I personally don’t know who your planning to seat in the back of an XJS? my 10 year old complains its too tight in there and that’s with us moving the seats as far foward as possible.

I have to disagree with a few points in this thread, there is no comparison between a manual and an an auto transmission in any car, the manual will beat that auto any day of the week and put much more power to the wheels.
I have spoken of this before, here in Aus. Dellows make a bellhousing and kit to fit the jag v12 to couple to a T5 5 speed box from a common Ford Falcon, these box's can be bought for a few hundred dollars and put up with anything that a standard V12 with dish out, mind you the simple change in performance will most likely be enough to satisfy most people.

If you want a coupe with a back seat that actually can fit an adult person then stay clear of the XJS, either a Monaro (aus) or a Mustang. I think the Monaro was imported to the US under the name Pontiac GTO.
My Opinion Only!

 

Well, let's review.....

Must be manual trans.
An XJS will be too much for you to maintain.
You hate BMWs.
A 911 is just the wrong car.
No rear seat in a Corvette.
Too many doors on a WRX
Mustang too expensive


I believe someone already mentioned the X-Type Jaguar....which is easy to find with a manual transmission. There's also the S-Type Jag which was available with a manual trans until 2003 or so....although darn few were actually built that way. Still, they pop up for sale from time to time. But those are 4-doors, not coupes....which apparently you have your heart set on.

I don't think there is any Jaguar that meets your requirements.

Cheers
DD

 

Solid points Katoh.

My child is only a year old so the back sit will be big enough for years to come. I wasn't thinking of an adult.

The Falcon box sounds interesting. A few hundred is better than a few thousand. I'm assuming this is for an old used one?

How much for the Dellows kit?

 

Baby seat in the the back seat? Your a better person than me, that would drive me insane! I have trouble getting in and out of the car myself, couldn't even imagine trying to put an infant into the rear.

Yes! I lined up one for $150Au out of an EB Falcon with nearly no km,s on it. Just have to look around and be in the right place at the right time.

Have a talk to Jeff Dellow. You searched for Jaguar - Dellow Conversions

I still think a Monaro would be so much better for you, there is one advertised now for $12k 2002 5speed 5.7lt low k's and these cars have room to sit in and go like a scolded cat!

 

Well, once the child can walk is much easier.


Problem with Monaro is it's hard to find a LHD drive here and it doesn't have a whole lot of personality. It is also a little too new for what I wanted.

 

HaHaHaHa, Your still a better person than me! My three where never easy, the only time it got remotely easier is when they they could wipe their own bums! LOL I don’t know what the laws are like where you are but here in the wonderful land of Oz, they need special seats with 4 a point harness and every safety bell and whistle you can think of, it takes a rocket engineer to fit a seat into the car which has all the required tie down and safety points and they must be approved points as well.
Question to the more knowledgeable, has the the XJS got child seat anchor points? I personally don’t know, nor do I want to look for them.
The Monaro was only one suggestion, maybe a Datsun 120 coupe, or a Toyota Celica, both still will be much easier with a child in the rear than a XJS.

 

My '89 certainly has. One each side on rear parcel shelf. The retainers for the shelf trim actually use the threaded bosses.
I have one child seat and a booster in the rear for carting grandsons about, they are old enough to get in and out themselves though so no akward lifting.

 

I have decided that I will do some more research towards a XK8 or XKR manual conversion and get that done if I sort all things out. I think it makes more sense than a XJS. The XK8 is a much better driver, handles better and basically beats the XJS in every way when it comes to driving. Style-wise I was always torn. Depending on the day I would choose one over the other and vice verse. But the XK8 is the smarter way to go if I am to invest time and money in a conversion, which I will certainly keep for a long while. Mainly because it seems to be much more reliable and it's also more modern while still having a classic look. I know there seems to be some electrical problems etc. So I will have to do some deeper research on the XK8 reliability and decide.

If not that I will probably get an early fifth generation Mustang V8 with a manual box, which I like much better than the current one, because it's retro styled. I know it's spartan in the interior. But it checks all other boxes I guess and I prefer to trade luxury than to trade a manual box for an auto.

Another wild card is a BMW 850. I'm not the biggest BMW fan at all. But price wise it's really the best bang for the buck out there. You can get a V8 or V12 and with a manual transmission. It's comfortable, fast, handles very well and more like a sports car than a GT. But it's a real GT. It's amazing how cheap they seem, specially compared to the XJS. The 850i is a much better car all around than the XJS as far as I know. Makes you wonder why they are so cheap right? Not sure how it compares to the XK8 though.

What you guys think?

 

Hi Everyone,
I am thinking about trading my Audi Allroad for a 1998 XJR even trade.
No money changes hands. My Allroad has 236,000 km and the Jag has 225 km on the clock. The Jag owner says he replaced the pads and rotors, new flex lines, new front wheel bearings, ball joints, timing chain and tensioner within the last 3 months. The Jag comes with 19" aftermarket rims as well as the 17" stock rims.
My 2002 Audi Allroad is in excellent shape outside and the 6 cylinder engine is in very good condition after the usual maintenance.
Does this sound like a good deal?

 

I'm going to pop in here and mention that I have an 89 XJS V12 now and once owned an 88 XJS V12 and they've been extraordinarily reliable, especially since coming into ownership, I wasn't expecting much.

I owned my 88 for about two years and stupidly sold it because it didn't pass emissions (I took a job in another state that required checks, and didn't have the money at the time to fix the issue properly). I should have parked it in my Mom's garage instead. In two years of ownership, I replaced an alternator. Nothing else.

My current XJS, which is a 1989 model, I bought for just over $3,000 USD out of an estate sale and I couldn't be happier. I've got a couple of small gremlins to fix (A/C vent doors, maybe rebuild the starter) but I drove this car 215 miles per day for three months last year after changing jobs and commuting, and have continued to drive it to and from work 2-3 days a week since. I alternate driving it with a 98 XK8.

My current job involves me working with business clients from across the country and they get a kick out of me showing up to pick them up at a hotel in an XJS.

I also toted my newborn son around for half a year in a rear-facing car seat that was secured in the back seat of this car. He loved it.

What I'd tell you is this: Yes, you can use an XJS as a daily driver, even a high-mileage commuter. You need to find a car that has been cared for, and you need to spend an extra hour every week tending to its needs. Keep its fluids checked, stay on top of things. It's almost like owning a pet rather than a vehicle. I don't mind doing this because I like tinkering a little. But if you buy a problem child, or you don't take care of the little things, you're going to hate ownership. Maintenance, not the badge on the hood, determines reliability.

In a year or so, I intend to swap the GM400 transmission in this car for a manual. If I can do it for around $5k-$7k I'll consider it a bargain.

By the way, I live in southern Alabama, where temps can easily get into the low 100s F during the summer. I have not yet, thankfully, had any overheating issues. Maybe I never will -- I hope not, anyway. Just pointing out that these old cars are more sturdy than they're sometimes given credit for.

However, they are 25-ish years old, they suck gas, and they lack modern amenities. If you want fire-and-forget, this isn't your car. If you can live with a little character, they're ideal. The experience never gets old for me.

Jess

 

Jess, I converted my 91 conv. over to a TKO 600 5sp about 6yrs ago. Kit from DrivenMan Co. You should be in the $5K range for the basic kit doing the labor yourself . Extras like aluminum flywheel, gear reduction starter, & I sent my ECU to AJ6 for reprogramming (I was having problems stalling between shifts, they did something with the "fuel override"?? ) Anyway that put me around $5,800 doing the work myself @ 6yrs ago prices. The Tremec 600 5sp will take any anything the v12 will give it. Consider the 6sp only if you see a need for 2 overdrive gears. The weak spot IMOA is the IRS & Dana 44 diff. I tore up the cage mounts,twice, playing. Well worth the cost in fun driving.

 

I appreciate the comment and if I do this soon I'll probably come back to you for further info on reprogramming the ECU and the other extras you opted for. I've read the other threads on DrivenMan products and have noticed uneven reports on their quality and customer service.

I'm going to have to get some help to do this conversion, probably a lot of it. As in, I don't have access to a lift. There's a shop around 5 hours north of me that is a DrivenMan "certified installer" and I'll be having a conversation with them shortly about costs. It would be nice to find someone local to me who wants to help on the project but this doesn't look like it's for the feint of heart.

Jess

 

You don't need a lift. You must get the car high enough to roll the auto out & the new trans back under the car on the trans jack. A trans jack is a must ! There's a lot of easy but time consuming prep work. The only thing tough about the ECU part is getting your wallet out $$$ In fact that's the toughest part of this job.

 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/66532741@N06/w44247
Here is a perfect facelift XJS. 1994, 111,000 miles, factory 5 speed. Needs nothing at all.
4.0 L AJ6 engine. Interested? Send me a PM.
Bill