We are currently looking at buying an XK8.

We have quite a few late 90's XK8's coming on to our market with around 87500 miles on them.

I have driven a few and they drove okay.

I drove one today with 110,000 km's on it. It drove beautifully.

It has a book full of service stamps and I was lucky to speak to one of the last 2 companies today who had been servicing it.

The previous owner always had everything done that needed doing including over $5000 just back in Nov last year. He traded it on an Aston.

Hard question but how many miles is too many miles.

Pete

 

A better question is what are the major issues associated with higher mileage cars. In the case of late '90's XK8's that would be the plastic chain tensioners, the ZF transmission and front suspension wear.

If you do not have documentation on tensioner upgrade to metal that is the first issue. Careful, some earlier cars had tensioners replaced with other plastic tensioners. Without some recent documentation an inspection would be appropriate.

The transmission issue was originally thought to be associated with Jaguar's life time fluid position but has evolved into wear in the valve body. That can be repaired without removing the transmission. Alternatively, replacing the transmission with a rebuilt one may not have addressed the valve wear.

Look for suspension repair documentation and/or unusual tire wear plus just the feel of the suspension for 'clunks' and wander.

In my opinion, a well cared for and documented 110km car would be an attractive choice.

 

if the car is documented really good and shows work done for the MAIN issues, a car with 110k with that records vrs one with little to no records but has 85k on it, I would get the 110k model.

 

peterg19,
My 2002 XKR is approaching 160,000 miles, runs beautifully, doesn't burn oil, and is simply a pleasure to own and drive. I bought the car with approximately 60,000 miles on it about 5 years ago. Ownership has not been uneventful as I have had every one of the more infamous problems associated with these cars, but I have enjoyed the car more than the other 30 or so cars I've owned in the past 46 years of driving.

Just a quick note, the XKR up until the end of model year 2002 had a different transmission sourced from Mercedes as opposed to ZF, and seems to have been a much more reliable one with a much longer lifespan. It may be something you want to consider in your purchase equation.

 

I have a 2002 XJ8 (same engine more or less) parked outside. It's done 240,000 miles (300,000+ kms) and it's as sweet as a greased nut. No tinkles, rattles or oil loss - just goes (every time). As the previous contributor said, it has the later metal tensioners. If it was me, and all else was good, I'd buy it.

 

Thanks guys . That should have been 110000 MILES or 176000 kms.

There are lots of dealer and good independents service guys stamps all through the books and when I spoke to the last service company they said the previous owner spared no expense in maintaining it.

Last service in Nov 2014 , at 173000 km included ; front brake pads , Front lower control arm bushes, repair a power steering pipe leak, repair rear main seal and front main seal leaks ( to do that required the auto to be removed and refitted and new fluid was put in ) , new header tank ( as it had sprung a small leak ) replace cracked rocker cover.

The service before that in Jan 2014 saw a new power steering pump and fluid fitted.

As I am buying from a dealer who either bought the car off the Aston dealer or a wholesaler it is difficult to actually get a copy of timing chain tensioner replacement dockets. I would have thought that by 176000 kms( 110000 miles ) they would have been done.

Pete

 

There are members like tberg and avos who run these cars often and hard. They maintain them well, and get longevity. The biggest thing to do when you acquire the car is to go through it and catch up what has been neglected, even on 9/10 cars. Then religiously service it.

My 2000 XKR has 91k and I got it at 67k miles 4 years ago. It's been pretty run of the mill on parts failing, meaning if I had a 2000 Honda Civic and needed the same stuff, I'd feel just fine. Tensioners is critical on these 4.0L cars, I bought my XKR in the winter and did the secondaries before I had 50 miles on the car. I just added a 1998 XJR with 80k on it and while well maintained and it had a decent service history, I don't have proof of tensioners. I bought the parts online the day I bought the car. This weekend it's getting secondary tensioners (along with cam cover gaskets, new spark plugs, air filter, oil change, brake fluid flush, and the interior cleaning of a lifetime). It's replacing a 2004 Audi A8L which doesn't have big drivetrain gotchas like the early water pumps and tensioners, but it seems every damn part on it fails eventually.

These are good cars. They will go the distance but they are at an age where XK8s are between 9 and 18 years old. They're going to need cooling hoses, vacuum hoses, belts, consumables, interior bits, etc. I'd actually bet on the early R models for better reliability than early 8 models; better transmission, no vvt, and better cooling bits. I can say I believe it, I own 2 early SC V8 cars.