Hi All,
I'm new to this site & Jaguar's, I am trying to do some research on a XK8 Convertible. There is one for sale locally in PA. The Odometer reads 108k miles. I was told that the engine as been replaced around 25K miles ago and new tensioners put in. Without the documentation, what's it take to check and see if new tensioners have been installed.

Thanks
Steve

 

Welcome to the forum. You will need to remove the valve covers to check the tensioners, and it's not enough to check one side. There have been instances where only one was changed.
RJ____________
97XK8 85K mi

 

You can't tell unless you pull the cam covers and look at the tensioners...and that's just the uppers (the most important ones). I would bet a dollar the replacement engine was just swapped in without doing anything to it, but that's not what I would have done.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. You'll have front suspension issues to R&R, probably brakes, power top fluid, rear view mirror replacement, dried out speakers to replace, water pump and distribution tower, and hoses; maybe a transmission that hasn't been properly serviced or needs replacement, shocks and mounts/bushings, etc.

I'm not trying to discourage you because these are beautiful and amazing cars, but they can become very, very expensive if none of this work has been done.

How much is the asking price?

 

You have to take off one of the cam covers to see. It will cost about $100 in dealer gaskets to pull one side. I have hears of people pulling the VVT seal at the front of the cam cover and using a camera, but I have never tried that. R/H side is the one that usually fails, and is easier to take off (more room)

 

The car is in PA? You need to check for rust in the suspension and wheel well areas.

 

Thanks to everyone with your replies. asking $7000. Everything I'm reading so far is that it's better to be safe, spend the money and check instead of having a catastrophic failure.

 

Definitely. But you need to check ALL the known XK8 issues and especially those that come with higher mileage. I started at $8800 a few years ago and went through every one of the issues we all discuss. A few thousand dollars later the car is as perfect as it will get. Fortunately, my transmission had been replaced recently before I bought it.

Now that I've got it where I want it I'm looking beyond to an '03 XKR just for kicks and to experience the extra power once in awhile. I just got back from a 1500 mile trip through the desert and mountains and averaged well over 25 mpg. These cars are just so classy and fun it's hard to describe, but the downside is that there is a price to pay. Of course, I would be really pizzed if I had paid $75000 for the car and had those issues to correct.

I'm gonna ask $9000 because everything is done and the car looks like new. If I had it to do again I would definitely buy one with ALL the work already done and definitely ask for receipts. Sellers will say anything. Proof is worth cash on these cars.