go too well.
Battery was flatter than a flat thing so it needed jump started.
Then it was showing alternative traction control / abs faults.
First run it wouldn't rev above 2,500 and when I put the foot down hard it felt like it dropped a few cylinders. The garage hooked it up to the diagnostics and cleared a gearbox fault code (output speed?).
Second run it wouldn't rev beyond 4,500 and, in sport mode, wouldn't change up when pulling away.
Finally, on the way back to the garage, I got a gearbox fault warning on the display and it started smoking on the overrun.
By the time I got in, it was also smoking alarmingly from under the bonnet.
I think I'll just leave it...
Battery was flatter than a flat thing so it needed jump started.
Then it was showing alternative traction control / abs faults.
First run it wouldn't rev above 2,500 and when I put the foot down hard it felt like it dropped a few cylinders. The garage hooked it up to the diagnostics and cleared a gearbox fault code (output speed?).
Second run it wouldn't rev beyond 4,500 and, in sport mode, wouldn't change up when pulling away.
Finally, on the way back to the garage, I got a gearbox fault warning on the display and it started smoking on the overrun.
By the time I got in, it was also smoking alarmingly from under the bonnet.
I think I'll just leave it...
Update:
I was back in the garage for something else today and asked about the XJR.
The oil leak was, apparently, gearbox oil leaking out when hot as it had been overfilled previously and, since its elderly owner only ever bimbled about in it, it had never been properly thrashed.
This oil was then dropping onto the hot exhaust on one side, hence the smoke (it was only from one side, I just assumed the exhaust was sided, not joined)
They have now flushed the gearbox several times, changed the filter and cleared any fault codes;I was encouraged to take it for a drive and see for myself.
It goes like stink! A proper full-fat old-school luxury hooligan.
All the revs are there, all the gears are smooth, sport mode, j gate, abs and traction control all present and correct.
The price has also become very negotiable as the owner now "just wants rid of it..."
With that in mind, what should I be aiming for...?
I was back in the garage for something else today and asked about the XJR.
The oil leak was, apparently, gearbox oil leaking out when hot as it had been overfilled previously and, since its elderly owner only ever bimbled about in it, it had never been properly thrashed.
This oil was then dropping onto the hot exhaust on one side, hence the smoke (it was only from one side, I just assumed the exhaust was sided, not joined)
They have now flushed the gearbox several times, changed the filter and cleared any fault codes;I was encouraged to take it for a drive and see for myself.
It goes like stink! A proper full-fat old-school luxury hooligan.
All the revs are there, all the gears are smooth, sport mode, j gate, abs and traction control all present and correct.
The price has also become very negotiable as the owner now "just wants rid of it..."
With that in mind, what should I be aiming for...?
YoungRestorer said:
As has already been said, you probably shouldn't be buying this one. If the problems are all fixed, why would the garage owner be looking to get rid of it ASAP, with an extremely negotiable price?
On that basis, anything more than £2000 would seem a rip off, but the general consensus seems to be "Do not XJR with this one in particular".
The car doesn't belong to the garage, it belongs to a customer who asked the garage to put it back on the road again and sell it for them.On that basis, anything more than £2000 would seem a rip off, but the general consensus seems to be "Do not XJR with this one in particular".
The car was laid up in 2007 when the owner had his license removed by DVLA for general age/decrepitude issues.
Apparently he didn't sell it originally as he hoped he would get his license back eventually however his wife has finally persuaded him to get rid of it.
So far, the garage have done over £1000 of work to the car (fuel pumps, plugs, brakes all round, two tyres etc) and now with the gearbox issue the owner has had enough and just wants to cut their losses.
The garage have been paid for their work and are not getting a commission on the sale (I would be dealing with the owner directly) and they have also suggested a low offer to start but won't advise just how low to go.
Edited by Rubin215 on Monday 27th July 19:10
Well folks, it looks like I just bought my first Jag.
1998 XJR, 65,000 miles, deep blue with a cream leather interior. No significant rust above or below the waterline, light wear inside that may valet out.
Jaguar service history, new (free) engine in 2003 at 41,000 miles and two further Jag services after before being laid up in 2007.
Just had new discs and pads all round, calipers rebuilt and fresh fluid, new fuel pumps, new plugs, new rear tyres and sundry bits and bobs to get it through the mot.
I plan to change all other fluids and filters asap and run it until something actually breaks or falls off.
£1650 including private registration mark.
I'm very happy.
1998 XJR, 65,000 miles, deep blue with a cream leather interior. No significant rust above or below the waterline, light wear inside that may valet out.
Jaguar service history, new (free) engine in 2003 at 41,000 miles and two further Jag services after before being laid up in 2007.
Just had new discs and pads all round, calipers rebuilt and fresh fluid, new fuel pumps, new plugs, new rear tyres and sundry bits and bobs to get it through the mot.
I plan to change all other fluids and filters asap and run it until something actually breaks or falls off.
£1650 including private registration mark.
I'm very happy.
Edited by Rubin215 on Saturday 27th January 19:15
So, finally taxed, insured, serviced, fettled, polished etc.
Just had my first proper morning of driving like a hooligan with it; OMFG as my kids say...!
What a beast; startling acceleration for something so big/heavy, holds the road seriously well over ripples and bumps without being harsh, brakes are (almost) adequate for the size.
Traction control is pretty harsh, though I suppose it is 90's technology so more like an on/off switch really.
When the back end lets go it's a bit bloody scary though...
Just had my first proper morning of driving like a hooligan with it; OMFG as my kids say...!
What a beast; startling acceleration for something so big/heavy, holds the road seriously well over ripples and bumps without being harsh, brakes are (almost) adequate for the size.
Traction control is pretty harsh, though I suppose it is 90's technology so more like an on/off switch really.
When the back end lets go it's a bit bloody scary though...
Griffithy said:
Rubin215 said:
When the back end lets go it's a bit bloody scary though...
You did switch of the ASR obviously 
The tyres let go before I could lift off, I had a couple of side-to-side moments and I parped myself...
Various ups and downs (part and parcel of owning a Jaguar I suppose).
Early last year Mrs 215 destroyed the radiator by either hitting a speed bump at speed or driving in to a high kerb; scarily, she's not sure which...
Bottom three rows bent back at a jaunty angle and fluid leaking everywhere meant a second-hand rad off ebay being fitted.
Later in the year, a bit of vibration at speed turned out to be a worn track-rod inner; I bought a full set of Borg and Beck rods and ends and popped the car in to my local greasy-floor garage to get it done and have the tracking set.
Cue all sorts of problems; the garage couldn't get the tracking set no matter what they tried!
It eventually turned out that the track rods supplied were 10mm longer than the originals!
Borg and Beck insisted theirs are made to the original factory specification and they were the correct ones for my car so weren't interested in refunding me!
In the end, the garage fitted a cheap Taiwanese pair instead...
Just before Christmas, the car stopped on me with no warning and wouldn't start again.
This turned out to be a dead fuel pump which is annoying because it had two new pumps just before I bought it however the garage which put the car back on the road didn't bother to change the fuel filter at the same time so the pump has been running against a part-clogged filter and has simply burnt out.
What I have discovered though (that may help someone else get home if the same happens) is that if you pull the relay for the dead pump and try to start the car a few times, the engine management realises that it's down to one pump and kicks the second pump in to action full time (it normally only runs at start-up and when the supercharger is at full chat and needs more fuel).
Obviously, this is only a get-you-home fix and the car has restricted performance.
I have finally got round to fitting the new pump (absolute pain to do) but the car would not start again!
Stupidly, in replacing the tank, I have managed to kink the fuel line where it comes out of the tank bottom; that repair is this afternoons pleasure...
Fuel consumption sits at a fairly constant 16mpg, I'm on to my second set of rear tyres since I bought it but, in general, the car has been lots of fun to drive and still makes me giggle every time I put the foot down.
Early last year Mrs 215 destroyed the radiator by either hitting a speed bump at speed or driving in to a high kerb; scarily, she's not sure which...
Bottom three rows bent back at a jaunty angle and fluid leaking everywhere meant a second-hand rad off ebay being fitted.
Later in the year, a bit of vibration at speed turned out to be a worn track-rod inner; I bought a full set of Borg and Beck rods and ends and popped the car in to my local greasy-floor garage to get it done and have the tracking set.
Cue all sorts of problems; the garage couldn't get the tracking set no matter what they tried!
It eventually turned out that the track rods supplied were 10mm longer than the originals!
Borg and Beck insisted theirs are made to the original factory specification and they were the correct ones for my car so weren't interested in refunding me!
In the end, the garage fitted a cheap Taiwanese pair instead...
Just before Christmas, the car stopped on me with no warning and wouldn't start again.
This turned out to be a dead fuel pump which is annoying because it had two new pumps just before I bought it however the garage which put the car back on the road didn't bother to change the fuel filter at the same time so the pump has been running against a part-clogged filter and has simply burnt out.
What I have discovered though (that may help someone else get home if the same happens) is that if you pull the relay for the dead pump and try to start the car a few times, the engine management realises that it's down to one pump and kicks the second pump in to action full time (it normally only runs at start-up and when the supercharger is at full chat and needs more fuel).
Obviously, this is only a get-you-home fix and the car has restricted performance.
I have finally got round to fitting the new pump (absolute pain to do) but the car would not start again!
Stupidly, in replacing the tank, I have managed to kink the fuel line where it comes out of the tank bottom; that repair is this afternoons pleasure...
Fuel consumption sits at a fairly constant 16mpg, I'm on to my second set of rear tyres since I bought it but, in general, the car has been lots of fun to drive and still makes me giggle every time I put the foot down.
Well, I hope I never have to change the plastic bit of an X308 fuel line ever again...
Where the metal fuel lines come out of the tank they pass through a hole in the boot floor and are then joined to the metal lines running under the body by a short length (20cm max) of plastic hose; it was this hose that had stretched and kinked to shut off the flow of fuel almost completely.
To say that replacing it was difficult is a massive understatement; clearance from any angle is absolutely minimal with the differential and rear sub-frame in the way no matter what angle you approach it from. The hose sits above the diff.
If I were to do this job again, I would be tempted to simply cut the plastic lines where they join the metal lines under the body, take the tank out completely and fit new rubber hoses to the tank lines (fuel pressure is only 40 psi so rubber is fine).
Ah well, car in for it's mot today, so we'll see what that throws up.
Where the metal fuel lines come out of the tank they pass through a hole in the boot floor and are then joined to the metal lines running under the body by a short length (20cm max) of plastic hose; it was this hose that had stretched and kinked to shut off the flow of fuel almost completely.
To say that replacing it was difficult is a massive understatement; clearance from any angle is absolutely minimal with the differential and rear sub-frame in the way no matter what angle you approach it from. The hose sits above the diff.
If I were to do this job again, I would be tempted to simply cut the plastic lines where they join the metal lines under the body, take the tank out completely and fit new rubber hoses to the tank lines (fuel pressure is only 40 psi so rubber is fine).
Ah well, car in for it's mot today, so we'll see what that throws up.
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