2005 4.2 XKR
Author
Discussion

Zippyworld

Original Poster:

830 posts

201 months

Tuesday 12th August
quotequote all
Evening

Just a quickie, whilst I know tensioners in the later 4.2 engine were updated to metal, are they still dodgy at 90k miles ?

Theres a cheap XKR convertible cropped up on a well known site and its a nice spec….

Vsix and Vtec

1,014 posts

35 months

Tuesday 12th August
quotequote all
Maintenance is king.

Also properly being cared for and not abused as cheap power by the ilk who usually buy a C63 or an S5. The tyres are usually a good indication of the level of money spent on Maintenance, if its sat on anything like an Accelera Phi, expect the service history to be one based on Vauxhall money. Mismatched, or old are also concerning.

Check things like when the belts (Super Charger and Serpentine Auxiliary) were last done, also gearbox oil service should have been done at 70-80k. The ZF 6 speed is a much more robust unit than the previous 5 speed, but again it must be treated with some kindness and Maintenance or it'll suffer.

If this is a late X100 rather than an early X150, check the car for rust. Sills and behind the front wheels are easiest places to spot it, also the floor pans on drivers and passenger footwells. The suspension subframes are pressed steel on both the X100 and X150, so do check those out too for rust potential.

Eta: As its a convertible, check the hood lift hydraulic fluid has been changed too, it goes gloopy with age and can burst the roof latch valve block (green staining is a giveaway)

Edited by Vsix and Vtec on Tuesday 12th August 21:14

Zippyworld

Original Poster:

830 posts

201 months

Tuesday 12th August
quotequote all
All good information, its a late 1st gen.
Its £5k cheaper than the cheapest one for sale on here.
That sets alarm bells. But it has FSH….

Vsix and Vtec

1,014 posts

35 months

Tuesday 12th August
quotequote all
Zippyworld said:
All good information, its a late 1st gen.
Its £5k cheaper than the cheapest one for sale on here.
That sets alarm bells. But it has FSH….
I would suggest that unless its been flogged unsympatheticaly or had the valley hoses pop and dump coolant (something that unfortunately can happen as the rubber ages) and its warped the heads, the 4.2 is a very strong and reliable engine. They all came with the updated tensioners and chains, Jaguar learnt those lessons on the AJV8 4.0L, so by time 4.2 came round, it was a well sorted unit.

My expectations are its got rust in the chassis legs, or the floor pans, but previous MOTs should point the way on that, its not an overnight occurrence.

Its worth knowing that the Vee mounts often die by that kind of age too, so any rough idle is more likely that than a genuine misfire.

Edit: is the car a Silver Y reg in Retford? Im slightly alarmed by the listing, it looks like its been put up twice, but some of the photos are either AI or Google Street view in origin looking at the picture drift.

Proceed with extreme caution, this looks a bit scam shaped.

Edited by Vsix and Vtec on Tuesday 12th August 21:39