Anybody have opinions on the Jag XJS?

[Geeto67]

Hey,

 

So as long as I can remember I have always secretly wanted a 6cylinder powered jag. At one point I had hoped this would be an E-type coupe but the prices of those cars has gotten kind of out of control and I really don't want another garage queen but something I can drive in the rain as if it was a daily. I had kind of settled on this probably being a 70's XJ6 saloon car (if I can find one without a 350 chevy swapped in) but there is this ad on CL for a fairly cheap 1995 XJS vert.

 

My uncle used to own John Glen's (yes the astronaut) 1976 XJS which John had a 454 LS6 chevy engine swapped in (it was a liberty red coupe with a custom black velour interior from jaguar - the car was a gift from jag) which I had driven a few times so I know I fit in them and love the way the car drives but I also remember a neighbor of my parents in the 90's that used to own a v-12 car and had a new issue a week with the thing (and it was a brand new car).

 

I called a buddy of mine who used to work on old english cars and all he said was the jag 6 is the English small block Chevy because it was made for a thousand years in a blacksmith forge by men beating on metal with hammers and was as reliable as the shop anvil. He also said the car might disintegrate around me in a death by a thousand cuts because everything from the tranny to the climate controls is electric, but it would look fabulous doing so.

 

The two things that kind of concern me are the car has 150,000 miles and I am not really sure of the parts availability or cost. Is this a Porsche 928 situation where the car itself is dirt cheap but every spark plug requires you to cut off a limb? or can these really be cheap to buy/cheap to operate like my old BMW e30 was?

 

Also, anybody just want to rag on English cars for being unreliable have at it, but try to add some value. Being a pseudo-Brit motorcycle guy I can only hear so many "Lucas Lighting: prince of darkness" or "why do the English drink warm beer jokes".

 

 

Thoughts? Opinions? jokes? your crazy for thinking about buying a convertible when the polar vortex is upon us comments? Let me know your thoughts.

[Littleguy]

My neighbor has an I6 XJS, I believe it is a 1995 or 1996 model and he has had good luck with it engine wise. The only issues he has had have been with small things like the a/c and the fact that some of the parts are harder to find, he also replaced the top this year. Good looking cars that make good cruisers imo.

[zeitgeist57]

I've got a '99 XJ8 in FL...different mill but the same basic platform and mechanical bits. Only has 43k miles on it but has a hot start issue that has made it more unreliable than my 182k-mile '00 Passat (also in FL). I'm not down there enough to diagnose it, nor do I have the tools to repair it. Even if I did, I'm not going down to FL for a 3- or 4-day weekend to wrench on it.

 

I am still a big fan of Jaguars because:

- They are dirt cheap. In SW Florida XJ40 and X300 Jags are like Honda Civics in price.

- The profile is still (and always will be, IMHO) one of the prettiest and distinguishable designs.

- They cruise like none other.

- Upscale image. Always nice for the "Fake-it-'til-ya-make-it" types.

- After MY 1995, Ford definitely improved the electronics and made the price for used parts come way down. Great if you want a unique 3rd or 4th car.

 

Downside:

- Maintenance is still a pain. Not difficult to wrench on for preventative maintenance, but I'd hate to have specialty components go bad.

- Interiors/paint (at least in FL) don't hold up as well as I hoped.

- I've driven I6, V8, and 12-cyl Jags...the 4.0L V8 isn't worth any sort of price premium. I'd only buy another Jag if it was an inline-6 or a V12. Straight-line performance is weak.

[Rustlestiltskin]

I've got a '99 XJ8 in FL...different mill but the same basic platform and mechanical bits. Only has 43k miles on it but has a hot start issue that has made it more unreliable than my 182k-mile '00 Passat (also in FL). I'm not down there enough to diagnose it, nor do I have the tools to repair it. Even if I did, I'm not going down to FL for a 3- or 4-day weekend to wrench on it.

 

I am still a big fan of Jaguars because:

- They are dirt cheap. In SW Florida XJ40 and X300 Jags are like Honda Civics in price.

- The profile is still (and always will be, IMHO) one of the prettiest and distinguishable designs.

- They cruise like none other.

- Upscale image. Always nice for the "Fake-it-'til-ya-make-it" types.

- After MY 1995, Ford definitely improved the electronics and made the price for used parts come way down. Great if you want a unique 3rd or 4th car.

 

Downside:

- Maintenance is still a pain. Not difficult to wrench on for preventative maintenance, but I'd hate to have specialty components go bad.

- Interiors/paint (at least in FL) don't hold up as well as I hoped.

- I've driven I6, V8, and 12-cyl Jags...the 4.0L V8 isn't worth any sort of price premium. I'd only buy another Jag if it was an inline-6 or a V12. Straight-line performance is weak.

 

100% this. I've owned 2 80's Jaguar xj6's. Fun, cheap cruisers with timeless looks.

[carl1647545492]

As with any European car budget a few grand in repairs each year If DD

If you can wrench yourself I would not hesitate.

[zeitgeist57]

I'll also say that I love my convertible...if you want to grab one now is the time of year to do it!

 

Considering you'll MAYBE put 3k miles on it if the XJS is a 3rd or 4th car, 150k miles that are decently maintained and documented wouldn't scare me at all if the price is a deal. Buy it, drive it for a couple of seasons, get bored and want to upgrade? Don't see how 156k miles is going to hurt the value THAT much...

[Geeto67]

yeah that's kind of my feeling on it. I have the jeep to handle the snow and the thing always starts, but it would be nice to have a backup car I could use for a daily if one of my weekend projects on the jeep runs till Tuesday.

 

Plus I have always wanted a proper inline 6 powered English grand tourer.

[Green Bastard]

I know nothing about the I6 jags, but I know enough to stay away from the V12 cars. I knew a guy that had a 86 XJS V12, beautiful car, but extremely sensitive (the fuel pump was out of adjustment on his, there was a set screw in the trunk of the car that adjusted fuel pressure or something like that). He ended up getting rid of the car after a few months because he was tired of working on it.

[Geeto67]

I know nothing about the I6 jags, but I know enough to stay away from the V12 cars. I knew a guy that had a 86 XJS V12, beautiful car, but extremely sensitive (the fuel pump was out of adjustment on his, there was a set screw in the trunk of the car that adjusted fuel pressure or something like that). He ended up getting rid of the car after a few months because he was tired of working on it.

 

One of my parent's other neighbors had a series III jaguar XKE v12 and that car broke down all the time. It literally broke down in front of our house 150 feet uphill from his driveway once. That thing loved to eat fuel pumps.

[Lauren]

Only two jags I would ever consider buying.

 

Xke coupe. I must have one.

 

S type R. Was really close to buying one but decided on something different. A very reliable and great car.

[coltboostin]

Only two jags I would ever consider buying.

 

Xke coupe. I must have one.

 

S type R. Was really close to buying one but decided on something different. A very reliable and great car.

 

XJR is a great "adult" cruiser IMO. V8, Blower, rides on a cloud.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Jaguar_xjr_100.jpg/800px-Jaguar_xjr_100.jpg