Hi--I have registered on this site because I have been offered two (2) 1987 XJS-C vehicles for purchase.

I will see the cars on 29 Mar, 2013, and am told they are in outstanding condition with moderate (60k) mileage and have been sheltered (not garaged) for a number of years (Northern California). I have no background on these cars, and am looking for information on what to look for, potential problems and potential values.

Each car has the hard top roofs, T-tops and soft top. Cars have wire wheels with knockoffs.

What should I be looking for to start, and what might be obvious flaws to consider?

Where else might I find solid source information on these cars.

Thanks fo all for any input.

Cheers.

JR

Submitted by steve.depolis@… on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 09:10

Good morning, JR,

Good answer above. For current value, you can check the 2013 Old Cars Value guide. It prices the Xj-sc and gives you a range of conditions with prices appropriate to each. I found this at Barnes and Noble.

Steve DePolis
1990 XJ-S convertible

Submitted by steve.depolis@… on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 09:10

Good morning, JR,

Good answer above. For current value, you can check the 2013 Old Cars Value guide. It prices the Xj-sc and gives you a range of conditions with prices appropriate to each. I found this at Barnes and Noble.

Steve DePolis
1990 XJ-S convertible

Submitted by dhall@hallandh… on Fri, 03/29/2013 - 09:01

Hi JR, I bought a 1988 XJS-C last summer. I have truly enjoyed it and can't wait to get it out of winter storage! Mine has about the same mileage, two prior owners. I have not had any issues so far besides the usual Jag XJS or V12 points to watch for, such as minor oil leaks. My front pan seal and oil pressure sender unit weep, common on the V12's. One strong point of these cars is they were factory built at Coventry contrary to popular belief, and with the targa bar and chassis ladder brace underneath, they are very strong and not prone to flexing. The top pieces were made by Aston Martin Tickford and are completely unobtainable, so make sure everything is there and in perfect shape. The fiberglass T Tops are gone worldwide and not made by anyone. You do see them used on ebay every once in a while for about $1,000 EACH. The rear folding soft top is also not made by anyone, so make sure it is there and the metal frame and latching mechanism works. Paul's Jaguar in Ft. Lauderdale FL does make new fabric tops you can install or have installed on the frame, if your fabric is becoming perished. My fabric is still OK after all these years but my plastic window has perished so I may do the top this year. Paul's also has about anything else you might need trim-wise. They are not cheap but great to deal with. No website or computers there, you have to call them on the phone and then they have to root around the place and look for what you need and call you back. I bought replacement front carpet from them that was a stunning match to the rest of the car, as well as an owners manual. I have wire wheels too, but they were never factory to the XJS-C. They were a common dealer add-on. Look at those carefully and make sure there is NO rust, which I read is a common and very dangerous safety issue. Drive the cars if you can to make sure there is no vibration because wire wheels can be very difficult to "true" or balance. Make sure there is no rust on the car itself of course, the seam at the rocker panel between the door and the rear wheel is a common sore point that's hard to fix permanently. You can go to www.xjsdata.com and potentially find info about your car(s) with the VIN numbers. Also Google "international cabriolet register" and there is a British website of XJS-C owners worldwide, it's lots of fun to look at and sometimes the ONLY place you can get Cabriolet-specific answers! Good luck, let me know if there is anything else I can attempt to answer or explain.......