• These cars have a big, heavy chassis compared to the car size. Drive train, engine and front and rear axle are unlikely to be a problem, although compared to modern standards the brakes and steering will most likely feel strange - the driver has to anticipate and watch out for other drivers around him a lot more, and brake a lot sooner. Keep in mind that these are not race cars.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• The body of a pre-war car is made up of a wooden frame with aluminum body panels. Over the years the frame will dry out and crack, or due to moisture even deteriorate. You will be able to see this in panels cracking and the alignment of the panels, like doors that don’t line up. So if you are looking for a pre war car then try and find the best there is, for the price you can afford, because when it comes to restoring the wooden frame it will get very costly. Finding parts will be harder as these cars were made in small numbers. If you car has been restored, try to find out who did it, and if there is a photo documentation of the restoration.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• First of all history and matching numbers are very important. The early cars were made of aluminum and later cars used more steel panels, as this was easier, quicker, and cheaper to produce. Still they used wood in the production of these cars, so have a good look at the door and bootlid gaps, as they will be offset when the wood deteriorates. When dealing with an un-restored car have a good look under the car, as I have seen several chassis that were in need of big repairs, especially at the front where the suspension is bolted to the chassis.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• Points to look for rust on the body will be, headlights and sidelights ,battery box, lower parts of the bulkhead, rear wings (especially at the mounting bolts), but it depends a lot on where and how the car has been stored/maintained. Almost everything for these cars is available, but its better to start a restoration with a complete car, as reproduction parts will always take a lot of time to fit properly. Restored cars should be checked for the use of body filler - when the cars where first produced they did not use filler but lead, so in a restoration of these cars they should have kept it to a minimum. A good indication for filler use are the side lights - on a lot of cars you can see that after a few years there will appear a line around the sidelight housing where the filler is applied. Also know what you want before you buy one of these cars, as it is cheaper to buy a restored car, than to restore one yourself. On the other hand restoring one will ensure that you get the exact car you always dreamed of.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

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• Beware of cars that dont line up, take a good look at the gap and alignment of the bonnet. If this is not correct the car has most likely been in an accident, had some bad repairs, or has a subframe that is not straight. Check the mounting points of the bonnet and the subframe really carefully, as the subframe is a fairly weak structure, but a vital part of the car. After an accident, or over the years, they can start showing hairline cracks at the welds, so have this closely inspected. As far as rust goes have a good look at the sills, underside of the doors, rear quarters, and the bonnet. A good tip is, to take a small magnet with you, to check how much filler they used.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• Rear brakes are similar to the early XJ setup, so have them checked out as this can save you from high costs. On the V12 cars they used Stromberg carburetors - they were put on this engine mostly for the American market, to keep emissions low. An easy way to gain some power, and to have a more mechanic friendly engine you can mount some SU carburetors on it. Steering rack mounts tend to perish over the years and will give you the feeling that the car has a will of its own.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

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• Rust is a big issue on these cars, and as they share the same underbody as the XJ-S, they will have the same problems. Look for rust on the outside, like the sills, rear wheel arches, underside of the doors, front wings, and especially round the headlights and badge on the lower front wings. Also take a good look at the front and rear windscreens as they tend to rust there - under the rubbers they will most likely have holes and if that is the case you will get a lot of water inside the car. The rear members and radius arm mountings are weak spots too, and will be a lot of work to repair. The front suspension is not really a big problem and straightforward to repair if anything goes wrong. To improve handling replace stock steering rack rubbers with aftermarket ones - they will mount the steering rack almost solid and will make the car feel totally different. The rear brakes are a point to look at closely, so always have the car checked underneath because changing brake disks will be expensive - not because of the price of the parts, but because of the time that is needed to change them. Check that the car has been serviced regularly – a complete service history is the ideal.
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• A big problem on the V12 engines are the little hoses on the fuel injectors - I have seen several cars go up in flames because of burst hoses. Cooling on the V12 is very important - they tend to overheat and when this happens an air-pocket can occur that will be able to destroy the engine! It is normal for these cars to leak a little oil – but only a little! Go for a good test drive when purchasing, to make sure that the gearbox changes gear smoothly. Listen for any strange noises like a howling rear diff. Before buying have a good look around, take your time, drive a few 6 cylinder and V12 cars because they both feel totally different, and do not rush in and buy the first one you see!
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• If you are viewing a prospective XJS purchase, take a close look at the jacking points. They should have clean lines with the locating lugs at 90 degrees to the floor. If the lugs have taken on a jaunty angle or receded into the floor then things are amiss. Ask the owner if he is willing to jack the car up using the original jack and jacking points. If he agrees and does so successfully it’s a promising sign that the car is in good shape.
  

  (Tip by Andy Harvey)

• An XJ220 is likely to be low mileage, but is still the best part of 20 years old, and will have needed regular maintenance if it is to have been retained in top condition. Things to look for are the cam belts and the foam in the fuel tanks. Check the condition of the oil and brake fluid - because it is an extremely fast car and you dont want it to keep going when you press the brake pedal! As they are actually race cars for the road, keep an eye on the cooling because they dont like to stand still with the engine running. You need to have strong legs to drive an XJ220, as there is no clutch or brake assistance! BUT, it is one of the fastest cars I have ever driven and will give you a smile from ear to ear!
  

  (Tip by Mitch Verheyen)

• Tyres – check for excessive wear to the inner edge of the front tyres, as this points to worn front suspension bushes. Tramlining – describes the behaviour of an XJ40 with worn front suspension bushes, which will follow the road contours and “jump” out of them. (Once experienced – never forgotten!)
  

  (Tip by Letitia Mace)

• For an X300, cloth trim and a manual gearbox will be cheaper to buy, as people expect a Jaguar to have hide trim and an automatic transmission. (the X308 was only available with automatic transmission)
  

  (Tip by Letitia Mace)

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• Production of the "baby" Jaguar is due to cease at the end of 2009 - so if you fancy a NEW X-type, grab a bargain while you still can. Last of the line cars are always the most sought after in years to come, and are always sent out with lots of extra goodies to encourage potential buyers to use up the stocks. Once production ends, there will no longer be a Jaguar estate car in the line-up. The X-type is also the only Jaguar to feature 4 wheel drive! Perhaps not always a favourite with purists, to its credit, it pioneered both the estate body and 4 wheel drive for Jaguar, and is the ONLY factory-built Jaguar ever to have featured either of these as a production car !!!
  

  (Tip by Letitia Mace)

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• The XF. My first was a 2009 3.0 Ds Portfolio a great car but the heart has ruled and I’m about to take delivery of a new XFR. The S has lost very little in 14000 miles and the tyres have just about lasted but if you are considering an XF then go for the reversing camera option. Rear visibility when parking is poor and I’m 6’2 my wife at 5’9 just cant see the back at all and the front is just as bad with no parking sensors out front as standard. Otherwise great.
  

  (Tip by Stuart Burdge)

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