X308 XJR - how much to spend?!
Discussion
..so having got outbid on a BMW I was viewing on Ebay earlier, I got into that addictive habit of window shopping and looked at Jag XJRs...oh, how I have always loved this cars and in a world of £20 E39 M5s and £7K Integra Rs, such a bargain!
Trouble is, the prices seem to vary a lot. For example, on Gumtree, there was one for £5K with 100K miles and another for just £2.9K with the same mileage.
Then I saw this ad......
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172137528590?_trksid=p20...
Looks like a well pampered and low mileage for year car....for five grand....but, it is a 1998 car and my "buyers guide" notes say that these can suffer Nikosail bore wear and also have the weaker timing chain tensioner!
Gumtree car....
https://www.gumtree.com/p/jaguar/4.0-jaguar-xjr-20...
(But very short MOT).
Its a right old minefield, but with these old XJRs is the adage still "buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest?"
There is also an XJR in Horndean fairly near to me for £3695, fairly cheap too,its a 1997 car...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321910509758?_trksid=p20...
Are these cars really money pits waiting to bite or can you bag a good one and run as a low mile second or third car and not get burned? I saw on a Pistonheads thread from last year that someone got one for £695?! That just sounds outrageous!
Trouble is, the prices seem to vary a lot. For example, on Gumtree, there was one for £5K with 100K miles and another for just £2.9K with the same mileage.
Then I saw this ad......
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172137528590?_trksid=p20...
Looks like a well pampered and low mileage for year car....for five grand....but, it is a 1998 car and my "buyers guide" notes say that these can suffer Nikosail bore wear and also have the weaker timing chain tensioner!
Gumtree car....
https://www.gumtree.com/p/jaguar/4.0-jaguar-xjr-20...
(But very short MOT).
Its a right old minefield, but with these old XJRs is the adage still "buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest?"
There is also an XJR in Horndean fairly near to me for £3695, fairly cheap too,its a 1997 car...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321910509758?_trksid=p20...
Are these cars really money pits waiting to bite or can you bag a good one and run as a low mile second or third car and not get burned? I saw on a Pistonheads thread from last year that someone got one for £695?! That just sounds outrageous!
Edited by GreenArrow on Sunday 20th March 17:06
The bigger the car, the more money it's capable of swallowing, but these cars are seriously quick, I have the Daimler version but still with 370 very willing horses and the CATS adaptive suspension. A supercar for Eurobox money.
Have a good look at Jaguar Steve's excellent guide to all things X308, which is included in a recent post.
If you compare it with spending even £15k on a more modern car when you can get a very good XJR or SV8 for £6k, you have plenty left over to address any future problems. Plus the £15k one will depreciate, whereas the 308 will hold its own or even go up. They are heavy on suspension components and a few parts need urgent upgrade as soon as you buy, unless they have been done by previous owners and documented.
Good ones are about but becoming increasingly rare.
Ian
Have a good look at Jaguar Steve's excellent guide to all things X308, which is included in a recent post.
If you compare it with spending even £15k on a more modern car when you can get a very good XJR or SV8 for £6k, you have plenty left over to address any future problems. Plus the £15k one will depreciate, whereas the 308 will hold its own or even go up. They are heavy on suspension components and a few parts need urgent upgrade as soon as you buy, unless they have been done by previous owners and documented.
Good ones are about but becoming increasingly rare.
Ian
Edited by Orcadian on Sunday 20th March 17:53
I have a 98 XJR and I haven't seen a better one. All the work has been done on this car and its just shy of 70K miles.
The insurance agreed valuation on my car is £6500 which I plan to negotiate higher this Spring due to some minor bodywork repair and a brand new headlining.
This may help.
I saw what OP said about a 1997 car, its looks like an X308 but I thought the X308 was a 98 ?
The insurance agreed valuation on my car is £6500 which I plan to negotiate higher this Spring due to some minor bodywork repair and a brand new headlining.
This may help.
I saw what OP said about a 1997 car, its looks like an X308 but I thought the X308 was a 98 ?
Edited by Zippyworld on Sunday 20th March 20:04
I always thought the X308 XJR in common with the X100 XKR was launched to the public with cars delivered from June 1998. Cars built and registered in 97 were press and pre production cars.
Nikasil; cannot be an issue now as any car affected would have died. The Nikasil engines harden with age and have lower friction, they should out last steel lined engines. The lining can still be damaged by worn rings but then so can steel lined engines. Tensioners, this is so common most cars have had them done. If they fail it is not usually fatal and causes just a slight missfire as the chain slips. Check, replace if needed (£1K)
X100 XKRs and X308 XJs can be 18 years old, rust is the most likely issue. Read up and check where they go, it is this and condition in general that should determin price.
They thrive on miles, the suspension degrades more if you don't drive it so don't get hung up on "low" mileage cars, my XKR is on 120K and is going better than ever
Nikasil; cannot be an issue now as any car affected would have died. The Nikasil engines harden with age and have lower friction, they should out last steel lined engines. The lining can still be damaged by worn rings but then so can steel lined engines. Tensioners, this is so common most cars have had them done. If they fail it is not usually fatal and causes just a slight missfire as the chain slips. Check, replace if needed (£1K)
X100 XKRs and X308 XJs can be 18 years old, rust is the most likely issue. Read up and check where they go, it is this and condition in general that should determin price.
They thrive on miles, the suspension degrades more if you don't drive it so don't get hung up on "low" mileage cars, my XKR is on 120K and is going better than ever
For further information regarding rust, despite mine getting Dinotrol 5 years ago I have just had the rear off side door sill and the front off side wing repaired and painted. It will be going in for a bit if welding on both front inner arches where the brake pipes go through. Both bodywork reoairs were minor.
It is tricky to find a good one, they are strong cars though, mine has done 128k so far, I bought it on 125 and have used it as a daily driver for the past 5 months or so. It's fantastic! So far given it a full service, a few minor niggles fixed, and finally I changed the front subframe bushes. Not very happy with the quality of those though so I've politely asked a mate who works at Jaguar to get me a price on genuine ones. That supercharged surge still brings a massive grin to my face every morning on the way into work! Let us know how you get on, none of the ones you've showed look bad cars, however best to have a thorough inspection and drive first.
How did you get on?
I'm desperately trying to avoid buying one - my grandfather had one from new and I will buy one a some stage, just a question of when.
There is a lovely 40K mileage one up for £9850 at a dealer, looks tidy, but seems a little steep.
They are still a few nice ones for 5/6k?
I have three cars already, but still have the lust for these.
I'm desperately trying to avoid buying one - my grandfather had one from new and I will buy one a some stage, just a question of when.
There is a lovely 40K mileage one up for £9850 at a dealer, looks tidy, but seems a little steep.
They are still a few nice ones for 5/6k?
I have three cars already, but still have the lust for these.
Orcadian said:
'Once the motor is renewed'. - did I miss something in your saga? What has happened?
Ian
Oh dear you can tell I am sleep deprived! No it doesn't need a new motor just a new MOT! Thankfully...Ian
Just recharging the aircon and sorting the wheel wobble out first and then MOT due end July.
Cheers,
James.
jcuthell said:
My wife hates it!
That wouldnt stop me keeping it ;-)I have the X350 XJR and my wife loves a fast car - she previously had a modified R5 GT Turbo and then a warmed up VW Golf and also an Imprezza Turbo for a bit. But she giggles when shes driving the jag - in her words 'I push this to the floor, look in the rer view mirror and everything has vanished' . She says its just stupid that an old mans barge has 400BHP - its a bit of a sleeper and she loves it.
Dodsy said:
That wouldnt stop me keeping it ;-)
I have the X350 XJR and my wife loves a fast car - she previously had a modified R5 GT Turbo and then a warmed up VW Golf and also an Imprezza Turbo for a bit. But she giggles when shes driving the jag - in her words 'I push this to the floor, look in the rer view mirror and everything has vanished' . She says its just stupid that an old mans barge has 400BHP - its a bit of a sleeper and she loves it.
That's probably the trick if I could get her to drive it! In the 2 months she hasn't even sat in itI have the X350 XJR and my wife loves a fast car - she previously had a modified R5 GT Turbo and then a warmed up VW Golf and also an Imprezza Turbo for a bit. But she giggles when shes driving the jag - in her words 'I push this to the floor, look in the rer view mirror and everything has vanished' . She says its just stupid that an old mans barge has 400BHP - its a bit of a sleeper and she loves it.
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