1989 XJS Coupe
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This is a two owner,
Cosmetically, it is
generally very nice. There is no significant body damage. There are only
two small parking lot dings, and two noticeable scratches. Naturally, the
forward surfaces have the usual bug and stone chips that you would expect to
see on a car of this age.
The interior has held up
remarkably well. There are no cracks or tears in the leather, as a result of
being stored inside whenever possible, and regular treatments with leather
conditioner. There is a section of piping missing from the outside edge
of the driver’s seat, which seems to happen to all XJS cars of this vintage.
The carpeting and floor mats are in excellent condition. The wood looks
excellent, and does not show any drying, aging, or cracking. The
headliner was recently replaced.
Mileage is 147,000 miles.
Mechanically, it is in very
good condition. Oil was changed every 3,750 miles (twice as often as called for
by the service schedule). All major service was performed as directed, at
30,000 mile intervals. This car is one of the last to use the Lucas ignition,
with the GM amplifier. This is a good thing, because later in 1989,
Jaguar switched to the Marelli ignition. The Marelli system was fatally flawed, and, in certain cases,
failed in such a way as to cause catalytic converter fires. The distributor cap
for the Marelli cars is discontinued, and cost
upwards of $200 a few years ago. (I have no idea how much they are
today.) The Lucas ignition parts are readily available, and relatively
reasonably priced.
The cooling system is
functioning properly, and the car has never overheated.
Brakes have about 40% lining
remaining. Rotors were new at the last brake job.
The exhaust system is in
excellent shape, with no sign of corrosion.
The transmission has been
serviced regularly, and works correctly.
Tires have about 25% tread
remaining.
In addition the following
was done to address known issue and pitfalls with the V12 engine:
-Distributor rebuilt to remove factory grease that hardens and causes
distributor seizure, and then lubricated regularly.
- All O rings replaced with viton. Viton rubber is more suitable to resist hardening at the
high temperatures to which they are exposed.
- The leak-prone rubber plugs at the rear of the cylinder heads have been
replaced with aluminum plugs, sealed with viton
o-ring material.
The leak-prone rubber plug in the timing cover has been replaced with an
aluminum plug, sealed with viton o-ring material.
Exhaust valve clearances have been increased to the specification recommended
by Roger Bywater,
who worked in the engine development department at Jaguar when this engine was
designed. This improves fuel economy and performance slightly, at the cost of a
slight increase in engine noise.
Air conditioning center vent assembly has been replaced by the 1992-1996 style,
which directs cool air towards the seats, rather than the empty space between
them. The air conditioner on this car works correctly.
Fuel injection hoses were
replaced for safety several years ago.
Does it
leak oil? Yes. Anyone who claims their V12 XJS does not leak is probably lying.
The fixes described above have reduced the amount of oil leakage significantly,
but this car does have some minor oil leakage. Oil consumption is about 1
quart every 1200 – 1500 miles.
Is it
reliable? Yes. This car has never refused to start, and has never needed
to be towed. An XJS V12 is not a
Scratch on top of right front fender. No metal
damage.
Scratch, caused by road debris, ahead of left wheel
well. No metal damage.