Jaguar XJ6 & XJ12 1968-18-86 (1992 V12 ONLY)

The main areas to check on any XJ body are as follows:

  • inner and outer sills
  • front sill closing panel (behind the front road wheels)
  • front wings, lower bottom edge and all around the headlamp
  • bottom edge of the bonnet and hinge mountings (especially on the S1)
  • inner wings, lower side members and battery tray (under bonnet)
  • footwells (lift the carpets)
  • rear arches and dog legs
  • rear under-bumper valances (bolt on)
  • rear wings, around the fuel filler caps
  • bootlid lower edge
  • spare wheel well (beneath boot carpet)
  • door bottoms (skins and frames)
  • front and rear screen surrounds (especially on the S3)
  • front crossmember
  • front radiator support
  • rear suspension radius arm mountings
  • floorpans along their outer edge

 Chromework can corrode, especially the rear quarter bumpers on the Series 3. Bumpers on earlier cars can be re-chromed so long as they are not holed or bent. Fortunately, with interest in all Jaguars being strong, there is an excellent spares backup for the XJ range, so finding most parts for the XJ won't necessarily be a problem.

 

Mechanically the cars are quite complex, and need regular maintenance to keep them 'on song'. Even a tired XJ will still drive nicely, if compared with a contemporary Marina or Cortina, so be extra careful that a potential purchase isn't getting saggy but just hiding it well. All engines need to have lived on a quality anti freeze mix, and don't welcome being short-changed in this department (the coolant quality in the all-aluminium V12 is especially crucial). Any knocks, bangs or smoke will soon make themselves obvious. Make sure you listen to the car start up from cold, and listen out for any bearing noise during the first few moments of the engine running. All the usual engine checks should be made as with any old car - look for signs of white goo in the coolant and engine oil, if you find some, it may be a sign of a failing head gasket. Oil pressure is important on both 6 and 12 pot engines, both must be checked from cold and once fully warmed up. As a rule of thumb, 40psi at 3000rpm when fully warmed up, is what you want to see with the XK unit.
 

The independent rear suspension and subframe is a complex affair, with rear brake discs mounted inboard just to make life extra tricky. There are a lot of rubber joints, mountings and universal joints hanging under there, and wear in any of these parts will manifest themselves when you're driving along. Clunks when taking up drive could well be wear in either propshaft or half shaft UJ, equally the subframe mountings or (worse) the radius arm mountings could be pulling away from the back end of the floorpans. If you're at all unsure about a car in this respect, it'll pay to get it checked over by a qualified, independent, technician. Problems in the suspension area, front or rear, can manifest themselves by wearing out the shoulders of the tyres, so have a good look at the boots while you're poking around. Adjusting the handbrake, which is mounted up above the rear discs, is notoriously tricky at the best of times, and if the pads have been binding, it may well have generated enough heat to fry the seals in the diff (limited slip introduced on the S1 XJ12), causing leaks.

Assuming the body and mechanics of the XJ are ok, have a look at the interior. Sagging headlinings on the early cars are not unusual, but fixing them is not just a case of squirting impact adhesive up there and praying. A replacement headlining is the only long-term cure. Fortunately a lot of rusty XJs are being broken for spares, and many still have good trim in them, so if you are not going for a show-quality finish to your car, it is perfectly acceptable to find secondhand trim items to replace and tired pieces on a running car. Finding these trims parts usually involves joining a relevant owners club and scouring their classifieds sections, or slogging around autojumbles looking for the bits you need. To re-trim a tired car, you are looking at serious money. If your aim is to have a car with a mint interior, financially you're probably better looking for a car that is already excellent in this regard.

Series 1 XJs are usually sought by the enthusiast who rates the styling of the early cars over the later variations. The Series 3 is generally accepted as being the best bet if you plan to use your Jag on a regular basis, and is probably easiest to still find secondhand parts for. Lying inbetween, and often overlooked, is the Series 2. Due to being less popular in XJ circles, a very nice S2 can often be found for the price of an average S1 or 3. XJ Coupes, while stunning to look at when in nice order, are worth little more than a saloon if it has deteriorated.