Learn me Jag XJ

My wife's always loved these. I like the 70s models (before the square headlights), but that doesn't seem prudent. Fortunately, they made basically the same car up until a few years ago.

Once the kids are all in booster seats, I'm having a hard time figuring out why I shouldn't get rid of one of my minivans and plunk some sexy down in the driveway. Other than, you know, 10 year old aging european luxury bankruptcy. But then, how bad can it be?

They seem to have depreciated like gangbusters, which is either awesome news or a sign of things to come, depending on how you look at it.

Good idea? Bad idea?

Just be aware like most European luxury cars, they are going to have their electrical gremlins and they will have expensive parts. Also IIRC they use premium fuel as well.

Other than that, I love Jag XJs.

Depends on who you talk to but IMHO they really aren't any worse then a BMW. The V8s do have several problems. One is the timing chain tensioners. If these haven't been updated plan on doing that. Which Jaguar XJ are you thinking? I personally don't know if I would replace a minivan with one. But the '80s XJs are so damn cheap you could probably pick one up and use it and if it breaks down you have the minivan.

Good question. I like the look of the late 90s one, but based on reality and a quick reading of wikipedia, I'd probably be looking at the X350, aka, something in the 2003 - 2005 era.

I've had my eye on this one, which has been on the local CL for months now. Just don't want that much of a headache right now. And the price seems a little (though not a lot) high.

Love that V12 burble.

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/2664721317.html

I had an XJ40 (the one one with the headlights you don't like) I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had more money to spend. Parts costs are truly the only down side. I really couldn't have wanted much more from a daily driver.

At least the generations up to the XJ40 was rather good at rusting, so depending on where you live you might have a hard time finding a non- Fred Flintstone model.

I love the XJS... I wonder how well that V12 responds to megasquirt?

I've got a 2001 XJR and it's been great. I'm probably inviting some kind of electromechanical disaster upon myself by saying this, but mine's been remarkably trouble free, aside from the MAF sensor failing and the one of the window switches on a back door failing. I'm currently at about 80,000 miles so I'm starting to think about replacing the timing chain tensioners like 93EXCivic mentioned. If you go with an X350 they've got metal tensioners so you don't have to worry about that. The suspension is also getting worn out so I've started gathering parts to tackle that too.

If you're looking at replacing a minivan with an XJ, make sure you take a long hard look at the size of the trunk. Bring a bunch of stuff with you and try to fit it in - the full size spare eats up a lot of space and the gas tank sits between the trunk and the rear seat so the trunk isn't very deep. I use my back seat to haul stuff a lot more then I use the trunk because the trunk just isn't tall enough. On the plus side, I bought a 26 gallon air compressor at Home Depot and I was able to squeeze it into the back seat when it wouldn't fit in the trunk. The X350s do have a larger trunk than the earlier cars, but I'm not sure how much larger it is. Since it's an all new platform I'd imagine that they addressed that issue.

One last thing, when I was shopping for mine I found that the insurance prices for the all aluminum X350s was double the earlier steel bodied cars. I was told it was because repairing the aluminum chassis and body parts was much harder than steel parts. I don't know if repair techniques have improved enough over the last 8 years to bring the cost of repair down enough to cut insurance rates, or if it was so much higher for some other reason.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Just thought of something else - an open diff on a car with 400lb-ft of torque sucks. I can't believe Jaguar cheaped out on that. I don't know if the X350s have a limited slip diff or not, but I don't think they do.

Bob

and i have just been looking on CL for one. there was one in the box flare thread that made me feel funny. now im looking at a 4 door version wondering of box flares would make it awsomer, too. and still fit car seats.

hmm....

michael

Dusterbd13 wrote: now im looking at a 4 door version wondering of box flares would make it awsomer, too.

I think we all know the answer to that...

ill reserve judgement until someone hotlinks a pic for my viewing pleasure. looks really awsome ion my head. especially on some 335/40.18's.