Hi all.... I have had several XJ's in the past, and never had a ln issue. But all had less than 100.000miles and impeccable Jaguar specialist service history.

I now live in Australia (I am from the UK) and it's so hard to find a nice XJ here.... Corrosion is t really an issue but the intense heat and UV destroys the clear coat on cars, it warps the seat piping or causes the leather to be bone dry and crack with seam failing. And veneers severely bleached and delaminated.
There's also the fact that nobody seems to give a monkeys about keeping service records !!!

But a 1990 (1990 updates) car has come up for same local to me. It's a Bordeaux Red Daimler Six with 16" Sportpack Lattice wheels fitted. Paint, and interior are all really good and there are stamps in the service book -.but a number of them are not from a specialist and there is little in the way of invoices to see what work was carried out.

On a short test drive I'll check the the car seems to run and stop and change gear ok, and doesn't overheat, clunk and knock from diffs etc... But what are everyone's thoughts on a car with 138.000miles with a less than perfect service history?

 

Well the mileage is considerably lower than my car and touch wood my old crate is still rollin happily along, so I wouldn't be concerned.
The car looks garaged and as long as it's been used, rather than stored, I wouldn't expect too many issues.

Larry

 

Mine are 183000 and 154000. Both very dependable. That said, all cars this age will have quirks.

 

I have had two high mileage XJ 40's, with over 250,000 Km on the clock. On both the engine (with minimal maintenance) has lasted very well. Bigger worry will be the bodywork. Rot on the bulhead or the footwells, can be become very time and money consuming issues. High mileage cars often have differential issues, but you will hear that when test driving. Do not count to much on the oil pressure indication, the sensors are rubbish and often give wrong readings.
Rob

 

I did over 200,000 miles in my first XJ40 and it was running fine when I sold it. Was a little noisier at that mileage though.

 

As you were formerly in balmy West Sussex, you will be unfamilar with the ravages of northern Winters and the devastation caused by liberal application of road salt and grit for several months of the year followed by rain for the remainder. My 1989 XJ40 required a replacement bonnet, boot lid and sunroof panel in the first four years and I'm always amazed to see how unaffected by corrosion issues the older Jaguars are in Australia.

High miles - I put over 160K on mine before it was written off by a red light lunatic. Only mechanical issues were timing chains, torque converter failure and a collapsed rear hub carrier.

When assessing a potential used Jaguar purchase, my primary concern is always the body. This is where the money disappears fast if there's any major work but shouldn't be an issue in your current location. Next is interior because sourcing parts gets harder as the years pass. This one looks good but the one place I'd expect to see the most wear (the driver's seat) isn't shown. Veneer looks sound.

Rebuilding powertrain, suspension or brakes wouldn't put me off because I can DiY all this BUT if you're going to need professional help then a thirty year old Jaguar may not be the best choice. Expertise is expensive. Think worst case scenario - if the engine blows or transmission fails, are you willing and able to throw the necessary money at it?

Stamps in a Service Book don't impress me unless supported by itemised invoices for time and materials but lack of them wouldn't put me off provided the test drive and inspection go well. Regardless of history, the first thing I do with a used Jaguar is a complete fluids and filters change so I've then got a base point for future servicing and picked up, on anything that's been missed.

Daimler is the best specification and this looks a good example so I'd be tempted. However, the best advice with any used Jaguar is if in doubt, walk away.

Graham

 

Full history is a bonus for sure. But actual present day condition is was counts the most.

When I buy a used car of this age I assume that it is overdue for a major routine service job. And I assume it'll needs a battery, new brakes, new cooling hoses, etc. And I assume some sub-systems will need repair. Sometimes I'm right. Sometimes, though, I'm pleasantly surprised when things are better than I assumed.

From the pics this looks like a very nice example. I'd be tempted to jump on it before someone else beats you to it!

Cheers
DD

 

Looks good. Buy it if the price is reasonable. They do tend to look after cars better in south australia...my '40 has 360k on the clock and is rough i should have bought one like yours paid a little more for one in good nick. I always fall for that trap. If you have workshop stamps all the way along then that is exceptional ....nobody goes back to the dealer after 50,000 km they are just too exorbitantly expensive. You will also find that high k's do not mean worn out engine, the disances travelled in a lot of cases are longer, and lots of small trips wear an engine out more than decent distances of highway driving.

 

LOL, apologies if I only read the OP's question and none of the responses, but I will chime in. I would buy it!!!! 138,000 miles on one of these that looks like it had been taken care of wouldn't phase me one but, especially anything after 1990 as improvements continued to be made, especially under Ford ownership of the company. One thing I noticed is how the interior colors became limited about this time, and I attribute that to Ford streamlining the build process and keeping options as simple as possible.

I bought one off the Internet years ago without hesitation after years of research and gut instinct based on this example's description, appearance in photos, and some quick conversations with the owner. Maybe some good fortune, but between knowledge and solid instinct, I pounced (like a Jaguar!) when I saw mine for sale. No regrets whatsoever! Not a daily driver because, despite it being my dream car since high school, I began to prefer small cars without excess size / weight, but it makes a magnificent pleasure car on a nice day. That keeps the mileage ridiculously low.

Good luck!!!! I love the color! It's the "press car" color!!!!