I didn't so much hunt for my XJS as wait for it to be listed for sale. It was a very long wait.

I fell for Jaguar's dohc-sixes when I was about ten years old, and dreamed of owning one with a manual transmission behind it. I knew they were available in the UK but I grew up in Canada where it was autobox-only.....until 1992 when out of the blue appeared the XJS 4.0 5-speed.

Over the years I saw only three for sale second-hand, and I would have loved to buy any of them but had no money. But in the winter of 2010-11 I was searching hard for a car. For a month I dithered over a Daimler V8 250 in California. On the day that deal collapsed, "my" XJS appeared on Kijiji. A week later she was mine, Signal Red and only 58,000km. At long last, I had my unicorn Jaguar.

 

Good day everyone!I am not new to the forums here,but I am a Newby to the XJS forum,At Long Last!
First a small backstory,here on Vancouver Island these cars are rare when they come up for sale,never mind parts and bits,and where we are is a two hour drive to anywhere,plus a very expensive ferry ride to the mainland.
I have been lusting after one of these cars,simply because they are stunning!

Now,Cin(wife)has her Jag,(Champ),beautiful car,beautiful wife,both need a small amount of lovin to keep them happy.

But My car,(Redd),feels like I should be a grandpa.It simply isn't me.
I want a hot rod,hooligan,highly technical,custom to ME!

So,looking,more looking,and around Christmas one came up for sale on the order of 2500 bucks.
Crap,just missed it.1986,V12,black.Double crap!
4 minuites from our house,AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA s#!t
Time passes,perusing craigslist,used nanaimo,buy and sell,everyday,alas.

Until last thursday.
Sat down next to wife,having a nice big vat of red wine,roaring fire,and look again.

I just about puked my wine all over my laptop!
There it was!Could it be?86 XJSv12? Posted one hour ago?

Honey,where' my phone?WHERE'S MY PHONE?

Phoned up and inquired about the car,still have it,1800$
The fellow who bought it restores MG's,and smaller english cars,but health troubles have sidelined this project.
His tone over the phone was one of "do not want to sell to the wrong buyer"
All that changed when I told him I was "A Jag guy"and owned a couple of cars.
We set up a time to inspect the car the next day.

Now by this time I was a little smashed,and I broke into my Happy Dance!

Inspected the car,and all was as promised,starts good,runs good,rear brakes done,some electrical sorted,and very little rust!
The paint is shot,and the front seats need re-do,the AC has been removed
but have all the parts.

Shook my hand at 1500 bucks!

He even delivered it to my house,pulled the plates,then we got to look at My cars.
He laid all the literature on me,owners manual,technical manuals,downloads,original sales brochures,wiring schematics,the whole shebang!

Beer,Wine,Happy dance!
I now have a lot of reading to do......
Hafta update my signature too....
I am gonna need some dash parts,some interior trim stuff,

Wish me luck,and Cheers all,Jim and Cindy

 

I have noticed that most XJS owners on this thread are a pretty optimistic lot.

I bought my wife's 94 XJS 2+2 via eBay in 2004.
I live in Atlanta area and the XJS I was buying was about 40 miles south of
Flint, Michigan. I was buying this Beauty for my wife as a Birthday present.
And I was going to surprise her by taking her to get the car.
Which would involve a plane trip to Flint, Michigan.
My wife doesn't do airports very well.
All I have to do is get her on the plane and everything is fine.
Getting through the airport lines and other stuff is pain.

The owner okayed a meet and greet time to do the paperwork at his home in Michigan.
I convinced my wife that I had to go to Flint, Michigan on a business trip and I had some free air miles that would expire if I didn't use them soon and I wanted
her to go along as a mini-getaway. Fine. She agreed.
Got the tickets at the airport, get to the boarding gate.
Because my wife hasn't flown in about 10 years her ticket is stamped for a close
inspection. They pull her aside at the gate just as the plane is about to depart.
Where upon I refuse to board.
The TSA agent wants to know why and I tell him that is my wife they are giving the 3rd degree. If she doesn't go, I don't go. Her purse gets turned out, she gets wanded,
and she is getting very annoyed ( I 'll use that word a lot to describe my wife's nature)
We finally make it into Flint. We leave in the rental car and head south.
My wife is really starting to get annoyed and suspicious at my answers concerning this
"customer" I am meeting.
Because the route I'm taking is on some gravel/dirt roads she is really getting annoyed.
I finally pull up into the current owners driveway and there it sits, a 1994 XJS 2+2,
in the Champagne or Fawn brown color with 56,000 miles. Gorgeous!
I get out and stand by the car and wait for my wife who now seems to know what is going on by now.
I announce, "Happy Birthday !!! Here is your present !!"
Boy, talk about an astonished smile!
She had it and then some.

The owner came out and greeted us and after introductions invited us in to complete
the paperwork. I paid $9500 for it in 2004 and I think it is priceless just because of the look on my wife's face when she found out it was hers.

She says she would take the XJS over any piece of jewelry.
I guess she meant diamonds and rubies. I got to agree, I would too.
We spent the next 2-1/2 days driving the XJS back to Atlanta.
My wife, Lee, talks about that trip like it was yesterday. She said the part going home
made up for the plane trip going up to Michigan.
Nothing like a 750 mile roadtrip in a XJS to bring happiness to a 35 year old marriage !
She said I could fix her XJS any day.
So, I now have the honor of not only of being her husband but also of being
her XJS mechanic.
See, I told you we XJS enthusiasts are optimists!