So I am looking at buying my first XK.This car will be my summer Sunday driver and see less than 2k miles a year. I have done a lot of research and know that the best buy is probably an 03 or later but...............I found a 98 XK8 that has 14k documented miles on it and it shows. The car is nearly perfect. And the price point is attractive. I know about all the problems with this 4.0. Cam tensioners timing chain guides etc. So what do you guys think fix these problems over time or just avoid these cars spend the extra money up front for the 4.2 and leave these worries to someone else? Thanks!

 

All depends on whether you plan on wrenching the car your self or taking it to the dealer. Remember that this car is 13 years old even with only 14k miles. Original tires should be replaced, tensioners, water pump and thermostat should be replaced . . . at a minimum . . . maybe the battery. That is $3000 at the dealer, $1000 DIY. Add that to the price and it is still probably still an attractive deal.

Personally, I would ****** it up.

. . . welcome to the forum! We will be here to help.

 

As quoted by Test Point
Ditto
Doug
2001 XKR Silverstone

 

Uh... Tritto?

 

To expand on my comment above, if you can get a maintenance history on the car you'll know a lot more about it's value. If you see that it has NOT had the tensioners and water pump replaced, knock at least $2K off of what you're willing to pay. It will cost at least that much to get those done, unless you want to do it yourself. How much is the seller asking? I think a lot of the late 90's XK8s have probably hit the bottom of their value. They won't start going up again for another decade or so, but if the car is all original and in perfect condition as you described, it sounds like it could be a good candidate for appreciation in value eventually, as long as you don't over pay for it right now.

Once the tensioners and water pump are replaced I think a 98 is going to be nearly as reliable as a 2003.

Oh yeah... that car is going to have Nikasil cylinders, so make sure you do the test to make sure the cylinders aren't already damaged. There's a thread around here somewhere about it. The fuel today isn't going to cause Nikasil damage unless you're getting gas in a third-world country. So if the cylinders aren't damaged already you don't need to worry about the Nikasil issue.

 

Thanks for all the tips! I looked at the car for a second time but the seller does not seem to want to move off the price. There is no known service history but at 14k I think it is safe to assume that most is all original and that means at least 3k in work. His position is that he is aware of the problems with this engine/thinks they are overstated (of course he does)/ and can be addressed over a long period of time given the low mileage. So this car moves to the bottom of my list.

I am going to look at an 03 with about 35k on the clock. Car is at a dealer. Again no known service history (ugh!) but I did ask if they would contact Jag and see if they could get some service info off of the vin. What should have been done service wise at this point and what should I expect to have to do with this car? I am thinking at the very least, Change out all fluids, oil/coolant/brake flush/power steering flush/tranny service. And new rubber all around. So I am thinking about $2k in immediate service. Anything else I should look for or expect? Is there a service to the vert. top I should look for or expect to have to do?

Thanks guys.

 

The transmission is "sealed for life", which really means "sealed for death". It's possible to service it, but I doubt that it's been done on a car with 35K on it. If you buy the car you should probably get the transmission fluid changed eventually. I'm about to change the tranny fluid on my 2003, and it now has 86K on it.

There are a couple of threads on what to look for when buying a used XK. Go to the FAQ sticky thread at the top of this forum. They are in there somewhere. I don't have time to dig them up right now.

 

There is not really a chronic problem list with '03 up models unless it is a convertible. Jaguar never fixed the hydraulic hose rupture issue. There are two solutions in the FAQ sticky above. There was also an important, and expensive recall on the '97 - '98 cars due to a throttle body issue. That recall has now expired. There should be a dealer applied label on the driver 'B' pillar if it was done.

How much is the owner asking for the '98? Inquiring minds want to know!

If the owner of the '98 had service done at a Jaguar dealer and is willing to authorize release, the dealer can print out each of the service/repair invoices. Otherwise the dealer can produce only an abbreviated printout of warranty service. That applies to the '03 also.

 

Thanks. If I do look at the car again I will look for the sticker on the B pillar. The car is at an independent dealer. He has no service history and probably bought the car at auction. To be fair this guy has no junk on his lot. All of his cars seem very very clean to immaculate. He also has a lot of high end on his lot. Porsche/Ferrari/Aston Martin. He is at 16K for the car I would not give him any more than 11.5K. The car itself is just about as clean as I have ever seen. One small rock chip on the nose. Maybe an inch of fade on the clear coat on the front quarter. The interior looks like it was never sat in. The engine starts right up from dead cold. (I surprised him with an unscheduled visit) No rattles no vibrations. The vert top looks new. I would eat my dinner off of the engine.

But we are light years apart on value.
I put about 1k miles a year on my toys so maybe I could drive this for a year or two before taking on the issues but not at that price point.