(Mechanics please help)

Okay if someone can figure this problem with this 98 I have I’d be so beyond happy.

Picked this up after it sat at the family business for the last year bought it for next to nothing thought it was only worth parts.

Paid 300$ and got in it with 2 feet of snow around it in the previous owners yard started right up no miss not even a tick drove to local bar and got it towed 45 minutes to my uncles garage never even looked it over.

One year later dad tells me it won’t start from the key but crosses the starter over runs fine and he airs the tires up and runs it a lap around the garage.

1 year 6 months later, I go and cross the starter over and it runs better then any xj I have ever owned, (currently 3 of them) drive it approximately 5 miles park it at my house and shut it off.

Currently whenever you try to start it the fuel pump does not kick on but I can cross the fuel pump over at the fuse box and get it to. It has spark we have checked. Have tried a different ignition switch which fixed the starter relay. But not the fuel pump?! different battery. Checked every connection out of the fuse box with test light at the fuse and at the wire. Can only get it to start and run if power is backfed threw the fuse box?! And it started from me shorting it out by hooking a direct wire from positive to the negative terminal?! I don’t understand what’s going on my dad has been a mechanic for 20 years and his next step is the cps sensor. He said he has saw similar problems 1 time before. the transmissions pulled away from the motor from working the bolts lose or sloppy mechanic work so he had to grind down the cps sensor to get it to work. But he said it still doesn’t make sense. Anybody have any clue?