Fancy a Jag...advice needed!

[CreepingJesus]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120625565382&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Spotted this on Fleabay, and quite fancy it. Maybe it's the thought of the impending bills for the Mondeo, maybe it's just itchy feet. I dunno. Either way, I'm no expert on Jags; so could you tell me what to look out for, and what a sensible price might be?

[whitevanman]

I've had two XJ6's, loved the looks but bloody uncomfortable for me ( 6' 2" and a fat bastard)basic but akward to work on= Money pits...but almost the ulimate Shite Luxobarge, especially in Landlard Red

[Rocket88]

Christ, where do I start..................They rot everywhere,in a seemingly ad hoc fashion. Door handles break with boring regularity, electrical silliness is virtually guaranteed, mechanically, they seem pretty tough. On the plus side, there's thousands in scrappies, so bits are cheap, and they're dirt cheap to buy. A thousand of your earth pounds should but you a really good one.On no account, buy one that "needs a bit of tlc".

[Cavcraft]

Lovely to drive, I'm 6ft 4 and my old XJ6 was the most comfortable car I've ever owned. Leather and autobox are the winners imho, you'll waft along feeling like a weekend millionare!

The 2.9 wasn't the greatest engine (and a few Jag specialists told me this) and if the XJ40 has the same inboard disc arrangement as the 6s did check the boot floor for welding, as the common (and lazy) way of replacing them was to cut a hole in the floor then weld back up. 4.0 was engine to have in these but it doesn't neccessarily mean this will be a shitter. I bet if you go for a blast in it you'll be hooked, they're brilliant to drive.

 

Anyhow have a word with Pete M, he has the later (X300 I think) model and loves it plus he knows what he's on about.

[barrett]

My friend got one for £200, spent another £400 getting it up to scratch, and amazingly had no trouble out of it at all. I get the feeling there is a large degree of luck involved in getting a good one!

[whitevanman]

I don't know if it makes any difference but my two were 1971 and 1973 models both with 4.2's

[Cavcraft]

Series ones by the sound of it WVM. High on my list of 'must own one day' I think they (S1) were the best looking of the lot. One in pale blue or white would be perfect.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

£304 for a a 2.9 Auto and reserve not met? Greedy bastards.

 

That is the absolute Syphilis of the Jag world. Single cam 2.9 and auto wouldn't pull your forsekin back, shit on fuel plus the obvious one - XJ40's rust like a bastard, but an XJ40 that's spent it's whole 21 year life in Scotland. I bet that's as rotten as a pear underneath with the chrome arches clinging to the fucked arches with Tiger seal. These are also an electrical storm on wheels and diffs go tits up for fun.

 

£350 but not a bean more. You want a 3.6 Sovereign (big oblong headlights and all the goodies), not a Council spec 2.9 with chrome arches.

[whitevanman]

Series ones by the sound of it WVM. High on my list of 'must own one day' I think they (S1) were the best looking of the lot. One in pale blue or white would be perfect.

 

 

one white one mettalic dark Grey both S1's

[AnthonyG]

Get the Mondeo fixed!

 

Seriously, I think Rev BJ words of wisdom probably hold true here. An XJ40 is the sort of car you really want to have a look at several to get a feel for them and then get the best available in your price range, not buy on the spur of the moment.

 

That one in the Ebay looks a bit dodgy to me, maybe its the chrome arches and the bollocks about the 'wooden' dash. The electrics on these were crap when new - the fault codes mentioned in the ad don't inspire confidence.

 

Obviously, they do drink a LOT of petrol, far more than a 2 litre Mondy could ever want.

 

But as Cavette says, Pete M (and China Tom) are those with a bit of knowledge on these.

[Timewaster]

RUN AWAY!!!

 

I love old Jags, but wouldn't rehome that one if it were free!

 

I used to lift share with a guy that had an F reg 2.9 Sovereign. The daily maladies of the electrics were a constant source of amusement , it only took a few days before the owner stopped looking for the faults as most of them either didn't exist, were transient or unfixable.

I didn't think it was particularly slow and it was comfy and wafty BUT...

 

As mentioned by Rev. BJ, broken door handles, failed locks, rust everywhere, also tiny boot for the size of car, oil leaks, damp interior, massive thirst, very expensive tyres, clonking transmission etc. etc. etc.

 

I'm told that post 1990 ones are better built and X300s are much better bet, and not that much more money.

[lancashireclamper]

Loved Jags from being about 6 years old, almost bought one in 1990 (I was 18 at the time car was a 1976 series 2 3.4 auto but common sense prevailed) Finally lived the dream in 2005 with a G reg 2.9 manual in light blue, thought it would be an affordable way of taming the leaping cat, kept it 2 months, EVERYTHING went wrong, despite its full MOT the waterpump leaked, almost impossible to get at, power steering sprang a leak, diff whined it was an absolute dog, and above all when it was running it was as slow as fuck and hard work to drive avearaging 19mpg, very nearly put me off Jags altogether untill 2007 when a 4.0 Soveriegn (K171 PDN) caught my eye on the bay, dark red with cream leather, seller had no feedback, crap description, auction had 3 minutes to run so I lobbed in a bid of £400 thinking somenoe would snipe in at the last minute; they didn't and it dawned on me I'd bought it.

Went off to collect a few days later with a heavy heart, turned out the owner was a doctor and had spent a ruddy fortune on the car, he casually waved almost 3 grands worth of bills at me and said, "these are no good to you are they" and threw me the keys for a test drive while he put the kettle on, that car was unbelieveable, smooth, fast and more economical than the 2.9 ever was, I left him glowing feedback and felt like a 6 year old again, had 8 trouble free months of driving, loved every mile and sold it for a (very) small profit.

Suppose what I'm saying (or repeating) is that a good one with a big engine is like nothing on earth, a neglected one would make Harry Krishna suicidal, gamble a few hundred on a 3.6 or 4.0 and feel like a real geezer!

[meggersdog]

Have to agree with what's already been said.Don't buy an early one.The later cars have sorted most of the electrical maladies,the 3.2 is a twin cam and almost on par with the 4.0 litre and most importantly they had ditched metric tyres by then.They all rot in the most unusual places and check the diff for leaks as these go bang whenever they feel like it.The X300 is now in the sub £1000 bracket and infact two weeks ago I sold a supercharged X300 for £1200,rusty wings though but very impressive.

[warren t claim]

Get used to describing it as a Jaguar XJ6, Automatic, petrol, rear wheel drive.

 

This makes it easier for the recovery company to send the right breakdown truck.

[Nervy Si]

I had a 1994 3.2 XJ40, got a 1996 3.2 X300 now. It's easy to be seduced by the XJ40, such a nice drive and to quote an old fella who was admiring mine, 'you look the business behind the wheel'. Unfortunately the real 'business' has to be done with an angle grinder and welding outfit. Electrics were iffy in the early years too.

 

That 1989 jobbie has the earlier comedy LCD dash, known for its paranoia. General panel rust was also far from sorted then, and doors, arches, boots, bonnets and sills all rotted. As above, 2.9 not the best engine. In 1990-ish they became much more rot-resistant and electrics were improved, many '40 fans consider the 90 and 91 models the best bet. In 1992 the engine bay was modified to accommodate the V12 engine, resulting in shocking inner-wing and bulkhead rust. That's why I got rid of mine. Endlessley damp carpets and a major welding bill on the horizon. Mind you, it never let me down. Did 28mpg on runs.

 

3.2 24v engine was lovely, though it was not a fast car by any means. Stuff like bumper brackets and headlamp reflectors were all rusted to buggery. Mine was a 'Sport', what sport they had in mind I couldn't guess.

 

The X300 is an improvement in most respects apart from character. It has never let me down and is easy to live with, but I wouldn't miss it that much if it was gone tomorrow, whereas I still miss the '40.

[Pete-M]

I've just done 2200 trouble free* miles in seven days across Europe in a 150,000 mile, '94 XJR.

 

If you want a Jag, buy one but be aware that it's never going to be cheap to keep one right. The X300s seem to be the best of the bunch for bargain hunters. The six pot is reliable and the rest of it is just a well sorted, prettier XJ40.

 

Bits aren't mentally expensive either. An oil filter is £8.50 retail from Jaguar themselves. Petrol cap** is £12.50ish and they're decent quality bits. They're not huge pigs to work on, and the X300 has outboard rear discs. Find one that has had all the bushes and bearings replaced by a fussy previous owner and it'll be nice to drive.

 

I only averaged 23 mpg from the XJR, but I'd expect closer to 28 from a 3.2 or 4.0.

 

I was recently offered an immaculate, V plate, fsh, 2 owner, 70k mile XJ8 3.2 for £1200. If I didn't have the XJR, I'd have bought it. That was through the trade, and as a favour, but they are out there for the brave to have a chance at.

 

Don't bother with XJ40s unless you really want a certain exact one. A LWB V12 one or a beige Arthur Daily spec job. X300s are a lot better, stuff actually works properly on them - I was amused when the radio told me to clean the aerial yesterday, and the X300 doesn't have the insane self levelling wallet nightmare that some XJ40s had.

 

* It needed the exhaust fixing and a fuse replacing, twice.

** Mine is now in Belgium.

[warren t claim]

In all fairness I've owned a few Jags and I've never really had any of them log enough to give me any trouble.

 

the V12s are fun but not as quick as you'd imagine.

 

The 2.9 unit is a mixed bag, I had a good 'un that was happy to do an indicated 125mph. Usual paranoid dashboard readouts.

 

A 3.4 series 2 auto in White(snake) was a fun thing to own when I was 19. I even bought it in preferance to a rotten but legal RS1800 mk2 Scrote I was offered at the same time for the same money (£350).

[lancashireclamper]

Warren,

Please tell me the series 2 3.4 XJ6 you had was not an R reg with a blueish vinyl roof and wind up windows.

If it was I don't suppose its the one I nearly bought, that would be too wierd, and downright annoying as I very nearly parted with £500 for it, back when 500 was a lot of cash etc etc

How did you go on for insurance with it? at the time I tried 8 brokers, only one would quote and 3rd party only was £897.32,

I always blame Ian Ogilvy in return of the saint for my fixation with Jags, especially white ones;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPdcOWRIxA

[CreepingJesus]

Okay, thanks all; I see which way the wind's blowing here - straight towards Cowdenbeath Racewall. On a banger night. Or maybe in a kit/hot rod donor car direction. (I've thought about that too - how much of one of these I could utilise to create a practical Autoshite Special 34 B 'rod...but that's a whole other topic)

The maintenance issues were the big one for me. I'm handy enough with the spanners, but I've no garage, nor even a drive to work on cars. Which means more work goes the way of my local workshop, 'cos half the time it's not even safe to be working round a car out there!

I've long fancied a Jag, but they're one of the few things I've had no experience of in my stop-start garage trade career. In balance, I'd be better going after a good earlier or later one with thousands in hand, rather than taking a risk on a shed with a wad of tenners.

[whitevanman]

Aye..thats about the sum of it

[warren t claim]

Warren,

Please tell me the series 2 3.4 XJ6 you had was not an R reg with a blueish vinyl roof and wind up windows.

If it was I don't suppose its the one I nearly bought, that would be too wierd, and downright annoying as I very nearly parted with £500 for it, back when 500 was a lot of cash etc etc

How did you go on for insurance with it? at the time I tried 8 brokers, only one would quote and 3rd party only was £897.32,

I always blame Ian Ogilvy in return of the saint for my fixation with Jags, especially white ones;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPdcOWRIxA

 

Lol! No it was a T reg and insurance isn't a problem when your family owned a brokers. Covernote and papermate replay FTW!

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120625565382&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Spotted this on Fleabay, and quite fancy it. Maybe it's the thought of the impending bills for the Mondeo, maybe it's just itchy feet. I dunno. Either way, I'm no expert on Jags; so could you tell me what to look out for, and what a sensible price might be?

 

 

My God, there's not much love for the poor old XJ40 on here! I have always loved them, and it does make me sad that so many do not.

 

I recognise this car from the website www.xj40.com since it was owned by a poster on there called Rudy. He traded it in for a Cadillac Coupe de Ville, and fitted the wood suround to the instruments, amongst other work.

 

Personally, I would avoid the 2.9. It is a heavy car for the 2.9 litre engine, and with only 165bhp it is very slow. It's also fairly thirsty, since you have to rev the poor thing to buggery in order to make discernible forward progress. To cap it all, the 2.9 is also rather fragile, whereas the 3.2, 3.6 and 4 litre are nigh on unbreakable.

 

Early cars (with a 2.9 or 3.6 litre engine) have a digital dash and a completely different electrical system to cars built after 1990. Unfortunately, though the dash looks quite cool and 'Startrek' retro, these early cars are the ones which landed the XJ40 with its reputation for electrical problems. A bad one can be frightening, though I suspect they will all be off the road by now.

 

Later cars (identified by analogue instruments) don't suffer the same electrical problems and are no worse than any other car. My own car has had only one electrical fault in 18 years, a failed relay which cost £5. I would class that as better than average.

 

Mechanically, the XJ40 is very robust. Engines last and can sustain huge mileages, as do the transmissions. These are not cars which will strand you somewhere.

Differential problems are not unknown - the diff can get very noisy, but rarely fails entirely. Good suspension bushes make a big difference to ride and handling.

 

The XJ40 is not a new car, and does not rust any more than any other car of its age.

Early cars rust on the front of the bonnet and bootlid. On later cars this seems to have been solved, and parts from breakers are very cheap. The XJ40 also rusts along the floor to sill join and the leading edge of the sill itself, and across the front of the floors. The 1993/1994 cars (identified by the battery being in the boot) have a different bulkhead/plenum design, which can rust badly on some cars.

 

Values for any XJ40 are very low. Like so many British cars they do not seem to be sought after or even liked, and a bad car will cost a lot of money to put right. Buy a good one however - either a later 3.2 or 4.0 are lovely cars, and it will give you a lot of pleasure.

 

The low prices now commanded by the X300 hurts the XJ40 too. The market prefers their styling (though I find them a little characterless and derivative) they are a good car, and benefit from being newer. Unfortunately, despite their reputation, the X300 are far from rot free these days, and can be very expensive to fix. A good one will make you happy however.

[Formula Autos]

I have test driven many XJ40s, and the ones with engines on song and sorted suspension/bushes are wonderful things to drive. Even 2.9s are OK if you learn to accept that they're going to have a relaxed turn of speed.

 

I've lusted after one for years, and always turn up at the viewing thinking "maybe, just maybe, I've found THE good one out there"

 

But..... I've never taken the plunge and bought one. They were all relatively cheap, and insurance doesn't seem too much of a problem as invariably I've managed to get a quote under a classic policy (despite them not being that old). The trouble is I've never yet managed to find one in West Cumbria that wasn't either rusty and/or afflicted with a catalogue of electrical issues. Even ones that have a caring owner who garages it and (at first) fixes all the niggles straight away seem to end up a bit ropey.

 

Any I've seen at dealers round here have always been sold as seen, with no warranty. Which is telling.

 

They seem to be the sort of car that people fall in love with, and then reach the point where they give up on them because of all the trouble they've caused. Which is a shame, as they are a fantastic thing to drive.

 

In the end, I always go back to Fords. They may be equally crap, but at least they're cheap to fix.

[Pete-M]

Trick is to buy one with about £10k worth of bills for bits replaced, and little mileage on the bits since. That's what I did.

 

Then it's just silly little things to sort. Mine needs one electric window switchpack and the CD player sorting (It works intermittantly), the n/s/f door speaker isn't as loud as it should be, and the boot release button on the bootlid plays up.

 

The previous owner has sorted all the other niggles. I did spend £70 getting the wheel alignment set perfectly, and it's made a huge difference, probably the finishing touch.

 

Bodywise, I need to get the sunroof panel sorted as the lacquer has flaked, a couple of bits of grot on the wheel arches, the chrome on the back bumper needs replacing as its bent (the bumper is perfect), and the headlining is beginning to droop at the back. Oh, I need the little plastic finisher around the seatbelt buckles in the back seat (offside). If anyone has an oatmeal one, gimme a shout. I'd like to fit a glovebox from a later one as well. Mine, being a '94, doesn't have a glovebox...

 

It owes me about £2k and I doubt it will ever be worth any less than that. I wouldn't let it go for what it owes me, put it that way.

[ChinaTom]

I thought that was Rudy's car. I have just caught up with this thread and being an XJ40 owner, I may have been of some help - especially as I know this car. However, all has been said that needs saying. Only buy an early XJ40 if you specifically want an early one, and only buy a 2.9 out of irony. Late 93/94 cars are better and no more expensive. Only buy an XJ81 (V12) if you are barking mad. Have a look at the bulkhead and make sure it's free of rust before buying any XJ40.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

 

The XJ40 is not a new car, and does not rust any more than any other car of its age.

 

Not sure about that. An equivalent age 7 Series is as durable as the pyramids by comparison. Earry XJ40's were rusty 15 years ago, mainly the bootlids. 1994 late cars rot just as well. A mate had a 1994 XJ6 'Gold' with a weird electrical fault, It was traced to an earth strap on the bulkhead which had completely rotted off. Pulled the sound deadening panel back and....oh my fucking God. Rotten as a bastard and a poke with a screwdriver released a torrent of rusty rain water. It was fibreglassed up, a drian hole drilled and the earth relocated.

The same car (which looked mint) also needed the front floors welding up.

 

They are iffy old things, but I'd suffer a Daimler with the big headlights, crinkly grille and piped leathers. A D reg one for extra shite points!

[Pete-M]

Chap I know, his parents had a very very early, suspected to be a pre-production, 3.6 manual XJ40. D reg, with a Coventry plate. They had bought it direct from Jaguar somehow and they had it before most of the big magazines had even road tested 'em. His dad had connections with Mayflower I think.

 

Went like stink, that thing. Properly quick for an XJ40. Rotted insanely quickly though. The bootlid was shot by 1989 (Jag replaced it for free) but the thing was failing MOTs every year on rot. They scrapped it in about 93/4.

 

Still by far the quickest XJ40 I've been in.

[scooters]

I'v had:

 

XJ40 Jag Sov on LPG

XJ40 Daimler Sov

XJ40 Daimler Double Six

XJ6 Series 3

 

I wouldn't touch an XJ40 unless - it is idealy a Daimler (hand finished so better rust proofing), 4.2 minimum, suspension, body and electrics all working - you can get a good un for £400 - Car and Classic is where to look and TAKE YOUR TIME - a dog will just lose you money. Do not buy a cloth interior or a 2.9 - both dogs - there are enough decent 4.2's and sovs out there to keep the value of the 2.9 rock bottom - ie you won't be able to sell it again and it won't be worth spending any monry on. The XJ40 is a heavy car and the 2.9 is slow and sloggish where as the 3 and 4 ltr versions have oomph - the 2.9 fuel consumption is as bad because of this. V12's and Double Six's I would be wary of as the components are now very rare - especially ECS and GEarbox ECUs. If you are set on an XJ40 your first port of call should be the XJ40 forum - they are very friendly and a car bought form there will usually be well known. You cannot even think about running one yourself without joining this forum.

 

XJ6's on a budget are a waste of time - good ones, even half good ones cost money and the fuel consumption is eye watering even on the 6's

 

XJ300's are a really good option - you will get a good one on a bdget these days - ok they lack the opulance of the XJ40 and he wonderful shite boxieness but they are damn fine cars as said above

 

were I to enter the ruinous world of the jag again - I would get a mid 90's XJ300

[CreepingJesus]

Thanks again, for all the advice; it's been a good read!

Last parting thought - that's a GM TH400 auto box in there, isn't it? Should take a 350ci Chev then, shouldn't it?

[Tayne]

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