A new Toy !!

[Lil bastard]

Well... not mine anyway. A friend of mine just bought it - a 1994 Jaguar XJS 2+2 Convertible - 6.0 V12.

He is just beginning to learn about cars. He's been a friend for some time and this spring approached me to ask if I could teach him to do some mechanical work on his car, a '99 BMW 328. So we brought the car to my house and replaced the pads, rotors, bled the system, replaced shocks, control arms, etc. Bob was a quick learner and was amazed how easy working on cars really was.

Mid- Sept., he decided to get a 'fun' car and asked me to come inspect one he'd found... this Jag. The owner was asking $14k, car was intact, 59k mi., clean interior, good top, needed tires and my PPI discovered some worn bushings, leaky waterpump, differential seal, needs brakes and a general cleanup/tuneup, really nothing out of the ordinary for a 60k mi. car. The car was stored for the past 6 years, never driven in the winter at all. Overall, a very nice, one-owner car, no accident damage or major repair, no DTC codes (OBD I), clean carfax, all receipts from local Jaguar dealer.

I suggested to my friend that he offer $10k, the owner refused, we left. The owner called him 2 weeks later and left a message asking if he'd go $11k. Bob called me immediately and asked what I thought. I suggested that he send him a fax offering $5k, didn't want to appear too anxious... and he could always negotiate up from there.

Bob excitedly said that he'd call him with the offer instead and I told him not to, to fax it instead... that the owner would have the fax sitting in front of him all weekend (it was a friday) and that if he wanted to call the owner, at least let his offer 'ferment' over the weekend.

The next monday morning at 9:00, the owner called Bob again and said that if he had cash that day, he could have the car for the $5k offered, that he just wanted to be done with it!!! Bob picked me up to help drive his BMW back, we went to his bank and straight to the owner. We transferred the Title on the way home. Has to be one of the best deals of the year. Bob offered me $500 for my help, but I wouldn't hear of it.

We spent the past week doing the brakes, changing all the fluids and polishing out the paint (which came out as new), cleaning/conditioning all the leather. It's really a very nice car... I wouldn't mind owning one (esp. if I could find one in this shape at that price)! And it's great getting to know another car (we've bought all the manuals on CD). Lots of 'systems' on the car to get to 'know' to make everything perfect it's gonna be fun.

[blue2000s]

Oh boy, your friend is really going to get good at working on cars with that thing. I had a friend with one, I wouldn't let him park it in my driveway because of the huge oil puddle it left everywhere. After 2 years and what I'm sure was over $10k in repairs he dumped it. And his wasn't even the convertible. I'd hate to imagine all the different things that can go wrong with that thing.

He got ripped off at $5k.

[Lil bastard]

I don't know what year your friend had, but from '94 on the car went through a major redesign and most of the reliability issues went away.

My Bro-in-Law has an '88 XJS C (V12 2-seat convertible), and I agree, he's had issues with it. He lives 800 miles from me, so I can't help him with it, he takes it to a Jag independent, not at all mechanically inclined.

Btw, it's a misconception - British cars do not leak... they just 'mark' their territory This one though is totally dry, except for some seepage at the waterpump gasket and the leaky shaft seal on the diff - we're waiting for the parts to repair them.

My buddy really loves this car, says he's wanted one since he first saw it 15 yrs. ago while in school. I hope it's good to him, but in any event, he's got the money to deal with it (he owns a software co. and his wife is a physician) so it's all good.

[Jaxonalden]

My friends girl friend has a XJS with the 6 cylinder. I hate that damn thing! He brings it over so I can work on it so he can get some. What pisses me off is the puddles it leaves on my driveway. Power steering fluid, engine oil, antifreeze and tranny fluid! I told him next time he brings it over he's breaking out the speedy dry and cleaning up the mess. That car is quite the nightmare.