XJS costs
Author
Discussion

greendiff

Original Poster:

252 posts

204 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Apart from fuel, what is the difference in cost in maintaining a straight six and a V12 XJS?

a8hex

5,832 posts

249 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
greendiff said:
Apart from fuel, what is the difference in cost in maintaining a straight six and a V12 XJS?
twice as many spark plugs?

getmecoat

deadslow

8,767 posts

249 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
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The V12 does like a drink. Other than that, I guess, not too much difference.

If you buy a six, you WILL yearn for the twelve.

sdmurray

463 posts

201 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
a8hex said:
greendiff said:
Apart from fuel, what is the difference in cost in maintaining a straight six and a V12 XJS?
twice as many spark plugs?

getmecoat
laugh

sdmurray

463 posts

201 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Seriously though, it is the age and condition of the car that will dictate the costs. The earlier they are, the more prone to bad build problems let alone rust they are. The later ones less so but they then became more electronic and fire off random error codes all the time (which no one, not even my contacts in Ford in Detoit, can decipher). Can spend years trying to diagnose something which isn't even a problem. They all suffer from aircon problems and that is expensive to deal with.

Have you noticed, it is more about what's around the engine not the engine itself. The Jaguar engines were good and, in my experience, reliable. Their build quality and some of the more cutting edge stuff were the areas for problems.

Can't tell you how many aerials we've been through!

Dominicc01

530 posts

193 months

Friday 18th June 2010
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For a start, the pair of plugs closest to the bulkhead are a nightmare to get at. Apparently it's a couple of hours' work dismantling the plumbing to get to them (see http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/jaguar/xjs-v12-1977). General maintenance is more expensive. Insurance will be more expensive. It will drink more (much more) oil.

richw_82

992 posts

212 months

Friday 18th June 2010
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I found the two plugs at the front under the air con compressor were the hardest to get to. The ones at the back are a doddle if you take the throttle pedestal off first.

HE V12's are a pain for the plugs. The pre HE's are easier, but drink a shedload more.

greendiff

Original Poster:

252 posts

204 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
Oddly enough, Insurance between the six and 12 is nothing, exactly the same.

Its the year that changes it for me, pre 1992 and its 500 or so, 92 and over, 800 approx.

Considering I get 20mpg average in my Omega a V12 shouldn't be out of reach...scratchchin

deadslow

8,767 posts

249 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
greendiff said:
Considering I get 20mpg average in my Omega a V12 shouldn't be out of reach...scratchchin
Depends how you drive them. The V12 can do 20mpg, but its real life average is probably mid/high teens mpg. If you are prone to giving it the beans, expect 3-4 mpg.

neilr

1,585 posts

289 months

Friday 18th June 2010
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Re fuel consumption: A friend of mine ran a 1985 V12 for a year or so a while back, used it to commute 30 odd miles each way on the motorway but otherwise was more, err, spirited. He averaged 11mpg overall. It did go down to 3-4 on occasion, but the average was 11mpg over each month. Not a car to own if fuel consumption is a factor methinks! Great motor though, I loved it. (as did he).

mikey77

707 posts

214 months

Sunday 20th June 2010
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My 6 litre does 18 with knockabout driving, 22 on a run. I know it's not the 30 that the 4 litre is reputed to do, but it's not horrendous. It uses a negligible amount of oil.
We live in France and there's a big difference in insurance costs between the 6 and the 12. 4 litre is rated 21cv, V12 (5.3 or 6 litre) 38cv.
Shouldn't complain, though. Veyron is rated 119cv. That's a bit steep when you come to register it at 35+ euros per cv.

pete5570

270 posts

198 months

Sunday 20th June 2010
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If it was my money i would go for a 4.0 mid 1990s model. These have ample performance and seem to be much better built and obviously more economical to run.

pr100

287 posts

218 months

Sunday 20th June 2010
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The V12 will suffer zero depreciation because you will never want to get rid of it.

sdmurray

463 posts

201 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2010
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pr100 said:
The V12 will suffer zero depreciation because you will never want to get rid of it.
^^^^ A very good point.

a8hex

5,832 posts

249 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2010
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I would think at any reasonable condition XJS was now beyond the reach of depreciation, so long as you keep it in reasonable nick.

koolchris99

12,470 posts

205 months

Wednesday 23rd June 2010
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we have a 6.0 v12,

its spent 19 months in the garage now. came out last week and we drove it to get some new tyres for mot. then the steering locked up and loads of fluid spurted everywhere.

back to the garage.

richw_82

992 posts

212 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
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Drive it more, rather than lay it up. Then stuff like that won't happen.

Trust me, as I've just come to wake my V12 after a few months, and the brakes are binding.

koolchris99

12,470 posts

205 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
richw_82 said:
Drive it more, rather than lay it up. Then stuff like that won't happen.

Trust me, as I've just come to wake my V12 after a few months, and the brakes are binding.
by garage i mean jaguar main dealer..

i have a list of stuff thats gone wrong, we get it out all fixed and the furthest we have got is 18km .......

V88Dicky

7,363 posts

209 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
koolchris99 said:
richw_82 said:
Drive it more, rather than lay it up. Then stuff like that won't happen.

Trust me, as I've just come to wake my V12 after a few months, and the brakes are binding.
by garage i mean jaguar main dealer..

i have a list of stuff thats gone wrong, we get it out all fixed and the furthest we have got is 18km .......
Might wanna look at the odometer and speedo too biggrin

koolchris99

12,470 posts

205 months

Thursday 24th June 2010
quotequote all
V88Dicky said:
koolchris99 said:
richw_82 said:
Drive it more, rather than lay it up. Then stuff like that won't happen.

Trust me, as I've just come to wake my V12 after a few months, and the brakes are binding.
by garage i mean jaguar main dealer..

i have a list of stuff thats gone wrong, we get it out all fixed and the furthest we have got is 18km .......
Might wanna look at the odometer and speedo too biggrin
why??

am i missing something... the car is in the middle east, its in KM.