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For about 5 years, once a month or so I would drive by a red 1999 XK8 sitting unmoved with a for sale sign in the window. Every time, I would think "What a shame no one rescues that poor car." One day I called the number, and like a lost puppy the car followed me home that day. I paid $1800.
The owner told me she bought the car needing repairs, and had never really driven it. She owned it 7 years and claimed only driven it a few hundred miles. She also claimed while it was parked in the lot where I saw it, a homeless couple had temporarily moved in. Dixie, the previous owner, said it was very cold at the time, so waited until the weather was warmer to evict them.
The car was as dirty as one would expect for a car parked basically 7 years and temporarily used as an abode. I was afraid the wiring would be eaten by rodents. Good news is no rodent damage existed at all. Bad news is because rodents were terrified of the countless thousands of venomous spiders infesting every square inch of the car. I was similarly terrified of them. I went nuclear with bugs bombs.
I am not a mechanic; not even mechanical. But for quite some time I wanted a "project car" to... restore may be too strong a word, but fix up and more or less teach myself how to work on cars. At 55.
By stalking this forum and watching countless hours of YouTube videos (Gary Mathers is my favorite), I got "stuck in". Surprisingly, most of the common failure points had been addressed. The timing chain tensioners were replaced with the metal ones. The thermostat housing was upgraded. When I checked the oil and put a new battery in she fired right up. I replaced all the suspension bushings, shocks, engine beauty covers and lots of other things not quite up to par. The biggest problem I faced so far is the valve cover bolts were stripped. I replaced them with helicoils. I have to say I was terrified drilling into the head, but it worked.
The paint was atrocious. It was a nice red color, but I decided to wrap the vehicle British Racing green. I've never wrapped a car, or anything else other than Christmas gifts, but if I must say so myself it looks great. From 25 feet away. Please do not move any closer.
The convertible top works. Cruise control - check. CD changer - check. Power windows - check. Power antenna, well, kinda. Heat - nada.
The only remaining issues, for now, are the key fob doesn't not program. No beeps, flashing lights, nothing. The steering wheel adjustment works, but catches and won't move smoothly. And zero point zero dash lights anywhere. Not dash lights, center console lights or anything. Fuses are ok.
All in all, I'm calling it a success so far. I have enjoyed the hell out of the process. While far from perfect, the car looks far better than she did during those five years I drove by her. And, perhaps most surprisingly of all, she has been remarkably reliable for the miles I've driven her. I took care of her. She is taking care of me too.
The heater control valve / motor is the likely suspect for your no-heat situation.
Z
Good tip. I've heard the hot water pump is a bear to get to. I'm not sure how to check either, but I appreciate the information and I will look into it.
Thank you very much. The problem areas for the wrap are under the bumpers. I purchased enough wrap to do the entire car, twice. And used every square inch of it. By the time I got to the bumpers, I had to live with what I had. The twin curves converging under the car on all four corners is something I have yet to come to terms with on how to do it properly.
Once it warms up, I am going to buy some more wrap, peel the existing wrap off the bumpers and have another go.
I was actually shocked with how clean the engine internals were when I pulled the valve covers.
The car was a mishmash of weird things. One of the valve covers was apparently from an XF. It only had one screw hole per coil pack. All beauty covers were missing. I got the impression someone purchased the (maybe Dixie) purchased the car without understanding the price of European car parts.
Good tip. I've heard the hot water pump is a bear to get to. I'm not sure how to check either, but I appreciate the information and I will look into it.
It's a colossal PITA. It helps if you have gorilla-length arms. I'd have thought that a bad heater pump would throw a code. But maybe not. Have you scanned for codes?
It's a colossal PITA. It helps if you have gorilla-length arms. I'd have thought that a bad heater pump would throw a code. But maybe not. Have you scanned for codes?
I do have an Autel 808, largely purchased for this car. I scanned the codes and the only one on the entire car that will not clear is B1263 - VENT SERVO MOTOR CIRCUIT FAULT. I have not had a chance to look into it yet, but since it's a climate control code, I'm sure it's related.
Each and every weekend, I try to make a bit of progress on the car. Sometimes not a lot, but always inching in the right direction.
This past weekend, my huge (to me) success was getting the glove compartment door to stay shut evenly. All of the interior bits (glove compartment door, center console door, cup holder...) were busted up. I replaced all of them, and for the most part it all looked good. The one exception was the glove compartment door. The right hand side always popped out a touch and it was never even. I have disassembled the entire dash a couple of times, took parts from the old one and tried to assemble one that fit snuggly, adjusted the catch on the right side as far back as it would go... I cannot even begin to quantify the time I spent trying to get the glove box door to stay shut evenly.
Then, over the weekend, as if through divine inspiration, a thunder bolt struck my brain and realized I have things backwards. In an attempt to get the right hand side of the door to stay back further, I adjusted the catch as far in as possible. So far, in fact, that it was not catching at all. I adjusted the catch out, and the stars (and glovebox) aligned perfectly. Of everything I've done to the car, I don't believe anything has made me happier.
Fantastic rescue! You've been busy. I'd been wondering about a DIY wrap ever since something got spattered all over the back half of my XJ8 a couple years ago and raised little bumps all over it. It looked like new up till that and I had dropped comprehensive to economize. I can do minor body work but don't have facilities to DIY paint and sadly, a professional job done right now costs at least twice what an XJ8 with 130K miles is worth. Curious how much was spent on the wrap material and how many man-hours did you put into it (since I'd be attempting it for the first time too?) Tho it'll probably have to wait a few years for a post-retirement project.
Fantastic rescue! You've been busy. I'd been wondering about a DIY wrap ever since something got spattered all over the back half of my XJ8 a couple years ago and raised little bumps all over it. It looked like new up till that and I had dropped comprehensive to economize. I can do minor body work but don't have facilities to DIY paint and sadly, a professional job done right now costs at least twice what an XJ8 with 130K miles is worth. Curious how much was spent on the wrap material and how many man-hours did you put into it (since I'd be attempting it for the first time too?) Tho it'll probably have to wait a few years for a post-retirement project.
Above is the order for the wrap with price and the company. I spent about three solid weekends wrapping the car. As I said, I had no idea what I was doing, and basically wound up wrapping the entire thing twice. I would cut a piece of vinyl, place it, heat and stretch it, find out where all the trouble spots were, rip it all off then start again. Sometimes repeat the process twice.
I think a more competent person, even if he or she is a novice, could probably get it done in a single weekend. Since you have some experience with body work a) it should be no problem at all for you and b) I wish you lived near me.
Amazing and well told rescue story.
seems you are the future me.
haven’t worked on a car since high school and will be learning as soon as I find the right XK for me.
also at 55.
1999 XK8 rescue
