XJS - pitfalls?

[Mark.]

First time here so be gentle.

Daughter (24) is on the look out for a car. Ford KA? Corsa? Fiesta? Oh no - it's got to be retro and it's got to be 'cool'.
Luckily I talked her out of the £35k Chevy Pickup and badly rusting Datsun 120Y's. However, down the road is a rather nice looking XJS 3.6l Auto. OK I know it's not the 'proper' V12 jobbie, but I can live with that.
I've had a good look round and to be fair, it's in bloody good nick - bodywork is absolutely straight, no rust visible (in fact the only rust I could find was when you open the drivers door and look towards the top of the wing), new sills both sides last year, new tyres, and under the bonnet it looks like it have never been run and just left the factory. Stack of receipts, handbook etc.
Boot floor pan looks good and solid, it has a trip computer fitted (standard?), wheels look OK, perhaps starting to go a little. Starts fine and runs sweetly with no discernible rattles or ticks. In fact the only thing I can see wrong with it is the trim inside is delaminating.

It's a 1981, about 90k miles and I reckon a smidge under £2k would get it.

Seem reasonable? What other areas should I poke and bash?

Insurance is OK, got that covered.

[varsas]

hmm..something odd there, the 3.6 engine wasn't around until '83, you sure it's an '81 car? If it is it must have been converted? Does it have a 4 speed or 3 speed auto box? 6 cyl car should have 4 speed box.

Sounds like you have, but check door bottoms and screen edges for rust. Other then that it sounds like you've checked most things. Check the operation of the rear brakes/hand brake; they are inboard so a pain to fix. Also worth double checking the suspension.

Yes, a trip computer will be a factory fit. The green one with a row of buttons under it? You either get that or an analogue clock, most seem to have the trip though. Oh, fixing the air-con is very expensive.

£2k sounds good if it's a nice one, good ones aren't easy to find.

If I was after an XJS I'd be straight on the phone to arrange a viewing on this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1978-JAGUAR-XJS-AUTO-RED...

but the fuel 'economy' will be ruinous. There's a thread on here...'XJS fear and desire' which has some good info, as well as other XJS related threads, they come up fairly regularly!

Edited by varsas on Tuesday 4th October 14:03

[anonymous-user]

Look for a later 4 litre car - massively improved engine. Better still spend a bit more and get a 1992 on facelift car, as they have many of the problems sorted.

[Mark.]

varsas said:

hmm..something odd there, the 3.6 engine wasn't around until '83, you sure it's an '81 car? If it is it must have been converted? Does it have a 4 speed or 3 speed auto box? 6 cyl car should have 4 speed box.

It's on an H plate, chap said 1981 - but it'll be 1991 I suppose! Doh!

varsas said:

Sounds like you have, but check door bottoms and screen edges for rust. Other then that it sounds like you've checked most things. Check the operation of the rear brakes/hand brake; they are inboard so a pain to fix. Also worth double checking the suspension.

Will get my MOT mate to run a test

varsas said:

Yes, a trip computer will be a factory fit. The green one with a row of buttons under it? You either get that or an analogue clock, most seem to have the trip though. Oh, fixing the air-con is very expensive.

£2k sounds good if it's a nice one, good ones aren't easy to find.

Yes green trip meter. It does look really good, except for the veneer really.

varsas said:

If I was after an XJS I'd be straight on the phone to arrange a viewing on this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1978-JAGUAR-XJS-AUTO-RED...

Red - immediately ruled out

varsas said:

but the fuel 'economy' will be ruinous. There's a thread on here...'XJS fear and desire' which has some good info, as well as other XJS related threads, they come up fairly regularly!

Yes read that thread. As for fuel, my company car is the most efficient car in the stable at 25mpg, pretty sure with the miles the Jag would do I won't notice it much different to my other 2

Thanks for the tips!

[Mark.]

dme123 said:

Look for a later 4 litre car - massively improved engine. Better still spend a bit more and get a 1992 on facelift car, as they have many of the problems sorted.

Good point, but it doesn't have to be a Jag, it's just that this one is there.

[medieval]

Hi Mark - just been down this route with a V12 convertible and the only niggle was that the veneers had delaminated on mine.

Excellent kit from Myrtles, really helpful and excellent workmanship (probably better than originally fitted) but not cheap at a tad under £500 delivered and took about three to four hours to fit as all the fixings have to be removed and swapped over.

Makes a huge difference to the interior though and I prefer the darker burr walnut finish I selected to the original elm.

Kind regards

[varsas]

Mark. said:

Yes read that thread. As for fuel, my company car is the most efficient car in the stable at 25mpg, pretty sure with the miles the Jag would do I won't notice it much different to my other 2

Thanks for the tips!

'
25mpg should be achievable, my V12 got approaching 20 but you have 6 fewer cylinders and a 4 speed 'box.

'91 will be a very late 'pre-facelift' (XJ-S as opposed to XJS) car. The later cars are better, but then they are more expensive. Follow that logic and you'll end up with an XK8 for £6k.

[Mark.]

Yes XJ-S it's the little things

So, just been back down there, couple of things.

It'll have a 12 month MOT because it's just expired and a service. Service book is fully stamped up to 2009 and 125k miles, it's been stored since pretty much then so only as few 000's more on it.

Mirror motors work, kind of, they don't really move the glass much.
No discernible air movement from vents on dash even with fans on full
Press the buttons on the trip computer and they light up but nothing on the display.
Windows up and down are a bit clonky, but they work.
Light on the dash with a bulb with an X over it, guess that means a bulb blown? And a long strip of a light above that illuminated too - but it has no picture on it.

Much work to fix these? Get garage to do it or get further reduction on price?

[varsas]

Mark. said:

Yes XJ-S it's the little things

So, just been back down there, couple of things.

It'll have a 12 month MOT because it's just expired and a service. Service book is fully stamped up to 2009 and 125k miles, it's been stored since pretty much then so only as few 000's more on it.

Mirror motors work, kind of, they don't really move the glass much.
No discernible air movement from vents on dash even with fans on full
Press the buttons on the trip computer and they light up but nothing on the display.
Windows up and down are a bit clonky, but they work.
Light on the dash with a bulb with an X over it, guess that means a bulb blown? And a long strip of a light above that illuminated too - but it has no picture on it.

Much work to fix these? Get garage to do it or get further reduction on price?

Not unusual for the heating to go funny, lots of little motors and stuff to operate it all. Expensive/fiddly to fix I'm afraid. You should be able to hear it switch from hot to cold as you move the dial, and it should switch the fan up/down when on auto. Center vent is for air-con air only (I believe), you won't get hot from it. Mine never worked 100%, I only ever got warm (not hot) air, or cool (from outside, air con didn't work) air from the foot level and windscreen vents. My face vents didn't work.

Not sure on the rest. Mine had a S2 XJ dash on it so no help there either. Sounds like a display fault with the trip, backlight or something. Shouldn't be expensive...

[Mark.]

Cheers,
To be fair, I didn't give the heating a full run out, so I could have been fiddling the knobs wrong.

[varsas]

Just remembered this...

http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/Jaguar.html

very good.

Stuff about the air con...

http://www.kwecars.com/jaguar/Air_Con.php

An utterly baffling brochure explaining it all...(XJ-S was similar)

http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/adc_64-50-m-10...

[Mark.]

varsas said:

Just remembered this...

http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/Jaguar.html

very good.

Stuff about the air con...

http://www.kwecars.com/jaguar/Air_Con.php

An utterly baffling brochure explaining it all...(XJ-S was similar)

http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/adc_64-50-m-10...

Thanks

[varsas]

No problem.

Just seen your 'garage' very nice. What would you say to someone who was considering a TVR, but couldn't decide between a Chimera or Cerbera? Just how quick is your Chimera, does it feel slow next to the Cerbera? Does it have the HC engine or is it the standard 4 litre? What are they like to drive, similar? Is the Cerbera cramped for space? What about build quality on them? One last thing, do you look after the Cerbera yourself or is it not really a DIY thing?

My friend wants a Cerbera. I reckon a Chimera would be a better bet, and you never know one day I might be in the market...not many chances to ask someone who has experience of both!

[Mark.]

varsas said:

No problem.

Just seen your 'garage' very nice. What would you say to someone who was considering a TVR, but couldn't decide between a Chimera or Cerbera? Just how quick is your Chimera, does it feel slow next to the Cerbera? Does it have the HC engine or is it the standard 4 litre? What are they like to drive, similar? Is the Cerbera cramped for space? What about build quality on them? One last thing, do you look after the Cerbera yourself or is it not really a DIY thing?

My friend wants a Cerbera. I reckon a Chimera would be a better bet, and you never know one day I might be in the market...not many chances to ask someone who has experience of both!

Different beasts altogether.
The Chimaera is a standard 4 litre and I thought it was pretty quick, actually I thought it was bloody quick. Suffice to say we now use it to pootle around in on warm and sunny days. The Cerbera is a mental beast that I find difficult trying to put in words, but what I said about the Chimaera pretty much sums it up.
They are quite different to drive too, the Chimaera you can be very lazy, lots of low torque means pulling away in 2nd can happen (I've been known to use 3rd and not really notice), the Cerbera needs 'driving' a bit more. That's not to say it's not easy to do so, 35mph in top is perfectly possible and comfortable. I've got the premium Nitron Suspension in the Cerbera and the road holding is outstanding, on the Chimaera I have Gaz Gold Pro's which are next level down and its still very good.
As for interior space, for driver and passenger the Cerbera has more, can feel a little cramped perhaps because of the low roof but infact there is more room in the Cerbera, at 6 foot 1 I don't even have the seat all the way back.
Build Quality? Well, they are handbuilt, but in my experience not too shoddy, pretty well put together I'd say (don't believe everything you read in the press), I do tend to do lots of work on them myself, I trained as a mechanic so am not afraid of spanners, but the Cerbera requires more specialist knowledge, especially at service time.
As for which one to choose, it depends on intended use. Daily driver I'd have the Chimaera, high days and holidays I'd have the Cerbera. I'm lucky enough to have both.

Hope that's useful. Happy to answer specific questions if you have any, but I could ramble for days

[varsas]

Mark. said:

varsas said:

No problem.

Just seen your 'garage' very nice. What would you say to someone who was considering a TVR, but couldn't decide between a Chimera or Cerbera? Just how quick is your Chimera, does it feel slow next to the Cerbera? Does it have the HC engine or is it the standard 4 litre? What are they like to drive, similar? Is the Cerbera cramped for space? What about build quality on them? One last thing, do you look after the Cerbera yourself or is it not really a DIY thing?

My friend wants a Cerbera. I reckon a Chimera would be a better bet, and you never know one day I might be in the market...not many chances to ask someone who has experience of both!

Different beasts altogether.
The Chimaera is a standard 4 litre and I thought it was pretty quick, actually I thought it was bloody quick. Suffice to say we now use it to pootle around in on warm and sunny days. The Cerbera is a mental beast that I find difficult trying to put in words, but what I said about the Chimaera pretty much sums it up.
They are quite different to drive too, the Chimaera you can be very lazy, lots of low torque means pulling away in 2nd can happen (I've been known to use 3rd and not really notice), the Cerbera needs 'driving' a bit more. That's not to say it's not easy to do so, 35mph in top is perfectly possible and comfortable. I've got the premium Nitron Suspension in the Cerbera and the road holding is outstanding, on the Chimaera I have Gaz Gold Pro's which are next level down and its still very good.
As for interior space, for driver and passenger the Cerbera has more, can feel a little cramped perhaps because of the low roof but infact there is more room in the Cerbera, at 6 foot 1 I don't even have the seat all the way back.
Build Quality? Well, they are handbuilt, but in my experience not too shoddy, pretty well put together I'd say (don't believe everything you read in the press), I do tend to do lots of work on them myself, I trained as a mechanic so am not afraid of spanners, but the Cerbera requires more specialist knowledge, especially at service time.
As for which one to choose, it depends on intended use. Daily driver I'd have the Chimaera, high days and holidays I'd have the Cerbera. I'm lucky enough to have both.

Hope that's useful. Happy to answer specific questions if you have any, but I could ramble for days

Thanks, interesting. If I think of anything else I'll ask! I imagine an XJ-S will be a complete step-change from both of those, I doubt you'll forget which one you are in (that's if you daughter lets you drive it of course...)

[Mark.]

varsas said:

Thanks, interesting. If I think of anything else I'll ask! I imagine an XJ-S will be a complete step-change from both of those, I doubt you'll forget which one you are in (that's if you daughter lets you drive it of course...)

I'll be wrestling the keys!

Still got to do the deal. Still mulling over the pro's and con's.

I do think it'd be a nice to have though

[Wocka]

Mark. said:

but the Cerbera requires more specialist knowledge, especially at service time.

I should probably ask this in the Cerb section but.. What specialist knowledge is needed any why is servicing difficult?

I've been contemplating a Cerbera for a while now but would need to do most if not all of the work it needs myself.

TIA

[Mark.]

Wocka said:

I should probably ask this in the Cerb section but.. What specialist knowledge is needed any why is servicing difficult?

I've been contemplating a Cerbera for a while now but would need to do most if not all of the work it needs myself.

TIA

You can do the 'usual' service stuff yourself, plugs, oil, brakes etc, no problems. It's the valve clearances and adjustment that needs a bit of knowledge, a laptop, software etc.
All readily available by the way, it's just something I prefer to leave to the specialists. Apparently the gaps have a tendency to completely close. It's an extra cost on top of the service, and they suggest ever 12k miles, but just as well get it looked at each time it's in the garage for either service I reckon.

[richw_82]

Mark. said:

Yes XJ-S it's the little things

So, just been back down there, couple of things.

It'll have a 12 month MOT because it's just expired and a service. Service book is fully stamped up to 2009 and 125k miles, it's been stored since pretty much then so only as few 000's more on it.

Mirror motors work, kind of, they don't really move the glass much.
No discernible air movement from vents on dash even with fans on full
Press the buttons on the trip computer and they light up but nothing on the display.
Windows up and down are a bit clonky, but they work.
Light on the dash with a bulb with an X over it, guess that means a bulb blown? And a long strip of a light above that illuminated too - but it has no picture on it.

Much work to fix these? Get garage to do it or get further reduction on price?

Mirrors - if you can hear the motors operating when you move the toggles (in all directions) its likely the little plastic ball joints behind the mirror glass have popped out. Gently press the glass and if it moves freely this is the problem.

[Mark.]

richw_82 said:

Mirrors - if you can hear the motors operating when you move the toggles (in all directions) its likely the little plastic ball joints behind the mirror glass have popped out. Gently press the glass and if it moves freely this is the problem.

Can hear both motors, and the glass does feel loose in the aperture.