1982 Jag--investigate or run away?
It probably won't fit in my garage, I have no idea where I would drive it except to work on days with no precipitation, I don't really have $5,000 to blow on a second car. But dang, I've always wanted a Jag (E type, though, BRG with tan pigskin interior). |
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| I would be afraid of an older British car because of their quality track record and maintenance costs. Otherwise, I have no appreciable familiarity with them. You need to talk to Barb's (Oakley's Mom) husband Rob. He's seriously into British cars, especially the older ones. He can tell you everything you need to know about them. |
| Ditto Mark. Brother also a Jag-phile. Got his new, lease. Loved it but, like so many British cars, finicky. Have no idea what he is driving now. Gentleman at church fell for an older Jag. He's not driving it any longer. "Just couldn't afford it" was his answer. Didn't pursue because he was also chronically in and out of jobs. Do your research, past maintenance, any accidents, recalls, etc. Remember with an older car, 30 years here; parts availability. Personally, unless I had money to restore it I'd shy away. PS: I had a 1 year old MGB and while I loved it, it let me meet many mechanics and learn more about cars that a young woman then should know. |
| The classic Jaguar joke: You need to have two - one to drive while the other one is in the shop. Seriously, here's what you want to keep in mind. That model gets around 11-12 mpg, so if it's going to be your daily driver, be ready to spend big bucks on gas. And you'll definitely want to run premium fuel in it. For that model, you'll definitely want to make good friends with a quality Jag mechanic, and have them look it over BEFORE you buy - pre-purchase inspection should cost a few hundred bucks. But buying a Jag with a problem you didn't know about could cost you as much as you paid for the car. Jags - and English cars in general - have a bad reputation for breaking down. IF - and that's a very big if - you keep absolutely diligent with regular maintenance, and have a good mechanic who can address problems while they're still small ones, you shouldn't have too many problems. If you skimp on the regular maintenance, though, you'll have big, expensive problems to deal with. Think of it like our sheepies - regular grooming = good coats, healthy dogs, and finding problems quickly. Skip a month of grooming, and you've got a big problem on your hands. We love old cars, especially old English cars. I wouldn't necessarily run screaming the other direction, but you need to really understand what you're getting into. |
| Yeah there's almost no chance you'd be able to purchase a car like this for $4k, expecting to drive it, and NOT plan on spending more than the purchase price on repairs/maintenance... sadly. |
| The older Jag's have a Lucas electrical system and it is a nightmare. If this model has one stay away. |
| All the above is good advice IMHO. Cars like the above Jag and like early American cars, (1920s-1950s); if you buy one, plan on putting a serious amount of money in it and expect headaches along the way. These cars, older cars in general are always a labor of love. Unless you're familiar with all the workings of the brand, are willing to learn or change things to what you do know, walk away and know you made the right choice. I feel pretty confident I can tackle nearly anything mechanically thrown at me anymore but I still walk away from projects as I know it would take WAY more, (time and money) to make it right than not and even then it would be far more than the car is worth. And that is bad math no matter how you look at it. One thing to keep in mind is replacement parts; The older the car is, and/or the farther away from the place that the car was made from where you are, the price of parts goes up, with a very few exceptions. One thing I will say about owning a classic, and an '82 Jag is by definition is a classic, (and just), is that insurance companies are finally being realistic about their rate on these cars. To insure my far from stock 1934 Ford was costing me around $19 a month and that was full coverage. They've finally figured out that the vast majority of classic car owners are REALLY careful with their cars and they aren't the risk that the Companies thought. So there's my opinion; walk away. and sleep well that night. Vance |
Run Paula Run!!!!!  We've had a 62 and a 73 XKE...I can tell you stories about arriving at a wedding soaking wet and pushing a car in high heels....two different stories!!! Beautiful cars but money pits and so unreliable!!! We've also had a XJS and yes we still own two Jags that Rob would never part with but I would be retired by now if I wasn't paying for car repairs!!! I have a 1990 Miata that runs beautifully and have done nothing to but tires and oil changes and I would more than recommend buying one!!! Lots of fun and not a lot of money. |
Maybe I could buy it and just look at it  It's out of my head now so I'm not tempted. I know Jags have always had a bad reputation as far as reliability. I don't want to spend my retirement savings on car maintenance. I guess I'll just stick with my Camry. Boring. |
| I was trying to think of other cars in the same class (personal luxury coupe) as the XJ-S but there really aren't too many choices. Certainly a Mercedes Benz SL or maybe a BMW 8 series, but they're pricey to buy and maintenance will kill you. Any European car will be expensive to maintain. So then I start thinking American & Japanese. The Americans haven't built a nice personal luxury coupe since probably the late '60s or early '70s. If you find a nice example of one of these, you'll have to pay out the nose. But cost to maintain should be low. In the 2000s, Cadillac introduced the XLR, which is a BEAUTIFUL 2 seat, hard top convertible. SWEET car. But the point of entry is up there; $26k to $30K. That leaves the Japanese. Which makes me think of an older Lexus SC300/400 (1991-2000). My guess is that you could pick one of these up relatively cheaply and being a Lexus, I would imagine the quality is pretty good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_SC If you're truly looking for a fun car, the Lexus may hit the mark. |
| snippet from http://www.jag-lovers.org/ Quote: Buying an XJS Without a doubt, the XJS is one of the most popular Jaguar ever made and while it may not have the appeal of the legendary E-type it is an excellent choice for someone who wants to enjoy Jaguar ownership at a reasonable cost; and who wouldn't! Needless to say, with such a long run and model variations, XJS can be found from very cheap, as in needing plenty of work, to excellent condition. As with any "special" car (it's still a little early to call the XJS a classic - no hate mail please...) buying the best you can afford instead of the cheapest possible pays off. Maintenance history is important to make sure an XJS has received the care it needed, especially for the V12. As a hobby or week end car, there is really no reason to stay away from an early coupe especially if the price is right and if you don't mind a trip to the woodless plastic age of the 70s. The V12 is without a doubt one of the very best engine ever build by Jaguar or by any builder for that matter. It is a rugged and reliable engine capable of high mileage with very little problems. However, it doesn't like to be overheated so keeping the cooling system in top shape is important. Any evidence that a prospective V12 XJS maybe running hot is cause for concern and engine condition should be checked thorougly by doing a compression check. Even if the engine appears to be running well, rebuilding a V12 is an expensive job ($8000 to $10 000); a compression test prior to purchase is cheap insurance... At the other end of the spectrum, the later XJS can make a very good daily driver with decent fuel economy in the case of the AJ6 / AJ16 powered versions. Needless to say, the V12 is anything but economical although when driven sensibly it won't be worst than most of the SUVs seen on the roads today. While the AJ6 and AJ16 engines may not have won Le Mans, they are just as reliable as the V12 and easier to work on. Maintenance on the V12 is more costly than on a 6 cylinder car, not only because there are twice as many plugs, wires, injectors, etc... but because with such a big engine access is limited; this is the price to pay for the glamorous V12 badge. Like any Jaguar, condition of the body is extremely important when buying an XJS. Rust is a problem and can be very costly to fix; beware of recently painted cars as that shiny new paint can hide poor repairs. Facelift models (92-96) were build from fewer body panels and received improved rustproofing. If you are looking for an open car, it maybe a little hard to decide between the Cabriolet, the H&E convertible or the later convertibles. Despite its Targa bar and fixed rear windows, the Cabriolet certainly has its charms starting the various configurations one can choose: fully open, rear convertible open or close, each Targa panel on or off. US buyers face an other decision when it comes to the "true" convertible between the H&E with its unpadded top but lower profile when open or the Jaguar built version with the more luxurious padded top but sticking out when folded down. |
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