Am still looking for an XK8 in my area but am having more folks tell me these cars are "high maintenance" None of them have been owners but some are mechanics. Would any owners out there concur on this? If they are high maintenance, what are the common issues these models suffer from?
I drive a Lexus SC400 and have been very happy with the quality and reliability. I was hoping a 97-99 XK8 would offer the same class of service.
appreciate your comments Mike in Dallas
My 98 XJ8 had a stalling problem - turned out to be a simple (15 miuntes) fix of cleaning out the part-load breather port on the left head cover(same on 98-2003 XK8's.)
All in all, I'd have to say used Jags are some of the best fun money can buy - and a good buy at that. Like all high performance cars, they do require a little TLC so get one with a warranty.
Recently I had my car valet parked at a historic hotel in downtown Dallas that's known for high-end clients. When I came back to pick it up, it was parked in front of the hotel between a Rolls and a Ferrari. Not bad for a car I payed around $20k for. I get constant comments from other drivers and enjoy the classic beuty of the car.
Go for it.
--Dave
stu wrote:
I have a '98 XK8. I bought it with 13.7K last year and just passed 40K. One big surprise was the 17" tires have a rated tread life of 35K miles (I routinely got 70K for the 15" tires on my Supra). Also, the rims require a machine for mounting the tires that not all mechanics have (but wasn't too hard to find at a regular tire shop).
Oil changes cost more than with the Supra ($70 at the Jaguar dealer, $50 at my regular mechanic). I expect that the places that advertise $15 "for most cars" will just laugh at you.
I have a small electrical problem associated with the instrument cluster brightness control. I will have to have that looked at when I have the time. It is a loose wire (thumping the steering column has alleviated the problem, sometimes, and the problem isn't always there).
Also, my heater doesn't work (not much of a problem here in Southern California), but it is $450 to replace.
I wash and wax it regularly with a UV-protectant polish and it looks really good.
BTW: I found the car I wanted on the Internet and flew out to Texas to get it, driving it back in a winding path through the Southwest as my summer vacation. Try Autotrader.com (it is the most flexible for specifying options like price range, color, mileage, distance from your location, etc.),
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