Reasons why this is a bad idea
Discussion
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJS-HE-V12-auto-c...
Who has some horror stories about these then? Looks a lot of car for the money
Who has some horror stories about these then? Looks a lot of car for the money
AceOfHearts said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJS-HE-V12-auto-c...
Who has some horror stories about these then? Looks a lot of car for the money
from the descriptionWho has some horror stories about these then? Looks a lot of car for the money
Ebay said:
"car needs some restoration to get back on the road real collectors car ! "
= " nice garden ornament "Ebay said:
"blow/leakage on exhaust needs repairs "
"needs full exhaust system"Ebay said:
"few bits of rust around"
" Full of holes like a swiss cheese "Cars been sat since 2008 because
A= I cant afford the cost of fuel at 6mpg !
B= It failed prevoius MOT ?
c= Ditto too costly to fix
apart from that enjoy
edit :
contact the XJS owners club , for some sound advice
http://www.xjsclub.org/#
Edited by DBSV8 on Wednesday 17th April 05:43
They are a lot of car for the money but be prepared to spend lots more to keep it running or even get it through the mot..
Personally I really like these but would not buy one because I like something which is less complicated and I can do all my own repairs, that said if I was to buy one I wouldn't want one with a body kit as it makes them look cheap.
Personally I really like these but would not buy one because I like something which is less complicated and I can do all my own repairs, that said if I was to buy one I wouldn't want one with a body kit as it makes them look cheap.
If you accept it for what it is - and was - as well as the expected running costs then it's a hell of a machine for the money. As long as you get a good one. There's no such thing as a cheap XJS. But you wouldn't expect to run a V12 Ferrari for peanuts, would you? And the bodywork, servicing and reliability issues wouldn't be much different.
Anyway, if one of the 'bits of rust' is at the bottom of the windscreen you'd best walk away before looking any further.
And why is it that people think a 'personalised' number plate with their initials on it is worth diddly squat to anyone else when it doesn't disguise the age of the motor?
Anyway, if one of the 'bits of rust' is at the bottom of the windscreen you'd best walk away before looking any further.
And why is it that people think a 'personalised' number plate with their initials on it is worth diddly squat to anyone else when it doesn't disguise the age of the motor?
To dissuade yourself I suggest you view it, check the state of the inner wings, check the amount of oil pouring out the camcover gaskets, speculate on how long it'll take you to change the spark plugs and how much skin you'll lose on the way, also noting that everything in the vee has been cooked and needs replacing. Then start it up and put a foot near the end of each exhaust. Listen for the nice even tone? not there? thats because its misfiring on one or more cylinders 
have a nice brew with the boiled water from the cooling system and note the viscous fan coupling is shagged.
Give up on the cramped engine bay and consider maybe the brakes. Realise that the rear brakes are inboard and the leaking diff is dropping oil on them and you'll have to drop the lot out to fix it. Then spot the rusted radius arm mounts.
Give up.
have a nice brew with the boiled water from the cooling system and note the viscous fan coupling is shagged.Give up on the cramped engine bay and consider maybe the brakes. Realise that the rear brakes are inboard and the leaking diff is dropping oil on them and you'll have to drop the lot out to fix it. Then spot the rusted radius arm mounts.
Give up.
Go and have a look and actually SEE what it's like.
My father has a lovely XJS V12 HE and its not horrific on fuel by ANY means. However he bought the best one he could find - then had it fully restored!
ETA: I reckon if you took that body kit off to look what's underneath, you'd need bigger screws and gaffer tape to put it bag on!
Gallen.
My father has a lovely XJS V12 HE and its not horrific on fuel by ANY means. However he bought the best one he could find - then had it fully restored!
ETA: I reckon if you took that body kit off to look what's underneath, you'd need bigger screws and gaffer tape to put it bag on!
Gallen.
That car will be a massive money pit. If careful you can buy one with a MOT for around that price. Then at least you can run it for a while and assess what needs doing. If there is to much but still a decent MOT then you should get your money back when you sell it on.......still fantastic cars but never underestimate the running costs, they are a V12 super car after all.....maybe go for a 3.6
This is really a case of 'buy the best you can' - you'll spend the difference between the price of a near-minter and a project tenfold (and I'm probably not exaggerating)!
The Jag V12 specialist I worked with (gone hiding in France since
) at some point bought a really nice late facelift example in a lovely shade of metallic red for £600 - it needed little more than basic servicing... He admitted he did get lucky on that one - after he finished with it, it flew out the door for six grand or thereabouts. Having said that, I expect these can quite easily absorb six grand to sort even if they aren't as forlorn looking as that ebay one...
The Jag V12 specialist I worked with (gone hiding in France since
) at some point bought a really nice late facelift example in a lovely shade of metallic red for £600 - it needed little more than basic servicing... He admitted he did get lucky on that one - after he finished with it, it flew out the door for six grand or thereabouts. Having said that, I expect these can quite easily absorb six grand to sort even if they aren't as forlorn looking as that ebay one...I agree with those saying "pass". I have been in and around V12 Jaguars for some time now. The problem with buying a "fixer upper" is that you can end up throwing astronomical amounts of money at it and yet never be truly happy with the result. The only alternative is a full ground-up restoration by a specialist, which will easily hit 5 figures.
The engine bay looks suspiciously clean for an 86k non-runner that has been standing around. Did the seller get it steam cleaned to remove evidence of major problems? That needs checking out IMHO.
Go and see it. Take an expert along if you can find one...or maybe a nearby specialist would be willing to go and look at it in exchange for a small payment?
The engine bay looks suspiciously clean for an 86k non-runner that has been standing around. Did the seller get it steam cleaned to remove evidence of major problems? That needs checking out IMHO.
Go and see it. Take an expert along if you can find one...or maybe a nearby specialist would be willing to go and look at it in exchange for a small payment?
mikey77 said:
>>The Jag V12 specialist I worked with (gone hiding in France since)<<
Nope. After his departure I quickly became aware that I wasn't the only one he owes money to. Absolutely brilliant with engines, complete and utter rubbish at anything else (apart from storytelling maybe). Still I liked the guy... he's probably his own worst enemy. And his engine just (and at last) hit the 300 hp barrier on the rolling road, which is pretty impressive for a 4.3 litre Rover with standard sized valves...
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