XJS 3.6 or 4.0 Manual - What Are They like ?
Discussion
My 2p worth of pub advice:
I owned a late manual 4.0 XJS for three years or so. Much of it is a bit Marmite.
It's a big, flat, long GT with a small cabin which looks out through a pillbox-slit of a windscreen, (which you can touch without removing your hand from the steering wheel!), across an acre of bonnet. It looks like a lot of car, which it is. Whatever you bought it for, the general public will assume you are fairly well-heeled.
The clutch is very heavy, making stop-start traffic a chore.
Steering is too light - this can be changed easily by replacing the rack, which isn't expensive, or so I was told. This is the biggest fault when it comes to straight driving pleasure I think.
Suspension work can be expensive to fix as there is quite a lot of it and it takes a while to dismantle and rebuild, whatever you happen to be doing.
Engine parts plentiful, and lots of other bits are too. However some key bits aren't so cheap - don't break the headlights.
It does handle reasonably well, as long as you remember that its a hefty thing and if it lets go, you'll need Thor's help to catch it again. Beware wet roads.
Lovely flexible engine that's happy in high gears and low speeds. Poodle along in fifth, then drop two.. Mid-range is where the action is.
It's an A road swooper and motorway destroyer (like nothing I've driven so far anyway) and a bit awkward in car parks.
I still have a huge soft spot for the XJS, its greater than the sum of its parts methinks. Has a slightly rakish air, like some posh elderly uncle who eyes up the young fillies rather too much (although that might just be me).
However... rust and petrol costs are your main foes
I owned a late manual 4.0 XJS for three years or so. Much of it is a bit Marmite.
It's a big, flat, long GT with a small cabin which looks out through a pillbox-slit of a windscreen, (which you can touch without removing your hand from the steering wheel!), across an acre of bonnet. It looks like a lot of car, which it is. Whatever you bought it for, the general public will assume you are fairly well-heeled.
The clutch is very heavy, making stop-start traffic a chore.
Steering is too light - this can be changed easily by replacing the rack, which isn't expensive, or so I was told. This is the biggest fault when it comes to straight driving pleasure I think.
Suspension work can be expensive to fix as there is quite a lot of it and it takes a while to dismantle and rebuild, whatever you happen to be doing.
Engine parts plentiful, and lots of other bits are too. However some key bits aren't so cheap - don't break the headlights.
It does handle reasonably well, as long as you remember that its a hefty thing and if it lets go, you'll need Thor's help to catch it again. Beware wet roads.
Lovely flexible engine that's happy in high gears and low speeds. Poodle along in fifth, then drop two.. Mid-range is where the action is.
It's an A road swooper and motorway destroyer (like nothing I've driven so far anyway) and a bit awkward in car parks.
I still have a huge soft spot for the XJS, its greater than the sum of its parts methinks. Has a slightly rakish air, like some posh elderly uncle who eyes up the young fillies rather too much (although that might just be me).
However... rust and petrol costs are your main foes
Edited by cml on Tuesday 8th May 23:28
My dad is a bit of a Jag fanatic he bought a 91 (pre facelift) 3.6 auto Sport for £575 a couple of years ago and has just finished restoring it, for an old car it really does pick up its feet and actually drives great I was shocked at how nice it is to drive. Really comfy on a long trip but only ever gets around 18/20 MPG. In fairness not my cup of tea but for the money it stands him at he won’t lose nowhere near as much as he has on more modern performance cars in fact he should make a small profit that will be a 1st for him!
Welcome to PH and a fine choice...
I picked up this lovely lady for a shade under £4k last year...
2 owners from new (father and son) the plate is the only plate that has ever been on the car and I have every scrap of paperwork ever! Not a spot of rust anywhere, she has done 100k and has been religiously Jag serviced.
They are out there.
ETA she is a 5.2 V12 Auto but my adice is persevere took me over 18 months to find this one!
I picked up this lovely lady for a shade under £4k last year...
2 owners from new (father and son) the plate is the only plate that has ever been on the car and I have every scrap of paperwork ever! Not a spot of rust anywhere, she has done 100k and has been religiously Jag serviced.
They are out there.
ETA she is a 5.2 V12 Auto but my adice is persevere took me over 18 months to find this one!
redgriff500 said:
Royster said:
8MPG? Ouch.
I live in London and around town, mine averages 15 mpg, and on the motorway it does 30 mpg (according to the obc).
Has very long diff ratio so 70mph is about 1800 rpm.
Well thats what his last V12 HE XJS made (he did mainly short trips as do I)I live in London and around town, mine averages 15 mpg, and on the motorway it does 30 mpg (according to the obc).
Has very long diff ratio so 70mph is about 1800 rpm.
I recently had a 5.7 Monaro and averaged 12-14.
As mentioned by others above, factor in a few bits and pieces to the overall cost, like new polybushes and a cooling overhaul (for the V12 at least) and you get a fantastic mile munching GT that can hold its own on the twisties too.
The blight of the poor old XJS is that many people get confused with the difference between a sports car and a luxury GT car, the big Jag is one of the best places to be when crossing continents! Always used to get loads of positive attention whenever stopped all over Europe too!
The cars in my pics are my dad's he started posting on here from very early on many years ago as "barefoot" but has been banned for life as he was winding up some on the Noble group, anyway thats another story, but he had many posts showing the restoration of the Mark 2 and some of his other cars on here.
The Jag Mark 2
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The red MGB GT
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Here is the car finished
The Jag Mark 2
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The red MGB GT
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Here is the car finished
Edited by sonofbarefoot on Wednesday 9th May 08:43
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