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first time poster here and potential first time xjs buyer (or any classic car for that matter). Trying to make sure I’m not getting ripped off as the model I’m looking at has a plastic bumper without any chrome which I can’t find on any other models from 1990, unless it’s a twr package, which this one is not. Can someone please tell me if this is possibly an original bumper, or whether work has been done in the vehicle? As you can see, bumper has no chrome in the front or back and is painted the same as the body colour.
I've never seen bumpers like that....ever. Not bad looking, IMO.
Back in the day various companies offered 'body kits'....bumpers, body skirts, spoilers, etc. I suspect that's what we're seeing on the car in question.
Definitely, an after-market kit but that doesn't mean you're getting ripped off.
FWIW - I had a TWR kit on my '93 and didn't like how much the rubber bumpers stuck out so I drilled holes in the shock absorbers. The holes allow you to push the bumpers back a couple of inches. Then you can stick a bolt into the hole to keep them in place. You do lose the shock absorption but it looks much better. Just something to consider.
Thanks a ton for your input. The guy claimed it was an « option » on the 1990 model so now wondering whether I could trust him at all. He claims it only has 7000 miles as well (while also saying that he isn’t the type to roll back an odometer without me even asking about it)…the car is far away from me so would mean a flight to go check it out. The car also has a small dent on the drivers door with some paint missing. Does anyone know how much that would cost to fix and make it look brand new (is it even possible to paint match an old car like that?). Sorry for my ignorance I’m new at this
7000 miles? Sounds shady. Plus if correct that low mileage isn't necessarily a good thing. These cars don't like sitting around. They're meant to be driven.
Where are you located. There are enough XJS's around that you shouldn't have to fly to find one.
There are a couple of nice ones on BaT right now. https://bringatrailer.com/jaguar/xjs/
Thanks a ton for your input. The guy claimed it was an « option » on the 1990 model so now wondering whether I could trust him at all.
Back then it was common for dealers to offer their own 'option packages' which typically included aftermarket stuff. Sometimes people confuse or misunderstand dealer options versus factory options. Whether or not the seller is being deceptive...or merely misinformed....is something we can't judge from afar.
He claims it only has 7000 miles as well (while also saying that he isn’t the type to roll back an odometer without me even asking about it)…the car is far away from me so would mean a flight to go check it out. The car also has a small dent on the drivers door with some paint missing. Does anyone know how much that would cost to fix and make it look brand new (is it even possible to paint match an old car like that?). Sorry for my ignorance I’m new at this
More pics of the car and more information (either merely claimed or actually verifiable) would help us help you.
It's very common for these old Jags....even some of 'the nicer ones'....to need quite a bit of repair work. Most are not well maintained. Be ready for that.
Thanks Pete. I’m up in Montreal. I love the xjs but I probably wouldn’t be buying at this point in my life (should be making wiser investments as a young man) if it wasn’t an excellent deal, which I thought that this was at around 14k usd for a practically brand new car. I get that sitting in a barn isn’t ideal for this car or any car for that matter, but thought that I could bring it back to life with the right tlc (have been doing a bit of research on how to get sitting cars back on the road). The interior does look absolutely pristine and apparently still smells like brand new… but wondering now whether it would be worth the trip. It’s not that I’m buying solely as an investment, but I thought that I was getting a great deal such that if I ever needed the money for whatever reason I could likely sell for more than I paid. Wondering now whether that’s the case with this vehicle, and not sure whether it’s still worth checking out… would be a ton of fun though just don’t want to get ripped off!!! If anyone has any thoughts on that car at that price please let me know. Thanks folks..
Back then it was common for dealers to offer their own 'option packages' which typically included aftermarket stuff. Sometimes people confuse or misunderstand dealer options versus factory options. Whether or not the seller is being deceptive...or merely misinformed....is something we can't judge from afar.
Not sure if I’m doing this right in terms of quoting and responding to a post, I’m new at this… but thanks for your thoughts that’s great information and an interesting perspective.
More pics of the car and more information (either merely claimed or actually verifiable) would help us help you.
will attach the only other pics I have to this post (odometer is in Kms) Odometer is in Kms Leather looks to be in good shape
. The guy says that he purchased the car from a lawyer around 20 years ago and claims to be a licensed mechanic himself so allegedly changed the oil somewhat regularly and the coolant every four years. He claims to drive it around a little bit every year since he owns other classic cars and knows that he can’t let them sit, however, the car has not been licensed for use on the road since 2001, making this a bit suspicious. Another reason I doubt that it was driven is because 3 of 4 brake calipers are currently seized and the mechanic tried to open them up and the brake pads cracked and broke (i assume because they were brittle from not being used) so all are currently being replaced. I spoke to the mechanic himself who says that the car is in immaculate condition otherwise (aside from a dent on the striver door where some paint is missing), but I would make sure to have a third party mechanic do a full inspection before making the purchase, as well as drain and change all fluids etc.
It's very common for these old Jags....even some of 'the nicer ones'....to need quite a bit of repair work. Most are not well maintained. Be ready for that.
so I’ve heard lol. That’s a big part of my concern. It’s a v12 jag though and life is short
Back then it was common for dealers to offer their own 'option packages' which typically included aftermarket stuff. Sometimes people confuse or misunderstand dealer options versus factory options. Whether or not the seller is being deceptive...or merely misinformed....is something we can't judge from afar.
More pics of the car and more information (either merely claimed or actually verifiable) would help us help you.
It's very common for these old Jags....even some of 'the nicer ones'....to need quite a bit of repair work. Most are not well maintained. Be ready for that.
Cheers
DD
Apologies, I definitely did not do that right lol. Can you read between the lines in my failed attempt to respond to your post above DD? Or do you want me to try my luck again at responding properly. Thank you all for your input I should have gotten on this forum earlier instead of torturing myself with isolated research and thought about it all week!
To clear up my previous response, the « licensed mechanic » seller is different from the mechanic currently changing the brake calipers, since the seller did not have time to do it himself.
But, broadly speaking, and referring to most any special interest cars, not just Jags, it's the exceptional examples that bring the big money. Most commonly those who fix-up an older car lose money when they go to resell. Unless you're a DIY mechanic you might spend thousands at a repair shop to really make this car 'right'.
If you are patient enough to wait for market value to catch up with the money you've invested you may come out OK. That might be years. Or, if you can buy one cheaply enough at the front end, you might come out OK.
To be honest, what I see in the (blurry) pics is a pretty nice old XJS but it doesn't shout "investment grade car" to me. It doesn't look exceptional, IMO, and I think the buy-in price is on the high side, personally.
Just my two cents, that's all. Others will chime in.
Thanks Doug. I just thought that if the low
mileage was accurate it would have been a great find. I still haven’t seen any XJSs with ghat kind of mileage in all my research, and the seller claims it runs like new, potentially only needing a new belt.
Those bumpers look like they are the rare set that were fitted to the 100 facelift XJR-S that were exported to the US. They had unusual bumpers with that exposed centre section. See an example of one of those cars here:
The wheels are either TWR or Jaguarsport pre-facelift XJR-S rims (I can't see the centre cap to see if it says TWR or Jaguarsport?)
As regards the brakes, it sounds like they've already caused a problem by pushing fluid back up the lines to the ABS valve block by trying to remove those pads. You should NEVER do that on a Teves ABS XJS. As mentioned by others, low mileage often means very poorly maintained. Those brakes would worry me...
Those bumpers look like they are the rare set that were fitted to the 100 facelift XJR-S that were exported to the US. They had unusual bumpers with that exposed centre section. See an example of one of those cars here:
The wheels are either TWR or Jaguarsport pre-facelift XJR-S rims (I can't see the centre cap to see if it says TWR or Jaguarsport?)
As regards the brakes, it sounds like they've already caused a problem by pushing fluid back up the lines to the ABS valve block by trying to remove those pads. You should NEVER do that on a Teves ABS XJS. As mentioned by others, low mileage often means very poorly maintained. Those brakes would worry me...
Cheers
Paul
Thanks Paul! You definitely seem to know your stuff. I agree that those bumpers look almost identical other than the fact that the exhaust is fitted into the rear bumper in the one you linked, which looks great, whereas the exhaust on the vehicle in question comes out from below the bumper.
The wheels don’t seem to have center caps from what I can see, but perhaps there’s a try or if center cap that doesn’t look traditional that I’m not aware of?
Either way, it definitely doesn’t seem like original parts, and therefore decreases the value substantially, correct?
For what it’s worth, I asked the seller about those two parts specifically (bumpers and wheels) and he claimed they were both original. He is the second owner, however.
i also note what you mention about the brakes, sounds like trouble, unless the fluid was drained before changing the pads and calipers?
sounds like the consensus here is to stay away, even though the super low mileage, pristine interior, and the fact that I’ve already been drooling over the car for 4 days straight tells me to pursue lol
Thanks Paul! You definitely seem to know your stuff. I agree that those bumpers look almost identical other than the fact that the exhaust is fitted into the rear bumper in the one you linked, which looks great, whereas the exhaust on the vehicle in question comes out from below the bumper.
The wheels don’t seem to have center caps from what I can see, but perhaps there’s a try or if center cap that doesn’t look traditional that I’m not aware of?
Either way, it definitely doesn’t seem like original parts, and therefore decreases the value substantially, correct?
For what it’s worth, I asked the seller about those two parts specifically (bumpers and wheels) and he claimed they were both original. He is the second owner, however.
i also note what you mention about the brakes, sounds like trouble, unless the fluid was drained before changing the pads and calipers?
sounds like the consensus here is to stay away, even though the super low mileage, pristine interior, and the fact that I’ve already been drooling over the car for 4 days straight tells me to pursue lol
Thanks all, very knowledgeable and helpful forum
I've looked at the TWR center caps. I think those are the ones. Thanks for the info.
Given the sort of frankenstein of parts from different models and years, wondering if it's likely that this vehicle was accidented at one point?
The exhausts are definitely exiting in the same place, it's just that the car in your pics has single rather than double pipes. And the centre cap of that wheel is that plastic disc that is flush with the wheel.
I'm pretty sure those bumpers are the same as the 93 US XJR-S ones which would imply they were possibly fitted later in the car's life.
I think you can find more original, better-maintained cars for the money.
You're correct re: the bumper. Thanks again. Any idea as to what would be a fair price for this vehicle in that case? Or just stay away entirely (I have no mechanical experience at all). I guess not chance it will ever be a true classic based on the use of non original parts? Thanks so much!
Or just stay away entirely (I have no mechanical experience at all). I guess not chance it will ever be a true classic based on the use of non original parts? Thanks so much!
For many of us the only way it's feasible to own an old Jag is DIY repairs. Paying for the rehab work....and I can almost promise there will be plenty of it....at a repair shop would be thousands of dollars and almost certainly exceed the value of the car. And, often, it's difficult finding a shop that really knows how to service a V12 Jag.
If you really want the car and can afford it, go for it ! A well sorted XJS is a dream to drive; they're fabulous. I have a V12 Jag as my daily driver....but I've been elbow deep in them for 20+ years, doing virtually all my own repair work.
For a novice car-hobbyist or car collector I can't honestly recommend one with a clear conscience. They're not the right car for everybody. There are other hobby/classic/special interest cars that are easier to own.
If you're dead set on an XJS find one that has been 'enthusiast owned'. Such a seller has already spend the time and money (lots, probably) making the car right. He'll proudly show you and explain all the work he has done. At least you'd be starting out with a fully-sorted car.
08-28-2021, 09:46 AM
Please help! No chrome on bumper 1990?
