I am about to make offers on XKR, the 1st is an '04 Blue Portfolio, the 2nd is an '03 Black. The '04 car is in the Chicago area, the 2nd is in Atlanta area.

Any recommendation for reputable pre-purchase inspection company in each area? I heard that eBay works with a company called SGS that's pretty good - the other one that a friend told me is through a Carchex network. Do Jaguar dealers perform pre-purchase inspection even if it's a car that they do not sell themselves?

Thks.
r0m8470

 

Need more information--are these coupes/convertibles? What are the mileage. Look through the FAQ section here for an idea of the types of things that will/could go wrong with these cars.


Doug

 

Both are convertible. The '03 has 51K on it, the '04 has 33K.

 

I believe the 4.2L engine that will be in both of these is pretty bulletproof but driving and listening for unusual sounds could be revealing. When I was exploring used XK8/XKR, I stumbled on a very low mileage 2003 XKR (19,000 miles) and it seemed to drive fine except for a "bark" that came from the transmission during hard acceleration. I found out that this is a chronic problem but easily addressed.

The more typical nuisance things to look for are headrests that do not go up or down (if you hear the motor running though this is not a difficult fix). More importantly, leaks in the hydraulic system that operates the convertible top--particularly at the front latch. Look at the mesh grill piece near the rear view mirror for telltale signs of previous fluid leak. Also, operate the top several times and note for leaks or quirky operation.

Again, check out the FAQ for most problems.

Doug

 

most of the services that check the car do not put them on the lift, but still will give you some feeling of not being ripped off, they do a test drive. If they are close to a dealer you can see if they will let you tow it to the dealer, or even offer the owner a couple of bucks to drive it to the dealer for an inspection, you will want to ask the dealer to do a test drive.

If you do have an inspection company go out, make sure it is a ASE MASTER mechanic. just ASE certified does not mean that much.

I forget the name, but the one that does it for ebay is cheap, and I think they all use independent inspectors to do the check.

 

In addition to the normal things you check on every car

Take a look at the convertible pump mechanism located on the right side of the boot behind just above the CD changer (behind the matting). Look to see if the reservoir is properly filled.

Run the top a couple of times make sure the tank fills to the proper lines when the top in the open and close positions.

Check that the antenna is there and not broken off - it's very long and easily snapped off

Check that the windows move slightly down when you open the doors and conversely move slightly up when you close the door

Check the that the seat controls are all secure, in working order and nothing is dangling under the seat

Check the AC that it blows cold

You should not have any warning lights

Take the car out at highway speeds with the top up - you should not have any excessive wind noise (could indicate a bad window seal)

 

I know you didn't ask but the Atlanta area weather, salt and pot holes are much kinder to a car than Chicago.