Awhile back I posted with questions about a possible purchase concerning an earlier example. This is a newer model with the better transmission and 4.2 litre engine. It does have some minor body damage and one of the rear quarter windows does not fully close. Other than those issues, it looks to be a good example. Seller is asking $9500, down from his original price of $11500. He did drop the price after I secured a quote from a local body shop related to the work required. I'm going to go see the vehicle soon and I wanted some readership input beforehand. I did a Carfax and found that there have been no reported accidents. Carfax is valuing the car at around $8800. Let me know what you think and thanks for any advice. If you look at the pic of the left front, the small dent is obvious. There is an even smaller dent midway on the fender as well as a scratch from the fender leading well into the door. My quote for repair is around $2000. The car has 69K on the odometer.

 

I would not want to have more than $8,000 in that car with no body damage and all the windows working.

the seller seems to fishing for a uninformed buyer. I would never pay more than $6,000 for the car considering the $2,000+ you are going to spend to get it back to a normal appearance.

If the seller is going to be unreasonable then just walk away. There are plenty of these cars in the marketplace if you are patient.

it took me 8 or 9 months to find my 2002 XKR. It had all the well known issues fixed already and has been very reliable.

Z

 

Unless you do your own wrenching, replacing that window regulator is a rather pricey job. You must also factor that in. It's quite fiddly and requires removal of a ton of stuff and finding the correct angle to use to remove the regulator from the body is a Rubik's cube in and of itself

 

I do all my own maintenance/repair work save for body work. I own an '89 XJS V12 so.... The window regulator issue does not concern me but I do not want to do body work so that would have to be farmed out. So, given that dynamic and figuring in the $2K its going to cost for the body work, AND IF my wife really loves it, would I be crazy to offer $7K? I am comfortable knowing a person doesn't buy these cars anticipating a return on their $$. The XK8 values are trending down according to the stuff I've read. Obviously, I have yet to view the vehicle in person, look under it for corrosion, rotted rubber, evidence of leakage, condition of the top and its related mechanism including the hydraulic hoses, etc., etc. I am going to bring along a magnet, mirror and my endoscope camera. The Carfax value is $7110 retail, KBB range is $6873 to $9846 with a private party value of $8350. $7K would be my final offer but I would start negotiating at around $6K provided a deal-ending issue is not uncovered.

 

IMHO $7K is high-reasonable, but I am no Jag value expert by any means. Others will have better info. I must say that "trending down" is a massive understatement!

Many moons ago I had a friend with a Mercury Topaz, a crummy car if there ever was one. He needed a new car and he looked his up in the Kelly Blue Book. It said, literally, "No value." I think our Jags are headed in that direction far too rapidly for my taste!

 

The $7,000 values is for a car that needs nothing. If you pay $7,000 for a car that needs $2,000+ work done to it in order to bring it up to a reasonable standard, then you are really paying $9,000 + for a maybe at best a $7,000 car. That seems counterintuitive to me.

You are posting like you have an emotional attachment to buying this particular car. Buying a car on emotion rarely works out for the buyer. Just my opinion.


That $2,000 will buy a lot of gasoline.


Z

 

And a good opinion it is! I bought mine on a spur of the moment decision. I fell in love with the looks, it was a birthday present to me, I'm not scared of working on cars, what's not to like?

It's like falling madly in love, and immediately marrying, a temperamental super model. You wake up one day and find you're stuck with a raving, high-maintenance, b*tch.

 

I looks like the seat belt buckle has a chunk missing. Mine was just like that when I first aquired it but found the missing piece in the little cuvee hole in front of the shifter.

Jack

 

Remember that pricing depends on at least two things: overall condition and market location. In the US, a well-maintained (w/ documentation) XK8/R from a dry climate (i.e. West Coast) will likely command a higher price. Do the research, determine your budget, be objective, and drive away happy.

 

ever see Gloria Swanson in the classic (and fabulous) movie “Sunset Blvd.” ?

She represents what our cars are today: an old movie star who thinks she’s still on the “A” list. A lot of trouble to maintain and treats you like the hired help. Pretty on the outside and rotten underneath.

Even with eyes open you might end up like William Holden in the same movie: upside down and DOA.

Z

 

I posted this back in 2019, but I still think it holds true.

"I have the belief that these cars will always be a $15-20K expense. Either you will get a "really good deal" and pay 10K for one with another 5-10K in repairs. Or you will pay 15-20K for one that is in well maintained condition and has already been "expensed" by its current owner.

It is doubtful you will never find one for ~10K that needs nothing and lasts a long time. Cars like that are simply worth more than 10K in today's market.

Just understand that ultimately it is going to cost you $15-20K - eventually. You can pay more for a well maintained car and truly enjoy it. Or you can pay less and enjoy it whenever it is not being repaired/costing you more money."

 

about 7 years ago i paid $7,800 for a 2002 XKR coupe that had just had all the well known issues fixed. It had 116,000 miles on it. Since then I've spent about $300 for parts that weren't the regular consumables like tires, battery, etc. Now the mileage sits at 192,000 (it's a daily driver).

I don't think I'm exceptionally lucky. There have to be other good deals like that out there. You just have to have patience and be ready to strike when the right car shows up.





Z

 

buy all means go buy a kia fir 20K plus or a pickup for 7k used,,,you will be happy and unemotional lol ,,,maybe a tesla,,,,but spend 100K plus for an etype or a wreck for 20K,,,,same old bs about jag parts as always

 

By the way, if you can find a matching wing from a donor car, its a very easy swap as the front wings just bolt in place. Your $2000 budget for bodywork could be a few hundred instead.

 

The seller will not budge on his price saying it blue books for $9-10k. Oh well, back to pulling the air injection off of the XJS. I'm gonna keep an eye out for the right deal. Thanks to everyone for the comments and advice.

 

Looking at another XK8 nearby AND a 2004 XKR Portfolio about 8 hours away. The XKR comes with a bunch of spares as the guy has several Jaguar employed friends who have gifted him several items. The car has 95500 miles, has had the front fascia, headlight and hood replaced due to a deer hit. It needs a front control arm and door seals. Beautiful car but I'm not crazy about the two tone interior. Guess they didn't make but 100 of the Portfolio edition ?? Anyway, I welcome any commentary. The standard XK8 is only three hours away, 70K on the odo and looks to be really clean. It did have a non-working quarter window and passenger power seat but the seller has had those issues remedied.

 

Man, you guys are depressing me. I've thought of parting with my '03 conv. that looks much like the one shown here to thin out the hurd and other reasons.
Gotta rethink things. TM

 

If you wanna have a fun adventure and are up for it, look into buying from IAA or Copart using a broker (I've always used go2auctionsnow.com. Great folks. Trust me, it's nowhere near as risky as people tend to think. If you want a car you can buy, do an oil change and get it right back on the road then this path is not for you. However, if you're not scared of doing a little work yourself, and are resourceful at figuring out how to get things running again, you can get Jags for like unbelievable prices. And no they're not all flooded. And no they're not all crashed. And no, they're not all salvage title. Although depending on who you are and what you're wanting the car for, that's not that big of a deal in my opinion either. Since January I have bought three Jags, two from IAA and one from Copart. $3000 total for all, including shipping for the ones I had delivered. My X-Type has turned into my DD and needed very little work. This one was my Best buy. I can answer anybody's questions about this topic if they're interested. Oh yeah, all of them have a clear title as well. I will warn you though, with as good of deals there are to be had and how easy it is to get, it's hard to stop 😂 😂

And honestly, I feel like this is even less risky than buying from a private party. You don't know because they have reason to hide things. With the auctions, everything is on the table from the start.

Mike

 

For some amusement, check the prices and (non)availability of door seals.

 

This one is about three hours away from me. Very nice from all the pics. 70K on the odometer. New top, tires, quarter window regulator and passenger seat motor. Looks like the upper strut mounts need replaced. He was asking $15K, came down to $13500. KBB and Carfax is saying $13K is the max value. Commentary??