My first post on this forum...

I have found a beautiful 2006 XK8 for sale and am considering pulling the trigger on the deal.

Such a beautiful car!! I have driven it and it seems perfect. I love it.

I am an experienced sports car owner. I am a car guy. But I am not familiar with these.

Any words of wisdom about this? Are they reliable? Reasonably priced to maintain very well? An all around great car to have?

I currently own a Miata and a Superformance Shelby 427 Cobra. This would be different. Very different.

A long time ago I owned a 1962 Jaguar 3.8 liter MKII sedan.

Thank you for your guidance.

Jack

 

Have a read through the FAQ. A 2006 would have several issues addressed already, primarily the timing chain tensioners. Jaguar parts usually command a premium, but normal maintenance items are not bad. As far as reliability goes, I've owned my '00 XK8 since March '09 with only a pinion seal outside of routine maintenance.

 

Thank you. I read through some of the FAQ. Looks like some issues with the early years got cleared up and the later years benefited from the improvements.

It is such a nice car.

On the test drive there appeared to be a small vibration in the steering wheel at around 60-70 mph. I don't know if that is because of the low profile tires on 19" wheels, or if a better wheel balance would help. The tires look close to new.

It is from a dealer and they are offering the Jaguar "Select Edition" warrantee.

The salesman told me if I should bring the car to them once a year or each 10,000 miles for routine mainenance. I haven't seen the factory's recommended schedule yet. I am very particular about maintaining my cars very well.

Jack

 

06 models (built through 5/05) are the final year of production and the pinnacle of development for the 1st generation cars. I have had my 2006 XKR since July of 2005 and currently have 97K miles on it. The only issues out side of routine maintenance I have had was with the HID headlights and the throttle position sensor. The HID lights were replaced under warranty and I just had the throttle body replaced to the tune of $1,050.00.

The Select Edition warranty is great it's nice just in case but it should be fairly bullet proof. The vibration is more than likely a wheel balance issue as these cars are very sensitive to improperly balanced wheels especially those equipped with 19" and 20" rims. They should be "Road Force" balanced on machine equipped with either the new style cones or a lug centric balancer. Do a search in this forum for more information on balancing. Also check the control arm bushings for excessive wear, this is another typically weak point.

 

Coupe/Convertible? How many miles are on the OD? Do you have access to the maintenance records? If it was dealer-maintained, that might be a big plus, providing all the services were done properly and on time.

When you say "low profile tires" do you mean the car has non-stock wheels? Are there any other modifications that have been done?

Telling the forum as much as you know about the car will help a lot. It's really good that you have been perusing the "Stickey" posts at the top of the XK8 forum page.

I don't mind saying that I'm rather excited for you.

 

Agree with either the force balance issue (about 100x better than regular static on our cars) or even the slightest ding in the wheel can cause that small vibration at 60-70. I know, I had one in that very range. Refurbished the wheel, rebalanced, and its perfect now.

 

It is a convertible with about 45,000 miles. It is from a dealer who says they sold it new and have serviced it. I will ask them if I can have the records. I have not seen them.

Regarding low profile tires... the car has stock 19" wheels. My low profile comment was simply because the standard size tires look quite low profile.

Thank you for your help.

Jack

 

I am pretty sure the dealer has a Hunter wheel balancing machine that provides "Road Force" capability. I am a bit of a stickler about this sort of vibration. I have owned Miatas for the last 20 years and they are the very devil to get the vibrations out.

Jack

 

Make sure you look at any FAQ's here regarding the convertible. You will likely encounter leaky hose issues if the previous owner has not already addressed but SE warranty should take care of that.


Doug

 

I installed the pressure relief valve for the convertible top pump to reduce the chance of encountering the dreaded "green shower" right after I bought my XK8. See Gus's detail info in the FAQs on why this is absolutely necessary to do on a convertible. The relief valve is reasonably priced, easy to order and a snap to install after you buy one simple Torx tool at Autozone.

And to answer your original question, yes, you should buy the 2006 XK8; especially if it excites you as these cars do to the rest of us on this forum. Don't let the FAQs and all the questions worry you so much. All cars have their quirks--Jag XK8s are no different. What is different is all the support and great resources you already have on this forum. The FAQs are the best resource of information I have found in any automobile enthusiast forum. No matter what your question, if there isn't already an answer in the FAQs, you're sure to get help from the gang here straightaway.

So, when are you driving your new car home?

 

Ed,

Monday morning I am going to check with my insurance agent to make sure this is going to be OK with them. This weekend I am going to figure out which $ I want to transfer to my checking account. Assuming all is a go I will see if I can strike a deal Monday.

I am very excited about this. I am a car guy and have been forever. I don't buy many of them, but every one is a big deal to me. I currently have a '99 Miata I have owned from new. 125,000 miles and it looks and drives like new. I maintain them very well. I have a Superformance Shelby 427 Cobra. In many way the other side of the spectrum from the XK8. The XK8 has so many features. The Cobra has none. No radio, no air-conditioner, no door handles, no power anything, no nothing. But in many ways it the best sports car ever made. I went for a drive this morning. It is like a party every time I get near that car.

The XK8 is so beautiful. I wanted an XKE as a kid. A friend of mine just bought a "driver" XKE. Love it. But I want a car that I can really use every day. Or put gas in it and drive cross country. It looks so much like the XKE. When I drove it yesterday it was great, and I felt great. Great cars do that. This is one of them.

I get back when I know more. Thank you.

Jack

 

I know exactly what you mean about the XKE/XK8 legacy. I grew up in Detroit during the heyday of the muscle cars. I had a friend whose father worked as a muscle car developer for Chrysler-Plymouth, etc., etc. But the car that always captured my imagination and that of my friends, was the Jaguar XKE. They were extremely rare in Motown, and compared to the behemoth American cars, the XKEs stuck out like a sore thumb--but in a good way: sleek, elegant and classically good looking.

The XK8--particularly the earlier years through '97--are yet another classic design that will certainly stand the test of time. Dream car? Yes!

BTW I got a great deal on a used-car loan through my member-owned credit union: 4% over four years. Make a few calls to some local credit unions on Monday; you'll be glad you did.

If you end up buying the car--and I now suspect you will--please post some pics to your Garage page in your member profile.

 

My humble opinion - Go for it!!! Recognize that this advice is coming from a guy who bought a 2006 XK8 having never driven one and only seeing pictures of the one I bought. It was a low miler, and so flippin' beautiful that I knew I'd hate myself if I let it pass. I did have the benefit of owning a 2005 XJ8, so I already loved the drive train.

If the dealer puts the Select Edition warranty on it, they will have inspected it and have a lot of confidence in its condition. Don't know what they charge for the Select Edition, but it's a great warranty. Didn't even know I had it on the XJ8 until it broke down out in the boonies of Wyoming while my wife was driving it to Seattle after picking it up in Houston. She called the Jaguar roadside assistance number in the golve box, and they really took care of her. To make a long story short, they towed the car 200 miles to the nearest Jag dealer in Denver; rented her a car so she could go on to Rapid City, SD; fixed the Jag; towed it to her in Rapid City (~400 miles); and paid her hotel and meals while she waited. Amazing service. The only shortcoming of the Select Edition is that it doesn't cover shocks, which are a big ticket item on the X350 XJ8.

Anyway, an XK8 ain't no Cobra, but it's classic, gorgeous and a whole lot of fun!

All the best,

 

Larry,

Thank you for the encouragement.

I struck a deal and plan to pick the car up tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait. Excited!!!

I will post pics after I get the car. Also, I think I can't post pictures until I have made enough posts, so I will do it when I am enabled.

Jack

 

AWRIGHT!! Another XK8er.

Regarding the vibration, when I got my XK8 it still had the original 19" Pirelli tires on it. It had a bit of vibration at about 65 mph and the previous owner said he had it checked out and the conclusion was that one of the front tires was "cupped" (whatever that means). It was time to replace the rubber anyway, so a set of new Hankook V12s fixed the problem.

Enjoy it - - -

 

I have it!! It is in my driveway!!

If you look up "Drop Dead Gorgeous" in Websters it says XK8.

The salesman (Mike Escoe) at Hennessy Jaguar here in Atlanta was great. Everyone there was so nice and professional. Highly recommended.

My car is a 2006 "Victory Edition". It has chrome wheels which really pop with the black paint. Hennessy is around the corner from my house. I was not really in the market for a car. Last week I was waiting for the light in front of Hennessy to go green so I could go home. While waiting I saw the car at the corner of their lot. I could not take my eyes off of it. When I got home I looked it up on their website and thought the price was much lower than I would have guessed. I showed the web pictures to my wife. She is used to being a passenger in my Miata. She is a good sport about the Miata, a car I have loved, but as soon as she saw the XK8 she encouraged me to go check it out. I went for a test drive and drove it home for her to check out. She loved it. So do I.

At first I considered keeping the Miata since it is perfect. In the end I decided that I do not want a car collection so I will sell it. I also have the Superformance 427 Cobra and I just don't want more cars.

Jack

Thank you all for your advice.

Jack

 

Congrats! Enjoy it, it has some nice features; Bluetooth, power folding mirrors and a gorgeous elm dash. Here is a link to the official press release and marketing photos for the Victory Edition.

http://seriouswheels.com/cars/top-20...ry-Edition.htm

 

Welcome to the world of Jaguar!

My wife still has her '93 Miata with 83k miles sitting in the garage next to my XK8. What a difference!

Holler when you are coming to the Georgia mountains, which I know will be shortly. After 20 years of motorcycles and sports cars up here I know all the twisty roads.

Incidentally, the dealer can produce each and every service/repair invoice on the car since new if you can get the previous owner to agree. The invoices have names, addresses, etc. which is the reason for the privacy issue. Full documentation is a valuable addition to the car. If they cannot get a release they can still produce a warranty report but that is only single line comment on the repair.

 

Good call on getting the XK8 to balance out your Cobra. I also recently purchased a 2006 Victory Edition convertible with just 37K on it, though still love driving my 2002 vette convertible. One is a great GT car, the other a great sports car (lowered, 6 speed manual, etc.). My 'vette is more usable as a daily driver than your Cobra but same concept.

 

Yeah, the Cobra is useless as a daily driver. It is pretty much a car for nice drives where I don't have to park it for long. I have never seen a car draw as much attention. But yes it does balance out the Jaguar. The Jaguar seems to have every feature known to man. The Cobra has none - it is raw.

My only regret about doing this is selling the Miata. It is also a great car. I just don't want a car collection. My wife is concerned that after it is gone I will have regrets about all this. I may end up kicking myself in the butt for selling it. We have to make choices - life is not perfect.

Jack