Specific car in question is a 2005 XJ8 Vanden Plas with 60k miles. Black on some fancy name for tan leather. Being a 2005, it has the 6 speed auto. I haven't figured out with variant of chain tensioners it has yet. I'm also not totally sure on what its worth...
So how bad are these things? I know about the tensioners and the suspension compressors.
Anyone else like big cats?
What motor does it have.
Classy car. You could do a lot worse.
asoduk said:Anyone else like big cats?
I like big cats and I cannot lie.
I haven't actually owned one and have nothing useful to add, I'm afraid.
I have been holding out for a xJ super v8.
asoduk said:Specific car in question is a 2005 XJ8 Vanden Plas with 60k miles. Black on some fancy name for tan leather. Being a 2005, it has the 6 speed auto. I haven't figured out with variant of chain tensioners it has yet. I'm also not totally sure on what its worth...
So how bad are these things? I know about the tensioners and the suspension compressors.
Anyone else like big cats?
These were the second year of the new aluminum XJ8... that looked almost exactly like the previous generation. I had an 05 S-Type myself and was very active on a Jag forum. The 4.2 / and 6 speed combo are a very robust setup. If I am not mistaken, the tensioner issue was found in the 4.0 V8. I remember reading that part of the update to AJ-V8 taking it from 4.0 to 4.2 included an upgrade to metal tensioners.
While my experience with the 4.2 is through the readings and adventures of other owners back then (my Jag was a 3.0 V6) I did find that Jaguars back in that period were actually pretty well built and sorted cars.
Liked my cat so much that I kept the hand made shifter knob that I bought for it from a craftsman as a memory...
nutherjrfan said:not a Vanden Plas but it's rare or something. I dunno.
Yes pretty rare... but is also the 4.0 / 5 speed car. That would actually put me off. That package was a way for folks to get the look of the XJ-R without paying the price of entry. So, being a trim package that didn't have many takers doesn't make it really worth much more than a regular XJ8. While a mechanical go through should take care of the common issues, the other thing that would scare me off that car is the work required to bring back the interior.
From my experience jaguar interiors age very well.
Tensioners aren't an issue for that year since they have the metal tensioners. The air suspension though.....its DYI'able lol.
Here's my big cat from earlier this summer when we bought it (from fellow forum member!)
It is a heck of a car. Ours is a 98 xjr (fastest sedan in the WORLD in 1998 - neither bmw or mercedes liked the sound of jag selling the fastest sedan in the world, so they both brought the hammer in '99). It will run with a standard 98 corvette on acceleration and braking, obviously a little slower at turning with about 1000 extra lbs. It drives really nicely and is very quiet inside.
It is reliable just like any mostly modern car to us so far, but I will say most maintenance is slightly more complicated than standard cars. So far I've done motor mounts, front wheel bearings, a subwoofer cone fix, and maybe a few other small things. Everything has more steps than you think it should need, but jag service manuals are excellent and available for free on the net.
Finally, I will say that it is the only car we have ever had that we get compliments on from non-car people. (excluding of course when people compliment you on a car they know you just bought). And we get a lot of comments. People can't stop talking about how beautiful they think it is.
tl/dr; DO IT!!
I almost went down this path and did a bunch of homework. As you mention, they seemed well sorted at this point as some of the earlier v8's had issues. What stopped me from buying a XJR was that everything I was looking at needed the suspension done and thei air ride setup/struts are big bucks or simply need to get replaced with coilovers. From memory this was 3k or so...
not all xjr's have air ride (maybe all the later ones do), but mine doesn't. Some of the 98-2002 generation had what is called CATS for computer something something something, which is basically electronically adjustable shocks (no driver control, they automatically adjust to conditions). Mine doesn't have those either. Just standard shocks and springs.
I will say there is almost no aftermarket for suspension on these though.
Read between the lines on this ad. This guy knows nothing about his car other than the obvious. He's flipping it. Late production 2002 on up, had the updated cam tensioners. Nikasil liners were finished by this time I believe. Suspesion parts are available, but a little on the pricey side.
IIRC, no X308 (98-03) XJR had air ride. That was only on other trims. Some XJRs do have CATS (the electronically controlled shocks) though.
In reply to rslifkin :
2004 and up has air ride. Expensive to replace, even after market. There are places that offer conversions.
rslifkin said:IIRC, no X308 (98-03) XJR had air ride. That was only on other trims. Some XJRs do have CATS (the electronically controlled shocks) though.
Very rare a x308 with CATS in the US.
I have found anything considered rare, means everything to do with said vehicle is also rare. Rare = PIA.
Robbie said:Here's my big cat from earlier this summer when we bought it (from fellow forum member!)
Well.....since we're showing off.
Mine, 2000 XJR
Can I just hijack this thread for a second? I want to ask Robbie and yupididit what it's like driving a car with one windshield wiper. Canada doesn't have year-round sunshine (I know: shocking, but true) so if one of these beasts were to one day find itself in my driveway, how would it be to see out of in the rain (or whatever)?
The Super V8 has about 4 inches added to it as compared to the regular XJ. It also gets the supercharged 4.2. All 4 inches is added for rear seat leg room. You can see that the rear door is longer as is teh roof line. Makes for a fantastic place to be as a passenger. Since I would potentially have clients with me at times I am thinking that this would a great car. Also my son is growing like a weed. He is 12 and almost 5'11" tall (same as me). I think he may have to the tall genes that are in the family so it would be great for him/us as well.
They look so nice............................but i am scared. Maybe unnecessarily so but maybe not. OK this didn't help anything.
Nothing to be scared of. I have found Jags to be easy to work on compared to VAG products and Merc's. Parts do cost a bit more but it is not anything different than any other import like honda or toyota and alot less than the german cars I have had. For the most part Jags of post 2000 are European Fords.
Stealthtercel said:Can I just hijack this thread for a second? I want to ask Robbie and yupididit what it's like driving a car with one windshield wiper. Canada doesn't have year-round sunshine (I know: shocking, but true) so if one of these beasts were to one day find itself in my driveway, how would it be to see out of in the rain (or whatever)?
I've never driven it in the rain, southern California lol. But, the wiper extends far enough and at efficient speed when I tested the wiper.
In reply to dean1484 :
I dropped a lot of money into "while I'm in there" parts last year. A lot of them you could use ford part numbers. Hell, the bolts to my metal tensioners is for mustang. Bought them for pocket change vs using the Jag part number.
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