RE: Jaguar XK8: Catch It While You Can
Discussion
Beautiful cars and defnitely on my list of cars to own.
Staggering value for money if you find a mechanically decent one. But can be money pits if you get the wrong one, as is the case with any cheap Jag.
I would like one in a darker colour (BRG or Sapphire Blue) with the ivory (yellowish / off-white) leather and black wood trim.
These have aged well and look better with each passing year.
A 'proper' Jag. (X Types are NOT 'proper' Jags!).
Staggering value for money if you find a mechanically decent one. But can be money pits if you get the wrong one, as is the case with any cheap Jag.
I would like one in a darker colour (BRG or Sapphire Blue) with the ivory (yellowish / off-white) leather and black wood trim.
These have aged well and look better with each passing year.
A 'proper' Jag. (X Types are NOT 'proper' Jags!).
KeithAdams said:
@AudiWurst
'Since when did Keith Adams write for PH? Hope there's not too much British Leyland fanboy-ism in his upcoming PH articles...'
Oh no, I'm on strict orders. I have to say that's a bit unfair...
Thanks for replying Keith. Surely as the creator of the ARonline website, there has to be a bit of BL fanboy in you?'Since when did Keith Adams write for PH? Hope there's not too much British Leyland fanboy-ism in his upcoming PH articles...'
Oh no, I'm on strict orders. I have to say that's a bit unfair...
I read your stuff on ARonline as well as on here, and enjoy winding up the rabidly pro-BL readers in the comments section. Am sure you don't need me to tell you the PH readership is quite different to ARonline.
I am a little surprised at the running costs comments. I am not sure what people expect these days and maybe coming from TVR ownership my expectations are a little skewed.
I have a 04 plate XKR with the 4.2 engine. Yes tyres are expensive (it is on 20's with the Brembo brakes.) and it is thirsty. I do around 12k a year in it and servicing hasn't been that bad in the last 3 years. I put a set of new plug in which aren't cheap and obviously there are 8 of them. I have replaced quite a few suspension bushes just after getting it, had the gearbox oil changed and s/w updated, changed the charger oil and paid for a professional Dinitrol underseal.
Many of these could be considered pre-emtive maintenance. The car had 50k on it when I bought it and is over 80k now. A standard service at a independent is a few hundred if you allow for and extra £2-300 for extras which in my experience tend to crop up whether you run a 2.0l hatch back or something more interesting.
I consider that for a 400hp vehicle that can show a fair turn of speed when asked for or equally put up with urban traffic with no complaints this is good value motoring. Given that these days even a diesel rep mobile runs on silly sized wheels maybe the tyres aren't that bad after all.
I have a 04 plate XKR with the 4.2 engine. Yes tyres are expensive (it is on 20's with the Brembo brakes.) and it is thirsty. I do around 12k a year in it and servicing hasn't been that bad in the last 3 years. I put a set of new plug in which aren't cheap and obviously there are 8 of them. I have replaced quite a few suspension bushes just after getting it, had the gearbox oil changed and s/w updated, changed the charger oil and paid for a professional Dinitrol underseal.
Many of these could be considered pre-emtive maintenance. The car had 50k on it when I bought it and is over 80k now. A standard service at a independent is a few hundred if you allow for and extra £2-300 for extras which in my experience tend to crop up whether you run a 2.0l hatch back or something more interesting.
I consider that for a 400hp vehicle that can show a fair turn of speed when asked for or equally put up with urban traffic with no complaints this is good value motoring. Given that these days even a diesel rep mobile runs on silly sized wheels maybe the tyres aren't that bad after all.
In a year of owning one:
26mpg overall
8 plugs £80ish
replace ATF £145
Oil & filter £60ish
Touch-in paint for stone chips (airfix does a perfect match) £3
Metal thermostat housing & replacement 'stat £50
2 rear tyres £324
Hardly expensive for the pleasure derived. The g/f loves to travel in it & says it makes her feel like royalty.
Buy one- on your deathbed you won't be nostalgic about a Prius.
26mpg overall
8 plugs £80ish
replace ATF £145
Oil & filter £60ish
Touch-in paint for stone chips (airfix does a perfect match) £3
Metal thermostat housing & replacement 'stat £50
2 rear tyres £324
Hardly expensive for the pleasure derived. The g/f loves to travel in it & says it makes her feel like royalty.
Buy one- on your deathbed you won't be nostalgic about a Prius.
I had a 1998 XKR that I sold nearly 6 years ago as I was emigrating - that left a big Jaguar V8 shaped hole in my life, which has only just been plugged courtesy of my V8S F-Type...but I digress!
Half the fun of owning my XKR was tinkering with it and updating its looks - yes, the original seats were a bit tatty and yes, the carpeted door cards were not exactly to everyone's tastes (anyone's? Ever?), neither was the half wood steering wheel...and the wheelbarrow handle exhaust pipes sticking out the back were a bit odd to say the least. The good news is that there's a lot you can do about it!
Inside, I updated my tired interior with the sports interior from a later model car (I think 2004), differentiated by having electrically powered headrests on the seats, as opposed to the all in one bucket seats. I also swapped the half wood steering wheel for a full leather one and the standard horrible gear shifter for a later R Performance leather shifter. As I was lucky enough to have very dark wood trim on the dash in my car, these minor tweaks instantly updated the look.
Externally, I fitted a straight through sports exhaust with resonator tips, which I eventually modified to accept twin 3" outlets on each side; a 2005 OEM bodykit, including front and rear bumpers, fog lights, side sills, spoiler and boot plinth; later front grille and custom made mesh grilles for the front splitter; and custom badging (using current badges).
I unfortunately then ran out of time - next on the list was 20" Detroit alloy wheels, smoked crystal taillights and the removal of the rubbing strips. None of this work was hideously expensive, parts are freely available on eBay and via the various Jag forums, I did most of the hard work myself (with a little help from my friends) and most of the original parts that came off the car I was able to sell to recoup some of the costs of the new parts. I actually made a small profit when I sold the car!
As others have said, Nikasil should not be an issue now (in fact, if you have a Nikasil-lined engine with good compression that is happily running today, you're probably better off than those with steel-lined engines!) and 3rd gen. metal tensioners are a must have - none of this work will require you to obtain a second mortgage if you take your car to a good independent Jag speciailist. If you plumb for a supersharged one, ask them to check the play in the charger bearings while they have the engine apart - these can wear. The good news is that you can replace the 4.0 blowers with those from the 4.2 which, I am told, offers small but easily attained performance gains.
Should anyone be interested, I posted a cheesy, tongue in cheek video to YouTube when I sold my car (mainly for the benefit of the XK Enthusiasts' Club that I was a member of at the time), but it nicely shows the transformation from the stock '98 XKR that I bought to the car that was oh-so-nearly finished when I sold it a year later. Video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexHuOCSg_I
Half the fun of owning my XKR was tinkering with it and updating its looks - yes, the original seats were a bit tatty and yes, the carpeted door cards were not exactly to everyone's tastes (anyone's? Ever?), neither was the half wood steering wheel...and the wheelbarrow handle exhaust pipes sticking out the back were a bit odd to say the least. The good news is that there's a lot you can do about it!
Inside, I updated my tired interior with the sports interior from a later model car (I think 2004), differentiated by having electrically powered headrests on the seats, as opposed to the all in one bucket seats. I also swapped the half wood steering wheel for a full leather one and the standard horrible gear shifter for a later R Performance leather shifter. As I was lucky enough to have very dark wood trim on the dash in my car, these minor tweaks instantly updated the look.
Externally, I fitted a straight through sports exhaust with resonator tips, which I eventually modified to accept twin 3" outlets on each side; a 2005 OEM bodykit, including front and rear bumpers, fog lights, side sills, spoiler and boot plinth; later front grille and custom made mesh grilles for the front splitter; and custom badging (using current badges).
I unfortunately then ran out of time - next on the list was 20" Detroit alloy wheels, smoked crystal taillights and the removal of the rubbing strips. None of this work was hideously expensive, parts are freely available on eBay and via the various Jag forums, I did most of the hard work myself (with a little help from my friends) and most of the original parts that came off the car I was able to sell to recoup some of the costs of the new parts. I actually made a small profit when I sold the car!
As others have said, Nikasil should not be an issue now (in fact, if you have a Nikasil-lined engine with good compression that is happily running today, you're probably better off than those with steel-lined engines!) and 3rd gen. metal tensioners are a must have - none of this work will require you to obtain a second mortgage if you take your car to a good independent Jag speciailist. If you plumb for a supersharged one, ask them to check the play in the charger bearings while they have the engine apart - these can wear. The good news is that you can replace the 4.0 blowers with those from the 4.2 which, I am told, offers small but easily attained performance gains.
Should anyone be interested, I posted a cheesy, tongue in cheek video to YouTube when I sold my car (mainly for the benefit of the XK Enthusiasts' Club that I was a member of at the time), but it nicely shows the transformation from the stock '98 XKR that I bought to the car that was oh-so-nearly finished when I sold it a year later. Video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexHuOCSg_I
I have to echo some of the last few comments regarding servicing. I had a very late 4.0 XKR with the supersport handling pack
Servicing is actually quite cheap for what it is. tyres are expensive as are the brakes. Servicing done at main dealer, who always came up with a good deal (less 350) and excellent service.
the main thing was it never let us, nothing stopped working and was probably one of the most reliable cars i've owned. got it with 53K on the clock, sold it at 109K.
I still miss it a lot.
IT always turned heads and always got thumbs up from random people.
Servicing is actually quite cheap for what it is. tyres are expensive as are the brakes. Servicing done at main dealer, who always came up with a good deal (less 350) and excellent service.
the main thing was it never let us, nothing stopped working and was probably one of the most reliable cars i've owned. got it with 53K on the clock, sold it at 109K.
I still miss it a lot.
IT always turned heads and always got thumbs up from random people.
NST said:
I have to echo some of the last few comments regarding servicing. I had a very late 4.0 XKR with ...nothing stopped working and was probably one of the most reliable cars i've owned.
+1...the 2004 E46 M3 that I replaced my XKR with gave me many more headaches than the big cat ever did!Having had an XKR100 a few years ago, should never have sold it. Only 50 made and the best (IMHO) model made with all the goodies including gorgeous Recaros, 20" rims and black on black. Has to be a future collectors item but so quick to drive and yet luxurious. I loved that car, here's my old photo in 2009 
Looked at 8 of these (99-02 vintage) a while back in the £4-6k range.
Generally you could find a rust-free one that would need a gearbox/tensioners or similar, or you could find one where all the work had been done and the rust was actually forming a structural part of the car.
Beautiful to drive, but couldn't afford one that wouldn't need something expensive doing. Because invariably everything is expensive, and I think as these get older they're only going to get more expensive...
Generally you could find a rust-free one that would need a gearbox/tensioners or similar, or you could find one where all the work had been done and the rust was actually forming a structural part of the car.
Beautiful to drive, but couldn't afford one that wouldn't need something expensive doing. Because invariably everything is expensive, and I think as these get older they're only going to get more expensive...
Had mine for twelve months now, 2001 XKR with 39k on the clock. Put 13,000 miles on it and it hasn't let me down and have had it in for servicing twice with a few bits need as expected on a car now 12 years old. Sailed through its MOT in October. Insurance is peanuts but fuel is amusing! 12-14 if making progress and 22 through average speed cameras.
No complaints with the ride from me on 20in wheels and reasonable tyres can be had for 280 a corner. As mentioned though Brembo brakes are expensive as are jag parts but I have spent where necessary as I bought it for a little more than the one in the article and want to maintain a good, complete history. If I sold it tomorrow i am confident I would make my money back.
More GT than sports car but it demolishes motorways effortlessly and handles the nose to tail crap on the commute effortlessly. It really does fly with the foot down and sound great. Had nothing but compliments when people notice it.
Has given me one heart in mouth moment , in traffic, steam rising from the bonnet vents, bus stop of folks also pointing it out to me, pulled in had a look, rain water evaporating!!!
Buy a good one and it won't disappoint.
Edited by Bit of a Unit on Friday 10th January 13:52
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
5 years newer, 370bhp similar mileage with 13 dealer stamps! Must be worth another £2500 (as offered when I called)!!
5 years newer, 370bhp similar mileage with 13 dealer stamps! Must be worth another £2500 (as offered when I called)!!
DefHed said:
Should anyone be interested, I posted a cheesy, tongue in cheek video to YouTube when I sold my car (mainly for the benefit of the XK Enthusiasts' Club that I was a member of at the time), but it nicely shows the transformation from the stock '98 XKR that I bought to the car that was oh-so-nearly finished when I sold it a year later. Video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexHuOCSg_I
Skid Row. Very apt for an old Jag...Like DefHed, I like tbe idea of subtly modifying an XK8, into sort of a GT3 version. Stripped out interior with a cage, slighly lowered, straight through exhaust.
Inspired by Linder Knocker Lightweight E-Type (I know the guy who owns it!)
This 911 RS copy: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-Porsche-911-3-0-RS-...
And the interior of Guy Martin's Volvo Amazon http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?6697... [url]
I like the idea of making it more of a sports car again like a S1 E-type......probably a terrible idea!
Inspired by Linder Knocker Lightweight E-Type (I know the guy who owns it!)
This 911 RS copy: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-Porsche-911-3-0-RS-...
And the interior of Guy Martin's Volvo Amazon http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?6697... [url]
I like the idea of making it more of a sports car again like a S1 E-type......probably a terrible idea!
If you want a modified XK you can always ask Sbarro:
http://sbarro.perso.neuf.fr/voitures/Jaclyn/Jaclyn...
http://sbarro.perso.neuf.fr/voitures/Jaclyn/Jaclyn...
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