Hello all, looks like I may be rejoining the fold. I had an 89 XJS go up in flames on me back in the 90s - looking for a different experience this time 'round

Found a gem in Nashville; I'll be driving it back to Houston via Memphis & Little Rock late Saturday morning.

Wish me Luck!

 

Whoops, forgot to mention that she's a doppelganger for my previous car: 89.5 XJS V12 coupe, black on black.

 

Welcome Flint,

Enjoy the road trip.

 

Nice one, welcome to the site, glad you joined up and good to have you back!

Upgraded you to full forum access so you can enjoy all the sites features

 

Welcome to the forum Flint, at least you now know about BBQ XJS and how to avoid.

 

WElcome, have a nice trip , road trips are sweet things lol
Keep us updated when you return as well

 

Thanks for all the good wishes! I made it back around 4:30 am... here's how it went:

The car was as advertised; the only major cosmetic issues are ski slope wood cracking, sagging headliner, and spots of clear coat flaking on the hood. After a thorough test drive and crawl over the car, we did the transaction and I was on my way.

Two hours into the trip, all is well. Then I suddenly smell something sweet - coolant! About 3 seconds after I register the smell, a MASSIVE plume of white smoke (we're talking James Bond smoke screen massive) billows out from the back of the car. ****! I immediately hit the hazard lights and make my way over to the shoulder. The temp gauge didn't even have time to inch up. Popped the hood, waited for the steam to clear, and there it was... driver's side radiator hose had a clean diagonal 2" slit in it. Easy enough to get to, but I didn't have a hose.

So a state trooper pulls up almost immediately, and gives me the number to a local towing company. Half an hour later, the flatbed shows up. I have to admit I was getting just a bit apprehensive, as the place he took me to was off the beaten path, back in the woods outside Camden, TN. But the mechanics were friendly and were actually eager to check out the V12. The local Auto Zone happened to have that exact hose in stock, so we picked it up. They fitted the hose, topped up the coolant, checked the thermostats, and bled the system... they took their time and were extremely thorough.

I figure if that's all the trouble I have, not bad... so I'm back on the highway and it's getting dark... I turn on the lights, but the dash is completely dark! I had to laugh at this point... I checked all the external lights before I bought the car, but didn't think to check the dash. On my previous Jag, I recall the dash lighting becoming so dim as to be practically useless - never got around to fixing it. No big deal, I fall in with a pack of cars that are doing a decent pace :-) Periodically I flash my cellphone on the dash to check the temp gauge - it remained rock steady at the middle of the 'N'.

No big deal, I think... probably just a fuse... I can sort that out in the daytime. Now I'm getting a bit sleepy and decide to turn the AC back on... the compressor doesn't kick in. LOL - it worked up until the radiator hose blew! I'm laughing at this point... but not upset - still enjoying the ride immensely. Just making a mental list of issues to be addressed. And one more, kickdown does not work.

I got home safely - the ride was great... smooth silent power, great grip in the twisties. I had forgotten how much attention the XJS garners; at almost every gas station, someone struck up a conversation over the car.

I gave her a good cleaning from top to bottom today, and picked up a box of fuses. I'll tackle my laundry list over the long weekend.

It's good to be back :-)

 

With the V12, that is apt to become a regular pastime. LOL

 

Welcome - I'm eying an XJS12 myself. Great project car.