1983 Jaguar XJS

This wonderful Jaguar XJS HE was registered on the 29th January 1983 and was sold through a Jaguar dealer in Scotland, where it has spent most of its life, changing hands just four times and only covering approximately 68,717 miles at the time of the photographs. In the early 2000s, the XJS was given an extensive restoration, which has clearly played a significant part in the survival of this lovely XJS.

Following the restoration, the Jag was kept in dry storage, which can be seen from the MoT history and mileage. It was in storage for 13 years until it was sold to the keeper before our vendor James. The last keeper kept the car for two years carrying out some quite extensive work, but being a professional engineer has its upsides, especially when it comes to working on classic cars.

The work carried out over his two-year ownership includes the refurbishment of the front and rear sub-frames. The brakes have been overhauled with resealed calipers and fitted with upgraded discs. The suspension hasn’t been left untouched with an upgrade to Gaz adjustable coil-over dampers, and there has also been an AJ6 Engineering TT stainless steel exhaust system fitted. The biggest challenge by far was to equip the XJS with a Getrag five speed gearbox sourced from a 3.6 manual XJS.

In 2019 the seller purchased the XJS and since then has brought the car back to an even better standard than it already was, making improvements along the way and creating an OEM + look, which we are sure you will agree has worked a treat.

The car has been repainted in the original colour of Marasaschino Black (code PDE). As this was 20 years ago, there are now some age-related marks in the way of a few small blisters here and there, with the main one near the rear window and some on the inside of the door shuts. Generally speaking, the car presents really well for its age and has a deep wet look shine to the paint finish. There are a few swirl marks here and there, as you would expect and usually notice more on a black car, but these are nothing a paint detailer couldn’t address.

One of the car's most striking features is the fitment of the US spec headlight surrounds. These have been repainted in satin black, and the seller has also painted the grille to match to create a more aggressive look for the big cat. It is also worth noting that the headlights have been changed for UK spec to meet the MoT requirements. The chrome work to the bumpers, window surrounds, and door mirrors are both in good condition with no apparent signs of any tarnishing other than a small rust blister on the nearside corner section.

A minor fracture was noticed on the nearside rear light; this doesn't affect the light operation and could easily be replaced if needed, as parts are readily available from Jaguar or several specialist companies. The other stand out feature of the car, and completing the menacing look, is the addition of the Jaguar XK140 wheels. These have been refurbished with a diamond cut face and the centres painted gold, which is the perfect contrast against the black paintwork. There were a set of new tyres fitted when the wheels were finished, so these are in like new condition.

Finished with code ADE Biscuit leather, the interior is all original and considering it is nearly 40 years old, it is in good order with just some signs of patina to the driver and passenger seat, which are a little softer than they should be and some of the stitching has come undone. Unfortunately, the rear seat has suffered the same fate with the stitching, but in terms of damaged leather, it looks to be in good condition, so a reputable upholsterer could possibly look at restitching them.

The dashboard is in good condition with no splits to the top. The wood veneer has started to split in a couple of places, but again these are quite an easy item to replace should you wish to do so. The instruments are reported to be working as they should, with the odometer displaying a reading of 68,717 miles, and the switchgear looks to be in good condition with minimal wear to the icons on the switches.

The carpets have some light wear to them, in keeping with the mileage, and lifting them shows the floor pan, which looks to be in good order. Above, the headlining shows no real signs of any sagging. There are some light marks on the C pillar sections but these may come out with an upholstery cleaner. Some of the carpets are present inside the boot, and some are missing. There is the fuel filter and battery in there. However, a Sunday afternoon could be used to tidy up the wiring and hoses a little.

As well as the exterior, the mechanicals have also seen quite a bit of work from James, ensuring everything is running the best it could be.

Over the course of ownership, the water pump has been replaced along with the auxiliary belts. A complete overhaul of the fuel system has been carried out, which included a refurbished fuel rail, injectors, fuel tank, filters and hoses. Providing a good spark, the distributor cap rotor arm, spark plugs and HT leads have been replaced. K&N filters provide the induction roar on the repainted air intakes, and to dress up the engine further, the cam covers have been painted and refitted with new gaskets. Some of the air conditioning parts were missing, and James has replaced these, but the system has not been regassed or tested. Topping it off, all the fluids were replaced approximately 200 miles ago.

The car starts up as it should with no untoward noises coming from the silky smooth V12. The car pulls like a train through the much more fun 5-speed manual gearbox, and the 5.3 litre sounds fantastic singing through the stainless steel exhausts.

Handling wise, the car is already on adjustable coil overs, as mentioned. Both rear radius arm mounts have been upgraded with thicker steel, and new radius arms and bushes fitted. There are signs of a very small weep of power steering fluid, but it is unclear where this is coming from and would need further investigation.

The underside of the Jag is well presented, and any surface rust is very minimal, with no areas for concern.

There is a nice collection of invoices for work carried on the XJS dating back to the early 2000s and totalling over an eyewatering £35,000. The invoices show a substantial amount of parts, and details of what work has been carried out to keep this 80s classic on the road.

The V5 is present and shows four previous keepers. There is a current MoT on the Jaguar, which is valid until 12th October 2022. Present are the owner’s handbooks, original log book, and some previous MoT certificates. Keeping the Jaguar safe, James has had a Thatcham category one alarm and immobiliser installed.

This is a chance to get behind the wheel of a well sorted XJS. It benefits from having had a restoration. The change to a manual gearbox has been carried out, which completely changes the driving characteristics of the XJS. James has taken care of several issues, such as the fuel system, where it now purrs like a big cat as it should do. Then there are the looks! Need we say any more? It just looks… right!

We estimate this British classic to bring in the region of £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.