SOTW: Jag XJS V12
V12 for under £1000? You'd better keep your fingers crossed.
If you know anyone who used to sell cars, they always have a story to tell about any car you care to name. Sadly I’m no exception.
When I worked at a Mercedes dealer in the mid 90s, my Dealer Principle used to buy in various cars from trader mates to put on the forecourt. We had 928s, 308s and the odd Volvo T5 (and even a flood damaged Probe at one point), but the best one was a burgundy XJS V12.
I had always loved these cars, but had never even sat in one, let alone driven one so Ieagerly jumped in when it arrived to take it round to the valeting bay- via the dual carriageway. I was instantly surprised with how small it was inside, and how the car felt like it was from a different era, although at that time it was still a fairly new car. I loved it regardless, and rushed outside to greet any potential punter in the hope I could sell it.
One bloke, a doctor from Peterborough, took it out for a test drive on a wet Saturday afternoon and as it needed some fuel we went to the local petrol station. On the way out he was waiting to turn right, spotted a gap in the traffic and booted it on full right hand lock, we spun round 180 degrees and blocked the road. He didn't buy it, and I got told off by my DP for not controlling the test drive. In fact, we actually ended up trading the car out again as we couldn’t sell it.
Have a look at this example I found on Auto Trader, yes you would need to have lady luck on your side if you were to buy this car, coupled with deep pockets, but can you feel the urge to buy? I can- especially as it reminds me so vividly of the story above.
£999 for 12 cylinders and 5.3 litres? It doesn’t get better than that does it? It may need 'some tlc' but I would be happy to fettle this over a few months to get it up and running again. Take a look at the engine bay - there isn't space left for anything else in there - can you imagine trying to diagnose any faults?
That’s where my dream bubble bursts. I imagine myself sitting in a warm garage cleaning a bit here, replacing a part there and then firing it up and burbling down the road. In reality, I don’t have the skills, nor the aforementioned deep pockets needed to complete this job, and it would slowly rust away outside my house.
Someone who has the skills should snap this one up though, it doesn't look too bad and it may be a simple enough job to complete. Yes there are cheaper cars out there, but I think this one still has some life left in it. If you do take the plunge, please let me know and I’ll pop round and help you put it back on the road.
Advert says: 1986 Jaguar XJS 5.3 V12 HE, Automatic, 84,495 miles, burgundy red with doeskin leather interior, Mot Oct 2008, e/sunroof, p/windows, repainted alloys and nearly new tyres, twin h/light conversion, excellent running condition, appreciating classic, enthusiast owned and maintained, partial running restoration carried out, see pictures, present owner 4 years, needs some tlc hence low price. £999
And with the current insurance climate, it would cost me about 4 million pounds to drive every foot.
Someone buy it.
When I was working as a lowly van driver/storeman for a software company in Hemel in the early '90s, the MD had one of these in BRG. I was given the "chore" of taking it to the Jag dealer (Merritts in Amersham, IIRC). Wow, what a drive. Very "snug" inside though.
Saw an old Top Gear recently where Mr May was driving an updated XJS, with new electricals, suspension etc. Done by some company in the West Country, I think. Not cheap though.
The guy he bought it off had some cash - the private plate on it was worth more than the car - but my lasting memories are of sitting in cracked leather seats willing my Dad to give it berries and drop that cigar shaped gear lever...
He flogged it in the end because it dropped a valve. He was a pro mechanic and owned a petrol station (hence the V12 ) but even he opened the bonnet and thought "S0d that.."
My father bought an XJS new in the late 1980's. Lovely car, now very retro cool indeed.
It was a nightmare though - even from new, and Jag had had more than a decade to get the car sorted by then, it was unreliable at best. Mostly the problems were electrics - aircon, fuel pump, windows etc etc.
That said, I would love an XJS now - but it would have to be a pristine example that has had all the work done and all the faults corrected over the years, otherwise it would be an absolute millstone.
£999 for one is so tempting, but I suspect you could easily spend 5-10k on that in the first year.
It's got less miles than that one and I've been offered it pretty cheap, but they don't do a lot for me.
On the plus side, the fuel economy isn't as bad as I'd expected.
Anyone remember "The Saint" ? (not the one who used to do the sport with Greavsie)
It was supposed to be red but parts of it had gone almost pink. 190k. No service history. Hardly any MOT. 8 owners . It had the sills done and some reinforcement added into the now carpet-less boot but it looked like the welding had been done by a blind leper on day release. The footwells were leaking and hardly any of the electrics worked. (nothing new there then.)
Bloke said he bought it on the way back from the pub one Sunday lunchtime a month ago. He saw it on the forecourt fell in love and paid £1995.00 for it. He now knew it was mistake.
I told him it must have been a very good lunch and told him it was basically worth the private number plate (as above) and the fuel that was in the tank. Guess what? He didn't buy my demo.
Then when I worked for Jag I took a beauty convertible in as p/x against an XK. Dark blue, light grey leather, dropped the roof down and drove it to the storage compound feeling like a movie star.
Morale: If its a good one its brillant. If its a bad one you might as well just use all your money as kindling to money your house down.
It's got less miles than that one and I've been offered it pretty cheap, but they don't do a lot for me.
On the plus side, the fuel economy isn't as bad as I'd expected.
Anyone remember "The Saint" ? (not the one who used to do the sport with Greavsie)
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