Have been casually looking for another XJR since I sold my 03 a couple years back. Obviously I'm looking for a later car ('02/'03) but I've come across a very nice 98 that I'm considering. It has around 70k and is very clean, black on black. I initially wanted to offer much lower than the seller was asking but I see values have gone up recently. Of course there are no service records so it will need a timing set/tensioners which I would most likely do myself.

I saw this car listed a few weeks back and thought while super clean thought it was best to just stay away from the early cars. However, after looking more seriously it seems these are going up in value and not as easy to find as they once were. Is it worth considering a 98? Any other issues to be concerned with? Not overly concerned about Nikasil as the general consensus is that if the car is still running it should be fine, but wondering if there's anything else I don't know about the early cars. My gut is telling me to stay away, but its in fantastic condition and the exact color combo I want.

 

It appears you live in a northern climate, and one that is notorious for salt on the roads in winter.
That said, there is the obvious concern for rust and corrosion. My first instinct would be to hoist
it on a lift and take a good long look. Not that rust can/t be fixed, but that it could aid in the end
price of the car. The X308s had a few nagging issues that were mostly resolved by 2003. So if
I were looking for one of these beauties, I would focus more on that model year. Don't get me
wrong, things can be fixed and sometimes you don't need to. In the end, it all boils down to how
you feel about the Jaguar, and how resolved you are to keep that feeling. As you note yourself
as having owned and driven one of these before, you have to ask yourself, why did I sell it?

 

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I owned a 2003 XJR with the R1 package and definitely regret it. Car wasn't perfect, but it was very nice and ran fantastic. I've owned a lot of performance cars in my life, but nothing quite like that Jag. So fast and refined at the same time, it was just fantastic.

Definitley no rust on this car, wouldn't even consider it if there were rust. I just spoke to the seller again and he's firm on his price, think it's just more than I'm wiiling to pay for an early car ($9500). It's just not worth that much to me. If it were an 02-03 I would have it in my garage already. When asked about the tensioners his reply was "If it ain't broke don't fix it". I replied good luck with that ticking time bomb. Sometimes you do need to fix things that aren't broken.

The car is absolutely immaculate, but I really don't fancy digging into the engine. I love working on cars, but with plenty of other cars/hobbies to keep me busy it's just not something I want to bother with at the moment. I'd happily pay around $8k for the car, but he won't let it go for that. The money doesn't really matter it's just the principle to me, I simply don't think a 98 is worth that.

 

I have a '98 XJR and I recently replaced the timing chains, guides, tensioners, and sprockets myself. It was challenging, but with help from the forum, it was a fun project. For myself, doing repairs like this is rewarding as long as I don't have any kind of deadline. If the car is in as good of condition as you say, I wouldn't hesitate. $9,500 is probably near the top end of what it's worth, but if you do the tensioners yourself you won't have much more in it. I think it cost me around $700-800 or so including the timing kit itself, the crankshaft/camshaft immobilizer kit, and the harmonic balancer removal kit.

If you end up doing this, I can dig up the part numbers for the harmonic balancer tools that I found. This was an unexpected stumbling block for me, because vendors didn't understand that an extension is needed for the balancer on a supercharged engine (for the '98 anyway - I don't know about other years). I finally found what I needed on ebay, but I can save you some frustration if needed.

 

Thanks a lot @aquifer really appreciate the insight. I definitely would enjoy a project like this, but time is not on my side at the moment...other cars, hobbies, and kids take up a ton of time as we all know. I know Jags require extra love & attention, but really just want a nice cruiser that I don't have to worry too much about.

I agree that the asking price is at the very top of the range and that's why I'm a bit hesitant. It does have the black leather and dark wood trim interior which I love. The only thing I really dont like about the car are the chrome Pentastar wheels. I dont't mind those wheels, but in chrome they're just a bit much on a black car and it's not like XJR wheels can be found easily these days. The seller is also not the most friendly or easiest person to deal with. Doesn't really want to answer questions and acts like everythnig you ask is stupid question (like when I asked about tensioners/timing chain/water pump). I guess on principle I just don't want to pay top dollar for a car where the seller can't be bothered.

Still mulling it over at this point, but if I do decide to get it I'll certainly be in touch for your tips on the timing set replacement, will be nice to talk to someone that's done the job and sorted all the issues associated with it. Thanks again.

 

The guy sounds like a dealer seeing as there’s no service history on it. You likely won’t like the brakes since the 98’s all have 305 mm front rotors as opposed to the 355 mm your R1 had. One key thing you mentioned was that you have many misc projects and kids to contend with. My advice to you is don’t look for another project seeing as you already have a fast car in your stable unless you got rid of it. The Buick I mean. I have an 86’ GN that I’ve owned since 98’ and it’s currently not road worthy due to the entire front suspension needs rebuilding. However, I’m remodeling my house now and the Buick will be next year. Anyways, the 98’s are pretty damn quick in stock form but the brakes are lacking as previously mentioned and the front wheel bearings are kinda weak. My 98’ XJR is now my daughters car with 272k miles on the original engine. The transmission I replaced at about 250k miles and I replaced the front knuckles with the later larger wheel bearings so they won’t be needing changed anytime soon.

 

Seller's not a dealer, just a jerk I think. He's had it 8 years and he's the third owner (ran a Carfax on it earlier today). He's only put 10k on it in those 8 years and said all he's done are oil changes once a year. I did see in the history throttle body replacement at a dealer in 02 or so, but nothing else of note.

I guess I exhaggerrated a bit, just one kid (2 year old daughter) but just lacking for time in general. None of the other cars are really projects, I just mess with them from time to time and also have other hobbies. The GN is still my favorite car ever made and I'll never sell it, but its not really a user-friendly car anymore and not really a fan of taking it on long trips. I also hesitate to leave it anywhere unattended for fear of it not being there when I get back...I typically just take it out for an hour or so a couple times a month to get my fix. I did the front end on it a few years back. Not a bad job, but those springs are a bit scary.

Interesting about the brakes, never thought about that. I do remember the R1 had unreal stopping ability so definitley possible the 98 would be lacking. Great to hear that your 98 has that many miles and still going. Original trans also? I assume you've done the timing chain, etc.?

Still torn on the car. I love love love the interior with the black leather and dark wood, but the chrome wheels are throwing me off a bit, really not a fan of them. I also don't think the car is worth that much and just hate overpaying for things, especially something that I don't have to have.

 

the R1 brakes suck big time when you actually drive the car hard lol

the booster on the 98 feels like a sponge but no big deal just slap the 325 fronts on them and live with it

 

I never tracked mine but drove it hard and thought the brakes were fantastic. Although not as good as my wife's 2017 Regal GS with Brembos, that thing will make you sick when standing on the brakes. I daily drive a 2004 Impala SS, so pretty much any cars brakes seem awesome to me.

 

It almost feels like I am missing something here. I have never considered braking to be a big deal
Either the brakes feel good and stop you when you want, or not. I suppose that if I drove 65 mph
in a 30 mph zone, then having superior brakes might be on my mind. The Duchess brakes just fine
and if she squeaks, it's time for some new shoes.

 

Yes, these cars are getting (especially the S/C cars) hard to find. To me, they are still "bargains" when you see how expensive e39 m5's and w210 e55 amg's are. I wouldn't stress buying a newer 308 if an early one is clean. You can fix the problematic stuff(if they haven't been done) over time. In the long run, it'd be worth it.

 

I agree 100%, such a bargain for what you get. I mean, the fact that you can get a Jaguar that cost $60-70k new for less than a Mustang GT or Camaro Z28 of the same vintage that cost $20-25k new is a no brainer. I still love my muscle cars, but these Jags are just something else. Of course they cost more to repair and take a lot more care/attention but its worth it. I actually looked at a 96 Z28 with 50k on it last week but it ended up going for $11k at auction, just not worth it to me.

Anyway - Going to look at the car shortly, its about an hour away. Hopefully I can report back later as a 2nd time XJR owner, crossing my fingers. I'll be sure to report back either way.

 

Bought the car! It's in absolutely fantastic condition, even better than I thought it would be. The paint is immaculate, underside doesn't have a spot of rust or any leaks, and even the original chrome Penta wheels have no corrosion whatsoever.

Car drives great. Tires are very old (05 date codes) so they will be getting changed ASAP, but it drove great 70 miles home with no issues. Motor is silent even from a cold start but I'll pull a valve cover shortly to see what's going on under there. Everything in the car works (AC, heated seats, radio, antenna, cruise, etc) and the only issues are the rear view mirror and the headliner is starting to sag in the rear. Other than that I really couldn't be happier. So nice to be back in an XJR, there's nothing like these x308s, just beautiful cars.

It was one of those cars that after about 10 seconds of looking at it I knew I'd be buying it, just that clean. No way I was walking away. Ended up paying 8500 for the car which is fine by me. Even with the things it does need its nice to start out with a clean, no stories car that's been garaged and taken care of.

 

I am certain all here are very happy for your acquisition. I just drove home in the Duchess and received
several admiring looks, a couple of thumbs up, and a few nods. However none of that is required to get the
feeling and accelerative control one gets by slipping behind the Jaguar steering wheel. I am also certain your
appreciation will grow for your X308 and that you may not be very quick to let it go.

 

Thank you @RandyS Although its an older model than the 2003 XJR I had, it is in much better condition all around and once I sort the small necessities (tensioners, tires, headliner, etc) I'm sure it will be a great car. It actually rode much better than I expected, much better than my 03 with CATs to be honest. The car must have been garage kept its entire life as the bushings are still nice and rubbery looking, the stainless trim is flawless, and it just rides really well all around. I remember my 03 has disentegrating bushings everywhere and this car has none of that. That's not to say it may not need anything in the suspension department, but no noises or harshness like I had with my previous car.

I will say the brakes leave a lot to be desired in the pedal feel department. The car stops just fine, but there is a lot of travel before it does so. I think I remember this in my old car as well, just not used to it.

Here are a few photos from when she arrived home this afternoon.

 

Looks real good! You might want to consider replacing the fuel pumps as well. Who knows if they’re the original ones. 24 years old, just sayin.

 

She is a beauty! In the vernacular of the locals....Ya' done good podnuh!

 

Thanks guys. I'm sure the fuel pumps are original, what is the reasoning behind replacing them preventatively? As long as the car has good FP and it rises 1:1 with boost shouldn't that be sufficient? I can hook a gauge up and drive to check, just curious why you'd replace before they died? Are they known to get weak in these cars?

 

24 year old pumps. Back in 2013 when we got my wife’s 00’ XJ8 with 21k miles, we had it towed from the little old ladies (she was 82 at the time) house. The car started, ran & drove just fine but, we had it towed to my job after we handed her cash and the very first thing I did was the fuel pump. I was doing a ton of pumps on all the XK8/R’s and XJ8/R’s back then and I wasn’t going to chance her breaking down with a bad pump. 2-3 cars a week would get towed in for a FP back then. If you plan on keeping the car and want reliability (who doesn’t), I’d highly recommend replacing them with Denso pumps.

 

Thanks for the info, will definitely put it on my list. How bad are fuls pumps on these, have never had the pleasure of doing them. I know the tank is in the trunk, assuming it must be removed completely? First is checking out the timing guides/tensioners. Maybe I'll get lucky and they were done before this owner, but I doubt it.

Also need to get tires. They're Pilot Sports and atually rode really nice but date codes are 2005 and I'll be doing a good amount of highway driving so they have to go. I did some quick looking for some wheels to replace the chrome on the car but didn't really see much. My wife actually likes the chrome wheels (I'm genuinely surprised) and everyone else who's seen it so far digs them so might just throw tires on and call it a day. At least they're in good shape with no corrosion or lip rash.