Welcome! I'm new to the Jaguar world too. From what I've observed, pay attention to the floorboards as they tend to rust out, and so do the headbolts on the engine. I'm sure the more knowledgeable folks here will be happy to point out other items.

 

They are relatively simple cars. The electronics can be flakey. Back brakes and rear end are supposed to be subject to neglect. Front stubbies can wear and need replacing.

Most important is rust. Depending on how the car was maintained rust can be a significant factor. Look for it at the bottoms of the windshield and floor pan

I have an 85 and love it.

pv

 

The short answer is - a lot !!

The only way to get into an older Jaguar is to recognise that it is not made to the standards of much younger cars. This is not a car for a person who just wants a good looking means of transportation, you have to be an enthusiast and really love the looks and the whole Jaguar style thing. The ride quality is unique, in my opinion.

The XJS car was built in penny packets at Coventry, and used a lot of the parts of the XJ saloon. The body was hand assembled, and I have actually seen them being assembled at Castle Bromwich, the body factory for Jaguars. Engines are either the V12, very uneconomical in Europe, but bearable in the US with your cheap petrol, or the aluminium straight 6, the same as fitted to the XJ40 saloon of 1986 (= 87 US model year). These sixes are very good engines, but so are the V12s.

As other posters have said, rust can be a real problem; a lot will depend on what US state the car has been driven in, and how much road salt they use, and whether the car has even been driven much in winter. replacement body panels are rarer than the saloons as so few were made, and not too many now survive.

The problems of the XJS are essentially the same as the XJ6/12 of the same era. Front and rear suspension is identical, but spring rates will be different. This commonality of parts means most stuff is much cheaper than one would expect for a car built in such small quantities.

Try to find the lowest miles and best maintained car you can. Don't buy a "banger" which has been neglected by its last owner. You should buy one that has evidence the owner has cherished his car, and is selling for a good reason, as in he has retired or bought another old Jaguar or other classic car.

As Pura Vida says the front stub axles do wear, and people think it's the wheel bearings whereas the bearing is loose on the axle and the bearing is perfect !

The good thing is that this IS a real Do-it-yourself car as the electronics are of far less ubiquity on the car than modern cars. There will be an engine ECU, but that's about it. You will need a good toolset and car ramps if you want to work underneath the car; do not rely on jacks !!