Just what I don't need but I've recently been getting hooked on a late model XJS. The wife says no more cars but my neighbor has one that keeps saying "you want one". I have a few nice late models lined up and wondered if I could ask for advice on buying one-what's the price for a real nice one, what to ask, what to look for, etc. I'm more interested in the 6, not the 12. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

well my take on it, if it aint a V12 it aint an XJS.

but on a another thought any XJS is a mysterious posession thing, its like they can start to control your life, and 12s are more controlling than 6s.

and even with all the problems that may/could happen, most people who have owned one, never forget the good time spent with them.

 

You already have some lined up but there may be differences depending on build-date: AJ6 or AJ16 engine, in-board or out-board rear brakes, big bumpers or the older style, trip computer on the dash or not. Almost all have a 4-spd auto.

Best way to see what they cost is look online at every one of the type you want and see what sellers are asking, to get an idea of how much you'd be willing to pay for one in the condition you want. There's no magic number, it has to feel like good value to you after doing this research.

Ask for service history.

Other than that I think it's just like buying any used car...get the best one you can afford.

 

I have a 96 XJS with the easier to work on 6 cylinder. If I had a garage, I probably would talk myself into the 6.0 12 cylinder.

That being said, the six is a nice hobby for my level. The car needed some slight sorting out in the beginning, cleaning out the throttle body, replacin the pil pressure sender, resetting the ECU, spark plugs, cam cover gasket, replacing the missing undertray, replacing an AC condenser and drier. Mostly easy stud for this engine. (I had to pay someone to do the ECU reset and I paid for the oil pressure sender to be replaced)

Then I have putzed around with some other stuff, unrelated to the way the car needs to run. Radio, waterproofing the ECU box, 5 degree timing advance bracket, swapping out the headlights to the quad set, attaching the aux fan to run with the AC switch, and adding a ski slope with cup holders, forcing the abandonment of the rear AC vent, replaced the hood insulation with foam.

There's a couple of other minor things I did, but except for why I called out, I did myself. In a driveway. With only the help of this forum and my service manual.

I don't think I could have gotten this far with the 12 because everything is so hard to access, unless you don't need AC, it's a much tougher engine bay to work in. I can practically stand inside my engine bay whereas I can't even see the floor looking in a 12 cylinder bay.

The car has been a fascinating hobby, that drives reliably. It's a daily driver for me, and I love it! Winter, rain, heat, whatever, I take it to work every day. (I do still own a 2000 Fors Taurus given to me when my company ended its company car program, and I find the AJ16 much easier to work on!)

I'm sure others will chime in and make a similarly compelling argument for the 12. You just have to decide how much XJS you want to get involved with! Keep reding the posts around here and you'll get a good sense of the highs as lows of each model year and each engine type. There's a car for everyone over the 21 year run, and at every price point.

Good luck!

 

Gentlemen: Thank you for your insights! I had a beauty lined up with low mileage but the seller appears to have struck a deal with the outfit he bought it from. I'll know more this week. I'm going for the 6-I have enough health issues right now and don't need too many more complications in my life so the 12's are out. There are a few I've looked at with 60k>75K on them but I'd like to hold out for one with a bit less mileage. The hunt is on!

 

I'm with Ronbros. 12 cylinders or walk. The V12s have been unfairly maligned in the press and by ignorant owners (and especially non owners). The weak spots of the 12 & 6 have been well documented, and fixes / improvements are readily available for each.

 

So you guys, ronbros and Flint Ironstag, are actually saying Pfflyer should not buy an XJS, since he has already decided he'd prefer the 6?

Your arguments are invalid.

 

I don't understand the implication that the straight 6 engines are somehow less Jaguar than a V12. We are not talking about a Chevy transplant here. The AJ6/16 and V12 engine are both purebred Jaguar engines. The 6 was developed from and to succeed the most excellent XK engine. Both the straight 6 and the V12 have the same heritage in spite of what has been suggested here. Of course there is the more exotic aspect of the V12 but you will also have a more "exotic" ownership experience.

I am lucky enough to own both; a V12 in the E type and the AJ16 in the XJS. The V12 is harder to work on and requires much more maintenance than the AJ16, this is not opinion but a simple fact. I work on all my cars, but the easiest to work on is the AJ16 XJS, followed by the V12 E and the hardest is the more modern V6 in the X. I find that the car that spends the least amount of time in the shop when something goes wrong is the AJ16 XJS. To the point of Vee's comment, my cars live in a underground communal garage under my building, so I can not have half engine out on the way. If I had a private garage I would probably work on the V12 a little more.

So get what you want and suit your lifestyle best.

 

I had a '91 v12 that I put 180,000 miles on and I loved the car! It is a maintenance hog, but worth it. Items to consider. The distributor - coil set up requires genuine Jag or Marelli parts, all else will fail. If it has aluminum post, do not use. The fuel injectors will need new hoses, not a bad project and use no hose clamps. The rear end will need new bearings at 130,000 miles.
Down load the on line manual for the car at Jag lovers.
Good luck! I miss my XJS but the XK8 is a much better car on all levels.
LaRue

 

i guess everybody to there own opinion.

if money was no object, a new Jaguar XJR, and reports on the new XFR-S are phenomenal cars.

yeah,even jaguar needed big money to reach the level of todays Jags. never would have happened without foreign money input.

the sad fact is depreciation on the new ones will be like all jags,lose money quickly.

then us guys can buy them.

never been able to understand it,why perfectly good cars lose value so quickly!

 

That's what happens when you trash your manufacturing reputation for decades.

It's going to take more than a couple of years to earn that trust back.

I always get comments like "how often is it in the shop", "you drive it everyDAY?", "must be expensive to maintain", "still running?"

That's fine. I love the fact that I can take advantage of the depreciation! Hope it never changes!!!

 

It wasn't my intention to start a "V12 vs I6" battle here! I'm basically a simple guy with some health issues so I'm looking for the XJS to be a weekender-collector car. With the traffic issues here in south Florida a V12 doesn't meet my needs-it exceeds them by a very wide margin. I could never make use of all 12 cylinders. Sorry guys, going for 6! Thanks again!

 

I have several Jags . One is a 6 and the others are 12's. With regular maintenance the 6 is very reliable, easy to work on and fun to drive. The 12's are a thrill to drive but for a totally different reason than the 6 cyl. Just become very intimate with the mechanical side of either engine but prepare for more of a commitment if you buy a 12 cyl. They are certainly worth it once you crack the educational side of working on the 12 cyl. They cost money to operate and work on even if you do the majority of the work yourself. It's like owning a horse... you have to love it regardless of the practicality issues and accept the cost of doing so. This forum is an amazing place for inside information to keep your Jag running and fun to own

 

Jaguar GR3

 

i suppose a new 4 cylinder, direct injection ,turbocharged engine some of you wouldnt go for, in a jaguar, well i have driven some in other makes, and am amazed at how nice they are, smooth, more than enough performance for everyday driving, far more economical MPG.

we,in USA ,should get the Diesel Jag they have in other parts of the world, guys i have talked with says they are great, course you can get a 3L V6,twin turbo also.

a Diesel jag just finished a drive across USA from NYC, to Los Angeles Ca. averaging 53MPG at speeds in the 70-80mph on Interstates, stopping at hotels at night.

BUT TATA dont want to sell in USA,,go figure.

 

That Jaguar jet is not made by Jaguar.. It's the old trainer/ mud mover from the 60's but it eventually had a nuclear capacity. I think it was a joint venture between Sepecat and BAC. I think a few mid-east countries still fly it but it's been out of the RAF for a long time. I just had to answer that one.. sorry. I'm a pilot too.