I still have my 2000 XJ8, which my son is driving now, and I had been looking for a replacement vehicle when this XJR fell in my lap. It's pretty stock and well maintained ( actually I maintained a lot of it, I know the PO well and I'm the one who got him interested) so I don't have much on the repair front, but I have a lot of things that I did to my XJ8 that I really miss plus some things that I just want to do.

Work / mods list
(Will be updated to links as I go)
Done or parts-in-hand
Brake job - Hawk HPS front pads Porterfield R4S rear
Floor mats (Automatstore, classic loop)
Stainless rear exhaust
Spark plugs
Key fob buttons (last time)
Aluminum gauge rings (swapped over)
Bluetooth add-on for stock radio (A2DIY-JAG98)
Smoked LED corner lights
Shock bushings
Realgauge (Coolant)
Changed fuel cap holder from magnet to post
Bosch intercooler pump
Repair broken glovebox damper
Shift knob
Ultimate aluminum pedals (accel & brake)

Future, planned
New intercooler (i'll probably make/re-purpose one)
New wheels and tires
A bunch of LED's interior and exterior
Intake tube / filter
Shocks
Upper supercharger pulley
Goodridge braided lines
Replace headliner

 

Some pics to start

2000 XJ8 & 1999 XJR

Shift knob


Floormats

 

Nice cars! Word of advice, before you put a pulley on the charger, I HIGHLY recommend getting the MLS head gaskets, valve adjustment and valve job done professionally. Those fiber HG’s are the weak point of that engine minus the timing components of course.

How many miles are on those?

 

Silver one 125k, black one 103k

I do my own head work (aside from decking, my table just can't) but I'm starting light on the pulley and I haven't done a timing job on this one yet. My first step on these is always putting in the metal LS tensioners.

I've blown out MLS quite easily as well, when/if I start doing actual power id like to see a full copper or if there's room maybe o-ring this thing, but as of now I don't plan on going too far, this is my 'normal' car. I've seen there are some big power guys on here and I can absolutely appreciate that, but I have other toys for that.

 

How do you handle the valve job on yours? Do you have a valve grinder?

When I did a complete valve job on the 98’ XJR, the engine had 234k miles on it and I lapped every....damn....valve..
After I lapped them, I found practically all the exhaust valves were still leaking. I acquired 16 used exhaust valves and lapped them in also... 🤦 After that funhouse job, then came the absolute prison sentence like job of adjusting the valve clearance. I had a lot of shims available to me but with all the lapping that took place, certain sizes were not available and I ended up ordering about 4 or 5 from the dealer. If I had to redo that job again, to the machine shop they would go.

 

I do it's an old Thor unit that I refurbed and it still works like a charm - but I mostly build older engines. We have a few machine shops here I'm still in contact with if I have to, one of the benefits of motor city life.

A lot of the time when there's not much improvement to be gained by valve jobs I buy used heads, tank them, and just have them decked and speced. I'm not as patient as I once was so I admire your tenacity there.

 

Wheels and tires have arrived, so have brake pads and hoses - should be a fun weekend.

 

Congrats! MLS just for an upper pulley? Seems like overkill imo. But I don't know much. I've done led everywhere on my 02 xjr. One of the easiest and cool mods to do on older cars.

 

I’m thinking because of 23 year old fiber gaskets holding up to more boost was my concern.

 

they’ll blow out guaranteed

not a big deal just replace them when they do and move on with life.