Hi Guys.


I've been checking out the 2004-2009 XJs and want to get one here in the next month or so. We are needing a 4-door sedan and the bargains out there on these superb XJs are too good to pass up. I found one for sale that has had a lot of work and is the top-of-the-line 2005 Super. The owner states:

"In 2011 Jaguar (dealer) installed a brand new engine under warranty with all the updates of a 2011 Engine... original engine was making a lower end noise so Jaguar replaced with a 2011 Jaguar 4.2 V8 Engine Supercharged... also received new throttle body, new radiator, new hoses and belts, new a/c compressor. I have the documents of the engine work done by Jaguar and everything that has been done to the car since I bought it in 2010. Since the engine replacement it has 69K on the engine and the body has 153K. In 2015 it got a new transmission... The input shaft was broken so instead of just replacing that part, I had them put in all brand new parts for the whole transmission. Since, I have only put around 7K miles on it. I just had a new front suspension installed with brand new front air struts, control arms, sway bar links, tie rod ends and a 4 wheel alignment..."

The owner is asking $14K for the car and it looks immaculate in the pictures. Is there anything specific I should ask about the car?
What do you think of the price considering the age, the overall mileage and all the work? Is the 153K total something to be concerned about despite all the work?

Thank You!!

Tim

 

With all that work done you should be good for another 150k miles !! However the car will not be totally free of repairs as the suspension bushes tend to be short lived. There will no doubt be a few other niggles as well to put right, but the basic structure of the car is very sound and the aluminium construction means it is less vulnerable to corrosion than steel.

However, just because an owner has thrown money at a car doesn't mean its value has increased. The mileage is high, and I would not expect the car to be worth that sort of money, but maybe the USA is different. Remember, this is a private sale so there is no comeback if you find something seriously wrong with the car after purchase.

 

I agree. Looks like he did a lot of work on it, but I would not place the value of the car even near that. In fact if you did buy it for that, I wouldn't expect to turn around and sell it for that the next day.

$14,000 for an 80,000 + thousand dollar car might seem like a deal, but start looking around and you'll see that price is on the high side for that year. Most of the flagship Jaguars I have seen are in very good condition as far as body and interior go. People that buy these tend to garage them and take care of them for the most part. As Fraser said, it's the wear on all the small parts that go which will nickel and dime you.

That said, I think that 05 SV8 with 150,000+ miles should go for closer to $7000-9,000. (I'm being generous. It seems like most non supercharged x350's that have over 150,000 miles go for $2000-4000 with no major work performed.) The mileage is very high and I woulnd't put too much weight into the "new engine and transmission" as those can fail early on any car, and I wouldn't let it increase the value of the car much at all. Not that it should matter too much to the buyer, but remember that he did get a "free" engine...he doesn't have money tied up into it he needs to recoup. Ofcourse I tend to shop around for a vehicle for months and will usually only buy if the price is right.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Yes, I'm looking around a lot and the research says it is priced high.. I'm finding nice XJ L VDPs with 50-60K miles in the $10K-11K region. I really like the darker gray with a black interior.. I found these:


https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/ctd...284171044.html


https://sarasota.craigslist.org/ctd/...257952560.html


Also found another Super V8 with 52K miles for less than that first one..:
https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee...282487519.html
I love all the features of the Super.. too many choices!!


Thank you


Tim

 

Hi Tim, I would choose any three of those you posted over the first one, ofcourse with wiggle room on the price. The 06+ went through a computer update from Jaguar and a couple years after that they facelifted the body. 04's were the first year and as such will probably not hold value quite as well as later years. That said, here is a decent looking one in Seattle:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/c...274054484.html

 

ChillyPhilly, that's a nice one and a great price.. I don't know that I've seen one in white.. interesting.


I like them all but tend to favor 2006 and up until they started putting those side wings and big chrome strips across the trunk.. I think they look a lot cleaner without them... Was it in 2008 that those items went onto the whole line?


I'm favoring the black interior as my first jag was a 2002 XK8 with the black interior.. absolutely loved it..






Thanks


Tim

 

The facelift, (X358), came in 2007, but you may not have seen them until 2008 in the US.

As well as the restyled front and rear, the later cars do have all the unannounced improvements that caused me some grief with my previous 2003 over my six years of ownership. In contrast, my 2007, bought on 54k miles has got through its first year without any issues apart from some steering wheel judder on braking. I got this with the last car, so they seem vulnerable to this syndrome a bit.

Here's my car -

 

One way to look at it is that the car was a lemon. There are a lot of low mile SV8's. Be patient. Do a national search. Use NADA for pricing, not Kelly BB.

Watch for flood vehicles. Look West before South and East. Read the sticky on known issues with the x350.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...d-know-112913/

Personally, I stay away from any vehicle that doesn't include full maintenance/ repair history. It's vital on these cars. SV8 is a terrific car but not cheap to own.

Best of luck.

 

So I'm kind of settling into the thought of the Super V8 there from Fort Meyers, FL with 52K miles. For only 2-3K more than a baseline L or VDP, I can get the Super with all it's nice features and that supercharged performance. I know I was very happy with my XK8 but once had the opportunity to drive an XKR. The power and torque was both thrilling and intoxicating! I'll be kicking myself if I don't opt for the Super!! Wish me luck gentlemen!

 

Update: So I spoke with seller of the 2006 Super V8 with 52,000 miles. It sounds like it could be "the one." Private party sale, owned by an older couple since 2006 and their son is selling the car for them. The father can't drive anymore due to health issues and the mother only drives it occasionally. It's "too much car" for her taste - too big, too fast. They certainly didn't spare any expense on the maintenance by the local Jaguar dealer. Recent replacements include new air suspension components on all 4 corners, a new transmission, headliner, brakes, rotors, tires. I've got a point of contact at the Jaguar dealer that did all the maintenance that I'll be calling.


The only thing bugging me is why would it need a new transmission so soon? This is the second Super V8 I've called on that had a new transmission installed earlier than I would expect. I can't see an older couple thrashing the car... Is this a common issue on the supercharged XJs of this vintage?? I know other mechanical contrivances I've owned, (boat, airplane) tend to be more reliable and last longer when they are run often and all their systems are frequently worked up to but within their limits. Perhaps these cars do better just running all the time and not sitting??

 

Took delivery of my new to me 2005 superv8 recently & after doing a pressure test & changing all fluids found I had aggravated a leak of coolant into my transmission which entailed an expensive transmission rebuild & new radiator.

 

Yes these cars do better with use. The Transmission is typically bulletproof and has a good reputation. They're used in BMW and Hyundai also. The question is a good one and I would ask the seller or better still, get the records, but I wouldn't' let it deter me. Have a PPI done on the suspension. The air shocks have been replaced. Those are a big expense, followed by suspension bushes which will suffer from wear, driven or idle, and then coolant system hoses, which add up but not likely an issue with so few miles.

 

What became of this Tim? Did you make a purchase?