Hello all, I am currently looking at becoming a Jaguar owner. I have 2 good options that I am looking into. I could use a little advice from some seasoned owners. The first, and my favorite is a Silver 2001 XJR with 99,000 miles. The second is a light Blue 1999 XJ8 with 49,000 miles on it. They are within a few hundred dollars in price to each other.
I guess my biggest question is, do I pick the lower mile vehicle over the Supercharged version? I've read about the possible transmission issues with the XJ8 model, and that does concern me a bit. Any advice would be great.
Thank you all.

 

Option 3

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/p...istory-137804/

 

Gearbox problems on an XJ8 with such a low mileage are not very likely, the ZF 5HP24 gearboxes are good for 200.000miles and more if you maintain them well. Meaning, forget about the lubed for life statement and have the oil + filter changed every 60.000 miles.

I don't know how many miles you're planning to do on a yearly base but it should last for many years to come with regular oil changes.

I would go for option 2, I have to admit that I don't know much about the XJR though.

 

Thats a beautiful car mcm97...I think a cross country drive for a vehicle purchase is a bit past my wife's threshold though.

 

Nick Wood-I will probably do about 5,000-9,000 miles a year on the Jaguar. Is the transmission fluid change something that a weekend mechanic can do on the XJ8, or is it a professional only job?

 

Your regular "shade tree mechanic" should be able to do it providing he put the right oil in it (check the specs in the manual). The filter can be bought over the internet, it includes the gasket for the oilpan as well.

5 up to 9000 miles a year, it will last forever! Got the same gearbox in my BMW 740i which is a lot heavier and on top of that I very frequently pull a trailer of 4900 pounds without any problems. My gearbox gave up ghost just under the 200,000 miles mark abusing it as I did.

 

I can ship it to you!

re: the transmission. The original transmission on this car was rebuilt at 45k just outside of warranty. When I had it rebuilt two months ago the rebuilder said that the first rebuild failed because the guy used a cheap filter. The internals were destroyed all over a $40 filter...insane.

My $0.02 with these cars - either buy one with VERY strong documented service or dont buy it at all. Gaskets and valve covers seem to go bad in these, trannys are faulty, tensioners, headliners, front suspension...you can pretty much count on throwing money at these problems if they havent been addressed already. All told, those repairs will set you back $5000 - $6000. Even is the purchase price is sub $6000 it's STILL a lot of luxury and bang for the buck but who wants to throw money at a car you dont have to when there are plenty of well loved Jags out there?

 

Completely agree but these cars, now 12-15 years old are best owned by hobby mechanics.

A trip to a dealer, or even an independent can make you ask if it is worth repairing. On the other hand, DIY is entertainment to some demented folks and is no more expensive than any other car.

I just bought water pumps for an XK8 and a 5.0L Ford. The Jaguar pump was less expensive.

 

Maintenance issues, service records, and all those logical (but valid) things aside, from a purely visceral standpoint, I'd go with the XJR. I've doted on my XJ8 for many years, and it's been a fine car, but just knowing it could have been so much better with kick-in-the-pants, silly grin type power (85 more ponies with that SC whine), just gets to me every time I think about it. I can't help but feel a little envious when I see one on the road.

In this same vein, lets say you outlay a bundle on a repair or maintenance it needs, whether you do it yourself (please do), or you take it in somewhere. When all is said and done, and you're sitting there justifying to yourself if it was worth it, I think a beastly XJR would be the easier pill to swallow. 'Cuz what you got in the end is what you got to crow about.

One thing to note from personal experience, Jag light blue (minstral - JHA), doesn't hold up very well. At least mine hasn't. Hood, top and trunk will craze and fade needing a re-spray sooner or later. Our Texas summers may be to blame, YMMV.

 

My question for you is this; how much are they, and how much are you willing to spend?

Think of the cost of the car, and how much you're willing to put into it.
Because (I am going to assume that it hasn't been done, there are many that have not been done, and few that have) does it have the upgraded aluminum thermostat housing? Does it have the upgraded MkIV secondary tensioners? Does it have the upgraded water pump?
Even at low milage, these things are things that are better done sooner rather than later. If they have NOT been done yet (and make sure that if they have been there is irrefutable proof that it's been done.) you may want to consider the cost of having that stuff done.
Just my opinion.

 

Maintenance history.

Maintenance history.

Maintenance history.

The most important thing when buying a Jag.

If they are equal in this respect, go with the XJR, usually loaded with all the options, more robust transmission, no VVT to cause trouble and the fun factor of the extra 100 horsepower is hard to describe but very nice to have.

The problem with a lot of these cars is deferred, expensive maintenance by previous owners. They sell the car when expensive repairs come up.

If you are handy with a wrench and, more importantly, are willing to spend 8-10 hours reading a lot of info available here about these cars, you should be OK.

Trips to the dealer or an indy for repairs can be expensive, but if you start with a well maintained car, they can be economical and the XJR is reasonably bullet proof.

If not done already, either one will need the upgraded secondary tensioners, water pump and housing and the 99 may need the throttle body upgrade. Ask for proof of these repairs or have a PPI look for them.

 

Thanks for all the info everyone. I have a better understanding of what to look for this weekend when I check out these cars.

 

XJR ,period

 

I have an XJR and an XK8 convertible. Buying the XK8 was a mistake. I should have bought an XKR - make of that what you will.

 

XJR. I made the same decision a few years ago and I have never been sorry.

 

My first Jag was an XJ6 - a SIII. I loved it but later decided what I should have bought was a VDP. So I now have a VDP. After a few years now I think I should have gotten an XJR. It's always something. But after I got my Range Rover Sport supercharged, I really appreciate the supercharger. All things equal, I'd go with the XJR.

 

Why are not not as happy with the VDP now?

 

Well, I love my VDP, but ... the power of the "R" and the shorter wheelbase is a lot of fun. Ideally, I'd have a VDP and an XJR 100. But, hey ...