the first time i saw an XJS, i was with my mother and brother pulling in to the orthopedist's parking lot. my brother or i had an appointment for one of the 20,000 or so broken/sprained/bruised legs/ankles/wrists suffered during soccer/baseball/skiing/badmitton. i forget, and it doesn't matter, because i was immediately taken by it.

it must've been 1987 or so. and i had never seen anything like it.

i had no idea what it was, but as a young kid who had admired the rear ends of countless xj6's, the first thing that popped into my mind was "jaguar."

no other car manufacturer had (in my 10 year old brain) paid so much attention to the tail end of a car. and this one, with those classic tail lights (pre-facelift of course) and buttresses, was no exception.

it was dark blue, tan interior, and when i walked up to inspect, my suspicions were indeed confirmed. jaguar. XJS.

i didn't know what "v12" meant back then, let alone H.E., but it was pretty incredible, and definitely unique. and so the long bonnet cruiser slipped into the back of my brain for 20 years.

fast forward to 2 years ago. having since lived in nyc and boston since i was 16, i never had opportunity to own an automobile. i decided at age 31 it was time to grow up and purchase a vehicle. my list of options was an eclectic collection of reasonable, yet common sport sedans and coupes, boyhood dreams, and a dash of pure nonsense.

i made the logical decision. a pampered, late-model, low mile 996 carrera. and it was definitely the right choice. i'm 2 years and 40,000 miles in to it, and have loved every second behind the wheel. 2 things though have kept my thoughts from remaining faithful. that list of cars i wanted to own, and a small urge to drive to montana. i don't know why, but i do, and i'm afraid the noisy, high revving boxer motor, and the unforgiving sport seats are not going to make the trip an enjoyable one.

fast forward to 2 months ago.
in search of: low-price, pre-facelift, xjs, v12, preferably green, as little repair to make reliable as possible, some rust ok, some interior dilapidation ok, to round out fledgling car collection and start cross-country road trip. (completion of trip to be determined)


fast forward again to 2 weeks ago.
the XJS is mine.
british racing green over tan interior -- of course
thirsty v12 under bonnet -- absolutely
pre-facelift with the beautiful rear tail lights -- definitely

...and...

rust -- definitely, but not too much, only 2 body panels
peeling wood -- where there even still is wood left to peel
tired leather -- not bad
ridiculous motorized seat belts that don't work -- yup
electrical gremlins -- windows, check; mirrors, check
suspension made of chewing gum -- check
leaking fluids -- only power steering at this point, but the relationship is young

the list could go on, but i'll refer you to the xjs forum for more...

anyway, it's mine. and i love it. i've built my modest collection into a german sports car, and an old british grand tourer. the way things are looking, with hybrids and diesles and what not, i'm not sure when else i'd have opportunity to get myself into a v12 in the near future.

so that's my introduction, sorry for being so long-winded about it. and thanks to the forum for helping me get into this potential disaster with eyes-wide-open.

oh and here's a few pics...

 

Welcome,

Great intro. Hope you get to drive it to Montana.

Graham

 

Welcome! Although I've already met you over in the XJS section this was a nice introduction into what/why you chose the XJS. I hope you plan on an extensive photo-log of this journey west!

 

Welcome to the forum.

Good to see you.

Great introduction.

Have fun with the 'Attack' belts.

 

thanks for the welcomes. and as i mentioned previously, all of the help so far.

will keep you posted on any road trips, and will definitely keep the photo log of the events. (took a mega 3-week road trip from nyc to a wedding in alabama and then on to new orleans a few months after getting the 911. documented over on the rennlist forums)

besides montana, i have one other ridiculous idea that i'm planning for the xjs in the september time frame. will post about it in the xjs group, when the time comes.

i plan on keeping the "attack" belts solidly in a state of disrepair--and hopefully never have to think about them again.


thanks again!

 

Welcome to the forum,

Good to have you with us.
Head on over to the XJS section for some good advice.

If you haven't already done so you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.

 

love the old school jags.... they have that gangster look to them... like an exotic cadillac for the time