I have had my 2001 XK8 for four years now and have replaced almost every component in the car.
Got the green shower, replaced all lines
Replaced the tensioners, all of them
Replaced all 8 coils and plugs
four brand new Kumo tyres
Replaced the seat modules, including head rests
Replaced the ABS module
Replaced the XK8 - 8/22/2017

 

Perspective is a funny thing.

In 5 years I’ve replaced

1. Thermostat Tower
2. Most Coolant hoses including valley and spider
3. Water Pump
4. Expansion Tank
5. Secondary Tensioners
6. Brake switch
7. Transmission fluid change and added dip stick
8. Tires, four continental extreme contact
9. Spark Plugs (8) and one Coil
10. Brake Light ground

Yet I consider my XK8 virtually trouble free. All of the repairs I did myself, except the brake switch, for a few hundred dollars.

If I took my car to a repair shop I might feel differently.

Just curious, but what is the replacement vehicle?

 

You lucky lucky bas********.

 

Really, if you buy a 13 year old car for 10% of its original price you can't really expect it's not going to need any work done on it in the next 4 years.

I bet the work you had done on it still cost you less than the original owner lost when he traded it in....

 

Reading this made me think. I've had my XKR for a month over 5 years now, and doubled her mileage to 50k. From flicking thru my maintenance folder, on top of the usual service bits and bobs, I have...

1. Had 6 new tyres (2 needed doing soon after purchase) c.£1400
2. Replaced headlight ballast twice (same light) c.£220
3. Transmission fluid drain & fill (twice) c.£400
4. Replaced both front driving light HID bulbs c.£20
5. Replaced brake switch c.£140
6. Oil sump gasket replaced c.£40
7. Had a new battery c.£150
8. Replaced expansion tank c.£160
9. Rear half of underside wax oiled c.£80
10. Had (still have a little) condensation issue in headlight c.£5 (cat litter crystals in a sock is just a miracle cure - but not a perm fix)

Around £500 pa doesn't seem to me to be too unreasonable for a high performance, 14 year old vehicle.

At the mo (and I REALLY hope I'm not not tempting fate here!), replacing the front discs in the next 12 months or so is the only defo thing I need to do.

 

We have owned my wife's 2006 XK8 since February 2012. She has taken it from 36,000 miles at acquisition to 111,700 miles today. While I have never been thrilled about all the maintenance and repairs this vehicle has required as her daily driver, she still loves her XK8 more than any vehicle she has ever had (she has been driving since 1969). So I continue to persevere with it....

As most long-time owners know, if you cannot DIY the majority of the maintenance and repairs required, do not acquire one....

 

Wow, an 18 year old car and that's all you had to do?

Tires, plugs and coils are wear items, they don't count.

 

Editing my own post here.... If I took the tyres, battery and wax oiling off my list, it's only c.£1000 over 5 years. Servicing has been expensive, but I knew that would be the case.

Jules

 

Five years and that is ALL you did? You got off easy!!!! If you studied up before you got the car you knew what you were in for. You barely scratched the surface of replacing every component. ha ha ha ha

 

lol I've always kept a spreadsheet - is this awhole new car lol:

Tyres x 4 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Polybush complete front bush kit
Sports exhaust with quad tips
Front lower shock bush
Upper ball joint
Lower front ball joint
Front drop links
Fulcrum bolt and shims
Garmin 2599LMT-D Satnav unit
Windscreen wipers set
Wheel arch liner
Spare wheel bolt
Spare wheel bolt clamp
Brake switch
Inner door plastic mounts
Rubber seal spray
Paint for trim. Paint, primer, clear coat
Paint for calliper
Decal for calliper
Parts for arial switch and satnav install
Labour for bushes etc fitting
Bosche Battery
Service Kit (minus oil)
Oil for service
Supercharger oil service kit
4 wheel alignment
Wheel arch liner access panel
Supercharger rebuild and EGR pipe
Leather roll
Door trim
Thread for leather
Wheel center caps
Jag leaper decals for seats
Engine belt SC Idler pulley bearings
Shock absorber for rear left, bolt and isolator
Installation of shock and supercharger belt
Full disks and pads
MOT and disks fitting (117,376)
Stickon Number Plate
Upstream O2 sensor 2nd Hand (Bank2 P1647)
Gearbox service, diff oil change, gearbox wiring loom seal
Upstream O2 sensor 2nd Hand (Bank1 P1646)
MOT
Over axle sections exhaust
exhaust fitting

 

Perhaps I am strange but I wasn’t looking for a trouble free daily driver when I found my 2004 XK8, but rather a new hobby. In November 2014 when I got this car snowflurries were starting to fly in London, Ontario Canada so I knew that other than sneaking in a few miles when the road was dry she would be heading for the garage for an over the winter freshen up. She had 160,000 km. and no service history but ran well and had no body or undercar rust.
I really thought I was buying something to tinker with in the evenings instead of watching TV every night after work and using her for the summer weekends to go for a day trip. Instead she has turned into my daily driver and cross country trip go to car.
It did have a few niggling things that presented great learning opportunities, an air bag chime warning the dealer had covered by removing bulbs but not being able to cover up the chime. I removed the driver’s seat twice and cleaned all of the contactsright up to the airbag and I can now take the seats out to give the carpet agood shampoo in about 5 minutes.
I have learned all about the Small Evap warning codes and managed to solve that one.
I replaced parts that didn’t need replacing based on the experience of forum member as I don’t want a failure a thousand miles from my tools.

Improvements Based on Forum
Thermostat housing
Octopus Hose
Valley Hoses
Fuel Filter
Transmission Pan and fluid change
Oil coolerlines, did them when I split the oil cooler open getting to close to a curb.
Serpentinebelt
Coolant recovery tank.
My ChoiceImprovements:
One buttontop down upgrade – $250.00
Stainlessrotors and ceramic pads – $400.00
Refinished Wheels and added Continental Contacts - $2000
Repainted all under surfaces with POR15 – $50.00
Refurbished rear end – no issues but a Canadian car and didn’t look very pretty.
New rear shocks and suspension rubber while the rear end was out. $600.00
Sandblasting rear end parts and powder coating. $200.00
New driver’s door sill plate insert because it was scratched up.
HID Headlamps- $200.00
Reinforced lower leading edge of oil cooler with aluminum angle stock.
- This coming winter the front end suspension is up for refurbishment just due to age not performance.

We have had this car since November 2014 and have put on 32,000 trouble free kilometers; just turned over 191,000 this past week. I see no reason that with continued TLC that I should not have any reason to get rid of this car until I can’t get in and out of it anymore. Like many on here hope someday my Grandson will pick up his new girl in it.
If you can get out of this car and walk awaywithout looking back for just one more peek then this car does not get the love she should and you should let her go for another.

 

so many replacements, so little money

Replaced my money pit with an awesome 350Z, touble free and faster than the xk8

 

I have never been a fan of putting a car in "storage". I don't have that luxury anyway. I bought my XK8 as a toy to tinker with, but of course, it has been pressed into service as a commuter for my son in a local college. He's going to get his own car soon, and maybe a Jag. I've done my due diligence (sp?) and installed the convertible top pressure valve, replaced the brake switch, replaced a headlight, brake pads, and I have some rear shocks ready to go. The rear shock bushings are really the only issue, but while you're in there ... So, I guess I've been one of the lucky ones. I paid peanuts for the car. It's eleven years old, still looks like a dream, and puts a big smile on my face.

 

My first new car was a 1974 Datsun 260Z. I kept it for 13 years and put nearly 250,000 miles on it without having to do an engine rebuild. I still miss it....

 

OK, I'll play. Put on ~58K miles in 5+ years of ownership. MY 2001 XK8.

Secondary tensioners
Starter
Alternator
Radiator & hoses
Valley hoses
Serpentine belt
Front shocks and coil springs
Most front bushings changed to poly-type
Hydraulic hoses for top
Repaired ABS (DIY fix)
Rebuilt transmission (at 138k miles)
(omitted routine maintenance stuff)

Not bad for a now 16 year old car that makes me happy every time I drive it. Heck, every time I look at it.

 

Gosh...I've owned my 1997 XK8 convertible for 5 years and have replaced the engine, transmission, ABS module, and front and rear suspension. Got her running just as I like it

Nick