I am considering buying an XJ-S. This would be my first
expericance of ‘classic’ cars and wondered if anyone could provide
a little advice as to what to look for/avoid. From what I have
gleaned so far, I am drawn towards a 3.6L as insurance and running
costs are likely to me more reasonable. I have also read that post-
80’s models have improved build quality and are more reliable. No
idea if I should be looking for an auto or manual.
All replies would be appreciated.
Thanks,–
Steve O
london, United Kingdom
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
In reply to a message from Steve O sent Tue 4 Mar 2003:
Hi Steve,
let me explain how I bought my XJS:
-I fell in love with the first XJS I found that was for sale
-The owner told me that it was in perfect condition
-Because the car was so well polished I thought it must be ok
-I was in a hurry because I needed a car for daily use
-I never heard of jag-lovers and Kirby Palm’s book
-I didn’t ask advice from an experienced jag mechanic
-I didn’t make an estimate how much the operational costs would be.
well 18 months later now… I’m still in love with the car but
just like in a relationship I’ve started started to learn the other
side.
-Before buying a car make sure that you have read this forum and
for sure Kirby’s book.
-Check out several cars that are for sale to be able to compare
cars.
-I life in europe and it costs a small fortune to use the car for
daily use. I stopped doing it
-Ask for second opinion from an experienced independent jag mechanic
-Take your time
-Be prepared/able to do your own repares, otherwise it will cost
you a lot of money.
-be prepared for a lot of fun driving the XJS
good luck,
David–
Frdako
Amsterdam, Netherlands
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
In reply to a message from Steve O sent Tue 4 Mar 2003:
Steve,
The key is to look at as many XJS’s as possible and not to rush
into it. There are loads XJS’s in the UK, of varying quality, so
it may take you a little time to find the right one. Until you
have seen a couple, you won’t have any sort of yard-stick.
Don’t be over optimistic of rust bubbles etc… Panels can be
expensive to repair, so I would try to find a car that was as tidy
as possible.
Allowing for the sort of price you would expect to pay for a good
condition car, with as much history as possible, it would be a
shame to risk buying a lemon by not paying the price of full AA
inspection (or the like.)
For economical reasons, I think you are right to go for the 6 cyl
engine in place of the 12.
Joining the JEC and meeting a couple of the members in your region
would also be a good idea.–
1995 6.0L XJS Monaco Convertible, TT Extractor, Plus Torque
Amsterdam, Netherlands
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
I completely agree. I have a 94’ XJ-S 2+2 that I bought from a dealership
in 99’. I was lucky that I got a good car and it only had 40k miles. Now I
am finding that I need to really put some money into her. I plan to drop
about 5k into her this year. These cars are not cheap to keep on the road
and parts can be hard to find.
In reply to a message from Steve O sent Tue 4 Mar 2003:
Hi Steve,
let me explain how I bought my XJS:
-I fell in love with the first XJS I found that was for sale
-The owner told me that it was in perfect condition
-Because the car was so well polished I thought it must be ok
-I was in a hurry because I needed a car for daily use
-I never heard of jag-lovers and Kirby Palm’s book
-I didn’t ask advice from an experienced jag mechanic
-I didn’t make an estimate how much the operational costs would be.
well 18 months later now… I’m still in love with the car but
just like in a relationship I’ve started started to learn the other
side.
-Before buying a car make sure that you have read this forum and
for sure Kirby’s book.
-Check out several cars that are for sale to be able to compare
cars.
-I life in europe and it costs a small fortune to use the car for
daily use. I stopped doing it
-Ask for second opinion from an experienced independent jag mechanic
-Take your time
-Be prepared/able to do your own repares, otherwise it will cost
you a lot of money.
-be prepared for a lot of fun driving the XJS
good luck,
David
–
Frdako
Amsterdam, Netherlands
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
In reply to a message from Steve O sent Tue 4 Mar 2003:
if you can afford it, go for a facelift 4.0ltr model, from what I
saw when I was shopping around the build quality seems a lot
better, my 93 has been kept on a drive most of the time by the
owner before me (he had it for 7 yrs) and theres not a spot of rot
on it, compare that to the older cars which seem much more
susseptable to corrosion and I may be worth the extra initial
expense.–
paddy
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
better, my 93 has been kept on a drive most of the time by the
owner before me (he had it for 7 yrs) and theres not a spot of rot
on it, compare that to the older cars which seem much more
susseptable to corrosion
