Hello Folks,

New here and thinking about taking the plunge into Jaguar ownership, I've got my eye on a '98 XJR
I am a car guy, and I've pulled the motor of my 1995 Nissan 300zx twinturbo in my driveway to do repairs. So I'm not afraid of maintenance, but I'm not looking to get into a car that I'll spend more time under than driving
Any words of wisdom from the group here?

Best, Barry

 

biggest thing to check for in my opinion is the timing chain tensioners. Your year has plastic timing chain tensioners that will fail causing the chain to jump and possibly destroying your engine. So make sure they have been updated to the metal ones as this is also a very expensive job labor wise...9 hours from my jaguar dealer.

 

Check out the XK8/R forum FAQ sticky. At the top is a "I'm buying a XK8 and what should I look for?" subject.

Common issues can be categorized by model year. Later cars had different issues than early cars.

 

Barry, I got mine about a year ago, almost accidentally... and I sure am happy that I did. Yes, she's a bit tempermental at times, and I'm glad I'm handy with troubleshooting her occasional electrical 'hiccup' and VERY thankful that I found this forum; but her quirks just make her all the more endearing.

And what a ride!

 

Whew... I've been doing a bunch of reading here, and it seems as though I'll be looking for an XJ_ with a motor built after August 13, 2001. Seems the Nikasil issue was dealt with in August of 2000, and the plastic tensioner issue in August of 2001, so motors built after that date should be less prone to problems

I've found a 2003 XJ8 Sport that I'm going to take a look at. I know it won't be as powerful/fast as an XJR, but my Z should keep my need-for-speed jones fed

 

Why don't you look some more for a late model XJR, a well loved example will turn up, and merrily trounce the nissan, with 4 aboard, and the cd playing.....

 

I just hit 70k miles on my xj8; owned it for 3 years and my problems so far:
ABS module needed to be replaced, dealer quoted me 4k. Got it rebuilt for $150.
Mass airflow sensor needed to be replaced
Factory chrome wheels rusted where the tire beads. Car was under warrenty. was told rims are wear and tear.
rear brakes were worn when I bought it from the dealer
transmission hose tore and caused massive leak
a year after the tranny hose broke the transmission itself took a dump. Was almost 4k to fix
Wheel speed sensor needed to be replaced
3rd brake light fell off rear window
rearview mirror has a large "bubble" in it
needed to replace an exhaust hangar
air bag light is on, still undiagnosed
tilt motor in the drivers seat broke. I replaced the seat from a junkyard and recovered it with the factory fabric
the car would automatically lock right after it was unlocked. turned out to be a $350 electrical problem

now I'm having ignition problems

 

Hmmm... I don't know about merrily trouncing the nissan... It has about 50 more ponies under its hood than the blown Jags do, 375hp at the wheels not the crank, plus it's lighter and more nimble... Not sure how fun a 4 door sedan is at track days...

Different tools for different purposes

The other issue is, I'd rather stay away from the air suspensions on the '04+ cars, as from my reading it appears they're just another thing prone to problems and expensive to fix. I'd prefer a good set of shocks and springs that I can just swap out myself when the time comes. Though I may keep looking for a 2002-3 XJR

P.S. not sure if you saw my into post... https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=40133

And here's a listing of what's been done to my Z... http://twinturbo.net/net/directory.a...&user_id=29815

I got my first z, a '74 260z in '81, this one's not going anywhere

 

Wow, sounds like you've had a bunch of trouble. What year is your XJ?

 

As a Japanese convert, yes you can expect to pay a little more for a XJR for maint and non-maint. repairs but if you do the work yourself it won't be too bad. I bought my R a few months ago from your the philly area and have had narry an issue. Car is much easier to work on than anything Japanese I ever touched so long as you are patient. My thoughts are that it will have some electrical issues but also has how many more bells and whisles than lesser car does so you have a greater chance of things failing (just like a 7 series or a big Mercedes.

I wouldn't expect a XJR to be faster than a modified sports car but it would have little issue with a stock 300 or even a whatever they're calling the AltaZ these days either. Once you learn how to drive it, it also is a decent handler as well. No it will not touch a stock 300z but your stock 300z won't touch my antique TVR either for the same reason a XJR won't touch a stock 300z in handling. Obesity and luxury.

Personally, I wouldn't consider a XJ8 simply because of the tranny it has and the fact that an R costs well less than the cost of replacing said tranny should it fail. Not that they're bad cars at all but if your looking at an 03 or older I wouldn't want a low mileage car but a lower average mile car with a very solid history so it should have 60-80k on the odo. Right about when the tranny might have issues.

A Jag is not a car for everyone but it always is a Jag for better or worse. It has something that not a single Japanese or German car for that matter can touch. It has soul and it has style. Not knocking either the Japanese or Germans as they do make some attractive cars at times and excel in areas where Jaguar has traditionally come up short such as engineering. If that is something you're missing with your 300 then a Jag might be for you but if you are lost with what I'm saying then I'd suspect you'll be happier buying something else.

If you do decide to go for a Jag buy the best you can afford, have it checked out or follow the proceedure for checking it out as was already posted for ya. There are plenty out there that are dead on reliable, there are just as many out there that haven't always been loved or have seen too many onwers in their history to care about the long term care of the car. Best of luck in your search!

 

benebob, I have a question regarding your post. You said...

Are you saying that the XJR has a better transmission than an XJ8 and would therefore be a better choice for me at this point, or that you'd just avoid an XJ_ altogether?

I'm really looking for a sedan to replace an aging Acura Legend, and I've lusted after the XJ sedans for a long time.

 

It has proven more durable as the cars age.

 

2000. I'm still paying it off and not even driving it because of all the problems it keeps having.

 

Barry, 1998-2003 XJR transmission is a Mercedes transmission, the XJ8 got the 5-speed ZF 5HP24 which after many miles, has had trouble with a-drum/b-drum failures. The merc is rock solid compared to this. After 2003, the ZF 6HP26 6-speed, which has been absolutely bulletproof so far. Good argument for the earlier R version over the 8, 4-shoor!

 

Thanks for the info Matt, I looked at a 2001 XJ8L with 96K miles today that needs a tranny. PP Jag quoted $6K, reading up here to see how much it would cost me and friend to install/fix it.

 

Thanks Matt, that's good info! Back to focusing my search to an XJR.

 

I wonder if it'd be worth sourcing an XJR trans and just replacing it with that(?)

 

Barry, that was my thought, too. Since it was just going to be a temporary ride till next Spring when I buy an 07 plus other potential issues I could have with it, they would have to give me the car for free to make it worth my while. It also needed new tires, the drivers seat was pretty tore up and there were small dents/scratches on both rear quarter panels and the hood (I mean bonnett). Funny how they think it's in immaculate condition.

Good luck on your search. You've certainly been at work on your Z! I owned a stock Datsun 280Z 2+2 back in the 80's that was fun to drive.