My 2002 VDP was stolen last Friday night. Although it was recovered in less than 12 hours, the car had already sustained damage to the engine (#8 cylinder), and possibly to the transmission. The insurance adjuster said that he hoped I wasn't in love with the car. I am preparing myself for the news that the insurance company will total the car.
I'm bummer about the potential loss of such a beautiful vehicle. For me, the X308s were classically styled Jags, with a symmetry that was lost with the X350s and X358s. Although the X351 is unique, it doesn't say Jag in quite the same way as an X308.
I'm thinking that an XKR convertible will help ease my pain. While I would miss the spaciousness of the VDP, it will be fun to be back in a ragtop once again.

 

sorry for your loss- remember- what goes around, comes around...

 

Hi Kew 5953, as Dmpsqrd said I am also sorry for your loss.
I hope that the insurance people can come up with an agreeable settlement and that will go some way to restoration?
if you can find a suitable replacement, I wish you Luck and hope they get the culprits who did this devious deed.
The XKR sounds good therapy, I'd say go for it, Live the Dream and don't look back!
Good Luck and regards, Stu

 

So sorry to hear about your car -- as stated above, the new XKR sounds like a great way to get over it!

How did your car get stolen, and what happened to the engine and transmission?

Also, try to negotiate with the insurance company -- if they "total" your car, you'll probably only get a couple thousand for it. You might be able to keep the car and part it out or get it fixed. Don't let the insurance company bully you into giving you a small amount of money and you losing your car.

Good luck.

 

Sounds like a trip to SoCal or Palm Beach is in order to find a replacement VDP would be in order.

 

How did they steal it without the key? Did they have a key?

Was it towed away or driven??

The X308s are my favorite mix of dependable and beautiful.

Had a 1982 XJS and a 1975 XJ6, both beautiful, but.....

 

I am also *highly* interested in HOW they stole it so that I can take measures to prevent.

Thanks!

 

I dropped my car at my mechanic's shop after hours last Friday to have the battery replaced Saturday. I put the keys in the external drop box. At some point in the early hours of Saturday morning, two guys came up, broke into the key box, clicked the keys to find out what car they belong to, got in and drove away with my Jag. The whole thing was caught on tape, proving that criminals are not the sharpest tools in the shed.
A sheriff's deputy found it in a grassy lot, windows rolled down, keys in the console. As soon as I turned the key I knew damage had been done. I had it towed to the shop, they diagnosed the problems, and that's where the car remains until the insurance company decides what to do with it.
There are very few X308s worth having in Texas. Those that are still around are either keepers for their owners, or not worth having.

 

OldMike and WaterDragon,
Like you, mine was Zircon blue. That's why I fell in love with it in the first place, a beautiful color on a beautiful car.

 

Ahh, I feel your pain...the good Blue Zircon ones are few and far between...

 

I've always been afraid to put my keys in a mechanic's drop box -- wonder if there's any liability on his part that'll help you get the $$$ you need to replace or repair the car?

 

I've turned the theft over to the police, and my insurance company will make my claim "no fault." I will leave it up to the insurance company to go after the shop if they choose. The shop did not know I was going to drop the car, and it was not in a secured lot. I dropped it off after-hours about 50% of the time, so I guess it's just bad luck on my part. Such is life, and in the end, it is just a car.

 

I feel your pain, I hope you find a nice XKR soon. Check with the insurance company, I had a vehicle stolen and totaled a couple years back and I was able to buy it back for $400. Much less than I paid for the wheels and tires alone. Sold the rest of the parts and used the money for a Caribbean cruise.

 

Your insurance company is interested in one thing, minimizing the amount they have to shell out, which could mean also minimizing the amount of time and money they spend trying to pursue the claim. If they can low-ball you right up front, they win. If you have a history of dropping the car off after hours and if the company encourages such drop off, they could have some liability. The insurance company will probably not go after the shop. Whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you. As someone else stated, you might be able to buy the car for a small amount from the insurance company if they total it. Worth checking into.

 

Depending on your insurer, some will query the Mannheim auto auction and find you an equivalent in age and miles and let yiu buy yours for salvage. Then you start pivking off the better parts.

 

The insurance company totaled the car. Due to it's condition at the time it was stolen, they offered me $7000. I feel that is fair.

If the thieves are caught and convicted, the insurance company says it will go after them to recover the money. However, the insurance company also knows that's like getting blood from a turnip.

I did not discuss the possibility of buying back the car. I have limited car space where I live, so keeping it for parts is not really an option. I'm sad for the loss, but know there's another Jag out there waiting for me to give it a good home.

 

car + $7k would have spelled replacement with good used engine/transmission to some

maybe one of the members in TX will go after it ... maybe even Brutal or Motorcarman

 

Plums: I agree with you, and maybe if this had happened five years ago I would have bought back the car. However, I currently don't have the time and desire necessary to take on a project of that nature.

If someone in Houston does have the time and desire, contact me, and I will try to find out what salvage yard is going to take possession of the car.