I usually do not buy marque type publications, but I was given you & your Jaguar XK8 by Nigel Thorley.

This has been a good read has some maintenance, modifications and has some good insights for this car.

If you are thinking or have just purchased XK8/R this one book to have.

I have no connection with the author or publisher

Enjoy

 

Mmm, sounds like a good addition to our FAQ sticky...if there's anything of 'great importance above all else', scan it as a pdf or jpg, and add it here. We'll take care of the rest.

I'll have to see if a bookstore has this...interesting.

 

I bought that one from Amazon soon after I found my 2005 XKR. It is an interesting read and is full of information (a perfect "bathroom" book as well, if you know what I mean).

It is a shame that there are no other books out there that have more complete maintenance discussion for backyard mechanics. As I have noted several times previously the JTIS CD is dismal compared to other shop manuals I have had for cars. On the other hand, the various do-it-yourself threads around this and other forums have been pretty useful, especially when they are accompanied by photos.

When I had my Corvette, in addition to the official GM manuals and Haynes or Helms manuals, there were a series of books by 3rd parties that were very good for light-to-medium do-it-yourself projects. These were typically large size color soft-cover books (almost like large magazines) that had various projects (e.g., changing oil filter, changing plugs, replacing brakes, replacing shocks, etc.) that were very simply written and photo illustrated and presented in a logical step-by-step fashion. This style is similar to what Gus and LSI provided for the hydraulic pump check valve.

It would be great if someone or some publisher assembled a similar book for our cars or late-model Jaguars in general.

Doug

 

I can also recommend Nigel Thorley's book - does exactly what it says on the cover (buying, owning and maintaining) with some great pictures from the developmental stage. Oh that the XK could have ended up with lights like the 220...

One month into ownership and still referring to the maintenance section - the pictures of all the types of chain tensioners I found especially useful.

 

I recommend the book as well. He covers all the common repair areas that owners can expect to face, from water pumps to transmission failure to suspension. (By the way, he mentions the grease fittings on the drive shaft). There isn't any real step-by-step on how to do it, but it's a great source of info to the prospective or new owner. Then they can search around here for the how-to.

 

First post on here..
I bought a 97 in 2003 knowing nothing or caring about potential problems associated with the model. I just wanted one, and bought the first one i tested. It has been a magnificent example and a joy to own.
I got it with 110k miles and now it has 140k on it. I joined all the forums and soon found out about what can go wrong. I was quite concerned about all the reports of tensioner failures, so i had new ones fitted without delay for peace of mind. The ones removed were slightly cracked, but not bad considdering the milage.
I also joined two owners clubs and became heavily involved in all the technical aspects of owning one of these wonderful cars.
I spent so much time endulging myself in everything relating to xk8's that i cared little about anything else, needless to say that the Jag remained with me when all the assets were split.
You must wonder what this has to do with the book.. well, Nigel seems to have found time to write a few pages, to assist new owners or buyers, on this model. For the editor of the main Jaguar publication, this is a too little too late. I spoke with him in 2004 regarding the tensionner issue, and he refused to admit they was a poorly designed component or were a cause for concern.
Jaguar also tried to downplay the issue, to the cost of many an uninformed owner, who, if had been made aware that some preventitive maintenance possibly could have saved their engine.

 

I also have the book - I got it on Amazon. Definately worth the price, especially for the history of the development of the car. He has some great pictures you won't see anywhere else.

 

Nigel Thorley is editor of 'Jaguar Enthusiast', the magazine of the UK Jaguar Enthusiasts Club of which I am a member. He has driven and owned most of the Jaguar models from the Mark 2 onwards. He wrote a very good book on the XJ saloons 1968-1983, and a book on the Mark 2.

Clearly as an enthusiast for the marque like me he is not going to knock the cars around too much, but recognises there are certain things that occur on each of the models which 2nd and 3rd owners tend to have to sort out, as with most cars. In the UK the Club organises seminar sessions on the various models so owners can find out all about their cars and take action before anything serious happens, like the V8 cam chain tensioners.

 

Thanks for the positive summary. I saw it on amazon too, but figured i'd just pay a couple bucks more at our local auto parts store. In a small town, with mabe a dozen Jag's in the whole county, I assumed that it would need to be ordered, but the 2010 Haynes catalog ... didn't list it! It sounds like a "must have" .. hope it's not out of print. Guese I better jump into amazon and get one on the truck.

 

This book has some good info in it.