Hi all!
The time has finally come to being able to go from an XJ8 to an XJR!

I know there are multiple threads covering this topic but it's nice to obtain perhaps new information.

The car that I have seen:

• 1998 XJR with 129,000 on the clock.
• Asking price is £2000
• No service history.
• MOT is due next week and the history looks good - reg number is S270 JHP if you're interested in looking. https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
• The current owner has owned the car for two months - is selling due to buying a house - if I was paranoid, I could say this is a red flag and the car has problems.
• The owner is unsure of the timing chain tensioner being upgraded - have been quoted £1500-£2000 to get this done (which if the car has no other problems, the cost of the car + this repair is a bargain.)
• Driver seat needs patching - small cost.
• Rust? The owner says it's good but will send pictures. I suppose I would have to see the underneath to see the true condition.

It being 1998, Nikasil is my concern. No way around this, huh? What is your opinion? Buy or avoid?

 

It's alive now, so the Nikasil is just fine.

Chain tensioners are well worth checking ASAP. Quote seems fairly steep to me, but I've never paid to have one done and it is involved.

If the MOT is due I'd be tempted to offer to pay the test fee prior to purchase just to see it's not got issues hiding and get some pictures of it on a ramp.

I'm ditching a cream leather interior in relatively poor condition, but one of the better panels might be suitable for repairing your drivers seat

 

Looks like a steal.

 

yeah, I think the seller realised and deleted the listing

Here is another one available near me.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363650281...4AAOSwcophsdC0

There is also another XJR on for sale. It has been SORNd in a garage since 2014.

• Both wings have minor rust.
• Headlining needs doing
• Aircon needs regassing.
• It has only 65k miles on the clock
• Owner said a new battery was inserted and the car started first time.
• Pads and discs need replacing
• It being 1999 and only 65k on the clock and SORNd for many years, is this a ticking bomb for bigger problems? <<<< MY biggest concern. Engine has not even worn in for Nikasil problems to show?
• Asking price is £6500 but I am negotiating.

again, no confirmation of the tensioner job being done on both of the cars.

 

Hello Al,

I recently purchased a 2002 VDP with oatmeal interior and the driver's (left) seat base is torn. Yes, I know we drive on the wrong side of the road. My local upholsterer recommended a company in California called GAHH that among other upholstery products (carpet, headliners, console lids) offers factory seat skins in the correct colors. If you scroll to the bottom of their home page they have a catalog you can download. Advantage here is if only your seat base is torn (like mine) you can order just that part without paying for the entire seat or the entire set.

https://gahh.com/

One thing I just realized (or realised for those of you on the other side of the pond) is that the driver's seat is the one that usually takes the most abuse. We should set up some sort of diplomatic exchange where the Americans harvest the right seat skins from the breakers yard and the Brits harvest the left seat skins and then swap. I've contacted several salvage yards and cannot find a good one here.