So I have been doing my research on the forum and while I would like an 03 and above in a coupe, I am having difficulty finding one in my price range. I found an 02 coupe near by

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...ealer_id=74460

I called the dealer and the sales guy was aware of the cam chain tensioner issue. He stated it was inspected and was ok. I asked if it had been replaced or was the original still in place and he was unsure. I took this to mean that it was probably not replaced. I was also curious how it was inspected as I believe this would mean the cam cover would need to be resealed, etc. Anyway, at its current price if I had to do some preventative care, aka replace the cam chain tensioner, would it be worth the buy? Any issues with the water pump on the 02? I read somewhere that if the build date was after 09/02 the cam chain tensioner was metal... is this true? Any thing I should look out for in the suspension? If so, is it visually noticeable?

Thanks

Kyle

 

The build date is on the driver 'B' column and since the transition to metal tensioners occurred in August '01 the further away you are the better. Engine serial number will tell you. Ask a dealer to provide by way of the VIN. If it came with plastic you need documentation or inspection. The cam covers can be removed and replaced without new gaskets.

Replacing them is an $800 indy, $1200 dealer $200 DIY cost. Use in you price negotiations.

Water pumps were good by '02 but remember that was 8 years ago. The thermostat tower is prone to slow leaks. Look for orange crud around the base.

Look for uneven tire wear on all four, especially inside. Drive over uneven pavement slowly and listen for clunks. Measure from the center of the wheels to the center of fender opening. Should be within 1/4" side to side. Or better yet have the suspension checked out by a competent technician.

Remember that a non functional AC system can cost as much to repair as the transmission. Use the owner handbook as a check list and try everything to ensure function. Little overlooked things like a seat function or a steering wheel reach motor will aggravate you to no end.

Good looking car in the pictures and reasonable miles. Look closely for any damage repair. Wish I had my black on black back.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you.

 

I noticed the ad you linked to in Autotrader is from a dealer in Redondo Beach so I take it you are in the SoCal area? Here is what I would recommend. Search places like Autotrader and Ebay for any and all XK8/XKR that are available anywhere for a series of years that you are interested in (based on your budget). I would go one extra year upwards to catch any fantastically priced later models and one extra year downwards to catch any older cars that might be a good buy if they were super low mileage cars.

Once you get a handle on where pricing is then you could shop more seriously. I know that there is a consignment lot near me (Monza Cars) that seems to frequently get these cars, as well as a few specialty dealers in Studio City. I am sure there are also plenty in the South Bay.

When I was shopping around and researching, I fairly quickly decided to stick with 2003 model year and newer (better engine and trans) and also leaned towards finding an XKR, although I also would have probably been happy with an XK8. The rule of thumb that I found was that a certain year XKR would probably be similar in price to a one-year-newer XK8.

Good luck in your search.

Doug

 

test point - Thanks for the reply. Through my research I have found a lot of good info from your posts. I'll use your info when I check on the car in person.

Seismicguy - Also great info. I have noticed that Monza Cars. In fact I think they have an XK8 coupe now. I will check on the 02, maybe an 03 will pop up in the mean time

 

Dalen--with respect to Monza, it looks like they have a few nice XK8/XKR to select from (nice looking late model/low mileage XKR Coupe and an XK8 convertible). Right near them is another small independent place (Sherman Oaks Exclusive) that sells and also services Jaguar and Land Rover. In fact, I think Monza sends the cars over to SOE to get them prepped for sale. There are also several independent shops withing about 5 miles of Monza that service Jaguars if you need an independent to take a look (Just Jaguar, European Auto Service, Boot-to-Bonnet, Frank McLain, British & European Car Service). Also, keep in mind that, to my knowledge, Monza is essentially a consignment lot (my dad tried selling a Rolls-Royce through them many years ago). I am not sure if that means they allow the owners to sell on their own as well (thus eliminating the 15% more-or-less markup).

Doug

 

Just confirming the metal tensioners were installed 08/2001? I'm guessing some plastic ones were used after that for a period of time. If they are OEM metal tensioners will I have any problems with them? Aside from the dealer telling me which ones are in the car is there any way I can tell by the VIN or engine number? Thanks for the help.

Kyle

 

The engine serial number encodes the date the engine came off the engine assembly line. The conversion to metal tensioners occurred on August 13, 2001 thus a serial number of 010813xxxx (YYMMDDHHMM). There is no direct correlation between the engine serial number (date of engine assembly) and the VIN although a dealer can provide the engine number from the VIN.

There is no doubt that vehicle assembly used each engine produced, plastic or metal. Plastic tensioner engines did not go into storage somewhere just because of a component conversion program.

I have not heard of a metal tensioner failure.

 

So the build date is 06/01. I'm going to still look at the car but I was hoping it would be after 08/01. I will try to work in replacing the cam chain tensioners into the deal. Any other suggestions?

 

The link you initially provided now shows "car not found". Does that mean that you (or someone else) bought it?

Doug

 

I noticed that. I called and they still have the car. I think it is because it was listed on autotrader for 17,999. If you go to their website at

http://www.classicmotors.net/category.cfm?catnum=232

it is listed at 19,999. I called and they said they would honor the 17,999 price. I printed the ad at 17,999 anyway and will be bringing it with me today.

 

The weather got better, price went up.

November/December/January/February the best time to buy one of these cars.

Don't get too excited and forget the complete operation check. A seat that does not operate may cost a thousand to fix.

 

I did it! I am now a proud new owner of an XK8...

Not the greatest photo but I'll post it anyway.

 

Congrats! Let us know your impressions as you drive around your first few days.

Doug

 

CONGRATULATIONS! And welcome to the club! Another Dale.

 

I drove the Pacific Coast Highway home and was very impressed with how solid the car felt especially going through the curves! The car is not perfect as there is condensation in the driver side headlamp that I need to fix. Also, ironically as test point posted... the passenger seat back moves back but not forward... It doesn't make any noise when trying to move it forward so I think I might need a new control module. Anyway, I am very pleased. I am going to get some quotes on replacing the upper cam tensioners for preventative reasons.

 

Thanks DaleD

 

What were your past rides--is this the first Jaguar and/or luxury car of this caliber?

Doug

 

This is my first Jag however I grew up riding in Jags as my mother has always had a spot in her heart for them. My dad has had many nice luxury cars but I have worked for all the cars I owned. This is definitely the nicest car I have owned. Not the fastest though...

My cars from age 16 are as follows in order:

1993 Ford Probe
1996 Ford Contour
2001 S-10 GMC Jimmy 2 door
2004 Chrysler Crossfire
2007 Dodge Charger 5.7 Hemi
1972 Volkswagen Squareback (still own)
2005 Buick Lacrosse CXS
2003 GMC Sierra 2500HD 6.6L Duramax (still own)
Now a 2002 Jaguar XK8

Motorcycles

1989 Kawasaki Ninja 600RR
2001 Ducati 996
1972 Suzuki Titan 500 (still own)

If I made a lot of money the list would be long and distinguished... lol

 

Congrats on the Jag! I'm sure that you are quite relieved to have made your decision, and now you can stop obsessing over it. NOW............you can concentrate on getting it in tip-top shape!
Regards,
Brian

 

Congrats on your new Cat!

Keep that red light on on the switch that's marked with an S for Sport mode! You'll enjoy the ride.