The "1995 3.2 XJ6 with a 1k price" challenge!!
Discussion
Hello to all the Jag enthusiasts on this great forum! I would really appreciate your opinion on a used 3.2 jag dilemma!
After lurking on the classifieds for ages, I have been very much tempted by the idea of buying a Jag XJ6 with the 3.2 engine, from the 1994-97 period, for less than 1k pounds (there are plenty within the 700-900p price range on the net). The car is not intended to be a daily driver, just a toy that I will drive back to Italy and use occasionally.
Thus, please give me your feedback on the plan! Reliability and things to be afraid of, if a 800-pound xj6 3.2 will be a huge money pit, what to expext, and if this sounds like a good plan to you, etc.!
Thanks a lot guys!
JohnC
After lurking on the classifieds for ages, I have been very much tempted by the idea of buying a Jag XJ6 with the 3.2 engine, from the 1994-97 period, for less than 1k pounds (there are plenty within the 700-900p price range on the net). The car is not intended to be a daily driver, just a toy that I will drive back to Italy and use occasionally.
Thus, please give me your feedback on the plan! Reliability and things to be afraid of, if a 800-pound xj6 3.2 will be a huge money pit, what to expext, and if this sounds like a good plan to you, etc.!
Thanks a lot guys!
JohnC
You could pay £5k+ and still find it's a money pit
At least at under £1k you will have £4k to play with
The other month my son purchased a XJS for a Grand
OK there is some work to do to get it to the standard he wants but nothing urgent and can be done over time
At least at under £1k you will have £4k to play with
The other month my son purchased a XJS for a Grand
OK there is some work to do to get it to the standard he wants but nothing urgent and can be done over time
Edited by NormanD on Sunday 21st August 21:57
My brother found one on ebay for £500, and bought it. He's been thrashing it up and down the country for the past month or so. It's a little shabby in places (lacquer, headlining etc) but nothing bad. I'm taking it off him in a few days to stand in for my series 3... so we'll see just how well it copes then.
Not really up on the XJ6 but I bought a 98 XJ8 3.2 for a grand 3/4 months ago and it's never missed a beat in 4000 miles. To my reckoning it already owes me very little. It's been all over the country, toured Scotland for a week, daily driver and I still love it. Chap I work with alos bought a 97 at the same time, his experience has been the same, faultless but he bartered a bit less and paid £1600.
fatjon said:
Not really up on the XJ6 but I bought a 98 XJ8 3.2 for a grand 3/4 months ago and it's never missed a beat in 4000 miles. To my reckoning it already owes me very little. It's been all over the country, toured Scotland for a week, daily driver and I still love it. Chap I work with alos bought a 97 at the same time, his experience has been the same, faultless but he bartered a bit less and paid £1600.
True, you could find a nice x308 but there will be more x300 to choose from with the budget the op has. Also, if I had to leave a car abroad, only use it occasionally, for reliability and lower cost of maintenance should something go wrong - I'd suspect the x300 is the car to go for.If I had to look out for problems on an xj6 (x300) and if I was going to keep it in Italy, I'd interrogate the climate control for codes, check for corrosion at front wings and rear arches, listen for bumps and bangs on a drive (try a bumpy track), jack each wheel up in turn and check for wheel bearing and diff bearing play, check for any oil leak especially from cylinder head just above engine number stamp, listen for lumpy idle, check radio and all other electrics.
The clock won't work - that's normal.
Straight6DOHC said:
fatjon said:
Not really up on the XJ6 but I bought a 98 XJ8 3.2 for a grand 3/4 months ago and it's never missed a beat in 4000 miles. To my reckoning it already owes me very little. It's been all over the country, toured Scotland for a week, daily driver and I still love it. Chap I work with alos bought a 97 at the same time, his experience has been the same, faultless but he bartered a bit less and paid £1600.
True, you could find a nice x308 but there will be more x300 to choose from with the budget the op has. Also, if I had to leave a car abroad, only use it occasionally, for reliability and lower cost of maintenance should something go wrong - I'd suspect the x300 is the car to go for.If I had to look out for problems on an xj6 (x300) and if I was going to keep it in Italy, I'd interrogate the climate control for codes, check for corrosion at front wings and rear arches, listen for bumps and bangs on a drive (try a bumpy track), jack each wheel up in turn and check for wheel bearing and diff bearing play, check for any oil leak especially from cylinder head just above engine number stamp, listen for lumpy idle, check radio and all other electrics.
The clock won't work - that's normal.
The X300 is a much safer bet on a £1k budget IMO. Buy a reasonably tidy one with some history and good tyres and it'll last forever.Bought mine in November for £1000 on a N plate, Cost me nothing but a service so far. There are a few bits that need doing to it, rust at the bottom of the wings is the worst apart from that there are just a few little parking dings and the headlining is starting to drop a little.
Just need to decide if I am keeping it or selling it to be replaced with a 944 for a change. Love it on a run and it will return mid to high 20's with the cruise control set at 70mph.
Just need to decide if I am keeping it or selling it to be replaced with a 944 for a change. Love it on a run and it will return mid to high 20's with the cruise control set at 70mph.
Hey guys, thanks for the replies!
So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
johnchristoforou said:
Hey guys, thanks for the replies!
So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
I got about 26-28mpg on a 3.2litre mixed roads. The xjr can get around 23mpg with the same route. So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
I don't think the x300 is particularly difficult to service and is often regarded as the last diy-able Jaguar made.
You'd have to phone around for insurance but there are usually insurances available for short term, although, you may require a valid uk address - I'm really not sure. I insured the 3.2 for a month for £100.
When buying a car for <£1k I'd just use cash, UK Sterling. Then you can just drive it away. You need the V5 documentation and send a part to DVLA so that you become the registered keeper. Then you will have to stick stickers on the head lamps for driving on the right side of the road in Europe.
I'm afraid I've forgotten if you live here or Italy.
johnchristoforou said:
Hey guys, thanks for the replies!
So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
X300 not difficult to work on. Everything is just a bit bigger and heavier than smaller cars, access is good and apart from the electrics it's pretty simple. Parts are reasonable. British Car Parts still hold lots of stock and there's always the option of ebay and breakers.So it seems that it is indeed a good idea to buy a XJ6 with such a limited budget of <1k, with most of you agreeing that its tremendous value for the money!! I have been lurking in the classifieds and have seen many interesting cars below 1k.
The good thing about buying such a cheap car, is that in a worst-case scenario where the car turns out to be a money pit, it will have cost you nothing! What fuel consumption on average should I expect? is the X300 difficult to service / fix / maintain?
And one quick question on the boring staff: as I will buy the car and take it out of the country, is there any cheap insurance limited to a few days (to cover me for my trip)? and what is the exact procedure when buying the car? (considering I have never bought a car from the UK before)
Thanks!
If it's going to be a keeper be prepared to do a full fluid change and make sure it's got good tyres and long MOT. Check for advisories concerning corrosion. Make sure too it's a smooth, quiet drive, the front tyres are not unevenly worn and there's no fluid leaks. If the clock and air con work that's a bonus. Don't worry too much about mileage - quite a few have exceded 200k - buy on condition and history.
Expect anything from 16MPG in city centre dawdle and thrash up to 28 on a long gentle trip.
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