Doing some major work to this 96 XK8 apart from our very latest styling modifications the car is also having a full colour change from Carnival Rd to Stratus Grey.

Started off with this, a bit of a mess, years of oil and crud, not pleasant



After having the tensioners done to the latest 4th generation guides and chains, everything was cleaned and painted, looks a bit better now



Anybody who is on the Paragon facebook would of seen these pics already, but I will upload more as soon as the car is nearing completion.

The car was also bare metalled, I counted 20 layers of paint in some places and it was micro blistering, trying to add more would been disasterous, starting a fresh was a good idea if not costly!

 

Quite an improvement!

You mention FOURTH generation tensioners and timing gear...I thought the metal tensioners were third (and latest) generation.

 

Just out of idle curiosity, what does a ground-up restoration like that cost? I assume that you are doing it under contract to an owner or expect to make a few pounds off the sale. I would think that if you are paying someone that it would be a lot cheaper to find a car in much better condition.

 

i have noted a great deal of correspondence regarding tensioners on various xk8 models through 2006. I have a 2004 xk8 with 40,200
trouble free miles on it, which i aquired in 2006.
I am unaware as to which generation tensioners are on my vehicle.
Should i be concerned at this point as to a potential problem ?

Stan i (stainless)

 

Your model year doesn't have the problem tensioners. A whole new engine was introduced in 2003 and most of the engine problems of earlier years were addressed. Your tensioners are fine.

 

They are technically an OE part, jus not really meant for an AJ26 engine, they are from the X150 4.2 XK engine (AJ34) The guides are a cast aluminium with a seperate plastic insert, these will only work with a machined area on the back of the guide to accept the earlier primary tensioner, they were considered an improvement over the plastic coated metal strip.



Not sure if they are available in this format in the USA?


I am doing all this to a customers car, he will be looking at a $40K bill at the end of it, but a very unique XK





Nothing to worry about Stan just get them checked at 100K miles