Faults:

Fuel cross-over valve leak.

Unknown remaining fuel leak. The car still smells like gasoline when running.

Many engine, transmission and rear end leaks.

Rubber suspension components rotted by oil.

Windshield wipers do not park. Park switch ordered.

Driver's (electric) seat does not adjust. Stuck in high and mid-forward position.

Even after complete strip and paint, and being garaged since, very small rust bubbles appearing just below the windshield spars (typical location for this).

Driver's floor pan rusty.

Dome lights stopped working. Switch, fuse, bulbs all good. Just a break in power somewhere between the fuse box and switch.

Right front marker lens fell off while driving.

Typical small cracks in wood dash veneer.

Cabin vents making bell sounds as they flap. Common problem with these, difficult to fix.

Parts are rare and expensive. Most Jaguar dealers will not work on older models.

General Comments:

One of the most beautiful years of the XJ series, especially the front of the car. The lines of the hood are graceful, and the grill looks great with a Union Jack badge on it.

If the car was more reliable, I would not hesitate to take it across country. It is a joy to drive.

Car had a $5000 custom paint job. A very subtle metallic added to British Racing Green. A thick clear coat adds depth, and makes the car gleam.

Equipped with two large and two small headlights. Most U.S. models came with headlight bezels around the large headlight opening to only allow four small headlights. The two different sizes make the car look more authentic.

Never had a Jaguar "leaper" on hood. I think they look way better without them.

Fitted with XJS lattice rims. Makes the car exceptionally beautiful. Wider than stock, though, so they rub the inner fender a little on hard u-turns.

Interior is tan. Leather is good to excellent. No tears, but a little drying around top of back seat. Carpet is immaculate. Headliner perfect. Door thresholds are completely unscratched. This car looks like it has never had passengers in the back seat.

The most disappointing thing about Jaguars is their resale value. Because of their reputation, mine will never sell for what its looks would suggest it's worth. Custom wheels, a $5,000 paint job (with receipts), and an immaculate interior don't matter. Even after I fix the pesky problems (leaks, front-end overhaul, minor electrical), the car will not sell for much more than $4,000 - $6,000. That is a shame. Everyone who has ever seen this car drools over it. It even won second place at a classic car show, and it's not even a classic. Oh well, nothing I can do about its value. I plan to sell it soon, but I'll just have to keep a stiff upper lip and try not to be disappointed.

Faults:

Front brake pads.

Front calipers.

Rear pads.

Massively bad oil leak.

Flex plate.

Timing chain was super loose.

Rear axle assembly rusted off of car.

Rusty.

Random electrical problems.

General Comments:

I wanted something interesting so I traded my old Ford truck and 600 bucks for this Jaguar at a dealership. I really wanted a Jag and I ignored some signs on the test drive that this thing was a wreck.

First thing I noticed is the car had some sort of rattling going on when I would take off. I chalked it up to a loose heat shield. Car had been sitting for a little while, from the looks of it out in the grass since the under side had a lot of cancer.

My friend and I took it on a road trip that we had hoped would be fun. Instead it was filled with wondering if the car was going to make it back home after we had to turn around in Nebraska (started out in central Wisconsin). The car sprung a horrid leak somewhere and was losing a quart to two quarts every 40-50 miles. The engine steadily got noisier and noisier. Seemed like it was in the upper end. The rattling kept getting worse too.

The last straw was when the tire blew in Nebraska, I kept jacking the car up and I noticed the tire wasn't coming off the ground. The rear trailing arm was completely disconnected from the car. The only thing holding in the rear end assembly was gravity, a driveshaft, and good luck. The other rattling noise kept getting worse and worse until it was clear that something was wrong with the flex plate. Had plenty of electrical gremlins and the car was pretty hard on fuel. I managed to squeak out 20 mpg if I was going a steady 55 on flat ground, otherwise it was a rather trucklike 16-17 mpg. I had an old 54 Packard with a two speed automatic that got that. The motor was bigger than the Jags to boot.

Also getting a spare key was an exercise in seeing how much the Jag dealer (stealer) could rip you off. After fruitlessly trying to find a place that had the right key blanks, I went to an actual Jag dealer. They had the key blanks for the low low sum of 20 bucks a freaking key. Would have been a sweeter pill to swallow if they weren't generic blanks. Looked about the same as the buck key blanks at Wal-Mart. They wouldn't even cut the key for that price.

After giving up on the road trip, I arrived back at home and quickly unloaded the car off at a salvage yard for 600 bucks. Never missed that pile of junk.

I had an old 51 GMC that hadn't been ran since 74 I resurrected that was more reliable than that British abomination. Changed plugs and put gas in it, that was it. Best British cars are ones that have American engines in them.

About the only good thing I can say about it is the ride was very smooth. The best riding car I have ever owned.