Hi all

I have owned a 2003 XJ VDP for several months (my wife's car) and have fallen in love with it. I'm interested in getting an XK convertible for myself (sell the 911) and have found a beautiful silver blue one that appears to be in very good condition with 83k on the ODO. The interior is like new! Exterior too with only one minor scuff on bumper cover. Asking price is$5400. Not sure if timing chain tensioners/guides have been serviced.

My question for the forum is whether the 1997s are troublesome/have known problem areas to be aware and ultimately if these are reliable cars that i could expect to get another 100k miles out of without spending a fortune fixing all the time if I stay on top of the maintenance? I am an engineer and good mechanic and will take good care of it but at the same time am not looking to be constantly repairing things.

If a 97 is a bad choice is there a better year? I love that vintage body style which is very elegant I think.

Your thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

I owned a 99 XK8 that I bought new. My advice is do not touch 1997-2002s. There were a ton of problems (nikasil, tensioners, water-pumps etc.) with the 4.0L engines, and you can't be sure if the previous owner/owners had them all fixed - and this is just the engine. These cars are cheap for a reason, and expensive to maintain even for lower mileage ones. Even if you repair it yourself, you can't depend on them, and you will be spending a lot of your free time maintaining it.

 

I currently own and drive daily a 2002 XKR, bought it with 62000 miles on it 5 years ago and have just passed 150000 miles. The three main issues that you need to be concerned with (and the ones that will cost you real money) are 1) tensioners, 2) convertible hydraulic hoses/mechanism, 3) transmission. If these have not been done (and documented), your $5400 purchase price will creep up closer to $10,000 unless you're doing the work yourself. Even then, figure $8000, easily.

I had to do every one of the well known repairs to my car over the first couple of years, but it runs better now than at any time since I've owned the car.
So, a couple of hundred thousand miles is certainly an attainable goal.

You might consider spending a little more, but looking for a car that has already had the previously mentioned issues corrected.

Good luck.

 

One area I forgot to mention that will need attention, as well, is the front end suspension. Bushing, shock mounts, almost everything in the front end needs to be examined and most likely replaced if it has not been done before. Otherwise, there is very sloppy handling, bottoming out over bumps and dips, jiggly steering,...

 

Thanks!

Quite a difference in opinion! Not sure what to make of it.

My 2003 VDP XJ8 has had no issues and the previous owner owned it for 8 years & 40k miles and replaced only the fuel pump & a shock absorber. He told me that it was a very trouble free car. Is that tied to the fact that it is a 2003 relative to the 97 we are talking about here V8Cat? From what I understand the XJ8 & XK8 share the same drivetrain, right?

I am aware of the tensioner issue with earlier models and that service is well within my personal skills as is replacing any steering/suspension components. Those don't give me a lot of concern! I've also heard that you need to make sure that the top hydraulic hoses don't leak. The current owner assures me that there is 0 rattling or noise from the tensioners upon cold start up and that the car runs flawlessly, everything works and has zero drips, leaks etc.

Is it reasonable to assume that the 1997 does not have additional issues than I would see in the 2003 or are there special things in the 97?

 

I don't think V8Cat's and my opinions are so different. He's just advised that the 2003 and later models have handled most of these issues already (except for the hydraulic lines in the convertible) and that you can probably find a car for not much more that insures that these issues are irrelevant. I'm saying that if you go for an earlier car, you can still achieve the same results, but you have to diligently address these problems or have proof that the previous owner(s) have done so.

I think he is implying (rightfully so) that you might actually save money in the long run by purchasing a 2003 or newer.

Our only differences might be that I don't think you need to be afraid of an earlier car, so long as you do your homework.

And by the way, V8Cat kept his XK8 for 13 years, so problems and all, it had a long and obviously enjoyable run with him.

 

I see your point and thank you both!

Best regards!

 

If you check out the How To's in this section you will see 2 links - "I'm buying a used XK8/XKR, what should I look for" as well as an "XK8 Primer for New Owner" which offer some great tips, things to look for etc.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ts-data-29800/

 

I and a friend both own 97's. It is unlikely the top latch hoses will fail, they were better quality, but the latch piston could leak like all the newer ones. The early water pumps had an inferior impeller and have probably been replaced by now, but that's an easy and cheap job for insurance. The transmission primary control valve should be replaced by the ZF upgrade, also not difficult and cheap, and a good move for all 1997-2002 cars. This will help prevent A drum failure.
The front wheel bearings are smaller and may not last as long, but I have 92K mi and the other car 127K mi and no problem.
The thermostat tower should probably be replaced with aluminum on all pre 03 cars.
The nikasil engine is more likely to be destroyed by overheating, but use of a temperature monitoring gauge and alarm system like Realgauge or Ultrgauge minimizes that risk, as does replacement of old hoses.
If you plan on using the car for commuting and high annual mileage a newer car would be wise. But I can't justify the investment, and there's very few repairs I'm not willing to take on.

 

Everyone is giving you excellent advise, I can only advise as to cost concerning what I have done to my 03 with 87K miles. It's unfortunate that the front suspension is so weak on these cars as I've had many cars well into the 150K range that required little suspension work but this is a nature of the Jaguar beast.

I just replaced everything and I do mean everything in the front suspension of my XK8 03, doing the labor myself and paying a machine shop to remove and press in all ball joints I spent a total of $1100 for parts and Machine shop labor. You may be able to do this about 20% cheaper as I have very high freight costs shipping parts to Hawaii.

You may get away with not changing out everything but I figured while I was there I might as well do it all and have a brand new front end that will last as long as I plan to own the car.

Hope this helps in figuring the maintenance costs.

 

03 was the first year 4.2,6 speed,drivetrain wise it cured a lot of problems. Other than that still the same issues with convertible top, front and rear suspension.
I bought my 03 XK8 convertible with 106000 not knowing these problems for 10999. Happy I did. All I'm worried about is the green shower.

 

Don't over analyze. If you really like the car, check it out & if ok, buy it.
Still love my '97 coupe. Bought a good one, fixed some issues, still love it. Nothing out of the norm for any car out of warrantee. Check out issues with things like transmissions in Maxima's or two-piece sparkplugs in Mustangs & F150's & you'll think your in heaven. Wife still loves the car & wants to be driven in it everywhere, even over her BMW (which is also damn sweet!).
Summing it up.... I'd rather have everyone strollin' by my coffin sayin' "Damn, he did drive some sweet cars/bikes" than "boy he sure drove reliable, boring, s#@t.
Cheers
TheCounty

 

You guys are great! Thanks a lot for all of your comments. You have given me a lot of useful information and I feel that these are things that can all be addressed and all the more reason to buy one in good shape for the lowest price (like $5000) so that I have a little $ left over to fix things. We live in Minnesota so our summers are not too hot so temperature issues are not really an issue as long as it's in good shape now. All the other maintenance (including pressing bearings) I can do myself if it is a one time job and then it's done.

Again, thanks!

 

I think it is a key to happiness with an early car that you are happy to do some work yourself, especially if it is a good specimen at a good price. One bonus is it appears that the convertible top hoses in the '97 model year were much better than the years that followed.

 

I owned a '97 XK8 for 13 years; only had three significant problems:

1. Transmission: had to have a reconditioned unit fitted at 60k miles after the A clutch broke up
2. Water pump: failed in the motorway, plastic impeller disintegrated
3. Standard battery: frequently went flat due to underuse; fitted an Odyssey PC1350, which solved the problem

I also spent £1000 on getting the timing chains, guides & tensioners upgraded as a precaution. Car was running well when i sold it with 80k miles on it.

 

I own a 2000 XKR Convertible, bought with 67k miles now have 89k miles. Did tensioners when I bought it, did fuel pumps a few months later, and had a green shower two years ago. That's really it in terms of xk8 problems. I'd buy an early xk8 if the price were right.

OP, even if the owner says the tensioners are good, just pull the covers and if you see the old design, just replace them. The risks of the old just aren't worth the little bit it costs to swap them out.

No matter what, I recommend:

-3-5k mile oil changes with filter
-30k mile differential and transmission fluid changes (trans with filter)
-30k mile supercharger oil changes
-Biyearly coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid changes
-Replace all coolant hoses every ten years
-Replace every vacuum hose you can every ten to fifteen years, varying on how brittle they are

That's just basics but I follow that rule of thumb as ive torn apart enough cars and owned enough old cars to where I like that for reliability. And always, if there are drips, funny noises or stuff just ain't right, INVESTIGATE! Doing this stuff I've had a great experience with countless cars, including historically needy ones (7 series, a8, corvette, etc).

 

I bought my 97 XK8 Convertible 16 months ago, after shopping for 24 months and test-driven 4 XK8/XKR's, and having to part with my 96 BMW 735iL E38 which I've enjoyed for the past 6 years. First of all, there were just not too many of these cats around in Hong Kong to choose from. Coming across your ideal cat is simply a matter of luck and destiny. Mine has done only 45,000km in its past 16 years, obviously as a 2nd or 3rd car with previous owners. Therefore nikasil or tensioners or front suspension or top hydralic tubing problems were not on my list of concerns. In my 16 months of ownership, I've put on over 15,000km without any trouble other than bulb replacement(s) and regular oil/filter changes. As this car fits my needs perfectly in terms of passengers- and shopping-carrying capacity, I intend to keep it as long as I can, and deal with whatever issues when they arise with the help of a competent mechanic I've been using for over 20 years.

If you do find a low-mileage XK8 at a price point you can afford, my advice is to go for it. The XK8, especially the 1996-2003 species, is such a rarity and enjoyment you will not regret. Enjoy!

 

No one has mentioned the issues with the 97/98 main computers, I know mine failed on my 97 I had owned. While I had that car the tensioners/waterpump were replaced, and some bushing work up front otherwise it was a nice car. I knew what to expect before I got it, if you don't them it all breaks I would have been pissed. I have a 2003 now. So far so good.

 

My 97 coupe is a POS compared to my other jags. In reality it is a POS compared to my 85 TVR as well. The build quality is on par with an early TR7, BUT it is my favorite car to drive daily. If you can fix the "issues with the door cards, the engine maint., the horrible tranny you'll be fine, if you're paying someone to do it, might as well pay the price for an XKR.

 

Great insights, comments & advice everyone. I really appreciate it!