What have I done.... (offer accepted on a 1997 XJ8)
Discussion
I've been looking around for a 4.0 LWB Sovereign, and a 1997 model came up on eBay tonight on Buy it now or Best offer. I speculatively, perhaps rashly put an offer in and the seller only went and accepted it!
So I'll be collecting it some point next week. Gulp...
The main reason for this purchase was my mum & dad are having a big anniversary do this summer so I wanted something they would appreciate being ferried around in as we'll have a few events where they will be the guests of honour. My mum's always joked that I would buy her a Jag when I "grew up and became a millionaire", so I thought I'd surprise her when we pick them up on the day of the party in one.
Instead of doing the sensible thing of hiring/borrowing one, I thought I'd also scratch the lifelong itch for an old shape XJ and drive around in it for a while, before selling it on (or if my dad fancies swapping it for his volvo!).
So I've broken all my rules for buying cars, and rushed right into this one. On the surface it seems ok, it's low mileage, has a fair bit of history, some work done on the common problem areas (front suspension mounts rust sorted, new gearbox, replaced headliner, nothing about tensioner replacement though...). But I know from experience you often see a very different car when you go and see it in the flesh so will be sweating all the way over to Essex when I go and collect and pay for it, even if I'm paying just north of £1000.
So if anyone's interested I'll let you know what happens, and post up some pics. I'll be finding out a bit more about the car from the seller tomorrow, and hope to pick it up later next week.
So I'll be collecting it some point next week. Gulp...
The main reason for this purchase was my mum & dad are having a big anniversary do this summer so I wanted something they would appreciate being ferried around in as we'll have a few events where they will be the guests of honour. My mum's always joked that I would buy her a Jag when I "grew up and became a millionaire", so I thought I'd surprise her when we pick them up on the day of the party in one.
Instead of doing the sensible thing of hiring/borrowing one, I thought I'd also scratch the lifelong itch for an old shape XJ and drive around in it for a while, before selling it on (or if my dad fancies swapping it for his volvo!).
So I've broken all my rules for buying cars, and rushed right into this one. On the surface it seems ok, it's low mileage, has a fair bit of history, some work done on the common problem areas (front suspension mounts rust sorted, new gearbox, replaced headliner, nothing about tensioner replacement though...). But I know from experience you often see a very different car when you go and see it in the flesh so will be sweating all the way over to Essex when I go and collect and pay for it, even if I'm paying just north of £1000.
So if anyone's interested I'll let you know what happens, and post up some pics. I'll be finding out a bit more about the car from the seller tomorrow, and hope to pick it up later next week.
Many thanks Ian, I have read some very useful posts in this section so I have a little idea what I'm getting myself in to, and being a car lover who likes a story like this will hope to give you all my experience of hopefully lots of driving and owning pleasure (and hopefully less of the pain).
Sleeping on it feels no better yet, I think my wife's parting words before bed last night were "I don't mind what you do, just don't buy one without seeing it first!" doesn't help!
Link to the advert is here, hope you can see it:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322111850612?ul_noapp=tr...
There are a couple of things that worry me which I'll find out sooner than later around mechanical history, though the DVLA MOT history gives you quicte a good indication of what went on it the car's life. There a few things I can at least cosmetically sort out without too much trouble (centre caps, peeling lacquer, driving light).
Interestingly I noticed later after I had the offer accepted, it looks like a later centre armrest with cupholders has been fitted, though appears to be the wrong colour.
We shall soon see, so I'll let you all know how I get on.
Sleeping on it feels no better yet, I think my wife's parting words before bed last night were "I don't mind what you do, just don't buy one without seeing it first!" doesn't help!
Link to the advert is here, hope you can see it:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322111850612?ul_noapp=tr...
There are a couple of things that worry me which I'll find out sooner than later around mechanical history, though the DVLA MOT history gives you quicte a good indication of what went on it the car's life. There a few things I can at least cosmetically sort out without too much trouble (centre caps, peeling lacquer, driving light).
Interestingly I noticed later after I had the offer accepted, it looks like a later centre armrest with cupholders has been fitted, though appears to be the wrong colour.
We shall soon see, so I'll let you all know how I get on.
Just spoke to owner, due to pick up tomorrow evening. Will have a nice 100 miles drive including half the M25 to get back home which should let me know how the thing goes. At very least, if we hit traffic I'll be able to see how the new thermostat and water pump behaves!
Mrs P has been informed. "We" are not amused.
Mrs P has been informed. "We" are not amused.
Ok as promised, quick update on the new purchase:
The car and I made it home on a lovely sunny evening in one piece, had a great time driving it home. Very chuffed to be the proud owner of a good looking Jag at last. There's no getting away from a pretty boaty ride, and perhaps not as quiet and smooth as expected, compared to my Audi A6.
Engine-wise all quiet on startup, temp stayed cool to warm and the fan came on as expected. At first I was wondering about a bit of lack of performance until I switched on Sport mode and put the pedal all the way to the floor. Oh yes, there you are! Takes a bit to get going from a standing start, but amazing engine note on kickdown and all of a sudden you have hit 6000 revs with cars receding rapidly behind. Need a firm foot to stop 2 tonnes, but brakes worked without shuddering.
Lots of very good things about the car, lots of electrical things like seat adjustment work which surprised me. Aircon was icy cold which I wasn't expecting. Auto headlights too. Bodywork I'd say, peeling lacquer at the rear aside, is very tidy, shiny and straight for year, and leather seats are in very good nick. Front seats are very comfy and LWB space in rear is cavernous!
Man who sold it to me seemed decent though got a bit of amnesia when asked about the the work he has had done. He tells me has had a lot of work recently,recon gearbox, thermostat and pump, new front brakes fitted, and a service in 2015, just not all in mechanics receipts. The book has 11 dealer stamps then a 4 year gap to up to 2014 when an indie serviced it for a previous owner. Wonder if you can get a printout of work from a dealer? Mot history on the dvla site is helpful identifying what has been fixed after failures over the last 10 years.
a hint of some rust right at the bottom of front arches so who knows what lies beneath.
Tyres are old P6000s that are cracked and on the markers at the rear so new ones will be due soon. Spare tyre is some random chrome alloy with a new tyre, 16 inch wheel at least.
There's a wobble annoyingly for the motorway at about 75-85mph which i hope can be sorted with new tyres and a bit of wheel balancing/realighnment.
Some electrical things:
Side mirrors not working
Radio needs a code (now found!)
Centre brake light not working
Trip computer a bit random
Steering wheel adjuster not behaving
Nothing that is a showstopper though, most of which are fuse related or I should be able to fix
Other stuff:
Non matching centre armrest
Special auto dipping mirror looks a bit weird/rippled
Inexplicably broken glove box mounts, just need a fit of glue/ washers, but is there anything behind there you need to get to in a hurry?
Two centre caps needed.
An oil fumes smell in cabin is not too nice though after a couple of hours, not sure if this is a common problem, or perhaps oil is burning off somewhere and working it's way in.
Mrs P is actually delighted and disappeared for 30 mins in it when I got home.
So all in all, very pleased, lack of history aside, seems solid. I'll get it checked out soon for anything lurking underneath, worried a bit about tensioners, is there an easy check if we have later metal ones I wonder?
Can't wait for the weekend now, have some nice jobs for the to do list.
Have some pics will resize them then load them up.
Over all, it's an astonishing amount of car for £1200, expectations are exceeded, and my parents will be delighted when I pick them up for their anniversary party. Will be hard keeping it under wraps till Aug though!
Hello A12, bye bye Essex!
Mrs P putting her foot down like a hooligan up our road. After initial fears snd annoyance she quite likes the car, well likes it a lot!
The car and I made it home on a lovely sunny evening in one piece, had a great time driving it home. Very chuffed to be the proud owner of a good looking Jag at last. There's no getting away from a pretty boaty ride, and perhaps not as quiet and smooth as expected, compared to my Audi A6.
Engine-wise all quiet on startup, temp stayed cool to warm and the fan came on as expected. At first I was wondering about a bit of lack of performance until I switched on Sport mode and put the pedal all the way to the floor. Oh yes, there you are! Takes a bit to get going from a standing start, but amazing engine note on kickdown and all of a sudden you have hit 6000 revs with cars receding rapidly behind. Need a firm foot to stop 2 tonnes, but brakes worked without shuddering.
Lots of very good things about the car, lots of electrical things like seat adjustment work which surprised me. Aircon was icy cold which I wasn't expecting. Auto headlights too. Bodywork I'd say, peeling lacquer at the rear aside, is very tidy, shiny and straight for year, and leather seats are in very good nick. Front seats are very comfy and LWB space in rear is cavernous!
Man who sold it to me seemed decent though got a bit of amnesia when asked about the the work he has had done. He tells me has had a lot of work recently,recon gearbox, thermostat and pump, new front brakes fitted, and a service in 2015, just not all in mechanics receipts. The book has 11 dealer stamps then a 4 year gap to up to 2014 when an indie serviced it for a previous owner. Wonder if you can get a printout of work from a dealer? Mot history on the dvla site is helpful identifying what has been fixed after failures over the last 10 years.
a hint of some rust right at the bottom of front arches so who knows what lies beneath.
Tyres are old P6000s that are cracked and on the markers at the rear so new ones will be due soon. Spare tyre is some random chrome alloy with a new tyre, 16 inch wheel at least.
There's a wobble annoyingly for the motorway at about 75-85mph which i hope can be sorted with new tyres and a bit of wheel balancing/realighnment.
Some electrical things:
Side mirrors not working
Radio needs a code (now found!)
Centre brake light not working
Trip computer a bit random
Steering wheel adjuster not behaving
Nothing that is a showstopper though, most of which are fuse related or I should be able to fix
Other stuff:
Non matching centre armrest
Special auto dipping mirror looks a bit weird/rippled
Inexplicably broken glove box mounts, just need a fit of glue/ washers, but is there anything behind there you need to get to in a hurry?
Two centre caps needed.
An oil fumes smell in cabin is not too nice though after a couple of hours, not sure if this is a common problem, or perhaps oil is burning off somewhere and working it's way in.
Mrs P is actually delighted and disappeared for 30 mins in it when I got home.
So all in all, very pleased, lack of history aside, seems solid. I'll get it checked out soon for anything lurking underneath, worried a bit about tensioners, is there an easy check if we have later metal ones I wonder?
Can't wait for the weekend now, have some nice jobs for the to do list.
Have some pics will resize them then load them up.
Over all, it's an astonishing amount of car for £1200, expectations are exceeded, and my parents will be delighted when I pick them up for their anniversary party. Will be hard keeping it under wraps till Aug though!
Hello A12, bye bye Essex!
Mrs P putting her foot down like a hooligan up our road. After initial fears snd annoyance she quite likes the car, well likes it a lot!
Edited by prand on Wednesday 25th May 00:06
Orcadian said:
Looks like it has the makings of a great car and as you say, for not much money.
Front arch rust often caused by the arch liner trapping stuff behind.
Oil smell usually leaky cam cover seals at rear end, allowing oil to get on the manifold and heat shield. Will give you a chance to check for latest tensioners - I did mine the very easy way by lifting exhaust cams - ask!
Not sure about glove box
Mirrors - do they move at all from the rocker pad? Selector rocker not in centre to adjust.
Sorry about brief reply but have to go out. Keep asking, someone might know!
Ian
Thanks Ian, I appreciate any advice, however brief. Front arch rust often caused by the arch liner trapping stuff behind.
Oil smell usually leaky cam cover seals at rear end, allowing oil to get on the manifold and heat shield. Will give you a chance to check for latest tensioners - I did mine the very easy way by lifting exhaust cams - ask!
Not sure about glove box
Mirrors - do they move at all from the rocker pad? Selector rocker not in centre to adjust.
Sorry about brief reply but have to go out. Keep asking, someone might know!
Ian
The side mirrors don't work which ever way the rocker switch is set, so will try and trace the fault. Fortunately it's not a big deal as I can manually push them into position. Will check to see if the heating element works too, though won't be needing much use for that at the moment either!
The oil smell in the cabin seems to be a common problem, now I have searched online for it. Hopefully as you say it can be cured by correctly sealing and torqueing the cam cover (just 10NM!). And yes, is a great time to inspect tensioners, so will put that at top of the list. Though it's not a job I think I could manage to replace them.
The glove box is an odd one, It seems like someone has forced the box open or off. The plastic screwholes that hold it in place are broken, leaving it drooping by a cm or so on one side and rattling. Perhaps someone tried to break into the box, or had to get behind it in a hurry. Shouldn't be too much to sort out, but I'll try and fix it in a way I can get behind there in future.
One thing that impressed me on this car is how much the electrics still work. I guess this was one of the relative benefits of moving under Ford ownership from the old Jaguar Lucas wiring and parts (funny to note some of the switches and keys are the same as my old Mk4 escort!).
There are more electrical faults with my wife's 4 yr old mini cooper that with this old thing. I would have expected a fair amount of items to be non functioning, such as electric aerial, rear parkign sensors, cigar lighters, alarm/locking and seat motors are all working fine (beyond the lumbar adjustment which makes a buzzing/whirring sound - the noise makes me think it's at least saveable!).
Anyone know why the rear passenger seat can be controlled from behind? My kids are going to love playing with this!
Orcadian said:
Sounds like you are getting to grips with it already!
If you are capable of removing the cam covers you are definitely capable of replacing the top tensioners - I can guide you with that, but there is an excellent USA post on doing it the way I did. The only pita is on the left cover, forward where the dipstick tube is anchored - I have a way of sorting that too!
The lumbar support is an airbag inflated by a pump unit, so it does whirr away for while before you feel the back stiffening.
The pass seat is adjustable from the back seat on some models (perhaps all LWB?) my Super V8 included, so that your Mum can move the seat away from her feet and have a stretch without distracting your driving.
I invested in a scanner in case any messages came up, as in Orkney Jag main agents number less than one!
Ian
Ha, my mum is just over 5 feet tall, she will be ballroom dancing in all the space in the back!If you are capable of removing the cam covers you are definitely capable of replacing the top tensioners - I can guide you with that, but there is an excellent USA post on doing it the way I did. The only pita is on the left cover, forward where the dipstick tube is anchored - I have a way of sorting that too!
The lumbar support is an airbag inflated by a pump unit, so it does whirr away for while before you feel the back stiffening.
The pass seat is adjustable from the back seat on some models (perhaps all LWB?) my Super V8 included, so that your Mum can move the seat away from her feet and have a stretch without distracting your driving.
I invested in a scanner in case any messages came up, as in Orkney Jag main agents number less than one!
Ian
Going to have a look under the cam covers first and reseal them to see if that sorts the oil issue, then depending on what I find, hopefully not, but likely to be the dreaded red or white plastic, I may take you up on the offer of a talk through replacing them.
I just get petrified with fiddling with this part of a car, the results of carelessness or heavy handedness are fairly terminal! However if it's just a matter of cover removal, then zip tie the pulleys in position then and wiggle the bits out and back into place, then possibly I might give it a go. I'd have to get someone else to start the car again for me though!
So back from being away for half term on Sunday, some bits and bobs from online purchases for cosmetic things I can do myself are on the front porch (new front fog, some rear middle brake light wedge bulbs, a couple of center caps and a leather scrubbing brush for some serious seat cleaning). My plans are to put the car in the garage at the end of the week to investigate tensioners and get a quote for a resprayed/re lacquered boot lid and wing mirrors. Plus also to replace the tyres which are worryingly old and knackered looking.
I thought I'd start the old girl up, so I hop in, turn ignition on, and CLICK. Nothing. Pants. Dead Battery? Starter solenoid? Something else?
I put my foot on the brake, waggle the gear selector and somehow get it to move into neutral, drive and back into Park. That's a bit of a worry too - thought it would be locked out under normal circumstances. (unsuprisingly, "Gearbox Fault" appears on dash at one point during this fiddling).
Car then suddenly starts after a few wiggles of various things, removing ignition key, turning steering wheel, locking and opening car, the engine fires with no apparent effort.
So I went for a drive, car is behaving perfectly, and I revel again in how much car I have for the money. Stop car. Start car. All good. Park up at local beauty spot, have a poke around the exterior (and how fine does it look with a full set of centre caps - Mrs P loves the fact they're called growlers!). Get back in, turn ignition - CLICK (sound comes somewhere from behind the glove box). Wiggle everything again, pray to god of breakdowns and she starts again after about 5 mins and I drive home.
So I sit on the drive looking this fault up on my phone and it seems like it could come from many places, old battery, poor earthing points, dodgy starter motor or connections, immobiliser, and no end of other sensors, such as gear selector. The gear thing worries me a bit as the previous owner had the gearbox replaced with a reconditioned one fitted without much detail by a mate by the look of the receipt, so maybe it didn't get put back right (the selector lights and P to D to R selector does not seem as crisp and accurate as perhaps they should, or perhaps an original issue was not resolved. The gear selector surround came off quite easily so somebody's definitely been poking around with it.
Sitting on the drive, I managed to simulate the fault a couple more times, getting to start eventually, then the last time after waiting 20 minutes, the car started first time.
I've just popped out now, a couple of hours later and car starts fine on first turn. Will see how it does again in the morning. All going well I might take it for a run to my doctor's appointment in the morning.
It may just be the battery so I'm happy to start the ball rolling by checking the existing one and possibly getting a new one (I think I saw a telltale Traction Control fault pop up at one point). But where to go from there if this still happens?
I'm happy enough at the moment that the car will eventually start, after 5 minutes of hopeful (probably pointless) waggling but my concern will be if it gets worse and I end up getting stranded somewhere.
The car is due in to the garage soon, so hopefully it doesn't need to get towed there, but hopefully they can follow a logical troubleshooting procedure that doesn't end up costing silly money. Again, as before, we shall see, and the story continues...
I thought I'd start the old girl up, so I hop in, turn ignition on, and CLICK. Nothing. Pants. Dead Battery? Starter solenoid? Something else?
I put my foot on the brake, waggle the gear selector and somehow get it to move into neutral, drive and back into Park. That's a bit of a worry too - thought it would be locked out under normal circumstances. (unsuprisingly, "Gearbox Fault" appears on dash at one point during this fiddling).
Car then suddenly starts after a few wiggles of various things, removing ignition key, turning steering wheel, locking and opening car, the engine fires with no apparent effort.
So I went for a drive, car is behaving perfectly, and I revel again in how much car I have for the money. Stop car. Start car. All good. Park up at local beauty spot, have a poke around the exterior (and how fine does it look with a full set of centre caps - Mrs P loves the fact they're called growlers!). Get back in, turn ignition - CLICK (sound comes somewhere from behind the glove box). Wiggle everything again, pray to god of breakdowns and she starts again after about 5 mins and I drive home.
So I sit on the drive looking this fault up on my phone and it seems like it could come from many places, old battery, poor earthing points, dodgy starter motor or connections, immobiliser, and no end of other sensors, such as gear selector. The gear thing worries me a bit as the previous owner had the gearbox replaced with a reconditioned one fitted without much detail by a mate by the look of the receipt, so maybe it didn't get put back right (the selector lights and P to D to R selector does not seem as crisp and accurate as perhaps they should, or perhaps an original issue was not resolved. The gear selector surround came off quite easily so somebody's definitely been poking around with it.
Sitting on the drive, I managed to simulate the fault a couple more times, getting to start eventually, then the last time after waiting 20 minutes, the car started first time.
I've just popped out now, a couple of hours later and car starts fine on first turn. Will see how it does again in the morning. All going well I might take it for a run to my doctor's appointment in the morning.
It may just be the battery so I'm happy to start the ball rolling by checking the existing one and possibly getting a new one (I think I saw a telltale Traction Control fault pop up at one point). But where to go from there if this still happens?
I'm happy enough at the moment that the car will eventually start, after 5 minutes of hopeful (probably pointless) waggling but my concern will be if it gets worse and I end up getting stranded somewhere.
The car is due in to the garage soon, so hopefully it doesn't need to get towed there, but hopefully they can follow a logical troubleshooting procedure that doesn't end up costing silly money. Again, as before, we shall see, and the story continues...
Orcadian said:
Although batteries do give rise to numerous and often erroneous fault messages, I wouldn't think this was the case here, especially when it starts fine after a bit of fiddling. As you say, there are many sensors involved, most, if not all give error messages but some give rise to restricted performance, which yours did not. I would be looking at gear selector microswitches ( known trouble area) and perhaps the 2 switches on the brake pedal, one of which should cause that click behind the glove box before a gear can be selected.
Yes, earthing points can also cause problems, but how do they miraculously cure themselves 5 minutes later?
In my 'war chest' fund for my Daimler I budgeted for an icarsoft code reader and it has already paid for itself on the one occasion it went on to 7 cylinders - the reader identified exactly which coil was at fault. The dealer would have charged far more than my reader plus a pair ( one spare) of coils from eBay.
If you are able to fit those parts you have ordered yourself, then I'm sure you can find your way around a scanner menu and although you may not be able to cure a fault, you should be pretty confident in knowing where it lies.
Ian
Thanks Ian, much appreciated. In fact I do have a code reader due to arrive any day soon which hopefully is of some help, though its a cheap one, designed to connect to a laptop/tablet app so possibly not so useful. At very least it might be able to help me identify and clear the errors on my wife's mini cooper which is always flashing up some light or another.Yes, earthing points can also cause problems, but how do they miraculously cure themselves 5 minutes later?
In my 'war chest' fund for my Daimler I budgeted for an icarsoft code reader and it has already paid for itself on the one occasion it went on to 7 cylinders - the reader identified exactly which coil was at fault. The dealer would have charged far more than my reader plus a pair ( one spare) of coils from eBay.
If you are able to fit those parts you have ordered yourself, then I'm sure you can find your way around a scanner menu and although you may not be able to cure a fault, you should be pretty confident in knowing where it lies.
Ian
Little update on my x308 ownership to daten (sorry it has turned into a big one, apologies!).
Was a nice surprise to see a red XJ8 on top Gear last night (always the same, get a new car and you suddenly see them everywhere!), with some complimentary words from Chris Evans, it was strange to see him sitting in what for me is now a very familiar driving seat. It looks like the car managed to get to Venice though the Alps without any issues either. (That got me thinking...road trip planning for another time maybe...)
I was also really glad they didn't trash the cars like they have done in other series. Interesting (in my biased opinion) that lined up against a similar aged A8, the Jaguar looked pretty smart, just like a classic old XJ should, but the Audi with its aftermarket 20' wheels just looked, well, dated, and the interior looked pretty sad compared to the XJ8.
Back to my car, it went into a local Jaguar independent (Powerbell in Taplow) this Friday for a check over and some new tyres fitted.
Luckily it didn't have to stay in for any emergency repairs, and a quick check of the main bits returned nothing too terminal (rear driver side bearing has excessive play probably the most serious issue, plus rear suspension stops are missing/degraded, which doesn't seem to be too bad a job). In summary, the engineer Graham said it clearly had regular maintenance in early life which reflected in service record.
I asked to have the cam covers off and tensioners inspected. A couple of bolts possibly have been overtightened and have broken so were needed to be specially removed, and we'll need new gaskets and possibly one bent cover replaced, although they seem to have at least temporarily stopped the oil smell coming into the cabin, which is nice, even if it's just a temporary fix.
Then on to the tensioners themselves: This raises a dilemma. Graham said they were in pretty good condition, no cracking or wear and all parts and pieces all in place. He reckons they have been replaced at some point in the car's life as they seemed in such good condition (and with the cam covers being taken off) but unfortunately not the later metal versions. Interestingly though, in his experience he also said he'd not be too concerned in getting them replaced immediately based on what he saw.
So in contrary to my initial thoughts this was a "must change immediately for peace of mind" job, I'm swinging a little to not doing these right away, or even not at all if I'm selling the car in a few months. I'll have a think while they prepare a quote for the work that needs doing.
I'm not discounting the work entirely, as from what I have read online, a visual check may not show up some serious degradation or cracking and these should be replaced as a matter of course, plus it would be a good selling point.
On another positive note, I had new tyres fitted (Kumho Excta HM KH31 bought at £71 a tyre - I've had these before and they always seemed a good balance of value/performance), and the wheels were balanced when fitting (nice new chunky 40gm weights on the rears). Resulted in the wobble at 60-70mph completely disappearing, and a welcome to the comfy smooth ride I was expecting!
I've also sorted out the rear center brake light with new bulbs and epoxy'd the clips to the rear screen. It's holding OK for now, as the design seems to put the fixing points under a lot of unnecessary stress - hency why I used epoxy, not foam adhesive pads of previous attempts. Replacing the broken lower front fog was not so easy, I think putting the car on a ramps or even taking off the bumper is the best approach, but I did it myself lying flat half under the car, arms coming in from two angles, and doing it by feel. Eventually a combination of the smallest ratchet I had, with a mid size extender, and very bent arms and fingertips, I managed to get the socket to grip and a couple of clicks of turn for the final nut to be removed. A 10 minute job that turned into 90, then ended with me gripping a torch between my teeth as it had got dark in the process, ending up with me sweaty and dirty, but ultimately victorious!
Next up will be to receive a full quote for the outstanding work. I'll probably put the car in for an MOT during July and whetever is a failure sorted out. I will also get the boot and side mirrors repainted to make the bodywork look as perfect as possible and ready for its big outing in August with my Mum & Dad's anniversary.
As a treat for me and the car, we all took a drive round to Kent yesterday to visit my father-in-law. A very smooth and trouble free experience for me and the family. At one point the rest of the family had all gone to sleep!
I also went round to my father-in-law's father-in-laws to pick them up for lunch, they used to have an old XJ40 when they lived in the US (so loved, they imported it back home they moved back). They were delighted to have a ride in the back for old time's sake, so this old girl is certainly earning its keep.
It's also nice to get onto the motorway, and get the MPG into the mid to high 20's, even so, used pretty much half a tank (75 l) to go 150 miles!
I'm still having a little trouble with gear selector, moving from D to R. It does seem to be a sensor/switch as it gets there after a couple of goes. Also after an initial flurry, I've only had one instance of the car not starting - solved, it seems, by a firm push on the brake and a waggle of the gear lever. After driving it a while it hasn't got any worse, so will see if it degrades further, plus I'll do a bit of dismantling and switch lubing when I get a chance (guaranteed to break it forever then!)
So, all in all, I'm very happy with this old beast. I love the V8 rumble, and the bungee type acceleration, especially in Sport mode. Lots of comfort, and a very surprising amount of things seem good on the 20 year old car. A lot of people love it, as do I. My poor Audi A6 estate has not had a look in in the last three weeks (even picked up a bootful of spare turf at the weekend). I'm not sure how long I can really keep it for though. It's a 19 year old car that is only going to get older.
Was a nice surprise to see a red XJ8 on top Gear last night (always the same, get a new car and you suddenly see them everywhere!), with some complimentary words from Chris Evans, it was strange to see him sitting in what for me is now a very familiar driving seat. It looks like the car managed to get to Venice though the Alps without any issues either. (That got me thinking...road trip planning for another time maybe...)
I was also really glad they didn't trash the cars like they have done in other series. Interesting (in my biased opinion) that lined up against a similar aged A8, the Jaguar looked pretty smart, just like a classic old XJ should, but the Audi with its aftermarket 20' wheels just looked, well, dated, and the interior looked pretty sad compared to the XJ8.
Back to my car, it went into a local Jaguar independent (Powerbell in Taplow) this Friday for a check over and some new tyres fitted.
Luckily it didn't have to stay in for any emergency repairs, and a quick check of the main bits returned nothing too terminal (rear driver side bearing has excessive play probably the most serious issue, plus rear suspension stops are missing/degraded, which doesn't seem to be too bad a job). In summary, the engineer Graham said it clearly had regular maintenance in early life which reflected in service record.
I asked to have the cam covers off and tensioners inspected. A couple of bolts possibly have been overtightened and have broken so were needed to be specially removed, and we'll need new gaskets and possibly one bent cover replaced, although they seem to have at least temporarily stopped the oil smell coming into the cabin, which is nice, even if it's just a temporary fix.
Then on to the tensioners themselves: This raises a dilemma. Graham said they were in pretty good condition, no cracking or wear and all parts and pieces all in place. He reckons they have been replaced at some point in the car's life as they seemed in such good condition (and with the cam covers being taken off) but unfortunately not the later metal versions. Interestingly though, in his experience he also said he'd not be too concerned in getting them replaced immediately based on what he saw.
So in contrary to my initial thoughts this was a "must change immediately for peace of mind" job, I'm swinging a little to not doing these right away, or even not at all if I'm selling the car in a few months. I'll have a think while they prepare a quote for the work that needs doing.
I'm not discounting the work entirely, as from what I have read online, a visual check may not show up some serious degradation or cracking and these should be replaced as a matter of course, plus it would be a good selling point.
On another positive note, I had new tyres fitted (Kumho Excta HM KH31 bought at £71 a tyre - I've had these before and they always seemed a good balance of value/performance), and the wheels were balanced when fitting (nice new chunky 40gm weights on the rears). Resulted in the wobble at 60-70mph completely disappearing, and a welcome to the comfy smooth ride I was expecting!
I've also sorted out the rear center brake light with new bulbs and epoxy'd the clips to the rear screen. It's holding OK for now, as the design seems to put the fixing points under a lot of unnecessary stress - hency why I used epoxy, not foam adhesive pads of previous attempts. Replacing the broken lower front fog was not so easy, I think putting the car on a ramps or even taking off the bumper is the best approach, but I did it myself lying flat half under the car, arms coming in from two angles, and doing it by feel. Eventually a combination of the smallest ratchet I had, with a mid size extender, and very bent arms and fingertips, I managed to get the socket to grip and a couple of clicks of turn for the final nut to be removed. A 10 minute job that turned into 90, then ended with me gripping a torch between my teeth as it had got dark in the process, ending up with me sweaty and dirty, but ultimately victorious!
Next up will be to receive a full quote for the outstanding work. I'll probably put the car in for an MOT during July and whetever is a failure sorted out. I will also get the boot and side mirrors repainted to make the bodywork look as perfect as possible and ready for its big outing in August with my Mum & Dad's anniversary.
As a treat for me and the car, we all took a drive round to Kent yesterday to visit my father-in-law. A very smooth and trouble free experience for me and the family. At one point the rest of the family had all gone to sleep!
I also went round to my father-in-law's father-in-laws to pick them up for lunch, they used to have an old XJ40 when they lived in the US (so loved, they imported it back home they moved back). They were delighted to have a ride in the back for old time's sake, so this old girl is certainly earning its keep.
It's also nice to get onto the motorway, and get the MPG into the mid to high 20's, even so, used pretty much half a tank (75 l) to go 150 miles!
I'm still having a little trouble with gear selector, moving from D to R. It does seem to be a sensor/switch as it gets there after a couple of goes. Also after an initial flurry, I've only had one instance of the car not starting - solved, it seems, by a firm push on the brake and a waggle of the gear lever. After driving it a while it hasn't got any worse, so will see if it degrades further, plus I'll do a bit of dismantling and switch lubing when I get a chance (guaranteed to break it forever then!)
So, all in all, I'm very happy with this old beast. I love the V8 rumble, and the bungee type acceleration, especially in Sport mode. Lots of comfort, and a very surprising amount of things seem good on the 20 year old car. A lot of people love it, as do I. My poor Audi A6 estate has not had a look in in the last three weeks (even picked up a bootful of spare turf at the weekend). I'm not sure how long I can really keep it for though. It's a 19 year old car that is only going to get older.
Thought I'd give you a quick update on this old girl.
I've done nearly 1500 miles in it since purchased, and I have very much enjoyed swanning (sometimes very quickly) around in luxury and getting the car fixed up ready for my parents 50th anniversary this weekend. Little tweaks here and there have improved my experience of ownership & driving no end. Is a lovely car, had a couple of drives to Brighton and Kent, and was nice to get some interest when I gatecrashed the Bearsted Village green classic car show the other weekend. Wife thought I should have put a for sale sign on it as she still hasn't warmed to it...
I've averaged around 24mpg from mixed local and motorway driving which I reckon is ok for a 4.0litre 2 tonne car. And nothing has broken in my ownership. Only having done 76k miles it still feels a very young car, and I am wondering how I'll be able to hang on to it.
Work so far (big jobs carried out by Jaguar Specialists Powerbell in Taplow:
- Once over by Powerbell to identify any issues (most fixed below)
- Re-tightened cam cover after tensioner investigation (solved burning oil smell, and made me decide not to replace tensioners...for now)
- 4 new tyres - also solved the 50-70mph wobble
- New center box for exhaust which was blowing
- New rear suspension bump stops fitted
- replaced smashed front fog
- Solved the droopy motorised steering wheel problem by loosening, greasing and retightening the steering wheel clamp bolts
- replaced two blown bulbs in centre brake light and epoxyd it all back together and stuck it firmly to the rear window. So far it has held.
- sprayed lube around the footbrake switches which seemed to fix the "no start" issue, which has not returned since about week 2
- fixed the drooping glove box with new screws and rubber washers
- replaced two missing wheel centre caps
- had boot lid and side mirrors resprayed
- MOT last week, passed (after above exhaust was fixed) with no advisories
- found the only cassette tape in the house which is a compilation of 90s soft rock. Perfect for this old cruiser!
One issue - gear selector still won't go into reverse direct from drive every time, you have to deliberately go to P then back to R to get it to engage. Annoying, but now I know how it works, and I don't believe this means big problems.
A couple of electrical things I will get to at some point - driver's door mirror adjustment, steering wheel telescoping drive broken. On the whole I've always been impressed how so much works, all the electric seat adjusters, rear parking sensors etc are all fine.
Thanks for reading. I'll post some pics once I get a minute.
Very tidy interior. The new later version armrest put in by previous owner, is the wrong colour. I may recolour it at some point, but it's not so noticeable in real life.
Two British V8s together. On Bearsted village green next my father-in-law's rebuilt MG roadster. Shell from California, converted to RHD, MGC rear end and a 3.5 rover engine. Sounds amazing and is very quick!
I've done nearly 1500 miles in it since purchased, and I have very much enjoyed swanning (sometimes very quickly) around in luxury and getting the car fixed up ready for my parents 50th anniversary this weekend. Little tweaks here and there have improved my experience of ownership & driving no end. Is a lovely car, had a couple of drives to Brighton and Kent, and was nice to get some interest when I gatecrashed the Bearsted Village green classic car show the other weekend. Wife thought I should have put a for sale sign on it as she still hasn't warmed to it...
I've averaged around 24mpg from mixed local and motorway driving which I reckon is ok for a 4.0litre 2 tonne car. And nothing has broken in my ownership. Only having done 76k miles it still feels a very young car, and I am wondering how I'll be able to hang on to it.
Work so far (big jobs carried out by Jaguar Specialists Powerbell in Taplow:
- Once over by Powerbell to identify any issues (most fixed below)
- Re-tightened cam cover after tensioner investigation (solved burning oil smell, and made me decide not to replace tensioners...for now)
- 4 new tyres - also solved the 50-70mph wobble
- New center box for exhaust which was blowing
- New rear suspension bump stops fitted
- replaced smashed front fog
- Solved the droopy motorised steering wheel problem by loosening, greasing and retightening the steering wheel clamp bolts
- replaced two blown bulbs in centre brake light and epoxyd it all back together and stuck it firmly to the rear window. So far it has held.
- sprayed lube around the footbrake switches which seemed to fix the "no start" issue, which has not returned since about week 2
- fixed the drooping glove box with new screws and rubber washers
- replaced two missing wheel centre caps
- had boot lid and side mirrors resprayed
- MOT last week, passed (after above exhaust was fixed) with no advisories
- found the only cassette tape in the house which is a compilation of 90s soft rock. Perfect for this old cruiser!
One issue - gear selector still won't go into reverse direct from drive every time, you have to deliberately go to P then back to R to get it to engage. Annoying, but now I know how it works, and I don't believe this means big problems.
A couple of electrical things I will get to at some point - driver's door mirror adjustment, steering wheel telescoping drive broken. On the whole I've always been impressed how so much works, all the electric seat adjusters, rear parking sensors etc are all fine.
Thanks for reading. I'll post some pics once I get a minute.
Very tidy interior. The new later version armrest put in by previous owner, is the wrong colour. I may recolour it at some point, but it's not so noticeable in real life.
Two British V8s together. On Bearsted village green next my father-in-law's rebuilt MG roadster. Shell from California, converted to RHD, MGC rear end and a 3.5 rover engine. Sounds amazing and is very quick!
Edited by prand on Thursday 11th August 15:40
spreadsheet monkey said:
Car looks great. Good work getting a lot of the niggles sorted. Now you can get on with enjoying it!
Thanks, I took a crazy punt buying unseen (after too many beers at a Sunday BBQ, of course), this story could so easily have been an unhappy one (you should ask my wife about my VW Caddy adventure a few years back, which was not a great!). Saying that, I've probably spent in the region of £1000 getting it to this point, though thankfully nothing major seems needed now. Added to the £1250 purchase price, it still does not seem expensive motoring for what was a £50k car still in great driveable condition.
A little update after a busy few weeks.
The XJ8 went down a storm at my Mum & Dad's 50th anniversary, they loved it when I turned up to pick them up for the big family party, and they really enjoyed being fetched and carried around all weekend. It was a great talking point when people heard the story behind it.
I let my Dad have a few drives and he loved it. So much so I left it with them and they've been driving around in it instead of their old Volvo for the last few weeks. When I mentioned taking it back and selling it I got very short shrift, so it's going to remain in the family for a while yet!
It's in so much good shape, and my parents have so much confidence in driving it around, they are taking it to the South of France in September for a couple of months (I have got very comprehensive breakdown cover!).
So all in all, it was a great success, and the fact it's cheered up my parents and they are driving it around has been worth it.
The XJ8 went down a storm at my Mum & Dad's 50th anniversary, they loved it when I turned up to pick them up for the big family party, and they really enjoyed being fetched and carried around all weekend. It was a great talking point when people heard the story behind it.
I let my Dad have a few drives and he loved it. So much so I left it with them and they've been driving around in it instead of their old Volvo for the last few weeks. When I mentioned taking it back and selling it I got very short shrift, so it's going to remain in the family for a while yet!
It's in so much good shape, and my parents have so much confidence in driving it around, they are taking it to the South of France in September for a couple of months (I have got very comprehensive breakdown cover!).
So all in all, it was a great success, and the fact it's cheered up my parents and they are driving it around has been worth it.
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