[modern] Potential XJ40, (XJ6) Purchase, Advice Requested!

Disused Categories Modern
1

Dear Everyone:
My British car mechanic (I already have a Land Rover), is offering me a car
that he has serviced for its previous owner for several years. It is
Glacier-White with Barley Interior 1989 Jaguar XJ6, US Specification. The
car only has 63,000 miles on the clock, and as we are in California, the
paint and bodywork are spotless and rust-free. We have been talking about a
price of roughly $5,500 to $6,000, and I have the car “on approval” for this
weekend, and I have discovered some problems that I would like to negotiate
to get repaired before I take delivery…or purchase the car at all. Before
anything else, let me tell you that I have owned and restored British Cars
for several years, but I have never had as big and as complicated a car as a
late-model Jaguar, so I am very happy to know that there is a “support
group” out there like all of you! Anyway, here are the items:

  1. It seems that a bit of rain seeps in to the passenger-side wheelwell if
    the car is left outside in the rain. I know that this is a common Jaguar
    fault, but is there any known or obvious culprit?
  2. The headliner in the back is sagging pretty badly. Is there any quick
    fix for this, or should I negotiate to get this replaced?
  3. Passenger side rear door handle does not seem to open the door. Is that
    difficult to repair?
  4. Fuel filler flap does NOT disengage when the rest of the central locking
    system does, so I must open the trunk to access the release lever. Is it
    difficult to fix this?
  5. Long up-and-down “stripe” on the passenger-side window glass, looking
    like it was made by the window being off the track. If I replace the glass,
    how can I avoid this happening again?
  6. Driver’s lap belt latch/catch is insecure. It is difficult to latch
    initially, and sometimes does not hold. This seems a big safety hazard, did
    Jaguar ever recall these like Honda did?
  7. Finally, there is a slight bit of damage to the back seat bottom. Is it
    possible to repair just a small section, or must the entire surface be
    replaced? Also, is it difficult to match the seat colors for re-dyeing?
  8. Small chips on the tops of both rear taillights. Are these sufficiently
    expensive that they should be a bargaining chip?
    Finally, I have, sort of, emotionally “bonded” with the vehicle, so now the
    trouble begins!!! Anyway, I will rely on your expertise to bring me back to
    earth. BTW, they do have all the service records, (although I have not yet
    seen them), and they just finished sorting-out the rear-leveling problem
    that plagues these cars, so the ride is wonderful.
    Thanks in advance,
    Andy Smith

Andrew Smith
Kewill ERP
1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City, CA 94404 USA
650-345-6000
800-338-6921, USA & Canada
001-800-338-6921 Mexico
800-998-9299 Technical Support
425-799-2499 FAX
andy.smith@kewill.com
www.kewill.com

2

Andy,
It seems like the car has a lot of things wrong with it for the price being asked. I’d question what kind of preventive and ongoing maintenance was done. Have you talked with the owner about the car’s history? Are there any records?

Before buying, I’d have the vehicle checked out completely by another experienced Jag shop or dealer. I had a 90 XJ6 inspected by a dealer for about $180. Best money I ever spent. The car looked great but would have required much more $$ to get into reliable driving condition than what it was worth.

If the Jag bug has bitten you, be patient and look around. Start by going to the Jag Lovers website and read about the XJ40. Then get print the maintenance checklist. It will give you many ideas about what to look for in a purchase. A nice car at the right price will turn up. Good hunting!!
Greg Mathews
93 XJ6 VDP
Columbus, OHOn Sat, 13 Jan 2001 09:17:58 -0800 Andy Smith Andy.Smith@Kewill.com wrote:
Dear Everyone:
My British car mechanic (I already have a Land Rover), is offering me a car
that he has serviced for its previous owner for several years. It is
Glacier-White with Barley Interior 1989 Jaguar XJ6, US Specification. The
car only has 63,000 miles on the clock, and as we are in California, the
paint and bodywork are spotless and rust-free. We have been talking about a
price of roughly $5,500 to $6,000, and I have the car "on approval" for this
weekend, and I have discovered some problems that I would like to negotiate
to get repaired before I take delivery…or purchase the car at all. Before
anything else, let me tell you that I have owned and restored British Cars
for several years, but I have never had as big and as complicated a car as a
late-model Jaguar, so I am very happy to know that there is a "support
group" out there like all of you! Anyway, here are the items:

  1. It seems that a bit of rain seeps in to the passenger-side wheelwell if
    the car is left outside in the rain. I know that this is a common Jaguar
    fault, but is there any known or obvious culprit?
  2. The headliner in the back is sagging pretty badly. Is there any quick
    fix for this, or should I negotiate to get this replaced?
  3. Passenger side rear door handle does not seem to open the door. Is that
    difficult to repair?
  4. Fuel filler flap does NOT disengage when the rest of the central locking
    system does, so I must open the trunk to access the release lever. Is it
    difficult to fix this?
  5. Long up-and-down "stripe" on the passenger-side window glass, looking
    like it was made by the window being off the track. If I replace the glass,
    how can I avoid this happening again?
  6. Driver’s lap belt latch/catch is insecure. It is difficult to latch
    initially, and sometimes does not hold. This seems a big safety hazard, did
    Jaguar ever recall these like Honda did?
  7. Finally, there is a slight bit of damage to the back seat bottom. Is it
    possible to repair just a small section, or must the entire surface be
    replaced? Also, is it difficult to match the seat colors for re-dyeing?
  8. Small chips on the tops of both rear taillights. Are these sufficiently
    expensive that they should be a bargaining chip?
    Finally, I have, sort of, emotionally "bonded" with the vehicle, so now the
    trouble begins!!! Anyway, I will rely on your expertise to bring me back to
    earth. BTW, they do have all the service records, (although I have not yet
    seen them), and they just finished sorting-out the rear-leveling problem
    that plagues these cars, so the ride is wonderful.
    Thanks in advance,
    Andy Smith

Andrew Smith
Kewill ERP
1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City, CA 94404 USA
650-345-6000
800-338-6921, USA & Canada
001-800-338-6921 Mexico
800-998-9299 Technical Support
425-799-2499 FAX
andy.smith@kewill.com
www.kewill.com

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3

Andy,

I live in Minnesota where there is only one Jaguar dealer in the state, so I
think prices here are somewhat inflated. You don’t see many on the road. I
purchased my 89 XJ40 with 88K for $6,000.00. The body is very clean and was
rarely driven in the winter. All electrical systems are working. Interior
is great with no headliner problems. I had to put some money into the rear
end, tires and the brake / hydraulic system. So I am at about $7,000.00
into the care. It sounds like you will be looking at investing in interior
work as well as electrical. I think I read the headliner replacement is at
least $300.00. I would strongly recommend having the head gasket,
suspension and brake system checked out.

Be patient. I looked at four other’s before settling on this one and after
reading information on the list, I feel that I may have been able to do
better on the price.

Al 89 XJ40 88K----- Original Message -----
From: “Andy Smith” Andy.Smith@Kewill.com
To: modern@jag-lovers.org
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2001 11:17 AM
Subject: [modern] Potential XJ40, (XJ6) Purchase, Advice Requested!

Dear Everyone:
My British car mechanic (I already have a Land Rover), is offering me a
car
that he has serviced for its previous owner for several years. It is
Glacier-White with Barley Interior 1989 Jaguar XJ6, US Specification. The
car only has 63,000 miles on the clock, and as we are in California, the
paint and bodywork are spotless and rust-free. We have been talking about
a
price of roughly $5,500 to $6,000, and I have the car “on approval” for
this
weekend, and I have discovered some problems that I would like to
negotiate
to get repaired before I take delivery…or purchase the car at all.
Before
anything else, let me tell you that I have owned and restored British Cars
for several years, but I have never had as big and as complicated a car as
a
late-model Jaguar, so I am very happy to know that there is a “support
group” out there like all of you! Anyway, here are the items:

  1. It seems that a bit of rain seeps in to the passenger-side wheelwell
    if
    the car is left outside in the rain. I know that this is a common Jaguar
    fault, but is there any known or obvious culprit?
  2. The headliner in the back is sagging pretty badly. Is there any quick
    fix for this, or should I negotiate to get this replaced?
  3. Passenger side rear door handle does not seem to open the door. Is
    that
    difficult to repair?
  4. Fuel filler flap does NOT disengage when the rest of the central
    locking
    system does, so I must open the trunk to access the release lever. Is it
    difficult to fix this?
  5. Long up-and-down “stripe” on the passenger-side window glass, looking
    like it was made by the window being off the track. If I replace the
    glass,
    how can I avoid this happening again?
  6. Driver’s lap belt latch/catch is insecure. It is difficult to latch
    initially, and sometimes does not hold. This seems a big safety hazard,
    did
    Jaguar ever recall these like Honda did?
  7. Finally, there is a slight bit of damage to the back seat bottom. Is
    it
    possible to repair just a small section, or must the entire surface be
    replaced? Also, is it difficult to match the seat colors for re-dyeing?
  8. Small chips on the tops of both rear taillights. Are these
    sufficiently
    expensive that they should be a bargaining chip?
    Finally, I have, sort of, emotionally “bonded” with the vehicle, so now
    the
    trouble begins!!! Anyway, I will rely on your expertise to bring me back
    to
    earth. BTW, they do have all the service records, (although I have not
    yet
    seen them), and they just finished sorting-out the rear-leveling problem
    that plagues these cars, so the ride is wonderful.
    Thanks in advance,
    Andy Smith

Andrew Smith
Kewill ERP
1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City, CA 94404 USA
650-345-6000
800-338-6921, USA & Canada
001-800-338-6921 Mexico
800-998-9299 Technical Support
425-799-2499 FAX
andy.smith@kewill.com
www.kewill.com

4

Andy:
I paid $6500 for my 89 XJ40 last Feb. It had 112,200 miles on it , but was
and is flawless. I won a and place in a Concours De Elegance last August.
All of the items that you mentioned are listed in the Archives. You only
63,000 miles you may need a lot of things fixed if the car has not been
regularly maintained by the previous owner. I would not buy such a car without a
maintenance history. My car had always been maintained by the Local dealer ,a
and I personally know the original salesman. He is a close friend of mine and
had also taken the car in trade. It seems to me that if the car had been
maintained most of the items you mentioned would have been taken care of. I
would second the idea of having the car checked out though ally.
My car is also Glacier white with Barley Interior. Leatherique can supply
you with repair material and if you send then a bit of leather from under the
seat they will also match your dye and send it . I fixed my drivers seat and it
looks great.
It sounds like you have a lot to work with with this car if the Mechanicals
have been maintained.
I now have 119,000 miles on my car and the items I have replaced are ,
tires, right rear BFM module, water pump, rear pinion seal, thermostat. I have
put about $1500. in the car and it looks and runs great. My car although has
more mile it has been regularly maintained.
Rick Hindman

Andy Smith wrote:> Dear Everyone:

My British car mechanic (I already have a Land Rover), is offering me a car
that he has serviced for its previous owner for several years.

Andy Smith

Andrew Smith
Kewill ERP
1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City, CA 94404 USA
650-345-6000
800-338-6921, USA & Canada
001-800-338-6921 Mexico
800-998-9299 Technical Support
425-799-2499 FAX
andy.smith@kewill.com
www.kewill.com

5

Andy,

  1. It seems that a bit of rain seeps in to the passenger-side
    wheelwell if
    the car is left outside in the rain. I know that this is a common Jaguar
    fault, but is there any known or obvious culprit?

This is caused by the various drains clogging up.
Mostly the one under the wiper motor(duck bill) clogs
and lets water get into the climate control system.
This is bad, as it rusts up the blowers, pours onto the
various ECU,s in the dash, and into the radio.

  1. The headliner in the back is sagging pretty badly. Is there any quick
    fix for this, or should I negotiate to get this replaced?

Replacement is the only way…the fabric is glued to a thin
foam, that is glued to a big piece of cardboard.
The foam rots, so glue wont help.
Its been said you can fold the cardboard to get it in and out
of the car without it showing, but I have a hard time
believing you cant see a fold.
Other option is to remove the rear window(or the windshield).

  1. Passenger side rear door handle does not seem to open the
    door. Is that
    difficult to repair?

Yes.
Mostly its a broken handle…costs about $260.00 I think.
The 88 and 89 year cars have this problem.

  1. Fuel filler flap does NOT disengage when the rest of the
    central locking
    system does, so I must open the trunk to access the release lever. Is it
    difficult to fix this?

I don’t think that one is hard to fix.

  1. Long up-and-down “stripe” on the passenger-side window glass, looking
    like it was made by the window being off the track. If I replace
    the glass,
    how can I avoid this happening again?

Well, you have to take the door apart to replace the glass,
and you should be able to see what it was scraping on.

  1. Driver’s lap belt latch/catch is insecure. It is difficult to latch
    initially, and sometimes does not hold. This seems a big safety
    hazard, did
    Jaguar ever recall these like Honda did?

There may be a Jaguar warrantee on it.
There is on the electric motorized belts…the motors
and so on anyway…

  1. Finally, there is a slight bit of damage to the back seat
    bottom. Is it
    possible to repair just a small section, or must the entire surface be
    replaced? Also, is it difficult to match the seat colors for re-dyeing?

Leatherique can likely fix you up.

  1. Small chips on the tops of both rear taillights. Are these
    sufficiently
    expensive that they should be a bargaining chip?

They are likely VERY expensive.

Finally, I have, sort of, emotionally “bonded” with the vehicle,
so now the
trouble begins!!! Anyway, I will rely on your expertise to bring
me back to
earth. BTW, they do have all the service records, (although I
have not yet
seen them), and they just finished sorting-out the rear-leveling problem
that plagues these cars, so the ride is wonderful.
Thanks in advance,
Andy Smith

Andrew Smith

Don’t fall in love with any particular car.
Around here, there are lots of Jaguars to choose from,
and if you wait, a really good one at a good price will come along.
You have to keep in mind that you are buying a 12 year old car,
and it WILL need plenty of servicing, no matter how well
it was maintained in the past, short of a rolling restoration.
Its a very rare owner who will replace parts or do service
BEFORE a problem happens.
Try to get the price down, as you have a whole bunch of expensive
things to fix right from the start.

Also keep in mind, the price they want is over book value.
There are many books, with various prices in them, but I bet
you could not get $3000.00 as a trade in on that car, with
everything fixed.

Brett
1990 XJ6

6

The other responses to your message appear to be on track. I have an
identical car to yours and, although I am in Tennessee, it too was
originally a California car. You might try a little WD-40 in the seat belt
latch. The chips in the tail lights are a symptom of letting the truck lid
slam shut. I replaced my left lens about 3 years ago. I think it was might
have been about $140.00, but you might get a better price. I had the
headliner replaced without having the rear window removed. It is an
excellent job by a good shop with a guarantee for as long as I own the car,
but about $350.00. I would make sure that the water leakage has not
affected the floor pan.

Whatever your decision, good luck.----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Smith Andy.Smith@Kewill.com
To: modern@jag-lovers.org
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2001 5:17 PM
Subject: [modern] Potential XJ40, (XJ6) Purchase, Advice Requested!

Dear Everyone:
My British car mechanic (I already have a Land Rover), is offering me a
car
that he has serviced for its previous owner for several years. It is
Glacier-White with Barley Interior 1989 Jaguar XJ6, US Specification. The
car only has 63,000 miles on the clock, and as we are in California, the
paint and bodywork are spotless and rust-free. We have been talking about
a
price of roughly $5,500 to $6,000, and I have the car “on approval” for
this
weekend, and I have discovered some problems that I would like to
negotiate
to get repaired before I take delivery…or purchase the car at all.
Before
anything else, let me tell you that I have owned and restored British Cars
for several years, but I have never had as big and as complicated a car as
a
late-model Jaguar, so I am very happy to know that there is a “support
group” out there like all of you! Anyway, here are the items:

  1. It seems that a bit of rain seeps in to the passenger-side wheelwell
    if
    the car is left outside in the rain. I know that this is a common Jaguar
    fault, but is there any known or obvious culprit?
  2. The headliner in the back is sagging pretty badly. Is there any quick
    fix for this, or should I negotiate to get this replaced?
  3. Passenger side rear door handle does not seem to open the door. Is
    that
    difficult to repair?
  4. Fuel filler flap does NOT disengage when the rest of the central
    locking
    system does, so I must open the trunk to access the release lever. Is it
    difficult to fix this?
  5. Long up-and-down “stripe” on the passenger-side window glass, looking
    like it was made by the window being off the track. If I replace the
    glass,
    how can I avoid this happening again?
  6. Driver’s lap belt latch/catch is insecure. It is difficult to latch
    initially, and sometimes does not hold. This seems a big safety hazard,
    did
    Jaguar ever recall these like Honda did?
  7. Finally, there is a slight bit of damage to the back seat bottom. Is
    it
    possible to repair just a small section, or must the entire surface be
    replaced? Also, is it difficult to match the seat colors for re-dyeing?
  8. Small chips on the tops of both rear taillights. Are these
    sufficiently
    expensive that they should be a bargaining chip?
    Finally, I have, sort of, emotionally “bonded” with the vehicle, so now
    the
    trouble begins!!! Anyway, I will rely on your expertise to bring me back
    to
    earth. BTW, they do have all the service records, (although I have not
    yet
    seen them), and they just finished sorting-out the rear-leveling problem
    that plagues these cars, so the ride is wonderful.
    Thanks in advance,
    Andy Smith

Andrew Smith
Kewill ERP
1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City, CA 94404 USA
650-345-6000
800-338-6921, USA & Canada
001-800-338-6921 Mexico
800-998-9299 Technical Support
425-799-2499 FAX
andy.smith@kewill.com
www.kewill.com