Need advice buying a Jag XJR
Discussion
Hi all.
Long time lurker but first time poster. I am contemplating buying one of my obtainable dream cars which is a 1990’s Jaguar XJR. Despite the fact that I am 23, I have always loved Jaguar’s and I have wanted an old Jaguar XJR for as long as I can remember.
However I am undecided whether to look out for an X300 or X308. I am fond of both of them but want some advice on which one is the nicer car. I understand the X308 has a few mechanical problems, but is it worth looking over these if it’s a nicer car than the X300, or is the X300 the better car all along?
To add, this will not be my daily driver, this will be more of a day off toy but I plan on keeping it for a very long time. I’m hoping to get it by the beginning of next year since I’ll have the funds for it by then. Thank you all for your help.
Long time lurker but first time poster. I am contemplating buying one of my obtainable dream cars which is a 1990’s Jaguar XJR. Despite the fact that I am 23, I have always loved Jaguar’s and I have wanted an old Jaguar XJR for as long as I can remember.
However I am undecided whether to look out for an X300 or X308. I am fond of both of them but want some advice on which one is the nicer car. I understand the X308 has a few mechanical problems, but is it worth looking over these if it’s a nicer car than the X300, or is the X300 the better car all along?
To add, this will not be my daily driver, this will be more of a day off toy but I plan on keeping it for a very long time. I’m hoping to get it by the beginning of next year since I’ll have the funds for it by then. Thank you all for your help.
I think the consensus is that the V8 is a better car and the the straight 6 is easier for people planning to work on it themselves. The V8 is significantly more powerful if that's important to you. It's possible to get manual 6's but to me a manual XJ doesn't make much sense, back in the they there was little call for them, but in recent years there's been more questions about manuals here and people talking about wanting one. There were no manual V8s.
The problems with the 4.0 V8s centred around the nikisil cylinder liners, which should've been long since sorted on any cars that you might look at
I remember looking at several X308 XJRs a few years ago, my advice would be not to worry about mileage, concentrate on condition & history
Dodgy electrics could be expensive to investigate & fix, mechanicals should be more straightforward, just try to find a well cared for example
Slightly off piste, I have seen an early 2000s XKR 4.0 for sale with 166k, which looks like it's only done 40k...so look hard enough & long enough, something really nice will come up...be patient! ...and good luck!
I remember looking at several X308 XJRs a few years ago, my advice would be not to worry about mileage, concentrate on condition & history
Dodgy electrics could be expensive to investigate & fix, mechanicals should be more straightforward, just try to find a well cared for example
Slightly off piste, I have seen an early 2000s XKR 4.0 for sale with 166k, which looks like it's only done 40k...so look hard enough & long enough, something really nice will come up...be patient! ...and good luck!
All things being equal the V8 is a much better car. It's quicker, handles better, is much more refined and had a vastly improved gearbox.
Having said that buy either straight 6 or V8 XJR on condition alone.
The JS X308 Buyers Guide
OVERVIEW
To avoid model confusion between the 8 XJ models the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ8 can be referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The all new at the time V8 engine in the 308 has similar architecture to current cars and is available in a 3.2, 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only.
Engines were revised in the late 1999 model year from the original AJ26 version to AJ27. A car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five , not six digits. AJ26 engines suffered weak water pumps, thermostat failures, secondary timing chain tensioner and throttle body failures and had a Nicasil coating applied directly on the cylinder bore walls rather than using conventional steel liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE NICASIL
Some Nicasil coatings errroded due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated engine that you know for sure is OK now should not be any concern. Several Nicasil engines were changed under warranty so you may find a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head buried at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of erosion and loss of compression are fast cranking, poor cold starting, a lumpy idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intake. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check for this is to undo and 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 20l/m anything over 30 l/m is shagged.
ENGINE COOLING
Impellors on AJ26 water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be changed to the later version with a metal, not plastic impellor. The temperature gauge is software driven and is 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 absolutely stone cold, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a strong stream of bubble free coolant into the tank.
Thermoststs can jam either open or shut.
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. Spring type coolant hose clips can loose tension and let pipes blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are very delicate. Check all over the engine compartment for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower and coolant (valley) pipes underneath the inlet manifold as well as around the expansion tank hidden under the front of the nearside wing. Leave the engine idling to make sure the cooling fans kick in. Sniff around too as hot coolant has a distinctive smell. Auxiliary heater pump failures cause loss of heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Two types of coolant available for the XJ8 - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier green one.
ENGINE THROTTLE BODIES
AJ26 throttle bodies all ought to have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on a high speed overrun. The later design should have been factory fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND CHAINS
The only post AJ26 revision engine issue that remains is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were replaced by a mk 2 version in Oct 1998 from engine no 98102106XX 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 instead which means it’ll usually 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. Jaguar issued a TSB in 2005 advising the fitment of these to the X308. Only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an 308 is to either have a receipt with tensioner part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 shorter 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. A reddish/orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey aluminum metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 places uneven loading on the timing chains and they 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 and sprockets and guides are servicable then it’s a sensible move 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. Camshaft setting tools can be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any setting tools by tie wrapping the secondary chain to the exhaust cam sprocket and jamming the chain on the inlet cam sprocket with a wedge of wood to preserve the timing and removing the exhaust cam alltogether. Taking the cam out gives just enough room to ease the secondary tensioner away from position and fit a replacement. Chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a very rough running engine, more than one tooth slipped means exhaust valves will contact pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is quiet running with just faint injector tick audible and 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 taste bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
X308 gearboxes were marketed as “sealed for life” meaning no oil changes are called for in the schedule to reduce servicing costs. It's a ZF unit in the n/a cars and a Mercedes one in the supercharged cars. Any hesitation or engagement of Drive with a jerk as the engine speed rises means a potential gearbox failure looming and any gearbox stuck in 4th or 5th or only driving in reverse is beyond saving. A very faint gear whine may be heard in intermediate gears but any gearbox issues or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change might be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction like occasional reluctant or rough changes but that’s never guaranteed. Gear changes should be seamless and quiet and you should have instant response using the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector.
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. There is no conventional dipstick for checking oil level.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 standard Dexron 3 in this box and once you have fitted a temporary dipstick it’s a much less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the rather fragile oil cooler pipes in the radiator which also gets most of the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same sealed for life marketing applies to the rear axle. Oil ought be changed but there’s no drain plug so old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil. Whiny diffs - a high mileage Jaguar speciality feature - can be quieted down considerably with EP140 or even EP250 oil.
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Substantially better than earlier Jaguars. But look for corrosion round the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings, sill closing panels, jacking points and most importantly on the inner wing behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame V mount is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. Corrosion around the same area may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the two 10mm bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. Corrosion here is an MOT fail and a big welding job if the subframe has to be dropped. Another area to check is the joint between the rear of the front inner wings and the bulkhead. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Darker cars often appear to have slight but consistent orange peel in the lacquer all over the body too but you can use this to spot inconsistencies and start thinking about accident damage repairs. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper mounting brackets can corrode. Lacquer on the XJ8 is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing Providing you can’t actually feel scratches with a thumbnail and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a glossy finish with a mornings detailing if that's your thing. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Very cozy given the size of the car. Always leather with different levels of trim and seating style. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different design. Driver’s seat back and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Head linings can sag. LWB version has extra room in the back. Check everything and repeatedly cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range and run the interior fans at high speed while doing so and listen for vibration. Foam can get dislodged from the flaps and jam in the fans.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are heavy and can be hard on suspension and brakes. Listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking over bumps and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. Stop the car on the handbrake to make sure it works. 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 either failed shock bushes or worn rear silencer hangers. A soft clonk from the front might just be anti roll bar bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes or worn rear hub pivots will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Look and feel round the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure allowing incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather badly and excessive wear in the inside edges of the fronts is sometimes a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush or ball joint failure rather than excess toe out. There is a subtle bifference in the two wear patterns with excess toe out usually causing a even slope across the tyre and excess camber more likley to show a sudden step up in wear on the inside 25%. Slight and even feathering inside and out is normal on the front tyres.
308s 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 from anything over 45MPH if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. A Hunter Roadforce wheel balance may help diagnosis. Incorrect tyre pressures and knackered or faulty tyres will severely influence handling and ride. Most X308s exhibit a faint exhaust 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 acceptable on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) have higher damping rates and have a thicker front anti roll bar and one fitted 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. 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 easy to damage but easy to replace, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures. Non working key fobs usually need nothing more than new batteries, a clean and easy DIY reprogramme. 308'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 full capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1997-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough car for a competent DIYer to work on and parts are pretty reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. The few specialist tools required can be hired from the JEC.
Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway or touring, between 20 and 24 around town and mid teens or less if you're nailing it in a n/a car, the supercharged versions typically use more. Quality tyres start around £100 a corner in 16" diameter size. Early cars fall into a cheaper VED bracket then later ones. Servicing schedule is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars
3.2 does 0-60 in 8.1s and the 4.0 is a second quicker.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile IMO. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give a small improvement in fuel economy. Keeping oil topped up to the maximum mark - both my V8's have used a little - is a plan too as it reduces stress on the oil and both reduces the possibility of oil starvation on rapid cornering and seems somehow to make a subtle improvement in refinement. A through rust proofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Waxoil has the effect of lubricating suspension components and a good soaking - not anywhere near the brakes 'tho please - will subtly improve the ride quality.
Keeping the inside of the throttle body and the elements of the airflow meter spotlessly clean as well as the 2.5mm calibrated bleed hole in the breather system will stabilise and improve throttle response and consistentency especially at small openings. Again it's a subtle but worthwhile improvement. Any leaks in the air intake or breather system need fixing.
Providing the suspension components are all OK and the tyres are reasonable a occasional Hunter full 4 wheel laser alignment geometry check and reset will improve feel of the car dramatically. Small changes in tyre pressure have a unusually big influence on how the car drives too.
One last thing. A software error means its a very bad thing to start an X308 from cold and then switch off again straightaway or before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. There's a chance 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.
Having said that buy either straight 6 or V8 XJR on condition alone.
The JS X308 Buyers Guide
OVERVIEW
To avoid model confusion between the 8 XJ models the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ8 can be referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The all new at the time V8 engine in the 308 has similar architecture to current cars and is available in a 3.2, 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only.
Engines were revised in the late 1999 model year from the original AJ26 version to AJ27. A car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five , not six digits. AJ26 engines suffered weak water pumps, thermostat failures, secondary timing chain tensioner and throttle body failures and had a Nicasil coating applied directly on the cylinder bore walls rather than using conventional steel liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE NICASIL
Some Nicasil coatings errroded due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated engine that you know for sure is OK now should not be any concern. Several Nicasil engines were changed under warranty so you may find a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head buried at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of erosion and loss of compression are fast cranking, poor cold starting, a lumpy idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intake. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check for this is to undo and 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 20l/m anything over 30 l/m is shagged.
ENGINE COOLING
Impellors on AJ26 water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be changed to the later version with a metal, not plastic impellor. The temperature gauge is software driven and is 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 absolutely stone cold, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a strong stream of bubble free coolant into the tank.
Thermoststs can jam either open or shut.
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. Spring type coolant hose clips can loose tension and let pipes blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are very delicate. Check all over the engine compartment for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower and coolant (valley) pipes underneath the inlet manifold as well as around the expansion tank hidden under the front of the nearside wing. Leave the engine idling to make sure the cooling fans kick in. Sniff around too as hot coolant has a distinctive smell. Auxiliary heater pump failures cause loss of heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Two types of coolant available for the XJ8 - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier green one.
ENGINE THROTTLE BODIES
AJ26 throttle bodies all ought to have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on a high speed overrun. The later design should have been factory fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND CHAINS
The only post AJ26 revision engine issue that remains is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were replaced by a mk 2 version in Oct 1998 from engine no 98102106XX 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 instead which means it’ll usually 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. Jaguar issued a TSB in 2005 advising the fitment of these to the X308. Only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an 308 is to either have a receipt with tensioner part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 shorter 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. A reddish/orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey aluminum metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 places uneven loading on the timing chains and they 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 and sprockets and guides are servicable then it’s a sensible move 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. Camshaft setting tools can be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any setting tools by tie wrapping the secondary chain to the exhaust cam sprocket and jamming the chain on the inlet cam sprocket with a wedge of wood to preserve the timing and removing the exhaust cam alltogether. Taking the cam out gives just enough room to ease the secondary tensioner away from position and fit a replacement. Chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a very rough running engine, more than one tooth slipped means exhaust valves will contact pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is quiet running with just faint injector tick audible and 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 taste bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
X308 gearboxes were marketed as “sealed for life” meaning no oil changes are called for in the schedule to reduce servicing costs. It's a ZF unit in the n/a cars and a Mercedes one in the supercharged cars. Any hesitation or engagement of Drive with a jerk as the engine speed rises means a potential gearbox failure looming and any gearbox stuck in 4th or 5th or only driving in reverse is beyond saving. A very faint gear whine may be heard in intermediate gears but any gearbox issues or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change might be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction like occasional reluctant or rough changes but that’s never guaranteed. Gear changes should be seamless and quiet and you should have instant response using the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector.
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. There is no conventional dipstick for checking oil level.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 standard Dexron 3 in this box and once you have fitted a temporary dipstick it’s a much less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the rather fragile oil cooler pipes in the radiator which also gets most of the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same sealed for life marketing applies to the rear axle. Oil ought be changed but there’s no drain plug so old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil. Whiny diffs - a high mileage Jaguar speciality feature - can be quieted down considerably with EP140 or even EP250 oil.
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Substantially better than earlier Jaguars. But look for corrosion round the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings, sill closing panels, jacking points and most importantly on the inner wing behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame V mount is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. Corrosion around the same area may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the two 10mm bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. Corrosion here is an MOT fail and a big welding job if the subframe has to be dropped. Another area to check is the joint between the rear of the front inner wings and the bulkhead. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Darker cars often appear to have slight but consistent orange peel in the lacquer all over the body too but you can use this to spot inconsistencies and start thinking about accident damage repairs. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper mounting brackets can corrode. Lacquer on the XJ8 is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing Providing you can’t actually feel scratches with a thumbnail and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a glossy finish with a mornings detailing if that's your thing. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Very cozy given the size of the car. Always leather with different levels of trim and seating style. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different design. Driver’s seat back and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Head linings can sag. LWB version has extra room in the back. Check everything and repeatedly cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range and run the interior fans at high speed while doing so and listen for vibration. Foam can get dislodged from the flaps and jam in the fans.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are heavy and can be hard on suspension and brakes. Listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking over bumps and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. Stop the car on the handbrake to make sure it works. 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 either failed shock bushes or worn rear silencer hangers. A soft clonk from the front might just be anti roll bar bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes or worn rear hub pivots will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Look and feel round the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure allowing incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather badly and excessive wear in the inside edges of the fronts is sometimes a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush or ball joint failure rather than excess toe out. There is a subtle bifference in the two wear patterns with excess toe out usually causing a even slope across the tyre and excess camber more likley to show a sudden step up in wear on the inside 25%. Slight and even feathering inside and out is normal on the front tyres.
308s 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 from anything over 45MPH if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. A Hunter Roadforce wheel balance may help diagnosis. Incorrect tyre pressures and knackered or faulty tyres will severely influence handling and ride. Most X308s exhibit a faint exhaust 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 acceptable on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) have higher damping rates and have a thicker front anti roll bar and one fitted 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. 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 easy to damage but easy to replace, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures. Non working key fobs usually need nothing more than new batteries, a clean and easy DIY reprogramme. 308'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 full capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1997-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough car for a competent DIYer to work on and parts are pretty reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. The few specialist tools required can be hired from the JEC.
Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway or touring, between 20 and 24 around town and mid teens or less if you're nailing it in a n/a car, the supercharged versions typically use more. Quality tyres start around £100 a corner in 16" diameter size. Early cars fall into a cheaper VED bracket then later ones. Servicing schedule is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars
3.2 does 0-60 in 8.1s and the 4.0 is a second quicker.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile IMO. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give a small improvement in fuel economy. Keeping oil topped up to the maximum mark - both my V8's have used a little - is a plan too as it reduces stress on the oil and both reduces the possibility of oil starvation on rapid cornering and seems somehow to make a subtle improvement in refinement. A through rust proofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Waxoil has the effect of lubricating suspension components and a good soaking - not anywhere near the brakes 'tho please - will subtly improve the ride quality.
Keeping the inside of the throttle body and the elements of the airflow meter spotlessly clean as well as the 2.5mm calibrated bleed hole in the breather system will stabilise and improve throttle response and consistentency especially at small openings. Again it's a subtle but worthwhile improvement. Any leaks in the air intake or breather system need fixing.
Providing the suspension components are all OK and the tyres are reasonable a occasional Hunter full 4 wheel laser alignment geometry check and reset will improve feel of the car dramatically. Small changes in tyre pressure have a unusually big influence on how the car drives too.
One last thing. A software error means its a very bad thing to start an X308 from cold and then switch off again straightaway or before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. There's a chance 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.
badhuis said:
Fantastic buyers guide!
There are lots more 3.2 compared to 4.0. Is it worth the look for a 4.0? Any disadvantages having a 4.0?
Thank you There are lots more 3.2 compared to 4.0. Is it worth the look for a 4.0? Any disadvantages having a 4.0?
Yes there are. A new price difference between otherwise identical spec cars of about £5k probably accounts for this.
No disadvantage to either engine size. They all share pretty much the same components except the 4.0 has vvt solenoids which can get noisy and a slightly higher axle ratio meaning a good second hand diff might be difficult to find. There's no fuel consumption penalty and obviously the 4.0 has more torque and power making it feel more flexible but that doesn't really matter unless you're driving a lot in hilly areas or heavily loaded.
IIRC the 4.0 cars with the exception of the Sovereign would have Sport suspension rather than Touring as standard. There is a quite noticeable difference between the two on poor roads especially with larger diameter wheels and lower profile tyres.
Bottom line is buy absolutely on condition and history alone and if you're determined to have any particular trim then there's plenty of breakers on ebay.
Try the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club classifieds. Often nice cars on there with the advantage of long term care and attention.
Thank you all for your brilliant advice! I had a feeling the V8 XJR is the better car but wanted confirmation from people who have had more experience with them. The extra power is enough to convince me of that. 
Plus the extra refinement is important in a Jag. I’ll prioritise looking for a good V8 so Jaguar Steve’s superb buying guide will be a massive help! But if I can find a good straight six I won’t completely rule it out.
I’m glad mileage isn’t a huge problem as most of the cars within my budget have at least 90,000 on the clock. A full service history is a must though.
Regarding manual cars, An XJ of any spec is one of the few cars I would always have the automatic, so I am not too bothered that the V8 only comes as an auto.
Plus the extra refinement is important in a Jag. I’ll prioritise looking for a good V8 so Jaguar Steve’s superb buying guide will be a massive help! But if I can find a good straight six I won’t completely rule it out.I’m glad mileage isn’t a huge problem as most of the cars within my budget have at least 90,000 on the clock. A full service history is a must though.
Regarding manual cars, An XJ of any spec is one of the few cars I would always have the automatic, so I am not too bothered that the V8 only comes as an auto.
Have you found anything yet? There are always plenty for sale so you'll find something soon if you haven't already.
The 'buyers guide' posted by Jaguar Steve is very comprehensive so use that as your guide. The Nikasil issues would have been resolved by now (either with a replacement engine) or the change in sulphur content in fuel. So if you find a car with a Nikasil Bore engine, unless it's obviously not running right, I wouldn't worry about it. Some say the engines with Nikasil bores are better because they are lighter; although I doubt there's any written proof to back up the argument.
As the guide says, check the water pump has been changed. As stated, they have a cheap plastic impeller which can fail. I had mine changed just in time. It was just starting to show signs of disintegrating. Timing chain/tensioners should also be inspected and changed if needed. Keep an eye on them.
The other thing to check (with the XJR) is the suspension. If you here any knocking, then be prepared for a big bill.
If you want a quick, easy, relatively inexpensive power upgrade, then consider changing the lower (and maybe the upper) supercharger pulley(s). You'll notice a huge difference in the mid range.
Other than that, the XJR is a great car. I loved mine and would have another (maybe an X350) in a heartbeat. Good luck. Keep us all posted.
The 'buyers guide' posted by Jaguar Steve is very comprehensive so use that as your guide. The Nikasil issues would have been resolved by now (either with a replacement engine) or the change in sulphur content in fuel. So if you find a car with a Nikasil Bore engine, unless it's obviously not running right, I wouldn't worry about it. Some say the engines with Nikasil bores are better because they are lighter; although I doubt there's any written proof to back up the argument.
As the guide says, check the water pump has been changed. As stated, they have a cheap plastic impeller which can fail. I had mine changed just in time. It was just starting to show signs of disintegrating. Timing chain/tensioners should also be inspected and changed if needed. Keep an eye on them.
The other thing to check (with the XJR) is the suspension. If you here any knocking, then be prepared for a big bill.
If you want a quick, easy, relatively inexpensive power upgrade, then consider changing the lower (and maybe the upper) supercharger pulley(s). You'll notice a huge difference in the mid range.
Other than that, the XJR is a great car. I loved mine and would have another (maybe an X350) in a heartbeat. Good luck. Keep us all posted.
I’ve been looking a lot online and have seen quite a few nice looking ones. I haven’t gone to see any though just yet. I need to catch one while they are still bargains.
I’ll take all that advice on board, and use Jaguar Steve’s brilliant guide as my reference. I’m not too concerned about buying a car with a Nikasil engine if it runs well, but it needs to have the upgraded timing chain tensioners and water pump before I part with any cash.
Upgrading the Supercharger pulleys sounds tempting. I have seen a nice one with the upgraded supercharger pulleys, but if I end up with one that doesn’t have that upgrade I may consider doing it.
In the meantime, I’ll keep you all posted and when I get one I’ll post a few pictures of it in here.
I’ll take all that advice on board, and use Jaguar Steve’s brilliant guide as my reference. I’m not too concerned about buying a car with a Nikasil engine if it runs well, but it needs to have the upgraded timing chain tensioners and water pump before I part with any cash.
Upgrading the Supercharger pulleys sounds tempting. I have seen a nice one with the upgraded supercharger pulleys, but if I end up with one that doesn’t have that upgrade I may consider doing it.
In the meantime, I’ll keep you all posted and when I get one I’ll post a few pictures of it in here.
Get one, you will love it!
I bought one in 2013 and had it for 3 years as a plaything - it was awesome.
Drove it to LeMans 3 times and also all the way down to Tuscany (over the Alps)
Mine was a 2001 X Reg car with 75k on the clock. Managed to service it myself and also changed the discs and pads on the front (along with a caliper overhaul) Only issue I had was a diff nose oil seal which cost £470 to replace at a specialist - GD Autos in Welwyn, brilliant Jaguar chaps!
The power and the subtle noise from the supercharger are like nothing else I had experienced up till then and I quite often entered the realms of 140mph+...!!
Best fun of all is surprising other nice cars, drag strip style, off the line/lights - simply astonishing for a huge slab of motor car!!
Find a good one and have a great time lad
There are some pictures of mine on the 'show us your Jag' thread taken in Italy
Cheers
I bought one in 2013 and had it for 3 years as a plaything - it was awesome.
Drove it to LeMans 3 times and also all the way down to Tuscany (over the Alps)
Mine was a 2001 X Reg car with 75k on the clock. Managed to service it myself and also changed the discs and pads on the front (along with a caliper overhaul) Only issue I had was a diff nose oil seal which cost £470 to replace at a specialist - GD Autos in Welwyn, brilliant Jaguar chaps!
The power and the subtle noise from the supercharger are like nothing else I had experienced up till then and I quite often entered the realms of 140mph+...!!
Best fun of all is surprising other nice cars, drag strip style, off the line/lights - simply astonishing for a huge slab of motor car!!
Find a good one and have a great time lad
There are some pictures of mine on the 'show us your Jag' thread taken in Italy
Cheers
I'd agree with pretty much everything Cartart has said, especially the traffic light drag races !!
I bought mine with the plans of keeping it for 6 months to 'scratch an itch', that was 2.5 years ago and I've still not convinced myself to sell it, if anything every time I consider it I convince myself to keep it!
As has been said condition is everything, look for rust everywhere not just in the rear arches. In my experience they are mechanically strong, the Nikasil thing is a red herring, anything that was going to die from that already has done. The tensioners are an 'ideal' to have had replaced, but can be done if not and the water pump is an easy job to replace, mine failed without any further complications.
They really are a great car, definitely one that you look back at whilst walking away from.
Al
I bought mine with the plans of keeping it for 6 months to 'scratch an itch', that was 2.5 years ago and I've still not convinced myself to sell it, if anything every time I consider it I convince myself to keep it!
As has been said condition is everything, look for rust everywhere not just in the rear arches. In my experience they are mechanically strong, the Nikasil thing is a red herring, anything that was going to die from that already has done. The tensioners are an 'ideal' to have had replaced, but can be done if not and the water pump is an easy job to replace, mine failed without any further complications.
They really are a great car, definitely one that you look back at whilst walking away from.
Al
XJR fan said:
I’ve been looking a lot online and have seen quite a few nice looking ones. I haven’t gone to see any though just yet. I need to catch one while they are still bargains.
I’ll take all that advice on board, and use Jaguar Steve’s brilliant guide as my reference. I’m not too concerned about buying a car with a Nikasil engine if it runs well, but it needs to have the upgraded timing chain tensioners and water pump before I part with any cash.
Upgrading the Supercharger pulleys sounds tempting. I have seen a nice one with the upgraded supercharger pulleys, but if I end up with one that doesn’t have that upgrade I may consider doing it.
In the meantime, I’ll keep you all posted and when I get one I’ll post a few pictures of it in here.
The secondary tensioners and water pump and thermostat aren't difficult or expensive to change so don't let the original factory ones put you off an otherwise good car.I’ll take all that advice on board, and use Jaguar Steve’s brilliant guide as my reference. I’m not too concerned about buying a car with a Nikasil engine if it runs well, but it needs to have the upgraded timing chain tensioners and water pump before I part with any cash.
Upgrading the Supercharger pulleys sounds tempting. I have seen a nice one with the upgraded supercharger pulleys, but if I end up with one that doesn’t have that upgrade I may consider doing it.
In the meantime, I’ll keep you all posted and when I get one I’ll post a few pictures of it in here.
All these comments are making me want one more and more! They sound like absolutely superb cars and I can’t wait to leave the countless badly modified Corsa’s and Clio’s in my hometown for dead!
To add, there has been a slight change of plan. This might have to temporarily be my daily driver due to my current car’s constant repair costs (a 2009 Renault Clio mk3 which I don’t really like anyway). But since they don’t sound too unreliable I am not that phased, I just have to watch the fuel consumption on it.
To add, there has been a slight change of plan. This might have to temporarily be my daily driver due to my current car’s constant repair costs (a 2009 Renault Clio mk3 which I don’t really like anyway). But since they don’t sound too unreliable I am not that phased, I just have to watch the fuel consumption on it.
Fuel consumption:
First and foremost these cars are 'waft-mobiles' - yes, you will use loads of juice if you continuously launch it and drive it hard.
You will get bored of people saying - "huh, bet that drinks a lot" but as a cruiser they are surprisingly good.
I genuinely, hand on heart, left LeMans (Total garage by the airport) having brimmed mine and made it all the way back to North Herts on one tank - the gauge said I had 23 miles left as I pulled onto my drive. Car was doing the speed limits allowed all the way.
First and foremost these cars are 'waft-mobiles' - yes, you will use loads of juice if you continuously launch it and drive it hard.
You will get bored of people saying - "huh, bet that drinks a lot" but as a cruiser they are surprisingly good.
I genuinely, hand on heart, left LeMans (Total garage by the airport) having brimmed mine and made it all the way back to North Herts on one tank - the gauge said I had 23 miles left as I pulled onto my drive. Car was doing the speed limits allowed all the way.
That’s really impressive to be honest. I have had many people say bad things about their fuel consumption when I talk about buying one already haha, I’m not expecting great MPG from it, especially as I plan on driving it quite hard most of the time, but it’s nice to know they are not bad if you just want to cruise.
The main thing many people have said to me is that they just break down all the time, a comment I am bored of already and I don’t even own one yet. From what I am reading in here, they sound quite reliable. I’m not expecting a Toyota but I would be surprised if it was worse than my Clio.
The main thing many people have said to me is that they just break down all the time, a comment I am bored of already and I don’t even own one yet.
From what I am reading in here, they sound quite reliable. I’m not expecting a Toyota but I would be surprised if it was worse than my Clio. XJR fan said:
That’s really impressive to be honest. I have had many people say bad things about their fuel consumption when I talk about buying one already haha, I’m not expecting great MPG from it, especially as I plan on driving it quite hard most of the time, but it’s nice to know they are not bad if you just want to cruise.
The main thing many people have said to me is that they just break down all the time, a comment I am bored of already and I don’t even own one yet. From what I am reading in here, they sound quite reliable. I’m not expecting a Toyota but I would be surprised if it was worse than my Clio.
A good one should be reasonably reliable. A bad one will almost certainly not be. But don't forget these are heavy powerful old cars that in XJR form will almost certainly have been bought to be used hard and you'll be picking up the bills for wear and tear consequences.The main thing many people have said to me is that they just break down all the time, a comment I am bored of already and I don’t even own one yet.
From what I am reading in here, they sound quite reliable. I’m not expecting a Toyota but I would be surprised if it was worse than my Clio. Spend whatever time and cash it takes to get a good one. No point IMO buying any shagged XJ that needs work for a few hundred or a grand or so less then a pristine example because that few hundred quid and some will soon be spent fixing and repairing and you'll still own a tired old XJ having forked out more on that than you would if you bought a good one in the first place.
Don't dismiss the earlier X300 XJR and buy either on condition alone.
I’ll take all that advice on board. While I really want one, I am in no rush as I want to make sure I get the right car, I am also still in the saving up process, and currently only have enough for a really rough example, so need a bit more time to save for a good one.
I will also still consider the X300 XJR as well, I am very fond of both and would rather a nice X300 over a rough X308 and vice versa.
I will also still consider the X300 XJR as well, I am very fond of both and would rather a nice X300 over a rough X308 and vice versa.
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