I found a 1999 Burgundy ext/tan interior with 108,160 miles in my local area. I stopped by to take a quick look, it is a local car,no accidents and the exterior plus interior leather is in great condition.

Some of the issues I observed were:

* Headliner sagging
* Sunroof not functional
* Clunk in the front suspension
(with 100K + miles, I am sure I will need to have the bushings etc replaced)
* the front cup holders are broken, won't fold in

My questions:

* Is a 1999 worth considering for the XJR ? I am not sure about the Nikasil failure, or if it won't apply on this car now as it >10 yrs old.

* What are some of the other detailed specfics I need to have checked by a Jaguar mechanic ?

* The dealer is asking $6K (What should be a reasonable price if the car does not have any major issues once it gets inspected by the jag mechanic ?)

Please provide some detailed guidance as I am seriously considering this car.

 

You need to find out if it has had the water pump, thermostat housing and secondary chain tensioners changed. If not they all need to be done. I did a quick search of craigslist and found one in your neighborhood that is similar in mileage with some issues but is $2K lower in price and probably has similar issues so the $2K savings would pay for most of the work needed given you do it yourself. An inspection would be a good idea specifically looking for pressure / leak down test of the cylinders to be sure the nikisil issue is not looming.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1756626874.html

I love mine, if you search long and hard and find the right one, I'm sure you'll love it as well!

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the info and the CL link Midlife XJR. I called the owner for the CL posting,and his jag won't tun over any longer. I am going to go and take a look at the car, as he has owned it or the last 4 years and has all service records from the local jag dealer. I am just a little concerned about this one, as I will have to get it towed even for just a pre-purchase inspection.

Cheers

 

i did not even think of craigs list to look for xjr, i've been spending too much time on ebay...the good deals are on craigs list...

 

Don't forget the random other classifieds (employer, religious organization, neighborhood, etc) to which you may have access. I found my jag on my company's employee classifieds website.

 

There are several Craigslist national search sites that I have used. One is called "searchallcraigs.com" These search all local craigslist sites. This has proven quite useful for me when I was searching for mine. I found mine 180 miles away in Portland, Oregon. It has also helped me compare prices on the available vehicles. I used eBay (over priced, mostly dealer ads), autotrader.com, and craigslist. Also, don't be afraid to consider ads without pictures. The ad that I responded to didn't have pictures, but the description was sufficient for me to call and inquire deeper. The owner didn't know how to attach pictures to the ad, he even had trouble getting me pictures. He had to take pictures with his cell phone and send them via text to mine. The pictures were pretty bad, but between them and my several conversations with him over the course of about 4 hours was enough for me to ask him to hold the car so I could drive down the next morning to see it. I took a risk of blowing a day trip with the family, but it was well worth it in the end!

Get this, I was even able to talk him into taking a check because I bank out of state and found out that we were both members of the same organization and all he asked for was confirmation of funds availability. I simply connected to my mobile banking site and showed him the available balance. After my inspection and driving the car for about 15 miles, I wrote a check and drove away my new Jag. It was a pleasure dealing with an honest, trusting, individual!