Great, but this thread is in the S-type section and has been dormant for 5 years.

 

Owned a STR and the car was a blast and was reliable! Sold it at just over 100k and she's still running strong

 

Re: STR....I'll throw in my 2cents......14K miles ago or 18 months as the calendar reads I found and bought a 2003 STR...one owner, dealer maintained, all records since new, 112K miles with a new dealer installed ZF trans.

Here's what I've done to it in regards to maintenance, both needed and preventative.

Needed: 'J' box shifter failed.......installed new OEM from dealer about $700.00
one ignition coil

Preventative: Ignition coils and OEM Denso spark plugs, all, as recommended by my local independant. He is a Jag factory trained, 25 years in the business, small business owner and said he thought the ignition coils should be changed ever 80 to (no more than) 100K........auto zone.....$52.00 ish...per coil pack inc Ca. tx.

Plugs....amazon......very pleased.

Denso SK16PRA11 Spark Plug
Sold by: vizionmotorsport
$11.29

New low beam head lights bulbs from Amazon.....very very pleased

Osram Xenarc 66240 D2S CBI Bulbs (Pair)
Sold by: Xenon Corp
$143.53

Fuel filter....(behind front drivers side wheel) Auto Zone....price?

Oil and filter changes every 5K with Casterol

New lug nuts.....solid vs the OEM covered lug nuts....once again Amazon

Dorman 611-229 Wheel Lug Nut
Sold by: AutoPartsZilla
$24.28

I also added an aftermarket 'mesh' grill upper and lower. Be warned....installing the upper main grill requires more than a little bit of 'trade skill' and common sense as the 'easy to' plastic tabs want to break off and they are not strong enough to fight against the flex of the stele mesh.

My solution....the second solution btw....was to us a 5200 marine adhesive (that will hold the world together if you get it in the right place)

After cutting out the original tines I sandwiched the new mesh grill in between the backing and the chrome (plastic, both) top bezel,...zip tied them into place and then pumped the 5200 (like a thick caulk) into all of the open spaces from the back including the grid of holes I drilled in the back of the plastic part that is bolted onto the front of the car. And yes.......it had to set for one week on my work bench to ensure a cure as I hate 're doing' things that require more patience than I usually have.

Cold air ram system.....$100.00 off on an ebay seller out of Reseda Ca.
This requires less than 20 min. and one or two wrenches to install....super, super easy....super clean and GOOD GRIEF!!! what a DIFFERENCE! talk about 'unleashing the beast'!........I love it.
WARNING
IF YOU DECIDE TO ADD THIS RAM SYSTEM BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL AIR BOX FOR SMOG TEST....IN AND OUT IN 10 MIN. Two years of pleasure...a small price.

Now at 124K my STR has and continues to run like a beast.....I really enjoy driving it.

Just for reference....my first car, at 19, was a 1957 XK 140 DHC with 37K original...and yes that was (what now seems and looks like) several lifetimes ago.

over the last 37+ years I've driven 'P' (Porsche) cars for more than 495K miles....so I believe I know know the drive and feel of a well made car.....I love my STR....I call it Elegance combined with Insolence.....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003 Str quartz in color....light grey interior....124K current
1995 Porsche 911/993....hundreds of thousands of miles.
1978 911 SC.....325K
1964 Chevy P-30 Step van...fiberglass body, 5,600 lbs......LT1 Vet Engine installed...Hmm....
and more.

 

"=Clifsmith;136066]Hi Everyone, first post. I am really sold on getting a 2003 - 2005 Stype. Prefer and R, but I found a 2003 4.2 with 90k miles (VERY CLEAN) for $9900"


The 90K miles doesn't bother me as much that price.....9900 is about DOUBLE what you can buy them for here with less miles. Check around Craigslist, Cars.com and others to compare. Good luck.

 

Back in 2009 when this post was started, that was the going price.

 

I bought an 06 3.0 with 120k mi on it 5 mos ago for $6200. I've never been more happy with anything.

 

Good for you! I was able to pickup my 2003 STR, quartz exterior, light grey interior(one owner, dealer serviced since new, all records, new ZF trans.) with 112K on it in June of 2014 for the same....$6,200.00

 

Even though this was an old thread, the 90k range is where I'm seeing many S-Types for sale on Craigslist in the Atlanta area...various years, prices and items needing repair.

And I forgot to add that I picked mine up (OK, saved from my wife because she wanted a new Audi A6) at 95K. Coincidence?

 

I had luck like you. 2000 4.0V8 with 44,000 miles....$4100. I put some money into it even though it wasn't required. brakes, water pump, and stuff like that.

 

> I put some money into it even though it wasn't required. brakes, water pump...

Cam-chain tensioners?

Just ask'n
================================================== =
You dreamed of a big star -
He played a mean guitar -
He loved to drive his Jaguar...

So welcome to the machine

 

90k is a milestone service interval. For some who have had enough of costly wear and tear items will no longer invest in proactive maintenance and let their cars go at the next failure. For the S-Type, that point seems to be in the 90k range.

Considering that the above cars are Gen 1 or early Gen 2, that isn't too much mileage for 10+ year old cars that usually look cosmetically very good!

 

I'm lost why you think 90K is any milestone. It's perhaps one at 70K for 3.0 and 100K for 4.2/STR. If auto, pick whatever mileage you fancy changing the fluid.

I worry far more about AGE than MILES, because cars like to be driven decent distances and often. Every heat-up/cool-down cycle does some wear so endless short trips are bad as they don't even burn off water in the oil, exhaust etc.

By now the cars are at least 8 years old (last made in 2007, some of them not sold till 2008). Have a contingency fund with any car that age.

For an auto, plan to change its fluid so factor in that cost.

Ideally change other fluids (diff, for STR the SC, etc).

Without solid evidence assume things that should have been done have not been.

 

I still enjoy my 10.5-years-old 2005 S-Type 3.0 very much at 92,600+ miles. Took it on a 200-mile round-trip yesterday to visit my mom. Will be taking it on another 200-mile round-trip tomorrow for our annual Thanksgiving feast. It remains a great bang-for-the-buck highway cruiser and while I should sell it now since we recently acquired an SUV that can replace it, I simply still enjoy it too much to let it go right now. And that is completely contrary to my normal economics-driven, logical decision-making behavior....

 

I look at purchasing a car from 2 perspectives.
1. Based on Cost of ownership, (COO) versus reliability, and then its functionality. (Quality, appealing looks, handling, power…) When you purchase a higher mileage car you need to set in your mind how much you are willing to spend per month to keep the car running.
2. Will the vehicle be a toy/project or a fun car. (Different spending approach.)

As a car ages there is a reliability curve where you slowly spend more and more money on keeping it running. What everyone wants is to purchase a used car where you have a quick payoff where only a few smaller things fail over time. Often this is a crap shoot if you will get a lemon or a great deal.

My favorite example is my 99 van. It has close to 200K mile on it and if I divide how much I have spent versus how long I’ve owned it, it has cost me around $110/month. (Not including gas and insurance)

On the other hand, my 04 STR has cost me around $350/month.

Back to the STR question: I am seeing 2 different scenarios for the STRs. First is where the owner/s have serviced and maintained the cars on a meticulous basis. These cars will last for at least 180K miles.
Second is where the car has not had its fluids changed regularly, has been driven hard, service intervals are spotty at best. These cars start failing between 80K miles and 120K miles.

The key to owning a higher mileage S-type is knowing who owned the car and if it has a documented and recorded service history. If the seller can’t present you with this documentation, then I always assume the car has been driven hard and not maintained properly. Therefore I personally will pass on Jaguars with 90+K on them unless the owner can prove to me that the key service items have been addressed.
Example on a 90K STR. Has the supercharger been removed and the water bypass line replaced? While the SC was off, what the oil changed and the flex coupler replaced? How often was the oil changed? 5K miles? 10K miles? Was regular oil or synthetic used? Has the transmission oil been changed? Have the suspension bushings ever been replaced? Shocks?
All of these items can cost thousands to replace.

 

Re: 90K mile stone vs. no 'mile stone' Here's my observations.......more often than not 'first time' as in off the Dealers lot, buyers do not share the same desire to be 'hands on' for minor and even some major maintenance and or repair work.

The total, added up value of the self performed maintenance, at dealer prices I've been willing and able to complete on my 2003 STR is around $7,100.00. This is coil packs and new OEM plugs x 8 ea. Three complete oil and filter changes inc. fuel filter. New 'J' box shifter in stalled. New low beam head light bulbs.....(have to remove the from of the car to do this...well the front bumper assemble any way)

The original owner spent $700.00 on one dealer installed head light and had an average annual repair bill of $3,500 to $5,500.

My $7,000.00 dealer value repairs have cost me around $862.00

I think this is what is meant when referring to 90K 'threshold'

That makes the Jag. perfect for we, the enthousiast. A decent set of tools, access to Youtube....some patience and a desire to have a 'relationship' with our 'rolling sculpture' and there you have it......or so is my opinion based on lots of look and see time.

2003 STR quartz with light grey....124k
1995 Porsche 911/993......too many mile to count
1978 Porsche 911SC 325K+
1964 P-30 Chev. Step Van....5,600 lbs total (factory fiberglass body) 350Cu.I LT1 Vette Engine installed

 

I mentioned 90k as milestone only because it's a multiple of 30, which most manufacturers recommend fluid changes, belt and hose inspection and the like.

 

Not yet. I was thinking around 70,000 miles. The car runs very well and I am not going to tear it down at 57,000 miles. I think I can do this myself and I am not going to spend $2400 to have someone I don't know do this. That is over half the cost of the car.

 

Why not use the Jaguar schedule instead?

30K or multiples thereof are nothing special on an S-type.

 

All depends on how the vehicle was maintained since it was new! Same goes for any manufacturer

 

I just bought a 2003 3.0 S-type with 147,000 miles on the clock and had it serviced. I then put plenty of Berrymans B-60 "High-Mileage' fuel system cleaner through it. She runs quite well and seems very clean and tight. The A/C blows ice-cold and the vehicle obtains about 28.5 mpg (US) on 30-mile plus freeway runs.
I'm happy.