[xj40] about to buy my first jag/car, advice/questions

XJ40
1

First off I must thank everyone for there input and haha
putting up with my questions…

  1. I was wondering what the expected life would be on a 1988
    XJ6 III Vanden Plas with 152260 miles on it?

  2. I will maintain it with regular servicing and so on, can
    i expect to have this car still running say 5 years after i
    buy it?

  3. also what is the factory millage expectations of this
    model car’s engine?

  4. I notice a small tag that says Prem gas only, gas is so
    high in price now {$3.90ish Per Reg,gal} will I hurt the
    life span of this car with Reg gas instead of Prem?

  5. the dealer wants about $2900, ill take it down as much as
    i can but is this a good price?

  6. avg gas millage?

so thats all I can think of right now.
like the title says this is my FIRST car, and it just so
happens to be a jag.
please don’t tell me I shouldn’t get it because of the first
car issue. I have a greater technical understanding then the
average teen and I believe that I will be able to handle,
maybe even repair this car myself. I will to take great care
of this vehicle.
but first I must know something about it :slight_smile:

thanks to all that help me with my questions
-kyle peter–
death25
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2

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

answers
to questions

  1. providing little rust and there will be some 250,000 +
  2. Yes if you do the work properly
  3. Engine 3.6 bullit proof valve stem seals do wear on engines
    200,000 + if oil changes have not been done periodically
  4. All xj40’s can run on unleaded but you MUST fit the Jaguar
    conversion.(i have one)
  5. �1450 for an old XJ40 dealer is very optomistic at that price if
    in good condition body �800 tops in my opinion
  6. At best av gas/mile based on UK gallons 25mpg
    As to being a teen and first car that is not the issue, the issue
    being as this car has a lot of electrical systems within the car
    you can’t go around doing half hearted repairs as the car will just
    not work, and you have to have a good bank balance if you want to
    keep the car in good condition.–
    The original message included these comments:
  1. I was wondering what the expected life would be on a 1988
  2. I will maintain it with regular servicing and so on, can
  3. also what is the factory millage expectations of this
  4. I notice a small tag that says Prem gas only, gas is so
  5. the dealer wants about $2900, ill take it down as much as
  6. avg gas millage?
    please don’t tell me I shouldn’t get it because of the first

–
Mick Gannon Daimler 4.0 1991 England
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3

In reply to a message from Daimler 91 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Daimler,

What is the Jaguar conversion for unleaded?

Regards,

Peter Parsons. UK–
The original message included these comments:

  1. All xj40’s can run on unleaded but you MUST fit the Jaguar

–
peter Parsons
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4

In reply to a message from Daimler 91 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Mick,

Are you sure about that for a US car?

From memory, it was only the early 2.9 litre and the 3.6
litre high-compression engines up to engine serial number
108834 which needed a minor modification to the CPS mounting
bracket to slightly retard the ignition when switching to
unleaded petrol - so that shouldn’t affect any US 3.6 car
which should have the number ‘5’ (low compression) in the
seventh position of the US VIN.

In any event, the internals of all of the engines are good
for unleaded fuel - i.e no valve seat problems.–
The original message included these comments:

  1. All xj40’s can run on unleaded but you MUST fit the Jaguar
    conversion.(i have one)

–
Bryan N, '91 Sovereign 4.0 L, RHD
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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5

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

A good sized dent in the back left hand quarter, and a good
sized tear in the back seat.
Blue books says that its worth about $2800/US for an
excellent condition car. well its not, right off the bat i
think it is worth maybe $2500 maybe less. if I can scoop it
up for something around $2000-$2500/us ill be happy.
i also need to consider the price of repairs…

  1. looking at a 1 to 10 scale how much is it going to cost
    me to run the car.

  2. how safe is this car, insurance like a safe car

  3. can I do the small scale repairs myself do you think if i
    were to pick up manual or cd, I dont wanna pay $150 an hour
    to have minor stuff repaired.–
    The original message included these comments:

First off I must thank everyone for there input and haha
but first I must know something about it :slight_smile:
thanks to all that help me with my questions

–
death25
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6

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

You may find these costs on my '91 car interesting - but
remember, my car was in near ‘pristine’ condition when
purchased with a full Jaguar service history and I do most
if not all of my own maintenance and repairs.

If you do not have the tools, the facilities or the
expertise to carry out all of your own repairs and
maintenance and need to use a dealer, it will cost you an
arm, a leg and one or two other body parts - but if you find
a good independent Jag specialist, it will only cost you an
arm and a leg! :wink:

If you have the basic tools and facilities and arm yourself
with the Haynes Manual and the appropriate JDHT CDs to learn
about the car, this forum can help you in many ways to
minimise your expenditure - but do not buy a ‘dog’. It’s a
little like the tip of an iceberg - it’s what you _don’t-
see that is going to hurt you.

ALWAYS take an experienced Jag mechanic with you to inspect
the car before purchase.–
The original message included these comments:

  1. looking at a 1 to 10 scale how much is it going to cost
    me to run the car.
  2. can I do the small scale repairs myself do you think if i
    were to pick up manual or cd, I dont wanna pay $150 an hour
    to have minor stuff repaired.

–
Bryan N, '91 Sovereign 4.0 L, RHD
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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7

In reply to a message from Bryan N sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Sorry! It would perhaps have helped if I had included the link:-

http://forums.jag-lovers.org/avsn.php?910432j51--
The original message included these comments:

You may find these costs on my '91 car interesting - but

–
Bryan N, '91 Sovereign 4.0 L, RHD
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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8

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

ouch, so basically I wont have this car long if it isnt in
good condition when I buy it. well I can safely say that i
will be happy if I dont get slammed with a $1000 repair bill
in the first few months. ill be ready to take car of it, but
if I have to dump my account into it as soon as I buy it
itll be up for sale soon. then again I guess thats the down
side of owner a prestiges car such as this.

this is the site
https://www.carweek.com/dealer_listings_details_black.cfm?Referrer=Carweek.Com&DealerID=485&escapeHeader=No&szinventory_id=85553--
death25
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9

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Hey, welcome, my XJ40 is my ‘‘first’’ car, too!
So,
This is one of the earlier XJ40’s, the digital dash and air
ride system are known to be pretty failure prone. That plus
the big ass dent plus the high miles would make me want to
pay absolutely no more than, say, $1,900 (tell that to the
dealer). You can get a MUCH nicer XJ40 for $2,900, that’s
approaching X300 territory.
My car only has 85,000 miles and it needs valve guide seals.
With these cars, it’s really hard to tell whether you’re
getting a good one or not, the earlier owners of mine didn’t
take that great care of it, and now I’m paying lots because
of it. Since yours already hit 152,000 and the paint looks
glossy, the leather looks good, and the wood isn’t faded, it
makes me think it has been taken care of (despite the dent),
maybe garaged. If you do end up going for it, you should
defiantly take it to a specialist British mechanic before
buying. If it was taken care of, it may last for a long time
and serve you well; if not, you may end up with a real turd.

Also: Why does it say ‘‘Low Brake Pressure’’ in photo 23?–
1993 XJ6, Kingfisher Blue with Doeskin Leather
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10

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Hi
I would carefully read all the advice given on this
forum by all the other members before buying this car.

Considering this will be your first car, you should take
time to look at a few others first.

The crucial thing to consider, especially so with a used Jag,
is how it has been looked after in the past. Unless you are
quite experienced, you will not be able to judge this
purely by driving it - even a real dog will feel great to
drive -
you must take a good mechanic with you, preferably one who
knows this model.

Also consider this - if a dealer is asking that much, why
not look in the private ads section of your local papers,
you may find one cheaper, will get to speak to the owner
and even if you don’t, come up with a cheaper one at least
you will have fun comparing cars and seeing just what is
available for your money.
I think I just want you to avoid doing as I did aged 17,
I bought my first Jag against the advice of almost everyone
I asked, it turned out to be a clapped out wreck that broke
my heart, my spirit and my bank balance. Even worse, it
almost put me off Jags forever.

There is absolutely no reason for you not to get a Jag for
your first car, just take your time to find a real good
one, there are some out there. The maintenance costs in the
first year should only be simple service items
during which time you can be learning more about it while
driving it around, not paying out for one thing after another.
best of luck
Casso–
The original message included these comments:

  1. the dealer wants about $2900, ill take it down as much as
    I can but is this a good price?

–
Casso
Liverpool, United Kingdom
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11

In reply to a message from Bnc2doz sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

Hi and welcome to the Jag-lovers forum.

I say later model XJ40 you buy less problem you’ll have. To be a
DIY is always the best and you can save serious money. When I
bought my first car in my life (I don’t wanna tell what make and
model it was, It’d be too embarassing, ha-ha) I had no idea how a
car engine works. But I changed the starter, speakers, alternator,
etc. And now I’m fixing my own XJ40 and save a lot of money.
You can find a bunch of usable info here at this site and a lot of
helpful people too. My car now has 90500 miles and I need a valve
guide seals like that person before me. I took my car to an
european car specialist and got a $500 of price for that job. There
are jobs you can’t do without the proper tools and experience but a
lot of work can be done by a DIY and you can buy many parts online
for cheap.
Verdict: more car you check, easier it will be to pick the best buy.
Good luck!
Joe–
'94 XJ40 base model. Miles still under 100k.
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12

In reply to a message from Joe77 sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

i see where both of you are coming from. I will try my
hardest to find a euro specialist but at this point I have
two good friends who are extremely good with cars, both have
been around for 40+ years of exp, and both own mechanic
shops. ill bring one of them, ill go to see the car sometime
this month hopefully. but I will keep looking around. iv
check most all major car sites an I haven’t found another
jag under $7k. ill look into the local paper.

are there any good jag sites that I could narrow the search
down to north jersey USA

so ill offer the dealer about $1500 and see if they take it
{when im ready}. I also have a carfax history report being
done my a freind who can get it for free, I should have that
by end of the week. im doing all the research I can befor i
go and buy a jag.

please keep the advice coming, it helps allot in my choice.
thanks all–
The original message included these comments:

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–
death25
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13

In reply to a message from death25 sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

sorry for the repost, I think iv hit a better deal
{considering} I figure ill post some of my finds here since
you guys are actual Jag owners and know what your talking
about. id rather ask the pros. soo here is my next best hit
that I stumbles around…

http://edmunds.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=247165101&dealer_id=850567&car_year=1987&model=&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=100&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&make=JAG&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=07885&advanced=&end_year=2009&doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=62

PS: DONT buy the car im looking at haha :slight_smile:
i trust you guys lol–
The original message included these comments:

go and buy a jag.
please keep the advice coming, it helps allot in my choice.
thanks all

–
death25
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14

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

Hi
I hope you are aware that the latest car you posted is not
an xj 40, but is a series 111 xj6.

It is a good car and the same rules apply when going to
look at it. However, it is a lot different on the mechanical
side
than the xj 40. It has a completely different engine and
transmission, the rear discs are mounted ‘inboard’ either
side of the diff so changing the rear pads means dropping
the whole rear suspension unit, quite a mega job. In fact it
is really only the general shape of the cars body that is
similar.

This is only my opinion but, if your first car is to be a
xj, then your will be far better off choosing an xj 40.
I have owned both types and I find the 40 series far easier
to work on.
Also the engine and trans in the series 111, although very
good, have nothing like the reliability and longevity of the
40s, and will have suffered far more if neglected, in
particular the cooling system. If the correct anti freeze/
water mixture has not been maintained constantly throughout
the life of the car, serious corrosion can occur internally
to the cylinder head for instance.

Look at some posts in the forum for xj6 series 123
to get some idea how different the types are to each other.
Casso.–
Casso
Liverpool, United Kingdom
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15

In reply to a message from death25 sent Sun 6 Jul 2008:

whoops, I mixed up the models. ok hmmm
so the this forum isnd for this…
http://edmunds.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=247523738&dealer_id=62904497&car_year=1986&model=&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=100&marketZipError=false&ct=u&search_lang=en&make=JAG&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=07885&advanced=&end_year=2009&doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=80

because it is an 86 xj6 and not an xj40.

but this one is because its an 89
http://edmunds.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=239950095&dealer_id=100024714&car_year=1989&model=&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=100&marketZipError=false&ct=p&ct=u&search_lang=en&make=JAG&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=07885&advanced=&end_year=2009&doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=27

also this one…
http://edmunds.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=247165101&dealer_id=850567&car_year=1987&model=&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=100&marketZipError=false&ct=p&ct=u&search_lang=en&make=JAG&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=07885&advanced=&end_year=2009&doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=62--
The original message included these comments:

First off I must thank everyone for there input and haha

–
death25
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16

In reply to a message from death25 sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

Well the first one is a Series 3, not an XJ40

The second is an XJ40.

But the third one, http://tinyurl.com/5sgukv , is another
Series 3, not an XJ40.

A simple visual aid is that the Series 3 cars have odd sized
headlamps - larger outboard than inboard.

The VIN numbers of production XJ40s start at 500515

VIN 500515 to 524374 = 1987 MY
VIN 524375 to 556850 = 1988 MY
VIN 556851 to 594575 = 1989 MY … andd so un up to
VIN708757, the end of XJ40 production in 1994.

[BTW, you will save a lot of space if you get TinyURL on
your desktop - it avoids copying extremely long ones of the
type you posted.]–
The original message included these comments:

whoops, I mixed up the models. ok hmmm

–
Bryan N, '91 Sovereign 4.0 L, RHD
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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17

In reply to a message from Bryan N sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

Correction.

I’ve just been reminded that for US Series 3 cars they
fitted the smaller outboard headlamp units to match the
inners, so it is only the holes in the bodywork which are
bigger over the outboard headlamps, unlike the UK cars.

They look odd sizes anyway from 10 paces! :-)–
The original message included these comments:

A simple visual aid is that the Series 3 cars have odd sized
headlamps - larger outboard than inboard.

–
Bryan N, '91 Sovereign 4.0 L, RHD
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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18

In reply to a message from Bryan N sent Mon 7 Jul 2008:

interesting, so the series three is a more mechanically
stubern then the xj40’s. ok so I want to stick to the 40’s,
well that narrowed my search. ok so any real points I should
look for in one of these cars while im looking?–
death25
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19

In reply to a message from death25 sent Tue 8 Jul 2008:

Hello!

If you want an early XJ40 model like '88 or '89 then expect
electrical issues like weak soldering in the head lamp unit and
dash board, need resolder them, bad weather stripping especially in
the trunk so check the floor panel for rust inside the trunk and in
the cabin under the carpets. If you slam the trunk it may crack the
rear lamp covers. Differential is one of the weak point of these
cars, usualy need just a bearing replacement. Earlier models come
with self leveling suspention which should be eliminated and
converted to normal suspention. At this site check the XJ40 book,
there are a lot of infos about this model. There was an XJ40
section in the Jaguar monthly magazine (I think)in the May edition.
If you can get that It would help you a lot to understand these
cars. It was very detailful.
Take care.
Joe–
'94 XJ40 base model. Miles still under 100k.
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20

In reply to a message from Joe77 sent Tue 8 Jul 2008:

i got it, it was the April edition. vary useful information
about this model car.–
death25
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