Hi. Found a 2003 XK8 in Orlando that I'd like to have inspected. Even just a test drive by someone that knows these cars. I live in CA. Great cars but I'm
not going to buy sight unseen. Car Fax history shows the car's been serviced regularly. Jag Doctor doesn't return my calls or emails. Suggests appreciated. Thanks!

 

I am guessing that this is the one you are considering. It a bit too far for me to go take a look but I did review the photos.

This car has problems that can be seen just from the photos. Stuff will need to be sorted out to make it a good one, even more to make it a great one. Depending on your DIY skills you can expect anywhere from $2-6K expense. The mileage is just at the point where all the suspension bits are in need of replacing and the car's ride height is evidence of this. Cooling and brake systems will need refreshing. Interior is pretty worn for such low mileage too. Paint looks good. Top looks good but will need all hydraulic lines replaced if they haven't been done.

You can read my opinion as biased because I want to sell my great example of a well sorted XK8.

Or you can read it as a well informed opinion from someone who has spent the last 7 years and 70K miles dealing with everything that this prospective car still needs - and documented it for others' benefit.

I have written before that these cars are typically going to be $15-20K cars all in. Either you buy a lower priced one and you spend to restore or you buy one that is already restored. The non-DIY owners just end up on the high end of the range or exceeding it.

 

Yes that's the one. Thanks for your expert feedback. Hmmn, so even just 55k doesn't avoid problems w/ suspension and cooling. I'm curious about seeing the ride height problem. Is this based on the front being too low? The cooling system (valley of hoses, failed pump and thermostat) seems to be a standard issue w/ these cars. Agree on the quality of the interior. For hydraulics, the lower pressure pump seems like a good idea. If I understand correctly, overall pressure is lower (1,100 psi vs the 1,600 psi stock) and then goes to zero when the top is fully closed. Do that and aftermarket lines and solve the "green shower" problem. As we all know, there are still other possible problems. The latch on my 2000 doesn't work unless I do manual open w/ an 8mm. Top works fine after that.

No worries. I don't see your opinion as biased. This forum has been a great source of information and yours have always been informative. I think the 15-20 is a good estimate for "all in" and top (right now) seems to be 30 for a low mileage concours winner. Prices on these cars don't make any sense. Still see them at auctions for low prices. The horrible reputation of the pre 2002 (engine failure because of the tensioners) may be holding value down. It's also a mass production car. As supply dwindles, maybe they'll be seen as a "collectible" that you drive 1x/month. If someone really wants a vintage British Grand Tourer and can't afford a E, the XK seems like the logical choice. Thanks again for your feedback!

 

On my XK8 I think I did the first set of sway bar bushings, front strut bushings and upper control arms at about 50K. They all looked good when I got the car at about 38K. But regular use of the car combined with age of original parts took its toll on a lot of rubber bits. Some bits fell apart and some just got hard as a rock and contributed to vibrations up thru the column. I replaced a lot of stuff to get the reliable smooth driving daily driver I wanted.

Cooling system is also affected by age more than miles. Plastic housings, old hoses will need replacing in near future. Hopefully it does not have original coolant.

Lowering pressure from top pump is a good idea, more so for the life of the cylinders than the hoses (which you should definitely replace).

I've bought my last 3 Jaguars remotely so I understand your trepidation. Its tricky finding a good one without some hands on time.

 

Thanks for the info on the front end components. Still a newbie here. I've now driven 3 other XK's so more knowledgeable. Only the 2004 w/ 55k had a relatively solid front suspension. Ask was 12.9 and he did get it. Too bad it wasn't the color or interior I'm looking for.

Got a "low coolant" warning the other day. Reservoir was almost empty. Topped up w 50/50 green/water. Seller's mechanic said the water pump/thermo/hoses supposedly replaced but what I found was slightly green colored dirty water. I cannot understand why the temperature gauge is an idiot light. These cars need a gauge. For now, may do wireless OBD connect/cell phone to get some actual numbers. The Real Gauges kit is part of the plan.

Lower pressure and aftermarket lines make sense from everything I've read.

The 2003 is the first one I've even considered buying remotely. Again, thanks for your feedback! Even if I buy locally, I'll still have my indie inspect. My 2000 was an impulse buy 3 months ago. Never again. Got it running, passed smog and got it titled. Classic Brit roadster w/ a lot of style. However, no maintenance or service (other than oil changes, rear brakes, alignments, junk coils and maybe water pump/thermo/hoses) in 50k miles. I bought a car w/ no history that didn't run. There's just something about these cars......