I just joined this forum today. I am closing a deal on a 1998 Jaguar XJ8L tomorrow. 6-14-13 Well, MAYBE closing the deal...
After perusing this XJ forum I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I have never had a Jaguar. Always wanted one.
I guess I am torn at this present moment, between a car that I really want and a less spectacular car.
We are a one income family. I am a stay at home mom to a 6 year old and an 8 year old, both girls.
I'm embarrassed to say that we can only afford a vehicle around $4000.00.
I have found several cars including the Jag in our price range. The Jag has the lowest mileage of the 4 cars I have driven. It has 74,000miles. The other cars have 120,000, 165,000,and 198,000.
The thing that scares me with the Jag is that the current owner has had it for 6 months and had to put in a "new" transmission. One that has 60,000 miles on it. Then owner is a mechanic, so I am confident in his ability to put it in correctly.

I don't know...I'm torn. We are able to take care of our vehicles pretty well even on our tight budget. But the cost of replacement parts and the potential problems known for this model scares me.

Any advice. Sorry if this post doesn't make a lot of sense...

 

BabbyKitty:
I (currently) own 4 Jaguars that are on the road, ranging from a model year 89 to a MY 12, so I am certainly not biased against the cars. The car you are describing sounds, on the surface, to be reasonably priced and will probably give over 200,000 miles service and it is unlikely the tranny will fail again in that period, assuming the upgraded parts were installed to fix the known problem with those boxes.

Now, having said all of that- Assuming that you will not be working on the car yourself, and as I understand it, you need the car to be reliable, my opinion is that this would be a terrible purchase. To use a 15 year old Jaguar as a daily driver means you need $2500 or so of ready cash in case one of the known problems besides the transmission occurs. If there is no proof that the chain tensioners have been replaced, then you have a $2,000 expense right away, or the good possibility that your car will be worthless in a second. In the best case, you will be spending more than $1000 per 20000 miles or so on repairs and maintenance.

Now, if you or someone else can do most maintenance yourself, and you have an alternative to ferry the little girls around while the Jag sits in the garage waiting for mail order arts and time to install them, then my assumptions are wrong and you should go for it!

There are folks (a few) on here that will tell you how reliable and cost free their car is. Then ask them how long they have owned it, and how many miles per year they cover with it. Then check their posting history to discover all of the little snigglies they have inquired about, but forgotten to mention!

On the other hand, if you are determined to own a Jag, the XJ8 of that vintage is probably one of the nicer cars you can get!

 

I'm glad you asked the question before diving in...

My suggestion, buy a more reliable car. Unless your partner is a good mechanic, these cars can cost a lot to put right, particularly the model year you're considering. The known failure points are as follows,
1. Nikasil cylinder coating - to test it the engine needs a compression test from cold, this is a fast way of checking if it has any issues, a thorough check is called a leakdown test.
Generally if it's running well now it's OK. The problem was high sulphur fuel back in the early 2000's that was Kryptonite to the lining, it ate it! but now we use low sulphur fuel so no problem.
2. waterpump - failure with the impeller rotor, they failed and Jaguar addressed this with a revised pump - ask if its been replaced a $50 part
3. thermostat tower, made of plastic and failed - an uprated part in alloy is now available for under $50
4. gearbox circlip failure - looks like it's already had this addressed with another gearbox.
5. Plastic timing chain tensioners -if these fail it's usually a new engine! So ask if these have been done.

I've got to say the early cars are a bit of a minefield unless all this work has been carried out, you'll run into them at some point and if you guys cannot fix them, it's expensive. On the other hand, if the seller can prove the work above has been dealt with, it'll be a good car.

 

Get a Honda. These cars aren't for the faint of heart and thin pocketbooks if your husband doesn't have mechanical skills. You have kids and the last thing you need is a bitchy Jaguar. Now if you said you're looking at a 2002-3 XJ.... Then maybe

Sparkenzap is right... The cars now that are trouble free went thru periods of maintenance with tremendous costs. I personally bought mine relatively new for $30k and spent $30k more over the past decade, but I do have 160k miles...

 

Hi BabyKitty
Although I love my 99 XJ8 and love driving it and my wife loves to drive it as well.
This XJ8 has all the service records from new so I know what has and has not been repaired on it.
I can also do most of the repairs myself so this keeps the cost down, and I have another vehicle which is what I drive most of the time. I believe that this is the way to go if you want to own a Jaguar that’s 13 years old.
If this XJ8 you are looking at does not have a full service history, and you need this car to be your primary vehicle and any repairs would need to be done at a garage then I would recommend that you do not buy it.

 

Maybe a 98 Sedan Deville. Lot cheaper to fix, and not nearly as many issues.

Just bought a 01 with 64000 - like inside and out, but none of the work Sean mentioned had been done + plus some brake and suspension work. $2500 - and I did the work myself, the car is like new and a head turner. But, I hold my breath over the transmission - circlip - the throttle body, heater hoses, lots of known issues. The parts are very expensive compared to Ford, Honda, or Toyota parts. And I do most of my own work and can afford most parts.

Many on this forum are professionals technicians with a full tool chest and lifts, they are very predictive in their maintenance, you and I are reactive, and that cost more in downtime and money.

If you could find nice Accords or Camry for $4000 you could get a job buying used cars for car lots.

 

BabyKitty:
SO glad you are asking these questions, and these owners speak truth. As I mentioned in in the intros section, I bought a '98 just last week for some less than is being asked for your car; BUT, it's also in the shop having almost 2K in preventative maintenance. I would strongly suspect that with the mileage on the car you are looking at, many of the same upgrades have not yet been done. And if you don't have the money to do them right away (i.e. the things mentioned in the above posts), you could very quickly find yourself with a four thousand dollar door stop.

On the other hand... You could keep your eyes open for a different Jag. For example, I just sold a '94 XJ40 that, while not necessarily to everybody's stylistic tastes, was solid and reliable. I would have driven it to California tomorrow and fully expected it to go to 200K miles and beyond. And it was cheap to buy because, as you know, there's very little value in these older Jags.

My advice is to keep your eyes open and find eventually find a car that has been lovingly cared for by a knowledgable owner. You may be surprised. Meanwhile, I'm with princemarko... A Honda sounds nice.

Happy deliberating!
Scott

 

If you really want a Jag, look for a 95-97 XJ6. They are very reliable mechanically and the electronic modules are not as complex as the XJ8.

 

I bet she buys it anyway!

 

Thanks everyone for your honest answers and insight. I really appreciate it. I am going to have a heart to heart with my husband. I'm wanting to make an informed decision with my head and not my heart. My husband on the other hand just might be crushed. lol! We are in our early 40's and I suppose, God willing, we have plenty of time left to contemplate a Jag purchase in the future.
(((Big Sigh))) I just want to do the right thing for my family. Having the chance to meet some of the Jaguar community and and their passion for this car, I really feel as though it would not be in this Jaguar's best interest for us to purchase it.

Again, thank you for your honest advice.
I am about to got talk to hubby. I will update later.

 

I was posting my reply while you posted yours...your comment made me chuckle.

We'll see if you are correct.

 

Yup. Once you drive/look at/smell the X308, you are hooked. Everyone gave the sound advice, however......."the cat fever" is on!

I TOTALY agree that people without the DIY knowledge and various resources for parts should stay away from these cars. I'm glad that I am not one of them! Am I smarter, more resourcefull? Or did I RESEARCH/LEARN?

Anyone can learn. Instead of watching the tube in the evening (after the kids are in bed), she can go on the web, and ask questions, learn, and stuff the information on the computer to be used as needed. There are mechanics that charge VERY LITTLE, when they work at home. I am talking qualified mechanics with a "daytime" job, that WILL fix your car on their "time off", for a LOT LESS than the shop will charge. All that info is available to the one that puts time in to find it.

Parts are bought wholesale, the owner of the car KNOWS EXACTLY what needs to be done, and he/she pays someone to do it. No diagnosing charges, no guesses, and no scams by the shop.

It can be done,....even on the limited budget.

 

Yup to that, also!

In my opinion, the dig differentiator of the expense and satisfaction on an old Jag is how much you know about it, and how much you work on it yourself. And the X-308 is just not all that complicated in the long run. Tools, a good scanner, a place to work on it, and some time and you can do most anything. Oh, and have at least two, so you can drive one whilst working on the other.

 

If she found a 2002-2003 that had under 75k miles... I'd say go for it after you found a sound mechanic in the area. Personally, I do everything myself unless its complicated, or needs presses. Then I take it to a guy that charges $50/hour. Besides some modules, this car is pretty simple and straightforward to fix. The owners that have these x308's love the cars and have no issue spending time and money to make them right and will search the entire continent to find ones they want. Its a labor of love, not sound financial sense. I have 2 other Mercedes that run flawlessly and ride better and have more amenities but I persist on my Jaguar daily.

Btw, for $4k, you could find a Vanden Plas

 

I agree, we do have "cat fever." LOL! I

I have to say that I am not afraid of doing research on how to fix potential problems on this car. I have saved us a lot of money in repairs on several vehicle we've owned.
The guy selling us the Jag owns a repair shop and when we asked him if he would be our mechanic, he said, "Sure, of course." He has a small, thriving shop in a little town. I didn't ask for his hourly rate, but I am sure it would be manageable for us. One of the perks of living in a small community. <3

 

If you do plan on buying the car, ask if the transmission was upgraded with a reinforced A drum or just swapped as is. If not upgraded you could be looking at a repair job in the not too distant future. And what about the secondary tensioners and thermostat housing?

 

OP:
What are the other vehicles that you've found in your price range? Please list them by yr/make/model.
I'm a used car manager at a big car dealership in the Boston area and I'd like to help make a suggestion to keep you out of trouble. In my professional opinion, you are making a HUGE mistake by purchasing that car, giving the application and use.
I love my 99 XJ8 sport, but I did a ton of research on this particular car before I spent $2,700 for it. I have the entire service history from day 1 of its life.
Again, I'll be more than happy to help steer you in the right direction.
Best,
Charlie

 

When I called the seller to set up a time to come and look at the car, he volunteered the fact that he had put a "new" used transmission in about 6 weeks ago.
I had done some research on Jag XJ8 complaints...top of the list was transmission, tensioner failure, and electrical issues.
After meeting the seller, I questioned him about the trans. He said that it was pulled from a Jag with 60,000 miles. Now, I am not mechanically inclined, so I wouldn't know the proper questions to ask regarding a reinforced A drum. Just from the info he gave me, it has 60,000 miles on it, it cost $1,500 and it came from a supplier in Indianapolis, IN.
I didn't say anything regarding the thermostat housing.

I mentioned the fact that the tensioners were defective. He said he wasn't aware of that... This was his first Jag...he said he had always wanted one. It is safe to say that he didn't have much time with it and he didn't seem to have Jag knowledge. I mean I felt like I had more knowledge than he did. LOL!

 

Hi Charlie,
The other cars I looked at are NO WHERE NEAR the caliber of a Jaguar.
2004 Lincoln Ls with 140,000 miles
2003 Chrysler Concorde with 121,000 miles
2003 Oldmobile Alero 124,000 miles
1999 Ford Taurus 145,000 miles
2004 Ford Taurus SES 140,000 miles

Thank you!

 

This could work. The mechanic does not have detailed knowledge of the X308. That's OK. With the support of this forum (and other sources), YOU could acumulate the knowledge (and even get "step by step" instructions!) how to do ANYTHING. Armed with the instructions, you approach your mechanic, and ask "how much for this"? No guesswork, no throwing parts at it until it's fixed, and no "diagnostic time". A lot of dishonest shops KNOW precisely what needs to be done, but they dish out "it's a complicated machinery, we need to first diagnose the problem (at what hourly rate!?).....blah, blah, blah".

I am VERY DIY oriented (as a former dealeship owner, I have the knowledge in the service department as well), but some things I just don't have time, (or enough patience) to DIY. My math: If I have to pay X#$ to get the part, and DIY (getting dirty, bitchy, and pissed off!), and my mechanic can source the SAME part so much cheaper, that the total cost of parts+labor is LESS than the cost of my part........he is doing the work. It's a no brainer, right? Luckily for me, my mechanic has a thriving relationship with his family in Mexico (I will not drive down to Mexico to get parts!), and he gets the parts from over there (from authorized dealer). Has a "connection" with a bus company that passes down the freeway to L.A. daily, and the drivers take a small box from T.J. to L.A., for couple of beers! He gets the parts to me for cost (he is happy to get paid CASH for labor), and we are both very happy with this arrangement. I realize this is not a possibility for everyone, but if one is resourcefull, and starts digging, there ARE ways to cut corners (and not at the expense of the inferior parts and/or labor).

Does it make sense to buy a 15 year old Jag as a DD? Of course not. I drive mine more than any of the cars I own (MANY), but I don't have to. I can park the cat and wait for the parts from anywhere (hasn't happened so far). It's not about the "sense", it's about doing what one wants.

I have a Benz (example) that's worth three times more than The Cat (current KBB), but I LOVE to drive The Cat. And that says it all.