Seems there are two 2004 XKR convertibles that just came up not too far from me.
one is 32,000 miles black/black for 19.5k
one is 94,000 miles black/tan for 11.5k

both have zero reported accidents and oddly enough 5 prev owners.

Why, after watching dozens of hours of vids and reading tons of FB group posts and posts here, do I feel like for this jag age is a bigger factor than miles for most of the common issues?

I also feel like I could do a lot to bring the higher mileage one up to par with the extra 8k.

Would love thoughts and feedback.

 

my five decades of personal experiences in buying used classic cars, for myself and others, has convinced me that garage queens with low indicated mileage take about two years of constant fixing and testing to bring them up to a standard of modest road worthiness. Conversely, cars that have been used continuously have already demonstrated their reliability.

This standard is contingent upon verifiable maintenance..

you won’t wear out a well maintained drivetrain in 100,000 or 200,000 miles. That begs the question, with so many owners, did they care about maintenance ? Maintenance Records are a must when purchasing a used car, especially these used cars.

i had no hesitation in buying my 2002 XKR w/ a mileage of 116,000, as it had already had the known issues repaired and came with complete maintenance records. That was 8 years ago. The mileage now reads 194,500 with no mechanical issues. My most expensive repairs have been a radiator and a heater pump and valve assembly.


Pretty reliable for any 20 year old car.

Z

PS: I’m not very knowledgeable on the known issues with the 2004 model XK-8. It would be worth your time to investigate what those are and determine if they have already been addressed.

 

Of course if you filled in your details properly with your location ( top right ) we would know where Near Me was and if the quoted prices were dollars or pounds. KISS

 

I agree that higher mileage is not an issue and may even be better. Do check the cam tensioners. Rust is the biggest deal killer for me. If the high mileage one is rust free and has a service history go for it. The engine should be very smooth and check that the roof works and is not leaking hydraulic fluid.

 

I collect guitars....a case queen usually becomes a case queen because it doesn't sound good. Give me a ten year old guitar that has honest play wear any day!

Same w.cars.

I bought my 01 w. 40 some thousand miles on it and it had been sitting for over ten years.

@zray and a host of others chimed in on a need for a "recommissioning" of the car, not just changing the oil and off we go.

Every hose, tstat & housing, tensioners, pump, tires, tranny drain, upper shock mounts...THANKS WAYNE...etc. etc.

I poured close to $7,000 into it at a great shop in Rochester, NY but prior to buying had pestered the heck out of the experts here and armed with the knowledge gleaned here I was able to buy it for $3,000....so I'm happy.

Oh...I needed $20 to recharge the AC and it was flawless through a very hot Upstate NY summer.

 

great info, thank you all!

and I’m in the SE US