My mechanic here in Connecticut has a white Jag XJS just like yours with a stick shift. I believe it’s a European model because they certainly did not make those here in the states with that engine or transmission. He bought it as a project car and he’s fixing it up as we speak. My uncle in Canada has a V12 XJS from 1986 which was originally black, but he had it painted gold. He inherited it from his mother many years ago. She passed away from cancer this past July, unfortunately. He told me the engine gave up the ghost on that one and he’s already had the heads redone. I think he’s either going to sell it or perhaps to a Corvette engine swap
As a longtime XJ-S enthusiast I just want to point out one thing on the black '88. All the fuel lines in the engine compartment have been changed out for not fuel injection rated hose. This is an engine fire waiting to happen. You might want to advise your customer of this.
If you haven't driven an XJS before, these cars are SOLID and SMOOTH. The refinement and driving experience is similar to that of a Rolls or Bentley of the era. Known as reliable by actual owners. I have an 85 with 129k that still looks and feels factory fresh.
A mechanic I knew in Vero Beach, Florida told me that properly maintained, the mechanical bits of these cars were fairly reliable. That engine is monstrous! It displaces 5.3 liters, but it is so big that it can be bored and stroked to over 9 liters! They are NOT tolerant of any missed maintenance, and this fact along with the Lucas electrics are the only reasons that this design gets maligned. That and these were deceptively heavy, more of a Cadillac than a Corvette.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Precisely! I should have said that. sambone hit the nail on the head when he talked about refinement; These were turbine smooth and like the Porsche 928, were kind of an alternative to a private plane in countries with no speed limits on open highways.
I had a 78 XJS V12 ... and it is a shit box. You say it drives like a Bentley .... wrong ! I have a Bentley Supersport Convertible and there is no comparison
I own a 1976 Silver Grey Jaguar XJS V12. Steve "Hercules" Reeves owned it from 1977 to 1999. Bought it off the floor at Charles Hornburg Jaguar in Beverly Hills. It runs and looks amazing. It turns heads everywhere it goes. It may not last forever but I'll cherish every moment until then. Those are some beautiful Jags! I'll be watching with great interest.
A Jag XJS was my first car in highschool back in the early 2000s. I was something of a legend because I had a V12. Super impractical and I spent as much reparing it as I did buying it; but I didn't have a long commute and highschool is a fun time to have a crazy impractical car like that.
The "Lucas" ignition module is actually a GM Delco unit with a Lucas label. In mid-1989, they changed from the Lucas ignition to a Marelli ignition. The Marelli distributor is a dual rotor design. When owners neglected the maintenance, the contact for the top rotor would burn out, killing the 6 cylinders on the right bank, but the left bank kept running. Meanwhile, raw fuel was pouring down the exhaust pipe into the right side catalytic converter, where it caught fire and and destroyed the car. That happened WAY too often.
I’ve changed a few of the V12’s to 350 Chevy’s fora few customers a few years ago. That was just the lesser expensive option for repairs a few people could afford who loved their Jag years ago. So glad to see some have survived that era !!
The XJS is one of my all time favourite Jaguars. Yeah, they're mechanical nightmares in so many ways, but damn the styling is amazing - just one of those moments in time where the designers just hit so many right notes. There was one parked on my walk to school (only in nice weather!) when I was a child, and even then it was just an amazing looking vehicle. For all that the much older E-type gets the love, these will always have a place in my heart.
@ It’s a bit of a generational thing. The E-Type is as much a departure from the “elegant saloon” era Jaguars as the XJS is from the E-Type. I appreciate both for different reasons, but the XJS is definitely a “preferred model” in my mental fantasy garage :-)
If you don't already know, it's worth using the genuine Jaguar gortex cam cover gaskets, expensive but they work, very pleased with the ones I fitted several years ago.
In the early 70s we had neighbors who had a Jaguar sedan and an E type, probably from the late 60's. His way of doing things was always a bit shady and he had a diesel truck and diesel motorhome. He put a pump in his garage and would have an oil company deliver diesel as if it was for the house. (No taxes that way). But he did the basic maintenance on his Jaguars himself. Replaced the plugs and adjusted timing about every two months. Those 12-cylinder engines were pretty finicky. I loved it when his wife gave me a ride home from school in the E type. It was so low to the ground that 35 mph felt like 70. A go-cart for the road.
@mikelore1633 No it wont. A few celebrities and status people will buy them, but that wont make them take off. At best will be a cybertruck. The first few buyers will get them, and that is it. Woke has never sold and even often turns off that very market by trying to be woke.
One of the achilles heals of the XJS was the heat generated by the V12, it baked all the rubber hoses under the hood. I lost mine to an engine fire when the hose connecting the fuel injector to the fuel rail split spraying gas on the engine. In that model year the hose was crimped on the injector so you had to replace the injector with the hose. Beautiful cars, thanks for showing them.
This mans wife has a beautiful voice and enthusiasm for cars that makes me want to buy any car she talks about. What a lucky man. For her to share his interests.....i mean does it get better than that? I doubt it.
My gf’s father in high school had a new 1987 XJS convertible. White with tan leather. I took it to our senior prom. Awesome car!! That V12 pulls nicely, but far slower than today’s cars. I’ve always wanted to get my hands on one but I heard they are mechanical nightmares.
I recently looked at buying one of those, but I remember my boss had two in the 90"s, and they were always needing something, and a head gasket was the final straw for him. Instead, I bought an 04 C-5 in mint condition with 37k on it. Love it! and very reliable so far.
I have both an 88 and a 91 too. There's also an 89 in-between. The 88 had the cruise control servo removed. It also looks like the intake manifolds were painted
My Army buddy in1991 had an XJS when we were assigned to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He had visitation every other weekend with a child in Los Angeles. He would rent a car for the trip to LA because, he said, he didn't want to put miles on the Jag. I thought that was what the Jaguar was made for. But maybe it was cheaper to rent a car than pay for maintenance on the Jaguar.
Merry Christmas Mr & Mrs Wizard and team from Scotland! Yoa are a great team. Many thanks for your informative, educational, money saving and very entertaining productions over the past year and prior. A colleague of mine had a V12 XJS a few years back and as a bit of fun disonnected the tail pipes leaving the headers only to see what it sounded like, almost a RR Merlin aero engine!
My first ever Jag was a red version of the white one, with the TWR kit and alloys, but with the rear spoiler. What a beauty that white one is! I'm so tempted!
Re: the interiors...... 91 has the driver's airbag steering wheel & the Ford-based security system (given away by their barrel-style key, which was very difficult to copy) 87 has the more stylish, non-airbag steering wheel & regular, low-security style of key.
There was a later slight restyle of the XJS after Ford bought Jaguar, and the rear side windows became rounded. I believe the inboard rear brakes were changed to be outboard using the XJ40 saloon brakes, and, of course, a different hub carrier. Probably the best of the XJS models were the last ones which had the AJ16 4 litre straight six. By this time the V12 engine had gradually faded away. These later cars have virtually the same performance as the V12, but much better fuel mileage.
My father-in-law had the 4.0 straight 6 engine in an XJS. It was an absolute delight - you wonder how a company that made such superb 6's cocked up the V-12 so badly. It was more economical than his 2.4 4-pot Honda Aerodeck!
You might mention that the 1989 onward had a dual level rotor and a different ignition system then the 88. Also the inboard brakes reduce the unsprung mass of the wheels and the dual exhaust tips allow more flow in a more stylized rectangular outlet instead of one large round pipe. One issue of the inboard brakes was that it not as ventilated so it had higher temperatures and faded faster. The engine is quite large with not much power because it was initially designed to be a 7 to 8 liter engine for racing if it was like that then the power weight ratio would be reasonable.
The white car has the TWR Jaguar Sport body kit, wheels and exhaust setup. It was an option back it the day. Very unusual for an American car. Jaguar sold 100 special edition XJR-S cars in ‘93 with this although the engine was now a 6.0 liter. It still had the sluggish GM automatic as the Getrag 5-speed didn’t came along until ‘94. I always admire owners who take care of their cars the way this guy does . So many Jaguar owners just run this cars into the ground can then complain about how much it is to fix. I have had five of these cars and am now down to just two: a coupe and a convertible (because you should always be prepared for a sunny day).
Back in the day you could get the Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR body kit, they used to be adverts in the motormags. Look up Bathurst 1985 and Toms qualifying lap. Big cat on the Mountain.
I bought a ‘91 Classic Collection XJ-S used from a dealer in 1997(?). The first thing I requested was to change the dorky shift lever to the dainty T shift lever of the early car….a little more Ferrari tyoe(?). . My ‘91 has been a daily driver for years, but I got into Hugh performance racing, I bought an ‘88, also a V12 and started the long expensive road to modifying the transmission to a Tremec T500, 4:11 rear, but brakes….a money hole. Blew two 12 cylinders. Still have the shell and drivetrain. Still love my ‘91…fantastic cars that remind me of The Saint…and what better British touch is having TWO ashtrays nest to each other.
The even older V12 ran dual distributors. One on the front of each head for each bank. Single distributor saved a bit of cost and improved spark by removing the really long plug wires.
12:30 Please, don’t! If you fix the oil leak, the bottom of the chassis will eventually get clean and dry. It will start rusting out without all the grease covering it. Please, don’t. Jaguars are pretty self sufficient in chassis conservation. Don’t ruin it.😢
Love these we have a 88 xjs convertible and a 78 Xj both v12s both having been sitting one almost 20 years another the other over 30. They are beautiful too look at and I can only imagine how they ride.
Back around 1978 my dad test drove a new one and I got in that back seat. Pretty cramped for sure. My dad did floor it and it seemed really fast for cars at the time. Looking that up they hit 60 in about 7 seconds. That was pretty quick for the seventies. He didn't buy it though and probably for the best as jags weren't very reliable in those days. Although this one seems pretty good with the GM hydramatic. That 12 is a really smooth motor however. I remember that. And it was definitely way faster then the cadillacs he drove at the time. Today my BMW X3 with 2 liter turbo is probably just as quick. If you want one this would be a good pick as its in better shape. Something that is in rough shape would be crazy expensive to bring back.
I really love these cars. I remember when they came out in 1976. They look really good with the original dual lamps (as opposed to the one-piece lamp for Europe). Not to nitpick the 91 car, but the plastic bumpers look so bad as do the wheels. I wish they could retain the designer’s original intent.
The cladding and the sport wheels are part of the TWR package and could be purchased from the dealer who would install them for the customer. My 1985 XJS looks identical the 1991 you have in your shop.
My step dad had a 1990 XJS Collection Classic convertible. I drove it with my date to the high school prom and it overheated and broke down on the side of the highway. Everyone driving by envied us though!
Great video. I had a 1986 XJS, the downfall was the Lucas electrics. I also tried to work on it myself and removed the distributor to clean and adjust, installed it 180 degrees out of sync. Quickest way to destroy a Jag. I finally gave it away to stop the bleeding.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Good idea, but that was 20 years ago and ended my car maintenance career! Good learning experience. Now I fix my 3D printers - lots lighter parts
I am seriously wishing that I never ever sold my 1996 Jaguar XJSC… what a beautiful sexy beast she was… the C stands for convertible… I named her Celeste and she never let me down once…. She pulled 140 mph over the sunshine skyway bridge every time I crossed it…. Damn I miss her!
Once looked at a xjr sovereign (84 I think) in 1995-96 Everything came up in the wee screen as a warning so walked away from the auction with a 2.5 senator instead
Love the Car Wizard Channel. I am surprised that you like working on Jag XJS's. While they look super nice, I opine they are mechanical disasters that are 3 decades ahead of current BMW offerings (which we know you hate) in regards to engineering and serviceability. The 'next issue' is merely a few miles away. Like new BMWs they work well...until they don't.
The standard of luxury then: - High quality and expensive materials, solid fit and finish, and timeless styling inside and out… The standard of luxury today: - Smart TV screens, piano black plastic everywhere, either very boring or ugly bright colors, horribly over styled or simplistically ugly, ambient lighting everywhere, and more screens… Yeah, change as it turns out isn’t always for the better… 😅😅
Rose coloured glasses right there. These things were horribly unreliable, and a pain in the ass to work on in a way that seemingly only Jaguar could arrange. Unreliability, cost and complexity resulted in a large number of them ending up with small block Chev engines. Even BMW's M70 V12 was packaged better. Plastic in these things is typical '70s, '80s crap, and gets really brittle in short order. You can almost guarantee that something is going to break taking the instrument cluster apart, which you will have to do because the gauges and back lighting fail regularly. Assembly quality was never a Jag strongpoint, these are no different. You might get a good one, you might not. The early BL ones were mostly terrible, but that improved as you got into the later 1980s and '90s especially after the Ford acquisition, but by then, they were well out of date compared to similarly priced German, then Japanese competitors. As far as screens, blame the customers. People want phone connectivity and the gewgaws that have been added to the interior. Sales suffer when it's not available. At least with ambient lighting, it can be turned off, and at least some models allow the screen to be turned off.
Had a 89 XJS 12, Red ,black rag top, gray int, factory wire wheels, It was a baby doll, but I knew if it broke it would cost more to fix than it was worth, even me doing the work.
The vacuum advance on the lucas v12 isn’t setup, I see they bypassed the advance. The distributor is not breathing out as the breather hose is disconnected and can potentially cause the distributor to explode. Someone mentioned the fuel hoses so I won’t mention it again.
Would be interesting to see&hear morr on the differences between the two - like if that less interesting 91 steering wheel came from some other Ford. As Ford only acquired Jag in 1990, I guess that explains the dumping of Lucas, and that 88 XJS is right in the middle of Jag's short lived 'modern' independent era. Great vid
Hey! I have two! A coupe and a convertible. But have had 5 total over the years. Great cars. Funny though how people who know nothing about them like to claim bragging rights by declaring how terrible Jaguars are yet never turn down a ride.
@@XeroBritt It is hilarious, reading through the comments with all the Jag ownership who literately drove them until they burned to the ground and then blame Jaguar for it.
That design of inboard rear brakes with dual springs was really sweet. It should have been picked up by other manufacturers who produced rear drive vehicles.
Unfortanately the braking control is not as accurate than brakes at the wheel bc of all the parts between the brake itself and the wheel. I know this from working on Humvees with inboard brakes that the movement of the vehicle is significant when the brakes are held. Of course the Humvees movement is exaggerated bc the big tires and additional parts.
You lucky devil not one but two,,xjs's.. my son just finished his custom restomod on his 86 xjs.. custom shaved body,, jet black satin paint,, lowered 2",, 18x9.5" rims, 265/35 skins, custom 1-1/4" front sway bar,, 1"rear,, mobeck custom standalone Maxx ECU, DIS ignition, electric idle,, custom headers,, all aluminum sanded to 2000 then polished to mirror shine,, all metal chromed,, all fasteners on the car switch to SS.. custom cross diamond stitch interior,, removed the aux tank and relocated the batt in the right trunk pocket,, custom trunk to match. Original TWR body kit,, custom air snorkels, 2--16" high velocity electric fans,, and it goes on.. these cars are easy to work on and once replaced with updated parts, are absolutely indestructible.. keep these cars alive.. you should see some of the 4 doors..
The white one is a TWR inspired production model 6.0 , clearly a US model by the headlights . The 1988 model is a 5.3 l motor from before Ford got hold of them , funnily enough , you get better outright performance out of the lighter free breathing 5.3 .
I had a red one that made its way to me from Canada. It was a euro model right side drive that was converted to left for some reason. The electrical was a mess but loved that car.
The body kit on the white car looks like the similar one they fitted to the limited TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing ) version they had here in the UK , with performance upgrades .
Still find it criminal that most of these cars were sold with 3 speed autos. The very few 5 speed manuals out there (more common in Europe) are a totally different driving experience.
@petrosaguilar8916 Here in Australia all aussie build fords from the early 1990's onwards such as Falcons & Fairlanes had that type of key system. I have a 1992 NC Fairlane Ghia & a 2001 AU Falcon XR8 both have the Tibbey key system.
Thanks for sorting our Jaaaag Wizard! One thing to note on this particular car is the TWR/Jaguarsport goodies! Very rare!
My mechanic here in Connecticut has a white Jag XJS just like yours with a stick shift. I believe it’s a European model because they certainly did not make those here in the states with that engine or transmission. He bought it as a project car and he’s fixing it up as we speak.
My uncle in Canada has a V12 XJS from 1986 which was originally black, but he had it painted gold. He inherited it from his mother many years ago. She passed away from cancer this past July, unfortunately. He told me the engine gave up the ghost on that one and he’s already had the heads redone. I think he’s either going to sell it or perhaps to a Corvette engine swap
As a longtime XJ-S enthusiast I just want to point out one thing on the black '88. All the fuel lines in the engine compartment have been changed out for not fuel injection rated hose. This is an engine fire waiting to happen. You might want to advise your customer of this.
Old real Jags never go out of style
Unfortunately, they never run right either
Maybe for you they never run right
.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Did you SBC swap yours with a whole new wiring harness and aftermarket electronics?
They're timeless classics the day they roll off the production floor 😂
@@406StevenLS swap baby
So much better in person. The scale and proportions are hard to appreciate in a video. Such a sleek and svelte elegant design.
If you haven't driven an XJS before, these cars are SOLID and SMOOTH. The refinement and driving experience is similar to that of a Rolls or Bentley of the era. Known as reliable by actual owners. I have an 85 with 129k that still looks and feels factory fresh.
A mechanic I knew in Vero Beach, Florida told me that properly maintained, the mechanical bits of these cars were fairly reliable. That engine is monstrous! It displaces 5.3 liters, but it is so big that it can be bored and stroked to over 9 liters! They are NOT tolerant of any missed maintenance, and this fact along with the Lucas electrics are the only reasons that this design gets maligned. That and these were deceptively heavy, more of a Cadillac than a Corvette.
@@Flies2FLL yeah, considering they are GTs not sports cars.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Precisely! I should have said that. sambone hit the nail on the head when he talked about refinement; These were turbine smooth and like the Porsche 928, were kind of an alternative to a private plane in countries with no speed limits on open highways.
I had a 78 XJS V12 ... and it is a shit box. You say it drives like a Bentley .... wrong ! I have a Bentley Supersport Convertible and there is no comparison
Reliable is debatable. I never had engine problems; but the lousy Lucas electronics were a constant pain in the ass.
I own a 1976 Silver Grey Jaguar XJS V12. Steve "Hercules" Reeves owned it from 1977 to 1999. Bought it off the floor at Charles Hornburg Jaguar in Beverly Hills. It runs and looks amazing. It turns heads everywhere it goes. It may not last forever but I'll cherish every moment until then. Those are some beautiful Jags! I'll be watching with great interest.
The early pre-HE in silver grey is the most beautiful of them all. Simply unfooled around with.
This Is Your Car: ruclips.net/video/9McUiTQejRI/видео.html&ab_channel=SteveReevesHercules
That white one is gorgeous
All the legacy came into wrong hands.
A Jag XJS was my first car in highschool back in the early 2000s. I was something of a legend because I had a V12. Super impractical and I spent as much reparing it as I did buying it; but I didn't have a long commute and highschool is a fun time to have a crazy impractical car like that.
Merry Christmas to the Wizard family!
That ‘91 is really sweet. Love the look of those big Jags, just lovely grand tourers.
The "Lucas" ignition module is actually a GM Delco unit with a Lucas label. In mid-1989, they changed from the Lucas ignition to a Marelli ignition. The Marelli distributor is a dual rotor design. When owners neglected the maintenance, the contact for the top rotor would burn out, killing the 6 cylinders on the right bank, but the left bank kept running. Meanwhile, raw fuel was pouring down the exhaust pipe into the right side catalytic converter, where it caught fire and and destroyed the car. That happened WAY too often.
Guess someone didn’t watch your “What not to buy” Jaguar video
I’ve changed a few of the V12’s to 350 Chevy’s fora few customers a few years ago. That was just the lesser expensive option for repairs a few people could afford who loved their Jag years ago. So glad to see some have survived that era !!
The XJS is one of my all time favourite Jaguars. Yeah, they're mechanical nightmares in so many ways, but damn the styling is amazing - just one of those moments in time where the designers just hit so many right notes. There was one parked on my walk to school (only in nice weather!) when I was a child, and even then it was just an amazing looking vehicle.
For all that the much older E-type gets the love, these will always have a place in my heart.
I actually prefer the XJ-S styling to the E Type but to each their own.
@ It’s a bit of a generational thing. The E-Type is as much a departure from the “elegant saloon” era Jaguars as the XJS is from the E-Type. I appreciate both for different reasons, but the XJS is definitely a “preferred model” in my mental fantasy garage :-)
If you don't already know, it's worth using the genuine Jaguar gortex cam cover gaskets, expensive but they work, very pleased with the ones I fitted several years ago.
Euroasian Bob? More like Bloodhound Bob; that guy can stiff out some real gems! That '91 XJ-S is awesome!
Thanks!
He can sniff them out too!
In the early 70s we had neighbors who had a Jaguar sedan and an E type, probably from the late 60's. His way of doing things was always a bit shady and he had a diesel truck and diesel motorhome. He put a pump in his garage and would have an oil company deliver diesel as if it was for the house. (No taxes that way). But he did the basic maintenance on his Jaguars himself. Replaced the plugs and adjusted timing about every two months. Those 12-cylinder engines were pretty finicky. I loved it when his wife gave me a ride home from school in the E type. It was so low to the ground that 35 mph felt like 70. A go-cart for the road.
The ashtrays on the '91 have been removed and put in the wrong side. They should open towards the center - away from the user - as they do in the '88.
Merry Christmas Mr and Mrs Wizard and a happy New Year 👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧
That jag body style has just gotten better with age. That is what could have revitalize Jag in the international market.
They are woke with rainbows that will sell plenty of cars
@mikelore1633 No it wont. A few celebrities and status people will buy them, but that wont make them take off. At best will be a cybertruck. The first few buyers will get them, and that is it.
Woke has never sold and even often turns off that very market by trying to be woke.
One of the achilles heals of the XJS was the heat generated by the V12, it baked all the rubber hoses under the hood. I lost mine to an engine fire when the hose connecting the fuel injector to the fuel rail split spraying gas on the engine. In that model year the hose was crimped on the injector so you had to replace the injector with the hose. Beautiful cars, thanks for showing them.
Sorry for your loss.
@@ArtLysense-m2m Very kind of you, it was a fun car
This mans wife has a beautiful voice and enthusiasm for cars that makes me want to buy any car she talks about. What a lucky man. For her to share his interests.....i mean does it get better than that? I doubt it.
Agreed. The car wizard is a lucky guy.
My gf’s father in high school had a new 1987 XJS convertible. White with tan leather. I took it to our senior prom. Awesome car!! That V12 pulls nicely, but far slower than today’s cars. I’ve always wanted to get my hands on one but I heard they are mechanical nightmares.
I recently looked at buying one of those, but I remember my boss had two in the 90"s, and they were always needing something, and a head gasket was the final straw for him. Instead, I bought an 04 C-5 in mint condition with 37k on it. Love it! and very reliable so far.
I owned a Rogue Collection model which was a limited edition. Red with white interior with red trim. What a great car. Wish I never sold it.
Looking in from the UK , big Jaguar lover.
I have both an 88 and a 91 too. There's also an 89 in-between. The 88 had the cruise control servo removed. It also looks like the intake manifolds were painted
That white XJS is the bee's knees!
*RIP Jaaag.😢*
1935 - 2024
My Army buddy in1991 had an XJS when we were assigned to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He had visitation every other weekend with a child in Los Angeles. He would rent a car for the trip to LA because, he said, he didn't want to put miles on the Jag. I thought that was what the Jaguar was made for. But maybe it was cheaper to rent a car than pay for maintenance on the Jaguar.
You didn’t mention the advantage of inboard brakes….unstrung weight for suspension…but the exhaust pipes heat up the calipers and pads.
Differential leaks on the discs and pads as well.
Advantage until you have to rebuild them. 😂 I learned a lot of new words crawling under that rear subframe.
Merry Christmas Mr & Mrs Wizard and team from Scotland! Yoa are a great team. Many thanks for your informative, educational, money saving and very entertaining productions over the past year and prior. A colleague of mine had a V12 XJS a few years back and as a bit of fun disonnected the tail pipes leaving the headers only to see what it sounded like, almost a RR Merlin aero engine!
My first ever Jag was a red version of the white one, with the TWR kit and alloys, but with the rear spoiler. What a beauty that white one is! I'm so tempted!
Re: the interiors......
91 has the driver's airbag steering wheel & the Ford-based security system (given away by their barrel-style key, which was very difficult to copy)
87 has the more stylish, non-airbag steering wheel & regular, low-security style of key.
There was a later slight restyle of the XJS after Ford bought Jaguar, and the rear side windows became rounded. I believe the inboard rear brakes were changed to be outboard using the XJ40 saloon brakes, and, of course, a different hub carrier. Probably the best of the XJS models were the last ones which had the AJ16 4 litre straight six. By this time the V12 engine had gradually faded away. These later cars have virtually the same performance as the V12, but much better fuel mileage.
My father-in-law had the 4.0 straight 6 engine in an XJS. It was an absolute delight - you wonder how a company that made such superb 6's cocked up the V-12 so badly. It was more economical than his 2.4 4-pot Honda Aerodeck!
You might mention that the 1989 onward had a dual level rotor and a different ignition system then the 88. Also the inboard brakes reduce the unsprung mass of the wheels and the dual exhaust tips allow more flow in a more stylized rectangular outlet instead of one large round pipe. One issue of the inboard brakes was that it not as ventilated so it had higher temperatures and faded faster. The engine is quite large with not much power because it was initially designed to be a 7 to 8 liter engine for racing if it was like that then the power weight ratio would be reasonable.
Once upon a time this was the upgrade from the XKE!
The key is a tibbe key very common on fords from late eighties on in UK at least.
The white car has the TWR Jaguar Sport body kit, wheels and exhaust setup. It was an option back it the day. Very unusual for an American car. Jaguar sold 100 special edition XJR-S cars in ‘93 with this although the engine was now a 6.0 liter. It still had the sluggish GM automatic as the Getrag 5-speed didn’t came along until ‘94. I always admire owners who take care of their cars the way this guy does . So many Jaguar owners just run this cars into the ground can then complain about how much it is to fix.
I have had five of these cars and am now down to just two: a coupe and a convertible (because you should always be prepared for a sunny day).
Inside every AB14, a GM HEI ignition module. The only bits Lucas added are a voltage limiting Zenner and a suppression capacitor.
Not the Zener Diode!
Back in the day you could get the Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR body kit, they used to be adverts in the motormags. Look up Bathurst 1985 and Toms qualifying lap. Big cat on the Mountain.
Also won the event.
It's a shame car flippers always get a hold of cars this nice and you have to pay the middle man fee to get it. 😡
I bought a ‘91 Classic Collection XJ-S used from a dealer in 1997(?). The first thing I requested was to change the dorky shift lever to the dainty T shift lever of the early car….a little more Ferrari tyoe(?). . My ‘91 has been a daily driver for years, but I got into Hugh performance racing, I bought an ‘88, also a V12 and started the long expensive road to modifying the transmission to a Tremec T500, 4:11 rear, but brakes….a money hole. Blew two 12 cylinders. Still have the shell and drivetrain. Still love my ‘91…fantastic cars that remind me of The Saint…and what better British touch is having TWO ashtrays nest to each other.
The even older V12 ran dual distributors. One on the front of each head for each bank. Single distributor saved a bit of cost and improved spark by removing the really long plug wires.
12:30 Please, don’t! If you fix the oil leak, the bottom of the chassis will eventually get clean and dry. It will start rusting out without all the grease covering it. Please, don’t. Jaguars are pretty self sufficient in chassis conservation. Don’t ruin it.😢
Love these we have a 88 xjs convertible and a 78 Xj both v12s both having been sitting one almost 20 years another the other over 30. They are beautiful too look at and I can only imagine how they ride.
Back around 1978 my dad test drove a new one and I got in that back seat. Pretty cramped for sure. My dad did floor it and it seemed really fast for cars at the time. Looking that up they hit 60 in about 7 seconds. That was pretty quick for the seventies. He didn't buy it though and probably for the best as jags weren't very reliable in those days. Although this one seems pretty good with the GM hydramatic. That 12 is a really smooth motor however. I remember that. And it was definitely way faster then the cadillacs he drove at the time. Today my BMW X3 with 2 liter turbo is probably just as quick. If you want one this would be a good pick as its in better shape. Something that is in rough shape would be crazy expensive to bring back.
I really love these cars. I remember when they came out in 1976. They look really good with the original dual lamps (as opposed to the one-piece lamp for Europe). Not to nitpick the 91 car, but the plastic bumpers look so bad as do the wheels. I wish they could retain the designer’s original intent.
The cladding and the sport wheels are part of the TWR package and could be purchased from the dealer who would install them for the customer. My 1985 XJS looks identical the 1991 you have in your shop.
My step dad had a 1990 XJS Collection Classic convertible. I drove it with my date to the high school prom and it overheated and broke down on the side of the highway. Everyone driving by envied us though!
Great video. I had a 1986 XJS, the downfall was the Lucas electrics. I also tried to work on it myself and removed the distributor to clean and adjust, installed it 180 degrees out of sync. Quickest way to destroy a Jag. I finally gave it away to stop the bleeding.
Two pieces of black electric tape or simply a black marker
@@petrosaguilar8916 Good idea, but that was 20 years ago and ended my car maintenance career! Good learning experience. Now I fix my 3D printers - lots lighter parts
I am seriously wishing that I never ever sold my 1996 Jaguar XJSC… what a beautiful sexy beast she was… the C stands for convertible… I named her Celeste and she never let me down once…. She pulled 140 mph over the sunshine skyway bridge every time I crossed it…. Damn I miss her!
Once looked at a xjr sovereign (84 I think) in 1995-96
Everything came up in the wee screen as a warning so walked away from the auction with a 2.5 senator instead
Love the Jags. Merry Christmas to the Wizard family!
Merry Christmas, Mr and Mrs Wizard! And Merry Christmas to the audience!🎉🎉🎉
I love the stance of these cars. The word planted comes to mind.
Has there been a video on the red MG? It seems to be a fixture in the shop lately.
Love the Car Wizard Channel. I am surprised that you like working on Jag XJS's. While they look super nice, I opine they are mechanical disasters that are 3 decades ahead of current BMW offerings (which we know you hate) in regards to engineering and serviceability. The 'next issue' is merely a few miles away. Like new BMWs they work well...until they don't.
The plastic cover over the cruise control below has to be turned 180 degree.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO BOTH OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Every time I watch the bonnet of an XJS open I feel terror. It just looks so complicated, but they are beautiful.
The white Jag has some version of a XJRS bodykit and wheels on it. The American cars got the lovely twin headlights where our European models didn't.
One thing this video clearly shows - how much better cars look in black rather than white!
Super important to replace the short fuel hose right above each injectors. Merry Christmas!
Wonder if Mrs Wizard knows what a growler actually is? lol
The standard of luxury then:
- High quality and expensive materials, solid fit and finish, and timeless styling inside and out…
The standard of luxury today:
- Smart TV screens, piano black plastic everywhere, either very boring or ugly bright colors, horribly over styled or simplistically ugly, ambient lighting everywhere, and more screens…
Yeah, change as it turns out isn’t always for the better… 😅😅
Rose coloured glasses right there.
These things were horribly unreliable, and a pain in the ass to work on in a way that seemingly only Jaguar could arrange. Unreliability, cost and complexity resulted in a large number of them ending up with small block Chev engines. Even BMW's M70 V12 was packaged better.
Plastic in these things is typical '70s, '80s crap, and gets really brittle in short order. You can almost guarantee that something is going to break taking the instrument cluster apart, which you will have to do because the gauges and back lighting fail regularly.
Assembly quality was never a Jag strongpoint, these are no different. You might get a good one, you might not. The early BL ones were mostly terrible, but that improved as you got into the later 1980s and '90s especially after the Ford acquisition, but by then, they were well out of date compared to similarly priced German, then Japanese competitors.
As far as screens, blame the customers. People want phone connectivity and the gewgaws that have been added to the interior. Sales suffer when it's not available. At least with ambient lighting, it can be turned off, and at least some models allow the screen to be turned off.
💯 these cars are well known for being more trouble than they are worth @@SirOsisofLiver
Had a 89 XJS 12, Red ,black rag top, gray int, factory wire wheels,
It was a baby doll, but I knew if it broke it would cost more to fix than it was worth, even me doing the work.
It’s everyone wanting a TWR XJS.
Worked on a few of those old Jags in the 90’S always enjoyed the test drive
150mph in 1975 was a pretty big deal! They were a beautiful big car!
80ties Euro Ford key. My dad's 87 Sierra had the same key. Wear on them was pretty bad.
The vacuum advance on the lucas v12 isn’t setup, I see they bypassed the advance. The distributor is not breathing out as the breather hose is disconnected and can potentially cause the distributor to explode. Someone mentioned the fuel hoses so I won’t mention it again.
Would be interesting to see&hear morr on the differences between the two - like if that less interesting 91 steering wheel came from some other Ford. As Ford only acquired Jag in 1990, I guess that explains the dumping of Lucas, and that 88 XJS is right in the middle of Jag's short lived 'modern' independent era. Great vid
Remember seeing a set-up of 12 injectors on a display at the NEC Birmingham on short trumpets to do away with all the complicated intake
What's better than one XJ? Two XJ's!
Probably no Jag at all 😂
@@KTM-BetaVery funny. Haha.
Hey! I have two! A coupe and a convertible. But have had 5 total over the years. Great cars. Funny though how people who know nothing about them like to claim bragging rights by declaring how terrible Jaguars are yet never turn down a ride.
@@XeroBritt It is hilarious, reading through the comments with all the Jag ownership who literately drove them until they burned to the ground and then blame Jaguar for it.
Two of them. 😻😻
You should see the new super TWR XJS that Tom Walkinshaws son is developing .
That design of inboard rear brakes with dual springs was really sweet. It should have been picked up by other manufacturers who produced rear drive vehicles.
Unfortanately the braking control is not as accurate than brakes at the wheel bc of all the parts between the brake itself and the wheel. I know this from working on Humvees with inboard brakes that the movement of the vehicle is significant when the brakes are held. Of course the Humvees movement is exaggerated bc the big tires and additional parts.
the thirst of a v16 with the horsepower of a modern 4 cylinder.
I think it would be a nice add to talk about original MSRP price and then compared to what they may for currently during the interior section.
I immediately thought about the video on MTV for Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again " Love me some Jags.
I adored my '86 XJS. Just couldn't afford the 13 MPG, so I traded it for a one-owner TR7.
You lucky devil not one but two,,xjs's.. my son just finished his custom restomod on his 86 xjs.. custom shaved body,, jet black satin paint,, lowered 2",, 18x9.5" rims, 265/35 skins, custom 1-1/4" front sway bar,, 1"rear,, mobeck custom standalone Maxx ECU, DIS ignition, electric idle,, custom headers,, all aluminum sanded to 2000 then polished to mirror shine,, all metal chromed,, all fasteners on the car switch to SS.. custom cross diamond stitch interior,, removed the aux tank and relocated the batt in the right trunk pocket,, custom trunk to match. Original TWR body kit,, custom air snorkels, 2--16" high velocity electric fans,, and it goes on.. these cars are easy to work on and once replaced with updated parts, are absolutely indestructible.. keep these cars alive.. you should see some of the 4 doors..
The ’88 Jag original style looks great. The ’91 looks polluted by plastic covers, huge bumpers etc.
You going to do a video on the v10 diesel?
The white one is a TWR inspired production model 6.0 , clearly a US model by the headlights . The 1988 model is a 5.3 l motor from before Ford got hold of them , funnily enough , you get better outright performance out of the lighter free breathing 5.3 .
I always thought they were gorgeous cars.a friend had one that he really liked. He did say the smartest thing he did was get the extended warranty
Still great looking cars
Gotta love the crazy jigsaw puzzle engines.
The era of XJ-Ss as disposable bangers is long gone. Those that remain are cherished and get the care they deserve. ❤
Really cool wheels on the white one
I had a red one that made its way to me from Canada. It was a euro model right side drive that was converted to left for some reason. The electrical was a mess but loved that car.
The XJS V12 are my favorite models I just wish they were not so expensive to maintain really love these generation of jag
Wow you taught me something I didn't know about Jaguar with the brakes.
An old man once called the XJ-S the "best I ever drove - when it ran".
The body kit on the white car looks like the similar one they fitted to the limited TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing ) version they had here in the UK , with performance upgrades .
Is that your old red viper in the background did you buy it back that would be awesome I'm glad you sold that 392
That Valley Imports key tag came from Fargo, ND.
Still find it criminal that most of these cars were sold with 3 speed autos. The very few 5 speed manuals out there (more common in Europe) are a totally different driving experience.
That key system on the 91 is typical of the Ford Tibbey lock system used on a lot of Fords given Ford owned Jaguar at the time.
What Fords used that style key??
@petrosaguilar8916 Here in Australia all aussie build fords from the early 1990's onwards such as Falcons & Fairlanes had that type of key system. I have a 1992 NC Fairlane Ghia & a 2001 AU Falcon XR8 both have the Tibbey key system.
The Lister LeMans type is gorgeous.