Jag XJS: I know it's a bit wrong but...

[JoePublic]

I really like the look of the XJS coupe. I watched one wafting down the local high street this morning and even though it had clearly seen better days it had the classic GT thing down to a tee.

Don't think I'd ever actually do it, but for a second the idea of buying one popped into my head and it got me wondering: can they actually be made to go and handle well on a sensible budget? How expensive are they to actually maintain?

I'm sure I'd be sorely dissapointed, but with a healthy dose of optimism a manual V12 XJS seems like rather a good basis for a poor man's DB9 (I hasten to add I don't mean that in a negative way!)

[RicksAlfas]

JoePublic said:

a manual V12 XJS

Could be tricky. I think there were some very very early four speeders and after that I'm not sure if they ever did them other than Lister specials and the like.

Anyway, International Men of Mystery would go with auto I reckon - less chance of cuban heel/flared trouser/clutch pedal mix-up.

[The Wookie]

I honestly don't understand the appeal, yes it's got flying buttresses and bits of wood on the dash but I think it's uglier than a mental image of an encounter with vanessa feltz

[monthefish]

They're great cars (first car I ever drove on the road (age 16 )).

Top Gear did a feature a while back, and they made the point that, when it first came out it wasn't that popular as it was supposed to be the replacement for the e-type, when it really wasn't. Now it's being judged on its on merits, it's becoming a classic.

Probably the potential to be a money pit if you buy a pup, but then so would any other car of that type (i.e. big engine, luxury car, originally costing ££££££)

I would have thought a DB7 would be the poor mans DB9?

[Garlick]

One day I will own a late XJS coupe, maybe even a cabriolet.

A must own for me, preferably like this one

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1319538.htm

or this

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1259442.htm

[Dr Rabbitsfoot]

I know what you mean about XJ-S's, I have always liked them but for a while now I've been thinking of getting one before they all disappear. Have been checking out ebay and there are still plenty of ok ones about.
I think the very early V12's could be had with a manual shift but after the first couple of years they were all automatics, the smaller straight six engines could be had with a four speed.

[900T-R]

What would you consider a 'sensible' budget?

I'm not sure you'd want one of the few very early four-speed XJS' built as a basis even if you found one, so a conversion would be the way forward.

Richard Beaty (wdrv12 on here) is your man. He probably forgot more about these cars than most others will ever know and built the original Lister XJS models with his father at Forward Engineering (in fact, he can and is allowed to build 'brand new' Mk1 Listers should you like one).

[threesixty]

I love them. The one I owned was a complete nightmare though, but for those few glorious moments when it was running on a sunny day with the windows open and the v12 ah!

I think old jags are extremely hit and miss though.

We brought an xj6 4.0 for a banger rally from ebay for absolute peanuts. We drove it flat out for nearly 4000miles round europe in 30 degree heat and it never ever missed a beat, every single electrical item in it functioned perfectly, Didn't even over heat on the stelvio.

[Waynester]

Lovely cars - always liked the look of them... low, squat, wide, with an air of sophistication...lol


I remember being squashed in the back seat of an XJ-S 3.6 back in '88... travelling at 150+ leps!! How accurate that actually was.. no idea, but the white lines were shooting past rather rapidly!!

[Dr Rabbitsfoot]

900T-R said:

What would you consider a 'sensible' budget?

Probably around £1500-£2000, can't go any more than this and not after a concours condition but more a good used one, Must be a V12, auto suits me fine, should be able to get a mid to late eighties model I'd have thought.

[ExPat2B]

I do like the shape of these, they are just so low and curvy compared to most modern stuff.

However, when I looked at buying them a few years ago, there seemed to be a discerbale split between the cars, either 4-5 k cars with too many miles and needing thousands spending to get them back to any kind of acceptable everyday spec, or 8-20k low mileage pampered cars that seemed very overpriced for the experience on offer.

I just couldn't quite bring myself to part with the cash........

[900T-R]

No I mean, what would the OP consider a sensible budget to make one go and handle the way he likes to (which includes a conversion to manual)? TBH depending on how much you're willing to take on yourself you'll be nearing five figure territory pretty quickly of done properly.

[ExPat2B]

For a max of 2k I wouldn't go near it with a bargepole, unless I was recently divorced, with a lot of cash, huge mechanical aptitude and a fully equipped garage.

Just the suspension alone on a 2k car will need 4 k of work unless you do it all yourself. The Rear IRS on the earlier cars had inboard discs and are a complete nightmare to service and will also need all the rubbers replaced as they will have perished.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_independent_re...

[slippery]

Nothing 'wrong' about liking an XJS in my opinion. I had an 88 3.6 manual lots of years ago, not bad to drive but the manual box didn't really suit the car IMHO, as it's more of a wafter. A drive in my friend's 5.3 V12 auto confirmed this and a clean 6.0 V12 facelift, coupe or convertible would certainly find a place in my bargain barge, modern classics, fantasy garage! In fact, although an XK8 for similar money would probably be dynamically superior in every way, I think it would be the XJS that would get my money and attract more affection from passers by, particularly those 'In the know'.

[stedale]

Dr Rabbitsfoot said:

900T-R said:

What would you consider a 'sensible' budget?

Probably around £1500-£2000, can't go any more than this and not after a concours condition but more a good used one, Must be a V12, auto suits me fine, should be able to get a mid to late eighties model I'd have thought.

I've always toyed with the idea of one in that budget but surely it'd be a world of pain. My conclusion is that the old maxim stands "buy the best you can afford".

[JoePublic]

900T-R said:

No I mean, what would the OP consider a sensible budget to make one go and handle the way he likes to (which includes a conversion to manual)? TBH depending on how much you're willing to take on yourself you'll be nearing five figure territory pretty quickly of done properly.

It was largely hypotethetical, so I didn't really have one. Say, £10k max for the car and the conversion?

I seem to remember seeing one of the tweaked XJSs (a Lister or a Lynx) for less than I expected a while back. Possibly a bit of a dog, but it wasn't the megabucks I'd anticipated.

On a completely random note, I found some old Top Gear on Youtube with young Master Clarkson driving an XJS V12. His intro (while they're covering the 968) lists a number of things they'll wave goodbye to at the end of the '80s. Some, like Filofaxes, he may have had a point on. Others, like the mobile telephone might have been a bit further from the mark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciaPQ4EJ-E

Edited by JoePublic on Wednesday 28th October 11:19

[shouldbworking]

An xjs, cheap or expensive will cost a fortune to run.

That said, I drove a v12 with a manual conversion once. Good lord that was fun.. unfortunately as the presentation was shabby i didnt buy it, went on to buy one that looked nice but was nowhere near as good to drive, and broke frequently.

[jas xjr]

i had an early xjs it used to burn more oil than petrol , but it did drive really well and that magic carpet ride is something else

[andye30m3]

My mum had a 89 3.6 manual which I used to use on a regular basis every time mine renault 5 GT turbo used to blow up.

I liked the look of it and the interior was a nice place to be on a long journey but was alway disappointed by the way it drove, It always felt very soft on the back lanes on the way to work but I guess thats just the way they are, not really supposed to be sporty.

A friend of my mums had a very rare V12 manual of a similar age, Bought it new from Jaguar and I have a feeling it demanded a very large premium as a special order hence I doubt many were built.

[900T-R]

We had a very late XJS Convertible with one of Richard's finest under the bonnet (although at 425 bhp, it's more near the starting point for his sort of conversion ) for my Open Day here a few weeks ago - now that was fun.