2000 Jaguar XJ8 3.2 Sport - things to know?
Discussion
Having totalled my car last week, I've been hunting for a new one. But now my father-in-law has suggested that he will loan/sell/give me his mint 3.2 Jaguar XJ8 sport. He spends most of his life travelling the world these days, so it doesn't get driven much, but has been serviced consistently and is in immaculate condition. Obviously, a free/family rate car is a wonderful thing, but I want to go into this with my eyes open. I appreciate that the fuel consumption will be quite high, but I'm used to averaging 19mpg in the RX-8, so how much worse is it likely to be? My commute is 9 miles each way of dual carriageway. What are the servicing costs like? What else should I be keeping an eye out for? What questions should I ask? And what are people's opinions on the model?
This model is called the X308. I used to own the 3.2 version in LWB form. (I owned a 4.0 LWB version after that)
I've driven a lot of cars and I haven't come across any contemporary or more recent car, at any price, which manages to hit the "sporting luxury saloon" sweet spot as well as the X308. Drive it slowly in town and it's quiet and composed, and yet on country roads it is surprisingly agile and grin-inducing. There is nothing quite like it. The Quattroporte comes close, but even that doesn't feel as good as the Jag. The 7-series also comes close, but there isn't enough sporting character in it.
So, they are a lot of fun to drive.
Parts etc. are not that expensive and pretty much everything is still available, sometimes from Jaguar themselves. There is also a large market in secondhand parts as well as refurbishment of some components such as ABS units.
If this is a well cared-for 2000 model with MOT it should be fine. I would suggest taking it to a local indie for a good going-over. Suspension components seem to wear out quite fast. Corrosion needs checking. ABS sensors seem to fail quite a bit; cleaning them up usually seems to get them working again. Check that you can afford tyres etc.
The indie should inspect the water pump (impellers should be metal not plastic; if they are plastic the water pump should be changed) and the timing chain tensioners (should be metal not plastic; if plastic they should be changed). I think that on a 2000 car both of these will be fine, but I can't remember when the change-over was.
Fuel economy - I seem to remember getting about 30mpg on the motorway.
It might be worth asking asking a mod to move this to the the Jaguar section, there are a number of owners on there who know this model well.
I've driven a lot of cars and I haven't come across any contemporary or more recent car, at any price, which manages to hit the "sporting luxury saloon" sweet spot as well as the X308. Drive it slowly in town and it's quiet and composed, and yet on country roads it is surprisingly agile and grin-inducing. There is nothing quite like it. The Quattroporte comes close, but even that doesn't feel as good as the Jag. The 7-series also comes close, but there isn't enough sporting character in it.
So, they are a lot of fun to drive.
Parts etc. are not that expensive and pretty much everything is still available, sometimes from Jaguar themselves. There is also a large market in secondhand parts as well as refurbishment of some components such as ABS units.
If this is a well cared-for 2000 model with MOT it should be fine. I would suggest taking it to a local indie for a good going-over. Suspension components seem to wear out quite fast. Corrosion needs checking. ABS sensors seem to fail quite a bit; cleaning them up usually seems to get them working again. Check that you can afford tyres etc.
The indie should inspect the water pump (impellers should be metal not plastic; if they are plastic the water pump should be changed) and the timing chain tensioners (should be metal not plastic; if plastic they should be changed). I think that on a 2000 car both of these will be fine, but I can't remember when the change-over was.
Fuel economy - I seem to remember getting about 30mpg on the motorway.
It might be worth asking asking a mod to move this to the the Jaguar section, there are a number of owners on there who know this model well.
OVERVIEW
To avoid model confusion between the several XJ variants the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ is often referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The V8 engine in the X308 is available in a 3.2, a 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only
£3000 should buy you a good example, but the best low mileage cars are priced at considerably more than that. Engines were revised in late 1999 for the 2000 model year to deal with early problems and a car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five, not six digits.
Pre engine revision cars had weak water pumps, secondary timing chain tensioners, throttle bodies and a Nicasil coating applied directly on the aluminum block bore walls rather than using conventional liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE
Some Nicasil coatings suffered from bore erosion due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips that caused an acidic build up in the oil that etched away the Nicasil coating. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated V8 engine that's still OK now should be fine forever. Several engines were changed under warranty so you may see a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of bore erosion resulting in loss of compression are poor cold starting, a rough idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intakes. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check is to slightly lift the oil filler cap at hot idle. There should be little or no internal pressure or fumes escaping. Jaguar dealers can perform a blow by check to determine engine condition. A good condition engine will show less than 25 l/m, anything over 40 l/m will make a good Top Gear coffee table.
Impellers on early water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be upgraded for the later version with a metal, not plastic impeller. The temperature gauge is software driven and not always an accurate refection of actual coolant temperature.
For an indication of water pump efficiency, remove the coolant header tank cap when the engine is STONE COLD, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin return pipe that runs back from the front of the engine.
You may be able to identify the later type of pump by the presence of a black plastic, not metal gasket, but the only certain way is to remove the pump and have a look and if you’re doing that stick a new one on anyway and flush the system and renew the coolant. Sprung coolant hose clips can loose tension and allow pipes to blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are delicate. It’s worth replacing all the sprung coolant clips with proper Jubilee ones. Check all over for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower as this is a fragile component.
Occasional auxiliary heater pump failures can lead to no heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range. Two types of coolant available for the XJ - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier type.
Early throttle bodies ought to have all have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from weak/failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on the overrun. The later design should be fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
The only post 1999 revision engine issue is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were revised to a mk 2 version at the same time as the rest of the 1999 engine revisions but the mk 2 type still had a plastic body which can crack or break up leading to slipped or broken chains. Mk 1 tensioners are actuated by engine oil pressure and failure can often be identified by a sharp rattling noise similar to a bicycle chain dragging on the chain guard on a cold start. The mk2 type is permanently tensioned by an integral spring which usually means it’ll fail silently.
A permanent solution is to retro-fit the later mk3 version tensioner made with a metal, not plastic body from the later 4.2 incarnation of the V8 engine and the only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an X308 is to either have a receipt with part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 new bolts to fit them on it relating to that particular car or remove the RH cam cover - the LH is a PITA to get off - and have a look. An orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 means the timing gear works hard and timing chains can stretch at high mileages or on neglected cars. If this is identified then a full chain and tensioner replacement is required costing up to £1000. If the chains are fine then it’s a wise precaution to fit the mk3 secondary tensioners which is a fairly easy DIY job. Tensioners cost around £75 a set plus a couple of quid for new bolts. Cam setting tools for this job and all other special tools needed for any work on an X308 can all be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any tools by removing the exhaust cam whilst preserving the timing with a tie wrap holding the chain on the sprocket and fiddling them out.
Exhaust cam chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a rough running engine, more than one tooth means exhaust valves meet pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is internal cleanliness. Bright shiny metal inside the oil filler cap and dipstick along with clean oil and no evidence of leaks is a good sign, as is clear coolant that does not smell or tasted bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
All X308s have a “sealed for life” gearbox. Loads have failed now - just look on ebay in the non runners or spares and repairs section. Any car that hesitates or engages Drive with a jerk or thump as the engine speed rises has a potential gearbox failure looming, changes should be seamless and quiet and you should be able to play tunes with the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector.
A very faint whine may be heard in intermediate gears. Any gearbox problems or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change may be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction but that’s never guaranteed.
Ideally the gearbox oil and filter should be changed at 50k then at 25k intervals; it's not a simple drain and refill on the ZF box as the final fill has to be done quickly with the engine running and within a narrow temperature range.
The ZF 5 speed box on the n/a cars requires Esso/Mobil longlife LT 71141 fluid also known as Lifeguard Fluid 5 and not conventional Dexron 3. The Mercedes gearbox in the supercharged version is also sealed for life but the same change requirement apply although you can use Dexron 3 in this box and it’s a less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the oil cooler pipes which also gets the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same applies to the rear axle. Oil should be changed but there’s no drain plug. Old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Look for corrosion on the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings and most importantly behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. This corrosion may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. It's an MOT fail too and a big welding job. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper brackets can work loose.
Paint lacquer on the XJ is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing – don’t let a swirly, hazy or dull finish put you off though. Providing you can’t actually feel the damage and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a very good finish with a through clean, polish and wax. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Always leather with different levels of trim and seat design. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different type. Drivers seat and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Headlinings can sag. LWB version obviously has more room in back.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are hard on suspension and brakes, listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. A sharp rattle heard and felt through the steering over bumps combined with a little free play in the steering wheel may be a worn crush joint on the lower steering column.
A clattery rattle from the rear is likely to be failed shocks or shock bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Feel round all the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure giving incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather oddly and heavy wear in the inside edges is a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush failure. Very slight even feathering is normal, especially on the fronts.
All Jaguar XJs are very sensitive to wheel and tyre imbalances or damage, typically you'll feel a steering wobble between 50-70MPH and possibly vibration through the seat if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. Incorrect tyre pressures, worn out or cheap budget tyres will severely affect handling and ride. Some X308s exhibit a faint exhaust vibration or harmonic around 50 and another one at 65MPH. You might possibly experience a hint of driveline vibration through the body too.
Don't expect too much in the way of the legendary Jaguar ride quality either - it's pretty good on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) are stiffer and have a up rated front anti roll bar and one on the rear too which when combined with larger diameter wheels and lower profile tyres gives a hard crashy ride on poor roads. CATS suspension may be fitted as an option to any X308 CATS has electronically controlled valves in the shocks to vary the damping rates depending on driving style. Identify CATS by the presence of a plastic cover over the top of the front shock absorber with a lead going into it.
ELECTRICIAL/ OBD2 DIAGNOSTICS
Electrical systems are generally pretty robust. As with any old car you might have the odd problem so check absolutely everything works. Even the earliest X308 is OBD2 compliant and a £20 code reader plugged into the socket in the driver’s footwell will help diagnosis a lot. Electric aerials are vulnerable, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures.
XJ’s need a strong battery to avoid random error messages appearing on start up. If you get one – usually TRAC FAIL – the battery is on its way out or needs several days on a trickle charge to bring it back up to good capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1998-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough to DIY and parts are reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway, 20/4 round town and mid teens or less if you nail it everywhere. Tyres are around £100/130 a corner in 16" diameter size. The 3.2 is quick enough (0-60 is 8s) the 4.0 is much rarer and does the same in 7.0.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give improved fuel economy. A through rustproofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Official servicing is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars.
One last thing. A software fault means you should never start an XJ8 from cold and then switch off again straight away and before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. Chances are it’ll flood when you next start and wash all the oil of the bores and it’s a right PITA to get it running again.
To avoid model confusion between the several XJ variants the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ is often referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The V8 engine in the X308 is available in a 3.2, a 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only
£3000 should buy you a good example, but the best low mileage cars are priced at considerably more than that. Engines were revised in late 1999 for the 2000 model year to deal with early problems and a car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five, not six digits.
Pre engine revision cars had weak water pumps, secondary timing chain tensioners, throttle bodies and a Nicasil coating applied directly on the aluminum block bore walls rather than using conventional liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE
Some Nicasil coatings suffered from bore erosion due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips that caused an acidic build up in the oil that etched away the Nicasil coating. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated V8 engine that's still OK now should be fine forever. Several engines were changed under warranty so you may see a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of bore erosion resulting in loss of compression are poor cold starting, a rough idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intakes. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check is to slightly lift the oil filler cap at hot idle. There should be little or no internal pressure or fumes escaping. Jaguar dealers can perform a blow by check to determine engine condition. A good condition engine will show less than 25 l/m, anything over 40 l/m will make a good Top Gear coffee table.
Impellers on early water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be upgraded for the later version with a metal, not plastic impeller. The temperature gauge is software driven and not always an accurate refection of actual coolant temperature.
For an indication of water pump efficiency, remove the coolant header tank cap when the engine is STONE COLD, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin return pipe that runs back from the front of the engine.
You may be able to identify the later type of pump by the presence of a black plastic, not metal gasket, but the only certain way is to remove the pump and have a look and if you’re doing that stick a new one on anyway and flush the system and renew the coolant. Sprung coolant hose clips can loose tension and allow pipes to blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are delicate. It’s worth replacing all the sprung coolant clips with proper Jubilee ones. Check all over for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower as this is a fragile component.
Occasional auxiliary heater pump failures can lead to no heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range. Two types of coolant available for the XJ - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier type.
Early throttle bodies ought to have all have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from weak/failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on the overrun. The later design should be fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
The only post 1999 revision engine issue is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were revised to a mk 2 version at the same time as the rest of the 1999 engine revisions but the mk 2 type still had a plastic body which can crack or break up leading to slipped or broken chains. Mk 1 tensioners are actuated by engine oil pressure and failure can often be identified by a sharp rattling noise similar to a bicycle chain dragging on the chain guard on a cold start. The mk2 type is permanently tensioned by an integral spring which usually means it’ll fail silently.
A permanent solution is to retro-fit the later mk3 version tensioner made with a metal, not plastic body from the later 4.2 incarnation of the V8 engine and the only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an X308 is to either have a receipt with part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 new bolts to fit them on it relating to that particular car or remove the RH cam cover - the LH is a PITA to get off - and have a look. An orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 means the timing gear works hard and timing chains can stretch at high mileages or on neglected cars. If this is identified then a full chain and tensioner replacement is required costing up to £1000. If the chains are fine then it’s a wise precaution to fit the mk3 secondary tensioners which is a fairly easy DIY job. Tensioners cost around £75 a set plus a couple of quid for new bolts. Cam setting tools for this job and all other special tools needed for any work on an X308 can all be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any tools by removing the exhaust cam whilst preserving the timing with a tie wrap holding the chain on the sprocket and fiddling them out.
Exhaust cam chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a rough running engine, more than one tooth means exhaust valves meet pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is internal cleanliness. Bright shiny metal inside the oil filler cap and dipstick along with clean oil and no evidence of leaks is a good sign, as is clear coolant that does not smell or tasted bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
All X308s have a “sealed for life” gearbox. Loads have failed now - just look on ebay in the non runners or spares and repairs section. Any car that hesitates or engages Drive with a jerk or thump as the engine speed rises has a potential gearbox failure looming, changes should be seamless and quiet and you should be able to play tunes with the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector.
A very faint whine may be heard in intermediate gears. Any gearbox problems or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change may be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction but that’s never guaranteed.
Ideally the gearbox oil and filter should be changed at 50k then at 25k intervals; it's not a simple drain and refill on the ZF box as the final fill has to be done quickly with the engine running and within a narrow temperature range.
The ZF 5 speed box on the n/a cars requires Esso/Mobil longlife LT 71141 fluid also known as Lifeguard Fluid 5 and not conventional Dexron 3. The Mercedes gearbox in the supercharged version is also sealed for life but the same change requirement apply although you can use Dexron 3 in this box and it’s a less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the oil cooler pipes which also gets the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same applies to the rear axle. Oil should be changed but there’s no drain plug. Old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Look for corrosion on the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings and most importantly behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. This corrosion may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. It's an MOT fail too and a big welding job. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper brackets can work loose.
Paint lacquer on the XJ is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing – don’t let a swirly, hazy or dull finish put you off though. Providing you can’t actually feel the damage and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a very good finish with a through clean, polish and wax. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Always leather with different levels of trim and seat design. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different type. Drivers seat and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Headlinings can sag. LWB version obviously has more room in back.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are hard on suspension and brakes, listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. A sharp rattle heard and felt through the steering over bumps combined with a little free play in the steering wheel may be a worn crush joint on the lower steering column.
A clattery rattle from the rear is likely to be failed shocks or shock bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Feel round all the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure giving incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather oddly and heavy wear in the inside edges is a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush failure. Very slight even feathering is normal, especially on the fronts.
All Jaguar XJs are very sensitive to wheel and tyre imbalances or damage, typically you'll feel a steering wobble between 50-70MPH and possibly vibration through the seat if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. Incorrect tyre pressures, worn out or cheap budget tyres will severely affect handling and ride. Some X308s exhibit a faint exhaust vibration or harmonic around 50 and another one at 65MPH. You might possibly experience a hint of driveline vibration through the body too.
Don't expect too much in the way of the legendary Jaguar ride quality either - it's pretty good on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) are stiffer and have a up rated front anti roll bar and one on the rear too which when combined with larger diameter wheels and lower profile tyres gives a hard crashy ride on poor roads. CATS suspension may be fitted as an option to any X308 CATS has electronically controlled valves in the shocks to vary the damping rates depending on driving style. Identify CATS by the presence of a plastic cover over the top of the front shock absorber with a lead going into it.
ELECTRICIAL/ OBD2 DIAGNOSTICS
Electrical systems are generally pretty robust. As with any old car you might have the odd problem so check absolutely everything works. Even the earliest X308 is OBD2 compliant and a £20 code reader plugged into the socket in the driver’s footwell will help diagnosis a lot. Electric aerials are vulnerable, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures.
XJ’s need a strong battery to avoid random error messages appearing on start up. If you get one – usually TRAC FAIL – the battery is on its way out or needs several days on a trickle charge to bring it back up to good capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1998-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough to DIY and parts are reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway, 20/4 round town and mid teens or less if you nail it everywhere. Tyres are around £100/130 a corner in 16" diameter size. The 3.2 is quick enough (0-60 is 8s) the 4.0 is much rarer and does the same in 7.0.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give improved fuel economy. A through rustproofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Official servicing is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars.
One last thing. A software fault means you should never start an XJ8 from cold and then switch off again straight away and before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. Chances are it’ll flood when you next start and wash all the oil of the bores and it’s a right PITA to get it running again.
I loved my V8 XJR. It was a great car. If the one you are looking at getting is as nice as it sounds, then you will love every minute of it. I only ever got positive comments from people as well about mine. It seemed to generate no negativity like some other brands can. I only sold mine as my commute went to 40 miles a day and the fuel cost was getting a bit much.
Ephraim said:
Thanks all for the info and positivity. This must be a first on PH - a thread with universally positive comments (just wait for someone to come along and spoil it!). Jaguar Steve that's awesome info! Looking forward to having a poke around the car on the 27th.
That's one of the nicest things about owning a older XJ - everybody seems to like them. 
Well, I picked my new car up yesterday and did the run back from the FiL's house to home. Kent to Warwickshire, and it was awesome. Comfy, wafty, civilised and effortless. Thoroughly enjoyed myself, and looking forwards to spending a bit more time getting to know it.
An obligatory pic (it's in need of a wash):
An obligatory pic (it's in need of a wash):
Looks good - you don't see that many running the original Eclipse alloys these days.
Don't want to hijack your thread OP but I have a question for Jaguar Steve if he is around. I looked at an 01Y 3.2 XJ8 today. One owner with a book full of annual Swain & Jones stamps (yes I know they mean nothing without the receipts to back up)
Couple of cosmetic issues but the main rub was the mileage at 98k - should I be concerned? I don't intend to use it as a daily driver.
Don't want to hijack your thread OP but I have a question for Jaguar Steve if he is around. I looked at an 01Y 3.2 XJ8 today. One owner with a book full of annual Swain & Jones stamps (yes I know they mean nothing without the receipts to back up)
Couple of cosmetic issues but the main rub was the mileage at 98k - should I be concerned? I don't intend to use it as a daily driver.
best thing i have ever done was buy an xj 308. I gave it to my mum as her daily driver (14mpg lol ) she loves it and i have to admit when i get behind the wheel and stick its nose to the motorway what a pleasure she is to drive.
I did everything wrong when i bought mine though. Bought it with one test drive, no history and a couple of warning lights on. I viewed it on a thursday night in the rain as well and had it bought buy the saturday. After a once over it looked immaculate, it felt tight and the warning lights were door lock issues ( i replaced evry one bar the driver second hand for less than 50 quid for the 3)
After a quick service i got it up on my mates ramp and underneath it was in good condition. I do wish to get it under sealed and stick a set of 18" XK8 alloys on it. I honestly believe unless money dictates i need to get rid of her ( I named her Jenny as she's a boat and i love forest gump "That's ma boat") i will keep it until she rusts away.
Only issue i have found is even with a now 13 year old car some morons get very jealous and i have had a couple of dings and scratches. they are merely cosmetic though and imo not worth fixing on a car i spent 1400 on.
I did everything wrong when i bought mine though. Bought it with one test drive, no history and a couple of warning lights on. I viewed it on a thursday night in the rain as well and had it bought buy the saturday. After a once over it looked immaculate, it felt tight and the warning lights were door lock issues ( i replaced evry one bar the driver second hand for less than 50 quid for the 3)
After a quick service i got it up on my mates ramp and underneath it was in good condition. I do wish to get it under sealed and stick a set of 18" XK8 alloys on it. I honestly believe unless money dictates i need to get rid of her ( I named her Jenny as she's a boat and i love forest gump "That's ma boat") i will keep it until she rusts away.
Only issue i have found is even with a now 13 year old car some morons get very jealous and i have had a couple of dings and scratches. they are merely cosmetic though and imo not worth fixing on a car i spent 1400 on.
EKdave said:
Only issue i have found is even with a now 13 year old car some morons get very jealous and i have had a couple of dings and scratches. they are merely cosmetic though and imo not worth fixing on a car i spent 1400 on.
I found the opposite. Newish, flash-looking German metal tended to collect all the dings and scratches. The Jag seemed to get a lot of respect...(this was in South London)
PlayersNo6 said:
Looks good - you don't see that many running the original Eclipse alloys these days.
Don't want to hijack your thread OP but I have a question for Jaguar Steve if he is around. I looked at an 01Y 3.2 XJ8 today. One owner with a book full of annual Swain & Jones stamps (yes I know they mean nothing without the receipts to back up)
Couple of cosmetic issues but the main rub was the mileage at 98k - should I be concerned? I don't intend to use it as a daily driver.
Gearbox will be on borrowed time unless the oil and filter have been changed and if the original 2nd gen tensioners are still fitted they will almost certainly be cracked or brittle too. Corrosion is usually a function of mileage not ageDon't want to hijack your thread OP but I have a question for Jaguar Steve if he is around. I looked at an 01Y 3.2 XJ8 today. One owner with a book full of annual Swain & Jones stamps (yes I know they mean nothing without the receipts to back up)
Couple of cosmetic issues but the main rub was the mileage at 98k - should I be concerned? I don't intend to use it as a daily driver.
Lots of things could be wrong, or the car could be a absolute gem depending on how it's been treated and looked after. It's hard to make a judgement on an individual car especially if you have nothing else to compare it with but any old car need to be bought with eyes wide open.
I ran my first V8 XJ past 100k with no problems and have driven a 178k V8 still on it's original Nicasil engine and there's often several 120k+ XJ8s on ebay so no need to be put off by 98k.
Take your time and carefully check and road test the car and don't pay too much. High mileage XJ8s are easy enough to find and demand is weak making it a strong buyers market - the essential thing above all else is to find one that's been well cared for
Lovely cars, one thing that raised its head in mine was that one day it failed to start after moving it a very short distance. (From the driveway onto the road) Upon research I found that this is quite a common problem, they tend to flood, so leave it for a while if it does it and all will be well. Enjoy the car they are lovely!!
Thanks Steve, have also made enquiries about a seemingly immaculate 99V 3.2 (presume nikasil) with half the miles and again one owner with FJSH. This one doesn't have any cosmetic issues at all - such as corrosion on rear arches and the sagging headlining but I'm told Guy Salmon have welded up a few chassis areas over the years - which surprises me on such a low mileage car (55k) It's also up at a fair bit more than the 01Y with 98k...
I guess on any X308 I'm going to have to budget for MkIII steel tensioners and a gearbox oil, filter & seal change.
I guess on any X308 I'm going to have to budget for MkIII steel tensioners and a gearbox oil, filter & seal change.
PlayersNo6 said:
Thanks Steve, have also made enquiries about a seemingly immaculate 99V 3.2 (presume nikasil) with half the miles and again one owner with FJSH. This one doesn't have any cosmetic issues at all - such as corrosion on rear arches and the sagging headlining but I'm told Guy Salmon have welded up a few chassis areas over the years - which surprises me on such a low mileage car (55k) It's also up at a fair bit more than the 01Y with 98k...
I guess on any X308 I'm going to have to budget for MkIII steel tensioners and a gearbox oil, filter & seal change.
A 99 car will have a Nicasil coated engine fitted unless it's been changed - not likely though as that age engine will have only been potentially exposed to high sulphur content fuel for a short period until the maximum limit was lowered considerably in 2000. I guess on any X308 I'm going to have to budget for MkIII steel tensioners and a gearbox oil, filter & seal change.
There is a case to be made regarding potential engine wear on low mileage cars if they have only been used for frequent short trips rather than infrequent longer journeys. That's balanced by the fact everything else on a low miles car right down to the sunglasses holder dampers will only have low mileage wear and tear on it
You will need to consider tensioners and gearbox oil change on any X308.
I'd suggest you have a look in the JEC classifieds. An enthusiast who just fancies a change or a bereavement sale may enable you to source a good, well cared for car with all the necessary work already done as its likely to be up for sale within the club for a reason other than its knackered, needs a fortune spending on it or some trader is hoping to make a profit out of the deal.
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