Hi everyone

I have long been an admirer of the XJS and have recently taken the plunge and bought an American spec. 1994 6.0 automatic. The car needs some improvement including some mechanical work. The majority of the work is to restore or replace the leather interior, replace the soft top and improve the original paint work.

I am a British expat and live in Abu Dhabi, UAE where I have access to cheaper labor than the UK. However, I lack access to independent Jaguar specialists who are experienced in working with the XJS vehicles. Long term I intend to ship the vehicle back to the UK for use when I am there.

i seek some advice with the order in which to approach the work. Normally I would
focus on mechanicals first but given the lack of local expertise I intend to leave that until last when the vehicle is back in the UK. So my questions are which order would others do the other work:

Paint, soft top, interior
Soft top, paint, interior
???

I would also welcome some advice as to which pieces of exterior trim are original Jaguar and which are aftermarket or American dealer add-ons. Certainly I intend to remove the rear stop light mounted on the boot / trunk and the chrome wheel arches. I expect comments on the leader, rear spoiler and wheels although my initial thinking is to retain all of these. The trim concerns include:

The passenger door (car is LHD) has a narrow vertical chrome trim.
Both sides have black plastic and chrome trim between the wheels
Both sides have a decal the full length of the vehicle

i have discussed the leather interior with a couple of local shops who both advise to replace as the leather is heavily and deeply cracked and has previously been repaired and painted which is now cracking away.

the paint work has small marks on almost all panels. However the body appears solid with no signs of rust including around the chrome whee arches.

i appreciate all feedback and support.

 

Just a thought...not convinced that doing anything before looking into the mechanical issues is wise. I just had my '87 XJ-S taken down to bare metal and repainted (wasn't cheap) and I'm sure replacing all the leather won't be either. You may not want to go down that road only to find once your back in the UK that you might need more mechanical work than your budget will allow. Then again, if you have an unlimited budget, go for it -

What mechanical issues do you think it has?

Thanks,

John
1987 XJ-S V12

 

I have a car the exact same spec and colour. The rear spoiler and high mount brake light are factory. The US and Canadian market V12's got the boot lid spoiler and the high mount brake light was necessary to have it visible above the spoiler. For 1995 the brake light was incorporated into the spoiler. The coachline ( the double line gold tape just below the door handle) is also from the factory. The wheels are original as well.

I have the 1995 Accessories brochure and it lists a narrow and a wide protection strip, with only the narrow being illustrated. It looks similar to the lower strip fitted to your car, so it could be a factory approved accessory. I don't believe the vertical strip on the passengers door is factory, nor the wheel arch covers. The leaper on the bonnet certainly isn't, there should be a gold growler badge there.

I have had my leather replaced, I had new seat covers made by Pauls Jaguar in Florida and they matched the factory seats exactly. I had a local trimmer fit them for me. The seats originally would have had a leaping Jaguar logo embossed on the headrests, it's subtle but can be seen if you're looking for it. Pauls told me the replacements they made would not have that, but they did when they arrived, so I was pleased.

I don't think it makes any difference what order you do paint, soft top and interior. Do it as funds are available and parts/expertise to do the work. I noticed that the front bumper cover is cracked at the bottom, you'll want to replace that as part of paint. Jaguar Classic Parts has had bumpers remanufactured and they fit perfecty. Part #1 in the diagram: https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.../brand/jaguar/

Be aware that there are aftermarket bumper covers out there sold by at least one US based Jaguar parts supplier and they do not fit. I made that mistake and it was actually cheaper to buy it direct from Jaguar.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but the soft top appears dirty and creased, but not damaged. It might respond to a deep cleaning.