Hi, I've been on this forum before asking questions, but never formally introduced myself. I am a senior citizen and I live in the metro area of Atlanta, GA. I own a silver 2001 XJ8 base sedan (154,000 miles), which I have had since 2004.. She has been a very reliable car over the years, but lately she has needed some major repairs, perhaps too costly to justify keeping her. since I do not have a reliable Jaguar mechanic nearby
I'd like to hear from people who have had a difficult time saying goodbye to their beloved car!
Thanks

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums gigi2020,

Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

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Welcome to the forums gigi2020,

Here's the link to the last post you made about your XJ8:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ar-xj8-272408/

Sounds like it wasn't good news from the foreign car repair shop? With such long ownership and the dollars you've spent recently, it's sure to attract a buyer.

Please read the guidance for new members ( https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...ned-up-241802/ ) which answers many of the most frequent questions about getting started.

Enjoy the forums.

Graham

 

Welcome aboard.

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!!

 

Welcome to the Forums.

Never easy letting one go, but we tend to move on.

Good luck.

 

Hello,
Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

My x308 started to come unraveled at about 15 years old and 117,000 miles. It was leaking profusely from an oil galley plug at the back between the engine and transmission as well as the front main seal. And the suspension was squeaking in various places. Plus the door handle gaskets were crumbling and the stereo speakers were disintegrated. Basically all of the plastic, rubber and vinyl parts were succumbing to the Texas heat (it's been mostly out of the sun, but still extremely hot here). I retired it in 2017 and bought an XF to replace it but I couldn't sell it or trade it in. I knew its fate. It would be auctioned off and eventually sold to some poor family. I imagined it parked in the sun all day in front of some Section 8 apartment complex, probably jacked up on a set of rented 22" wheels. I couldn't bear the thought.

I've been slowly replacing all of the organic components over the last six years. I first pulled the motor and over about a year of weekends, replaced all the seals and gaskets as well as replacing the timing chain guides and reshimming the valves. I put the motor back in and took it to a couple car shows but then the suspension started knocking so I took it off the road again and over about a year of weekends, refurbed all the suspension. Finally traced down the knock and it wasn't suspension at all, just a loose bracket. Been lots of other little things done, but far from a "restoration".

I put new tires on it last spring, started driving it to work again and was starting to get confident that everything was good to go for another 100K miles. I decided I was going to spend the money to get the scuffs on the bumper covers refinished but on the way home from the body shop, the A-drum grenaded. Found the upgraded A-drums on Ebay for $79 and ordered all the rebuild stuff from ZF. I've got it all in bazillion pieces now. Over the Labor Day weekend, I plan on fabricating some special tools to compress the cup springs (I have a Smithy 3-in-1 and enjoy stuff like that). Even DIY tho, all the parts and supplies to rebuild the transmission are close to a grand now. I'm sure that if I couldn't do it myself, the cost of a rebuild now vs the value of the car would have been the last straw and put it in the salvage yard. I probably should have donated it to a charity auction seven years ago when the alternator went out on my way to a critical business meeting with 50 people waiting on me to make the presentation. But like I said, its like an old friend or beloved pet or something now.

With my local Jaguar dealer now closed and my indie scheduling repair appointments three months out (yes, I do pay a professional sometimes either when I need it fixed fast or don't have the special computers to plug into), I am about to "retire" the XF and get something much newer or even brand new. But this time its going to be a Honda or Ford or something that they make by the millions so that I can go on a road trip and rest assured that it can be fixed by anyone anywhere in a day or two. Last year I had to stop at a Jaguar dealer 1,000 miles from home tho it was something simple, but with the network collapsing, I don't want to take a chance anymore. Twenty years ago, I once spent four days in a motel in the middle of nowhere waiting on a fuel pump. Don't want to go through that again. But I still like the XF and I'm trying to figure out an affordable storage solution so that I can keep it too. I've got six cars now and already using lifts to stack them vertically. I've sold other cool cars before and miss them terribly. I know, I know. I need psychiatric therapy (tho with my health insurance, the cars are probably cheaper.)

 

Welcome to the forum