Well folks, I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm that guy who always wanted to get into wrenching - and having successfully swapped the suspension on a Subaru decided he was mechanically deft enough to jump right into the deep end. I wanted a project car - a car that I can spend time working on every weekend - doing basic maintenance and maybe some more ambitious modifications as I learn more about wrenching. I also knew I wanted a convertible. For the longest time, it was down to either an R129 series SL500, or a first-generation Boxster. So how'd I end up with a Jag?

The Mrs and I visited Hawaii a few months ago, so I took the opportunity to rent a Cayman from Turo. I figured this was as close to a test drive as I was going to get. I had the car for two days, and... didn't really care for it. The suspension was unforgiving, and after a single ride into the parking garage I was informed by my wife that I'd be dropping her off at the check in desk rather than subjecting her to speed bumps again. As for the Benz, I did go and look at a few, but finding one of those that had been appropriately cared for seemed to be impossible. But then a friend mentioned the XK8...



As cliche'd as it sounds, as soon as I saw this car I wanted it. Happily, I have an uncle who owns an XK8 coupe - I contacted him; he gave me some advice, and knowing the long distance drives he puts in (between Sydney and deep into rural New South Wales, Australia) I knew it would be a fit for me here in Milwaukee. I want a car to cruise; top down (or up), to see the sights, to recline, and enjoy life at a more relaxed pace; while at the same time knowing I've got access to excessive speed if the need arises. This car is literally the first and last Jaguar I drove before buying.

This is a 2000 XK8 in Sapphire Blue. It was in Michigan (I'm in Milwaukee) so I arranged for the car to be inspected prior to purchase. The car had been stored in a heated garage for the winters (no rust) and although there are some things that needed immediate attention (battery: practically dead, tires: very old) the car is in excellent condition. And at the time of sale, it had only 64,000 miles.



The Good:
*No rust, dents or previously repaired body panels
*Mechanically sound; no leaks, discolored fluids or stains
*Everything(ish) working as it should
*All manuals and even the original window sticker were provided, along with all keys and fobs
*Top goes up/down reliably and doesn't leak

The Bad:
*Things that weren't working quite right were related to the battery; e.g. window memory, memory wheel
*No maintenance paperwork - although the mechanic said the car appeared not to suffer for it, and the seller reported "everything having been done on time"
*Stereo appears to be the base model, is bad
*Some interior leather wear, particularly on the drivers' side - difficult to hide on white leather!

The Ugly:
*Battery: Cactus
*Tires: From 2005



So! Thanks for being a warm, welcoming community, and let's all revel in my bad life choices!

 

Welcome to the forum Tom,

Good to have you with us at Jaguar forums. That's what I call an Intro.

The car looks great. How odd that an owner who has obviously cared for it and kept all the other paperwork should not have the maintenance records. With a 'new' to me Jaguar, I always go through the full maintenance schedule to pick up on anything that's been missed and give a baseline for future servicing. Don't forget transmission fluid and filter change. it's not in the Jaguar schedule but is recommended and has been shown to greatly extend unit life.

Follow this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xk8-xkr-x100-17/ to the XK8/XKR forum for help, advice and information. The 'HOW TO' thread at the top is a good place to start for information on regular issues.

Please remember to add vehicle details to your Signature to help others to give relevant advice. Go to the User CP button on the left of the top menu bar, then Settings & Options under Your Control Panel. Select Edit Signature and enter the details.

You can also visit the US Midwest Region forum by following this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/us-midwest-39/ to find other members in your region.

Enjoy the forums.

Graham

 

Welcome.

Graham is spot on with the trans service, mandatory.
Upper chain tensioners also need a look at for the Gen3 units, which are full metal, as apposed to Plastic.

Its still a Jag, and you are smitten.

 

Welcome aboard Tom.

 

Thanks for the welcome all;

Yes, I absolutely agree that it is very strange - I was expecting to get a call from the mechanic to report what "the catch" was - but there didn't seem to be one. That said, I did buy the car from its third owner; it appears the paperwork got lost before it got to him. He had the car since 2013, and in that time only put 2,100 miles on it. He didn't seem to know whether or not the timing chain work had been done; so as a preventative measure I'm getting the following work done tomorrow:

• Replacement of timing chains, tensioners (upper and lower) and guides
• New water pump and serpentine belt
• New thermostat and possibly housing (unsure if the housing has already been replaced)
• Oil & Filter change (because why not?)

I also already changed the air filter and battery myself. I've got a long list of "to dos" for the car - but since winter is coming pretty soon I probably will stop here prior to storing the car until ~March (or April... or May.. bloody Wisconsin). The tires are going to stay in place until then since I don't want to flat-spot brand new tires. I figured I'd get a full transmission and coolant flush & service done at that point, right as I bring the car out of hibernation. The one thing that researching the R129 Benzes did teach me was the horrors of "sealed for life" transmissions... but I am hoping that the car can do without this for (at most) another ~200 miles before next year. I've already annihilated my wallet pretty hard!

 

Hello, Tom,
Beeeautiful Jaguar! In fact, I have decided my Next Jag will be an XK8 'vert.

Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

If any of the owners used Jaguar Dealers for servicing or repairs, any Dealer will have access to the service records and should be able to fill in some of the gaps for you.

Graham

 

welcome to the forum - nice looking find - enjoy!!

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums Tom,

Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.
If you need help with getting around and using the forum follow this link for some help Forum Help

 

Welcome to the forum.