1983 Jaguar XJS V12 HE from UK and Ireland - Comments

After 106000miles, an engine coolant hose at the back of the engine ruptured, spewing antifreeze mixture over myself and some fellow colleagues who were adoring the engine at that time (£300 replacement job for all hoses) ; Front brake discs and pads need replacing (£250) ; engine oil leaks (front crank seal) & fuel leaks in engine bay (£200). Front subframe may make MoT, but if not, then it's a £900 replacement job.

It's a beautiful car. So beautiful I had to have another one (my first was a 3.6 manual, 1989 model described here too). The V12 is sublime and and overall handling is so smooth, poised and elegant. The car is just so seductive, like a beautiful mistress (and I'm running two of these!).

More to add to the history of this one. She was losing PAS fluid badly (a top-up every 2 days or less) so back she went to the garage. They found that a hole had been worn in the low pressure PAS return line as it had been chafing against a local sump flange (this hole was bodge repaired with soft solder!). As both steel hoses were not secured the end fittings at the PAS rack column were also loose and seeping fluid. The garage (Swallows Jaguar) effected a brazed repair to the hole and secured both hoses to the rack - problem solved (£50). Whilst the car was up on the ramps I took the opportunity to plaster the bottom rust-risk areas with underseal (free).

Then I had sporadic speedo / odometer going dead on me when driving. It's down to some poor connection at the speedo transducer probably near to its connection to the auto gearbox. Back to the garage (a cheap fix?). Also, one of the exhaust boxes had rusted through and broke off the exhaust pipe. I was dead lucky it didn't fall off altogether and get crunched under the car or end up in somebody's windscreen behind me on the motorway! I shall have a set of stainless exhausts fitted by Swallows (~£600).

Any speedo or dashboard problems are probably the result of a bad earthing system. A problem here can affect the readings of the temperature, fuel, oil pressure and speedo, purely because of a bit of corrosion at the back of the instrument cluster. Suggest you take a look and save some cash...