Any opinions on Jag's? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mwood · #1 09-23-2007, 08:59 PM

I found (by accident) a 1995 Vanden Plas for $5300. It is immaculate in and out with 107k miles. I haven't seen under the hood or spoken to the owner but this thing is beautiful. I don't know anything about Jag's and was wondering if there are any reasons to avoid them? How is maintenance/dependability compared to a 93 300E?

#2 09-23-2007, 09:38 PM

The market is real soft on these cars now, a local guy has a 1993 Vanden Plas with similar miles and condition and he can't get any offers at a $3500 asking price.

I wouldn't consider it unless you know of a good indy Jaguar tech, and it passes a pre-purchase inspection.

There is an old joke about English cars:

If you want o know what it's like to drive a "insert model here", go for a drive at night in the rain with the headights and winshield wipers turned off on your current car. Don't forget to roll all the windows down too. Then, everytime you come up to a stop sign or red light, throw a $20.00 bill out the window, and that's what a English car is like to own.

mwood · #3 09-23-2007, 09:42 PM

Ouch, that bad huh? I guess I'll stick with my 300E.

kerry · #4 09-23-2007, 09:56 PM

If it were an E type it might be worth the hassle.

#5 09-23-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwood

Ouch, that bad huh? I guess I'll stick with my 300E.

They are great fun to drive and look at, but are new enough to be user-unfriendly for repairs. At least, with an MG you can fix it with a screwdriver, chewing gum, and a rock.

Jim B. · #6 09-24-2007, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David R. Smith

There is an old joke about English cars:

If you want o know what it's like to drive a "insert model here", go for a drive at night in the rain with the headights and winshield wipers turned off on your current car. Don't forget to roll all the windows down too. Then, everytime you come up to a stop sign or red light, throw a $20.00 bill out the window, and that's what a English car is like to own.

One of my oldest friends went and bought a gorgeous 1989
Rolls Royce Silver Spur about a year ago. He'd gone to some considerable expense to have a garage constructed for it to be parked in.

He got a smokin' deal, on it, just under $17,000, for a car with a Blue Book value of $31,000.

However, it was purchased at a lien sale, the wealthy prior owner had simply walked away in disgust and abandoned it at the repair shop because he got sick of the high and never-ending cost of repairs.

On the way back across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge after the PPI had been performed, a hubcap fell off of it and got immediately squashed
by a passing car.

He insisted it be replaced before he bought the car. They looked it up, and the cost of the new Rolls Royce hubcap was $1,000.00 from the parts department. However he felt sorry for the guy and found some for $500 on ebay.

After he bought it, and parked it in the new garage he had built for it, he found out it still needed a lot of attention.

He told me that in the year since he'd had it, he spent another $14,000 on it.
His new wife told me later, privately, that the sum was $15,000.

It still needs more work, at this point, in addition to all that was put into it.
Maybe not such a smokin' deal anymore.....

All of that said, though, we had a a glorious ride to lunch in the thing. A lovely, huge, baroque barge wafting along down the road, with a prow the size of the QE2 ahead of you to see, and the gold plated "Flying lady" hood ornament in view ahead to point the way

"Damn the Datsuns, full speed ahead, Captain!!!"

He let me drive it on the way back home, and oh my paws and whiskers, what a car, did it attract the attention of passersby!!!

I've been trying to get him to go for a vanity license plate, or "cherished number plate" as they say in old Blighty.

My suggestions have included

"PARVENU"

"NOBODY"

"U WISH"

what about "OMG WTF"

He's still thinking about it.

Gurkha · #7 09-23-2007, 09:57 PM

Reliability is the key issue with Jaguars, engines and electricals just don't last and electricals is specially the weakest point in them, they are unpredictable.

rickg · #8 09-23-2007, 10:50 PM

You need to buy 'em in pairs, so you have one to drive while the other is in the shop.

LUVMBDiesels · #9 09-24-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickg

You need to buy 'em in pairs, so you have one to drive while the other is in the shop.

One word LUCAS!

The prince of darkness lives!

I had a friend who loved British cars. She had an MGB, Triumph TR6 and a Land Rover (the one from "Born Free") Guess which car we always took on our dates...

My '63 Corvair because at least it started!

Another story...
My next door neighbor had a '53 MGTF and I had my '57 Chevy Nomad.
We would work on our cars together sometimes. He would help me wax the Chevy and I would help him push the MG out of his garage. We would work on it all day and if we were lucky it would start and maybe he could get it around the block

Seriously, is the 1995 still a real Jag or is a a Ford product? Ford has fixed most of the reliability issues with Jaguar since they bought it.

Hatterasguy · #10 09-24-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

Seriously, is the 1995 still a real Jag or is a a Ford product? Ford has fixed most of the reliability issues with Jaguar since they bought it.

Ford purchased Jag in 1989. The XJ series have always been and continue to be 100% Jag. The smaller S and X types are Fords not Jags.

The currant XJ's (X350), uses an all aluminum body shell, bonded with aircraft grade epoxy. Supposidly its more reliable and better driving than the S class and 7 series.

They are excellent cars and I would buy one before I bought a W220.

G-Benz · #11 09-24-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Ford purchased Jag in 1989. The XJ series have always been and continue to be 100% Jag...

except "Delco" decals replaced the venerable "Lucas" stickers...our 92 XJS V-12 was replete with the Delco logo everywhere in the engine compartment...yet Lucas still seemed to be haunting the modern Jags from the grave!

It was a marvelous car...but the seasonal A/C failures and lamba issues forced us to get rid of it...

spugeddy · #12 09-24-2007, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

Reliability is the key issue with Jaguars, engines and electricals just don't last and electricals is specially the weakest point in them, they are unpredictable.

My dad owned a XJS HE V12, pimp car to the max. Unbelievable styling, but lacked on performance.

Had tremendous electrical and fuel problmes, also AC trouble.

I had heard the British concept is to build a car you can cruise in at a reasonable speed and hear no engine or road noise.

German concept is to build a car you can feel, and that performs cornering, high speeds, etc...more agressive.

mwood · #13 09-23-2007, 11:04 PM

Here's a link to the car in question.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?num_records=25&search_lang=en&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=used&distance=10&address=92629&marketZipError=false&style_flag=1&make=JAG&model=VANDEN&make2=&start_year=1995&end_year=1995&min_price=1000&max_price=&transmission=&engine=&drive=&doors=&fuel=&max_mileage=&color=&keywords_display=&sort_type=priceDESC&body_code=0&certified=&advanced=&default_sort=priceDESC&awsp=false&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=

Dee8go · #14 09-24-2007, 08:59 AM

I love the way they look, especially the XK8 and XKR coupes. I forget the name of the cylinder coating they have, but if it gets scored, you're in for big trouble. I'd rather go with German engineering than British.

Zeus · #15 09-24-2007, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwood

I found (by accident) a 1995 Vanden Plas for $5300. It is immaculate in and out with 107k miles. I haven't seen under the hood or spoken to the owner but this thing is beautiful. I don't know anything about Jag's and was wondering if there are any reasons to avoid them? How is maintenance/dependability compared to a 93 300E?

From what I have heard, the older Jags were troublesome, as others have already stated. My brother owned a 2001 X-type, and it was a great car for him. He bought it cheap and drove it about a year. No problems with it at all. Not really my cup of tea though mate!