Description:

For Sale: 1997 Jaguar XK8 Coupe in good condition. 112k miles. Runs and drives well.

Straight body in Carnival Red / Burgundy respray, coffee interior

(As we are unable to edit ads, I have marked the other ad for this car sold and revised the listing. Please note updates below)

Solid Engine and transmission, pulls hard to redline in all gears and shifts cleanly

New Secondary Timing Chain kit just installed with updated Tensioners and Gaskets.

Full cooling system refresh in the last year

Complete interior and exterior with updated 18" wheels

Excellent as a weekend project that can be driven as is, a restoration or LS conversion.


The Good:

Christopher's Secondary Timing Chain kit just installed with New, Updated tensioners, bolts and the correct orange and grey cam cover gaskets. No leaks or other issues since install. Cams and valve train look to be in great shape with no noises, obvious wear or patina from deferred oil changes.

New torque converter installed within the last year, full transmission service done at same time with OEM Jaguar fluids and filter.

Full cooling system refresh in the last year with NEW valley hoses, metal water pump, full octopus, coolant bottle and cap, metal coolant tower, crossover, radiator hoses, heater valve hoses and remanufactured heater pump. Consistent cooling performance and excellent heat in the interior. She idled in the driveway for over an hour today in 80 degree heat and did not break 200 degrees as indicated in Torque. Both fans work very well and cycle as they should.

Recent tune up with plugs, oil and air filter, Mobil 1, coolant flush and Dexcool fill

Rebuilt ABS module installed in the last two years.

New AGM battery in the last year

Complete set of covers and trims under the hood, strut tower covers, ABS cover etc.

Starts on the first turn of the key every day since purchase, never left me stranded.

Very strong engine performance with no issues.

No codes or reduced performance concerns

Underbody is dry, nearly rust free and complete with original exhaust and trims.

All electrics, with minor exceptions, work as designed; lights, seats, seat heaters, windows, locks antenna, etc.

Stock radio works very well and has upgraded Pioneer door speakers.

HVAC controls work as designed with a clear display

Very straight body with a solid 10 foot paint job

All body panels are complete, almost no dings or scratches, and very good alignment across the car. Doors close cleanly, trunk and hood are square, windows drop as they should and seal well.

New headliner and package shelf professionally installed by previous owner

Full set of Jaguar floor mats (albeit they are black)

All the rims are clean with minimal curbing or damage.

Full size spare included

All the tools are complete as is the carrier.

Full set of correct date code owner manuals and covers

All trim is complete with very minor exceptions.

Interior is complete and original; the usual failure points are still there though. See more below.

Two brand new keys are included with the car


The Ok:

Car has sat for the last six months as she was replaced with an '01 coupe. She has been started and run weekly but hasn't put many miles on since the newer car arrived. Over the last week I have put more miles on her with no real issues.

Trans shifts very well but still is occasionally noisy after an hour or so of driving. The noise is similar to one mentioned in other posts on the forum discussing a buzzing / grinding noise coming from the bellhousing on part throttle around 35-50 miles an hour. The hope was the torque converter and service would solve this, but it does not seem to have completely corrected it. No codes or limited performance have been noted though.

Primary timing chains look to be the second update design from what I can see of them with a scope camera. At this point they are complete and not making any noises though.

Power steering seems to have started to weep, probably due to lack of use. There are no noises or other issues with the system though.

HVAC settings display has blown out, all the buttons work and light as they should though.HVAC controls have been replaced with a used unit that has an excellent display. The ok is that I didn't check the backlights before install and some are out.

Radio backlights are out and need replaced.

Interior trims have failed in the usual spots (seat leather on driver side, seat trim covers, console, door cards) but are still salvageable. I do have spares for some of these and they can be purchased separately if desired.

Veneer on airbag, steering wheel and trans surround are starting to lightly crack.

The CD player is possibly inop. The CD changer connection was loose, it has been reset and now works as designed.

The windshield has a chip in it. It has not cracked or spread but should be repaired or the windshield replaced. As the car doesn't have auto wipers or heat, they are very reasonable from Safelite.

Body has small tweak near the rocker on the driver's side, not really noticeable but I wanted to mention it.

The paint, while it cleans up great and looks good from a distance was pretty poorly applied. She was originally black from the factory and the clear failed as they all do. It was resprayed to the new colour before I purchased her and they did not clean up any of the failed clear before paint went down. It is obvious up close but again reads well at even 5-8 feet away. Also note that the doorsills and trunk were not painted when this was done. As they are black it has not been noticeable.

The window trims will need a respray at some point as they are all peeling.



The bad:

The tires on all four corners as well as the spare are shot. They came off of the 01 I purchased as I swapped my new rims and Michelins on. They all need to be replaced.

The AC compressor has started making a terrible noise when engaged and does not seem to be working.
The AC Compressor clutch has failed and will not engage. I have ordered another and will attempt to install. I will update the post if it corrects it.

The front suspension is due for a rework and will need to be done soon. At least shocks and shock bushings at the minimum.




I am willing to show the car in the Atlanta area as it is still insured and smogged. If needed I can deliver within a couple of hundred miles for a reasonable fee.



Please let me know if you have any other questions or would like to check out and take it home.