Thanks Vector, this was the quote I was refering to, and so true.

 

You tell me Girl. How long is your cat down now? A month? More? And how did this affect your daily life? (mom is helping, I hope?)

Look,.....I am talking about odds here. This is an old (mine is 15 years old!) luxury automobile, that is known for having issues from the start (when it was BRAND NEW). So,....is it unreasonable to think that every mile, every day in traffic, makes the possibility of a MAJOR issue popping up very real? By major issue, I mean ANYTHING that would render the car undriveable for a period of time (even for a day). Just like in your case. Your car WILL get fixed (anything can get fixed), but in the meantime you have no "transportation". Sure, Mom jumps in with her cars (but not everyone has a Mom!), but what would happen if there is no Mom, no husband, no generous friends,......rental?

That's why I said not to get it as a DD. X308 is a gem, and just like some of your jewelry is not "every day jewelry" (reserved for special occassions), it should not get used (and abused) every day. As the time goes by, these cars will be very hard to replace. Even today, the clean "one owner/low miles" examples are hard to find. There is plenty of the ones that changed hands multiple times, and/or were abused.

As I am searching for another one, I can tell you that they are NOT easy to find. If a dealer scored a clean "one owner" example, they want blood for it. If you have time to look behind the adds, and ask questions, you will see that the cars that changed hands multiple times, bring about 50-60% less, than the cars that are low in mileage, and have one owner in the history.

But I understand that we all own them for different reasons. As it is,....I drive mine ALMOST daily, but I can fix just about anything myself, and I don't depend on it to take me from point A to point B. Mine makes me feel good about myself, and it is very dependable, however.......I KNOW the more I drive it, the closer I am to replacing the transmission (example), and MANY other things. I also don't plan to sell mine,.....like EVER. I'll drive it, enjoy it, and fix it along the way. My possition is different from yours. I can have Gabriel (his shop is lessthan 1/2 mile away) come to the ranch with his tools (we are friends, and he owes me BIG time), and fix it right in the barn (if I don't want to do it myself), while I am driving something else. Remember,.....yours would've been fixed by now (or at least patched up to drive), if you could've taken it to his shop.

And it's also about money,......I figured my Cat is free to me. I am 6K in it at this point, but if I financed anything else from new (at the time I acquired her), the total amount of payments would be well over 6K by now, and I wouldn't have as much fun driving it, whatever it might be. So I can keep throwing the time and money at it, because it still costs less than a lease (or purchase) on something else. I have a free car, cheap to fix, and I enjoy it very much! Life is good.

 

I understand daniels, I am definitely lucky and blessed to have people around who can help me with transportation until she is fixed. I jus believe that if someone takes care of something it will definitely take care of them in return. I definitely will not run her into the ground. Even when I drive her I am gentle with her lol. I coudve had a nissan and the same thing couldve happen. I am just happy with my vehicle and definitely plan on keeping her a lifetime as well. There is nothing in comparison to the feel of driving my XJ8. I am also doing tons of research on how to make sure she is in tip top shape...thanks to you and of course having a mechanic for her as well (thanks for the referral of gabriel) I am actually pumped up about this car..getting the major issue out of the way in the beginning..which gabriel assured me that after this I will have no problems if i take care of her well..this is exciting.she is my first CHILD! LOL!!! thanks for all of the advice!

 

good to know burmaz! I drive about 15 miles to and from work everyday..and barely on the weekend..maybe to the store or to do some shopping how long have you had tyour kitty?

 

Wait until you try an XJR then

My Jags have never been the main cars-they are pure indulgence & I bought them because I wanted them & for no other reason-it was a love affair

I do all my own spannering & find this helps you 'bond' with the car-sometimes literally, as various skinned knuckles & creaking old joints will testify to after many hours of rolling around underneath or bent over the bonnet

My main workhorse car is an old BMW Diesel that I run on cheap old chip fat & homebrew BioDiesel to keep the crippling UK fuel costs down, so I can put the rest into buying petrol for the Jag's fuel tank

For me, buying the Jags was pure lust & indulgence-there was no common sense or practicality at all behind the buying decision, as my old Diesel BM was perfectly adequate for all my transport needs.

I bought a Daimler Double Six previously because I couldn't continue to live normally without having a V12 at some point in my life-the viscous fan coupling was stuck & so the engine cooling fan would rotate at all times, which made it sound like a Spitfire, as one MOT Tester commented.

Boy, did I feel cool with a V12 engine & a 'propeller' up front

Why did I buy the XJR? Because it exists & absolutely had to have that as well, otherwise I would have become seriously unbalanced at the prospect of years of 'sensible & practical' driving in a sensible car where I could talk to people in pubs about the low fuel & insurance costs.

That is my idea of hell

Buying a classic Jag is the most pointless & irrational decision you could ever make-and that is why you absolutely must have one at some point in your life

Those who risk nothing, gain nothing-better to have loved & lost than to have never loved at all

I then bought an old Bentley too, because it means that I can now wear a monocle, drive up to English country restaurants & then 'haaarruuummpphh' at the proprietor of the establishment for no justifiable reason-try doing that in a small sensible modern hatchback car

With a sensible modern car, you just get to your destination-but in a Jag, you really do 'arrive'

 

IAA and Copart are main auctions for vehicles deemed salvage by insurance companies. For those not familiar with the term "salvage" it simply means that the cost to repair the vehicle exceeds the actual market value of the car.

Not sure what you mean by level of safety of these sites. If you are asking me if these sites are legitimate then the answer is yes. However, you need to understand that most of the vehicles that end up at these auctions will need work. Some of these cars will have minor damage but were still written off (totalled) by insurance companies to appease the owners. IAA and Copart usually give a general description of the damage such as vandalism, flood, fire, accident, etc. They will also let you know if the car runs and drives. It is up to the buyer to have the vehicle inspected prior to sale. I believe both auction houses offer a list of inspectors that will provide you with a detailed report on the vehicle condition.

This is not an ebay auction where the vehicles are sold by private parties or dealers. There are no seller ratings to review or worry about. You buy at your own risk. To buy successfully you a)need to know the market and b)be able to properly assess amount of damage and repair costs with relations to ACV.

 

Why buy something you'll be afraid to drive daily? Cars don't like to sit, period. The seals need lubrication to retail their elasticity and sealing qualities, fuel pumps need to be primed, gas needs to be refreshed, etc. etc.

My daily driver cars are the 79 Alfa Spider and the 01 XJR. Due to the dual carb set up in the Alfa, I cannot legally smog it in Commiefornia so it will be up for sale very soon Until I find a replacement for it, the XJR will be the "main daily squeeze". I drive 60 miles just to work. Since I have life outside of work, the weekly mileage is roughly 500. That's still 50 miles daily per car.

I don't beat up either car by laying rubber at stop lights, but do like to run them at above 65, road conditions permitting of course.

Just make sure that maintenance is up to speed and don't cheap out by using inferior quality parts. You will get many miles out of these great cars, in your case the XJ8. Good luck.

 

Danielsand, check out this car:

2001 Jaguar XJR Base, $6,995 - Cars.com

I assume rebuild title means "salvage". However, if its actual mileage it may be worth a look. I think you can get this one for under $6k and its already repaired. I would do a Pre Purchase Inspection. Not something I would normally recommend but you did mention you wanted a cheap XJR.

 

Thank you. There are only "minor" problems with this. It's a car from IL. Rust might be there, and I would not trust anyone else to inspect it, but me (add airfare to the price). Than there is a decision to transport it to CA, or to drive it (driving is a NO, for I would need to go through this car with a fine tooth comb before I attempt a cross country drive, and I don't have means to do that in IL, and I certainly will not pay someone in IL to do it). Transport is about $900.-

As the dealer has to put all other fees on the price (even if he drops it to 6K), you are looking at about 8K by the time it's in my garage.

Salvage title doesn't bother me, but the salvage title car like this needs to be below 5K, regardless of the mileage. And on the top of this,.....it's a 2001 (second generation tensioners, which WILL have to get inspected/replaced).

Bottom line: the price is out of the line. Maybe good for someone in IL, but the extra costs make it a "no go". Dealer has about 3K in this (I used to be a dealer), and the question is how long they will sit on it. These cars are SOFT, and there are handfull of people in the whole country that would buy a 12 year old Jag with salvage title, sight unseen.

IF this is in CA, the car is 2002-2003, I'd be there today to inspect it, and it would be in my garage by the end of the day for about 6K OTD. Still, I would prefer 2002-2003 even with triple the mileage.

 

thank you Tirefriar! I guess I can easily get hinged on listening to what others have to say! Thats what I thought also..a car is made to be driven. As long as I take care of my kitty I dont see what the big deal is. I also do not burn rubber or drive her like a bat out of hell..I treat her very delicately lol I have been hearing alot about these plastic parts everyone keeps talking about. I did recently have my water pump replaced and not with another one of those crummy plastic ones! I am excited about getting new tires for her soon as well as a light tint on the windows. I was just concerned about everyone saying this is not a daily driver car! I kept thinking to myself..wth!?? LOL

 

Not me hun, I know of one with 285k miles, and 2 others near 200k miles, all going strong.

Mine was a daily driver until recently, around a 1000 miles a month. They do like to be used, and are made to do so. Jaguar put over 1 million miles on a development pre release vehicle.

It's just the timing chain tensioners in plastic on the pre 02' cars, the gearbox and your water pump is sorted. Keep in mind the tensioners are a cheap upgrade, and the gearbox fix is well covered here too, just enjoy it. They're great cars.

 

awesome sean!!! even more good news!!! (grinning away)

 

I just bought mine I love it a lot don't get me wrong 2000 XJR have wanted one since I was in high school, bought it for 4K with 138K from the second owner with no service history and no issues, but I know how to wrench and can do everything myself, but if the motor goes, the car will be parted out unless I can find a running replacement for less then 2K not worth rebuilding for like 6K when I can go out an buy another running one like I did for the same price. I guess I don't really fall into any category I'm kind of a melting of all of them. I guarantee I'm the biggest BMC guy on here and this is my daily because that's what a good British Car guy does, drives a British car daily. But I'm realistic and smart with my money when it comes to them which is why I'm able to have so many rare cars. If you get attached to them they will break you, if it is your only project or passion car then of course why part with it, but they are easily replaceable right now, and the more that disappear only make yours that much more special to you and the world. let the public lynching of BMC Nut Joe begin

 

Thank you for that, I am watching Copart for about 3 years looking first for a 911 (997) and then for a XKR.
I am looking also to IAA after you mentioned it, nice cars too, I am not affraid about damaged cars, only I want to avoid flooded ones. My next car will be a XKR , 08-09 probably, need some time to fix the finances.

 

How do you guys buy from those sites? They are very cool been looking at them for the last hour. But most say required dealer, rebuilder, etc lisence of some sort to purchase or at least IAA does dunno about Copart would assume it's the same.

 

Some cars are determined to be beyond any repair and are for recycling purchase only, i.e. they will never be allowed on a highway and you need to have a dismantler license to buy them..

California cars 1976 and newer that have their smog equipment removed or modified cannot be retailed in Commiefornia and can only be sold to a dealer or out of state. I have a wholesale license so I can buy those.

There are cars that are open to public. Both of these auctions sell nationwide. Just need to look for these cars. Works good especially in states where smog is not required or that have "lax" or no salvage laws.

You need to sign up to bid. I can look into that for you a bit later on today or tomorrow.

 

I had more trouble from cars that weren't used regularly-the 2 Jags I've owned were fine to be used regularly & never stranded me. Provided they're serviced properly & driven regularly then there shouldn't be any problems. I was always confident to just jump in the Jag & go for a 500 mile drive, although UK fuel prices would often wipe the smug grin from my countenance after a very long drive

Most problems come from lack of proper maintenance, although there are also the design flaws unique to the V8 Jags-particularly the plastic bits like secondary tensioners & water pump impellers. However, they are not that hard or expensive to sort out if caught in time.

BMW had a whole string of woes from using plastic bits in their cars & they also had design flaws which could cause catastrophic engine failures-so Jaguar were by no means unique with their own set of faults.

BMW went through the Nikasil trauma twice-firstly with the V8's in the early 1990's and then the straight-sixes in the mid-late 1990's. The ZF gearboxes were also fitted to BMW's, so they had the same gearbox weakness as the ZF units in the Jags. BMW also used water pumps with plastic impellers on their straight-sixes & these fell apart in a similar manner & frequency to the early Jag V8 water pumps. I know this, as it happened to one of my BMW's, but luckily I caught it in time!

The older BMW's were famous for knocking out their camshafts, blowing head gaskets & wearing out the rear subframe bushes. Then there was the most distressing failure of them all-the sudden failure of the 'swirl flaps' in some designs of more modern BMW Diesels which would cause metal parts to fall out the swirl flaps into the inlet manifold & then be ingested by the engine-resulting in sudden engine failure with major damage & a massive repair bill which would usually scrap the car.

Putting all this into perspective means that the V8 Jags are no worse than any other big old luxury car-the potential faults are well-known & easy repairs at low cost have been developed & honed by owners & enthusiasts.

These cars don't need to be thrashed or pussyfooted around either-normal driving is just fine. Provided your finish your journey with the temp gauge in the middle & the engine fully warmed up, then the useage pattern & journey length are not that critical. It was only the very early V8 Jags that could suffer from fuel flooding problems if the engine was not allowed to warm up fully before it was turned off & then on again-usually happening in parking manouevres where the car might be started up & run for a minute or so before shutting down the engine again before it had chance to get some heat into it.

And yes, plastic engine & gearbox parts are really crummy-there's no excuse for this on any big expensive car, regardless of who made it. Using plastic parts in critical places to save a few grams of weight on an 1800kg premium car is just plain daft...

Especially as virtually everyone then had to offer upgraded replacement metal parts for retro-fitting to cars with failed plastic parts, whether it was tensioners, water pumps, gearbox valves etc.

Then again-maybe it was all a huge conspiracy by the parts manufacturers to sell even more parts-first the plastic parts to the manufacturers & then the replacement metal parts at a later date to enthusiasts like us

 

Thank you I was trying to sign up I downloaded the iPhone apps for both auction houses. Perfect for me because I'm always flipping cars I normally buy and sell 10-15 cars a year at various stages of disarray. hahaha

 

Daniel, how about this one
2003 Jaguar XJR Sedan Base

 

Thanks Roger! This one is NICE! I will call them in the morning for more info.

I feel like I have to explain my reasoning for saying "no X308 for a DD". Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I am not suggesting to park it, and look at it, ....I tried to say that if you search the forum, you will find many posts on the subject "gotta fix it urgently to go to work". If X308 is the ONLY car at the person's disposal, it WILL leave you stranded at one point or another. It's not a matter of "if", but "when". The more you drive it, the more things WILL break. Like anything else on the planet, this thing (and it's various components) has it's lifetime. I see it more as a enthusiast's automobile (for someone that likes to take care of them), and not as "the only mean of transportation". Sure guys (and girls), drive it, enjoy it, but if you have to work for living,....you better have a back up vehicle (or Mom!).

Some people on this (and other!) sites, have the proverbial "beer budget, and the champagne taste". When the tranny (example) goes bye-bye, they CAN NOT afford to have it fixed right away. The car sits for months, until the funds are available. Someone else on this forum said (I forgot who), that one should put couple hundred in the jar every month (just like making the car payment), and the funds will be there when the stuff breaks. That's a sound advice for people that don't have any disposable cash around. Unfortunately, people without disposable cash, are usually not disciplined enough to stick couple hundred in the jar every month, and forget about it.

So, in retrospective,......drive them, enjoy them, and be aware that you are driving an OLD car that is using up the "lifetime" of every small piece it's equipped with, with every passing mile. If you NEED to get to work on a daily basis, be sure you have a plan (and funds!) for the rental (or you own some other car besides X308) while the Jag is being worked on.

Ask ANY long time (5years+) X308 owner to tally his expenses on the X308 (plus the "down time"!) in the same period, and you will find out that UNLESS this person is a DIY type, the sum is staggering.

I would NEVER recommend this model to a young person with no DIY skills, no disposable cash, with limited financial resources, as the ONLY car to depend on for earning living.

And all this is NOT to say that I don't think this is a good vehicle! I love it (have two now, soon to be three), but sometimes what's "good for the goose, is not neccesarily good for the gander" (or the other way around!).