Shagged XJS - GOT THE MOVES LIKE JAGUAR. NOW with inept attempts to start after one year on its bum

[Taff]

A 4 litre XJ-S will have the AJ6 engine also found in the XJ40. This is virtually indestructible - it's one of the most durable engines fitted to anything and will shrug off a lack of servicing and abuse in a way the V12 will not. 

 

Incidentally, the AJ6 engine was subject to an in-depth article in Car magazine where it was described very favourably by LJK Setright as part of his technical assessment of the Jaguar XJ40 - a car Setright consistently admired, long after it had become unfashionable elsewhere. He was less kind about the Series Jaguars though. 

 

There isn't much that goes wrong with AJ6  - the engine nearly always will outlast the body of the car. Smoke at start up is a common fault - the valve guide seals leak and most will smoke slightly when started after a lay up now. It should clear quickly - really just a puff - and then not smoke at other times when you drive.

 

Oil pressure problems are virtually unknown on the AJ6 - the oil pressure sender is however quite a flaky little thing and can fail at will, reading low or bouncing about. Low oil pressure on the gauge is almost certainly the sender.

 

 

The automatic transmission is a ZF 4HP24 - not the last word in sophistication, but remarkably strong and trouble free in these Jags. Any jerkiness will nearly always be cured with a fluid and filter change.

The manual XJ-S used a Getrag 290. The clutch is slightly heavy on them as is the gear change - but they perform well and give little trouble. They are much less common than the automatic.

 

The face lifted XJS  (face lifted cars lost the hyphen) will have the AJ16 engine found in the Jaguar X300. This is a smoother engine than the AJ6 (which is itself a decently smooth thing) and slightly more powerful. It is basically the same engine though. Transmissions are identical. The significant mechanical change on face lifted cars is the switch to outboard rear disc brakes - rather than Series Jaguar-style inboard disc brakes ion the earlier cars. These are much easier to maintain.

 

The face lifted cars are less rust prone than the earlier cars (which can be shockingly rusty) - and generally regarded as better engineered. Whilst I recognise they are better, I don't like them as much as the earlier 4 litre. They are less attractive and seem to have lost some of the earlier car's swagger. Face lifted cars are capable of suffering serious rust - the problem was not solved in them - though they are less affected than the pre-facelift.

 

Any XJ-S rusts pretty badly - and they seem to have spaghetti electrics too. Most of my limited knowledge of the XJ-S is from reading owner's postings on them on the XJ40 site I am a member of (I am a long term '40 owner). There is quite a bit of love for the big Jag coupe there as you would expect - but also a consensus that the XJ-S is considerably more likely to rust than an XJ40 and its electrics are nothing like so reliable as the XJ40 either. Given this, check all the electircs work - and that the carpets are dry. Wet means rust!

 

I do love them though.

 

 

yet again, a wealth of knowledge on a motor posted up for no other reason than he wants to help.

 

Autoshite wins at internet  #FACT

[Guest Breadvan72]

XJS like a high class prozzie and cocaine night - never forget it but will bankrupt you

 

Sounds pretty much like Plan A.  

[Taff]

XJS like a high class prozzie and cocaine night - never forget it but will bankrupt you

 

 

Sounds pretty much like Plan A.  

 

 

go halfers with you?

[Guest Breadvan72]

Bagsy the end with teeth.

[Taff]

I'm okay with that

[eddyramrod]

XJS like a high class prozzie and cocaine night - never forget it but will bankrupt you

Do we really want to know how you're in a position to make that comparison?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

From my XJ-S days:

 

Rust everywhere - sills, rear arches and valances, front wings just above headlights and the bit directly over the wheel and where wing meets sill. Front damper mounts and towers. Front cross members are now a rust nightmare. Rear trailing arms from the floor back to the hub. They rot out along with the floor it bolts to. Bootlids, buttresses. The roof is okay though. Front floors right at the very front - Jaguar created a heel board by fitting a triangular section of FOAM in there. Results predictable.

 

The compartment under the scuttle grilles is where the wiper motor lives. The drain holes block, results predictable.

 

Electrics not bad really. AJ6 3.6 engine is a gem, near enough unbreakable. 4.0 occasional head gaskets. The 4HP22/24 auto box by ZF is alright but they do not like being revved in neutral/park or long spells of idling in N or P. 

 

Diffs leak oil from halfshaft seals,  a bastard to fix. Rear axle carrier mounts to body with four rubber V blocks. Jacking rear of body can result in axle dropping down, but cheap and simple to replace all four. Do it.

 

Look for the 3.6 Sport version - XJS's handle well but the Sport is really, really good, even now.

 

V12's were great but are just a liability now and drink way too much fuel. The 3.6 was a good car.

 

XJS's are not going up in value despite what owners/dealers say. Folks are scared of them and with good reason - they are a 19 mpg money pit. 

 

The XJS is in fact a foundry for melting tons of AF and Whitworth spanners, fuelled by copious amounts of 20 pound notes. But what a car.

 

 

P.S I had three or four, including a mint, low mileage 1976 V12 manual. Fuck yes.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My only experiences of XJ-S' is when they were new, I remember being so relieved that they'd kept the wafting suspension of the Series III even after they supposedly sportified them in about 87. The steering was improved to be more XJ40 like, which as anyone who has experienced a SIII or earlier S at or past the limit will know is a very good thing. The steering would literally become so heavy you couldn't turn it if you tried to correct a big slide.

But the ride was far better than any XJ40.

I love the vintage wipers that get confused and do a little dance before parking too, although I think th 4.0 facelift lost these.

The sixes always seemed as fast as a twelve but I've never driven a 6.0 or any form of R.

The S I'd like to find is one of the DB7 mules. Complete with blower and manual box, I spoke to the test driver of one in a petrol station one night in Newport Pagnell , he said it was faster than a Vantage at the time. It looked amazing with plastic pop riveted arches over what looked at the time the biggest wheels I'd ever seen ( probably only 18's)

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The S I'd like to find is one of the DB7 mules. Complete with blower and manual box, I spoke to the test driver of one in a petrol station one night in Newport Pagnell , he said it was faster than a Vantage at the time. It looked amazing with plastic pop riveted arches over what looked at the time the biggest wheels I'd ever seen ( probably only 18's)

 

 

I was at AM at Bloxham when they were just being chopped up. Literally dismembered and the remains taken to Smiths scrapyard for final destruction. None of these cars survived.

[drum]

My dad has a 6 litre V12. He likes it.

[LC Torana]

Now there ^ is one of life's winners, quietly content with having won.

[TagoraSX]

I'm on the lookout for an XJ-S too, a 3.6 manual.

 

Don't take the asking price as an indicator of condition, there are LOTS of sheds about, BEWARE!

[Guest Breadvan72]

I have just returned from a pleasant drive by RovaDaytona through the leafy lanes of Bucks, after checking out a slab of Jagshite.  For now, I am remaining schtum, but fans of railway catering and petrol station photography may wish to tune into this very channel at some point tomorrow early evening .

 

My dad had a very early manual one for a while in the 1990s, but his was well doggy by the time that he had it.

 

It had been a while since I'd looked at one of these or driven one, so last night I drove a friend's peachy 1992/3 4 litre convertible, registration number XJ5, for purposes of compare and contrast.  

 

Anyway, more tomorrow!

[Guest Breadvan72]

XJS like a high class prozzie and cocaine night - never forget it but will bankrupt you

 

 

You are Lord Sewel AICMFP.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Does anyone please know if the rear bumper changed at the 1990 facelift?  Would a bumper from a 1985 car be OK on a 1992 one?  I think that the bumper did change at the 1993 facelift.  Cheeharze.

[purplebargeken]

If anyone fancies a V12 XJS my mate has a very tidy one for sale. It's that lightish metallic blue and is auto flavour.

 

It does however need a head gasket on one bank I believe. 

 

Think he is looking around 500 or 600 quid for it. 

[xtriple]

I have promised myself that I will NEVER have another XJ-S! Having had loads of them and each time making the same promise   But, I still really like them and always thought they were underrated and mocked for being ugly - they seem to have grown into their looks now though. I love the V12 engine, it is soooooo smooth and turbine like and sort of powerful, but by God, they are so thirsty. When I had my first HE with dash 'puter I used to laugh every time I booted it and saw 1mpg on the display!

 

Unfortunately, the truth really wasn't much better

 

The straight six is a great engine and seems to me to do nearly everything that the V12 does without the thirst, but, the car deserves that V12! I'd love to try a 6.0 litre late facelift car - did they have a better autobox than the archaic BandW slusher?

 

I guess I was fortunate as most of mine were reasonably newish so major rust wasn't a problem but they all had rust at very young ages... which I found most depressing. The rear seats and under them are always wet 'cos Jaguar couldn't seal the rear screen and I had a lovely crop of mushrooms in the passenger footwell of my white pre HE after it had sat in the garage unused for a few weeks.

 

All the best with the purchase and I hope you enjoy it and it's a good'un... keep it nice and I'll buy it off you when you tire of it!   Incidentally, have you won the pools what with all these new cars?

[Guest Breadvan72]

I have just pulled my finger out and done some work for a change.  Anyway, all these new cars are relatively cheap, except for the SD1, and even that is cheap by Planet Modern Dickhead or lah di dah classique standards.  Ok, they are not 500 quid Autoshite cheap, but they aren't Ferraris.

 

I am unwisely paying a stupidly low amount for what may be a stupidly bad XJS, but might possibly be an OK one, with some issues (yeah right).  It has the later 4 speed autobox with a sports mode.   MOAR deetze tomorrer.

 

Crikey, I am now buying classic cars that I could possibly have bought new, at least in theory (not that I would have wanted an XJS in May 1992 when I was still 29).  

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Fantasy XJ-S ownership

Real XJS owner

[Guest Breadvan72]

One to snog, one to punch, but me, I'm not fussy which, me.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

There are two face lifts (well three if you count the original HE back in the early '80s) - or at least the facelift was done in two stages.

 

The initial facelifted cars received new rear lights and side windows, but retained the separate chrome and rubber bumpers - then a couple of years later, the car was facelifted again, receiving plastic body coloured bumpers similar to the ones used on the X300 - people call these 'full facelift' cars.

 

I'm not certain when exactly these came out - but the VIN point  from looking on the Jaguar Classic parts website appears to be VIN 179737 for the first half-facelift with rubber bumpers and VIN 188105 for the full facelift cars with plastic body coloured bumper covers..

 

It looks to me from the Jaguar Classic Parts website that the earlier facelifted cars with separate bumpers may use the same bumpers as the earlier pre-face lift cars. The full facelift cars used a completely different plastic covered bumper of course.

 

Earlier rear bumper: http://www.jaguarclassicparts.com/uk/jaguar-xjs-v139052-v179736-parts/exterior-fittings-and-sunroof/rear-bumpers/bumper-rear

 

Half-facelift rear bumper http://www.jaguarclassicparts.com/uk/jaguar-xjs-v179737-v226645-parts/exterior-fittings-and-sunroof/rear-bumpers/bumper-rear-non-energy-absorbing

 

Full facelift rear bumper: http://www.jaguarclassicparts.com/uk/jaguar-xjs-v179737-v226645-parts/exterior-fittings-and-sunroof/rear-bumpers/bumper-rear

 

To know for certain, I would telephone or email Jaguar Classic Parts and ask them. They are incredibly helpful and have gone to a lot of trouble to find obscure parts for me and answer the many questions I have asked them over the years - whether they still stock the part for the car or not. JCP really try to help owners of older Jaguars.

 

https://www.jaguarclassicparts.com/uk/contact

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I have promised myself that I will NEVER have another XJ-S! Having had loads of them and each time making the same promise   But, I still really like them and always thought they were underrated and mocked for being ugly - they seem to have grown into their looks now though. I love the V12 engine, it is soooooo smooth and turbine like and sort of powerful, but by God, they are so thirsty. When I had my first HE with dash 'puter I used to laugh every time I booted it and saw 1mpg on the display!

 

Unfortunately, the truth really wasn't much better

 

The straight six is a great engine and seems to me to do nearly everything that the V12 does without the thirst, but, the car deserves that V12! I'd love to try a 6.0 litre late facelift car - did they have a better autobox than the archaic BandW slusher?

 

I guess I was fortunate as most of mine were reasonably newish so major rust wasn't a problem but they all had rust at very young ages... which I found most depressing. The rear seats and under them are always wet 'cos Jaguar couldn't seal the rear screen and I had a lovely crop of mushrooms in the passenger footwell of my white pre HE after it had sat in the garage unused for a few weeks.

 

All the best with the purchase and I hope you enjoy it and it's a good'un... keep it nice and I'll buy it off you when you tire of it!   Incidentally, have you won the pools what with all these new cars?

 

 

The six litre V12 used a 4 speed GM4L80E automatic transmission.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Ta re the bumpers; this one is a half facelift from May 1992.

[the judge]

Sounds ace BV. Cannot wait.

 

How many shiters have been on ebay looking for a cheap one since the xjs got mentioned?

[RichardK]

If anyone fancies a V12 XJS my mate has a very tidy one for sale. It's that lightish metallic blue and is auto flavour.

 

It does however need a head gasket on one bank I believe. 

 

Think he is looking around 500 or 600 quid for it. 

 

I am seriously tempted. HALP. (Also light metallic blue is my Bad Luck colour).

[Guest Breadvan72]

I'm on the lookout for an XJ-S too, a 3.6 manual.

 

Don't take the asking price as an indicator of condition, there are LOTS of sheds about, BEWARE!

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C641304

 

Advert not written by Don Draper.  Maybe take extra big tyre kicking boots.

[barefoot]

... in May 1992 when I was still 29).  

 

Bizarre, I was 29 in 92 too, I wonder if we're still the same age.

[Junkman]

I was 28 in 92, I wonder whether you guys are still a year older than me.

[TagoraSX]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C641304

 

Advert not written by Don Draper.  Maybe take extra big tyre kicking boots.

 

Mine must be 1986 or earlier.

[vulgalour]

I was 11 in 1992.  E-freaking-leven.