16th Jan 2017, 08:52
Thanks Martin. I should join the XJS club!
Next update... 20,000 miles and a couple of years in I have sent it off for just some of those teeny bubbles. Ha. Each has involved cutting out BIG chunks of metal and finding more rust than I thought possible at jacking points and in the footwells.
I have yet to deal with what you suggest is my dash hanging on by a thread. But having seen others in for repair, I am prepared for a big bill. My body shop have told me they WILL break the windscreen in the process.
Alas, early comments about speed have come back to haunt me. An empty motorway 96mph resulted in big fine and 5 points. So now I am Mr super careful again.
Then straight from paint shop to mechanics to replace the timing chain and tensioners to cure that irritating rattle from cold.
But in 30 months ownership I have only spent about £3000 so far. I still love the car. I'm running a 3.2 Jaguar X300 whilst the XJS is off the road, but cannot wait for the XJS to come home.
17th Mar 2019, 09:52
Okay a quick top up. Now up to 120,000 miles. It’s my daily driver much of the time.
I still have the front bulkhead to do, but oddly in the time I have had the car, those bubbles haven’t got any bigger.
And there’s has been the essential rust elsewhere to deal with. And endless suspension bits.
One major comment. This car hasn’t broken down once. Been to the south of France and the north of Scotland; even last year a business trip to Switzerland.
I’ve been treating it gently, but the rest of the world has not. Including a slow speed shunt, which did little damage but dumped my auto box fluid on the road. In the dark I didn’t even notice, but next day we were off for a gearbox rebuild.
There have been one or two odd repairs. The “death rattle” when cornering left and accelerating, even at very low speeds in town, sounded terrible. Solution was to remove a bit of road debris from the exhaust heat shield!
The Jaguar radio/tape/6 CD thinking died, but I sent it away for repair rather than replace. I like original bits and I love having a cassette player.
I’ve now spent about £10,000 over five years. I’m quite happy with that, but honestly, you’d be skimping to do it for less - this is no concours creature.
But yes, lots of suspension, mounts, bushes, gearbox mounting, and track rod ends. All what I think of as service stuff, but it requires some money every year to keep the car handling well. Road springs next.
I’m happy. Costs way less than any “new” car that can do what the XJS does. And it looks superb.
I said in my first post I didn’t think it could do 0-60 in eight seconds. I tried on a dry day once with a chum and it was 7.2. Golly. Doesn’t feel that quick from inside!
I’ll try to keep this car.
20th Sep 2016, 13:42
Great review, and oh so true. They really are so individual.
To any one thinking of buying a Celebration, they were all UK 4ltr cars RHD. 6 ltr cars were not Celebrations, neither were LHD cars of any engine size. The AJ16 engine, provided it gets regular oil changes, is capable of very high mileages, 300k is perfectly possible before major problems may raise their heads.
Bodywork is the main problem, and rust. Even inconspicuous places like the two panels either side of the windscreen wipers are problem areas. Any rust bubbles that go under the windscreen means that your dashboard is hanging on by a thread. These panels are no longer available either. Any rust anywhere on the buttresses means the car is ready for the scrapyard, as it will have spread to the rear axle mounting points. Rear radius arms are made from paper mache, or seem to be! These are still made though and are an easy replacement. As the roof drain holes finish by just pouring out onto the main front wing holder, check these carefully as it will rust from the inside out. Finally, front subframes... they rust at the upper spring turret, which you can't see unless you get underneath with a torch.
Interiors... the driver's seat bolster wears very quickly, many headlinings can sag. Wooden ski slopes, where the gear-lever is, can crack, but all of these are available as replacements.
If you do buy one, remember, Jaguar dealer service history means that the previous owners had more money than sense... speaking from experience where my own Celebration was serviced by a previous owner at Jag main dealer where they filled the diff with normal diff oil. Should be Limited Slip and resulted in a blown diff. £600 later and a recon diff fitted, the car is a dream. So buy with your head, not your heart.
Martin Gliddon, XJS Club.