When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Why are you considering buying it. Do you like the car? Does a V12 intrigue you? Do you want a connection to your uncle or nostalgia? Does a convertible fit into your present lifestyle? The Late v12's are bullet proof so long as they have not been abused in some way they're a good car to own. The XJS convertibles are very relaxing cruisers, nothing else like it then and there will never be something like it in the future. The only big ticket dark spot is the brake system. The brakes have a rubbery feel and can be problematic to service becasue they use a hydro-boost style system that was novel at the time. This type of system was useful for car with low vacuum (turbo's) or for vans that have no room for a vacuum booster. None of these things are true of the XJS so the brake system choice was kinda dumbfounding. If the brake feel doesnt matter to you and you've got average mechanical skills then you've found a great buy when considering the mileage.
Whats the condition of the top and documentation on the maintenance history? Low mileage cars can be a mixed bag. Rubber doesnt care about mileage, rubber ages out so it may need tires, hoses, fuel lines, etc.
A friend of mine brought up fuel injection - is this car carbeurated or injected? He suggested the electronics for an injection system that old would be impossible to come by.
The car was driven regularly but not very far which kind of concerns me, imagine in town driving for say 30 minutes or so on a regular basis. Per my dad my uncle drove it just to keep the oil in the engine etc. I am seeing the car this weekend by chance (college football game with my daughter involved on the field so we are going). I want this vehicle for a few reasons - My wife is British although born in Texas and her mother always drove a jaguar. Her mom died over 10 years ago and I think this care would grow on her. I have never owned a luxury car myself, much less a convertible. My wife drives luxury SUVs, but that is her's I drive a Chevy truck. I am attracted to the V12 in principle mainly - I imagine nobody will ever again be offering V12 gas engines as the current trend is to have us all in a Tesla by next year.... I am not racing the car so not worried that an old Corvette could outrun it. I want the feel of the top down and cruising.
It is a luxury convertible with an engine that is going extinct - I am not interested in this car for resale value nor sentimental attachment - for me it is a fun project car that will be a reminder of how things used to be when I was growing up and I really like the long hood or low slung look of the car - it reminds of a villian car in a Batman movie or something. It oozes character. That's about the best explanation I can offer you for my motivations for the car.
It's injected. All of the XJS since 1975 had EFI. Actually, the fuel injection electronics seem quite robust on these cars, there aren't any instances of ECU failure that I can recall reading about here off the top of my head.
Biggest killer if you don't use much is the US propensity for Ethanol in copious amounts, ethanol can reduce the system to an unreliable mess, if you get the car you have got to use it, you have got to treat the nastiness that is ethanol and seek out the lowest ethanol content possible. Ignore those that say ethanol isn't a problem because their cars probably don't stand around much. I have lost count of how many systems I've had to fix in the last decade for damage caused by ethanol and its desire to absorb water, which leads to rust and corrosion, destroyed fuel pumps, clogged filters, damaged injectors, messed up fuel tanks (there's a reason modern tanks are plastic) and the favourite fire due to fuel hose destruction. There is no single job on these cars that cannot be undertaken if you are so inclined to get stuck in, eyes open and perpared to seek the experience of others. I dare you to say that about some of the modern monstrosities with a computer in every crevice where the principle tools for diagnostic are an oscilloscope and a laptop ....
It oozes character. That's about the best explanation
110% spot on ...
They will never make a car like the XJ series v12's again, character has been designed out of cars these days - sometimes you gotta check out the badge to figure out which division of the same manufacturer it came from - no style in most of the stuff that is pushed these days - see an XJS on the road and it is instantly recognisable as are many older cars from the era. Modern stuff is just so much soul less plastic junk with fake leather, designed to appeal to a mass market.
Jaguars were never this, they were something you aspired to, when I grew up if you owned a Jag everyone knew you had achieved a certain level, it carried status, the current Jaguar company owners have totally devalued the brand but haven't priced accordingly and try to retain a high end price for a bargain basement plastic heap aimed at the business user / rep mobile brigade (no I do not like modern Jaguars in case it was unclear).
Don't underestimate a well sorted V12's ability to lock horns with the muscle cars of the same era and it plays a music you won't hear anyplace else.
Saw the car but didn't run it as the weather was all rain almost all the time. It is in what I would describe as showroom condition physically. Again, I didn't run it. I have a question about the alcohol in the fuel issue. My understanding is that it causes water to form/separate out from the fuel then that causes engine issues and the way to prevent that is to run the engine regularly. This car has not been run in I would estimate 4-6 months. Should I just put a fuel treatment in it (seafoam, etc) or what? drain the fuel tank? How hard is it to source a new turn signal cover? I thought the cover was replaced at some point. This is the original canvas. dent in the top of the windshield trim is the only blemish I found
Syphon out the old fuel. Can you get high-octane ethanol-free fuel over there? If so fill it with that. If not then fill with the lowest ethsnol % fuel you can get and add a stabiliser to the fuel.
I'm in Canada and the car goes into storage for 6 moths of the year over the winter. I have never done anything to the fuel and the car starts right up in the spring with a charged battery. I wouldn't worry about it sitting inside for 6 months.
My car is the same year and colour. I wonder if that car has been repainted at some point? Normally for a late V12 there would be a gold coach line and V12 badges on the side under the leaping cat badge.
Ethanol starts to degrade in gasoline after about 30 days I believe. Drain it and use it in your lawn mower or similar if you're worried. It will work fine there. It shouldn't hurt it to just run half a tank or whatever through the car, just mix it with fresh stuff. If it had sat for years then its a different matter.
How old are the tires? The white/greyish bits are a little concerning to me. They should be replaced if they're more than 5 years old, regardless of the amount of tread left. If they're more than 10 years old I'd hesitate to drive it more than onto a trailer.
09-01-2022, 10:42 AM
