chassis stiffness, esp convertibles
 

I know that a convertible is always going to have alot less structural rigidity than a coupe no matter the brand.
But maybe every so often there are improvements.

Has Jaguar increased the structrual strength of the XK over the time?

Are there model years, say 2003 when they went to the 4.2 engine and 6-speed auto-trans,
where they strengthened the chassis? Do 2005-06 have less flex and twist than previous incarnations?
Or is it all the same across every year 1997-2006? In which case it would be just a matter of miles mostly.

Does anyone know?

There is a bit of chassis flex in all the '96-'06 X100 convertible models, but it is minimal and well controlled.

You need to go to the next generation aluminium monocoque chassis of the 2007 and later (X150) XK and XKR to find convertibles chassis that are virtually the same in performance as the coupes.

No, I want to know about just one model. 1996-2006 XK (X100?)
Are there differences between different years?

XK coupe to XK coupe. XK convertible to XK convertible.
1996-97-98. 1999-2000. 2001-2002. 2003-2004. 2005-2006.
Same exact chassis, year to year?
Different between XK8/R? More torque.
Did they rigidify (new word) at any time.

They might not have even said, but someone may have noticed.

From what I've been able to gather, there is no difference with the XK100 throughout the line.

No changes to the chassis throughout the run. The convertibles do have some slight cowl reinforcement installed but it is debatable how much good they do.

The car bodies are put together well. They weigh two and a quarter tons, so there isn't much on the road, that is going to flex less than an XK8 convertible. They were made as luxury and not sports cars, even though the looks bring back visions of old Jag sports cars of the past. The body is very rigid, especially for a convertible. I wouldn't worry. Mine is a 99, and it has NO rattles at all, even going over bumps in the road, or the occasional child. The car is what it is, and you won't find one racing anywhere, unless all the parts are thrown away, and replaced with aluminum, a roll cage, and one racing seat.......Be cool.....Mike

Wow Mike. 4500 pounds? I was thinking 3200-3400.
And that's with an aluminum engine!
I thought the XJ might weigh 4000 pounds.

That is not a sports car, it just looks like one.
Holy rethink Batman!
That's more than my 4-door Caddy.

Oh well. I'm driving a few today.
I guess I'll see firsthand.

Is this one of those cars that feels lighter than it is?
I sure hope so.


(Hey, Challengers and Corvettes. That's where I come from!)

[QUOTE=JagXK;1322681]Wow Mike. 4500 pounds? I was thinking 3200-3400.
And that's with an aluminum engine!
I thought the XJ might weigh 4000 pounds.

That is not a sports car, it just looks like one.
Holy rethink Batman!
That's more than my 4-door Caddy.

Oh well. I'm driving a few today.
I guess I'll see firsthand.

Is this one of those cars that feels lighter than it is?
I sure hope so.


Well, if you Google it up, you will get this info of about 3,726 to 3,962 lbs and I am assuming that the higher weight is the vert. So many people think that these are sports cars, when they are, in reality Grand Tourers, which is a horse of a different color. This is not a light little car that you can toss around on the road like a go kart. On the other hand, it is a very comfortable car to ride around in and won't loosen your fillings the way that sports cars will. If you are looking for a light little red light bandit that you can toss around, this is not the car for you. There is a brace that I have seen that can be put on the front suspension of the vert above the engine that may help out with the rigidity to some extent, but, just by the nature of the beast a hard top is going to be a more rigid platform than a convertible can be.


https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Well its not a sports car. Its a GT car. And the SC version..The R feels much lighter than it really is:O)

I came from Corvettes and Challengers also, although the Challenger was from the 70s. The convertible is about 300# more than the coupe, or a little over or under 4000 pounds, though looking around, I did find it to be a lower weight, than what the scales said at my friend's garage. It must have been the 2 bodies I was carrying in the trunk at the time, which happens to be very large.

I loved the Corvettes, as I did all my sports and muscle cars, but this is the first car that I could drive 600 miles in a day, and not feel crippled, when exiting it. I have put 16 inch wire wheels on her, and taller tires, so she rides that much smoother. I also installed sheep skin floor mats in the front of both my Jaguars, because on long trips, the shoes come off. If I made my car any more comfortable I am afraid I would fall asleep.

It is a very peppy car to drive, but if you are looking for a sports car, like a Corvette, that will cripple you in a couple hundred miles, this ain't it. It also gets gas mileage similar to a Corvette. I also like being the only one in 45 miles, and they are women magnets.

There are millions of Mercedes, BMWs, and Auds on the road, but Jaguars are exclusive. Mine has the Harmon Kardon sound system, it is one of the clearest and responsive music makers in an automobile that I have ever had. The two woofers in the back, with the midrange in the lower doors, and the tweeters in the upper doors and dash, make this car a very enjoyable experience, The inflatable lumbar support is a nice touch too, along with the heated seats and two person seat and steering memory. I kind of like round gauges, so I didn't look for a navigation car, but that is just personal taste.

There are a few things that are downright bad, on the cars, until 2003. The ZF transmissions can not be abused, or you will be. The Mercedes trans in the supercharged cars is better, but both need to be serviced regularly, and not follow the Jaguar sealed for life plan, because I assure you that it is the transmissions life, and not your's they were talking about. They should also have the fluid and filter changed, and flushed if possible, and the upper chain tensioners NEED to be replaced asap.

The R types, with the supercharger do have immediate torque, as do all supercharged engines, but the naturally asperated engine is no slouch, with 10.75 to one compression, and variable valve timing. My friend has a supercharged car, and day to day, I can live with mine just fine. Look for the options that you want, because it is not easy to swap components, like it is in domestics.

I am probably the last person you want to talk Jaguars with, because I view them more as automotive art, than day to day transportation, even though I use mine that way. I use the XK8 all spring summer, and fall, and my similarly loaded X Type for the winter, which I noticed I will be needing tires for, before the snow falls(DAMN AWD)......Hope you become one of us......Mike:icon_beerchug:

+1 Mike's assessment of these cars, and he undoubtedly knows them much better than I do. I've had mine for about 16 months, and have had blessedly few issues with it. I drive it on weekends, and occasionaly during the week, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. There are a lot of them out there, and most casual shoppers are scared off by the car's reputation for unreliability. So much better for us, most of whom couldn't afford a car at this price point. Take your time, make sure you get maintenance records, and enjoy the chase.


I put in the structural brace mentioned in a previous post to limit cowl shake and possibly help the car handle better. It goes trasversely between the two shock towers, and I did notice an improvement. It also makes adding oil to the engine a bit of a challenge, since it is directly over oil cap. A funnel with a flexible spout took care of that.