When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi all, I'm Jim in San Diego. I have a small car collection and am thinking of adding a British car and really like the XK8 look. there are a few on ebay and one close to my home for sale. I've been reading posts on this forum for a few months and I'm honestly scared about the stuff that has been posted. I guess I need some honest feedback from you all who have taken the Jag plunge. I'm looking at XK's that have had the tensioners replaced or 2002's or newer. Thanks for any and all advice!
It is not clear what your budget is or if you intend to do the work yourself.
In general the XK8 is a great car. Yes there are "issues" that get discussed/resolved here that can get expensive if you plan to pay someone else to maintain the car. If you can DIY you will save a bundle. The car is remarkably easy to work on and this forum has a wealth of wisdom like no other.
These production numbers of each year might help to steer you toward a more collectible car. There are a few specific colors that are more rare if you are open to any color. I don't have a breakdown by color but I sure would like to see one.
Also there are subtle body/style changes in each model year. Stuff like that may not matter much yet but if you intend to keep the car a long time it could be a factor.
I think that, regardless of model year, to get one worthy of belonging to a collection would ultimately cost you $15K-$20K. Either you pay more for a later year and fix less -or- pay less and fix more with an earlier year.
I am sure that others will chime in with their perspective.
Welcome to the forum Jim. There are a lot of great, sharing, knowledgeable people here that are always ready to lend a hand.
When looking at an XK8 at 2002 you have to keep in mind it a used car that is 14 years old. There are always going to be some niggly things causing problems. Most are simple fixes and with the help of the forum not that hard to pin down.
My XK8 has over 104000 miles and is still a remarkable vehicle that turns heads and provides a lot of motoring satisfaction.
As with any vehicle you have to expect and budget for problems. Fortunately thru our forum sponsors parts can be had most times at reasonable prices.
If you aren't the type who enjoys solving the problems as they arise and rely on the friendly mechanic it can be a very expensive vehicle to repair.
Myself I wouldn't consider anything else but a Jaguar.
Good luck and happy motoring.
I bought my 2002 XK8 in 2011 with 27,000 miles and I am very satisfied. It now has 78,000 miles and the only big problem was with the hydraulics that operate the convertable top. I think it cost me just under a grand. I live in Florida and would guess that I open and close the top 300 to 400 times a year. The only other problems were the failure of the 8 disc CD changer ($300), shock tower mount failure ($400) and a few small plastic parts that have cracked including the drivers seat hinge cover and the transmission selector cover. The engine is strong and the ride is smooth. I plan on keeping this car a few more years. By the way, find a Jaguar garage, my guy Andy at the Jaguar Doctor https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/i...lap.gifcharged me half what the dealer quoted for the top repair.
Dont even consider doing it unless you are confident doing any repairs yourself as it wont end well. Dont worry too much about what are considered to be common issues, remember that these issues will be concentrated by the board and seem more frequent/serious than they really are. Even if you are unlucky, for instance having a secondary tensioner fail that ruins the engine, you can pick a used one up for what it costs to change out all the tensioners/chains. On that note , dont be concerned about the early models especially if you can do the work, you will be able to get one for a song if the common issues havent been sorted and in a few years they will become quite rare when their owners send them to the scrap yard because they cant afford to get this work done.
Hi Jim,
I have a 1998 XK8 with 50K miles on the clock. It's had the tensioners done and various bushes replaced. It's also been Waxoyled (because I live in England it it's occasionally wet here). It's been in my garage now for over 3 years and for almost all of those it was my only vehicle, so served as a general run around and long distance tourer. Never any problems that weren't minor and cheap and easy to fix - for instance, headlight bulb and squeaking noises which were banished by replacing the bushes.
I would say you have nothing to fear if you ensure there are no known issues with one being advertised for sale as long as it has a service history.
Most people post on forums because they have encountered a problem and are asking for advice. This makes it appear that every Jag has massive problems. But for every one of those there are several, like mine which just plod on, trouble free.
The recommendations I would make is find out if there's a reliable Indie or mechanic in your area who has knowledge and experience of these.
Check service history carefully.
Check for rust.
The decision involves both head and heart in equal proportions. From adolescence, my wife and I had each harbored a fantasy of owning an XKE. When it was replaced, we kept hoping to get a used one someday, but that hope faded. When the XK8 came along, our dream was revived, but it took another 20 years before we could afford one.
Three months ago, for her birthday, we found the exact quartz 2002 XKR we wanted in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I flew up on a one-way ticket and found the car with no cruise, no trip displays, and an amber “FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE” message. The owner of the brokerage was visibly embarrassed. As a non-mechanic, I was a bit apprehensive of 15-yr-old super-technology, but having lurked in this forum for a while and doing some quick searches on the spot, I was confident that I understood the issues, so I easily negotiated down to the dealer’s cost, prayed real hard, and drove it 1,100 miles home through a lot of pouring rain around Chicago and St. Louis.
As forum members would know off the tops of their heads, all it needed was a brake switch and a turn signal quill. The closest dealership estimated over $3,000 but I found both parts on eBay for less than $100 and a local shop replaced them for about $750.
Someone once paid almost $90,000 for this amazing automobile, and at the moment, it sounds like new, feels like new, performs like new, and the interior is immaculate. We've put 6,000 miles on it, and every moment was pure delight. Parts are readily available and, because of Ford involvement, not insanely expensive. If extremely arcane and complex issues arise, this forum is a fellowship of wisdom and willing assistance.
The bottom line: fear not; if this legendary car has seized your heart, then seize the adventure.
I too have a small collection of cars and Drive mine daily. If you have tools and restored a car before, The X100's are an excellent choice.
Find a rust free one and test EVERYTHING and inspect everywhere before buying.
I paid $4500 for my '97 XK8 Coupe, but am sure I could have gotten it for less by pointing out the flaws and how much someone would charge to fix them. I fixed them all myself and have found it to be not that hard of a car to work on and a great car to drive.
I'm afraid Americans will soon rediscover these and they won't be $4,500 used cars anymore.
Find a good one, but this is the time to buy. There is just something so satisfying in the Jaguar Marque, especially for the enthusiast. Take a look at this.
Find a good one, but this is the time to buy. There is just something so satisfying in the Jaguar Marque, especially for the enthusiast. Take a look at this.
Don't be scared it is a car that is more than just transportation. I started lusting after an XK8 back in about 2004 when I owned an XJ6 Sovereign.
Finally 2 years ago the stars aligned and a 2004 convertible showed up and I bit. I am in Canada so she is just my summer car so I had the first winter to do all of the things that people on this forum recommended. She was at 100,000 miles but has been no problems and in fact is my summer daily driver. Every where I go people of all ages ask me about her, and my answer always if you can't do the basics yourself this is probably not the car for you. Since I got her my wife and I have done 3 long trips to Eastern Canada and Myrtle Beach with no issues, having put 18,000 miles on since we got her.
I got this car as a hobby in the winter and all I can think of to do this winter is touch up the rims and give her a new wax job. I guess my feelings about driving a Jag is shown cause I justhink bought a 2008 4.2 S-Type a few weeks ago to drive for the winter. I figured both cars have the same power train so I should get to know them. Summer joy and Winter beater.
Get 03 or newer to avoid timing chain crap. I think you said 2002.
Next thing is to look for one that has MAINT history on paper not just a persons word.
The front ends are known to be on the way out about now no matter the miles. The car has been on the road for YEARS and the rubber components are just not like they were even just years ago. Sure you may find a low mile unit, that does not equal better parts.
these cars are not that bad, you are here on a site that only has folks that are here because of the need for help. But you really do need to be able to do things yourself to make the car an affordable venture is your pockets are shallow. You need to be able to do more then an oil change and be ok with going out on a limb and doing things you may have not done before.
+1 to advice offered, Jim. I was still driving my S1 E-Type FHC when, in 2004/5, I test drove 3 new Jaguar Australia X100s - both the XK8 coupe and convertible and the XKR coupe. I still recall several first impressions -
all were a giant step better than my immaculate 40yo E-Type;
all 3 coupes (yes, even the E) were torsionally stiffer than the roadster;
even with the E-Type's value, asking price to upgrade was too much.
I too opted to wait . . . look, drool, wait . . . until the very best possible X100 arrived. Big purchase price but with just 60K on clock, my "as new" XK8 looks and smells brand new. Overall, I would go with the 4.2L V8 & ZF 6HP26 a/t every time and look for 19" or 20" wheel option with top spec rubber. If you doubt the latter, you haven't yet priced Pirelli P-Zeros at 300+/25 on 20" x 10" BBS rims. In my case, the fully imported SS straight through exhaust system was an expensive bonus . . . and being a UK delivered fully optioned build, it came with SatNav (very rare here, as no Alpine maps disks for Oz) . . . this will soon to be upgraded with new touch-screen SatNav with automatic rear camera video.
LHD XK8s and XKRs are selling in US for far less than most RHD markets, but this is unlikely to last once newer owners and many more wannabe owners realize they are so superior to the earlier sports and GT classics . . . including the earlier Jaguars, and yes, even the much vaunted Series 1 E-Types.
IMHO, get the very best and rarest X100 you can find . . . and to that end, David's production listing at post #2 is good value.
Cheers and best wishes,
Ken
Last edited by cat_as_trophy; Jan 1, 2017 at 03:41 AM.
If that car was in Texas I would have bought it. The Owner had it on here for sale for $12.5K.
If you want to have an XKR to drive as a second car and sell it 10 years from now for what you have in it, you can't go wrong with a 2004 Brembo equipped BRG XKR Coupe.
I would love a Victory Edition XKR in Copper Black (either coupe or convertible) as I think it will both go up in value, look great, and be a reliable and fun car in the interim. There are legitimately low mileage cars that would be great for collecting; get something with about 25-30k miles put on gradually. Keep the mileage relatively low.
I have a 2001 XKR and I haven't really had any big problems, I don't find it any less reliable or troublesome than any other 16 year old car with 100k miles. You are looking at an older car though so you can't compare it to a 2013 accord.
I think they represent a great value considering they were high end cars that are now very inexpensive. The cars themselves are not overly complicated and relatively easy to fix. Some parts can be expensive compared to domestic mass produced brands but other parts are standard Ford parts and not expensive at all.
Find a good one, but this is the time to buy. There is just something so satisfying in the Jaguar Marque, especially for the enthusiast. Take a look at this.
a little scared of the Jag
