Greetings to All! My name is Dean, and I hail from El Sobrante in the SF Bay Area in California. This is the true story of how I was seduced into purchasing a Jaguar sports car! I was oogling the beautiful sports cars for sale by private parties at www.craigslist.com, and I saw a stunningly beautiful 2003 Jaguar XK8 convertible for sale. I found the classic styling, the refined lines, the color, and everything else about the car to be irresistible. And the asking price of this car, which originally had a MSRP in the neighborhood of $80,000 USD was only $8500! I swallowed hard as it dawned on me that I could actually afford to buy this beautiful, alluring car! I contacted the seller and arranged to test drive the car. Long story short--I'm now the proud owner of that very 2003 Jaguar XK8 convertible which you see below!


I can hardly believe that I actually own this gorgeous car! So, that is how this story ends, and we will be together happily ever after, right? But wait--now I need to change the oil, replace the worn tires, and other owner stuff like that. The only problem is that I don't have a maintenance schedule for the car. Although an Owner's Manual was in the glovebox of the car, that document inexplicably doesn't contain a maintenance schedule. So, today I find myself relying on the kindness of strangers (hint, hint) as it were
to gain access to a maintenance schedule. Please, please, please!

 

Welcome to the forums Dean,

Good to have you with us.

The complete Vehicle Literature Pack for your XK8 is in this thread:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...006-faq-67827/

Unfortunately, as a newbie you cannot yet download attachments from the forum so I've emailed the Vehicle Care Handbook containing the Service Schedules to the address you have registered with the forum.

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. You can also use the US Western Region forum by following this link https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/us-western-38/ to find other members in your region.

Please read the guidance for new members ( https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...ned-up-241802/ ) which answers many of the most frequent questions about getting started.

Enjoy the forums.

Graham

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums Dean,

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. That is a pretty car! Enjoy it.

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!!

 

Hello, Dean,
Congratulations on your new Jaguar Xk8! What a Very Pretty car!!
You aren't the first to be Smitten by the Classic Beauty of a Jaguar convertible and I seriously doubt you'll be the last.
Now it's your turn to take care of it.

When I got my Jag, tires still had rubber whiskers on the Michelins! I *assumed* they were new until I >SHREDDED< one on a gentle curve at 70mph 2 weeks after I got it. Only then did I look at the build date. THEY WERE TEN YEARS OLD!!! New tires that very day.

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

 

Graham, many thanks for the prompt response and helpful information! I am grateful indeed for the Vehicle Care Handbook which you so kindly sent me! It makes me feel so welcome as a new member of Jaguar Forums! I just purchased my 2003 XK8 on Sunday, so I'm just getting to know her, and the trove of information and helpful advice on Jaguar Forums will no doubt prove invaluable! And, frankly, I'm in need of some guidance, because like any 19-year old car, she has a few mechanical and cosmetic issues that need to be addressed. I'm not a mechanic, and have little or no experience navigating these "uncharted waters". The brief hour or so I was given by the seller to inspect and test drive the car before buying it was inadequate to thoroughly evaluate and assess the condition of the vehicle in depth, especially for an average guy like myself who has no mechanical expertise. So, I really appreciate your assistance.

Gratefully Yours,

Dean

 

Welcome aboard Dean.

 

Welcome to the Forums.

 

Hello ElinorB,
Nice to hear from you. I enjoyed reading your email. The tires on my XK8 are also kaput. The front tires have inner wear, and when I hit 65 mph, the car begins to vibrate. At 70 mph, it shakes like a washing machine in spin cycle! I wish the worn tires were the only issue I need to deal with. (Sigh!) Still, I am consoled by her beauty, classic lines, refined styling, and her heart-pounding 4.2L V8 engine!
All the best,
Dean

 

Hi Jim,
Well, mercy sakes, good buddy, keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your bumper!
-Dean

 

Hi Grant,
When I was in the 3rd grade, there was a rich kid in my class, whose dad drove an XKE. I never forgot that iconic car! And, XK8 styling harkens back to the XKE. The guy who sold me the car told me that the "8" in XK8 derives from the fact that the first letter in the word "eight" is also the last letter of the XKE model name. So, in a way, I finally got a dollop of the car I fell in love with 60 years ago!
All the best,
Dean