Considering buying an old XJ

izoneiz

izoneiz

izoneiz

Associate
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
2,333
Location
London, WC1
Right. I've decided that I'd like an old (but not too old) XJ. Something like an XJ40 or a XJ81.

I've read that the 3.2, 3.6 and 4.0 XJ40 models were alright, and that the 2.9 was horrible.

I don't know much about the XJ81.

Does anyone here have experience with these cars? What are they like to own? To drive? To live with?

For me this car would be for very occasional use (perhaps weekends only), but nonetheless I'd like it to start every time.

Anything you can tell me will be much appreciated.

Many thanks!!

IZoneIZ
 
izoneiz said:
Anything you can tell me will be much appreciated.

Many thanks!!
Click to expand...

1. Anything that can go wrong with them does.
2. I think you get a discount on parts if you're a member of SAGA.
3. How old are you again?
4. Rather than the XJ81, it might be better to go for the ZX81.
 
Last edited:
Would also be interested in any info on these cars.

Looking to buy something fun to use at weekends once the bike is sold and last week there was a simply stunning "M" reg Jag XJR on that well known auction site that went for under £3000. Lowish mileage as well at @120k.

Almost bid on it, but I think I'll wait till the bike is sold and the cash is in the bank, otherwise 'er indoors will probably "do one". :D
 
fortune to run
unreliable to Alfa levels.
thirsty is an understatement.
poor drive.
small cabin.
loopy instrument panel.
rot boxes.
no manual option on the V12.

apart from that a great car.
 
Interesting.

In that case, are there any suggestions? I'm looking for something under £2000, with a bit of character, for casual weekend drives. I thought of buying a semi-classic and i've always liked the look of the older XJs

Pls don't say 7-series or old S class or anything of the sort. I don't need a stock business-mobile to drive every day. I want something a bit more special.

in case anyone is wondering, this will not be something I depend / rely on for daily travel. It will be a weekend toy

IZoneIZ
 
Is this the same car that a company exists solely for the purpose of updating it to acceptable modern standards of reliability and performance?
 
izoneiz said:
Interesting.

In that case, are there any suggestions? I'm looking for something under £2000, with a bit of character, for casual weekend drives. I thought of buying a semi-classic and i've always liked the look of the older XJs

Pls don't say 7-series or old S class or anything of the sort. I don't need a stock business-mobile to drive every day. I want something a bit more special.

in case anyone is wondering, this will not be something I depend / rely on for daily travel. It will be a weekend toy

IZoneIZ
Click to expand...

Sorry but I have to say 7 Series.

An older e32 (or even an interglactic e38) 740i / 750i would be so much more enjoyable & reliable than an older XJ.

Any big car of the 7 Series / XJ class costs an arm & a leg to maintain & run, I understand the sentiment, I indeed would like an older XJ, they are beautiful machines alas, a: I don't fit in one, I'm too tall and b: its common knowledge older XJ's can and in the main are a nightmare to maintain.

To an extent, I let my hert rule my head when I bought my 7 series, I did'nt lose it completely, however much I'd like a Double Six.
 
I would say a jag is a more special car than a 7 series or a s class, the german motors are fantastic, cannot fault them at all, in some respects they are too good, they lack a little soul imo no real character, look at the interiors id rather have a jag.

Money no object and reliability no concern, id have a jag like a shot.
 
Soul and character mean sweet f all when you spend your nights in the rain fixing electrical problems that wouldn't have gone wrong if it had been properly designed in the first place


Just my two cents :D
 
Ive got a '94 XJ6 3.2S (slightly newer than what you are thinking about).

It starts up every single time, its got 80k on the clock without any major/expensive work, and it drives very nicely.

The petrol tank however has a massive hole in it. I get through the massive 70 liter tank in about 250 miles :( Its uber expensive to run :(
 
wohoo said:
I would say a jag is a more special car than a 7 series or a s class, the german motors are fantastic, cannot fault them at all, in some respects they are too good, they lack a little soul imo no real character, look at the interiors id rather have a jag.

Money no object and reliability no concern, id have a jag like a shot.
Click to expand...

Indeed , so would I, but in the real world, money is an object. :( and reliable as the 7's are, they are still not cheap to maintain.

Money pits tbh, either of them. :p ;)
 
7 series Beemer or Merc S class?.

No thanks. :cool:

I'd take a Jag XJ of comparable age over either of those without a blink of an eye.

Yes.....I know I got my fingers burned when I owned an X type, but I'm looking at a Jag XJR as a fun car to use at weekends probably, in place of the bike. So thats the direction I'm coming from as far as buying and maintaining goes, just to make things a wee bit clearer. :D
 
Stonedofmoo said:
Soul and character mean sweet f all when you spend your nights in the rain fixing electrical problems that wouldn't have gone wrong if it had been properly designed in the first place


Just my two cents :D
Click to expand...

i dont disagree, but the newer jags arent bad at all, i dont doubt the older ones were poo, but we had a 1993 XJ6 which had 136k on it when we got and 60k and a set of shocks later it was still going strong.
 
wohoo said:
they lack a little soul imo no real character
Click to expand...

You're better off not mentioning that on here....I get shot down every time I say it.

izoneiz - how much are you looking to spend? A lot of the very cheap XJ40s I see these days scream 'money pit' from a mile off, you can tell that they're baggy as you walk up to them. Some of the early six cylinder X300 ('95-'97) series cars are pretty cheap now though, and I've seen a number of excellent examples. Just don't expect them to be cheap to own - between the drinking habit around town, the cost of servicing, insurance costs and everything else, they can make for a bit of a wallet-drainer.
 
I strayed into the world of XJ40's in February of this year. I bought me a 1990/91 3.2 XJ6. It was a base model with leather and alloys off a later car.

I enjoyed the experience immensely and although my car wasn't exactly reliable, it never failed to get me where i needed to be either. Even when i ran it for 500 miles with next to no coolant or oil! :eek: I sold it in September as running it through my last year in uni wasn't feasible as it didn't fit in the miniscule multi-storeys at uni.

If you're after an old luxury car, imo look no further than an XJ, they are cheaper than a similar age BMW or Merc and look soo much nicer. (though this is a personal thing)

I'm a 21 yr old student with 2 yrs NCB. I could insure the Jag for £350, a 7 series or Merc was £600+... no idea why. I used the RAC.

If you're after an XJ40 buy 1990 or later, 1987-1989 cars are less reliable. The general rule is "the later, the better".

Expect small faults with the car, but they can still look pretty smart.

Here is a pic of mine, bought in february for £700 with 11 months MOT and 5 months Tax, sold in September for £400 with 4 months MOT, 3 months tax and a few issues.

Jagsmall.jpg


If you have any questions let me know! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom