Hi all, I don't exactly own a Jag, but I'm going to go look at and drive a 1985 XJ6 tomorrow. The owner claims it is in great condition on account of it being kept in a garage in Florida for most of its life. However, my dad (and myself a little) have always questioned the general reliability of British made cars. So for those of you that own Jags from this era, what sort of common problems or nuisances plague your car the most? Are said problems regularly expensive to fix, or is it the minor stuff that breaks? I really love the look of the old Jag saloons, and I would absolutely love to drive that XJ6 home tomorrow, but I figure I should see what I'm getting myself into first. I have been restoring a 78 MG for the past while, and I do all the maintenance on my daily driver, so the only real issue with me owning a Jag comes down to how often the expensive stuff breaks.

Thanks

 

Scroll down two or three topics to the buyer's guide thread, The guide is posted towards the end of the thread

Post back with any questions

Cheers
DD

 

Yeah, I totally posted this, went back a page, and felt like an idiot.

Thanks.

 

the 80's XJ's are a dime a dozen (NO OFFENSE!!!) but thats why I love em.

parts are easy to track down, if you don't mind used parts (since you're looking at a used car, I'm thinking this wont bother you)

what it comes down to with these cars is labor, if you can D.I.Y. then there is nothing to worry about.

Go for it!

 

Jaguar made the XJ Series 3 better and better as the 80s proceeded, (my 1980 car was a build quality disaster), but the last of this model before the XJ40 are pretty good, but do remember you are buying a 25 year old car, so you will have to do some work, the amount depending on how much the previous owners have done.

 

Thats also why they're great for people like me on a budget.

But yeah, I understand that I will eventually have to do some work on this car, but thats all part of the fun for me.

 

That's part of the fun for many of us :-)

Be aware, though, that buying a used Jag and keeping a used Jag are two different things. There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Jag. Unless you shop carefully and/or buy an exceptional example, it'll need work NOW, not "eventually". Trust me.

I'm not trying to talk you out of buying one. Far from it. These are great cars but most have been neglected.

Cheers
DD

 

Just following up on what Doug said, I can give you some areas to watch out for as a new jaguar owner aswell.

1: Be sure to check all the electrical stuff; Even in the best xj6's are going to have old wiring by now, which can be a nightmare given lucas' reputation for even when things were new..

2: Rust, check for rust around the windshields and any where from the catalytic converter to the tail pipes. If you see rust damage check the engine immediately, rust damage is sometimes (but not allways im told) is a good indicator of a damaged head gasket.

3: speaking of the engine, head gaskets are giant pain's in the but with the xj6's. bolts permeate the jacket of the head. So if the head gasket has broken somewhere along the line it causes the bolts to corrode, and over time essentially fusing the bolts and head to the top of the engine.

4: if its a vehicle thats been sitting, do your self a favor and check the fuel tanks. easily done by removing the drainage caps on the underside of each wing. Fuel problems (like water or debris in the tank) will destroy lots of things like filters, pumps. clog fuel rails, clog fuel injectors and would even rust out the tanks themselves.

good luck brother, don't get discouraged! These cars really do deserve the love and attention that generally needs to out into them.

 

As a 1985 car, the engine block should be one of the last of the XK 4.2s which were modified to prevent cracking between the bores which caused the HGFs. My car was unfortunately 1980 so suffered 3 HGFs until I replaced the block.

As a Florida car, it should not be as rusted as a car exposed to a lot of road salt, but paintwork may have suffered, and also the interior with all that sun !

Big advantage of these cars for the amateur mechanic is they are essentially pre-electronic era, although you might say "what about the fuel injection ?". Well this is an analogue system, which is normally very reliable. There are no other electronics on the car except the radio.

Also they were built to be repaired not thrown away. Remember the basic car was designed in the mid 60s, (available on sale 1968 in UK), and most parts are of that era; they were expected to wear out before the car was scrap so can be replaced without taking out a mortgage. A 1985 uses most of the mechanical parts of the 1968 car, so there is good availability.

 

I completely agree with all the posts. These cars are great and solid, but as an older car I'd be prepared to spend some time and a little cash when things go wrong. I have an 82 with only 84k on it. Runs and rides great for the most part, however when I got it it had an engine misfire and stall issue. The stall issue is gone but the misfire is present under beginning of accelleration and under load.

I suggest driving the car a bit at all speeds before buying.

Good Luck!