Considering an XJ300, need advice
Discussion
Hello everyone, I'm considering getting an XJ300. Any big does and dont's for this model? Is there anywhere that I need to check for rust particularly? Is a full service history more important than mileage?
I've done a bit of research and everyone seems rather positive about it (at least compared to the XJ40 and XJ308).
I want a nice, easy 'starter classic' and I'm willing to pay a little more to get a nice tidy example that is going to make it through at least a couple of MOTs with no huge issues and won't hit me with a huge bill straight away. That said it absolutely does not need to be concours, in fact the odd little ding would be a good thing in a way (so I wouldn't worry about it so much). It should also not be 'too' expensive, how much are you talking for a decent one? It's still shed logic here so I can't end up spending too much!
I've been to see a couple so far, one which was very tidy (with just very small amount of rust near where the cills meet the arches (but nothing on the body itself). Prob with this one is that it feels a bit overpriced (£1500, 159k, P plate, 3.2 sport) and more importantly it only has a couple of months MOT on it.
The other was a bit of a dog, cheap at £850 (and I'm sure he'd take an offer) but rust on every arch, rusted through exhaust box on one side, some electrical gremlins (radio aerial), AC not working etc. Also had a very slight knock from the back which I guess is a brush going but I don't really know about these things. How bad is a knock like this, is it an impending MOT fail / how much do they cost to sort? It drove alright however. All considered I recon this one was a bit too ratty!
Sorry for the long post, hope someone who knows more about such things wouldn't mind helping a newbie out!
I've done a bit of research and everyone seems rather positive about it (at least compared to the XJ40 and XJ308).
I want a nice, easy 'starter classic' and I'm willing to pay a little more to get a nice tidy example that is going to make it through at least a couple of MOTs with no huge issues and won't hit me with a huge bill straight away. That said it absolutely does not need to be concours, in fact the odd little ding would be a good thing in a way (so I wouldn't worry about it so much). It should also not be 'too' expensive, how much are you talking for a decent one? It's still shed logic here so I can't end up spending too much!
I've been to see a couple so far, one which was very tidy (with just very small amount of rust near where the cills meet the arches (but nothing on the body itself). Prob with this one is that it feels a bit overpriced (£1500, 159k, P plate, 3.2 sport) and more importantly it only has a couple of months MOT on it.
The other was a bit of a dog, cheap at £850 (and I'm sure he'd take an offer) but rust on every arch, rusted through exhaust box on one side, some electrical gremlins (radio aerial), AC not working etc. Also had a very slight knock from the back which I guess is a brush going but I don't really know about these things. How bad is a knock like this, is it an impending MOT fail / how much do they cost to sort? It drove alright however. All considered I recon this one was a bit too ratty!
Sorry for the long post, hope someone who knows more about such things wouldn't mind helping a newbie out!
X300 produced from 1994 - 1997. Available with straight 6 3.2 and 4.0 engines and a rare V12 6.0. Manual and automatic options on the six cyl cars and various levels of trim.
Essentially a re skinned 1970s designed XJ40 using old tech but robust engineering which is capable of high miles if maintained well.
Main concern will be rust. Check round and under front and rear window rubbers, bottoms of wings and doors, wheelarches, inner and outer sills and closing panels and jacking points. Hidden areas under bonnet sufer too. Lacquer can peel on some - usually darker - cars, rear bumper brackets can corrode and allow the bumper to fall off, bumpers are prone to scuffs and damage.
Engines, gearboxes and driveline present no real concerns, check for leaks and correct gear operation.
Suspension and brakes work hard. Listen for any clonks, knocks and rattles. Look and feel round tyres for uneven wear patterns. Slight feathering is acceptable but any odd wear, usualy on the inside edge indicates incorrect geometry, possibily due to worn or collapsed bushes. Feel for vibration under braking both through the steering wheel and pedal. This indicates warped discs or possibily suspension wear. Listen for diff whine and bearing noise. Car should track and brake straight hands off. Check all under bonet fluids are clean. Smell auto transmission oil - if it looks brown, not ruby red and smells burnt then the clutches in the box are worn. Manuals have agricultural operation but give better economy and improved performance. Servicing and most DIY easy. Parts are reasonable.
Check for water leaks in boot and footwells. Clock LED display and electric aerials frequently fail. Security/alarm systems occasionally have issues. Check all locking/electrics/heating/a/c are working. Headlinings can drop.
Don't forget you're buying an old car. You'll probably need to view more than one and be flexible on price to find one worth having. I'd go for a 4.0 if I could find one. There is little difference in fuel consumption, the 4.0 has a better gearbox and IMO the 3.2 6 cyl car is very underpowered when heavily laden.
Check everything works and buy on condition only. Before you dismiss the later V8 X308 try one. I've run both for several years each and while both make good cruisers the V8 is a vastly superior car in terms of driving dynamics and refinement.
Ideally buy an enthusiasts car. Look in the JEC classifieds, Jaguar World magazine, carsandclassic and classiccarsforsale.
Essentially a re skinned 1970s designed XJ40 using old tech but robust engineering which is capable of high miles if maintained well.
Main concern will be rust. Check round and under front and rear window rubbers, bottoms of wings and doors, wheelarches, inner and outer sills and closing panels and jacking points. Hidden areas under bonnet sufer too. Lacquer can peel on some - usually darker - cars, rear bumper brackets can corrode and allow the bumper to fall off, bumpers are prone to scuffs and damage.
Engines, gearboxes and driveline present no real concerns, check for leaks and correct gear operation.
Suspension and brakes work hard. Listen for any clonks, knocks and rattles. Look and feel round tyres for uneven wear patterns. Slight feathering is acceptable but any odd wear, usualy on the inside edge indicates incorrect geometry, possibily due to worn or collapsed bushes. Feel for vibration under braking both through the steering wheel and pedal. This indicates warped discs or possibily suspension wear. Listen for diff whine and bearing noise. Car should track and brake straight hands off. Check all under bonet fluids are clean. Smell auto transmission oil - if it looks brown, not ruby red and smells burnt then the clutches in the box are worn. Manuals have agricultural operation but give better economy and improved performance. Servicing and most DIY easy. Parts are reasonable.
Check for water leaks in boot and footwells. Clock LED display and electric aerials frequently fail. Security/alarm systems occasionally have issues. Check all locking/electrics/heating/a/c are working. Headlinings can drop.
Don't forget you're buying an old car. You'll probably need to view more than one and be flexible on price to find one worth having. I'd go for a 4.0 if I could find one. There is little difference in fuel consumption, the 4.0 has a better gearbox and IMO the 3.2 6 cyl car is very underpowered when heavily laden.
Check everything works and buy on condition only. Before you dismiss the later V8 X308 try one. I've run both for several years each and while both make good cruisers the V8 is a vastly superior car in terms of driving dynamics and refinement.
Ideally buy an enthusiasts car. Look in the JEC classifieds, Jaguar World magazine, carsandclassic and classiccarsforsale.
I've just put a small ish (£100) deposit down on an XJ6 executive but now I'm getting worried that I've acted on impulse and bought a pup.
This is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Car is on about 128k, only one MOT available (it's last one), showing previous mileages of 124k, 121k, 116k and 111k. No service stamp book but about 5 or 6 service bills for various (relatively expensive) things going back to about 09. It's MOT'd till March 2014 but as a condition of purchase I am getting him to MOT it and replace the rear tyres. All 3 keys and 2 remotes (one working).
Backstory on the car is that it's a part ex that this indie dealer has taken off a BMW main dealer. He says that maybe the service book could turn up but I can't see that happening.
Bodywork seems tidy, I could not find any rust (although I'm sure I missed some places I should have checked) and in my limited experience it seems to drive okay (test drive was only about 10 mins on slowish roads however). Interior is good, electrics all work save for the radio aerial does not fully retract or extend (how easy is this to sort?
It has only 2 keepers, the last one for all but the first year of it's life.
Other slightly weird thing is that the V5 lists it as 'silver' which I guess it is in some light but it's really light blue metallic.
It's a cheap car so I guess my risk is quite low. I'm not expecting concours for a grand but I just want something that I have a reasonable chance of getting a couple of years out of without too much grief (at which point I can use it as a luxury 3.2l garden shed). It's not a daily driver, just weekends and for when I'm too lazy to walk to the shop.
Should I be worried / run away? Do I need to do a HPI check on something like this? If it has a full year MOT I guess that is something right? How much would it be worth as spares / repair if the worst happened?
This is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Car is on about 128k, only one MOT available (it's last one), showing previous mileages of 124k, 121k, 116k and 111k. No service stamp book but about 5 or 6 service bills for various (relatively expensive) things going back to about 09. It's MOT'd till March 2014 but as a condition of purchase I am getting him to MOT it and replace the rear tyres. All 3 keys and 2 remotes (one working).
Backstory on the car is that it's a part ex that this indie dealer has taken off a BMW main dealer. He says that maybe the service book could turn up but I can't see that happening.
Bodywork seems tidy, I could not find any rust (although I'm sure I missed some places I should have checked) and in my limited experience it seems to drive okay (test drive was only about 10 mins on slowish roads however). Interior is good, electrics all work save for the radio aerial does not fully retract or extend (how easy is this to sort?
It has only 2 keepers, the last one for all but the first year of it's life.
Other slightly weird thing is that the V5 lists it as 'silver' which I guess it is in some light but it's really light blue metallic.
It's a cheap car so I guess my risk is quite low. I'm not expecting concours for a grand but I just want something that I have a reasonable chance of getting a couple of years out of without too much grief (at which point I can use it as a luxury 3.2l garden shed). It's not a daily driver, just weekends and for when I'm too lazy to walk to the shop.
Should I be worried / run away? Do I need to do a HPI check on something like this? If it has a full year MOT I guess that is something right? How much would it be worth as spares / repair if the worst happened?
XJmaybe said:
I've just put a small ish (£100) deposit down on an XJ6 executive but now I'm getting worried that I've acted on impulse and bought a pup.
This is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Looks ok, but the photos are small, and not much detail.This is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
I like cruise on these, and check if it has aircon - not standard on the base models.
I would like to knock £100 off on principle - you can probably get one with history for that, if you wait!
However I don't worry about HPI on cars that age, as it's difficult for previous owners to get finance. Steve above gave great detail on what to check mechanically, I would add the steering, and they're sensitive to tyres, also.
If it really has no rust around the wings / wheelarches / screens (and remember they rust from the inside), you are probably doing as well as can be expected!
Thanks everyone, I'm a little more reassured now.
It's got air con (and it even works!). The bodywork seems fine, I looked a bit under the rubber on the screens and it seems clear from rust, nothing visible on the arches (and all the others I've seen had at least some there). Think the radio might need the code, not sure however, is there any sort of after market radio replacement if I can't get the original going? I don't want anything with flashy graphics but I'd love a DAB in it.
The others I've seen are either much more with service history but a bit or rust or a bit less and a complete rust bucket.
It's got air con (and it even works!). The bodywork seems fine, I looked a bit under the rubber on the screens and it seems clear from rust, nothing visible on the arches (and all the others I've seen had at least some there). Think the radio might need the code, not sure however, is there any sort of after market radio replacement if I can't get the original going? I don't want anything with flashy graphics but I'd love a DAB in it.
The others I've seen are either much more with service history but a bit or rust or a bit less and a complete rust bucket.
XJmaybe said:
I've just put a small ish (£100) deposit down on an XJ6 executive but now I'm getting worried that I've acted on impulse and bought a pup.
This is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
I thought production on X300 had all stopped by 1997 only making X308'sThis is the car. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
That looks reasonable to me. That mileage is no big deal on a X300 and if you're getting a full MOT and the peace of mind that comes with it and a couple of tyres in the deal then for a grand what's not to like?
It's highly unlikley a X300 will just die on you in a very expensive way so you can run it for a while and if it's not as good as you think or you find a few niggles then just sell it on - learn what you can from ownership and maybe buy another.
The radio aerial will probrably need replacing but try some WD40 first. You can find most bits and pieces for a X300 on ebay or try British Car Parts.
Condition is the key criteria with any old Jaguar - if you've found a good one and care for it then no reason why you should have any significant grief.
It's highly unlikley a X300 will just die on you in a very expensive way so you can run it for a while and if it's not as good as you think or you find a few niggles then just sell it on - learn what you can from ownership and maybe buy another.
The radio aerial will probrably need replacing but try some WD40 first. You can find most bits and pieces for a X300 on ebay or try British Car Parts.
Condition is the key criteria with any old Jaguar - if you've found a good one and care for it then no reason why you should have any significant grief.
+1 for the venerable X300. I bought mine with 50k on it 12 years ago and it's run me up to 180k now. There have been a few little (but occasionally endearing) gremlins over the years but it's been my daily smoker and never left me stranded.
They can stay rust free - if you find a good one then take the time to remove the plastic shields in the front wings and spray waxoil in there. Expect to keep an eye on wheel bearings, ball joints, etc as it's a heavy car but these aren't difficult to deal with.
The fatal problem with my XJ6 is that the diff is now getting very noisy - first signs were over 5 years ago - proof that it won't let go suddenly. So alas it's time to move on to an XJ8.
The interior leather can last and last, it is high quality stuff. I worked out that the driver's seat has been sat on for around 5000 hours.
Buy well and you won't regret it.
They can stay rust free - if you find a good one then take the time to remove the plastic shields in the front wings and spray waxoil in there. Expect to keep an eye on wheel bearings, ball joints, etc as it's a heavy car but these aren't difficult to deal with.
The fatal problem with my XJ6 is that the diff is now getting very noisy - first signs were over 5 years ago - proof that it won't let go suddenly. So alas it's time to move on to an XJ8.
The interior leather can last and last, it is high quality stuff. I worked out that the driver's seat has been sat on for around 5000 hours.
Buy well and you won't regret it.
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