Hello,

Considering buying a 1997-2003 used Jaguar XJR with approx. 100k miles. Anyone know these cars well enough to advise what potential "pitfalls" to look out for?

Thanks,

Mike

 

Welcome to the forum. "Search" function is your best friend. There are TONS of posts on this forum about this, and there is even a superbly written "buyer's guide".

But for short: Try to aim for the upper end of the vintage (2002, or even better 2003). By then, all important upgrades were incorporated, and there were no major issues. Earlier years can be dicey, but if the service/upgrade history is known (and documented), no problem. X308 is a blast in any configuration, from the plain Jane XJ8, long legged cat called XJ8L, Vanden Plas with "grey poupon" tables, and to the ferocious beast known as XJR.

Do a LOT OF READING. Everything you learn before you put the cash on the table, will pay back in a big way. Which brakes to get? How much do they cost to replace? Transmission? Wheels? Supercharger issues? Regular maintenence?

There are MANY subjects and questions we could write all night about. So,....start at the "buyer's guide" (top of this forum), and read EVERYTHING ever posted on this site (and the web in general!) about the XJR. The knowledge is power.

 

Welcome to the forum. You should check the sticky by jimlombardi. It goes into pretty good detail about what you are looking for. He put a great deal of time and effort to provide very useful info.

I bought a 98 VDP about a year ago as a project. It had a broken secondary tensioner and chain. I found this forum and found lots of great information. I fixed the problem and found I had a few more. This forum had all the answers. I even managed to lock my only key in the trunk and the electric release was inop. Thanks to this forum, I was able to get in without a can opener.

The '98 VDP had an oil consumption issue so I got rid of it. A couple of weeks ago I got a '01 XJ8 with a broken timing chain and tensioner. I just got it running again and I really like this car. I put a few hundred miles on it last weekend and it's fantastic.

In a quick answer to your question, the tensioners, the nikasil issue, and the transmission come to mind as the biggest issues for me. The answers to all of these issues are available on this forum.

I found that I learned much more by searching for the info rather than asking for the specific tidbit. Feel free to ask. Search the heck out of this forum though. Sometimes the journey (the search) is just as good or better than the destination.( The answer.)

Oh crap! I just saw the latest election results. I gotta go buy more guns.

Good luck.

 

There are several factors to consider:
1) 1997 XJR were 4.0L in-line 6 cylinder while 1998 and on were 4.0 V8. Besides the roughly 50 hp, there is a slew of differences, both cosmetic and mechanical. Despite being "weaker" on hp, the 6 cylinder was one of the best, if not the best engine Jaguar built.
2) Avoid "nikasil" motors - these were used by jaguar from 1998 through 2000 year models. Basically its a cylinder wall coating, that although are used religiously by Porsche, did not do good in Jaguar's case due to lower engine temps. Buying a vehicle with such a motor is taking a risk not worth taking. Rebuilt motor will run $7k and up.
3) Plastic secondary timing chain tensioners were used by Jaguars through 2001 and even some of the '02 cars had them. It's not as life threatening as nikasil and can be replaced if still operational. Replacement of secondary tensioners will run $800 + depending on the mechanic.
4) Give special considerations to 1 owner cars. Imperative in Jaguar's case moreso because of steep depriciation. Original owners paid the full ticket and did their best to protect their investment. They bought the car because they wanted it not because it was "cheap". Many cars acquired second-hand were bought because they appeared to be a bargain compared to original MSRP. When the reality of cost of service hit, some owners would seek the cheapest way to keep the car running or neglect cruicial service altogether. Beware of the multi-owner cars. Along those lines, I would stay away from independent dealers or non-franchised dealer. Usually their inventory is obtained at the auctions or as trade-ins. As the trade-in value is significantly less than private party value, there may be a "dangerous" reason why the previous owner elected to take less for the car. Actually finding an older car at the franchised dealer means that the car was good enought for them to keep and could be worth considering.
5) Look for service records. Try to contact the servicing shop/dealer to get their opinion on the car and what it might need.
6) Spend few bucks on Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI). Do it at an experienced Jaguar facility. Dealer will cost more than an independent shop but if it will uncover major issues it is well worth the investment.

Pricewise, the north of 100k mark will get you a significantly better deal than that of less than 100k. Because majority of consumers know very little about the true reliability of these cars, you can negotiate a better deal with "north of 100k mi" owner.
I have a '01 XJR that had all service history from a local major Jaguar dealer. I had the car inspected by a factory trained tech and was given thumbs up. To me the biggest issue was avoiding nikasil. Once that was confirmed I bought the car. First thing I did was replace the secondary tensioners (which were showing early signs of cracking) and dropped the oil. Altogther an $860 job. If you go through the threads on this forum you'll realize that the upkeep on these cars is nowhere near that of BMW and MB (not to mention Audi) of similar vintages. You will also have the most elegant car on the road with excellent performance.

 

send a PM out to androulakis, he can find some of the Best Jags at any price, well a reasonable price.

he has helped out a couple of members on this forum, and they are very satisfied with their cars

 

My suggestion is to get the newest one you can afford -- unless you can verify the service history, you'd be better off getting a 2003 for all the reasons stated here and in other posts. You should be able to find a nice 03 with relatively low miles for under $10k.

 

Do it.

 

I have an 01 XJR as well, replaced the tensioners right away, DIY for about $200 in parts. See my sig for other mods/repairs.

Try to buy the best car you can find, even if it costs more. I took 3 years to find and buy my Jaguar and I paid top dollar, but she is a beauty and performs like a beast. I couldn't be more pleased.
Vector

 

Wow, I am truly amazed at the quality and promptness of the responses to my original post. I did not expect the level of comprehensive information in such a short time frame, very impressed to say the least. Thanks again everyone.

On another note. Going to look at a 1998 XJR with 114k miles tomorrow. However, from the information I have received it seems this year vehicle could be a handful. Aside from the following (chain tensioners, Nikasil lining and throttle body) If I can get this car for a hell of a price should I go for it? Or am I in for a bit of trouble? Please let me know what you guys think?

Thanks!

 

If you can get it under 3K in really good shape or under 2K in moderate shape go for it.

 

Based on my research, I don't think this is a realistic price to expect.

IF the seller has all the records, IF the tensioners were done, IF the tranny was serviced at least once in it's lifetime, and IF it doesn't need paint,.....I'd go for it. Nicasil is NOT an issue for me. If the engine lasted till 114K, it already survived. Today's gasoline doesn't harm Nicasil.

Check what kind of brakes it has, and what condition they are. Brembo brakes are EXPENSIVE to replace. Buy or borrow a good OBD reader before you go to see it. Tell the seller that you want to start the COLD engine when you get there. If the engine is hot when you arrive, he is hiding something (probably the tensioners). If you see P1111 when you plug the OBD, the battery was disconnected (and the question is WHY? - erasing some tranny codes perhaps?)

Hope you read the "buyer's guide" I suggested? If so,....read it again before you go there. Cat's are easy to fall in love with on the first sight. But make sure you "look under the makeup", or you'll wake up with a dog (I'm sure it happened to you with women before?)

 

looking for dirt cheap, gets you just that - dirt. although kelly blue book (karpower version, not the consumer kbb.com) shreds jags on resale overall, clean ones with decent miles will fetch strong prices even at the auctions.

the rule of thumb in buying a car, especially a niche or classic one is to buy the nicest one you can afford. you can pay now or you will pay later. don't let some of these low ball numbers steer you away from a really nice car. if your car has been nicely maintained, no accidents (don't forget to check carfax but do a visiual as well), had the tensioners replaced, everything works as it should then $5k is where you should end up. if it will need tensioners, a/c service or any pricey items, then roll back off that number keeping in mind that unless you wrench yourself (which i do but only on my alfas) then anything major will be around $800 and up to repair. Be carefull of the "discharged" a/c's. A/C service, including charge is about $120 at most independents or roughly 2 tankfuls of gas. If the seller did not fix the a/c, chances its more complicated than a simple recharge. all the best. feel free to bounce any question and someone here will always have an answer.

 

Vector, your write up is great. I like to wrench on Alfas because of their simplicity and they are not my daily drivers. I also have at least one spare block to substitute if I screw something major. The XJR is my daily driver (well, almost ever day DD). At $$$ for engine rebuild, I'd rather have a pro do it. I took the Dirty Harry approach: "A MAN OUGHT TO KNOW HIS LIMITATIONS..."

 

+1. Good advice.

FWIW, I paid 12,700 for mine last July. 59K miles, one owner, had new, expensive tires, headliner replaced, perfect paint and interior, spotless engine and undercarriage, complete maintenance records. I saw some cheaper during my search, but they were always lacking in some respect or I suspected that they had been neglected, 2 or 3 owners and such. It's really a "pay now or pay later" choice with Jags. If you are looking for a "cheap," fun car, get a golf cart, lol!
Vector

 

Stick with 2002 or 2003... Solid, solid cars. Check for any smell of coolant, run a pressure test from a jag dealer(could be a massive cost like mine). Check the anti-sway bushings. Make sure it shifts smoothly on acceleration(ecu faults the shifts if there are problems present and the computer sometimes doesnt spit out error codes unless it freaks out).

 

I'm owning 2002 XJR for like 2 years already, I also got it used with 87,000 mileage, it was wrecked to be precise (had an accident front end damage) and had salvage title, so I needed some repairs to be done. But still I'm quiet satisfied with the purchase.

 

Well anyway I think yo ushould test drive the car if you have any doubts, or have some auto mechanic inspect it, and then decide if you want to buy it or not. And dont listen to people who say that you never should buy used cars, Ive got jaguar salvage car cheaply because I didnt have enough money to buy a new one and I don't regret it.

 

The rule of thumb is always buy the best possible car that you can comfortably afford. Try and look for a car that has had all of the major repairs done. I recently purchased an 01 XJR with only 50,000 miles but had the old style tensioners. Decided to do the primary and secondary only to find that my primary guides has some noticeable cracks present. Like I said the car only had 50k and has been dealer serviced its whole life. Glad I took the extra step and I suggest you find a car that has had it done as well, if not factor the entire job into your purchase price. Good luck with your search and find yourself a rewarding car.

 

Hi

I bought a 1998 XJ8 from a friend of mine a few years back. It had 117K miles when I got it. It had a lot of same the issues you have listed.

As I was buying from a friend, who owned the car for 10 years, it was easy to negotiate a fair price. After we added a up the cost of the cupholder repair, headliner replacement, arm rest reupholstery, secondary tensioner replacement, we deducted tthe estimated cost from NADA retail value of the car - wasn't a lot of $'s left.

I did invest the money in the car and it is very nice. But, I would not have paid much more than I did and then invested more to repair.

It would have been easier and more practical to get a car in better shape and pay more.

Good Luck

 

I totally agree, 02 or 03. I mentioned before a book that could be quite helpful; The Essential Buyers Guide (Jaguar/Daimler,XJ) 1994 to 2003 by Peter Crespin.
Dave