Jaguar SIII XJ / XJS - a much maligned classic?

mezzman

Any help on the 93 model year would be appreciated. Have read many posts here and the info is a good primer for my first foray into Jag's. Mileage is advertised as 58K and my initial view is if I can't get it for $10.5K, I don't want it. There is no shortage of supply. This one looks great, but I haven't had access to maintenance records yet. Is there an on-line link to Jag dealer maintenance? Thanks.

kyme

I found a 94 XJ6 with 55K miles and interested
in purchasing. I know nothing about Jags except
that they are classy cars and I want something that I can take business clients in. I have only seen this car on the internet and hesitate to waste my time if this particular model has a bad
track record. In reading the above responses, sounds like it's an expensive car to maintain. Any additional information on this model would be very
helpful. Thanks in advance.

Mr_Shiftright

I'd like to suggest to those of you looking for feedback on newer Jaguars to check into the > conference. You might be able to speak with previous or current owners.

The Classics conference is really for classic and collectible cars, not modern sedans, and I think you'd find a larger user base over in Sedans.

Host

bogey_7

Thinking about purchasing a 1997 XJ6 from a dealer in Dallas who specializes in Jaguars. Found one with 25k miles for $24,500 with an extended warranty for 100K bumper to bumper for $2800. I would use this mainly for getting to and from work, about 40 miles highway and hoping to have it for a good 4 or 5 years. Concerned about reliability issues but I just love this car. Any thoughts?

Mr_Shiftright

Please read the post above yours.

Host

cofc

I have been wanting a Jag ever since I could drive. Right now I am a college student and there is now way possible for me to afford a newer Jag, like my dream - an XJR *drool*. Well, I do have the money to purchase a late series III Jaguar. Personally, I think they are some of the best looking jags made in the last years (esp better than those ones with the gawd awful square hearlights!) Anyways, I found a 85 for sale - asking $3500. It was at one of those dealers who I am sure you can talk down from there. Well, the car physically is in good shape. The back seat leather is cracking a little, but not too bad. Engine seems ok, but I have not had it checked out yet - yes, I will of course get it checked out. It has no records however. ALso, as to the actual milage, I am unsure of. The car reads 88K, but the title does say that the milage is incorrect, so the actual millage could be anything. Is this car worth seriously looking at, or any suggestions about what to do, or what to pay for this one or maybe one similar to this. It will most likely not be a daily driver, I thik I have enought money so that I don't have to sell my current car. Although the jag would be much more fun to drive, I think I can limit to driving it only on weeekends. Any advice would be loved! Thanks!

Mr_Shiftright

Might be okay if you aren't too fussy about little things going wrong. If it checks out mechanically (look for bad transmissions, leaking power steering, leaking fuel pump, inoperative electrical systems, hard starting or erratic acceleration, overheating in traffic) and you get a good year or two out of it, you can always unload it for a few thousand. What you DON'T want to do is put big money in it. If something major goes wrong in 6 months, just walk away from the car...don't throw good money after bad. My friend's '85 has been staggering along for years now, and since he puts up with little problems (rather than fix them), he does okay with the car. I wouldn't drive it long distances, but for Sunday drives he has a lot of fun with it, and he doesn't notice all the little things going wrong. So he's happy. Me, I go nuts when power windows don't work or there's a gas smell or the driveline thumps against the floor, but he's in heaven, he doesn't mind.

Verdict: worth a chance, but not a car for a perfectionist.

rea98d

One more thing Shiftright forgot to mention...When you take this car to get it looked at (You will take it to a mechanic that is extremely familiar with Series III Jags, right? RIGHT?), be sure he checks to see if it has what is called a tappet guide stakedown kit. Basicly, the XK engine in the car has a design flaw...The steel valve seats expand and contract under the heat of the engine at a faster rate than the aluminum heads. The problem is Jaguar-specific, and the valve seats eventually work themselves loose (The engine will sound like a singer sewing machine when this happens). If left untreated, your engine swallows the valve seat, and self destructs. the "Tappet guide stakedown kit" hold them firmly in place. This permanently fixes the problem. If the car you're looking at doesn't have the kit, it'll run ytou about 300-350$ installed, and should be done wether your engine makes sewing machine noises or not.

Also...
www.jag-lovers.org
More than you ever dreamed you wanted to know about Jaguars. If anybody can tell you what you're getting into, they can. Me, I'm waiting until after I graduate college to fufill my dream of owning a Jaguar, but good luck.

andy_jordan

Jag-Lovers is a wealth of information, as are the various e-mail subscription lists available there.

Whilst the kit will solve the design flaw of the valve seats, the problem will readily occur if the car overheats (not unusual). There is just no way round the different properties of steel and aluminum.

Mr_Shiftright

Now what am I missing here? Does this kit hold the valve guide or the valve seat? (Can't imagine trying to hold a valve seat in place). I presume it holds the guides since $350 isn't enough to rip a cylinder head off to get at the valve seats.

andy_jordan

They hold the valve guide - you're right you don't want to take the heads off for any kind of money!!

rea98d

Sorry, my fault. I got mixed up on the terminology. (I know what they do, not what they're called!)

cofc

Thanks for all the advice.

So, I am heading back to the dealer full of knowledge and ready to make a deal only to discover that the [non-permissible content removed] sold the car. LOL, oh well, I guess it was not meant to be. SO, here I am starting my search all over again.

jag-lovers is one of my favorite sites - I even have a windows background and the screen saver from them. Obsessed - No, I don't think so; deeply in love - DO you really need to ask me that? I know that it is probably really foolish for a guy in college to buy a jag, but man, you all have seen them, driven them, know them and what they really are. I should wait till I graduate, and I still may, but I REALLY don't want to. SO, if any of you know of a good deal on a series III or have any advice, let me know.

andy_jordan

Hell I'm always open to offers!!

More seriously - take your time. The right car for you is out there, just make the purchasing decision with your brain not your heart. These cars are capable of creating strong emotions - at times I love mine, at times I loathe it. Just remember that no matter how nice the car is it no more useful than a rusted out Yugo if it is always in the shop.

But hey, for a college kid, it's a real chick magnet ;-)

diznufus

I am currently looking at a 1995 Jaguar XJ6 one owner vehicle. The owner says he has all records. What I would like to know is if there has been any consistent problems with reliability/quality onthe 1995 model. Also, what was the standard warranty that came on teh 1995 Jaguar?
Any help will be much appreciated

Mr_Shiftright

Hi dixnufus,

You need to be in the > conference, with the modern cars. This conference is only for older cars and classics.

Host

raen

Am looking at a 1992 Jag w/ 85k for $9600. Look gorgeous (green/tan) ... would be used for long business trips. Any particular challenges?

Mr_Shiftright

Please read the post above yours. Thanks!

Host

sea171

Looking at a 1994 xjs 6 convert. 65k miles. Had a 91 12 coupe with lots of rear end problems. Any help on the 94 6 would be greatly appreciated. What should I look for? What are the problem areas? How does the 6 compare to the 12? Many thanks for your help. Any idea about a fair price?

Mr_Shiftright

Hi seal!

I think you'd be better asking that question in the > conference, as this conference is only for classic and collectible cars. For starters, before you go--there is ample evidence that the 6 cylinders cars have fewer problems than the `12s. As for price, try to hit LOW book of these cars. You can find prices for Used Cars on the Edmunds Home Page.

rea98d

Uh, Shifty...
The XJS is a coupe. The XJ6 is the Sedan. As our reigning car guru you should know that ;-)

Mr_Shiftright

Sedans can be either two door or four door...in my method of categorizing, I like to put any car with a post between the windows and with 4 seats as a "post sedan", which is technically correct I think.
But sure, I agree most non-historians would call an XJS body style a coupe, and would therefore cheerfully refer you to the > category, for want of a better term for the XJS. Also, a lot of the Sedan info works for the XJS, so that's another reason you should visit there, I think, as you may want to gather up as much owner feedback as possible.

Thanks for bringing that up, it's something that I will no doubt continue to confuse people about . Modern terminology has become very sloppy for body styles, and I guess I'm fighting a losing battle here...please indulge my little ideosyncrasies.

Shifty.

rea98d

That's what I get for arguing with a car guru.
My terminology calls a car with 2 doors a coupe, two doors and a foldable top a convertible, and a car with four doors a sedan.

Just for kicks, the 1960's Lincoln Continentals had four doors, but no post between them. What would the term for this be? (The back doors, btw, were mounted suicide style)

Mr_Shiftright

That would be a 4-door hardtop, or a "pillarless sedan"

Originally, it was my recollection that a "coupe" was a closed two seat car with no rear quarter windows. I think this is a real purist's vision, since by the 1930s there were of course coupes with back seats, called, I believe "club coupes"--which of course means nothing but sounds nice. They really should have been called sedans, but oh well.

A convertible SHOULD mean a two seater with roll up windows...a ROADSTER should mean a two seater with detachable side screens and a top that comes off...a PHAETON would be a four-seat roadster as would what they called a TOURING car!

So what's a four seat ragtop with roll up windows?
Also a convertible, of course, but not quite the same as the original meaning.

But this is all in the past. Nowadays the language is all screwy, so nobody knows exactly what anyone else is talking about. And so Saturns are "sports cars" and Cadillac Escalades are "sport utility vehicles".

The world's gone mad, I tell you!

Anyway,enjoy your coupe! We'll just overlook those back seats. Maybe I'll compromise and call a four-seat two door a coupe as long as the back seats are useless (e.g. Porsche 911)

shifty

andy_jordan

Do I own a sedan or a sportscar?

And 4 seats - well yes shifty, but only if you are a car salesman - ever tried sitting back there?

Mr_Shiftright

Nope...I'm a big guy and I'd be embarrassed to have to call on the Jaws of Life to extract me.

Lessee, I'd say you own a "luxury coupe" or "GT coupe" or "2-door GT luxury sedan"...but no, not a sportscar in my dictionary.

andy_jordan

That is why Jaguar are building the F-type (eventually). I consider it a Grand Tourer in the true sense of the term.

sea171

Shiftright et al,
Thanks for the input and apparent confusion about this site. First, I think its great place to talk about Jags(xjs and classics}. I picked up the site from Edmunds at 94 xjs inquiry -- then mr. shifty said I was in the wrong place. Not to labor too hard on this point -- but should xjs inquiries come to this site - or not.

Mr_Shiftright

Only the older cars, I think, 70s and early 80s, would be appropriate for a discussion about collectible cars.

I still think sedans might be the most useful...there's not much going on in the coupes conference on Jaguars, so I'm trying to direct you to the place you're most likely to get feedback. Most visitors here are interested in older cars.

best,

Shifty

gpagano1

I have a 98 xj8 and for the second time in 6 months it has failed to turn over. I think it is flooding but the last time the dealer said they could not duplicate the problem. Manual says to press the acc all the way to start if flooding is suspected. That doesn't work... Is flooding a common problem with these cars ? love the car, but...this is starting to get scary

Mr_Shiftright

This is the classic conference, so I'd suggest you deal with new car problems over in the > department. Good luck!

nunz423

I'm considering buying a 1991 SIII jag, but I'm concerned about the vehicle's safety and I'm confused by the Edmunds comments regarding the air bag. The write-up on new equiment for 1991 says a bigger engine is available and an AIR Bag has been added to the standard equipment however there is no mention of an air-bag on the stand equipment list.

rea98d

If it's a 91 Series III, then what you're looking at is an XJ12, with a 5.4l V-12 engine. Jag switched the XJ6 from the Series III body to the XJ40 body in 1988. The XJ12's didn't make the switch until 1992. Edmunds data is probably for the XJ40, as 4 door, V-12 Jaguars are relatively rare. (Let's not get into the sedan/coupe thing again). The Jag V-12 engine is to be avoided unless a.) You're motor boat needs an anchor, or b.)You have very VERY deep pockets. If you like the body style of the 91 you're looking at, consider am 86 or 87 XJ6. If you really really want the airbag, look at a 92 or newer XJ40, as the ones made before that were dogs as far as reliability goes.

tempdrive

Because of the image of the Jaguar I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to buy a Jag XJ6 1987.
Are there any special problems with this model or Year or is this a "better one" ?

Mr_Shiftright

Well, certainly better than the earlier models, but that's not saying much. It's the usual jaguar bugaboos that have been listed often in this topic, but you are much better off with the 6 than the 12. You could end up with a fairly decent car here, but you'll be nickeled and dimed all the way, even if you're lucky. My friend's 86 has been pretty okay, really, but it is slowly disintegrating and he's not very fussy. The perfect Jaguar owner in a way. Just be careful and have the car gone over very very carefully, and stay on top of everything and it could be a reasonable pleasant experience. But if you're not maintenance conscious and aren't hooked up with a good and honest shop, I'd think twice.

dallison

Mr_Shiftright
I found a 1993 XJS convertible with 50,900 miles at a local dealer. The body looks in good shape as well as the interior. What are some of the things that have plagued this model year, and is this too high a price to pay? I understand from following you that I should allot approx. $150 per month for repairs. I wanted your response before approaching the dealer.
Thanks,
Jagguy

Mr_Shiftright

I'd offer maybe $15K for it...as for problems, you should check into the > topic, as this is a modern car, not a classic, and so should really be discussed over there. I say Sedans because I don't think there's much discussion in Convertibles on this car, but sedans has more and it's the same basic powertrain. I really don't know much about the later models.

pablo_l

Just to set the record straight: I owned a 1995 XJS convertible (4.0) for over 4 years, and the car was a dream. I have never loved a car as much, and miss it regularly. It did not have *one* problem ever. Totally reliable in 50k miles. Regular maintenance is probably the key, and that'll set you back a few $ a year, but it is well worth it.

cofc

I am right now looking at a 1990 XJ6 with about 160K miles (more about it in another category). But, my question for this room is which would be a better car for about the same price: a 90 XJ6 with the high mile, or a late series III with average miles. Based on things like reliability, cost of repairs, future as a possible classic, fun to drive, looks, and/or anything else you think is important that I should consider. Thanks a lot!