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  Jan. 2, 2012 1:35 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  
  

  This Series 1 Jaguar XJS is a great start. The car is from 1978 and is about as original as I have seen. It’s in incredible condition, and looks like a new car. I’ve had a few people look at the car and drive it, and they assure me that it is even cleaner that it looks in the pictures.
  

  It has been on the market for months, probably due to the fact that it is an XJS. This means that there is some negotiating room since it is at a dealer. In silver with red leather and all records I think this is a deal at the 10K asking price. See more about it here.
  

  I saw it at first about 2 weeks before Monterey and would have bought it except for some unexpected DB7 bills that came up. While on the lawn at Pebble Beach, I met someone from the area who told me about the car, knowing I was a fan. He then went to see it and did a PPi for me. He is an officer in the JCNA. It really is as good as it looks. This is probably the best Series 1 XJS in the U.S. I am personally not a fan of the euro lights but those can be easily swapped for the US lights. Most people actually prefer the Euro lights.

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  Jan. 4, 2012 9:59 a.m. GSCReno Reader

  I'm not sure why Andy, but within the last month or so I've been stumbling across cheap ($2,200 - $2,700) XJS's and they're starting to pique my interest. Please tell me that there's a probably a good reason for the bargain basement prices before I do something really stupid. I remember driving a friend's about 20 years ago and how solid and smooth it was. On the topic of "inexpensive" XJS's, what say you Mr. Reid? Cheers, Scott

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  Jan. 4, 2012 12:31 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Hey Scott, I really love these cars, partially due to their appearance in The Return of the Saint show in the UK and partially just because I have always liked them. That being said it is a V12 Jaguar.

  What does that mean? First you do not even want to consider rebuilding the engine on one. That being said the engine itself is in no way a weak point other than from the fuel consumption standpoint. The engine is amazing and very smooth. Make sure you get a compression test on any car you are looking at and be sure to observe the test. One of the plugs is a nightmare to get to and is often overlooked by lazy mechanics who figure that if 11 cylinders are good that the 12th one will be too. It is very easy for one of these cars to seem to run well and then give you a compression reading of 40% on one of the cylinders.

  Another weak point is that they being Jaguars of the 1970's-80's era have the typical Jag problems. Complex electrics and lots of vacuum lines. They can be a total nightmare to live with if not cared for. At this time in their lives, all the rubber hoses should have been replaced at least once. If this is the case then I would not dissuade you from getting one. I have been looking at this 77 model for 3 months considering buying it myself. The cars when in good shape are very good touring cars, a very nice alternative to a BMW 6 series or Mercedes 560SEC with a lot more style than either. Pininfarina knows how to design a car.

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  Jan. 4, 2012 4:58 p.m. Robert Bowen

  These do seem like quite a bargain - this one in particular. Wonder what you would have to budget in maintenance to own one??

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  Jan. 4, 2012 9:23 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  I would say about $1200 a year to maintain a really nice one.

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  Jan. 5, 2012 8:27 a.m. GSCReno Reader

  Thanks for the info Andy. Kind of ironic that you should say that XJS's make a very nice alternative to a BMW 6 series since mine would be a stablemate of my 635CSi (I love that car). I may solicit more info from you on the XJS as the onset of insanity approaches. Cheers, Scott

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  Jan. 5, 2012 10:33 a.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Feel free to give me a shout out scott. If I get one it would go next to the new Volvo 1800S and a Ferrari 330 GTC. I like touring cars as well and have had a 6 series as well as a 560 SEC. I am still looking for my ultimate touring car, a Bristol in LHD. I know of one in the US, a 406, but I want a 407 or later car with the Chrysler engine. I love the whole gentleman's express deal which is what the British call these kinds of cars.

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  Jan. 5, 2012 2:14 p.m. Robert Bowen

  How about a Jensen Interceptor? I've always had a soft spot for those, being a Mopar guy.

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  Jan. 5, 2012 4:35 p.m. klharper New Reader

  The worst thing about these cars is that they had to follow the XKE. Great cruiser, but they must be maintained. Don't overheat the engine and take care of the cooling system (ie modern radiator replacement) and the engine will live a good long time. Trans for the auto, which most of the are, is a GM and the rear end is the same rear end that Jag and many street rodders have been using forever. Little things may drive you nuts but stay on top of them and do not let the issues accumulate

  KL Harper

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  Jan. 6, 2012 10:35 a.m. Basil Exposition Reader

  I owned an '88 XJS and it was my daily driver for several years. It was a maintenance nightmare, and mine was relatively low mileage. There's lots about this on the web, but I had to clean up the distributor to free up the weights so they worked properly. I did the Lucas/Delco alternator switch and a number of other things to make it more reliable. Had to drop the rear end to do the rear brakes, and replacing some cam cover gaskets was a three day job to stop a 2 quart per week leak. Changing out all 27 or so cooling/heater hoses was another nightmare. Changing spark plugs was a half day. The byzantine vacuum/emissions stuff was poorly designed and I could never get out some little bit of throttle hesitation when cruising. Then there was the engine fire. $1200 per year is a light number, in my experience, unless you do all your own work (as I did) and only drive it occasionally. Still, was a magic carpet ride car when everything is working and got me lots of attention. Some of it welcome. :)

  General rule is that the younger the car the better. Prior to a change in the head in the early 80's, the mileage was less than abysmal. Once Ford bought Jaguar in the early 90's the quality improved, but it still wasn't great. I'd run away from a '78, especially at that price. There are younger ones in similar good condition for less. I eventually donated mine for a tax write-off as I couldn't sell it. And it was running and driving well at the time with no cosmetic issues and all the above items fixed. If I were to buy another one (and I won't) I'd buy one of the few 6 cylinder manual cars that are out there. I think there is one for sale in South Carolina at the moment. Or maybe a V8 converted car, but what would be the point of that?

  I looked at Jensen Interceptors before I bought the XJS, but found choices were very few. I looked at several and they were all poorly maintained and required a lot more work than I was willing to do. They aren't worth restoring, so the ones that are available are pretty worn. The only ones with collector value are the convertibles. I saw several really nice ones at a big show in Canada last year, but I think they have gotten pretty pricey. The XJS was much more plentiful and had great parts and enthusiast support.

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  Jan. 6, 2012 6:55 p.m. Robert Bowen

  Thanks for the great personal experience Basil. My neighbor has one that has been sitting for a long time, mostly covered outside, which is why I ask. The one Andy linked to looks very nice.

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