I have been pondering this for years.

Lockdown has changed things a tad.

I wrote this as a PDF hoping it assists members, as these cars are starting to appear in numbers again.

The other reason, ":while the grey matter still remembers" was also top of the tree.

Have fun.

 

Brilliant stuff Grant!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to put all this together. Hopefully my 6 cylinder will only involve half the work (just joking!)

Cheers,
LeeP

 

Excellent and a well deserved "sticky".

I knew some, I learned some and I definitely learned a new word - "bagging".

Graham

 

Thanks Graham.

We'll get some Aussie in ya sooner or later.

 

Excellent stuff from my cousie brow in Aus.

Mike

 

As always Grant excellent stuff. I sometimes wish I had found my parts car, before I went rouge, with my Jacobra. But it'll be fun when I'm finished. I still remember my Bosses XJS back when I was 18, and it was new. Was the Fastest, Sleekest, Sneakiest, car I had ever driven, and cemented my Love for the Jag. Thanks for the good read.

Jack

 

Grant,

Excellent paper and thank you for all your hard work in putting this together!

After some months out of circulation with the current situation, I'm just contemplating restarting my engine bay refurb on my pre-HE. I originally intended just to improve the car a bit and then sell it. The problem with reading your article is that it inspires me to do so many other items and now I'll spend more than the car is worth...and because I borrowed the money to buy the car, I really need to make a profit.....and now I won't be able to sell it at a profit.....and so I'll have to keep it even though I now have no money left......so I'll have to borrow some more money to buy another one to make some money on.....and isn't that where I started?

So THANKS Grant!!

Stay safe

Paul

 

Thanks Grant. This will be my “go to” doc as I work my way through my car.

the most useful info I have seen.

Chris

 

Very impressively thorough. As far as I can tell from a skim, it essentially is "replace everything around the engine and under the car". With photos, and maybe some additional comments about the Marelli/facelifts, etc. to make it more universal, it would be a worthy and essential companion to the Palm Bible.
As to baggers, I read a comment in another car forum (Pistonheads, I think), where someone said something along the lines of "Never buy a Jag XJS! Horrible unreliable junk! I got one for $400 and it was always giving me problems!"
Well, duh.

 

Thanks for that.

If I had any experience with the Mareli, I would have included it. I have only ever seen one in my time. What I know about them is what I have read, as you all can do also, and that is not what I wanted in that "worksheet advice".
Interesting, is that the S3 V12 Sedans never got the Mareli, it was only an XJS specific item.
Warren down here is the Mareli guru in MY opinion.
HA, a $400 XJS, that would be the GEM of the fleet for sure.

 

Paul,

Glad I could help, HA>

I did the same procedure as the XJS on the 2 X X300, 2 X X200, and the MIGHTY X Type, all these came after the XJS.

Skipped shiiit loads as they were not needed, that will come, naturally, its a Jag, but to re-invent the wheel when its already a wheel is silly.

The X300, mainly the "R" needed special attention, and the 2 S Types very little. The X Type, strangely enough, needed bugga all, belts, pads, rotors, fluids of course and the damn thing keeps on doing what it does.
Clearly the later cars are holding up better, as "modern technology" stepped into the build.

What I was trying to get across, in my case, is the reliability of these cars is awesome, once sorted, and where I lived, and traveled, breakdowns could be terminal, for humans, not the car, so I INSISTED to myself, "it must be right", there are NO second chances out there.

My 1st case of that was in 1968,(I was 19), in the MK7, dirt highway (rough graded gravel and sand), sitting at about 80MPH, 250 miles to go, and the diff started getting noisy, OOPS. Pulled over, 45C outside, and the oil trail was clear in the dirt, and I decided a beer was in order. Later, dug a hole to get under the car, and the diff breather had snapped off, bugga. Filled the diff with engine oil, all I had on hand, and made a paper plug for the breather, drove on, and kept to 60MPH, noise was less at that speed, and the radio had no more volume to drown out any louder noises. Diff rebuild needed, but I got there, and back without any more surprises. They ARE that reliable, and I have never accepted less from any of my Jags.

 

Very helpful, especially for "newbies" like myself!

 

I have read this PDF twice now an each time it makes me more inspired to take my time and take my recently acquired 1990 XJS V12, I have been told it’s going to be a money pit.
It’s a driver which starts and goes down the road with the smoothness I was hoping for. Now I have a more realistic plan to bring it up a level or 2 in reliability and comfort in knowing it won’t break down unexpectedly. It will take money but your ideas have put in a reasonable rational way to get the most out of joining the XJS brotherhood. I didn’t think it would be possible but I took the jump and I know now I’ll land on my feet, “outside the box” but I’ve already got that reputation but now I’ll look good going down the road.
Thanks again I’m sure I’ll be leaning on your expertise in the future. I sleep better now knowing that I’m not alone thinking these cars are meant to be driven responsibly and not just hidden in garages!
Poppa doing it!

 

Glad it calmed the nerves.

Never let the Jag sense fear, that will end the relatiocship in a heartbeat, HA>

The fact yours actually runs and drives, AND returns home under its own steam, is a BONUS.

It will be the LITTLE things, some too hard for others, so left out of any plan, that will kill the joy.

FORGOT, it happens now.

Welcome to the Forums.

Please do an Into in the New Members Area, keeps the "boss" happy.

Ask ANY question, in the XJS Tech Section, where there will be a wealth of knowledge, and NO question is a silly question, EVER.

Good luck.

 

Thanks. I will do the intro got to keep the bosses happy. This is the first forum I've really been part of, so I'll try and to and be a good member.

 

Mr. Francis -
Thanks for sharing your extensive experience with Jag-u-ar motor cars - I do appreciate it.

Reading through the Worksheet PDF - made me think that at certain milage all types of Jags should have a thorough look over and the tackling of maintenance issues immediately. And that such an knowledge and attitude would be helpful and mandatory when purchasing and negotiating a price on any Jaguar.

I know that will be my stance going forward. And, well, that forward is now -

I have a chance to buy a 1993 5-speed convertible, 4.0 6-cyl. 62,000 miles.
Between new 1993 and 1999 the car amassed 54,000 miles, or 9,000/year. It was maintained reasonably well during that time according to the owners brother and carfax records. Since 1999, the car has travelled only another 8,000 miles, 400/yr. So sitting. Same family, different person owning. Less than 200 manual coupe / convertible 5-speed cars exist in North America as you are likely aware.

Meaning-- perhaps even more so than other XJS models - if I buy this car I do become its caretaker and need to be really serious about that. So your document is priceless to me at this point IMO.

Condition ---
1. perfect paint and interior, cream white and tan.
2. A/C not working and is disconnected from engine at this time
3. Light misting smoke from engine after 15 min idle.
4. Rear brakes are seized up - so car has not been driven in a while - prolly 3 years now. (that's shorthand for probably)

Other than these obvious points the car seems fabulous. BUT after reading your document that conception of the car is totally erroneous.

First example - Before reading the document I would have thought I could drive this car home - it's 30 miles from me. WRONG -
Correct way - Trailor it to my repair shop and change ALL fluids and filters. No exceptions!!

Second example - A car nut/expert friend of mine claims that investigating the flexible hose to the rear brakes would fix the problem, and replacing only that and we are good to go. WRONG
Correct thinking - That may indeed be the problem but it needs to be changed now anyway AND the rest of the rear system should be taken off and rebuilt/repaired as detailed in your Worksheet. Shortcuts, or partial fixes, as shown by following forum threads, only leads to disaster down the road. This car needs better than that.

Third example - Oil leaking upon idle - find the leak and fix it sooner than later. Supposedly the 6 cyl. cars are easy to work on so...... we'll see.

Fourth - A/C - get a new condenser and fix it right.

Fifth - I still need to go over the car again, now more carefully - check that radio, lights, antennae, etc work and no glitches (antennae has one).
and thoroughly check the frame/underbody of car especially since it lived in salty wintertime OHIO.

Sixth - Coolant hoses and related items - perhaps the most important item.

All for starters -

Under no illusion that these things should not be addressed before driving the car extensively. I wish I had done similar treatment to my XJ - super V8.

Thanks again for the very important reality check and systematic way to think about owning these one of a kind automobiles.

Mike D.

 

Mike,

Thank you, much appreciated.

It applies to any brand car in reality. I kept it Jaguar, as the Forums are Jaguar, but none of us are as one eyed as we believe.

My Son's 2002 Holden Commodore (Google will help the Non-Aussies), came to him in 2011, so 9 years old, and 205000kms, well cared for beast. He basically did exactly the same, cost was peanuts for parts by comparison, and much simpler to work on. The suspension was tired, trans fluid BLACK, oil leaks to match any V12, and so on.

2 weeks, sorted, and still his work car, as parking his Jag at work is a NO NO.

 

Thank you very much for this Grant. Very informative and helpful.

 

Truly valuable. This has given me confidence and comfort to find the XJS for me. Anticipating outreach to the community to help determine what to do myself and what to divert to my local Jag expert. Will be putting my 02 VDP for sale soon.
Thank you , thank you, thank you

 

G'day Grant, many thanks for sharing your knowledge, and the associated PDFs.
My '88 XJ-S V12 has began to suffer many of the faults you point out and I have embarked on a restoration, which until today after reading your Worksheet was a tad haphazzard. I have ordered the rear subassembly parts from SNG UK (Steve Snape provided a helpful list, a great bloke) having originally dissassembled the rear end to fix a brake warning light: so I wil replace/renew universals, caliper kit, diff seals etc as advised. I did get the new rotors and pads from Supercheap, as they are a bit heavy to post from the UK. I was wondering if you had a link/reference for the shocks and spings that I might use in Australia to again save freight costs.
To add to the refit, I recently blew the pinion seal on the power steering ram, which saw me arrive home in a cloud of power steering fluid burning off the exhaust; so as advised I will drop out the front sub frame and refurbish that whilst I am at it. I approach the spring removal with some trepidation so any advice (other than a visit to Pedders) much appreciated.
I did replace the radiator with an aluminum unit when I was posted to Darwin two years ago, but am keen to get a reference for the Ford radiator fans you mentioned in the Worksheet as again my yellow fan is very cracked.
I will try and keep a thread going on my restoration and pass on any hints or tips for you to confirm or expand on.
Cheers, Chris

Replacement of rear crankshaft seal, and Torque converter seal in Darwin, followed by a new radiator, new cam chain, water pump, cam tensioner, injectors, and full set of consumables: belts, hoses, etc.


I bought a two post hoist to get serious about the restoration, I'll have to do the same to the Daimler after this so worth the investment.