A friend of mine will soon have a XK8 for sale.
He recenlty did the timing chains and guides,
all new tires.
new brakes
new hoses/belts
new plugs
Interior in great shape

It's been a while since i been in it.

When these came out in the 90s I was a big fan, but now its 2022 and I been a japanese car guy (specificlly nissan) for the past 20 years.
Its been awhile since I seen the car but I know my friend is an obessive-compulsive car guy just like me and he tells me the car will be full sorted when he sells it.
he put about $9000 inot the car in past year to get it fully sorted for his son (who now wants something different)

Its been a while since i saw it but it looked great.
I am in the mood to buy an addtional car but was really looking for a Nissan 350Z/370Z.
I understand the Xk8 is a very different animals and to a point thats fine.

Car has over 110,000 miles and the transmission is original.
My Nissans are at 165,000 and 185,000 miles respectively and everything still works perfect, so miles dont scare me neccessarily.
I am not destitute but also want to be financially prudent.

I understand these transmissions can be problemtic and expensive to replace.
They seem to have a poor repuation but so do nissan CVTs and those have never let me down.

Anyone has any objective input on these transmissons?

 

PS; he also redid the suspension.

 

PS2: ( I ont see an edit button so I have to add instead of edit);
it has the 4.2 liter not the 4.0

 

You make the mistake of not telling us where you live ( top right) or the year of the car. 5 or 6 speed?
If this guy has done everything then only to check the condition of the inner sills for rust and under the back seat for water (coupe) which then slops out and rots out the footwells.
If so much has been done sounds like less for you to do . Keep the battery on a tender and you got a chance.

 

From experience and reading here and other places, high mileage isn't necessarily bad as these cars, like all, were built to be driven regularly, not closeted up

Coupe or convertible?

 

Sounds good to me, just check for rust but they will rusty eventually anyway that is just how these things are.

 

Unusual to hear that a 4.2L has had the timing chains etc. replaced.

If it is the 4.2, then the 6-speed transmission doesn't have the A-drum issues that the earlier box can suffer however, has it ever been serviced (trans fluid, pan filter & seals)?

Owning an older Jaguar is not going to be financially prudent unless you can do the majority of maintenance yourself.

It sounds like a lot of work has already been done:- good luck!

 

Fellas thanks for the replies.

Its a Coupe in Florida. USA
from reading it seems maybe he did the timing chains for no good reason then since its a 4.2?
The onyl worry I have is the transmssion.
I do not know which, if any, services have been done with it.

Also i am not a DIYer but there are a couple local shops here in florida that I trust.

 

My personal advice is, unless you have a shop and are a mechanic, stay away. Unless you have unlimited money for repairs/replacements.
My 1999 XK8 convertible (34,000 miles) was and is immaculate to look at. I fell in love at first sight. I have always thought Jaguars are some of the most beautiful cars ever made. I knew that the older cars had issues but was unaware of how many and how expensive it can get to replace things that are not broken BUT are well known to break with time. My car did not have anything major that was broken but I chose to go ahead and fix/replace all items that the Forum members have said are common to break. I did some of the smaller cosmetic items myself but chose to have professionals do the heavy lifting on engine and top hydraulic repairs.
To date, I have spent about $9,000 replacing all of the known common issues and I feel like I now have a very well sorted vehicle that I am still in love with. I know the car can be purchased for about that much money and I am already over the present value for this model but can't take the money with you, can you? I guess having a mistress IS very expensive!!!!

 

Does anyone have any swamp land in Florida that they want to sell me?

 

If you cannot DIY the vast majority of the maintenance and repairs these cars require, do not purchase one. If you must pay someone else to handle the maintenance and repairs, these cars can drain your bank account in the blink of an eye....

 

What's the asking price? Also maybe I missed it but what year? It's the 4.0 which needs timing chain and guides replaced. That's found in the 97-02 cars. 110k on a 5 speed transmission is a red flag. Michaelh's comment is well taken. You need a service history on the 5 speed trans (ATF, pan seal and seals). Ideally it's got the A drum repair done too. If you have to pay someone to fix them, a first gen is a great way to spend a lot of money which you will never recover.

Wayne, great color on your car. Have the same. No problem w/ clear coat cracking (knock on wood dash)

 

Buy it > Drive it > Sell it.
Year and pictures including the underside will enhance the quality of replies. My 2004 has no issues but as soon as I type this I know the god of Jagwear will visit.

 

LOL B>D>S Agree.

Hey Jagophile, good choice of year and mileage. Add a good service history and owning a Jag becomes a better long term proposition. The good ones do purr. My intro to Jag's was a gorgeous '01 XK8 with no service history that barely ran. Figured with flawless paint and perfect top, it must have been maintained. Pause to reset here. Months (and lots of money) later, it was drivable. Enjoyed 1,500 miles and confirmed that an XK8 is well worth owning despite the quirks. First gen was interesting and educational. Second gen has just been fun from day one.

 

Sorry for the missing info.
It's a 2003 Florida car.
he wants 15k which will make back some of his recent outlays.
15k is not all that much for a nice car and he is OCD on maintance just like I am.
I dont not however know if he has ever done the gaskets and pan clean for the tranny.
How much are these to replace with decent remans by the way?

Still am leery of a possible problem ship as some cars no matter how perfect they are at point X can need expensive fixes at point Y.
My alternative I am looking at is Infiniti Q50/Q60 or 370Z, which I have had my eyes on for years.

 

If these cars are still contenders vs the Jaguar, I have to wonder why you are even considering the Jaguar. The XK has nothing in common with the Japanese cars.
The XK’s are polar opposites of the two other cars, and would require a completely different mindset to be able to enjoy its peculiar enchantments.

Z

 

true they are very different.
But my buddy is selling a XK8 and I know how obsessive he is about car maintenance so I figure maybe its an opportunity

 

Hmm, not sure if common character sets between an XK8, an Infiniti Q, or a 370Z are the most important criteria. I owned a Q45, the 240, 260 and 280Z cars and of course the XK8. Each were enjoyable with their unique set of driving and maintenance issues. The Z cars were easy to work on and taught me how to win and lose the battle against rust. The Q was so fast I folded the mirrors from wind resistance. I'm still learning Jag but we know they are fun to drive and get lots of adoring comments. I agree with buying anything from an obsessive compulsive owner, independent of known issues. The prior owner of my XK8 had a car detailing hobby and it was like buying a new car that never saw rain. My Mercedes was stowed in an airport hangar by the pilot who never drove it. On buying the Jag the guys in the Mercedes forum jumped in saying I was asking for unsolvable Lucas electronic problems. To date I had more electrical issues on the Benz 107 than my XK8. Conventional wisdom is not always wise so I say go for it.

 

you are in a tough spot. Kind of like which sister to date.

best of luck to you whatever you decide.

Z

 

Agree. Just date them both. Owning two lovely ladies naturally sorts itself out. After a while you will prefer riding one (car) and not the other.