Here's the deal... Gonna buy an XK8 convertible. I prefer to buy as new as I can afford. From what I've read, '03 and newer will be more trouble free.

There seems to be many more available choices between '97-'01 for sale, than '03-'06.

Investment capital is an issue.....need to keep it under 10k USD. Color choice is also important to me.

I really like one advertised for 10.5k, 250 miles from me, but there are issues that I'm here to share with the forum.

The Happy news.......

She's an '05 vert, with 67,000 miles.
Beautifull Saphire (or Pacific) blue, with light interior
not so far away, and seemingly under valued (untill we discuss the "bad")



The conundrum......

She was in a crash, and ended up being "totaled" by an insurance company and the title was branded as "salvage". She was then bought at salvage auction by a body/shop guy and repaired and now has a "rebuilt" title.



Here's how I rationalize the situation.....

The same car, in the same crash, earlier in time would not have resulted in a "total" and would have been repaired with-out branding the title. Total loss is just a formula used by the insurance companies when the repairs are likely to cost 70% of the retail value. If the same crash happened when the vehicle were 2 years newer (and more valuable), it would be on the road and insured for it's full value again, after the repairs.

I own a body shop. I've seen the pics of the crash. It was a "border-line" total, in the first place. A different Ins. Co. may not have even totaled it.


But, here we are, and there's more......

My current Ins. Co. won't Insure it (I'd have to change company's).

It's not completely repaired and needs a few things imeadiately

--New tires

--hood release cable

--exhaust connection where passenger pipe enters center muffler

--check engine light and ABS brake light


I want it because.......

It's the only way I can afford one this new.
it's the right color combo
It's realitively close
I might be able to get it for $8.5K -ish

The branded title doesn't scare me as much as it would some guys. I understand it deminishes the value, but I'm not buying it for resale.


Thoughts from the peanut gallery????

Flame away, let me have it....

 

Looks very nice, especially if you can get it for $8-9K. You are right to go for as late a mode as you can: more toys and better reliability. The biggest concern I would have is the Check Engine light. That could be almost anything, so try and get in there with an OBD code reader and see what's going on.

 

Agree with Frog.
I'd want a Jaguar diagnostic tool readout (suspension, ABS, airbags etc) as well as powertrain before going near it.
A normal OBD reader only gives powertrain (Pxxxx) codes and there may be multiple expensive problems you won't see with it.
You already have an ABS fault to sort out.
If you're keeping the car and can get it insured I don't see the 'bad' title matters.

 

I've seen worse! Good advice above. The ABS might just be the brake-light switch as it was in my case. You're going in with your eyes open and it's definitely a great price. Does the CEL prevent registration/emissions certification in your jurisdiction? If not, it may not be urgent.

 

Steveinfrance's recommendation on a full scan is a good one to know the whole story. My often repeated recommendation to check operation of ALL electrical functions is repeated here for emphasis. Electrical issues can get very expensive.

If your intent is keep the car that significantly reduces any penalty associated with a salvage title.

If you have body repair experience you should be able to evaluate the repair work and any future costs.

With that few miles on an '05 my opinion is that it is a great value at the $8500 level, maybe even more. Just think, that is about 10% of the new car price and about the average sales price of an '05 Mustang that may have had some damage repair but not totaled.

. . . plus the color combination is perfect!

 

Dear Jazz Cat
Having had a tenant for many years who rebuilt salvaged cars, I probably bought eight or ten in a row with few problems. So long as you can sort out the electrical gremlins and codes, I wouldn't worry too much about what looked to be not very significant body damage. My guess is that the car was being driven around with the codes on it before the accident, as the body damage from the pictures doesn't seem to indicate it would have caused them. As for insurance, I never had a problem insuring cars through my agent with Mercury Insurance.

 

You have received wise advice from all the members above. Definitely get a Jaguar diagnostic performed on the car, and consider making that a seller-required action as an integral part of the deal you're willing to cut. That will go a long way towards providing you with full disclosure on what you'll truly have to deal with as you bring the car up to your standards yourself....

 

Yes, my part of the State will not issue license plate with the "Check engine" light on....

I've arranged for a dealer to do the scan for $250.....Now to get the seller to agree to take it to said dealer.

Because he will have time in the transport, I'll pay the fee, weather I buy, or not...or, attempt to a 50/50 split of the fee....

 

Welp.....I never ended up getting THIS one. I was hesitent and kept watching the Craig's list add. It was for sale for many months (more than 9 ). It would disappear a few days, then be back up.

I was just concerned with all the issues, and really wanted to just buy one ready to start enjoying.

SO....I've found a silver/black top '01 XK8 with nav and the 18" wheel option. 97k miles. Just had the green shower repaired ....not sure on the tensioners, but there are aftermarket band clamps on the the hoses, which look new. No engine light, or noises any other obvious problems.

Needs new tires IMHO, and there are a few blemishes on the body, all small.

Spring Time is here in the Midwest States....I'm ready to roll

Probably pull the trigger on this one, this week,,,,

 

If you were going to pay $250 to get someone to read the codes on the previous car, would suggest you spend $80-90 to buy an obdii code reader. This forum has a good analysis of the various code readers （ I bought the one from obdcom that runs on a laptop),
You will love the car.

 

Jazz Cat,
You stated that you're unsure about the tensioners, you need to be sure, immediately! This is the biggest threat to pre-2003 cars, and while relatively inexpensive to fix, failure to do so can result in catastrophic results and costs. I would have the tensioners, chains, etc. checked A.S.A.P.

 

Thanks for the strong sugestion (about tensioners).

There have been a few times when comming to this forum and reading problem after problem about these cars, that I've sometimes wondered WHY anyone would own one..(out of the warranty period ).

But deep down...I know the answer

I've heard the pre-curser noise, to chain failure.....upon cold start-up of the first XJ8 I looked at.

This silver '01 I listened to very closely.....very quiet, not a noise of any kind. I'm aware of what I'm getting into. There's really no way to tel,l short of tearing the engine down, and the dealer isn't going to go for that.

I test drove the thing under every condition but rain/snow. Very solid and tight, no clunks-sqeeks-vibrations, etc.

I think I will call my Jag dealership and ask the guy for a dealer service history by VIN#.....in a few minutes. Private shops wouldn't be able to enter the dealer network service records...

 

You might want to run a Carfax, I ran one on both the XK8 I had and the XKR. It identified the front end damage on the XKR that wasn't initially obvious and had the near full service history of the XK8 (missing the transmission replacement done by a private shop but I had that paperwork). It might show you things to look for and prevent you from doing things that had already been done. Just a thought, it is also kind of fun to read the ownership history. Tracking the mileage I was able to see that the XKR had been parked and not driven (likely left in the sun which explained the respray and the new top) and had me looking for rust (which I didn't find).

 

I would walk away almost immediately from anything offered on Craigslist. Full stop.

 

I found both of mine on Craigslist. Both well kept.

The first was a 2000 and the guy spent 20K at the dealer in four years while he owned it. Everything was done.

The second turned out to be a 2001 car I looked at 4 years ago before I found the 2000, but the price was too high. He had only put ~2000 miles on it since. Price was now at 10.5 with 70 kmiles and in my preferred color, white/black. It was a secondary car and his son was going off to college next year, so I think he was trying to fatten his bank account. First thing I did was the tensioners. They were still good but had small cracks.

The XKR I missed out on was also on Craigslist. Father died and the daughter was selling the car. Immaculate car.

Personally, I would never buy a salvage title

 

stevepaa,
It's interesting that regarding the one that you said you missed buying, I purchased my 2002 XKR in San Jose from a daughter whose father also had passed. Could it have been one and the same car? Cardinal red vert with charcoal interior with 62K miles about 3 years ago?

 

No, this was a white/black XKR in Indiana.

Back when crazedlist still worked, i could see cars from everywhere.

 

Scoot over Boyz, let me in, Im joining the club.

Im picking up my first Jag ever, late this afternoon

WAHOO !!!

I"m Badd, I'm Nation-Wide !!


"

Well I was rollin' down the road in some cold blue steel,
I had a blues man in back, and a beautician at the wheel.
We going downtown in the middle of the night
We laughing and I'm jokin' and we feelin' alright.
Oh I'm bad, I'm nationwide.
Yes I'm bad, I'm nationwide.

Easin' down the highway in a brand new Jag,
I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back.
They sportin' short dresses, wearin' spike-heel shoes,
They smokin' Lucky Strikes, and wearing nylons too.
'Cause we bad, we nationwide.
Yeah we bad, we nationwide.

Well I was movin' down the road in my XK-8,
I had a shine on my boots, I had my sideburns lowered.
With my New York brim and my gold tooth displayed,
Nobody give me trouble cause they know I got it made.
I'm bad, I'm nationwide.
Well I'm bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, I'm nationwide. "

 

Jazz Cat, happy news indeed! Very happy for you. I like your little ditty, but you'll be singing the blues if you don't lift a valve cover to check the tensioners. Mine, too, ran silky smooth, but on examination the plastic parts showed the classic cracks. It's not hard to check, there's a lot of info on this forum.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing pictures and I can go through this day thinking of your big smile as you drive it for the first time as your own car.

Steve

 

Sorry but I just can't see any of the guys from ZZ Top rollin' down the road in an XK8. There's not enough beard clearance. And where will they stow all their foxes?