1987 XJS 3.6 manual
Discussion
My acquisition of this has already appeared in the Jaguar forum, but thought I would share my masochism with a wider audience. My current stable includes a BMW 330d for everyday mileage, a 1999 Alfa GTV 3.0 (currently in the PH adverts) and a Merc CLS500. Those plus the wife's Captur and SLK200 makes five; we moved house recently where there is room for them but Mrs Lotusgone wants to extend the front garden. One needs to go.
My BMW and CLS are both autos and the Merc experience is similar except smoother and more wafty. Mrs L hates the Alfa. If the Merc and Alfa were to go, what to replace them with? A manual box would be a more engaging drive, but what coupes with an engine 2.5L+ are out there? Porsche 944 (tried a couple, not that fussed), 350Z (had one), Brera (a lardy GTV & potential marital issues), BMW 630 (good, but insufficiently different to the 330d) and I cannot get excited about Audis.
I remember going to a local interesting-car dealer and taking out a BMW 840 - good in many ways but not special, and meaning to also test a Merc 350SL; except I tried a manual XJS and thought it was great. Mulled it over incessantly for two days, went back to find practically zero history so ran away.
So...I bid for one on Ebay that wasn't too far away without viewing it but knowing it would need paint. Surprisingly won the auction (you need to take me somewhere on Saturday morning, love...). Also surprisingly, no broken crockery. Got to the car, rustier than I expected but thought the price still reasonable. In retrospect I should have bid him down but felt honour bound to fulfil the transaction. Pillock.
Took it to my friendly spannerman, who within ten seconds told me to stick it back on ebay and cut my losses. My idea of saving it for the nation was met with some scorn. See if you agree...
However, I have seen enough episodes of Wheeler Dealers to know that work can be done, and the car did come with some replacement panels.
Inside, it smells a combination of old car and fusty-damp. It needs a new headliner, possibly recarpeting (or given a darn good clean) and the driver's seat restitching. The underneath was a bit of a gamble; last week, a mate came round with some ramps. I learned two things; driving the front wheels onto ramps with a RWD car and a gravel drive results in some unwanted digging. The other is that it's structurally OK, there has been welding for the seat belt points, plus a newish exhaust midsection. Said mate detected a fuel whiff in the boot I had missed.
Driving-wise, it's a bit down on power but rides well. Gear lever a bit wobbly, and 2nd & reverse a bit of a push before the oil is warm. Fires up OK but with a bit of a scree and an enthusiastic auto choke.
All the cars were back at the ranch, but I spoke to another friendly mech and he now has it, to have a look under the bonnet and give it a basic service with a pre-MOT recce to see if it has a chance of passing without a mega outlay.
I'll report back once I have heard from him.
My BMW and CLS are both autos and the Merc experience is similar except smoother and more wafty. Mrs L hates the Alfa. If the Merc and Alfa were to go, what to replace them with? A manual box would be a more engaging drive, but what coupes with an engine 2.5L+ are out there? Porsche 944 (tried a couple, not that fussed), 350Z (had one), Brera (a lardy GTV & potential marital issues), BMW 630 (good, but insufficiently different to the 330d) and I cannot get excited about Audis.
I remember going to a local interesting-car dealer and taking out a BMW 840 - good in many ways but not special, and meaning to also test a Merc 350SL; except I tried a manual XJS and thought it was great. Mulled it over incessantly for two days, went back to find practically zero history so ran away.
So...I bid for one on Ebay that wasn't too far away without viewing it but knowing it would need paint. Surprisingly won the auction (you need to take me somewhere on Saturday morning, love...). Also surprisingly, no broken crockery. Got to the car, rustier than I expected but thought the price still reasonable. In retrospect I should have bid him down but felt honour bound to fulfil the transaction. Pillock.
Took it to my friendly spannerman, who within ten seconds told me to stick it back on ebay and cut my losses. My idea of saving it for the nation was met with some scorn. See if you agree...
However, I have seen enough episodes of Wheeler Dealers to know that work can be done, and the car did come with some replacement panels.
Inside, it smells a combination of old car and fusty-damp. It needs a new headliner, possibly recarpeting (or given a darn good clean) and the driver's seat restitching. The underneath was a bit of a gamble; last week, a mate came round with some ramps. I learned two things; driving the front wheels onto ramps with a RWD car and a gravel drive results in some unwanted digging. The other is that it's structurally OK, there has been welding for the seat belt points, plus a newish exhaust midsection. Said mate detected a fuel whiff in the boot I had missed.
Driving-wise, it's a bit down on power but rides well. Gear lever a bit wobbly, and 2nd & reverse a bit of a push before the oil is warm. Fires up OK but with a bit of a scree and an enthusiastic auto choke.
All the cars were back at the ranch, but I spoke to another friendly mech and he now has it, to have a look under the bonnet and give it a basic service with a pre-MOT recce to see if it has a chance of passing without a mega outlay.
I'll report back once I have heard from him.
t as the ‘84 XJS I had 20 years ago!Very nice, strong colour, I do love an old Jag. I've had a few, mainly XJ40's, always did fancy an XJS though, a well sorted one is a great thing.
You're a brave man taking that on, I've seen plenty of these that look good on top when they are running ample filler and a cheap blow-over, but have all sorts of rot underneath when you start digging in. I really hope yours isn't as bad as it looks, as these relatively small rust bubble can be a symptom of rampant hidden rust on the other side...
You're a brave man taking that on, I've seen plenty of these that look good on top when they are running ample filler and a cheap blow-over, but have all sorts of rot underneath when you start digging in. I really hope yours isn't as bad as it looks, as these relatively small rust bubble can be a symptom of rampant hidden rust on the other side...
I salute you sir, for what you are abut to take on!
I had a black 1986 3.6 manual that was a colander, and after 6 months I had to admit it was way beyond my time, skills and money.
I hope you can make a cretical assessment and forge forward, or perhaps find a well-panelled donor, as those bits might be the tips of the ice bergs!
I had a black 1986 3.6 manual that was a colander, and after 6 months I had to admit it was way beyond my time, skills and money.
I hope you can make a cretical assessment and forge forward, or perhaps find a well-panelled donor, as those bits might be the tips of the ice bergs!
Many thanks for the support. There is a thread on youtube of an optimistic XJS restorer, he gets 20 posts in before establishing the underneath was irrevocably porous. On the basis that the car is not DNR, I wondered whether to keep it Alpine Green or go for a ruby red, the jury's out on that one.
A similar car just sold on ebay - less rust but a very iffy gearbox. Maybe that was the wiser investment.
A similar car just sold on ebay - less rust but a very iffy gearbox. Maybe that was the wiser investment.
That isn't too bad, and its well worth saving any manual XJ-S at this point (and the 3.6 cars can drive even better with a few mods). The Alpine Green is a great colour, and can stand out even more with some darkened trim piece etc I think. Worth checking your tyres too, as they can be a big expense. The gearstick will always be a bit wobbly in gear too.
The green machine is now back, with a new MOT which makes it an official rolling restoration. It needed a bit of welding, but in the course of an underneath inspection, my friendly mechanic established it had received some beneficial work on suspension and brakes. I also established that the rear quarters were a bit frillier than first thought.
Driving it back, it felt a bit better in terms of oomph but not lots better - I guess there is only so much a service and plugging an exhaust hole will give you. A wet third-gear left-hander made me catch a slide, so the advisories on the rear tyres were well founded; that and mismatched patterns on the front means new boots all round, manageable for £300 through the XJS Club.
I'm just wondering though, whether trying a sorted version would be a good idea. It wouldn't be wise to go through the expense of serious restoration only to have to kid myself I had something I really liked at the end.
In the Jaguar thread, I wondered about installing a glass roof - unique or unfeasible for a coupe?
Driving it back, it felt a bit better in terms of oomph but not lots better - I guess there is only so much a service and plugging an exhaust hole will give you. A wet third-gear left-hander made me catch a slide, so the advisories on the rear tyres were well founded; that and mismatched patterns on the front means new boots all round, manageable for £300 through the XJS Club.
I'm just wondering though, whether trying a sorted version would be a good idea. It wouldn't be wise to go through the expense of serious restoration only to have to kid myself I had something I really liked at the end.
In the Jaguar thread, I wondered about installing a glass roof - unique or unfeasible for a coupe?
I’ve had two 3.6 manuals, a rotten C reg and then what could have been a really nice F reg one in the lovely and Scarce, metallic blue grey colour.
It had a factory sliding sunroof however, which gave it very poor headroom. @ 5.10, the roof lining was just too close to my head. Sold it to a guy from Kent, who’s daughters Polish b / f was going to do the work to it in Poland. Often wonder what happened to it.
It had a factory sliding sunroof however, which gave it very poor headroom. @ 5.10, the roof lining was just too close to my head. Sold it to a guy from Kent, who’s daughters Polish b / f was going to do the work to it in Poland. Often wonder what happened to it.
An eventful nip up the road to Tesco produced steam from under the bonnet, a groany noise when turning the wheel + liquid leak (so the pump or a hose has died), and the loss of first gear.
There was me eyeing up a new headliner kit...having thought the MOT would draw a line under the fundamentals, at least for a while.
There was me eyeing up a new headliner kit...having thought the MOT would draw a line under the fundamentals, at least for a while.
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