1988 JAGUAR XJS Sportback LS

“1988 JAGUAR XJS H&E CONVERTIBLE V/12 5.3 LITERS.” “UNEXPECTED PROBLEM - THE JAGUAR HAS BEEN DAMAGE SINCE THE LAST POSTING.“ “ HOLD ON – DON’T HANG UP – READ ABOUT THE PROBLEM - ANYONE WITH BASIC MECHANICAL SKILLS CAN MAKE THE REPAIR."……… DAMAGE REPORT: With the first CRAIG'S LIST listing, the first gentleman to come and inspect the JAGUAR - thought well of it. The car was started and run a couple of minutes to “listen” to the engine, then while backing out of the garage, thick black smoke appeared from under the hood and it smelled like burning rubber. The car was shut off, the hood was opened, a fire extinguisher knock down the fire. The fire department arrived and hit the smoldering engine with a thick powder The Inspector - “the hose bring fuel to the top of the intake manifold had ruptured and gas under pressure sprayed the engine and ignited on the hot exhaust manifold. THIS WAS NOT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE! The wiring from the firewall back was not affected. The hood did blister in several small areas with no metal distortion and the area at the top of the firewall curving towards the air vents will need paint. The engine and external metal components were not affected ………..REPAIR OPTION: I'd do the work myself but MS has put me into a wheelchair. The 1988 V12 Engine series was built a few years before and after 1988 in 4 door sedans and coupes. You will need to research which years are compatible engine swaps or parts. ( 1 ) Have your mechanic repair the damage with new parts. ( 2 ) Repair yourself with new parts - hoses, wiring, plastic units, insulation & ect, - SAVE LABOR COSTS. ( 3 ) Locate a blown engine or rust out car from a PRIVATE PARTY and SAVAGE YARD and strip off the needed parts - SAVE ON LABOR & PARTS COST. Check ADS & CRAIG’S LIST for Blown engines or cars no longer roadworthy. REMEMBER Your after the parts on the exterior of the engine. ( 4 ) CONVERT to a CHEVY 350 V8. There are a few companies that make and all component to drop in Chevy 350 engines without sheet metal work. Check out JOHNSCARS web site. I called John and he's designed and manufactured a kit to make an easy swap to a dependable Chevy 350 V-8 engine. No sheet metal work needed. Also search the ‘www’ for other companies offering swap kits. ……….HISTORY: The original mileage on a working odometer is 075296. Late 2006, with the declining economy, I put the JAGUAR in storage in my garage. The car is in great physical condition. The car's lines are straight, and presents a wonderful fit and finish. The car has always been garage kept and never smoked in. ………. BODY: The original owner had the car repainted with the correct white. The car had been extensively “KEYED”. The car was never in a wreak - never hit. All panels and floors are original and in excellent solid condition. The paint is in very good condition. The chrome is excellent – no rust or pitting. The JAGUAR has the option - long oval “cat eye” European style. I found a few surface blisters on the fender lips. The trunk latch seems to have become mis-aligned, I loosened the latch bolts and tried realigning, no luck. ……….TOP: new factory top installed just before we got the car. ……….MOTOR / TRANNY: MOTOR NOW NEEDS TOP SIDE REBUILT – AFTER THE REPAIR IS COMPLETED – This Jaguar again will be a real dream to drive, cruising down the road. The transmission shifts smoothly .……….WHEELS AND TIRES: 4 tires ( ABOUT 2000 MILES ) are Pirelli P400 Touring P215/70 R15 97 TM&S Tires with white wall mounted on Factory Wire Wheels. The rims mount with 5 lug nuts. ……….INTERIOR: The leather is all original. The seats are in good condition with typical age lines, passenger seat has 2 seams slightly open, the thread is not broken. The power windows work fine. All the glass and windshield are in fine condition. The dash board is good with no cracks or fading. The original wool carpeting shows nicely. The door panels are also in fine condition. The interior’s stunning “curly walnut