Hi all,

I have settled on the X308 XJ8 as my car of choice to begin life as a Jaguar owner. I would like to know what things to look out for when buying that is unique to this car? I have been reading threads in this forum as a starting point, although there are so many different unique problems that people have.

I have owned many Escorts before I it was always worth checking particular areas of the car for rust, such as heater bowls, etc. I wondered if the XJ8 had expensive must-check items or areas that I could be aware of when purchasing?

Any help would be most appreciated. Unsure if this is better in this forum or the Australia/New Zealand one, but I figure some problems may be more than Aus-wide.

3 things to look for are Service History,Service History,Service History. depending on K's have the timing chains been done? And will they prove it? Should you buy in Sydney beware if serviced by "Leaver Jag"

Thanks for the heads-up, appreciate it.

Have a look in the "XJ8/XJR 'How To' Quick Links" sticky thread at the top of this forum: there's some excellent "buyers guide" stuff in there.

Dave

Thanks!

How goes your search? Have you decided whether to go for an XJ8 and not an XJR for any particular reason? Besides the obvious, you end up with what seems like a much more robust gearbox in the XJR. Finally, the best thing you can do is drive a few of them, to get an idea of how they feel (easier said than done in Australia though!).

Good luck!

Yeah thanks for that! I could be wrong, as I have not seen any XJRs of the X308 series for sale around, but are the XJRs just six cylinder supercharged whereas the XJ8s are 8 cylinder? I can find the 96-ish era XJRs but have not found one from around the year 2000 yet, which I believe to be the X308 series.

I wasn't aware there was a gearbox difference. I just really like the interior styling of the X308s.

I haven't bought one yet, just getting a feel for the market and what makes a good one. Plus Christmas time is so hectic, it's kept me a bit distracted.

You are totally right, I should be going and driving the few that are available in my area. I always feel bad test driving a car I possibly may not buy.

The non-supercharged X308s run a ZF 5HP24 5-speed auto, whereas the supercharged ones used a Mercedes-Benz W5A580 (or 722.6) 5-speed. From what I've read, the ZF transmissions are more likely to give you grief than the M-B ones are.

There's an X308 XJR and a Super V8 on carsales at the moment (I've got no affiliation with these ads), and they do pop up occasionally - look away US/UK viewers now, they really are that expensive here!

1998 JAGUAR XJR X308 Sedan Private Cars For Sale in NSW - carsales.com.au

Or there's a rather tasty low mileage Super V8:

1997 DAIMLER SUPER V8 X308 Sedan Private Cars For Sale in SA - carsales.com.au

When thinking about your budget, factor in having the chain tensioners done, unless they have been done (and documented), and remember that these cars are pushing 15 years old now. Still, they drive as well as anything new, and have a certain style that makes every drive special!

Trouble with the Merc W5A580 is almost unheard of. So, paying the premium for the supercharged version to get that transmission might be regarded as insurance. At least that's the rationalisation.

Buy the transmission, get the supercharger thrown in for nothing! Plus I don't think there is anything on the XJR that would cost more, or take more maintenance than an XJ8. Well, tyres if you flog it. Fuel too I suppose, but I'd wager that in real-world driving you wouldn't see much difference. In fact, in Australian tests the 3.2L and 4.0L were the same (9L and 17L/100km on highway and city cycles), and the XJR was just 1L/100km more on both cycles. Probably the only expense you'd really notice is the insurance!

Ok, thanks for the hot tips. I'll keep an eye out for them! All great info that will help me out.

All good info....possibly the only things i can add are that their is an extensive service history and be careful who actually did the servicing....there is a world of difference ;o]
The only other thing to keep an eye out for on an XJR is the condition of the diff unit itself and drive shafts as they are shared with the normally aspirated X308.

The 4.0 litre engines used in the XJR's do not have the VVT units that reside on the N/A engines.
Being a LWB and supercharged will place far greater stresses on these components.
You are dealing with an 1800kg minimum and weight always places more strain on componts.
The only other things extra over the N/A X308 is a super charger serpentine belt, extra fuel pump and extra coolant pump and associated 'spider' hoses which can work out rather expensive.

The 'Nikasil Problem' has never really been an issue in this country.

As for the MB trans being faultless....is a bit of a phurfy...it'll throw up codes if abused and mistreated and will be twice the cost of a ZF trans rebuild.
Both boxes will last a lot longer with proper and regular oil changes and not leaving them in 'D' for long periods at lights and junctions.

The suspension on both cars is straight forward and well designed.
The XJR will be fitted with CAT'S suspension which is identified with the electrical plugs situated on top of the shock mountings....easily seen under the bonnet/hood.

The only other issue is the braking system used on XJR's.....Brembo in this country is horrendously expensive to replace...the simple things like disc rotors and pads fitted in the four pot calipers are not the easiest to bleed...factor all this into servicing costs if you are not adept at twirling a wrench or two ;o))
Always look for the latest car you can afford.
Other than that, a Jaguar is a car to be experienced and savoured like a good glass of wine ;o)

Thank you sir!

Unless something is different in the Australian market, the XJR of those years is a SWB not a LWB like the VDP. A supercharged LWB is a Super V8. The XJR is also fitted with firmer springs, a rear anti-roll bar, has a lower ride height and does not necessarily come with CATS as that is an extra cost option. Similarly, the Brembo brakes were only fitted on the XJR/R. Yes, an extra "R" which designates yet another option package.

In short the base XJR will have neither CATS nor Brembo brakes fitted.

There is no reason that the Merc transmission should be more expensive to repair. Almost all of the "transmission croaked" stories on JF are ZF related, and most of those are front drum related. Routine service on the Merc transmission is cheaper.

According to Jaguar specs, the curb weight is with a couple of hundred pounds.

Plums, I think you are right on all counts except the CATS - I've got a feeling all Aussie XJRs came with it as standard. I posted in the regional folder a while ago asking if anyone knew the specifications and options for Australian X308s through the years (numbers sold would be good too!), but nothing came up.