I've been following this Jag on Ebay. I think this is at least the second time its been listed for the same price. The description makes you think it was driven by a little old lady (from Beverly Hills) once a week to church and bingo. No actual description of the mechanical condition. I sent a msg for more info on that. Any thoughts would be appreciated, especially regarding the price. Thanks.

Jaguar : XJ | eBay

 

This is a very nice Ser III but certainly not perfect as the seller describes.

By all means ask about the mechanicals. If you read the XJ Buyers guide at the top of this section you'll know what to ask.

The paint, wood, and leather look very nice. This is a huge "plus". It costs many thousands to repaint and re-trim one of these cars.

Make sure to ask about any rust in the lower corners of the windshield and/or back window.

Even though it's a very nice example I think the price is too high. For one thing,at $9500 the engine bay should look like this


Anyhow, the car is certainly worth considering, especially if the mechanicals are as good as the cosmetics


Cheers
DD

 

The price is around £5800 in UK sterling, and the car could indeed be worth this money in the UK at least, but only if the car is physically inspected by yourself and a test run undertaken, plus all the service and repair records are available to you to inspect, and it all looks good and matches the description.

Doug's advice is sound - read the XJ Buyers Guide. Body corrosion could be a problem as these cars were usually so badly finished, but could be OK as a California car - isn't it the Sunshine State ?

Buying "sight unseen" off eBay is clearly a much bigger risk so if taking this route, price needs to be a lot lower, as whatever way you cut it, you ain't going to get a warranty on this car ! At 80k miles there will be several jobs needing doing as wear will have taken its toll, (unless the owner was meticulous in keeping the car up to scratch). For instance the head gasket is normally ready to blow at about this mileage.

On the positive side, these are eminently DIY cars, no real complications and parts are available. I semi-rebuilt a 1980 and whilst it can take some time to do the jobs, there is nothing that is super-difficult.

 

Doug and Fraser; Many thanks for your excellent advice. Its a great help.