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Which XJS should I buy? V12 or 4.0, auto or manual, early 80s vs 90s.

5K views 33 replies 9 participants last post by  NM_OLDER 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I am seriously considering buying an XJS for the express purpose of doing some long tours. I think the XJS represent a real bargain and is basically designed for my intended usage - that and it looks ace!

My budget is reasonably limited - under £10k, ideally closer to 6 to 8 - and my intention would be to buy it do some touring on the continent and then decide afterwards whether or not I want to keep it (I don't need 2 cars the rest of the time, my other is a van that I do need).

What I'd like to know from those who have experience driving and owning these cars whether they have a strong preference between the V12 automatic and 4.0 manual?

On one hand I love driving manual cars, I love the connection between driver and the machine (never owned an auto). On the other hand, I've never driven a car with more than 6 (possibly even 4) cylinder and I do feel like this might be a great opportunity to get that box ticked before things like v8 and v12s become like unicorns.

If I had to pick right now I'd probably go with the V12... but maybe there is something I don't know. Is the V12 auto going to be more expensive to maintain and own?

Finally, these cars had a Llong production run - should I be considering a newer or an older one? I like the idea of getting one that'll be soon in the tax-free bracket, that'd probably convince me keep it after my touring is over. My gut tells me I should either get a 90s 4.0 or an early 80s V12. Is age important or should be focusing on milage and rust?

Two final last quick questions, do all version have AC that I can get regassed today and am I able to update the in-car radio?

I'd appreciate any insight you might have, obviously before purchasing I'll try and test as many setups as possible, thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
That is always a complicated question.
After I got my first Jaguar I became a Jaguar mechanic for a few years.
That got me lots of intimate relationships with many different XJS.
My personal feeling is any XJS prior to 1992 is liable to fatal rust.
They also have a tendency to have unstoppable oil, coolant leakage.
After those years the steering improved as well as overall reliability.
I also like the front and rear bumper design as well as the EURO headlights.
When my V12 was working the ride was epic, but the 4.0 straight six are less complicated.
Long story short...buy hat you like....but don't expect it to be affordable.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply.

What happened in 1992 that meant that rust was less of an issue?

but don't expect it to be affordable
Can you expand on that a little, don't get me wrong I didn't expect any aspect of it to be cheap - but can you give me an example of something that'd be cheap in a different car that'd be expensive in this one? (other than fuel consumption!)
 
#4 ·
Fords took over Jaguar sorted the Engine out somewhat and I think they dipped the body to help with corrosion issues. So go for as late a model as you Can most likely the 4.0l but Auto .Generally speaking as each year goes by the survivor cars are the better ones that are left and now the youngest is 25 years old. If you can get a 95/96 celebration model its about as good as you can get.
 
#5 ·
Hmmmm thats interesting re. Ford. If I got the 4.0 I'd definitely have to get the manual.

My current thoughts are to buy a 80s V12, do the tours, and then flog it before the costs of classic car ownership catch up with me. I can accept what ever I lose in depreciation (mostly likely caused by it having a shorter MOT by the time I come to sell it) as a cost of an otherwise cheap holiday.

If I really dig the car whilst owning it, I'd probably then get a 3.6 or 4.0 90s manual having had my V12 fun.

Does that sound reasonable? Or is a 6-10k 80s car with approx 100k on the clock unlikely to make it through a few thousand miles tour without costly life support? (obviously there is always some risk - that a small part of the fun).

Also it seems that rust is the biggest issue, right? If the cars I view don't have any obvious sign of rust; is there really an issue? It'll never be a daily diver.

Thanks as always :)
 
#6 ·
These cars don't lend themselves to that.
Mechanical failures can be abrupt...no warning and you'll be looking at thousands in repairs.
Does an MOT need to be current before you buy it, or do you need an MOT inspection after you buy?
In California you can't sell a car unless it's SMOG certificate is under 6 months old.
 
#7 ·
In the UK you can buy and sell cars with or without an MOT; the MOT follows the car not the driver (like emission excise aka "Road Tax"). You must get a new MOT every 12 months.

Of course, if you buy one without an MOT you can't drive it on the road - unless your own the way to the MOT test centre.

In the UK a lot of people buying older cars will prefer to get a car with a long MOT because it means you'll get at least 12months out it - legally at least. If you buy a car without an MOT it may well fail the MOT and require £££ of work before you get to drive a single mile on the road.

I might be wrong here, but I also believe that the MOT system in the UK changes the risk of buying used cars a little because you know that they've always had at least a minimum amount of servicing. Whereas in the US I think there is more of a culture of driving a car until it breaks and then forking out for the repairs - not sure that holds for higher end cars though. Happy to be corrected on that though; but the last time I was in the USA (Texas and Tennessee) I saw some cars on the road that would never pass an MOT!
 
#33 ·
In the UK you can buy and sell cars with or without an MOT; the MOT follows the car not the driver (like emission excise aka "Road Tax"). You must get a new MOT every 12 months.

Of course, if you buy one without an MOT you can't drive it on the road - unless your own the way to the MOT test centre.

In the UK a lot of people buying older cars will prefer to get a car with a long MOT because it means you'll get at least 12months out it - legally at least. If you buy a car without an MOT it may well fail the MOT and require £££ of work before you get to drive a single mile on the road.

I might be wrong here, but I also believe that the MOT system in the UK changes the risk of buying used cars a little because you know that they've always had at least a minimum amount of servicing. Whereas in the US I think there is more of a culture of driving a car until it breaks and then forking out for the repairs - not sure that holds for higher end cars though. Happy to be corrected on that though; but the last time I was in the USA (Texas and Tennessee) I saw some cars on the road that would never pass an MOT!
If I'm not mistaken you can drive to the MOT station without a valid MOT as long as you can prove that's where your going.
 
#9 ·
Fantastic. I love those sorts of laws.

In the UK if you have a van (is that what you call them - like a Ford Transit), you can legally install any sort of seating arrangement you like in the back of the van up until you install seat belts - at which point they have to meet allsorts of safety requirements.

So I can have 10 people in the back sat on bean bags - A-okay!

But if I have one person in the back with an out-of-spec single point seatbelt - No way!
 
#11 ·
That'd be a GREAT example of the sort of car that I'd want after having done the trip. I am going to seriously consider it I am pretty handy, but a little time crunched.

I didn't know if posting links to sales was cool in this forum, but I'll follow your lead.

What are you thoughts on this? This is an 80s v12.


The thing I like the most is that it's 1 or 2 years from being tax free.
 
#14 ·
A good few years ago I was in the fortunate position of having access to relatively substantial sums to buy myself a little pressie. So because I'm daft about cars I whittled down the list to an XJS v12 auto, a 911 manual cabriolet and an XJS 4.0 cabriolet.

The v12 was honestly crap ! No power, loads of wind noise, gulped fuel, build quality poor - rejected because it gave me no pleasure at all.

Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera wide body convertible - brilliant car, best I've ever driven. Built by engineers not accountants. Great on fuel.

Jaguar XJS-C 4.0 man box - really nice. Would make a wonderful GT long distance car. Great drivers car. Good on fuel.

I bought the 911 but nowadays I would buy an XJ-C 4.0 - lovely car.

Cheers and hope that helps

Dave
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the input, genuinely an interesting take.

Although thats kind of the opposite of a lot of the experience I've read online - but I guess thats the point; when cars get old there are so many factors that determine how well a car drives. How shagged out the gear box is - for example.

I think I am going to have to come up with a short list and go and test drive them all.


Expanding on my previous point; I've done some more research and its not just the road tax that I'll be exempt from once the car hits 40 but also the MOT altogether.
 
#17 ·
having had a 3.6 a very late 4.0 a 5.3 and a 6.0l XJS I would the V12 is a must for any Jag enthusiast just to say you owned one where the 4.0l is the sensible choice. The V12 is a long legged cruising machine not a GT Car. I doubt anyone buys a Jaguar XJS of any description and worries about the MPG they are genuinely a wonderful throw back to 70 technology by enlarge and a "toy" for most people
 
#19 ·
V12 is a must for any Jag enthusiast just to say you owned one where the 4.0l is the sensible choice
Whilst this might offend your sensibilities I would most definitely not consider myself an "enthusiast". I just love the style of this car and I think this would be a great car roading tripping around the continent (if it can stay in one piece).

Right now I am flip flopping between new and old, but it's not the engine thats swaying me, its the fact that that one is going to be MOT and Tax free; that means I can just insure it for a roadtrip. Then no worry about it for the rest of the year without having it burning a hole in my pocket if I am not using it. But then again as another user has pointed out - how much extra is it going to cost to maintain the older car.

having had a 3.6 a very late 4.0 a 5.3 and a 6.0l XJS I would the V12 is a must for any Jag enthusiast just to say you owned one where the 4.0l is the sensible choice. The V12 is a long legged cruising machine not a GT Car. I doubt anyone buys a Jaguar XJS of any description and worries about the MPG they are genuinely a wonderful throw back to 70 technology by enlarge and a "toy" for most people
Haha I might be the exception then. In now way do I expect either it to be cheap or efficient. But if you are using your GT car for Grand Touring the difference between 10 and 20mpg is pretty huge.
 
#22 ·
Forget about fuel consumption get the twelve. You'll be lucky if you do a couple of thousand miles a year on a classic car policy. But hey you'll love every second.
I have a 6.0lt V12 the best of the bunch with a superb electronic GM 4L80E gearbox. That gives you the best of everything. Four gears, overdrive on top and here's the nub the torque convertor locks up in third and fourth so jsut like a manual straight through.
I've had it for over ten years and it goes like a train with the governors removed because when I drive I use the endless power if I need it. The other thing is, V12 of any sort is a very special engine. Think Mclaren, Lamborghini, Ferarri, did they fit straight sixes? Would we have won the war if the Spitfire and Hurricane had been straight sixes? My late father used to say you only live once and then you are dead a very long time. V12 or as Daimler owners say Double Six.
Never an easy time to buy a luxury car but the prices are going through the roof. Look on it as an investment that is a joy to own and will beat anything the banks are offering.
I've always serviced and repaired my own car. The wallet thief if you need to get it repaired at a garage, plus they never do as good a job as you would yourself. XJS was the longest production run of any Jaguar todate. Not a bad car to work on just lots of it. Space creation is the secret. Key hole mechanicing just gets loads of bark off your knuckles.
 
#23 ·
The other thing is, V12 of any sort is a very special engine. Think Mclaren, Lamborghini, Ferarri, did they fit straight sixes? Would we have won the war if the Spitfire and Hurricane had been straight sixes? My late father used to say you only live once and then you are dead a very long time. V12 or as Daimler owners say Double Six.
Damnit. I was so close to settling on the 4.0. ffs. I was hoping to suppress the v12 urge. The manual thing is still an issue. I am not buying an auto is like manual if it doesn't have a clutch! Nothing beat the feeling of dumping the clutch, that's more fun than stamping on the accelerator.

I am just going to have to try both.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Rang the seller of the V12.

Turns out there is a bit of a fault with it. Apparently it starts (with some effort) and then it runs but cuts out shortly after.

Any idea as to what that might be? Is it indicative that engine is shagged out or that some relatively minor (sounds electrical to me) component needs replacing or just cleaning out; such as the fuel pump or return pipe.
 
#25 ·
#27 ·
Ok, an update. I bought an XJS.

I went for the sensible route and get a 3.6 Manual. I figure the slant 6 is a better starting point, however appealing the v12 is, and I really do like driving manuals.

Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Hood


It definitely needs some work. Namely the Sills and the wheel arch trim.

Engine feels okay, possibly down on power... but then again the throttle cable was slack as anything and there was a section of the throttle response that was ermm... none responsive because it's taking up the slack. So I doubt that I was even able to open it up all the way anything. Looks like a very easy fix.

There is a lot of dubious paint work where body repairs have been carried out in the past; but quite frankly that's probably a good thing as it's my first classic car let alone XJS. I don't have to worry about keeping it in show room condition.

The only other thing that definitely needs attention is the brakes. You really have to give it a good press to start scrubbing speed and then there is a juddering from the rear. I suspect I'll be in a better place to sort that out after a bleed, pad inspection, suspension bushing inspection.

So here is the start of a journey.

My only question is gearing. Does this car have extremely tall gears? It seems to me to be the best way to drive this thing on a fast road was to use 4th to get up to my cruising speed (lets call it 70) and only then shift into 5th. Very different to my other diesel which I'd dump into 5th at 50 and leave it there!
 
#28 ·
I expect I would have also chosen a 6 cyl. manual :)

You will probably need discs and pads all round and some new brake fluid. The rears sound like they are no longer servicable. It is a big car with small discs - look for high friction pads (FF or GG labelled) to reduce pedal pressure as far as you can.

Naturally aspirated petrol engines need some revs to give their best very unlike a modern turbo diesels or even turbo petrols. If gearing is high, then it gets worse still :)
 
#29 ·
I expect I would have also chosen a 6 cyl. manual :)
It's already a massive "Heart" purchase, I figured it might make a little sense to let my "Head" have just a little say on it. If I got the V12 I'd of ended up either selling it on or doing the gear box conversion - which realistically I am not prepared to get into.

You will probably need discs and pads all round and some new brake fluid. The rears sound like they are no longer servicable. It is a big car with small discs - look for high friction pads (FF or GG labelled) to reduce pedal pressure as far as you can.
Yep, I assumed it'd be the pads and fluid at a minimum. Are high friction pads much of a muchness or are there specific manufacturers you'd recommend.

And yeah, I am fine with having to rev it, just a case of getting the knack. I just want to know what is the difference in engine types rather than an issues that needs correcting. Is it right that you don't really feel the engine "pull" till it hits 3k?

Going off the attached graph that is to be expected
 

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#32 ·
I do get the V12 but for me I've stuck with the straight 6 variant over the last 24 years, being a 1990 3.6, 1992 4.0 and for the last 14 years, 1994 4.0 AJ16. This car has taken us everywhere UK and mainland Europe without fault (regular maintenance essential).
 
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