Hello Everyone, this is my first (technically second) post, and I have been looking around for a 2010-2015 XK/XKR Convertible for a little bit (Nationwide search) and I have found one that is interesting.

It is a 2011 XK Black on Black with Piano Black (Second color choice) located in Texas https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...u0HEl1oiJ94jA9

Here are a few of the things that appeal to me about the Car
Price is good (lowest available it seems, and very uch inline with actual NADA/KBB Pricing)
No accidents
Texas car (or any state not in the midwest/northeast really)
Low (?) Miles of 63K
Decent record of service
Previously CPO (2014 sold by a Jaguar Dealer)
Serviced at a Jaguar dealer for most of its life
Only 2 owners

The few callouts I am not as sure about
It used to be a corporate car, does this mean Fleet/Rental? I am not sure. Although this is mitigated by the fact that it was CPO after whatever this ownership type implied
No mention of a water pump replacement in the service report that I can see
The service record are less detailed than I would like, but I assume I can call the Jaguar dealer for more information if needed


I would me looking to use the car in a couple ways, primarily as a daily driver in the summer and then store it for the Winter. Here in Michigan that means about 5 months of use or so (I drive 20K miles a year). I am handy with a wrench and enjoy working on cars, so I would do at least a portion of the work myself. Before I went down to Texas, I would have the car inspected by a local Jag shop etc (what else should I ask/consider?)

What are your thoughts on the vehicle or in general? I have been lurking on the forum for a few weeks reading and absorbing information, and you all seem like a knowledgeable and friendly group. I appreciate the feedback and support!

Cheers
Marc

 

It looks like a nice black on black XK that has spent its entire life in Texas. In the summer, that means you can fry eggs on the hood while getting your buns toasted in the driver's seat.

Heat and time are the enemies of the adhesives used on your leather dashboard and the convertible top rear window. Also, heat deteriorates all the rubber parts and adversely affects the battery. Make sure the leather hasn't separated and bubbled and that the rear glass hasn't started to separate from the canvas. These things can happen even if the car is kept in an air conditioned garage.

You're looking at buying a used car, and are smart to pay a Jaguar dealer to do a pre-purchase inspection to CPO standards. That way you'll know what needs to be repaired and the cost.

Good luck!

 

Hi Marc, sounds just like xkr I had up till recently, 2011 with 62k on clock loved it owned for 5 year, Firstly you want the service history to clarify and work done on it, at that mileage first thing I would get done yes the water pump, known to be problematic on early 5litre cars, secondly change the transmission fluid and filter, next look to change the supercharged oil in the supercharger, a Pita of a job to do but it can be done see my how to in stickes section, at over 60k mileage half of it will have evaporated by now so new oil is needed, they are easy to maintain doing oil changes and routers and pads a piece of cake, few on here do that themselfs but some do and are helpful with advice, Enjoy the car , All in black it's eyecatching

 

I can't say for sure why this was corporate but when I bought my 08 last year the Carfax also stated it was initially purchased as corporate and then leased in 2011.
It was explained to me that the first and only owner purchased it under her business and then leased it back to herself.

 

My uncle had a "Corporate Car" and it was just a car that he chose for the corporation to buy 'for' him while he worked there. It was basically his in every way but registration until he grew tired and had the 'corporation' buy him a new one.

 

Many business owners lease their cars through their company and deduct that cost as a business expense. Depending on the circumstances, that can be legal or ...

Baseball used to be the National Pastime. Now it's playing the tax lottery and hope you don't get caught.

 

Thank you all for the comments! It is good to know the corporate car can mean something other than fleet car. Thanks greatly for the list of a few things to consider as well!

I have two general questions as well that maybe someone can help with.

1) are there many blue 2010-2015 convertibles? I haven't found one in a few weeks of shopping, is that an ultra rare color for those years? I have found coupe, but not a very
2) would you still look at one of those cars if they had been in an accident? Or would Any kind of accident disqualify the car in your mind?

Thanks again!

Marc

 

Yes, blue is a rare color. Any color other than black or gray is hard to find.

I would not automatically disqualify an X150 that has been involved in an accident if the damage was only cosmetic (no structural damage) and the panel fit and finish was perfect. You should get a Pre-Purchase Inspection by a body shop qualified to do Jaguar aluminum repairs. They'll measure the paint depth, panel gaps, and look for any unreported repairs.

You can't rely on CarFax or similar reports to buy a car, as they report only damage that is reported to them. But you can rely on CarFax to NOT buy a car.

 

That is what I was afraid of with regards to color. Alas.

And ppi is happening for sure! Thanks for the info!

 

Just because there are no accidents on Carfax does not mean it did not have an accident. You'll need an inspection with paint depth measurements and a good eye to really know.

 

That's exactly why I recommended a PPI by a qualified body shop, in addition to a PPI by a Jaguar dealer to CPO standards. The dealer doesn't inspect for collision damage repairs and the body shop doesn't inspect for mechanical conditions. That's why you should get both.

Only you can do your due diligence. CarFax is useful only to disqualify a car, and should never be the reason to buy it.

 

Absolutely agree. All 3 of my Jaguars have perfect carfaxs. All 3 have been fully repainted due to collisions; and they present well. Inspect. I inspected but I had come in eyes wide open as all owners disclosed the accident histories of their cars.

My XKR Convertible has an almost empty carfax, literally 15 years with almost no entries with mileage. It has an impeccable service history and has had all the big deal fixes done; timing bits, water pump, all o2 sensor, fuel pumps and leads, full suspension, new steering rack, new wood, new leather, redone double fives, new top hoses, repainted, recent windshield. In addition to religious and conservative fluid and filter changes. I have receipts and pictures. Carfax makes it look unmaintained and no collision history; and both are untrue.

 

I got mine off-lease CPO and the bonnet had been repainted and the windscreen replaced due to chipping. It had 60k miles on it, so totally expected in Texas.

 

Just recently I had some cosmetic damage done to both my front and rear fenders caused by a deer. I would defy anyone to be able to tell that there was any damage (you can actually see the recent thread on it in this form). It actually looks better than when it went in due to some excellent work and the entire side of the car being painted. All of the little surface scratches and little imperfections are now gone.
We all look for cars that have no accidents, myself included, but I think the reality is that since these cars are now several years old a great number of them have had some minor repair work and if that work is done correctly, I don't see that as being a huge deterrent in purchasing and otherwise sound car.

 

A Jaguar-approved body shop can always tell if there has been any paint and body repairs, even though you may think it looks perfect. They have the tools to measure paint thickness and know where to look to find the tell-tale signs of repairs.

A car is original only once and, if all other things are equal, a car with no paint or body work is worth more than a car that has had paint and body work even if it looks perfect.

 

I'm sure that's true as far as value if you're looking at it as an investment, but it doesn't make the car more dependable or more enjoyable.

 

Absolutely right!

 

Hi all, quick update!

I spoke with the inspector yesterday to set up the inspection. He seems insanely meticulous (and a bit insane in general). 17 years in the business, well reviewed, seems to k ow his jaguars well, he volunteered lots of I formation and mentioned a number of this that he does vs others (including measuring paint thickness).

He also kindly gave me a bunch of info on buying a Texas car in general and some of the issues they have down there.

He is doing the PPI today, and I am expecting the report today or tomorrow. I am also going to reach out to the have dealer where it was serviced the past few years and see if I can get some service questions answered (I am sure they won't give me the service records sadly)

When u get the report, I will post here for general comment and we can see if it makes sense or not!

I love the specific suggestions you guys are giving, I really Appreciate it

 

That's what makes this a great Forum - so many helpful and knowledgeable long-time members. I joined almost 10 years ago knowing nothing about my XKR and have learned far more than I ever expected about maintenance, repairs and mods that I could do myself. That's one reason I still have my XKR - and I still haven't gotten tired of it.

 

Hi Everyone! Report came back, there are a few things (Of course) BUT I am leaning towards having a discussion on price. I figured you all might have some final thoughts on this. The inspection was THOROUGH, Tons of pictures, detailed conversation with the inspector after, and he preemptively covered most of my questions

The Good
"This is one of if not THE best 2011 XK with this mileage have seen in a long time, you have found a good one"
"You could drive the car to Michigan and back again without batting an eye"
"I inspect a lot of cars, I hate most of them. I wouldn't buy this car because I don't want to, BUT there is nothing wrong that I am afraid of with this car, and if I wanted to , I would" (This guy is a real character)
Paint is the right/same thickness, no impact, no body work, no structural issues at all
Everything works, he drove it a while as well, but every system he tested works

The Bad
Oil on the bell housing - Theorized to be from the rear lip of the oil pan, inspected the inside of the Bell housing with a 1" mirror, could find no oil pooling there- Suspected to be a minor issue/seal, don't worry too much about it
All of the boots are beat to hell and back, but the bushings seem fine, we was unable to get any movement out of them, though "there are limits to what a man on his back can do., even with leverage bars" He suggested keeping an eye on them and replace when needed- Although I read a post on this forum that mentioned clamp on boot replacements? Does anyone know about that?
Someone went at the rear window with a bit of windshield caulk. He thinks the repair looks fine, and it seems that they did a pretty good job with it it doesn't scream at you per se, but I have to admit, it looks like there should be a piece of trim there or something (Pic 38 and 39)
Rear Brakes are close to needing done, Brake fluid is copper and on its way out, not nothing to worry about right this minute
No Owner's manual
Some electrical gremlin codes, but mostly intermittent or historical. only 3 permanent, his theory is related to current dead battery/low battery on key fob, but not certain. This is his strong guess though

The Ugly
Battery completely died after he started the car, needs a new battery for sure
The rear struts are seeping, no wear patterns as of yet, but the fronts are probably near life expectancy as well
Exhaust leak (only put here because he can't identify where it is leaking from)
The wear on the front seat bolster (Picture 16) Can this be repaired?? This isn't a show car I know but it needs better than that! (Shockingly, this was not pictured by the dealer )

For those interested, here are the inspection pictures, she really is a pretty car https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3ujdoi60g...507_103823.jpg

I have attached the code read out and his handwritten notes just for funsies if you want to take a closer look.

As I mentioned, I am leaning towards having a price discussion on this car with the dealer. I would be curious to know opinions on price/value/repair costs for some of this. I know I have begged a lot of advice and help and given very little in return, but damn am I appreciative!

Thanks in advance everyone!

Oh, and if anyone ever needed a PPi or other inspection in the Dallas Fort Worth area, I highly recommend this guy, he is pricey, but thorough, I trusted him over the phone because he was upfront and forthcoming with EVERY thing without being asked, and his stream of conscious discussion format is a laugh riot. His name is Matt Portch and I believe he is the owner of the company at this point.

I am going to call the dealer tomorrow and ask about the waterpump.

Thank you all again!