I donated my old XJ6. I was able to write it off as a deduction on my taxes. I had actually had it in car shows and it was gorgeous, but nobody wanted to buy a 20 year-old Jaguar. You can get a 2 or 3 year-old Hundai for dirt cheap and drive it for years without even changing the oil. Just sayin', it's an option. There are lots of places that will take it. I think I donated my car to some Soldier's outfit.

 

Most of us will no longer itemize in with the current tax code and you can only claim the auction value of a car that you donate anyway. Used to be a good option but that has closed down.

 

It's the curse of "oddball" non-mainstream vehicles. When you are looking to buy one, you can't find a decent deal. Then when you have one and want to sell it, you can't find a serious buyer. I have gone through this a few times with past vehicles that were the "hot ticket" when I bought them but then took a beating when I sold years later. You might try just driving around with a For Sale sign or park in a mall or some other place where it will be seen by lots of people.

Good luck!

 

If my wife didn't have JDS (Jag Derangement syndrome), I'd buy a ticket from DFW to SFO and drive it home.

 

+1. With the new tax code, donations for the average person now have to be out of the "goodness of their own heart" and not to offset earnings for tax purposes.

This is too nice a car for a donation auction, anyway..

 

>poor materials
Did you forget about all the leather and wood inside? Only Bentley and Rolls-Royce still make interiors like that. I am not counting the X351 XJ because production ceased and we don't know anything about the replacement model. Even though I never owned an X100 I did have a '97 XJ that was made concurrently for one year with your car and never felt the plastics to be anything other on the higher grade side.

So what that it's twenty years old? I am looking for an SZ chassis Bentley that is even older and the cheapest one for sale right now costs $8k. The really well-kept ones run in the teens to high twenties. I can purchase a brand new Mitsubishi Mirage for that money. Can this be compared? Of course not.

If you wanted to purchase a new comparable car to your XK it would have to be either an Aston-Martin DB11 or Maserati Gran Tourismo. Look at what those cost.

It has been discussed here that the X100 has nowhere to go value wise but up. You did well by purchasing one for that kind of money. Fix it up, keep it clean, and you'll be okay.

 

thanks for all the advice and good thoughts. someone got the name of the color right. i agree about the photos, i did not take them and i am not dealing with selling the car, my son is, no timing chain work, all the info on the car for a serious buyer will be disclosed upon contact, underneath of car is spotless, rides nice.its a 20 year old car, the scratches are just that, former owners family put each put a scratch in car or two, it was a sf city owned and garaged car, parking is terrible on the street. i am the second owner, been through cooling system issues, changed fluids, coil packs replaced, plugs, mass air flow meter new, runs great, ac is great, it's a great 20 year old car i just don't want. my son drove it to Sacramento from SF a week ago, no issues.

i know it takes a certain type of car nut to buy one of these, i have never bought an english car before and probably will not again, i can appreciate this as a nice find and a great drive. someday it will come into it's own $ wise.

 

Yeah, I may be on the unpopular opinion train right now.


This quality of leather has been superseded by vinyl. The plastics in my 74 are abysmal and died long before I ever even got the car. I can also tell you that was only a single panel of the interior and I will be replacing it with wood or metal wrapped in vinyl. The cheap plastic extends everywhere the eye can see in the XK8, and in most modern cars.


The average consumer that market prices are based off of are not going to be willing and often not capable of performing their own maintenance. That makes maintenance heavy cars like Jaguars an especially difficult purchase for anyone who goes in as a buyer with eyes wide open. I love older vehicles, and as a matter of fact, this is the newest vehicle that I have ever owned. I have never had an onboard diagnostic port, nor have any of my car components ever communicated to each other. This is quite the fun fascinating time to be alive as far as tech goes for cars.


So here we come to what I believe is the actual talking point.

I think the younger generations don't view cars or car brands in the same way that we do. Simply put, they don't have enough money to spend on buying used cars outright, and often don't have the expertise to keep them running without just taking them to a mechanic weekly. I also believe cars are being viewed as just a way to get from point A to point B for the masses, they don't enjoy the cars in the same way that we do. They get very little satisfaction out of looking at the bodylines of the car, or joy from driving a twisty mountain road.

I think that the brand value is also devalued in the younger crowd. I personally don't associate Jag with Aston-Martin or Maserati as you do. When I see an XK8 I think, oh that is a much nicer looking Mazda Miata.
I grew up knowing Jag to be for 90 year olds to drive once a year. I have the same brand association with Jag as I would for Oldsmobile, or Lincoln, or maybe Cadillac. I am definitely not alone in thinking this, when someone my age sees my car for the first time, they often joke "Who died" as if I had inherited the car and just not scrapped it yet.

I think the newer jags that are being produced are more luxurious and will be received better by the younger crowd, if they can ever afford one.


I definitely did not buy it as an investment. I am going to fix it and drive it up and down mountains sideways and then look at how pretty it is sitting in the driveway. Thank you for your contributions to the forums, I can't imagine being a happy Jag owner without them.

 

Why not modify the ad and list all of the repairs that have been done to the car that you can verify have been performed. This will increase value of the car and interest in prospective buyers.
You say that you will talk to prospective buyers about the things that have been done to it, and yet you may be missing out on a lot of people who would rather read about it than have that human interaction.
If you just say that it has had a lot of repairs done and don't list what they are, i am moving on to the next listing if the price is out of the range i am looking to spend.

 

Other than enthusiast millennials and zoomers I would agree.

I am confident to say that virtually nobody cross shops an F-Type with a Miata or Fiat 124. Those are fine cars in their own respect but a completely different class and price point. The X100 competed with the DB7 when it was in production. The DB7 was actually the originally planned replacement for the XJS but they decided to give it to Aston and Jaguar developed the V8 XK. Currently the F-Type SVR competes with the Vantage. They have Astons and Jags in Bond films.

If you want to define luxury by electronic technology then yes. I miss the old world interiors. Tyler Hoovie recently put a video about the his RR Phantom and mentioned that they simply don not make them like this anymore. I certainly do wish they'll be better received. The XE is the best looking and best driving car in the segment yet more younger buyers go with what is considered 'safe' - if you will: the C-Class, A4, and 3-Series.

Thank you for your contributions to the Jaguar world, haha. They certainly do have a negative stigma in America so anyone who appreciates them is a hero in my book.

 

I am also in the bay area respectively... I think in our area there is a deluge of amazing cars on craigslist almost year round. There isn't enough of a following for Jag's here, stigma, everyone is buying prius's and leaf's. Not many people can afford a weekend cruiser or can commute in a V8.

P.S. My 97 xk8 was "given" to me... so you may be sort of right. I can find room for another one if you need me to :-)

 

Mr. hirev,

Sorry but if you haven't had the Timing Chain Tensioners corrected,,...,and you have 40,000+ miles on it.....Please tell your Son not to start it...It's a time bomb waiting to go off! I remember the afternoon at the Country Club when I started my 1998 XK8 Coupe and it wound up costing me over $4,500.00! The whole Right Head and 2 Pistons broke and 2 or 3 Valves were bent because the Tensioner let go...and No help from Jaguar!

If you will spend about $2,500.00 or so on it. It would be worth $6,500.00 but until you repair or can prove the Tensioners have been replaced....It's not worth much....

Billy Clyde in Houston

 

A lot of us get into these cars for the very reason you are having trouble getting your asking price. Like most luxury cars, they were originally very expensive and now they can be had for cheap.
My 2003 with the 4.2L and 6-speed transmission was had by me for 6500. Yes, it needed work but that's kinda where us shade-tree mechanics win out and some of these cars survive the scrap yard. I personally wouldn't give much consideration to any XK8 prior to 2003 as they had some significant issues and since a deal can be struck for 03 and newer in around the same prices, I would go for a higher mileage 03 than a low mileage 99.

The original owner pays premium for the car and runs it to the 60-70k mark normally. Original owners paying that kind of cash rarely keep the cars past 75k.
Then they find out how much the car has depreciated and after failed attempts to get what they believe the car is worth, they end up flogging it to a dealer for trade in or give it to a family member. Whoever it goes to next, believes they got the deal of the century until they take it in for service the first time and discover that Jaguar doesn't care how much you paid for it, the service rates and parts are of a 75,000 car. That's when the owner stops doing the necessary repairs and the car starts to really sag. If the car is lucky, a guy or gal like me will come in and save it before too many things break and we walk away with a very nice 75k car for 6-7 grand.

I ended up selling a beautiful 2003 BMW X5 - well no I didn't sell it, after being low-balled again and again with my 5K price, I finally traded it for a motorcycle and that truck needed nothing. It was a beautiful vehicle that had every single item working. This is rare for these older vehicles.

So, the reality is just what you are discovering and that is, these cars do not reward the seller. They reward the mechanically inclined buyer.
To date I have had the same experience with my 1985 Porsche 928S, 2003 BMW X5 and now the Jag. I loved them all and they all rewarded me with exceptional driver experience but I am a realist and know that when it comes time to move the XK down the road, I will be lucky to get what I think it is worth. If I were seriously looking at buying your car, I would be talking no more than 4-4500. It sucks I know but there are so many out there and pre 2003 can usually be found under 100k miles.

Good luck though - I am in the bay area too.

 

just an fyi, i did not want this car, i have never owned a British, French, or Italian car for the same reasons. i was convinced to buy it from a relative, the original owner, as a favor to him, and i did. what i found was a neglected car, i put it right, its 100% except for the trunk lights. new rebuilt inside rear mirror, new rear speakers two way, new brakes and tires,new other parts and plenty of cooling system stuff, its all original and trouble free, just taken on a 200 mile drive in one day, no issues. it's a good car, i just want it as a project any longer....if i wanted to keep it, sure the timing chain would be dealt with and i would have all fluids changed, but i don't want it any longer....sure it's a nice drive and i really love the looks, but time has come onto another car as soon as this one is gone. and if i had the scratched painted it would be 100%, the timing chain tensions will be good for years to come imho. the next person can do these simple things and have a great low mileage unique car.

i have an appreciation for all that is jaguar now, even the electrical one i drove and the sports cars, etc...but i have an m3, it's golden in so many ways a drivers car, no electronic suspension, manual gearbox, right color and options i wanted, bought it out of lease and the service has been kept up, cause...it is free for 48,000 mile and or 4 years, it's a great car. i also have the best roadster i have ever driven my honda s2000 since new and i and my son have done 90% of the maintenance, it's also golden and going up in value.

my son will take it to be detailed and put it on bring a trailer, that's the new plan....everyone in my family loves this car and is against my selling it since it is such a good running car and great looking. i am just tired of it, that's why he is selling it for me, i can't negotiate well when my heart is not in it....i have owned 27 cars, i know how to buy and how to sell, but my heart is not in it any longer and i would be a sap , as you can see with all this disclosure, at dealing on it.

its also rust free, you could eat off the undercarriage, and no , not one, leaks of any type....it's just time.

 

It looks like the color of my '94 VDP, which was called Morocco Red.

 

Hey Guys,


You can find the Color Codes by the Driver's Door Lock Post....What ever it is called.....

Jaguar colors for 1999 XK8 are as follows:
Carnival Red - CFS
Madeira Mica - CGH
Phoenix Red - CGL

There is another 1999 Coupe in a Red Color here in the Houston area that I just ran across if you want to see another Coupe.....
www.fallcreekmotorcars.com/vdp/121895021

It has been there awhile @ $7,???.00

Billy Clyde in Houston

 

I should have left here when i sold the car, but it's a nice forum and maybe i can assist someone else with what I have learned, as so many others have assisted me.
The car sold to a woman, middle aged, who loves jags and Mercedes, drives them till they die and buys another. she bought the car at asking price, 6500, and did not even drive it till she handed my son the cash at the bank and signed the papers. I never met her.

This car appeals to the kind of British car owners that frequent here and people who know nothing about cars and just like the way it looks or drives. Two different types of owners. the previous owner to me, my cousin, bought it new and coveted it for years. he also has a smart car, land rover, and tesla. he grew tired of the car and let his family drive it, thus the dents in all sides, it also was a city car thus the bumper scratches. he parked it after 15 years and it sat for two. somehow it started when i came to look at it and i just bought it as a favor to him. he had been asking me for years to buy it as he knew i could take care of it, do what needed to be done to make it a daily driver and enjoy it. the car hooked me immediately.

i grew to appreciate feeling great about driving it, the luxury wood and leatherd and lined top, the ability to talk while driving top down and hear the conversation. the effortless way it allowed me to keep up with traffic. the silky and yet well controlled ride. and the looks, the hint of the xke i always coveted, it was a pleasure to clay bar it.

Alas, things had changed and i no longer wanted wanted to use it, i have two other completely different rides i enjoy more. it was a car i lent to my son and others now and then...it became a third wheel. selling it took 6 months, the right buyer had to happen to see it. you don't buy a jag because it is inexpensive or reliable, you don't buy a 20 year old car unless you wish to covet it or drive it into the ground and get another cool cheap car. that is what it is now, a cool , very cool, cheap car to buy.

the maintenance and upkeep can be had with parts from amazon and my local auto parts stores, and sometimes on this forum sponsors or specialty shops like the rear view mirror overhaul.
the cost of those parts are not unusually high...thanks to ford sharing so much dna. the plastics are cheap but it's a 20 years old car, that would be the case with any older car.

the known maintenance issues were dealt with , except the timing chain, there is just went on faith and low mileage, it worked.

it was a please over all to own. onto the next project.

 

I am glad to hear that you sold your car at the price that you were asking. I'm even happier to hear that you still have good feelings towards this forum. You got to hear a lot of opinions and some criticism about your car and situation. Luckily, most of the respondents were trying to be helpful and supportive, and they were made with good intentions. The bottom line is that we each enjoy our cars and our experiences with them in our own individual ways. Some, like me, are low dollar DIYers running things on a shoe string. Others prefer to maintain and rehabilitate their older Jags to a higher level. Others will buy and run their cars until they feel that they have reached a financial cliff that they are unwilling to jump into. There is no single right way, and in my opinion if we are enjoying our experiences, good or bad, (They are Jaguars, after all!) that's all that's important. Thank You for sharing your story. Good luck with the next chapter.

 

Wow! Ole! Hirev just got outt'a there in time didn't you?
I'd bet a 'Buck" your Son never mentioned "Tensioners" to the Lady but I'll bet He smiled real "Big" when She gave him the MONEY! Doing things like this is not nice and it will come back to haunt you!!!

Billy Clyde in Houston

 

I don't agree with most of this. The Jag interior is ok, but not great. Comparing to a Bentley or Rolls is over the top, I would say the interior is inferior to most luxury brands. I agree the wood is rare but Mercedes still does leather and wood, and it is of higher quality IMO.

I don't think the price on these cars is going up. Maybe in 10 years if you have a concours-level restoration it will be worth real money, but not as much as you will pay to do that restoration. I don't think weekend drivers are going to go up at all, as newer cars become available at low prices they will keep prices from rising. On the good side they can't go down much either. On the XK8 the general lack of performance will hold the price down too I think. By today's standards the 4.0 normally aspirated cars are slow. They are beautiful but with that kind of car many potential buyers want performance too.

As far as price goes, I paid $6000 for a 01 XKR convertible with 97k miles. The paint was perfect, the interior is not perfect, and has wear but no tears or major problems. No mechanical problems when I bought it. With that in mind I could not see paying more than $4k for an XK8.