...and I'm terrified. I'd be getting out of an '04 Mustang GT 5-speed with tasteful upgrades. I've owned it since 15k and now 55k. Never a problem, garaged and babied. Now the allure of the Big Cat - since I'd like a car with big backseat and trunk as my sons get older and have more friends and equipment. I'm scared the VDP is going to be really nice at a really easy price and I'm going to love the car and have to defend it and hide any repair issues from my wife - who will give me a big "I told you so" if this thing ends up sitting in my garage dreaming up ways of making me poor. I can afford anything I want but prefer to keep a reliable (yet cool) daily driver for me (the Mustang) - something new(ish) and nice (new Traverse LTZ) for my wife and one firebreather (Collector Edition Trans Am convertible) for weekend cruising - blowing the rest of my income on spoiling the wife and kids and giving the house what it needs. I refuse to be one of the 5-series driving sheep infesting my neighborhood and I don't care for the post-2003 XJ8 styling. All that said, I expect there will be no service records - even though this is a one-owner car with 60k - and the dealer will have no idea of the history of the car. So what would be the telltales I should be looking for to know whether the import things have been done or are about to break? I have a lift in my garage and am capable of handling all repairs in house - including engine swaps. So I'm not too psyched out by the reputation of these things. In fact, I'd like to do some easy wrenching every now and then. Thanks - Kevin

 

You are facing the usual issues with this year 4.0:

Timing chain tensioners - yours are probably 2nd gen, about $200 in parts to upgrade to 3rd gen all metal.

Tranny A drum - $300+ or so in parts and you have to pull the tranny to replace the drum.

Headliner - if it hasn't been replaced, it will sag eventually, $100-$200 to professionally replace.

Sub-woofer- a $15 fix, but you have to "pull the squab" to get at it. Mine blew last week.

Suspension bushings? I don't think the VDP have sway bars, but you may need to replace the shock or other bushings.

Brakes, if you need them - pads and rotors, around $400+ for parts.

Put a new battery in it if it has not been replaced in the past few years, you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

Change the coolant if it has not been done (I think its a 4 year change)

Change the brake fluid, do this every 2 years.

Drain and fill the tranny a few times, if you don't drop it to change the A drum, I don't know the cost of fluid for your car.

I think you are past the nikasil, throttle body and water pump issues by 01.

I'm sure someone will tell you to read the FAQ at the top of the forum section for the 308's and use the search function, so consider that done. lol.

Vector

 

Kevin, with the equipment and skills you possess...why wait for this weekend?!?

I wouldn't cramp myself up in a Mustang another day.....

 

Thanks - this is helpful - and I have read as much as I can (time permitting). I was even in London (actually Bromsgrove) recently on business and noticed an XF in the lot of this small firm I was visiting. Discussed Jags with the car's owner over fish & chips at the Ewe &Lamb. His exact words regarding an older XJ8 were "it's mostly a Friday car". Still not too discouraged - I only drive about 15 miles a day - 6k a yr tops. I think I can make it work without hating myself for loving Jags.

I do love the Mustang and I spend 90% of my driving time in the car by myself. But I think it is time to trade one of my boy-racer cars for a big-boy car. Driving a red mustang at my age might be starting to get a little creepy.

 

I love my VDP. It is a little different from a Mustang. If you take care of your car, then I don't think a Jaguar is any less reliable than any other car. Read up, do the preventative maintenance, and you will love it. Don't let it sit around too much though, that can cause issues. I gave up my boy-racer days a while ago and am enjoying the comfort and style of the saloon car. I'll take the wood and leather over the LED lights and 19 inch wheels anyday. ;^)

 

Are the '98-'03 VDPs all long-wheel base? I thought they were. I'd prefer the LWB and the extras of the VDP. But if not LWB I'd consider an XJR over a SWB VDP or XJ8L. Gotta go look and see rear legroom for myself. The one I am looking at is VDP but not sure if it is LWB. Thanks.

 

All x308 VDP are long WB.

Xj8L=LWB

LWB with SC was called Super V8

As far as I know, 1995 (x300) was last SWB VDP.

 

good news - thanks. I thought that was the case. Definitely want the LWB and the amenities of the VDP - if the grunt of the XJR isn't all that much roomier than the back of a Mustang.

 

I believe all 2004 VDPs (x350) are short wheelbase, also. Jaguar didn't resume offering the two wheelbases until 2005.

 

With a twist....2004 swb > x300/308 lwb
:-)

 

But I don't know about relative rear legroom, I think they applied some of the growth to the boot.

 

Re trunk room, I noticed on a trip that the trunk/boot on my 01 VDP didn't carry as much as I thought it would. The fender/trunk/boot line slopes down just a bit too much towards the rear.

(To really old timers, this was the same problem that was had in early 1950s Studebaker coupes with swoopy Loewy styling.)

Anyway, on the Jag x308, it would have been helpful if the rear end sheet metal ended up an inch or two higher. Maybe that is what they did for the x350?

 

thanks folks - tried to take a quick trip after work a few days ago - but traffic through Princeton was crazy. I'll just go tomorrow (Saturday) which was the original plan.

Would the timing chain tensioners HAVE to have been done on a 60k mile car? Would this be something the original owner would have done at the request of the dealer on a regular maintenance trip? Or would the dealer only do the repair at signs of trouble? Is there anyway of know if the tensioners are 3rd gen (metal) without tearing stuff apart in the dealers lot?

 

If they don't have records, there's really no way to know without pulling the cam covers. When I bought mine, the guy looked at me like I was nuts or something when I asked about the cam chain tensioners. You might get lucky. Of course listen to the engine on startup, especially when cold if possible. It's not a terrible job though (the secondary tensioners) and you might want to swap the thermostat cover and housing for aluminum ones, and thermostat and water pump while you're at it - if they haven't been done. These are things that cost people big bucks at the dealer but you can do them yourself for much less and get to know your car - if you're that kind of weirdo like some of us.

 

thanks - they don't know when I am coming so I should be able to hear the car on cold start. And I am that kind of weirdo - in fact I prefer to buy my cars between 750 and 1500 miles away so I can spend between 10 and 20 hrs driving it home by myself before anybody else sees it. Sort of like the honeymoon.

 

Nice - You are on your way to becoming "one of us", lol. Good Luck!

 

My 01 VDP has 78K miles on it, and I have not yet changed out the tensioners. It has, however, recently started making a loud tapping noise on cold startup, lasting for a second or so. Reading through various threads, this is either normal or ominous....

 

I can't wait anymore - I am going to go tonight to check it out. It's a slightly shorter trip from my office than the house but I drove the wrong car to work today (70 and sunny - had to take the convertible). I want to bring the Mustang since I am not opposed to trading it in given a reasonable offer - so I want to have it with me in case I need to do something impulsive. At least one of my sons will want to come with me so I have to go home first anyway. Figure I can take off all the non-stock parts and sell them on my own to make up for the loss of trading it.

 

Kevin, it sounds like you've already got the bug. Boomer, don't come back here asking about replacing your engine. Get those metal secondary tensioners !

 

I'm the restless kind - I've driven the Mustang faithfully for 5 years and about 30k miles. I wouldn't have a problem owning it forever, but I want something bigger and I basically have two of the same cars (Mustang and Trans Am). If I want to move to a sedan, the 98-03 XJ8 VDP checks all the boxes for me. Classic styling, roomy, RWD, V8, rare, exclusive and fully depreciated.