Discussion
I am considering buying a late XJS as an everyday car. I have seen the KWE engineering site and the review of their car on ‘top gear’ where they said it was the car Jaguar should have built. I have also seen the Clarkes XJS website at what look like beautiful cars. They seem to send them out as good as they were when manufactured.
My questions are:
1/ were they really that bad when manufactured that they need the ‘kwe treatment’?
2/ could I save the premium on a ‘Celebration’ model by buying one made just before and spec. it up by adding the wooden steering wheel and gear selector? Were there any other changes from standard to ‘Celebration’?
Thanks in advance
Andrew
My questions are:
1/ were they really that bad when manufactured that they need the ‘kwe treatment’?
2/ could I save the premium on a ‘Celebration’ model by buying one made just before and spec. it up by adding the wooden steering wheel and gear selector? Were there any other changes from standard to ‘Celebration’?
Thanks in advance
Andrew
There never was really anything wrong with the XJS IMO. It was more of a continent crossing GT car. But for some reason motoring jourolists seemed to think it should have been a pin sharpe sports car, totally forgetting that the Series III E-Type was anything but that. Also the less sleek styling while looking good at the time of release met with criticism in later years. Which seems to be the thing remember these days.
Overall they are softer and more sumptuous than a more sporting car. If you are happy to trade a bit of luxury for a firmer ride then a tweaked one can be every bit as good as any other modern counterpart. Remember the DB7 was largely XJS. And I beleive even the XK8 shared quite a bit, or at least in conception.
Your best bet is to drove one and see if it's good enough or if you want something more sharpe. I ran a 1982 XJ-S HE V12 for a number of years. And directly comparing it to a friends 1990 Merc SL500 I much preferred the XJS. It rode way better than the SL. Just as quick in reality and went round corners as well. Only down side was the slightly dimwitted 3 speed auto, low mpg and an almost silent exhaust note.
A 6.0 litre XJS should be awesome. The S6 ones aren't as quick and in today's company are more brisk than speedy. But they can be woken up quite nicely if you want more speed. Personally I've often wondered what an XJS with an XJR6 enngjne would be like.
Overall they are softer and more sumptuous than a more sporting car. If you are happy to trade a bit of luxury for a firmer ride then a tweaked one can be every bit as good as any other modern counterpart. Remember the DB7 was largely XJS. And I beleive even the XK8 shared quite a bit, or at least in conception.
Your best bet is to drove one and see if it's good enough or if you want something more sharpe. I ran a 1982 XJ-S HE V12 for a number of years. And directly comparing it to a friends 1990 Merc SL500 I much preferred the XJS. It rode way better than the SL. Just as quick in reality and went round corners as well. Only down side was the slightly dimwitted 3 speed auto, low mpg and an almost silent exhaust note.
A 6.0 litre XJS should be awesome. The S6 ones aren't as quick and in today's company are more brisk than speedy. But they can be woken up quite nicely if you want more speed. Personally I've often wondered what an XJS with an XJR6 enngjne would be like.
richw_82 said:
300bhp/ton said:
Personally I've often wondered what an XJS with an XJR6 enngjne would be like.
Would there be that much in it, with 295hp out of the V12, against 326hp from the XJR6? I reckon a lower back axle ratio and a 5 speed manual box would wake an XJS up quite nicely.
My Dad had a 6.0 XJ40 XJ12 which I really liked. They also sold this in the early x300's along side the XJR6. I think its the character more than anything. The V12 is very smooth. The 6 a bit more feisty.
Also when it comes down to it. As much as I love the V12 (which is a lot) it is a flipping huge heavy engine. Were the 6 is smaller and lighter and with the blower arguably more tunable.
ADP68 said:
I have a silver shadow, so am used to 'wafty' rides!
Is that all the KWE job does, i.e. turn it from a GT to a hard riding sportscar?
I think they'll do what ever you pay them to do Is that all the KWE job does, i.e. turn it from a GT to a hard riding sportscar?
I doubt it's "hard" riding. I suspect they taughten it up. Revised dampers and springs and bushes mostly would be my guess. This should make it more sporty while still comfy. Not sure what else they offer, maybe a bit of modernising here and there and that type of thing. Probably best to speak to them and see exactly what they do and offer.
I don't see why you couldn't use an XJS as a daily driver. I did - twice. Admittedly they were only two or three years old at the time, but I had no issues of any sort with either. I had both pre-Celebration and Celebration coupes. There was a lot of difference between them, but the earlier car was 1990 and the Celebration 1996 and I think there were some changes anyway in the intervening years, so I don't know which were specific to the Celebration. There are some brochures here which might help:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/section_xj-s.h...
As to whether it really needs loads of money in improvements, personally I would say not. You should drive one and see for yourself, but provided it's a well sorted and looked after example I don't think you'd be too disappointed. The Celebration in particular isn't all that soft, it was quite firmly sprung, although not uncomfortably so.
If my Celebration turned up for sale in the condition I sold it in, I'd buy it back in an instant - that was one of my all time favourites
http://www.jag-lovers.org/brochures/section_xj-s.h...
As to whether it really needs loads of money in improvements, personally I would say not. You should drive one and see for yourself, but provided it's a well sorted and looked after example I don't think you'd be too disappointed. The Celebration in particular isn't all that soft, it was quite firmly sprung, although not uncomfortably so.
If my Celebration turned up for sale in the condition I sold it in, I'd buy it back in an instant - that was one of my all time favourites
Edited by steve-p on Friday 12th February 19:11
If I knew one end of a wrench from the other, I would buy another XJS V12 in a heartbeat. Extreme comfort combined with eerily silent and effortless acceleration are still what I hanker after. Drove one to Nice once, non-stop from Boulogne and got out as fresh as a daisy. Did Calais-Marseille last week in a 4.2 XKR conv and was shattered on arrival.
I miss the deep-cushioned comfy seats of the XJS too. Basically, I'm in the wrong car. Got to find something more suited to my advancing years and would love some good old-fashioned politically incorrect V12 waft.
I miss the deep-cushioned comfy seats of the XJS too. Basically, I'm in the wrong car. Got to find something more suited to my advancing years and would love some good old-fashioned politically incorrect V12 waft.
Thanks for the offer. But I'd like a new car like an XJS V12 but not an XJS V12. Packed with modern gizmos but without sports suspension or firm sports seats. The only British V12 cars in current production are AM and RR and they are too expensive and/or too big for me...http://wapedia.mobi/en/V12_engine#2.
ADP68 said:
I have a silver shadow, so am used to 'wafty' rides!
Is that all the KWE job does, i.e. turn it from a GT to a hard riding sportscar?
If you want a sports car feel in an XJS then buy a Lister Le Mans XJS. Sub 5 second 0-60 and top speed of 200mph. They seem to go for about £40K+ though.Is that all the KWE job does, i.e. turn it from a GT to a hard riding sportscar?
pete5570 said:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1487579.htm
This one looks interesting!!!!
i want it. more than want to take my next breath.This one looks interesting!!!!
Love the Lister, isn't about the same wedge as a KWE one? Might be a tad heavy of fuel perhaps.
I ran a late manual 4.0 XJS as my only car for a while, which I loved to bits. Looked fantastic, great interior and that view out across an acre of bonnet through a narrow windscreen is glorious.
Things I would have fixed if I had had the cash would include a slightly more sporty exhaust - a matter of choice but I would have liked a little more burble when I changed down.
It could also have done with a lower power steering rack - this would have improved things a lot, they are not expensive either and the steering is just too light and lacks feel.
Wouldn't have changed much else really, except perhaps an XJ6 Engineering engine upgrade or two.
Manual or auto? Depend how you want to drive it. There is enough oomph low down that you can slot it into fifth at about 15mph or less no trouble. It did have a heavy clutch though which got a tedious in traffic.
Lots and lots of car for the money. Watch the rust though - like any car getting on a bit there a good few with nice external panels and a horror of rust in the bulkhead and inside around the screen which is a wallet-crushing job. If you've water getting into the cabin have a really good look (could just be blocked AC vents, or maybe not).
They can be made to go very fast and be rock hard if you wish of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if2j6yqZg0Q (TWR Jaguar video I keep watching)
Probably better off as a rapid long distance GT though.
The later model ones have different body panels and look a little better, in my humble, especially around the rear side windows. Rust proofing is said to be much superior too.
I know of at least one with an XJR engine converstion, it was one sale a year or so ago. Looked to be a very professional job and featured in the Jaguar Enthusiasts magazine.
I ran a late manual 4.0 XJS as my only car for a while, which I loved to bits. Looked fantastic, great interior and that view out across an acre of bonnet through a narrow windscreen is glorious.
Things I would have fixed if I had had the cash would include a slightly more sporty exhaust - a matter of choice but I would have liked a little more burble when I changed down.
It could also have done with a lower power steering rack - this would have improved things a lot, they are not expensive either and the steering is just too light and lacks feel.
Wouldn't have changed much else really, except perhaps an XJ6 Engineering engine upgrade or two.
Manual or auto? Depend how you want to drive it. There is enough oomph low down that you can slot it into fifth at about 15mph or less no trouble. It did have a heavy clutch though which got a tedious in traffic.
Lots and lots of car for the money. Watch the rust though - like any car getting on a bit there a good few with nice external panels and a horror of rust in the bulkhead and inside around the screen which is a wallet-crushing job. If you've water getting into the cabin have a really good look (could just be blocked AC vents, or maybe not).
They can be made to go very fast and be rock hard if you wish of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if2j6yqZg0Q (TWR Jaguar video I keep watching)
Probably better off as a rapid long distance GT though.
The later model ones have different body panels and look a little better, in my humble, especially around the rear side windows. Rust proofing is said to be much superior too.
I know of at least one with an XJR engine converstion, it was one sale a year or so ago. Looked to be a very professional job and featured in the Jaguar Enthusiasts magazine.
Edited by cml on Friday 19th February 02:30
cml said:
I know of at least one with an XJR engine converstion, it was one sale a year or so ago. Looked to be a very professional job and featured in the Jaguar Enthusiasts magazine.
A couple have been done with XJR-6 engines. I still want to throw one in my series 2 XJ if I get the time.The XJS in the magazine was done by Jagdaim. There's pictures of the install on the gallery section of the Jag-lovers website with that engine.
Try this link:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/snaps/snap_view.php3?id=...
Regards,
Ric
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