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Idrive a v12 xj-s, converted to lpg, and have done ten thousand miles in the last year, with no problems.pro-rata it's cheaper to run and much more enjoyable than my sensible sorento.am I alone with this approach?
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Sounds like fun to me...
Does it run well on lpg & what does it do to the gallon (dare I ask)?
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to give it a bench mark, some years back i had an XJS V12 auto and it would do 8-9 mpg in town and 14-15 on a run if you didn't cane it.........if you did, well, it was a lot less
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to give it a bench mark some years back i had an XJS V12 auto and it would do 8-9 mpg in town and 14-15 on a run if you didn't cane it.........if you did well it was a lot less
Mine was about the same, 12mpg was about right for a mix of traffic.
There's also the servicing issues, they take a fair amount of oil every few thousand miles, and I was quoted several hundred pounds to have the wiper motor fixed.
However, they're a relaxing old thing to punt about.
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It runs fine on lpg but I would always go through the enthusiasts clubs and seek recommendations for good converters. I pay 39.9 per litre for lpg so I am reckoning on getting 35 mpg overall and 40-plus on the motorway.
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reckoning on getting 35 mpg overall and 40-plus on the motorway.
Are you serious! I really cannot believe you will get anywhere near that. LPG has a somewhat lower calorific value than petrol, so you consume typically 10-20% more of it. The saving comes about through the lower cost per litre, rather than through reduced consumption.
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I think PC means it's the equiv of getting 35-40 mpg on petrol, perhaps?
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Still remember the 6month old L reg XJS convertible, in the local Jaguar showrooms. Ice blue/green metalic, with a contrasting colouring to the wood, on the dash, that had Mrs V & myself admiring!!
They'd actually sold it 3 times, in such a short space of time, so guess pre-reg, then finance that couldn't be met & possibly the same again. £43000 price tag...& pennies now, I suppose!
Nice cars new - not so keen on the few around now, though - LPG or not!
VB
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25 quids worth of lpg gets me 250 miles, albeit with half of that on the motorway. Apparently engines of this vintage do not take an mpg hit on lpg. Things can go wrong but, touching wood, nothing that can't be sorted out by an honest independent specialist and there are loads of parts suppliers for little bits and pieces.People at work think I am mad but I'm not exagerating. A recommendation if I may- find a late Daimler double six, N or P reg, then convert to lpg would make a cracking, distinctive, relatively economical car.Unbelievable but true.
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what mpg are you getting then?........in the real world
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"25 quids worth of lpg gets me 250 miles, albeit with half of that on the motorway. Apparently engines of this vintage do not take an mpg hit on lpg."
39.9p per litre.
So £25 = 62.7litres = roughly 13.9gallons.
So mpg = 250/13.9 = 18mpg.
I don't believe that : it's far too good. Only way to calculate it is by logging all usage over say 2,000 miles.
As for the claimed 30 or more mpg.. wake up and smell the coffee:-)
madf
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Mrs P has noticed that I have of late become misty eyed over an old Jag with a V12.....
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Mrs P has noticed that I have of late become misty eyed over an old Jag with a V12.....
>
late Daimler Double Six........with all the extras..........yes pleeeaase
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Apparently the Daimler version of the XJ8 is mucho car for little money, there was an article in last week;s Telegraph which promoted them as very left field obscure cars.
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As the Italian designer Giorgio Giugiaro once said' A Jaguar can be anything, but it must always be beautiful.'
That simply is the benifit of running and old Jaguar. You seem to have solved the greatest problem in life. How to run a Jaguar on Focus money.
Wonderful!
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There are NO benefits in running an old jaguar of any kind. The thing will bite you deep and go wrong any time soon.
On the other hand there is the JOY of running an old jag, for which you should be praised and congratulated.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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RF I was going to get frightfully cross with you until I read the second sentence !
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Now now PU, you know my pechant for "more mature ladies"
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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TBH, any Jag older than 5 years that I've seen has looked like a very deep money pit - X-type possibly excepted.
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TBH any Jag older than 5 years that I've seen has looked like a very deep money pit - X-type possibly excepted.
My 'S' Type is fast approaching its' 8th birthday...and that's been fine ...it's had the usual problems like coils ,front door locks and front suspension bushes, but they were a while ago
when you think what it is now worth, it would be a steal for the kit in it... absolutely everything still works properly, inc voice activation, climate, DSC, etc
i've probably tempted fate now haven't I
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Of course you're right Aprilia (as ever) but an X-type isn't a Jaguar, is it?
My pal and I are negotiating at the moment for a low mileage 1989 Series III XJ12. Half the pleasure if we get it will be the look on the woman's face when we go the Prefecture to register a car from the UK which is listed in France as 38 horsepower (most everyday diesel grey porridge here is about 6-7)! At least the registration fee will be 50 per cent off because it's more than ten years old, so that's some money saved...
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To me a V12 XJS - even one running on LPG - sounds like a car from hell. Shocking build quality, poor reliability - and it's ages old, don't forget - and it's a whale-sized car with minnow accommodation for two. And the handling is of a past era, and probably rubbish if it hasn't had the suspension overhauled with new shocks etc.
I suppose it's OK if you don't mind cruising around at low speeds in a tired old barge, and not venturing too far from home just in case, and you're not worried about rust and horribly corroded alloys... (Just my opinion, obviously.)
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I agree that it would have to be a pretty good one to be bearable, Mad Maxy. And an XJ12 would definitely be vastly preferable to an XJS.
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it's had theusual problems like coils front door locks and front suspension bushes
So usual Jag reliability then! :)
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My 'S' Type is fast approaching its' 8th birthday...and that's been fine ...it's had the usual problems like coils front door locks and front suspension bushes but they were a while ago
You accept that as 'fine'? And I bet you've had the split header tank too..?
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So all these "faults" make the S Type less reliable than a Mondeo or a Merc or even a Beemer ? There are no perfect cars (apart from Landies of course).
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You accept that as 'fine'? And I bet you've had the split header tank too..?
no.......but i've checked !
I don't think that lot is bad for an 8 year old car.......over 5 of which i've owned it...or maybe i'm too easy going?
2 coils (i replaced all 6 after the 2nd one went), 2 door locks, 2 ball joints, 2 front suspension bushes, 2 x battery (one was a cheapo,which was a mistake) 4 brake discs...all the usual service items, but pads haven't been needed all that often, tyres last for ever (Pirelli P6000's), only just changed the wiper blades, first time in car's history (62,000 miles)
the coils have been problematic with a number of manufacturers and i'm not convinced the speed humps didn't knacker the ball joints and/or front suspension bushes
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only just changed the wiper blades, first time in car's history (62,000 miles)
Crikey! I'm glad I wasn't close by, when you took it out in the rain!!
Always though blades replaced as standard anual inspection on Jaguar service schedules.
VB
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Crikey! I'm glad I wasn't close by when you took it out in the rain!! Always though blades replaced as standard anual inspection on Jaguar service schedules.
if that's the case, then i'll end up looking a bit foolish...... never seen anything on an invoice for it though....surely they'd charge separately for them, i.e. not just part of the basic service bill?
When it was main dealer serviced i.e. from 12,000 (when i bought it) to 50,000 miles, i used to get a friend who is a local mechanic to go through it first, so that things like brake pads were done at his rates, (with Jag parts) not the main dealer....couple of times i mentioned about the wipers and how i'd never changed them ...he refused saying i'd be wasting my money as there was nowt wrong with them.......which was true...(so he was unaware of Jag automatically changing them, as well).
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The wiper blades are replaced at the annual service. They are included in the cost of the service pack so even if the existing ones are OK you get new ones anyway.
Jag build quality used to be pretty poor, my old-man picked up a new XJ in the '70s only to have a trackrod-end fall off when he stopped for a cuppa.
It was never inherent design or component quality problems at Jaguar that were at fault though, just the shoddy, careless way that they were assembled. Since Ford took over, most of that has been fixed and quality has improved dramatically.
In the five years and 40k miles I've owned my '99 XJ8 it's had one unexpected failure - a leaking power steering fluid cooler - £120 fitted at a main dealer. Other than that it's had one battery, one set of new pads, four new tyres and various bulbs.
Kevin...
PS. I'm on the lookout for one of the last X308 Daimler Super-Vs at the moment.
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">Since Ford took over, most of that has been fixed and quality has improved dramatically.<"
But would Jag have ever released vehicles that looked as hideous as the "S" or the "X" ? Abominations.
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Well done.
But the XJC is so much better. Ridiculous rear seats, single figure mpg.
tinyurl.com/3yfahk
"Is there a deiseil option?" No.
XJC with 6.0? Or supercharged 4.0? A lost cause :-(
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I'd sell what's left of my soul for one of those !
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A very British car. I'm sure it broke down, and some vibration might have been apparent. But there was nothing to match it .... when it worked :-(
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I run a 1984 Jaguar Vanden Plas H.E. here in New Zealand. I've had it since 1993, but it had six years on blocks while I was living in the UK '97 - '02.
Most of the above opinions are fair, apart from Mad Maxy's one. These cars can be a lot of trouble, especially if you're not handy with a spanner yourself and need to pay someone to look after it. The real secret is to be part of the online information network, get to know the secrets of how to keep these great cars going. I have found that the Jag-Lovers website is the best place for this. www.jag-lovers.net
I haven't had to take mine to a garage or specialist yet as I've done all my maintenance and repairs myself. The hardest thing I've had to do was replace the water pump, but even that wasn't too difficult once I'd worked out the process.
Replacement of old rubber bits like bushes, hoses and pipes is the most important thing with these cars. The metal bits just about go forever, but the rubber breaks down with time and heat. All of the coolant hoses can be changed, the same with the fuel injection hoses.
Corrosion can really kill these cars, but repairs, if done early enough and properly, are relatively straightforward. All the metal is mild steel, so simple welding and patching will work. Electrics can be a problem, but there are a number of tricks for making them reliable, that anyone can do. The handling is only barge-like if the suspension has been neglected, otherwise they are surprisingly well-behaved.
My car is still on petrol, and I get about 16 mpg around town and about 20-22 on a trip.
Prospective purchasers, make sure you see the relevant pages on Jag-Lovers, and try and keep another of these amazing cars on the road.
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Hi Pete,
I have just bought myself a stunner of an XJS V12 facelift 1992. Everytime I watch this car my heartbeat increases. I have searched for the perfect car for a few months now and I am just delighted with it. People like slagging off old jags for no reason. Mine is in perfect working order: all electrics, air-con, trip computer, cruise control etc... the former owner who had it for the past 12 years did regular servicing and the car was garaged: there's your bible. I Was very lucky to find one under 60K miles in such condition.
Now, it is true it is not what we would call nowadays a sports car. It's a cruising car. But what's great about it is that if you want the power, it's all there unde the bonnet ready to bounce you off in front of everyone on the motorway; it is mighty powerfull. The V12 engine 5.3l is never tired and for some reason never seems to suffer any type of enthusiastic driving. Mpg should not be a concern obviously with these type of motors or don't buy one! Though I am enquiring about converting it to LPG since it has low mileage. The thing is I'm not sure it's all that worth it, since it's more of a classic car that I drive here and there on weekends, so won't repay itself soon will it? and the 59p/litre for LPG is something of the past. It's almost doubled in 4 years as the government is trying to get their tax hands on it...
I will revert documenting myself and use this precious website jaglovers.com.
David.
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I have just bought myself an XJS V12 1992 with low mileage and looking into the LPG conversion. But it has gone up in price dramatically, so not sure it's that worth the money anymore.
Secondly, which system did you get installed on that complicated V12 ?
David.
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Well done Dave. Cracking car. I have a 1990 pre-facelift V12 XJ-S convertible.
I would not go down the lpg route though. The initial costs are very high to get it fitted and unless you do mega mileage the save between lpg and petrol will not be high enough to re-coup the initial outlay.
Personally I think it would also de-value the car as the next owner might be questioning how good a job was done. And where would you put the LPG tank? The boot with the full size spare in is hardly big enough as it is.
No. Stick with the petrol and just enjoy it as-is I would say.
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Never driven an Jag,i just had a look at a Jaquar E type.The coupe version what a good looking car I think production stopped in 1974 not sure.Would't mind one for weekends.:)
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no benefits, creaking running gear ( some joints due to be replaced ), high fuel consumption, no stiffness in certain parts of the body, leaky radiator, and backfiring through the exhaust. jag.
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Sounds like me on a good day :)
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I wonder if there's an adaptor kit for fitting a Ford Transit 4-cylinder diesel and 6-speed manual box to the XJS... !!!
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had a jag x-type, I liked it, I'll leave the comments on the older ones to those that know.
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I also owned an X-Type. At the time I bought it , it was under a year old. Everyone at the time (2003) loved it. Anyone that travelled in it loved it. My daughter and Dad still think its the best car I've had. I totally agree. Sold it reluctuntly due to poor depreciation at the time. Would have another Jag any day.
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>I wonder if there's an adaptor kit for fitting a Ford Transit 4-cylinder diesel and 6-speed manual box to the XJS... !!!<
I hope not. ;-)
My 1995 6 litre does 18mpg knocking about (yes, we go shopping with it!), 22 on a run. Fact.
XJSs don't fetch big money, thank goodness, but I would think an lpg conversion would destroy whatever one is worth.
As SFD says above, if you want one have one and enjoy it for what it is. Especially the V12. I seriously doubt you will be disappointed.
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