So I will be going to pick up my 1997 XK8 given to me by a relative in two weeks. I will be driving it back home about 600 miles (shipping was to costly). It has been very well maintained. Is there anything I need to be concerned with driving it that far? I'm really excited about getting it but I also am not familiar with the car yet.

 

If well maintained as you say I can't see there being any issues, I have driven this kind of mileage on a few occasions in my 2001 xk8

 

I routinely go on much longer trips. Last summer I put 6000 km on in one month and drove from St. John's to Peterborough via a very circuitous route. The summer before I did 9000 km form home to Indiana and back. There are superb GT cars and if you drive a steady 110 kph you will be amazed at how far they will go on a tank of fuel. 600 miles is nothing to be remotely concerned about in a well maintained car.

 

If you are an AAA club member, just be sure to take your membership card with you....

 

These cars prefer to be driven and don't take to sitting around. You will tend to have far fewer issues if the car is regularly exercised. As mentioned, if it has been well maintained you should not expect any more trouble than your average vehicle.

Do you know if the timing chain tensioners have been changed? It is the one thing that can be a catastrophic failure and is more a function of age than mileage or service history. If you don't have definite confirmation they have been changed out for the newer design, then you need to check soon as possible and that should be the very first thing on the maintenance to do list.

 

Happy motoring.

 

Psnider, here's a thought for your upcoming summertime drive. The early cars like ours came with light colored dashboards depending on the interior color scheme. When you're driving on a bright sunny day, it can turn into a headache (literally:-)) as the sun reflects off the top of the dash into the windshield.

An easy fix: bring polarized sunglasses. They completely eliminate the reflection.

You know, its just a little thing, but it might make your trip a lot more comfortable mate.

Enjoy the trip!!!

John

 

Drove 3,000 miles on my XK8 before I had the motor replaced, so before all kinds of rubber bits and whatnot were replaced. Not any issues, at that point I think it had 100,000 miles.

Jacob

 

That's no a great distance but if the vehicle has not been REGULARLY used, getting it thoroughly up to temperature could cause some issues. I would stop after approximately the first 50 miles and have a visual check in the engine compartment for any signs of coolant or oil leakage. Also check wheels and tyres to verify brakes aren't overheating and rubber looks OK.

Other than that I'd carry a gallon container of distilled water (these vehicles really don't react well to overheating) in case of leaks, check the spare and tools are fit for purpose before setting off and enjoy the trip.

Graham

 

Well, we made it back with no problems. It drove beautifully!

 

psnider,

Well done and I bet you enjoyed the 600 mile cruise. It's a beautiful and powerful V8 grand tourer designed to go long distance in a graceful manner. Post some pictures on the Stickies' Wow Pics so we can see what you've bought.

If there's the Driver's Manual in the car, it's worth a read as some controls are not obvious. Ie setting the side mirrors - put selector in middle setting, and push down on the stalk - it should fold the mirrors in. Or put the mirror selector in right setting, and push down on stalk, it should auto put the right mirror in down position so you can see the kerb when reversing.

If you post your owner ship experience (and there will be problems ranging from niggles to outright f$%king problems) here on this Forum, you'll get some friendly advice and guidance what to do. You've a Generation 1 (of 3) of the X100 car, and alot of fixes/upgrades are well known.

 

My first XK was the 1998 that I bought in Louisville, KY.....I drove up there from Houston and traded my 94 Lincoln Coupe for it....Drove back with no problems what so ever! That was about 2 Months before the Right Banks Tensioner decided to go somewhere else......$3,500.00 later I was on the Road again.......Also, I learned what a Timing Chain Tensioner was..............................

Billy Clyde