I am turning 40, and as i go through my mid life crisis, I feel that the best remedy for it (and probably one of the most predictable things to do) is to buy a car.
I have my mind set on an early 90's XJS convertible, it would be a third car (weekend car), so it's very likely that I would drive it a couple of thousand miles per year, not more than that.
The problem is, I know nothing about cars (I've always leased cars), so this would be my introduction to the world of cars and its mechanics.
I am looking for some feedback from the group, see if this is a good idea to buy a complex english car or if i should think of another alternative to my midlife crisis.
I have a budget of $10K, after some research, it seems that i could get something decent with "somewhat" low millage.
Appreciate the feedback!

 

Do a search on this forum and you will find a lot of posts concerning your possible questions. Have fun...

 

These are great cars and a lot of fun to drive. Especially if you find a well sorted out example.
If you look at the "Sticky" "How To" quick links, you'll find a very informative buyers guide. That should be your first stop. After that, go through (at least) the highlights of the XJS_Book. These are both excellent resources and a great insight into what you are getting into.

Welcome, and enjoy the search for your car.

P.S. V-12 or Straight 6?

 

If you realllly want a V12, get one. If you're not picky, stay away from it and go for the 6-cylinder cars. They are cheaper to maintain, get gas mileage like a V6 minivan, and are quite easy to work on if you get the urge.

You mentioned "complex English cars". The "facelift" XJS (92-96) really isn't any more complex than other cars of the time. Except the rear brakes, which are mounted in-board up until May 1994 I think. But don't be scared by them if the car you buy has rear rotors in good condition; you may never have to change them.

Unless you manage to buy a lemon or a car that was flooded, you'll find owning an XJS is easier than you expected, and you'll wonder why everyone doesn't have one.

 

I'd have to agree. With your budget, you should be able to find a very presentable example. +1 on reading the highlights of the XJS Book (see link below). Very informative (but don't let it scare you, either). The good news for these cars is that a poor reputation has kept the prices way down. Parts are generally easy to come by and not outrageously priced. And again, assuming you get a well-sorted car, you may be able to DIY some of routine stuff. Take your time looking for the right car. Check for rust, service history, and get a compression test done before purchasing (esp. for a V12 model.. which I think is best ). Once you find the right car, enter the VIN into the XJS Database. Sometimes contains neat history on the car.

Happy motoring!

Book: Kirby Palm's Jaguar XJ-S Help Book
XJS Database: XJS Data - Keeping track of every Jaguar XJ-S - Jaguar XJS information, articles, photos and register

 

Welcome and I'm glad that you are interested in an XJS but you may want to be cautious.

In your post you say that you know nothing about cars and imply that you will not be doing maintenance yourself. Nothing wrong with that but you must be prepared for some possibly hefty bills. These cars are very reliable if well maintained but still, you are looking at buying a car that is well over 20 years old, so it is reasonable to expect a fair number of parts will need replacing/repair in the near future.

If money is not a concern then you will love the XJS. If you are on a tight budget this may not be the car for you. They really do need owner involvement in which case maintenance costs are reasonable.

Just something to consider

 

Thanks all for your feedback, I am new in forums as well, so not sure how quickly i was going to get responses.
From what i hear it's worth the buy, but i just have to be ready for unexpected issues, and have a good mechanic (or start learning about mechanics), cause i don't want to be coughing up cash every month for this.
I am good with going for a simpler version of the car, so a V6 would do, again, this would be my first time buying a car as a "Hobby" or "Toy", so i would rather not overcomplicate myself with a more powerful car than what i need.
Any other suggestion will be greatly appreciated, i will start reading some of the info you've sent me.
Thanks Again.

 

In the face of all the excellent advice you have received here I would say get the V12! They are without doubt significantly harder to maintain and more complex but really, you are buying an old English sports car of questionable quality but immense character - take the plunge and do it in style.

There is no substitute for the silkiness and sound of the V12, its an outstanding piece of auto-exotica. Besides if you want super reliable, fast and comfortable V6 buy an E34 M5! But I (and the rest of the world) will call you boring!

 

As a complete non mechanic, I have to say that the V12 is not that bad to work on. If you want to do a tune up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor) - sure it's easiest to unbolt a few things and get them out of the way (cruise control, throttle pedestal, AC compressor), but it is NOT that bad to work on.

I am the furthest thing from a mechanic you could imagine, but with the help of this forum, it's not bad!! Take an iPad out with you, take plenty of pictures as you go, and have a bin to store the various fasteners as you remove them.

Also, the 6 cylinder is an inline, not v configuration.

 

I also wanted a classic Jag, knowing full well from having had an 86 that it's a good idea to first establish a friendly relationship with your local Jag service mechanics. They may become your second family!

So the other day I finally took possession of the 92 but only after it was thoroughly examined by a garage specializing in Jags and all necessary fixes were done. It has less than 20,000 original owner miles on it, and I did a carfax check just to be sure. No prior damage or collisions.

But I do have a couple of questions to the more experienced forum members: what tires are recommended for the car and what if anything can be done so that I can plug the GPS into the cigarette lighter? It will plug into receptacle but it won't stay, you have to hold down on it otherwise the connection is lost. Lighter itself works fine.

Also I heard that batteries in these cars can drain more than normal after a period of non-use. Any info on that?

Thanks in advance!
Roger B

 

RogB, how long did you look for this car?
and i don't know if this is PC or not in these forums, so no need to answer, but how much did you pay for the car?
Thanks

 

RogB, how long did you look for this car?
and i don't know if this is PC or not in these forums, so no need to answer, but how much did you pay for the car?
Thanks

 

The beautiful ski slope (that marvelous expanse of burled walnut atop the transmission tunnel) doesn't need a power adapter protruding from the cigar lighter. Get a reputable stereo shop to hardwire your GPS.

The original Pirelli P5s are long out of production. Not sure who is manufacturing OEM tire sizes anymore. I would go for some 17 or 18" BMW wheels.

Mine were daily drivers till I started traveling for work again. I think the general consensus is to hook up a battery tender if you're going to be gone more than 3 weeks at a time.

 

The orginal tire size for this car was almost certainly 235/60x15. Pirelli apparently still offers one choice in this size, the P600, at $266 each on Tire Rack.

BF Goodrich also has one choice, at about half the price, in thieir standard "TA" model. In essence this is just an ordinary tire, nothing particularly good or bad about it.

Dropping to 225/60x15 will give more choices, as will changing to a 16" wheel, or even 17" as mentioned.

I'm not aware of the XJSs being more or less prone to parasitic battery drain than other cars.

Cheers
DD

 

As Doug mentions the original size was 15 x 6.5J I believe the 92MY on cars were shod with Goodyear Eagle NCT 235/60 VR15 tyres.

Available as an option with the sports suspension package was a 16 x 7J wheel shod with 225/55 ZR 16 Pirelli P600 tyros.

The 16" wheels provide a significant improvement in handling with a slight deterioration in ride comfort.

If the car is correctly maintained and all systems working as designed, there should be no abnormal parasitic drain on the battery. My car shows a quiescent current of 20mA which is entirely normal and may even be quite low compared to most cars then and now.

The alarm system when engaged will draw some current but that switches itself off after about 3-4 weeks as I recall.

 

I also do not believe that the XJS drains the battery more then any other comparable vehicle. I do hook up a battery tender when I know, I'm not going to drive it for 3-4 weeks. Its just something I do with all my cars...

 

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I just attached a battery tender, light still red after about 2 hours. Curious to see how long it will be before it turns green. Car has been out of service for quite a while getting various inspection fixes since I bought it last Jan so battery no doubt is low.

 

Battery Tenders charge very slow and it could be 24-48 hours before it gets fully charged. Hopefully your battery is still in good condition and takes a full charge.

 

Mine sits for weeks at a time...no problems here battery wise.

 

RogB
I have two cars on, what I would call, trickle chargers. One came with the car and the other I bought in harbor freight. Neither of them ever show green, only red to show they are on. The instructions with the HF one, I have none for the other, said that it would not charge a battery and to only use it to keep a fully charged battery in that condition. Just passing this on, it may not apply to other units.