I bought a 98 xk8 vert black/black that has several issues. I tried to research them going in.
Car has been sitting a bit over a year.

Idle gets rough as car warms up. No noise from the timing area but I will do the tensioners anyway. Hopefully it's not a throttle body. Owner says ran good when parked, so possible just plugs, maybe a coil and some good gas. no CEL.
Low coolant but temp didn't go up after sitting for about 30 mins running so I assume its not too low.
Drivers seat is rough.
Top goes down well, but not up. Goes down well when you throttle the car up. Fluid looks full.
Drivers suspension will need work, but drove ok.
ABS, stability,traction lights so I assume i'll be sending the abs module out for repair.
Car can only be started from neutral, but my research says its likely the shift cable.
Headlight lenses are detached, but in the trunk





Its got about 120k and I paid 1700. Body is in pretty good shape. No rust, only one small dent. Top is perfect. Interior wood is in great shape. Aside from the drivers seat leather is good as well. Is this a good buy or should I have passed with so many potential issues? I own a few bmw's so I am used to working on my own unreliable cars.

 

At 1700, and without at tensioner failure, I'd say that's a pretty decent buy, especially you plan on doing all the work yourself.

 

If you can DIY all the required repairs, you may wind up with a nice vehicle for a relatively small amount of money spent. Good idea to tackle the tensioners as a first step. This forum will be the most valuable tool in your toolbox as you work your way through your various repairs. Good luck....

 

Welcome to the forum erron reed,

On a '98 you would be doing tensioners, cooling hoses and a suspension overhaul anyway unless it had a particularly fastidious PO (and therefore priced much higher) so you got a decent buy.

Sounds like you are "hands on" and can do the work yourself which will keep costs down. Head for the FAQ's for help and information on the "to do" list.

Graham

 

At USD1700, it’s a bargain. Especially fun considering you sound handy with a wrench. None of the issues listed are unworkable, and it sounds like you’ve done all the research on your “problem child” so when you’re done, it’ll be a lovely satisfying feeling.

Start separate threads on each of your fixes, and other Forum members can chip in with tips and tricks. Some may even have zero dollar fixes to some of your issues.

 

Similar to shape and cost of my recent '97 purchase. Be aware that coolant temp gauge is a non-functional gauge. Need to use Torque or some other add on gauge(Like X50plus) to see actual coolant temps. One option on the seats is lseat.com. Not a direct match to the leather, but decent. I've used them on my Acura seats. May also find a replacement seat on car-part.com. I found one there for mine.

 

Thank you to everyone for the helpful words! I am feeling a bit better about this purchase.

 

great find - especially if doing the work yourself. Search for real gauge in the forum or go to jagwrangler.com and look at his real gauge option for exact engine temps. For seat cover - topsonline - exact match and reasonably priced

 

You got a steal. So I'd say good buy by a smart guy.