Hi Guys,
I finally convinced the wife "we" need an XK after pulling up behind one recently at a stoplight.

I found a local Dallas TX car that is a XK Liquid Silver hardtop with 78k miles. It drives like a dream... not too stiff and not too soft. Engine is smooth and trans is good shifting. Drives very straight and accelerates much faster than the 4.2L does in my 04 XJ8. Car has brand new Continental Extreme Contact tires all around. Very nice interior & leather. Does have chrome chipping off bezel where gear shift shaft has worn it away. Corner of driver inner taillight w slight chip. Headliner is good and not coming down anywhere. A couple minor paint chips that have been touched up. I say overall very clean.

I am asking your advise of specific issues / possible problems and or services I should check into?

I can ask salesperson to provide Carfax to see service records...

I am aware of the AC Evap core stoppage and this 08 XK flows plenty of water to the ground and has no smell/dampness to the interior.

What other things could be a Gotcha soon after we buy it?

Thanks In Advance,
Mike

 

Anything can happen with a 15 year-old used car in Texas. Heat dries out rubber and leather. All the rubber parts should be inspected for cracks (suspension bushings, wiring, hoses, weatherstripping, etc.) and the leather dash pad should be inspected for shrinkage, which is a common occurrence.

Every used car is a crapshoot. You can pay a Jaguar dealer to do a Pre-Purchase Inspection using this CPO checklist:

Also, you can have a body shop that is qualified to do aluminum repairs do a similar PPI for paint, body, and chassis repairs and determine if they were done properly. You may be able to negotiate the price down to cover the cost of those inspections.

You can't rely on CarFax or similar services to buy a car because not all accidents are reported to them. But you can rely on CarFax to not buy a car.

Good luck!

P.S. I forgot to mention - check for stored DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes).

 

Got it! Dumb question I guess.
Most cars like this sold here are brought in from auctions..
At least by reading the forums I learned about the evap drain clog and about the dash leather distortions.
Thanks for the reply

 

wake up tomorrow morning, grab your ********* from the shelf, and go buy your hotrod. The wife can stay in bed til you come home with nothing but hunger for her and a SexK to make her wish she had never agreed to your groveling. Other than that, Congratulations on getting permission! Happy hunting

 

"wake up tomorrow morning, grab your ********* from the shelf, and go buy your hotrod" Tell me about it!
It's actually her 2nd car (XJ8) we are selling to make room for the XK. Don't have room for a 6th car.

Taking a car to a Jag dealer would seem to depressing when they gave me the $20K of estimates they recommend. At least my past experiences W Dallas dealers would indicate that. But, Now I found a 2013 XK 1000 miles away that we like. Black with Caramel Interior..... unusual combination. Is it even worth the time to hire someone from a inspection company like R8TR for an inspection & report? I did it to buy a Mustang GT 10 yrs ago but I may have just been lucky on that one and it was still in factory warranty.

 

My personal preference, is for the 4.2, which ended in 2009. Not a lot of things go wrong with the XK, but keep a healthy battery in the car.
These are pretty robust cars, but one thing at 78k miles, to consider, is a transmission fluid change. This would include a new filter. Should cost under $200.

 

When an owner does the tranny filter and fluid, have them drop the mechatronics and replace the 5 seals interfacing between the mecha and the turbine section. They shrink with age (not just mileage) and reduce the fluid pressure if they've begun to do so. Eight bolts to drop the mecha and push in the five rubber seals. Should be a half hour (or less) additional job -- don't let the tech tell you it's complicated, because it isn't, and since you have the pan off anyway, this is the time to do it. Not unusual to find the old large square seal breaks if you bend it slightly, to show how stiff it's become. NOTE: the mecha is heavy, for it's location and size, and covered with oil, so be careful not to drop it upon removal.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I bought a 2011 XK Black on Black and travelling to Chicago to pick it up.