Topic: Offered an XJS

So a friend of a friend heard that I’m a car guy and offered me a 88 Jaguar XJS that hasn’t run for a year or so because of a “faulty distributor pickup.” Car only has 50k ish miles and comes with parts for a complete brake rebuild. Owning and even racing a V12 car is a bucket list thing for me.
How bad could it be? Especially for Lemons racing?

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

[edited]

A friend of mind had the same "bucket list" idea about a V-12 sports car, but has no mechanical ability.

And did this, even after owning an English car in college.

I recently discussed his car problems in several phone calls this week.

[edited]

I wish you the best of luck.

Re: Offered an XJS

You really, really want a 92-96 with the 6.0 instead of the 5.3.  I dont know if anyone has made it through a Lemons weekend without popping a head gasket in a 5.3

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Offered an XJS

So you’re saying a 30 year old, non running, overly complex luxury car from Britain’s worst period of car making is a bad idea...

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

Crazybob wrote:

So a friend of a friend heard that I’m a car guy and offered me a 88 Jaguar XJS that hasn’t run for a year or so because of a “faulty distributor pickup.” Car only has 50k ish miles and comes with parts for a complete brake rebuild. Owning and even racing a V12 car is a bucket list thing for me.
How bad could it be? Especially for Lemons racing?

Step one rip out V12, step 2 drop in a small block chevy step 3 go racing.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

6 (edited by Crazybob 2020-01-19 08:12 AM)

Re: Offered an XJS

You’re not wrong. But that does remove the only compelling thing about an XJS.

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

7 (edited by Lemon_Newton-Metre 2020-01-19 08:34 AM)

Re: Offered an XJS

Mr.Yuck wrote:

[edited]
Step one rip out V12, step 2 drop in a small block chevy ... [edited].

HA! Guess what was in the second "[edited]" section of my post above...

Re: Offered an XJS

Well there certainly is something satisfying about coming off a corner and having that V12 sing that song as it picks up its skirts and goes.  Problem is that with the 5.3 that wont last that long.  Go find a 92-96 XJS or 95-96 XJ12.  Maybe the FraidyCat guys in NorCal still have the XJ12 I sold them (they run a Boxster now)

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Offered an XJS

I'll coordinate between you and my friend if you want to buy his '92 XJS V-12 Convertible, ~50k mi. .

But he'll be looking for more like retail $ than Lemons $.

Re: Offered an XJS

Lemon_Newton-Metre wrote:

I'll coordinate between you and my friend if you want to buy his '92 XJS V-12 Convertible, ~50k mi. .

But he'll be looking for more like retail $ than Lemons $.

I appreciate it, but if I'm going to do something that stupid it would have to be a coupe so when it inevitably breaks I can sit and stare at the lines tongue

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

Double Jeopardy has run a '87 XJS in Lemons for many years with modest success. They won the IOE with in in 2015. I'm not sure if they are active on the forums, not sure they're even racing anymore. I don't recall seeing them in any of the race entries for the last couple of years.

http://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LILF15/661-DSC_2192.jpg

Fourteen time loser. You'd think I'd know better by now.

Re: Offered an XJS

Crazybob wrote:
Lemon_Newton-Metre wrote:

I'll coordinate between you and my friend if you want to buy his '92 XJS V-12 Convertible, ~50k mi. .

But he'll be looking for more like retail $ than Lemons $.

I appreciate it, but if I'm going to do something that stupid it would have to be a coupe so when it inevitably breaks I can sit and stare at the lines tongue

Understood. But here's a little bit of eye candy as a side piece:

https://i.postimg.cc/nzhwRR1C/92-XJS-V12-ragtop.jpg

Re: Offered an XJS

https://assets.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2018/04/1984-Lynx-Eventer-1.jpg

Or maybe we add a shooting brake to a cabriolet

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

DOOOOO IT!!

But make it a full Kammback.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Offered an XJS

So assuming you could get the motor to hold together and not eat headgaskets with proper cooling, keeping the ignition and fuel system working correctly, etc. What about the inboard brakes? I know there are other jags in the series that have that setup. Just add cooling? Convert to an outboard setup? Don’t worry because the car will never stay running long enough to worry about brakes?

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

Step 1.
Install kill witch.

Step 2
Install race seat.

Step 3
Install roll cage

Step 4
Install fire system

Step 5
Go race.

Step 6
Fix the weaknesses you've discovered on your own over the course of that first weekend.

Keyboard racing is fun. Building the car is funnner.

Re: Offered an XJS

Also, you want the engine to have a chance, de-rate it. Cut at least 500 RPM off the redline.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Offered an XJS

Spank wrote:

Step 1.
Install kill witch.

Step 2
Install race seat.

Step 3
Install roll cage

Step 4
Install fire system

Step 5
Go race.

Step 6
Fix the weaknesses you've discovered on your own over the course of that first weekend.

Keyboard racing is fun. Building the car is funnner.


This is the right answer

Re: Offered an XJS

Might be a moot point since dude has stopped returning my messages.

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

20 (edited by Crazybob 2020-01-31 02:51 PM)

Re: Offered an XJS

Well he contacted me and made an offer I couldn’t say no to and I am now the proud owner of a 1988 Jaguar XJS that ran when parked.

Emily's Power for a Cure 1990 Mazda Miata (I Got Screwed 2014 Southern Discomfort)
Help in the fight against Neuroblastoma, a devastating childhood cancer.
http://emilyspowerforacure.com/

Re: Offered an XJS

One of the reasons why these catch fire is the distributor is set in the middle of the engine down low in the vee and the fuel injectors are also right there and higher on the inside of the heads.  There are vacuum lines that run to the distributor to vacuum out any fuel fumes (and presumably to keep the distro from igniting and coming through the hood like a sub launched ICBM).  You might want to make sure those vacuum lines are in good shape.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)