Hi All,

I am contemplating purchasing a 97 XK8 convertible with 54K miles on it. Haven't looked at it yet but its said to be in excellent condition. I need feedback on this, is it a reliable car? Purchase price, if I can get it, is 3K. I don't want to buy a vehicle that I will need to invest heavily in ongoing repairs, not looking for a Jag that is fault prone. FYI, I currently own a 96 XJ6 that I love!!!

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Ray

 

The '97 as the first year of new model production came with several engineered in issues.

Specifically, the cam chain tensioners were made of plastic and all fail at some time taking the engine with it. You MUST verify that at least the secondary ones have been replaced with metal ones. Without clear documentation of replacement valve cover removal is the only way to verify. Careful, many of the first generation plastic tensioners were replaced with spring assisted second generation plastic that failed just as reliably. Parts cost less than $200, indy shop M&L $800, dealer $1200. That's just for the secondary. Replacement is easy DIY.

First generation water pumps has a habit of losing the impeller blades leading to overheating. Overheating is deadly on an aluminum engine. The temp gauge is an idiot gauge that only tells you when you have damaged your engine. Look for any signs of blown head gaskets as this is the first affect of overheating.

The early front wheel bearings were enlarged within a year due to some failures. Front suspension bushings the same. Look for signs of uneven tire wear.

This could be a great find if there is documentation of upgrades, repairs and service but should be approached with lots of questions without.

First law of 18 year old Jaguar ownership: these cars should only be owned by hobby mechanics. Professional maintenance of these cars will make even the best a money pit but as a current owner surely you know that already.

Lots of other little nagging issues but nothing more than any other car of this era. You will hear lots about Nikasil but that issue has passed if the car is still running. There is a pre-purchase check list in the sticky threads at the top of this forum and lots of discussion here also. Great group of guys standing by to help.

The XK8 is a grand car and you need one but also need to know what you are getting into. Good luck and I hope everything works for you.

 

I have a 97 XK8 that is the wife's daily driver. It now has about 104,000 miles on it.There are some known problems that you will want to check.
Secondary timing chain tensioners if you don't have a record of them being changed then they need to be examined and updated. It is a DIY project and plenty of info about it on the forum.
Hydraulic hoses for the convertible top. If they haven't been changed then look up Jagwrangler and install the pressure relief valve he sells for the hydraulic pump.
Plastic thermostat housing, you will want to change it to aluminum. The plastic one will eventually fail and leak.
Finally the transmission is a weak link. I had to rebuild completely at 98,000 miles due to A drum failure. There is a kit to change the shift solenoids that is said to add years to the existing transmission. There are numerous write ups about it on the forum.
The XK8 is a headturner around turn and an absolute blast to drive. My wife would never allow me to sell hers and would pay whatever the fees to keep it on the road.
Good luck in your purchase, and remember this a Jag that doesn't like to sit, it likes the open road.

 

While you are getting it CHEAP you will have maint to do to it. Trust us when we say this. It may have low miles but that sorta is bad for a Jag, means it has sat a lot for it's age which these cars need to be driven, everyone here will tell you that.
At that age, if nothing has been done to it which is a good chance, you are looking at octopus hoses, rad hoses, wp, ECM issues, front end suspension components going bad, new battery if you can't tell how old it is as the batt causes a boat load of issues as the many electrical modual and the like on this car NEED a good strong battery to function properly.
I would not buy this 3k low mile car, it prob will biet you in the ***.
Even for a 97, 3k and excellent cond do not go together, something is up.
You have to have some $$$, and be able to do some modest repairs on your own if you buy one. If you pay a shop to do everything, you are ganna spend some $$$$$$
If they can show you maint history then that is a diff thing.
I would be suspect of this one.

 

If XK8's were a reliable car, it would take all the fun out of owning one. Seriously, if I were you, I'd focus on 1999 or later, and if you have the money, 2003 or later. But if you have your heart set on a 97, then go for it. A well maintained one will already have many of the upgrades noted above. Good Luck

 

Rsperle, where are you in Hawaii? I'm on Maui and would be happy to meet another Jag lover and possibly provide some additional inside.

 

Excellent condition, 3k. probably not. but I would buy it just for the parts.

 

Yeah, salvage value in the SE US is about $2500.

 

This is a bit "tongue in cheek" but might help the decision :

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-guide-116221/

 

Your post accurately documented what I've experienced with my '97 XK8 Convertible.

I bought it 2-1/2 years ago with 45,000 km on the clock and it ran beautifully for the first 2 years with only oil changes. Then at the start of the third year, all the things you mentioned happened in quick succesion: first the plastic-vaned water pump, then the right front wheel bearing, then the plastic secondary chain tensioner.

My next projects of preventive maintenance are:
1. transmission oil and filter change
2. convertible top hoses replacement
3. all round wheel bushings replacement

Please suggest any other must-do jobs.

Yes, I'm waiting for the arrival of a used replacement front and rear wheel after running them over a rock in the middle of the highway. HELP: Need a front and rear wheel for '97 XK8 - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

 

I'd pay 7-12k for one, you will have a better chance at it being in good shape.

 

At $3K, my mouth really waters as that is less than a quarter of the price I paid for my '97 XK8 Convertible 2-1/2 years ago with 45,000km. Mind you Jaguars fall into the top bracket of import duty for imported cars in Hong Kong which was 90% back in 1997 (the tax has subsequently been increased).

IMHO, the Jagaur XK8 is not expensive to run and maintain in Hong Kong as compared to similarly-aged vehicles such as Porsches, Mercedes-Benz, BMW of a similar age, provided you are competent to order the necessary replacement parts from UK/USA rather than relying on the local Jaguar dealer, AND you are either handy-enough to DIY, or you have access to a reasonably-experienced "old-school" auto-mechanic who charges reasonable-rates and has not retired which are happening to 2 of mine.

If the car had been in good hands with documented maintenance history, you have a bargain begging for a new owner, as mentioned above, people who don't have the necessary skills avoid Jaguars at all costs and would not touch them thus depressing their resell value, but that is exactly where we Jag lovers are able to fulfill our dreams at very reasonable cost. Enjoy.

 

I thought folks in your part of the world did not have internet access???

 

You're dead wrong. We have fibre optic internet access with speed of 500M/1G into our homes and offices at prices that would really make your drool...
We also have 4G LTE for our mobile devices at really low costs...

 

Man I wish I lived in Hawaii or hell even Hong Kong... 3K USD or even 12-15k USD is an absolute bargain compared to what I had to pay for my 98 Convertible over here..... Then again its not like there's any more of them here so can't complain too much.

 

And don't forget the bad solder joints on the ABS module. And plastic serpentine belt idler/tensioners breaking.
One came up for just $1600 in Raleigh, NC a few months ago on Craigslist that had "some water damage" and I wanted to buy it for parts as it was not to far away. But the seller kept putting me off when I wanted to come see it and never did find out if it actually existed.

At 3k it does sound like it would fit in the "to good to be true" category. I paid about $5700 plus shipping for mine with 97k and its been a pain in the *ss. Knowing what I know now I would not have bought it and either saved up for a newer one or got something else instead.


Dave

 

Or, for $3k, you could just buy it, drive it, enjoy it, and, if something serious breaks, fix it -- or not. I have 97 with 63,000 on the clock. I have not personally experienced issues with tensioners, water pumps, bushings and the like, but, what turned out to be a minor electrical problem almost drove me to dump it. Even 2003 models are old.

If you have an extra $3 grand, that is a week at the beach money. If the car appeals to you buy it -- but with eyes wide open.

 

AT 3k it is worth it to buy IF it is cosmetically in great shape interior/exterior. I just bought on needed mechanical work that is beautifull that Ill be doing all the service work to then reselling. 67kmiles, never wrecked always in garage, lady owned. But needed tires, battery, ac work and ABS repair, and yes a wheel bearing. should be finishing today. At 3K you can have someone fix it all still break even with a great car

 

My mistake was buying it thinking I could use it as a daily driver but its has never yet gone more than about 300 miles at a time without a breakdown or some kind of failure.
Of course the irony of it all will be that when I sell it after its current problem is fixed it will likely be reliable (well as reliable as one of these can be anyways) for the next person because by now I've taken care of most the things that break on these.
If its not going to be your daily car then it can be a fun project I suppose.


Dave