After owning two 2003 VDP's since 2007 and driving both to over 170k miles, and then the horror of a Subaru dealer snapping off my gas pedal when test driving my last VDP rendering it not fixable I wound up with a crazy good lease deal on a Subaru Outback! That lease is up in 5 months AND I NEED A VDP AGAIN!!!!!!!

I've only had 2003 VDP's but have a lead on an ultra low mileage 2002 VDP near me. What's the difference between the two years? Anything to run and hide from in the 2002 Vs the 2003?

I'm handy and have changed throttle bodies, no knocks, all hoses, intake gaskets, shocks & tower bushings, etc. I won't attempt anything with the trans and swapping out the timing chain scares me a little.......

So what's the difference between 2002 VDP and the 2003's I know very well, and what should I look for in this 2 owner car when I go see it this weekend?

Appreciate the help as I humbly come crawling back to what I've been told is my "signature car"!!!!

Jeff

 

the 2003 has the newer timing chain and metal tensioners. But depending on when you engine was made, the 2002 may also.

Understand and applaud the return . . .

 

Thanks for that reply. How can I find out which VIN started with the newer engine/tensioners?

Jeff

 

You want search Google; it's here on this forum, but I find the search engine difficult. Maybe one the pros has it at their fingertip.

 

I am kind of wondering, what happened to the 2 VDP, which you had. I like to think that everything is fixable - and a snapped gas-pedal as reason to see the car undriveable? My gas-pedal on an X-Type was not broken at all, but it was floor mounted and I did not like that feel at all. Plus - well have in mind that we drive RHDs here - the gas pedal on all X-Types here is way too much mounted to the left - which is dangerous, as one might mistake the gas pedal for the brake (to the left of it). I removed the OE nonsense in there and mounted a 10mm thick cut to size aluminium gas pedal (my own design) way further to the right - and top mounted. So a snapped gas pedal can be fixed as well...

 

These cars are getting to the age that they are virtually unfixable in some instances, at least in any reasonable amount of time or at a reasonable cost. A lot of parts, particularly crash parts and interior, have been out of stock for a decade already and so you'd be hunting for used parts. But its starting to get that way under hood as well. Honestly, these are now a very poor choice for a daily driver. I get it. There is nothing on the market today that comes anywhere close to the comfort, the visibility, and the style. I wish they still made new cars like this. I'd buy a new one today in a heartbeat.

My x308 has been laid up for months with the dreaded A-drum (despite doing everything suggested on this forum to prevent it) as I make a little progress each weekend in between lawn, housework and other family obligations. The car is worth less than the cost to pay somebody to fix it and if you can't DIY, then its big repairs like that which wind them up in a salvage yard. And if you are trying to daily drive it, then sometimes DIY is not an option either because you need it put back together TOMORROW, so you can drive to work, not six months from now after you find the parts or figure out how to fix it without the fifteen different special tools listed in the JTIS.

If its going to be a second car, then yeah, go for it, but I would not recommend to daily drive one as your only car unless you are retired. And even then, if you plan to travel, consider the risk. I once spent four days in a motel in the middle of nowhere Arizona waiting on a part to be delivered. If you travel, you want a car that you can rest assured can be fixed by anyone, anywhere in less than 24 hours. When I needed a new transmission in a Ford truck, no problem, towed in at 5pm, picked up about noon next day. Even a late model Jaguar can't be repaired that quick, especially with 85% of the dealer network now or soon to be out of business. Our nearest indy was already so swamped, that he was scheduling repair appointments 2-3 months out. It'll only get worse over the next year as check-engine lights come on and people discover their dealership is closed. As much as we love the x308, it just does not make sense as an only car at this geriatric stage in its life precisely because of the increased risk, frequency and inconvenience of repairs. Hate to be the naysayer, but consider how you're going to use it and how you are going to get around when its down for repairs before you jump back in. All I can say is thank God I've also got a Honda. Its been backing up two Jaguars quite a lot in the past two years with both of them sometimes down for weeks at a time. If I were you, I'd buy the Subaru off lease if you like it and buy an X308 only as a weekender.

 

Indeed, I do not have the pressure of time-constraints nor having to have a daily drive. I spend every day fixing up my Jag collection. Once I fixed one, that one is very reliable and that includes my X308 - drives lovely. On the X308 I replaced all the fluids, swapped the knock sensor, swapped the timing chain, swapped the catalysts and some other minor details and a bit of spray painting.

And yes, I think too that Jags should only be owned by people, who can fix them and who have the time to fix them, or who have a good mate, who can fix them.

But if you can't do that, don't bring the Jag to the wreckers, but sell it to someone, who can fix them.

And back to the original purpose of this post: I am not convinced that it is a good idea looking to buy a 2002 Jag, if you could not keep a 2003 Jag alive...

Yesterday we received our beloved 2004 S-Type 3.0L back from the paint shop. It was a real heart-ache when a person, who was psychologically in no condition to drive, backed out of a parking spot in reverse on a huge parking lot and hit the fender of our S-Type, which I just completed fixing up. My wife drove it and she was stationary when the woman in the table-top (= flat top Pickup) reversed into her without looking at all. We were very lucky that that insurance of the table-top (CGU) was very helpful and generous. I was allowed to go to the paint shop, which I chose. They are that good, that one has to wait there a long time until they can fix your car (from crash to "fixed" it took 8 weeks). AND the main thing - which is why I am writing all this: The insurance also agreed to pay for a new fender! We were able to buy the very last LHS S-Type fender, which was still stocked by Jaguar of Australia. So yes, that was amazing enough, but there are still panel parts at the wreckers for future requirements. But I see indeed an issue for e.g. replacement parts for e.g. a Mark V!

Btw.: The paint shop here did an absolutely amazing job: The 2004 S-Type looks like it rolled of the factory floor yesterday....

Reliability::
Ford-Jags (1990-2010, roughly) are certainly more reliable than Jag-Jags (before 1990).
But if you are looking for the ultimate in reliability...: The answer I got from my mechanic (who is really good, but whom I only need to do the yearly technical check, which is legally required):
What is it that you cannot spell on Toyota?

 

We bought a new Toyota Camry in 2002.

After looking for a good one for a long time, we bought a 1992 Series 3 V12 VDP in 2006 that became our year round daily driver for the next 15 years until she was written off in an accident early in 2022 that was not our fault.

We replaced the VDP with a 2001 XJR in 2022 that has been our year round daily driver ever since.

We finally decided to sell the Camry this month after hanging on to it forever “just in case”. After 21 years, the first 5 of which she was our only car, she has accumulated a grand total of 87,000 km (54,000 miles). While she was as steadfast as an appliance for all of them, she never brought the same joy to drive or to look at (by others, not just by us) as the Jags.

I am not mechanically inclined and have a good “Jaguar only indie” who is honest and reliable and who has been well paid for good work for the past 17 years, every penny of which I consider to have been well spent.

 

@ Ken: I liked that:

> ...a 1992 Series 3 V12 VDP ... year round daily driver for the next 15 years / then a 2001 XJR ... our year round daily driver ever since.

> We finally decided to sell the Camry this month after hanging on to it forever “just in case”.

...and had a good laugh...