First Gen XK8/XKR - easy to live with or wallet raper?
Discussion
Seeing as good examples of these have dropped below £10k they are suddenly on my radar...
...so what are running costs like? I know fuel won't be great but more worried about parts / servicing etc.
Anything to look out for / check has been done?
Good to drive? Sound nice? Need upgrades to get the best out of them?
...so what are running costs like? I know fuel won't be great but more worried about parts / servicing etc.
Anything to look out for / check has been done?
Good to drive? Sound nice? Need upgrades to get the best out of them?
Gearboxes are sealed for life and fail due to lubrication breakdown. Different and stronger box in the XKR but same still applies. Oil should be changed at 50k max or the box is on borrowed time. Procedure is tricky and oil expensive but can be done. Any hesitation or jerk when taking up drive, or shrill whine means handing the keys back and looking for another. Gearchanges should be absolutely seamless on part throttle.
Sealed for life applies to 'diff too. By 90k expect a bit of whine under load.
Early examples have nicasil lined bores. Several of which failed due to high sulphur content in pre 2000 fuel. Most will have failed if they are going too by now. Any engine built after 2000 will be ok as won't have been exposed to 150ppm content fuel. Jaguar switched to steel liners in 2000/1.
Early (pre 2000) cars have waterpump and thermostat problems. Overheating will blow headgaskets.
Early (pre 2000) cars had throttle body recall. Essential
V8 mk1 and mk2 secondary timing chain tensioners are made of plastic which goes brittle over time and lack of servicing. Tensioner failure will almost certainly cause engine damage. Later metal bodied tensioners from the 4.2V8 can be retro fitted for around £400 - essential job IMO. No 4.0 V8 left the factory with metal tensioner bodies.
Floorpans can rust by gearbox tunnel and in box sections. Only way to be sure is to remove carpet and seats.
High mile suspension bushes fail causing poor handling and geometry problems. Check for uneven wear or excessive feathering on front tyres.
Hard driven examples will eat fuel, tyres, brakes and bushes and be rashed with stone chips - if none suspect paintwork repairs.
Convertable hoods need actuating fliud change and flush or may stop working.
Parts are mostly cheap and readily available. British Car Parts sell good quality patten items.
Expect up to high 20s MPG if you're carefull.
I'd look for an enthusiasts car that's been well cared for. FSH is a absolute minimum.
Servicing is cheap - there's not much to do. Find a good indy or DIY.
Sealed for life applies to 'diff too. By 90k expect a bit of whine under load.
Early examples have nicasil lined bores. Several of which failed due to high sulphur content in pre 2000 fuel. Most will have failed if they are going too by now. Any engine built after 2000 will be ok as won't have been exposed to 150ppm content fuel. Jaguar switched to steel liners in 2000/1.
Early (pre 2000) cars have waterpump and thermostat problems. Overheating will blow headgaskets.
Early (pre 2000) cars had throttle body recall. Essential
V8 mk1 and mk2 secondary timing chain tensioners are made of plastic which goes brittle over time and lack of servicing. Tensioner failure will almost certainly cause engine damage. Later metal bodied tensioners from the 4.2V8 can be retro fitted for around £400 - essential job IMO. No 4.0 V8 left the factory with metal tensioner bodies.
Floorpans can rust by gearbox tunnel and in box sections. Only way to be sure is to remove carpet and seats.
High mile suspension bushes fail causing poor handling and geometry problems. Check for uneven wear or excessive feathering on front tyres.
Hard driven examples will eat fuel, tyres, brakes and bushes and be rashed with stone chips - if none suspect paintwork repairs.
Convertable hoods need actuating fliud change and flush or may stop working.
Parts are mostly cheap and readily available. British Car Parts sell good quality patten items.
Expect up to high 20s MPG if you're carefull.
I'd look for an enthusiasts car that's been well cared for. FSH is a absolute minimum.
Servicing is cheap - there's not much to do. Find a good indy or DIY.
Legend83 said:
Seeing as good examples of these have dropped below £10k they are suddenly on my radar...
...so what are running costs like? I know fuel won't be great but more worried about parts / servicing etc.
Anything to look out for / check has been done?
Good to drive? Sound nice? Need upgrades to get the best out of them?
You'll likely get a raft of people, people who have never owned or run such cars telling you that these where expensive cars to buy and are very expensive to run. I've even had figures of £5000-8000 a year quoted to me. Yet out of all these people none have actually been able to provide any proof. The closest was a link to a Jaguar forum where someone was complaining about high running costs, as it turned out the high costs were actually with their current Porsche Boxster and they were looking to swap to an XK....so what are running costs like? I know fuel won't be great but more worried about parts / servicing etc.
Anything to look out for / check has been done?
Good to drive? Sound nice? Need upgrades to get the best out of them?
Several XK owners provided breakdowns of costs over a period of years. In my view they where very modest. £1500 over 4 or 5 years type of thing.
As with any car, make sure you know the areas to look for. Find out about good parts and used parts suppliers and a non Jag dealer to do any work you might need. With a bit of luck I don't see why you can't have a positive ownership experience.
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