Hey guys!

Not brand new to the forum but have never needed to register and post since I was only researching.

But anyway I'm in the process of acquiring a 1997 XK8 with 101,000 miles.

I was wondering is there any info anyone can provide me on this specific vehicle based on the VIN.

SAJGX5748VC006099

recalls? engine problems, etc.

from what i hear there's no reason to even bother with a carfax is there?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!

 

If you have the service history you should be able to call the dealerships, give them the last 6 digits of the vin number (006099) and they should be able to tell you what work was carried out, what they can tell how is the spec of the car as it left the factory, the rest is donkey work phoning around, you would of thought Jaguar would have a central database to consolidate this info to make life of future owners easy...... But since when have Jaguar ever done that

 

Thanks XKRacer, but unfortunately I don't have any service records. I'm doing a trade with a guy off craigslist for my 2002 BMW 745i and I'm just trying to make sure I'm not getting myself into a bad situation.

 

Any dealer can pull warranty work history but not local service at other than the one to which you are talking. Unless you can get a release from the owner they will not give you either the warranty or repair records due to privacy issues. There is a warranty report that only provides the principal part and date that you might get if you say pretty please.

I was fortunate to get a owner release and received full warranty invoices plus service/repair records at the only dealer he used.

 

This is a 17 year old car...you should expect some problems. A Carfax and inspection by a Jag specialist would be wise investments.

At that age and mileage budget for 3rd gen. chain tensioners, a cooling system overhaul, transmission fluid change, new plugs and suspension repairs at the very least unless you know they were taken care of...plus all the usual wear items like tires and brakes.

 

I really hope you are handy with the spanners........ I mean wrench!!

 

wow that doesn't sound good! would you say that i'm making a bad decision? I thought i was getting an UPGRADE at least in the reliability department.....my beamer ALWAYS has something wrong which is why i'm getting rid of it to begin with. I don't wanna put myself in an identical situation...

 

Really depends on the XK, get it checked first by a mechanic who knows what he is looking at, some have no probs at all some are a nightmare.

You maybe going from the frying pan into the fire but at least it will be in style

 

They guy selling it has an auto shop, so it's supposedly in great shape. Should I take it to ANOTHER mechanic or just trust that a mechanic took care of the car. He seems to drive it daily....




I HATE that the windows are tinted red lol, but thats an easy fix.
The interior is in great shape. Is that a good sign?

 

The forum vin decoder says this XK was white once upon a time?

Anyhoo....... If it was me I would get the car independently checked, just for peace of mind...

And the wheels upset me more than the windows!

 

My eyes, my eyes!!

Yet another ruined XK8....

 

Yea I noticed that also @XKRacer....
But I guess new paint may have been needed sometime in 17 years. Who knows.


The exterior appearance is really the least of my concerns. The interior of the car and what condition its in under the hood are all that really matter to me at this point.

Wheels, color, windows are all very easy modifications but whats the point if you're driving a lemon?

 

wouldn't an XK8 with a bad engine or tranny be a better example of "ruined" as opposed to you not personally taking a liking to it's physical appearance?

 

Not necessarily to the folks on this forum.

 

If the car was a darker red like carnival I think the windows would not look that bad...... Not fan of the wheels, like I previously said, don't mind the style just matching the body colour looks to much, easily fixed though.....

 

Never - and I mean NEVER - buy a car from a body shop. It's like getting a date with a plastic surgeon's daughter. You don't really know how she started out!

 

very useful info....I didn't think of it that way but you're absolutely right. But I think this is just a auto service place not a body shop. I'll double check to be sure though.

 

1) Exterior appearance should be a concern - this is how you identify prior accidents. I don't like the uneven hood gaps, but then again it's hard to tell from the picture.

2) New paint, especially white would not be "needed" unless the car was in an accident. White paint hides a lot of flaws so there's usually no need to repaint it. Unless the prior owner was made out of money the car was probably given a different color only because a substantial part of it was going to be repainted anyway - as a result of an accident.

3) On the early XK8s, regardless of how well it was kept, with 101,000 miles, you WILL be replacing the transmission within the next 30k if it has not already been replaced with a rebuilt unit. This expense will run you $5k, minimum.

I get the feeling you are coming here for validation - that your mind is already made up and you were hoping most of us would support your choice (apologies - I'm not very good at that).

 

Not sure I would agree with some of that

I have done colour changes on a few XKs now and they were perfectly fine before hand just a matter of choice, so I would not necessarily agree "as a result of an accident", looking at the shut lines I can see and knowing where to look on accident damaged cars I would say "if" it has been in accident it has been fixed well...

Also I have 150K miles on my XK and the gearbox/tranny is still going fine

 

People paint cars all the time for NO other reason other than to give the car a different, more custom look. So a paint job doesn't necessarily mean accident. I've seen people buy cars NEW cars and immediately paint it.

As for validation, not sure why you would think I need that. If my mind was made up, I wouldn't even be here. Even if EVERYBODY on here said "buy it" I still wouldn't be sure. If I'm seeking validation on anything it would be on whether or not to buy an XK8 AT ALL. Not on THIS particular car. My concerns are for ANY xk8 of the 97 year. So thanks for your feedback, which is what I asked for. Your "validation" was never wanted for or needed.