Hello good people:
I searched for what to look for when buying a XK8 so if you know of such a thread please send me there. I am looking at a 2004 XK8 convertible with 51,600 miles. I seek advice on what to discover. Pics look good but shots of the engine and belly are promised. Have the VIN and the autocheck score is 79, clean. Here is the ad:

Gorgeous Jag XK8 convertible with low mileage and a clean title! I purchased this car in 2016 from a close family friend who had owned since 2008. It has been such a fun car to own and drive.The car is in immaculate shape inside and out with few defects. The following items have been addressed in the past 15k miles- new tires, new battery, new rear shocks, new coolant housing, regular oil changes/tire rotations. Features of the vehicle include power top, Alpine sound system (sounds great!), leather, HID headlights and more. This car has been a dream of mine and I am sad to see it go, but our family needs a vehicle with a bigger back seat.

A reckless driver totalled my awarded (2nd place national) 63 Lincoln and insurance paid me double what this XK8 costs. So how much budget to get a v.g. XK8 into pristine condition? What is a fair price for 2004? My daily driver is an 87 Mercedes 560SL so I have no fear of miniature back seats or weatherproofing convertibles. I have a four post lift and good tools. My goal is to make it stop, make it go, make it show.Thanks in advance for any insights.

 

A lot of the issues have been address in a 2004, so I would inspect for oil leaks, coolant leaks around the thermostat housing, etc. Has the waterpump/hoses ever been changed? Basically, if not, it's 16 years old.

Drive it and listen for bumps and knocks in the suspension. A properly sorted XK8/R should be nice and smooth, no crunchy or poppy suspension.

The other big one is if the power latch hoses at the top of the windshield have been addressed. I've done this job 3 times on 3 different cars, and if you get Jag to do it, it's very expensive. It is referred here as the "green shower" as it dumps hydraulic fluid all over your lap. Bonus if the hoses have been changed out, but look for signs of leaking fluid around the map light, and make sure the top functions up and down just fine.

There area some great writeups here too if you search, but some don't apply to the 2004 like tensioners and transmission, as they were changed with better models for the '04s

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-guide-116221/

 

Here's some light reading from the sticky as well:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-advice-24282/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...001-xk8-10043/

 

I would say the 2 major flaws left on these later cars are:

• Oil cooler hoses. There are (8) Aluminum/Rubber crimps that each see the same max oil pressure and can let go at any time. There is usually a small seepage to let you know of the problem. These are normally 10 year parts. Expect $400 for a set of factory parts. Easy job.
• As mentioned already, the quality of the later convertible top hydraulics went backwards and give you that green shower when they fail. There are of course after market parts, but it is somewhat pricey and somewhat involved to replace.

Of course if you have a lift/tools, you clearly mean to do your own work, and it might be a good time to buy a proper Jaguar/Land Rover scan tool. Scan the codes before purchase to get a better feel. There will likely be codes, and they have no timestamp, it will be hard to know if they are historic or current. I'd say take pictures of the codes and ask permission to reset them.

The price discussion is likely not terribly productive, as these cars are both not only in low supply, but also generally in low demand. Don't get talked into extraordinarily high purchase price because this car will still cost you some to maintain, and even the later "Victory Edition" don't necessarily fetch that much of a premium (the XKR 100 might be an exception). Of course think of where you want to be (wheels and tires?) because some of these are expen$ive to upgrade later. There is generally no substitute to taking your time and get the right car. Some (most?) of us shopped for months before buying.

This car will likely need a bunch of maintenance work. Upper strut mounts fail regularly, suspension bushing age like everything else, coolant hoses (some HARD to reach) will need a refresh, etc, etc. You obviously have to match the car condition with your own home mechanics skills. We could talk for ever...

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

Beautiful XK8; looks like a great score! Be sure to download and read "The XK8 Bible" by member name "vanremog" in the Sticky Threads of this forum (see Post #32 for the URL for the latest version). Gary VanRemortel has gone to great extent to provide us with timely updated versions of his amazing, indispensable bible for X100 owners. It will provide you with almost everything you'll need to know about what to inspect, how to maintain, and when to replace limited-life items. Enjoy!

 

Good choice on an 04 (X103) model. That is the sweet spot of all the years, with all the improvements applied and none of the unnecessary plastic body additions.

You could read thru my working thread where I try to cover all the stuff I have addressed since I got my 2004 XK8 at 38K miles about 6 years ago, now with just over 100K.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...05/#post783663

Also read thru the XK8 Bible up in the sticky section. It is pretty comprehensive, but not limited to the 4.2L models so keep that in mind.

 

So here is my 2 cents:

1. The main thing to do is to pull the codes using a tool that can pull all the manufacturer codes, or ask the seller to go to a jag dealership and do this (at your expense). In my experience these things always put out a slew of electronics-related codes, most of which are irrelevant so don't be scared of there are codes but it lets you know what else to check.

2. A test drive is a must on a jaguar in my opinion.

3. The right price is what the car is worth to you. If money is your main concern, you can shop around you can get really nice XK8s for under $6k, but I would also not hesitate to pay $10k if it was the car I wanted, when I wanted it.

Two things that are really great on this car are the weather seals and the ride quality (this assumes the weatherstrips and suspension compoonents are in good shape). Jaguar did a really good job on the seals, with respect to both wind and water. My corvette, which is not even a convertible, has far more sealing issues. The ride quality on my XKR is also better than any other sports car I have owned.

 

Hmm. Wonder if it has staggered rims and directional tires?

One of mine came with 'rotated tires' (quote: you mean they're not supposed to be larger on the front?). Drove like a fishtaily boat until they were 'unrotated'.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

Thank you for all of these great replies. I'm going to test drive it, likely tomorrow, and will let you know what's up. Seller says it was only the coolant hoses that were replaced, the green shower lines remain poised and ready for deployment. Attaching one more view for the record.

 

You got the best wheel option on that car too.

The apollo wheels on that car are staggered and should not be rotated.

You might find this interesting : my saga of refurbishing a set of those wheels

 

Test drive went well, no issues. Ad was accurate this car is in pristine condition. Everything works except the passenger seat electronics; meaning no movement and no heat. Is this an easy fix? I assume it is some kind of electronic box, but the owner was not there to explain, his dad showed the car. Top works nicely, acceleration good, braking excellent and straight, no engine noises, fluids all normal color. I found this trouble spot graphic online; did not notice anything at those spots but then again I did not tear it apart.

Thanks for the wheel refurbish documentation, I have a powder coating system but could never aspire to that level of perfection.

 

Problems with the passenger seat movement could just be a simple fuse (fuse box located at the end of the dash). But the controls module is under the seat and while lowering the seat, someone previously could have crushed the box. It’s a common fault and repairable.

Seat Heater wire cable could just be damaged. Simple fix that. If it’s the heater pad in the seat base, that’s a bigger problem, but if you’re handy with stripping car interiors, again it’s replaceable.

Use these as price bargaining points.

 

Bought it. In my newbie enthusiasm I upload some phone shots after the short trip to my driveway. Pardon me if that is not the culture in this forum. Next step is insurance, should it be Nationwide or Hegarty?

 

The car looks great bud. They all have a little something that they need done.
I hope you have many years of fun and trouble free driving. Cheers.

 

Looking good!

FWIW Hagerty would not insure mine - I drive it too much.

 

I finally got Grundy to insure mine. I had to have a seperate collector car (Porsche 356) on the policy before they would insure the jag. Good deal once done.

 

Hagerty is quoting under $200 a year adding to my existing policy. Hard to beat that.

I have a bunch of Autochecks remaining since I ran this Jag and did not look at anything else. Before June 10 send me a 17 digit VIN no spaces and I will send back a PDF of the vehicle history and title report.

 

PM sent. Thanks!

 

Congrats, how you have a great time with your new baby. Now that it's in your hands you can look much closer at all the typical trouble spots mentioned here. I know you weren't looking for a project car but that one looks worth preserving no matter what you discover.
I again, those are gorgeous wheels. "19? "20's? I have "18's. I'm weighing up my options as what to do, I need to find replacements for a couple of curbed edges. They're not terrible but I know they are there. Good luck to you. TM

 

Thanks so much. The wheels are 19 staggered, 245 40R19 front with 255 40R19 rears. I am very impressed with the handling and I have yet to squeal the tires. I see from your signature you drove a Honda Valkyrie. I found a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer with 9000 miles on it and bought it on sight. Finest bike I ever drove. Is there a Valk forum you recommend?