Looking back over the work I've done on my car and looking at virtually XJ8 I lay my eyes on, there are a few areas on them to keep an eye on for rust.

At this point anyone from the lower US states and warm dry climates can look away now, lucky people!

Generally the X308 bodyshell is good for over 10 years in northern climates, with salted roads in the winter, usually 4-5 months of the year, they're exposed to salty spray, not the best thing for mild steel.

The pictures are from a MY 2002 UK car, MY 2003 in the the USA/ROW. A late car, with 140k miles. When I took those pictures, the car was exactly 7 years old (Oct 01 to Oct 08)

First picture is of the metal surrounding and below the wiper arm aperture. Rusted right through - reason being screen wash is highly alkali (just like salt) so it eats metal at the edges then the cancer spreads....dilute screen wash to 10-1 and maybe look at rust proofing that area to prevent it spreading.



Second favourite is the lower base of the rear screen. Where the panels meet is a water trap under the screen seal. Inside the luggage compartment where they meet is a big glob of expanding foam rubber, with the consistency of chewing gum, this can be fished out with a screw driver, giving the area room to breath, and not trapping water. A coating of wax preservative is in order to protect it from r-u-s-t.



Next is the scuttle/inner front wing join, filled with that crappy foam, I think drilling and squirting wax oil in there is one possible way of protection. Using a short drill depth of course.



This is a part seldom seen - but it's scary to think a load bearing chassis/suspension section can be affected by rust - the lower rear suspension carrier.

It's work to bring it up to scratch, but another area worth checking..



Finally the inner wing behind the shock is another weak point, difficult to get at, but easy to keep clean and clear of mud pies.



Panels are usually good, bear in mind to clear wheel arch lowers of their mud pies and a good jetwash on the underside helps keep it all clear.

I use this stuff, Corrosion Protection - Rust Removal - Car Wax - Car Polish - Bilt-Hamber UK but any good automotive wax-oil should keep the pox at bay. To do the chassis and front sub frames, both bumpers have to come off - the two chassis legs front and rear can then be treated, usually a thin hose is fed into the chassis until it can't go any further, then pulled back out spraying a coating as it comes.
Anywhere the hose can go, like inside lower door panels, jacking points, bonnet panel etc can be treated over the Jaguar stuff for total protection.

Just to add, that particular bodyshell was scrapped!

 

Wow! This is where Jaguar's shortage of money shows up in the lack of complete product development.
Scandalous amount of rust on body and structures in only 7 years, even if it were a salt environment.
FIATs had a bad problem but they solved theirs; pity Jaguar could not get round to it. Too busy planning V8s and Al chassis's , I suppose.
Not quite sure where the scuttle/wing area is.
I have the lower rear window seam rust on the RH side. Even in a salt free environment. Will be taking out the foam underneath.
Chassis parts are rusting too though not to the same degree as shown here.
Another reason for more maintenance attention to the beast.

 

WOW, I presumed Jaguar really solved rust issues from Ford era or did a major improvement on this issue . Thanks for the pics, salt is an enemy to metal parts

 

You have rust even in cali? Has your car always been in CA?

My mechanic says the Merc CLK from the early 2000s has even worse issues with rust than the x308. Isn't there a rust warranty for 7 years or so on these cars? It wouldn't matter now, but for the car in the pictures. I could be wrong though.

 

That is a great post Sean. My previous Jag was an '85 XJ6 that I had for 13 years. I fought with rust the whole time and eventually gave up the battle even after much body work and respraying. The X308 is much improved, but anything made of steel will rust unless you live in a desert, I suppose. I have just the beginnings of bubbles at the bottom corner of the rear windscreen. I will have to check for the foam and do something about it. Rust is a killer. I had a TR7 that had been treated with wax/oil shot all over in it, I can't remember the name of the franchise, but they were big in that at one time. It really saved the car. Keeping all the drains clean is important too. Rust will turn your car into worthless junk. Edit: It was Ziebart that did the rust-proofing.

 

That area at the windshield wiper looks to be a design defect coupled with neglect. It appears that lip would hold a lot of water.

Anyways, annual oil sprays are popular in the snowbelt and many people have had success with them.

 

In my part of CA it does not rain for half the year and then lightly. The rust has not worsened here in CA. I sprayed the window rust with CorrosionX, a marine winterizing fluid/penetrant, and it has been halted. The car did spend seven years in Dallas, much more rain but still no salt.

If it's any consolation I bought a 1993 Ranger recently that spent three years in the North East. The frame is covered in rust! It is as if were not painted! The frame is of thick metal so I hope no weakening has occurred. The bodywork is well painted and almost rust free.
I will be spraying the frame with chain saw oil. It has tack agents to help it stick.

 

Try Fluid Film.

It is a lot like the product mentioned by SeanB.

One key point is that it does not attack rubber.

 

Thanks for posting this.

I have concluded that the engine, transmission and body on my '99 XJ8 are all probably the worst I've ever owned (40 years and 35 cars).

Well ok, the Mini's body was worse.

The only thing that keeps me from selling the car is that I paid peanuts for it and it's Jaguar 101 for when the aluminum bodies models are old enough to get one dirt cheap on Craigslist. That's the main reason I'm hanging in there.

Any X308 I see for sale, no matter if it's in "perfect" shape with only 5K mi on the odometer, will need the engine and transmission taken apart and the work needed will cost more than the car is worth.

That being said, the car does have the virtues of a great fitting tuxedo in that it makes you feel great when you drive it. That to me is the car's really only redeeming factor and is a valid reason to like these cars. The rest: build quality, part design, resale value and fuel economy all are poor.

Those aren't good comments on a $75K car.

It all reflects the truth: it was built by a company losing money on every car they made and eventually the company was sold.

I remember when Bic pens came out in the late 60's. The philosophy of "use and discard" that those pens sold us has been applied to everything we buy.

 

I got my XJ8 from Down South, and just don't drive it during the snow season. Run the engine every so often in place, but that's it. So last drive of the fall (maybe first week fo December) and first outing of the Spring (around Easter, depending on the calendar).

Hacking away at rust is so unpleasant, it just doesn't justify any driving during salt season.

 

My cars go to the car wash ....... often. Years ago I had the time and desire to do more of it myself .... but they all go to the local car wash in the winter time.

And I get the spray wax.


This makes an enormous difference -- you have to get he salt and grime off.

 

Scuttle rusts from the top down at the corners, due to Jaguar's retarded draining method. (water runs along scuttle under the plastic, then the wing is sealed to the scuttle, and the water has to run uphill, around the wing that's stuck to the scuttle with seam sealer, and out of the drain that's outboard of the wing. It's never dry there.

Front chassis legs are usually worst on the bottom, right where the subframe vee blocks attach. Water runs into the leg from the inner wing, then pools between the two layers of metal around the vee block. If the car is in a wet climate and over 10 years old/you're doing suspension work, drop the front subframe, cut the outer of, treat the rot that is inside, then weld a new outer on. It'll be rotten inside even if it isn't visible outside yet - will have to upload some photos of the 2002 I've just done.

Use Dinitrol ML (the replacement for 3125) to fill that cavity. It's a wax with special treatments to reduce surface tension and creep into the tightest seams.

 

Chassis legs. If they look ok, they're probably not inside...





Easy fix if (1) caught early and (2) you're doing front suspension work anyway.