Am I mad......
Discussion
I have been hankering for a while now over having another weekend motor...
After flipping all over the map from classics to turbo ricers today I went to look at an 89' XJS coupe. A V12, dark blue, magnolia piped hide, 55k from new, tidy but not concours a few blemishes here and there but nothing noteworty. I am going back to have a drive tomorrow and getting the good lady to take me with a view to driving it away.
A shade under £4k..
So should I or shouldn't I and any advice on what to look for?
Failing that any ideas on alternatives if when I drive it, it turns out to be a dog on wheels?
Cheers,
Heppers
After flipping all over the map from classics to turbo ricers today I went to look at an 89' XJS coupe. A V12, dark blue, magnolia piped hide, 55k from new, tidy but not concours a few blemishes here and there but nothing noteworty. I am going back to have a drive tomorrow and getting the good lady to take me with a view to driving it away.
A shade under £4k..
So should I or shouldn't I and any advice on what to look for?
Failing that any ideas on alternatives if when I drive it, it turns out to be a dog on wheels?
Cheers,
Heppers
RX was one of the options, however one thing that has peaked my interest is the fact I can get insurance on a classic policy for £90 on the XJ.
Also I don't mind the occasional bit of spanner work and it is one thing I miss about having the MK1 Cortina. So not afraid of that really, to me part of the pleasure in many ways of second car ownership.
Also I don't mind the occasional bit of spanner work and it is one thing I miss about having the MK1 Cortina. So not afraid of that really, to me part of the pleasure in many ways of second car ownership.
Definitely should, though I may be a little biased. That V12 engine is something else.
For £4k I'd expect a pretty tidy example. Look out for corrosion around:
the rear radius arm mounts
seat belt mounting points
under the front footwell carpets
on the skuttle around the lower edge of the windscreen
around the wheel arches and inside the front arches if the stone guards have disintegrated
where the front wings and body meet at the sides of the bonnet
the underside of the bonnet by the bonnet catches/support rubbers
Check for the condition of the suspension bushes. If these are still original they will be perished by now and the handling will be compromised as a result.
Make sure that there's no overheating - the temperature gauge shouldn't go more than a tiny fraction above N. Heat is the main thing that will kill the engine, leading to dropped valve seats and warped heads. Ideally the radiator will have been replaced or re-cored at some point, if not consider getting it done as a precaution.
Have a good look at the condition of the rear discs. Replacing these is a major job as they're inboard, and as a result you can find that on a lot of XJS for sale these are at the bare minimum. For £4k I wouldn't be wanting to have to think about these for a good while.
If the car turns out to be less than you'd expect for the money, keep looking. It's a brilliant car that seems to be growing in popularity now. There's still plenty for sale though, and good value ones to be had.
Google up Kirby Palm's "Experience in a Book" free pdf download from jaglovers. It's invaluable for current and prospective XJS owners alike.
For £4k I'd expect a pretty tidy example. Look out for corrosion around:
the rear radius arm mounts
seat belt mounting points
under the front footwell carpets
on the skuttle around the lower edge of the windscreen
around the wheel arches and inside the front arches if the stone guards have disintegrated
where the front wings and body meet at the sides of the bonnet
the underside of the bonnet by the bonnet catches/support rubbers
Check for the condition of the suspension bushes. If these are still original they will be perished by now and the handling will be compromised as a result.
Make sure that there's no overheating - the temperature gauge shouldn't go more than a tiny fraction above N. Heat is the main thing that will kill the engine, leading to dropped valve seats and warped heads. Ideally the radiator will have been replaced or re-cored at some point, if not consider getting it done as a precaution.
Have a good look at the condition of the rear discs. Replacing these is a major job as they're inboard, and as a result you can find that on a lot of XJS for sale these are at the bare minimum. For £4k I wouldn't be wanting to have to think about these for a good while.
If the car turns out to be less than you'd expect for the money, keep looking. It's a brilliant car that seems to be growing in popularity now. There's still plenty for sale though, and good value ones to be had.
Google up Kirby Palm's "Experience in a Book" free pdf download from jaglovers. It's invaluable for current and prospective XJS owners alike.
Also with the v12 its pretty easy to not notice a misfire, after its just been started up put a foot near the exhaust on each side so you can hear it - you should get a nice even rhythm on both sides. If its not.. somethings amiss.
Underbonnet temperatures on the v12 cook everything within a 10ft radius so check for signs of proper maintenance - no cracked ht leads or hoses
Underbonnet temperatures on the v12 cook everything within a 10ft radius so check for signs of proper maintenance - no cracked ht leads or hoses
jagnet said:
Definitely should, though I may be a little biased. That V12 engine is something else.
For £4k I'd expect a pretty tidy example. Look out for corrosion around:
the rear radius arm mounts
seat belt mounting points
under the front footwell carpets
on the skuttle around the lower edge of the windscreen
around the wheel arches and inside the front arches if the stone guards have disintegrated
where the front wings and body meet at the sides of the bonnet
the underside of the bonnet by the bonnet catches/support rubbers
Check for the condition of the suspension bushes. If these are still original they will be perished by now and the handling will be compromised as a result.
Make sure that there's no overheating - the temperature gauge shouldn't go more than a tiny fraction above N. Heat is the main thing that will kill the engine, leading to dropped valve seats and warped heads. Ideally the radiator will have been replaced or re-cored at some point, if not consider getting it done as a precaution.
Have a good look at the condition of the rear discs. Replacing these is a major job as they're inboard, and as a result you can find that on a lot of XJS for sale these are at the bare minimum. For £4k I wouldn't be wanting to have to think about these for a good while.
If the car turns out to be less than you'd expect for the money, keep looking. It's a brilliant car that seems to be growing in popularity now. There's still plenty for sale though, and good value ones to be had.
Google up Kirby Palm's "Experience in a Book" free pdf download from jaglovers. It's invaluable for current and prospective XJS owners alike.
Like I said - sounds expensive For £4k I'd expect a pretty tidy example. Look out for corrosion around:
the rear radius arm mounts
seat belt mounting points
under the front footwell carpets
on the skuttle around the lower edge of the windscreen
around the wheel arches and inside the front arches if the stone guards have disintegrated
where the front wings and body meet at the sides of the bonnet
the underside of the bonnet by the bonnet catches/support rubbers
Check for the condition of the suspension bushes. If these are still original they will be perished by now and the handling will be compromised as a result.
Make sure that there's no overheating - the temperature gauge shouldn't go more than a tiny fraction above N. Heat is the main thing that will kill the engine, leading to dropped valve seats and warped heads. Ideally the radiator will have been replaced or re-cored at some point, if not consider getting it done as a precaution.
Have a good look at the condition of the rear discs. Replacing these is a major job as they're inboard, and as a result you can find that on a lot of XJS for sale these are at the bare minimum. For £4k I wouldn't be wanting to have to think about these for a good while.
If the car turns out to be less than you'd expect for the money, keep looking. It's a brilliant car that seems to be growing in popularity now. There's still plenty for sale though, and good value ones to be had.
Google up Kirby Palm's "Experience in a Book" free pdf download from jaglovers. It's invaluable for current and prospective XJS owners alike.
Thanks Jagnet I had looked up some points to note and I do know it has recently had a new radiator, discs and pads all round, suspension bushes, plus 4 new Tyres. So it seems very tidy.
There are one or two very small bubbles of rust on the arches and they are less than a 5p coin sized. There is a scuff in the rubber on the rear bumper and that was it.
The only thing I thought I could smell was a faint whiff of petrol when I opened the boot.
The only other item that needs looking at is the drivers bolster which is worn but not huge amounts and a good leather restorer would get it back, which supports the mileage as well from my view point.
Anything to do on the test drive to flesh out any possible issues?
Cheers,
Heppers
There are one or two very small bubbles of rust on the arches and they are less than a 5p coin sized. There is a scuff in the rubber on the rear bumper and that was it.
The only thing I thought I could smell was a faint whiff of petrol when I opened the boot.
The only other item that needs looking at is the drivers bolster which is worn but not huge amounts and a good leather restorer would get it back, which supports the mileage as well from my view point.
Anything to do on the test drive to flesh out any possible issues?
Cheers,
Heppers
On the test drive, listen out for any whine from the diff. If the front seal has been changed by someone not familiar with them they can get over torqued and start to whine as a result. Not good news.
Vague steering is often down to worn out rack bushes. These are easy to replace though, ideally with polybushes, but worth knocking a few ££s off the asking price for.
The car is softly sprung, so don't expect sports car handling. It does have surprisingly little roll in corners though. Shocks and springs can and do wear though, and with two per side at the back a full set can get pricey.
Make sure the kickdown on the gearbox works. Once you reach the end of the throttle pedal travel, you really have to push hard for the extra travel to engage the kickdown. If it isn't engaging (and you'll know if it does!) it's usually easy enough to fix, but again, something to be mindful of.
The gearbox should change very smoothly. If the gear shifts are quite forceful you could have problems, or it's possible that at some point it's had its fluid replaced with Dexron 3 rather than 2 which actually prolongs gearbox life at the expense of smoothness.
Despite certain question marks about build quality at the time, the interior is very well put together, so you shouldn't be hearing any squeaks and rattles from it, even for an older car.
It does sound like a long list of potential problems, but the XJS is a complicated car. Having said that, despite rumour to the contrary, they are very reliable when looked after. Unfortunately there are plenty of examples out there that have been run without the necessary servicing and attention and are now suffering as a result. Keep up with the maintenance and there's no reason why it should let you down.
Vague steering is often down to worn out rack bushes. These are easy to replace though, ideally with polybushes, but worth knocking a few ££s off the asking price for.
The car is softly sprung, so don't expect sports car handling. It does have surprisingly little roll in corners though. Shocks and springs can and do wear though, and with two per side at the back a full set can get pricey.
Make sure the kickdown on the gearbox works. Once you reach the end of the throttle pedal travel, you really have to push hard for the extra travel to engage the kickdown. If it isn't engaging (and you'll know if it does!) it's usually easy enough to fix, but again, something to be mindful of.
The gearbox should change very smoothly. If the gear shifts are quite forceful you could have problems, or it's possible that at some point it's had its fluid replaced with Dexron 3 rather than 2 which actually prolongs gearbox life at the expense of smoothness.
Despite certain question marks about build quality at the time, the interior is very well put together, so you shouldn't be hearing any squeaks and rattles from it, even for an older car.
It does sound like a long list of potential problems, but the XJS is a complicated car. Having said that, despite rumour to the contrary, they are very reliable when looked after. Unfortunately there are plenty of examples out there that have been run without the necessary servicing and attention and are now suffering as a result. Keep up with the maintenance and there's no reason why it should let you down.
heppers75 said:
The only thing I thought I could smell was a faint whiff of petrol when I opened the boot.
This is important to keep - it's how you convince yourself that the fuel consumption must be due to a leak and not heavy right foot action It could be perished hoses, or corrosion of the tank, or something as simple as a poor connection onto the fuel filter. None of these are really a major problem - plenty of second hand tanks around from broken cars if the worst comes to the worst.
It's quite common though, and funnily enough happens to be my next job on the list to attend to on mine.
jagnet said:
This is important to keep - it's how you convince yourself that the fuel consumption must be due to a leak and not heavy right foot action
It could be perished hoses, or corrosion of the tank, or something as simple as a poor connection onto the fuel filter. None of these are really a major problem - plenty of second hand tanks around from broken cars if the worst comes to the worst.
It's quite common though, and funnily enough happens to be my next job on the list to attend to on mine.
It could be perished hoses, or corrosion of the tank, or something as simple as a poor connection onto the fuel filter. None of these are really a major problem - plenty of second hand tanks around from broken cars if the worst comes to the worst.
It's quite common though, and funnily enough happens to be my next job on the list to attend to on mine.
Bear that in mind and thank you very much for the advice and pointers. I have to be honest I have all but convinced myself to have it and all things being equal if it feels straight after the test drive tomorrow as it looked today I will be driving it home!I will be keeping the Saab for a daily so not that bothered on the fuel consumption plus it will not be my worst ever weekender for that anyway, or at least it will be a close run thing!
heppers75 said:
Bear that in mind and thank you very much for the advice and pointers. I have to be honest I have all but convinced myself to have it and all things being equal if it feels straight after the test drive tomorrow as it looked today I will be driving it home!
jagnet said:
It's a difficult car to walk away from unless there's something obviously horribly wrong with it
If When you get it, I would recommend taking it to a good Jag indie to give it a once-over. You'll then know exactly where you stand / what you've let yourself in for and have a list of bits and pieces to attend to as and when you feel like getting the spanners out. Nothing like having it down on paper. I won't mention how many pages long my list is
I will do, I don't suppose you happen to know of one Midlands locale do you - I am North Leicestershire?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff