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Bought this 2002 XK8 this today. Already have an XJ8 LS swap. Garage full so need a good outdoor car cover. Florida panhandle so lots of heat and rain.
Looking for recommendations on a custom exact fit cover with mirror pockets. I found one site with a custom cover but is was $500.00. Other sites are unclear how custom they are. They say exact fit but no pictures of cover on an XK8.
My recommendation is to take one of your other cars and put it outside . The XK8 needs to be indoors, especially considering your weather,
At 20+ years old rust is a problem, if not today, then tomorrow. There are several rust prone areas on these cars. Leaving it under any type of car cover is just asking for trouble. I don’t know of any cover aside from the car “bubbles” that can keep out the humidity.
Even if parked on concrete, there’s going to be a sauna effect under that cover.
I’ll bet one of your other cars is newer. The newer cars are most likely better rust proofed than your XK-8. Let one of them get mother “natured”. Or at least rotate the outdoor duty during the worst humid or rainy days.
Z
PS:
1) given the age of the electrical system on these cars, many of us have found that keeping a battery tender hooked up when the car is sitting overnight or longer is an effective way to keep electrical gremlins at bay.
2) these cars have a fuel system that does not do well when left to sit unused for more than a few weeks. The fuel pumps are especially bad about freezing up when left to sit unused.
The fix is very easy: drive the car as much as possible. A “win-win” for you and the car.
My recommendation is to take one of your other cars and put it outside . The XK8 needs to be indoors, especially considering your weather,
At 20+ years old rust is a problem, if not today, then tomorrow. There are several rust prone areas on these cars. Leaving it under any type of car cover is just asking for trouble. I don’t know of any cover aside from the car “bubbles” that can keep out the humidity.
Even if parked on concrete, there’s going to be a sauna effect under that cover.
I’ll bet one of your other cars is newer. The newer cars are most likely better rust proofed than your XK-8. Let one of them get mother “natured”. Or at least rotate the outdoor duty during the worst humid or rainy days.
Z
Ran CarFax before bought. Spend its life in LA, AL and FL so no salt concerns. Also brought a floor jack to look under. Clean. Seller only had a year. Bought for his wife who decided to low to get in and out of. Scan showed no codes or pending codes. Showed P1111 so not recently cleared like the other yahoo I recently wrote about. New tires and new front shocks. He had receipts and I could see brand new shock mounts. My Foxwell scans modules. Several little codes like door module and wiper module but all worked fine. Driver's seat motors not responding. One TCM code about transmission temperature. I'll address that first thing.
Unfortunely it was built a couple thousand cars before the third generation tensioners. Hear something when rev and then let off. I'll post an audio of that soon.
I just joined the XK8 club also.(I have 2 XKRs but did not have the NA XK8)
Somebody advertised it as 1998 convertible with a BAD TRANSMISSION (mechanic special) but I have a few gearboxes so I need to swap out a 5HP24.
It was cheap so I thought I would get it for the wife as a 'daily driver' if she wants to do the 'convertible-thing' when the weather is nice. (she drives a 2000 XJ8L as a daily driver now)
The XKRs are in nice shape so they are on the HAGERTY insurance for declared value.(driven occasionally)
Platinum paint is starting to fade but not dented up. Top is good.
Joined the XK8 Club
