Jaguar XJS

I just bought an XJS a couple days ago. Haven't driven it more than an hour away yet but it really is a grand touring car. It is comfortable, quiet, and that V12 makes plenty of power.

My dash has a bad ground that has made the dash and indicators crazy but that should be an easy fix.

I think the style of these cars were way ahead of their time, and you don't realize how low they are till you stand next to one. Depending on the year I think they fit right in with cars made today.
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Very Nice Car. Good luck with it!!!!

What year and how many miles are on it?

Jim

 

I've had three XJSs, two were V12s (both '89s) and my most recent one, a '94 with the 4.0 AJ6 engine. As many here have said, they are fabulous GTs, incredibly comfortable on long hauls and their bang for the buck factor is high. A friend recently bought my '94, and so I was considering replacing it with a '95 coupe, which has the even better AJ16 engine in it (AJ6s had valve guide/seal issues). I found a '95 in BRG over Biscuit with 53K for $11.5K, but it's between that and a '96 Bentley Turbo R at present

...not sure if I want to go down that road again, though.

 

Nice, Steve... I really like that color...

Mike

 

The design is certainly eye-catching - it really is a lovely car

 

Another resurrected thread for me, but I posted in a different thread about my father-in-law's XJS-12. He purchased it pretty cheap, looks great but trouble in terms of getting it running.

He since purchased a 1982 Corvette, so he wants to get rid of the XJS. He offered it to me for $500. The car has no rust, great interior, just trouble getting it to start. When it starts, it runs fine.

I figure for $500, that's a steal...but realize these things are troublesome...thoughts?

 

It could be a steal, and a very simple reason it's having problems starting. What year is the car?

Jim

 

1986 - and it's in fantastic shape. Low miles, always garaged, well maintained. I paid $200 to take him out for his birthday dinner, so $500 hardly seems out of line.

I wouldn't invest much into it since it's pretty sharp, but I'd have to get it running. Might be worth a trip to my E-Type mechanic...

 

I had an 85, and there is a common intermittent problem with the fuel pump circuit within the ECU. You can actually quick fix it by pulling the fuel pump relay and jumping the circuit. You can check to see if you have this problem very easily by turning the ignition swtich to on (don't start), and listening to the fuel pump. It should run for three seconds and then shut off. If you don't hear the pump run and then shutoff then that is the issue. The long term fix is to buy a rebuilt ecu and they used to run about $375, don't know what they are now, but east coast jaguar in delaware used to carry them. I dont know if they are still around.

$500 is a steal for this car. Don't be confused with what this cars mission is. It's not a sports car, but for the money one of the best grand tourers, and is made for high speed touring. At about 80mph you can feel the car squat and just take off with turbine like torque and very little wind/road noise. With the independant rear it can take a few turns too. Do you have any pics?

Jim

 

I am 90% sure the issue is what you described - it's definitely related to the fuel pump, but my father-in-law is very old school, ECU stuff is out of his league. I made a comment to him about it, and he thought it was possible, but I didn't know there was a common issue, so I'll relay to him.

I don't have pics, but I did drive a few back in the day (I was a valet for a few years), and I agree with your assessment - they are GT cars, not sports cars. Perfect for my wife to get in and drive and enjoy. Modern enough for us to take out to dinner (the car is in comparable - if not better - shape than my daily driver Lexus GS) and have a hoot.

Will check on the ECU - if you have any more detail on where to get, please post. Will keep thread up to date when I pick the car up (pics, etc.).

 

If I could get the car to sound like this - holy crow!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXLysNl-wE]TWR Jaguar XJS V12 engine warm-up - YouTube[/ame]

 

please do-i love these Jags.

 

nothing beats a 12.....

 

Well, I finally got the XJS-12 from my father in law. Paid a grand total of $0.00 for it.

At first blush, it looked rattier than I remembered. There's a dent on the driver's side door, and a little bubbling / rust by the passenger door. Looked like some swirls in the paint, but that turned out to be a poor cleaning job.

Interior is nice, but the driver's seat is ripped. I can't start the car, the battery is dead.

As I've looked closer at the car, I'm amazed at it's originality - it still has the original owner's cassette tape (!!!) in the red Jaguar box. All the switch gear, engine stickers, etc. are in solid shape, rims and tires (spare included) are also really nice.

I'm dying to start it up, but I couldn't even jump start it. The engine turns a little, but I guess with 12 cylinders, you need A LOT of juice.
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when you try to start the car (rather than "fire" the car up).
Have the hood up and have a spotter look for fuel leaks as you try to start it. Might want to consider picking up a can of starting fluid to encourage ignition. Are the tires dry-rotted?

 

Will try that. Tires are perfect and new!

 

1)
Put contact on and check for fuel leaks with the system pressurized.
2)
Check if the viscous souplong of the cooling fan hasn't seized and that the fan-blades aren't cracked.
3)
Once it runs, make sure it does so on all 12 in order to prevent a cat-fire. (This is more likely to happen with a Marelli ignition, >1989m/y)
4)
Flush the cooling system and check for any perished rubber under the bonnet. If no evidence of it having been done, renew all fuel hoses, including all injector hoses. The latter is a laborous job, but absolutely vital.

Have fun, they are wonderful!

Best,

Jack.

 

Thanks - will check on these things once I get some free time. Already had a delivery boy checking out the car in my driveway (probably wasn't born when the car was made, but he absolutely loved it)!

 

You're absolutely right about how E types lost their reputation. It seems throughout the 70's most were neglected. A lot were owned by outright idiots.

I've owned and restored over 20 Jaguars. they were my first love. I currently have an E type and an XJS.

The XJS is gorgeous in person and this particular one has been pretty comprehensively restored including a somewhat beefed up replacement engine, body kit and so on. I find the car reasonably reliable.

Driving one is a lot of fun. They are fairly quick, handle very nicely, interior comfort is excellent.

The downside comes with the fact they can be a nightmare to work on. I still have visions of working on that engine. When I needed a new steering rack I said screw it and had a local guy do it. That's the first time I've farmed out mechanical work on any Jaguar. If part of the joy of ownership is in turning wrenches...look elsewhere.
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Brutal sound!

 

In the perfect color too! Very nice.

I almost bought one exactly like it back during the early, mid 90s. Found a nice Mondial 8 instead (which was cheaper to keep as well).

What year is yours?

 

It's a 1986 - I remember driving quite a few back then when I worked as a valet. Didn't like them much then but they have aged well. It's a pretty car for sure.

 

Missus "swoon" wax's lips and eyebrows move in the most sensuous of ways when she sees one.


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Yes they have. Especially ones like yours; love those wheels too.

I believe the one I drove was an 86 as well, or maybe a 87. A PPI at an expert Jag shop revealed a needs nothing car except an advisory to replace all of the suspension bushings. About $2k in parts at the time, as I recall.

 

My 1991, XJS convertible with 30 000 miles on the clock..
Interesting…while a lot of my friends urge me to sell this car, since it's such a "heffaclump", I love it! It's a very relaxing drive compared to my 930 Turbo or Boxster S. This is also the one, by far, that attracts most girls..
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