Central Valley Classic Cars - Jaguar XK8 Project

It Is California State Law that All Vehicles Have a Front License Plate

2009-08-08T20:55:00Z

You don’t see many XK’s with a front license plate. My brother once mused that he might very well be the only one to have one. But it is the law in California, and the XK8 is now legal.

Aesthetics, Airflow, & Aerodynamics

I don’t think the nose of the XK8/XKR was designed with the US style license plate in mind. The car looks much better with the short and wide European style license plate. The theme, lifted from the E-Type of the 60s, almost asks for the license number to be painted on the smooth surface just over the air intake, rather than mar the lines of the car with plate affixed to the bumper.

Many XK owners prefer their cars without a front license plate. But, in California at least, this once often ignored infraction is being cracked down on.

I didn’t remove mine. The law stipulates that dealers must include a front license bracket on any vehicle they sell or lease. But I acquired the XK8 from a private seller who had previously removed the license plate and bracket. More specifically, he had had the nose repainted and the bumper replaced or refinished and no bracket had been attached since.

After two years of driving the car around without giving it a thought, I was pulled over and issued a fix it ticket for the missing front license plate.

Changing Times?

Apparently there was a day when it was very rare that anyone would be pulled over for a missing front license plate (it’s really the back one that counts in most situations where you need to note a license plate). In those good old days, you’d only get issued a fix it ticket for this if you were pulled over for some other infraction. I asked around and several people suggested it was likely a result of a quota not quite met (it was the end of the month). But as I dug further it seemed that there has been an uptick in front license plate tickets that implies a change in policy rather than a cyclical need to issue more tickets. Those paying attention to the details suspect a correlation with the increase in traffic violation intersection cameras (the ones that take a picture of red-light runners). This correlation makes sense to me.

Complying with the Law

I ordered a license plate bracket which is just a piece of plastic and comes with no hardware. I probably could have gotten it cheaper and with hardware from Jaguar Haven, the Jaguar dismantler in Stockton, but it was just too easy to click-to-purchase and be done with it. So I picked up some self-tapping screws and plate fastenting screws/bolts at the local auto parts shop (and yes, could have gotten them cheaper too at a hardware store, but I also needed some power steering fluid… that’s for another article).

The pictures pretty much tell the story of attaching the bracket and license plate. NOTE: the 1 1/4 self-tapping screws were too long and hit the metal inside the polycarbonate overrider covers; I had to go back for 1/2 length screws and even those are a bit too long; but now you know so you don’t have to make the same mistake.

It's British Car Week!!!

2009-05-29T19:01:00Z

May 30th through June 7th is officially the British Car Week of 2009. British car clubs around the world encourage you to get out and drive your British automobiles this week.

In honor of this week of awareness and appreciation, I’ve collected together some of our favorite British car shots from the CVCC photo collection. You can click through them in this article, or browse the corresponding gallery.

There are no specific British car events in our immediate area, that we know of yet. But people are encouraged to be out on the road in their examples of British class and style and we’ll keep our cameras on us and try to snap pictures of what we see.

If you’re down in the south valley or SoCal, you might want to check out the California Healey Week event down in Paso Robles.

If you’re in the Fresno area, keep an eye out for members of the Valley British Auto Club enjoying their vehicles on the open roads. You can bet some British representatives will stand out at the The Belmont Concours d’Eleganza on June 7th at the Belmont Country Club in Fresno.

Speaking of cool British cars, check out what the engineers of Warwick University have cooked up with some chocolate, carrots and potatoes:

Pulling Out the XK8 Antenna Motor

2009-05-28T20:00:00Z

The auto extending & retracting antenna mast of the XK8 had long been gone. I’m not sure what I want to do about it long term, but for now I’ve rid myself of the faint but annoying sound of the motor running every time the stereo comes on or is shut off.

So, I actually did this some time ago. I even started the article back at that time. But life then suddenly got very busy with stuff I just had to prioritize over blogging. But thankfully my notes look good enough to pull something worth sharing out.

The previous owner had some bizarre story about how the antenna was lost; so strange I had no experience to associate it with and am unable to recall it, but it featured a seagull. It probably just got whacked off in one of those gas station car washes while the driver cruised the XK8 through with the stereo on. I’ve been told by a reliable source that this is how most of them bite it.

I’m considering options for the official fix. I’m not convinced I want to restore it to the factory spec. The XK8 is pretty timeless apart from this holdover from the eighties (yeah, it was probably a pretty cool gadget on an XJS, but just plain out of place on the XK). I’d rather have something more subtle, something low profile or possibly even hidden, but that will likely take some custom work – not just some off the shelf bolt on. So that is for another day… probably one of the days the paint and body work is done… sometime in the unforeseeable future.

The process of removing the antenna motor was fairly straight forward and simple, but I wouldn’t have wanted to guess where the detachment points were or where the antenna feed was best unhooked without a little guidance. That guidance was easily found with my ALLDATA Do It Yourself account. If you don’t have a subscription for your vehicle’s data you should really consider it. It’s reasonably priced (though it has recently increased to $27 a year for one car), and has very helpful information about the mechanics of your car and how to perform repairs. Even though most work I want done by experienced hands, the engineer in me appreciates being able to find the schematics that correspond to the work to be done. And, sometimes, like in this case, I find it easy enough to actually do it myself.

For more thoughts on doing it yourself check out DIY in the 21st Century.

I was ever so slightly disappointed at how light the detached antenna motor was in my hand. For those of you who like your extending and retracting antenna, this is a good thing. It’s really not adding any noteworthy weight to your car. I was kinda hoping it would be a first step in lightening my car.

When I talk to various experts about advances in car performance and efficiency, they often reference the trade-offs of new technology. New technology often means a more efficient component, but also mean more components expected and required. The most egregious of these, in my humble opinion, are the those that provide the creature comforts that define a luxury car and eventually become expected in all new cars. Now, don’t get me wrong, living in the central valley of California, where summer temperatures over 110° F are not uncommon, I do have an appreciation of air conditioning. But there’s a lot of powered luxury in the Jag I really don’t need. Now, I’m not going to go out of my way to strip these things out to lighten the car down to a chassis, engine and wheels, but the idea of dropping this or that and living without is inviting.

But the antenna motor’s absence is a very small drop in the weight reduction bucket. The upside to this was that I didn’t need to find anything in the front of the car to remove to maintain the vehicles balance.

It should be noted that I lost all radio reception once I detached the antenna lead. This surprised me for two reasons:

the reception was acceptable without a working antenna on the exterior of the car; as you can see from the pictures, there was no antenna to raise when the motor kicked in, and there as no longer a leader coiled in the motor either; but clearly the in the motor or its internal wiring was providing what reception there was.
last time I examined a car radio system, the FM and AM receivers where separate and designed differently in correspondence to the physics of the different technologies; disconnecting the external antenna only noticeably impacted FM reception, but not AM reception; but both were affected by disconnecting the motor… I haven’t heard an understandable sound from either FM or AM since doing so.

The absence of radio is a non-issue to me as I very rarely listen to anything other than the CD changer. I have considered doing an iPod integration, the easiest of which would be via a radio integration like provided by an iTrip. I’m not sure if antenna motor absence would help this because it would eliminated interference from radio stations or if will make it impossible because the is inadequate signal reception now. I’ll let you know when I find out.

Recommendations for Purchasing an XK8

2008-08-02T06:30:00Z

A little later than I had hoped, but as promised, here are my thoughts on acquiring a Jaguar XK8.

First off, I’m assuming you’re interested in an early model XK8 at a discount. Either you’re limited in resources and wouldn’t be considering a British GT if it weren’t for the current price/value proposition, or you’re into restoring beautiful but worn vehicles and the money will go into the restoration, not the starting point. I’m both, which means I bought a slightly tattered first gen XK8 that I dream of restoring down the road.

My recommendations are geared towards getting a solid but not perfect car at a price below your average “reasonable” car. If you’ve got a bit more means and you want an XK8 you don’t have to worry about, fuss with, or spend on correcting known issues, get the newest, cleanest, lowest mileage XK you can afford. At least a 2003+. Get the XKR. You can still apply the general “Rules of Thumb” below, but you won’t need to worry about the timing chain, the transmission, or cylinder sleeves and you’ll have more horsepower… and the seats will be more comfortable.

But if you’re thinking less-than-$20k rather than well-over-$20k, you’re still in it. Read on…

Think First (Research & Planning)

A car purchase is a big deal. A little planning is warranted.

Know what you want, what the market has, and how the two match up. Set your price range. Identify what are absolutes and what are variables. For what is a variable, assign a monetary value (ex: want with replaced timing chain tensioners, but will consider paying $1500 less for car with original tensioners). Identify mechanics that can do inspections in your area.

Be aware of the price difference between a private seller purchase and a car dealership purchase, both price and expectations. Note the difference between a Jaguar dealership and an unassociated used car dealership (I’m not a fan of independent used car dealers, but there’s probably good ones out there that don’t deserve the bad rap – maybe check the BBB if you find one with a car worth looking at).

Things to Look For

Rules of Thumb:

one owner car
low mileage/non-rush-hour highway miles better than city/traffic jam miles
dealer serviced, serviced by Jaguar Certified mechanics
all service records intact
garaged, well maintained

Special considerations:

Timing chain tensioners replaced
Post nikasil engine (after 2000), signs of compression reduction
If it’s high mileage, have all services been done on schedule? Has the 100k mile service been done?

Get a CarFax subscription. With the VIN, you can see ownership and service history, title problems, and reported accidents or damage. This, of course, won’t include anything unreported.

Inspect and test-drive the car. If you can’t, CarCheck offers an inspection for around $150. They’ll send someone out to the car who will meet with the owner, take pictures of the car, drive it and document the basic functionality and condition of the vehicle (this is not a substitute for an inspection by a mechanic).

The Most Important Step

If the car seems like a keeper, let the seller know you’re serious and arrange an inspection by a mechanic who knows Jaguars. If it makes sense to negotiate the price or other sale logistics first, you can always do so, stipulating that the deal assumes the mechanic’s inspection will prove satisfactory and the deal is off if the inspection doesn’t happen or reveals an unknown or undisclosed problem. An inspection will probably cost you an hour of a mechanic’s time. A Jaguar certified mechanic is going to charge more for an hour than most mechanics. Hills Motors rate is $120/hour.

A good thing to have the mechanic check is the top timing chain tensioner. It’s major work to get to the lower one, but not too hard to get a peak at the top one, which is more likely to be the one to crack. Also, if you have any reason to suspect a nikasil problem, you can ask for a “blow by” test. I’ve asked around, and none of the Jaguar experts/mechanics that I know in California have seen any of the nikisil related problems, so it doesn’t seem to be an issue in this region. If the car doesn’t have problems related to it now, it’s not likely to develop any thanks to better fuel regulations.

What to Expect of the Market

As I’ve stated before, it’s a really good time to purchase an early XK8. Price and selection are going to differ by area. Not surprisingly, you’ll find more in metropolitan areas.

There are a number of web sites that can help you find car listing in your area:

And Kelley Blue Book can help you get a sense of fair market value:
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/PricingReport.aspx?YearId=1997&Mileage=100000&VehicleClass=UsedCar&ManufacturerId=23&ModelId=159&PriceType=Private+Party&VehicleId=7955&Condition=Good

Factor In the Hidden Costs

Don’t forget to factor in the service and maintenance costs that can be expected with a given vehicle. There’s the premium for a Jaguar certified mechanic with AJ-V8 experience to consider. You can probably find a good non-Jag experienced mechanic who can do a good job for you, but it may take a bit longer to figuring out and dealing with aspects unique to Jaguar (the V8 is pretty manageable, the transmission’s a ZF also used in Mercs and BMWs, breaks and suspension are fairly straight forward, but the electrical, while better than in the pre-Ford days, is still a bit creative).

So, a car with multiple fluid leaks might take a pretty penny to clean up. And the tranny doesn’t have the best reputation after 100k miles, especially if it’s been popped from reverse to drive a bunch. It might be appropriate to set aside money for a replacement. The previous owner of my car had it replaced with a discount rebuild for around $3000. My brother didn’t want to risk a discount rebuild and went the highly reputable path for over $1000 more. Hills said the job could be $3200~$7500 depending on where the transmission comes from and who you have do the work.

And with the power of a V8 also comes noteworthy fuel usage. The 4.0 V8 XK8 has a city/hwy fuel economy rating of 17/25mpg. I do a fair bit of both and average 20.5 mpg overall. And it’s a premium gas car. Though it’s a great drive in just about all conditions, I, personally, wouldn’t recommend this car as a daily commuter.

Still a Deal

But in the end, I think we’re still talking under $20k. If you find a good condition 100k mile 97 being sold by a private owner, you could drive away for around $10k, then stop in at your trusted mechanic’s shop and put down $1200 to have the top timing chain tensioner replace, and set aside $4k for a new transmission and another $2k for unknowns (or gas). That $17,200 and a chance the $6k in the bank will be earning interest for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE (8/19/2008): I’ve added a couple more examples found on craigslist.

The XK8 Color Mystery

2008-07-30T19:09:00Z

What color is this car? Emerald, Sherwood, British Racing Green, Aquamarine, Sapphire? Is it a metallic paint job or a pearl? Is that color change just a trick of the mind?

Wishful Thinking?

I’m still hoping to have the car painted sooner rather than later. The original plan was to have it painted last, as the final step in restoration. This still might make the most sense, but it’s just so frustrating to work on the car and look at it and think… man, this car looks so bad but could look sooo good.

The ideal is to go with the factory original color. It’s a deep green (not unlike the lower-mid-range variants of British Racing Green but…) with a metallic sparkle and a soft blue undertone that tricks the eye as the viewer changes vantage angle. The color change is not a chameleon trick where different surroundings bring out different shades, as I first thought – it will do it under gray skies or blue, next to evergreens or concrete. And it’s not something you can see happening – you can’t turn your head or slide around the car and see the transition. But from some angles, the car looks green, while from others you’d swear it was blue.

Pearl vs. Metallic

Everyone who knows car paint takes one look at the car and says “it’s a pearl.” One Jaguar expert I queried over the phone said he knew the color, that it was a pearl, not a metallic, and that I could confirm by checking the manufacture’s tag inside the driver side door sill.

So, what color did this car roll out of the factory with? The factory tag says the car emerged from Coventry in May of 1997 in HGG. So, according to the Jaguar exterior paint charts, HGG is Emerald Green Metallic. But also according to said chart, HGG wasn’t an XK8 color until 1998. The chart also lists a Sherwood Green Pearl in my year, but the color code (HFR) doesn’t match. And there’s Jaguar Racing Green Pearl, which sounds promising, but neither color code (HGZ) nor year (2002-) line up.

Had the car been repainted to a pearl? And how do I explain the impossible year/color combination?

Answers Begin to Crystalize

I asked Mike at Hills Motors about this HGG on a 1997 when not available until 1998 problem. He said “clerical limitation” – they probably started using HGG a couple months before the 97/98 cut-over, but, when the chart got populated, 1998 got picked. He said he’s seen this with parts before.

It also seems others have identified HGG as a metallic green with a blue “flop” or “flip.”

The accumulating clues point to the car being in its factory color of HGG: Emerald Metallic, which is, indeed, a dark green color with a subtle blue undertone. Now, I just have to figure out how to have the work I’d like to have done come in within the budget.

Problem: Oil Leak; Solution: Hills Motors

2008-07-24T05:19:00Z

This week I took a little road trip to my old stomping grounds on the San Francisco peninsula to have some work done on the Jaguar XK8 coupe by the good folks of Hills Motors in San Mateo.

The mechanics at Hills did the initial inspection of the XK8 for me. Over the following year, I got to know them and they got to know my car as they helped me with project work. Since the move out to the Central Valley, the car had been leaking a small bit of oil from at least two spots on the garage floor. I called Mike at Hills to see if he knew anyone with Jaguar V8 experience in my area. He didn’t, but he noted that they had previously fixed an oil leak among other engine work that they guaranteed; if I brought the car to them, they’d do a free inspection; if the oil leak was related to any of their previous work, they’d fix it for free.

Back to the SF Bay Area

I still work in the Bay Area, but I usually take Amtrak. The opportunity to take the XK8 out on the road sounded good, but sitting in commute traffic did not. Attempting to beat traffic, I headed out about 5:45am. The first leg went well and I was over the Altamont pass within an hour. Then traffic went down hill along with the road and moving through the Livermore/Pleasanton area was less than fun. It’s a blessings that the XK8 is a really good grand tourer, not only because it’s fun to drive on the open road, but also because it is comfortable in molasses traffic.

After Pleasanton, things began to move again. But this was short lived. Then came 238 -> 880 -> 92. I detest this stretch of road. I’ll leave it at that. From 92 on was fine. FasTrak is a good thing. All said and done, I pulled into Hills Motors at 8:45am… the second leg took twice as long as it does without commute traffic.

Jaguar Mechanic Investigative Reporting

John lifted his head from under a hood to greet me as I came in and Mike emerged from the office to do the same. Mike has always taken the time to chat with me about my car and their work and this time I came prepared with a list of questions. Mike was gracious and patient and gave me lots of good info I’ll disperse in a couple of posts over the next week or so.

Worth immediate note is that Hills is offering a discounted price on replacing the upper timing chain tensioner (for $1600) or completely redoing the whole timing chain system, including chain, tensioners and guide rails (for $3900) of 1997~2000 Jaguar V8 engines. Both quotes reflect $100 off their usual estimate. They’ve seen enough 4.0 AJ-V8s ruined by chain tensioner failure. I had them do the complete job awhile back, and they did solid work. From what they’ve seen, just replacing the top tensioner greatly reduces the chances of failure, and I highly recommend doing this if you still have the original, plastic-encased tensioners.

Rollin’ Executive Style

With the XK8 in Hills for the day, Mike tossed me the keys to an XJ Vanden Plaus – an extended, executive saloon. I headed over to Raj Tiwari’s home office on the lagoon of Foster City. It was like sailing through Venice. The day was cool and overcast on the peninsula for the morning, but the clouds burned off in the afternoon and the blue skies reflected beautifully off the water.

Then Came the Bad News

Turns out the leaks weren’t related to any of the previous work done by Hills. And it wasn’t two leaks, but three:

Engine oil pan (which looked bruised but functional at purchase) – $155 for replacement, plus a couple hours to install and clean up the mess.
AC pressure line o-ring – $180 to discharge the AC and replace the coupler o-ring, plus $195 to evacuate and charge the AC.
Power steering cooler hose at connector – estimated at $417.

This was well beyond what I could do at the moment. That little voice in the back of my head was saying “what was the budget for this project car again?” This wasn’t on the charts. I had them skip the power steering drip for now – I can watch that and buy some time.

After doing the work, Mike showed me the beat up oil pan and failed gasket. Apparently, some time in the past, the pan had encountered something hard and had bent but not broken. Instead of replacing the pan, the gasket was augmented with silicon. Eventually the gasket gave out at the silicon edge.

On the Road Again

The Hills Motors guys got the work done quickly and had the car ready by 3:30pm. I traded them the XJ for my XK8 and jumped on the road in more vain hope of beating traffic. The trip back was pretty much a mirror of the trip out – bridge/92: a breeze; 880 -> 238 -> 580: painful; 580 through the Tri-valley: fluctuating; over the Altamont/down the Central Valley: mostly smooth sailing.

A Fun Trek and a Job Well Done

I made it home, safe and sound, with time to wash the car and the garage floor before parking it for the night. I’m pleased to report that when I pulled the car out the following evening, only a small drop of power steering fluid had blemished the floor.

Hills Motors
4011 Pacific Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94405
(605) 573-7425

It’s a Great Time to Begin an XK8 Project

2008-07-07T03:10:00Z

It seems it is a great time to acquire an early edition Jaguar xk8, maybe even one in less than ideal condition at a further discount, as a grand touring project car.

New XK8s rolled off the lots in late 1996 for $65~70k. Now, one with over 100k miles has a “private owner” Kelley Blue Book value of less than $9k. Yet, the no. 1 reaction I get when rolling up in my XK8 coupe is “how did you afford that?” Part of this is the similar appearance of a 1997 XK8 to a 2006 XK8 and only subtle differences between it and the supercharged 2006 XKR, the latter still being a $50k+ car on the used market.

But it’s not some freak mystery the first year model is valued so low. There are well documented issues a buyer should consider when looking at a 97 XK8 purchase.

So Let’s Start with the Bad News

The 1.0 version of a car often has a few kinks to work out. Some stuff gets rushed out as the deadline to delivery approaches. Other stuff nobody really knows or expects until the production car gets put through the passes of an everyday driver. Not only was the XK8 brand new in 1996, but also was the AJ-V8 engine, the first V8 in Jaguar’s history.

Timing chain tensioners – the AJ-V8 has a single-chain timing design. The original timing chain tensioners had plastic coverings that, over time, can become brittle and crack or break under stress, causing slack in the timing chain. This slack can result in really bad things to follow, like nasty piston/valve stuff that spells “engine rebuild”. Tensioner design was refined over the years, but not until 2005 was is replaced with an all metal alternative. $4000 to redo the whole timing setup, but if all seems good, you can probably get away with just replacing the top tensioner (about $1500 job). More info…
Transmission – in XK8s though the 2002 model, the AJ-V8 is fitted with a “sealed for life” ZF 5 speed transmission. This transmission is silky smooth and features a “sport” setting that adjusts the shift profile to more aggressive gear holding. 2003+ it’s a 6 speed ZF, still “sealed.” The “sealed for life” aspect means no hassle or maintenance for the life span of the transmission, but I’ve also heard rumors that the life span of this transmission is only 100k so you can expect to replace any time after that. A Jaguar mechanic once told me they should be good for longer than that, but they’re really designed for an XJ driver and experience durability issues under hardy GT driving on open roads (which the rest of the XK8 IS designed for). $2500 to $4000 to replace with a rebuilt transmission depending on where you get the transmission.
Nikasil cylinder chambers – to save on weight, Jaguar replaced conventional cylinder bore sleeves with a nickel silicon carbide coating in the AJ-V8 engines built through 2000, at which time enough evidence that these linings could break down and degrade compression had accumulated that Nikasil was abandoned for traditional cast-iron cylinder liners. Nikasil lining erosion is most likely due to sulfur in gas and is less likely a problem now. Problems, when experienced were mostly regional (where gas had higher sulfur ratios). More info…

And, of course, there are some typically big maintenance costs associated with a car with as many miles… some about due, some maybe deferred and part of the reason for the current owner wanting to unload the car.

100k mile service – selling point to the AJ-V8 is that it has few really big services, 100k mile service being the big one. Really big, like upwards toward $1000.
Water pump replacement – often goes on sporty cars around this milage range. $300~$400 to replace.
General decay of plastic/rubber trim and accessories – many of these cars have been well cared for, some haven’t, and in either case, 10 years of sun, wind and elements can show on the less durable parts – and not all of the car is metal, walnut, or leather.

But There’s Plenty of Good News, Too

A lot more of the 1997 AJ-V8 engine is solid than is buggy. Same is true of the 1997 XK8 overall. With the timing chain tensioners replaced and the transmission babied and basic service maintained, there seems no reason not to expect these engines to be problem free for 200k+ miles. Jaguar overhauled the engine for the 2003 series XKs and then again for the 2007 series, but at the core, we’re looking at the same workhorse. The engine has proven itself well and replacement parts, both used and new, remain available.

The body design is beautiful and timeless. Period. It pays respect to the Jaguar sports car heritage, but does not do so clumsily or with overtly retro tones. I’m a bigger fan of the coupe, which is aesthetically magnificent, but the plentiful convertible can surely be enjoyed in California where the sky is often clear and the air is dry and breezy.

The car is actually quite reliable. Ford gets knocked a lot for ruining Jaguar. It’s an unfair accusation and an unfounded judgment. Jaguar had been doing a grand job of this itself for over a decade when Ford acquired them in 1988. People make primarily two claims when they blame Jaguar woes on Ford: part sharing and design muddling. Even if these were the causes of Jaguar’s languishing reputation of geriatric-sub-par-ness, it still would have little validity as a complaint against the XK8. There are only 2 Ford parts in the 1997 XK8: a plug in the oil sump and a chip in the key-less entry remote. And the Geoff Lawson team design is pure Jaguar (yes, there are feature elements that also appear on the Ford Taurus, but this is not the Jag looking like a Ford, but an unfortunate attempt at the opposite, and anyone basic aesthetic discernment is not going to mistake one for the other).

What Ford did do for the XK8 is spend the proceeding years addressing many of the operational issues that caused the reliability problems that had plagued the previous generation Jaguars. Additionally they established new standards for electrical implementations correcting yet another notorious Jaguar problem. It was no longer a likelihood that a Jaguar’s windows would all lock at half-mast and the dash console burst into flames.

Full Disclosure: a Little More Bad News

OK, to be fair, there’s more to consider. Even with refinements in process by Ford, these cars are NOT Fords. I’m repeating this because it’s a good thing (these cars are special) and it’s a bad thing (don’t expect your average Ford mechanic to work on these). Service and maintenance on these cars will cost you more. In the S.F. Bay Area, there seemed to be plenty of Jaguar certified shops (I recommend Hills Motors in San Mateo), and my choice of dealerships within 15 minutes in either direction. In Atwater, I’m still looking… nearest dealerships are a little over an hour in either direction.

Conclusion

Even with the downsides, we still find the average early model XK8 a solid and beautiful grand touring car, with some controlled maintenance expenses, at a an amazing discount. It’s a great driver, comfortable and smooth about the country side or downtown, but also torquey and road hugging when you ask it to be. It’s a good ways off from being a collectible (and quite honestly may never be a collectors must-have jaguar), but it’s a lot of car for the money and the value for a good quality specimen will eventually go up (I’m not recommending this as an investment, just saying that if you will enjoy owning and caring for this car, you are going to get your money’s worth).

I plan to follow up soon with buying recommendations based on my own experience and what I’ve learned since. In the mean time, here’s the original Top Gear review of the XK8:

UPDATE (8/2/2008):

I’ve posted my recommendation on purchasing an XK8.

Introducing the Jaguar XK8 Project

2008-06-24T21:30:00Z

A year and 4k miles after acquisition, I can say the XK8 has served me very well as an occasional commute car. Now I’m back to commuting on the train and the XK8 is for weekend adventures. It just might be time to begin the restoration process.

So Where Do We Begin?

First off, yes, I know a 1997 Jaguar XK8 coupe is not what you’d consider a classic car. The first major update to the body style happened just 2 years ago. When I first cleaned up the car a year ago, I had several people ask me if it was new (they weren’t standing close enough to see for themselves it was not). It’s barely crested the 10 year threshold and cars aren’t usually considered classics for at least 2 decades.

And, it’s fair to ask what business a 97 XK8 has being a featured project car on Central Valley Classic Cars – it’s not exactly the prototypical project you’ll find underway here in Central California, nor what you’d expect to see showcased at a local gathering of car aficionados. But, hey, it’s just what is needed: a little European elegance; not too pompous or showy, like one might accuse of an exotic or super car, but a bit more down to earth… and with ties to the XKE legacy.

Oh, and there’s this: it’s the car I have, and I really like it. With the time and resources I have at my disposal, matched against my desire to do this right, the project will probably take 10 years to complete. At which point, the “classic” moniker should be less disputable.

And Where Are We Now?

Here are some of my notes on the status of things as of today.

Repairs TODO:

Needs to be painted: many chips, scratches; some sun damage; double sided tape cement on passenger door
Painting consideration: bondo areas (car was likely in a non-disclosed fender bender and the passenger-side rear wheel-well arch has signs of repair work)
Leather: driver seat bucket is warn; small tear in back seat
Oil leak: slow/small, but annoying; have already replaced the head gaskets
Crack in the front bumper (where a license plate holder could be mounted)
Broken antenna mask
Interior head liner needs to be replaced

Upgrades TODO:

New, double pipe exhaust (improve air flow, reduced back pressure; adds 8~17bhp)
New injection heat shield air filter (higher performance; adds 12bhp)
Small, 2005/2006 series trunk spoiler (slight down-force increase, should reduce tail slip)
Maybe: mesh steel grill for front air intake
Maybe: aluminum shift bezel

Has been done:

water pump replaced
timing chain, tensioners and guide rails replaced
body processor controller replaced – correcting problem caused by previous bad electrical work
suspension joint bolted down (may need to be replace)
20’’ chrome aftermarket wheels replaced with stock 17’’ alloys (Lamina, from 2001 series)

Not required yet:

Transmission replacement (previous owner replaced and it is doing well)
But it would be nice to drop a 6 speed manual into it :-)

Icing on the cake:

Up-size to 20” wheels (yeah, I know I already downsized, but I’d like to put Detroits or Sepangs on it)
Lower, firmer suspension (I do like the comfortable ride, but it could be tighter)

So, What’s Up Next?

The really big thing that is needed is to have the car repainted. It had quite a few chips, nicks and scratches when I acquired it, but I get credit for quite a few more. Though my commute while living in Burlingame was never during rush hours, it still wasn’t ideal. It took me across what often felt like the worst maintained public freeway in the country (101 between SFO and SF – yes, they were working on it, but how they were working on it was part of the problem). It seemed there was always a quarter mile patch without asphalt – road just ground up and covered with loose rocks. And I often shared the road with big trucks with less than effective mud-flaps.

And life in the city is full of parallel parking. Not everyone takes parking as seriously as maybe they should. I’m cool with valuing other things in life over material possessions like cars, but a few extra seconds to be conscientious when operating a vehicle is not what I’m talking about. Ever notice that some people parallel park by waiting to hit the car behind or in front to know that they can’t get any closer? That, or similar parking shenanigans, has added the biggest chips. But I digress…

Anyway, I’m looking into paint options. I’d like to get the factory paint, which is British Racing Green based, but mixed with a deep blue to create a finish that appears to be a different color depending on the angle of your vantage. The dark green and dark blue colors are compatible to the point that the change is very subtle, not gaudy or exuberant (like those purple/pick finishes of similar effect). I don’t know what the color is, for sure (people have told me different names: Aquamarine, Emerald, Sherwood, Cayman), but from under the hood, trunk and doors I can tell it’s the factory color the car rolled out in.

My friend Bryon tells me the kind of paint job is called “a pearl” and that the paint may be pretty expensive. My father tells me the process to recreate the finish of a pearl might add to the cost. I may be open to straight British Racing Green if it is more in my price range (there’s something about British Racing Green that is just right on a Jaguar)... or I’ll have to practice more patience and wait on the paint until my budget can afford a good job with the right paint.

I also hope to be able to have the paint job “done right,” with all the badges, trim, body accessories, etc. fully removed, including the replacement of all gaskets. I’ll compare quotes for various levels of work, but this aspect I think I can be more patient about. I don’t want to throw good paint at the car poorly.

If the painting does happen, I might consider a couple of other body upgrades to happen in concert, otherwise I’ll stick to mechanical maintenance and upgrades for the foreseeable future.

Downsizing the Wheels

2007-07-07T17:00:00Z

Yes, that’s right, I downsized the wheels on the XK8 coupe. But isn’t upsizing the wheels car upgrade #1? Here’s the summary…

The previous owner of the XK8 had upsized the stock, silver painted, 17’’ alloy “revolver” wheels with 20’’ chrome plated Fittipaldi alloys. I know what you’re thinking, “chrome 20s, GAUDY!” But actually, the wheels didn’t look that bad. Even so, they weren’t quite my style and I wanted to bring the car back to a more “stock” look.

Swap Blow-by-Blow

Now, I wasn’t thinking like a purist: must be stock, 17’’ revolvers on a ’97 XK8. I’m fine with 20’’ wheels, even prefer the stance they give the car (one look at the wheel wells and arches and you know it’s the right fit). I put a set of Detroits or Sepangs at the top of the wish list. But stock Jaguar wheels like that don’t come cheap, so I kept my eyes out for other options.

After a few days of keeping a casual eye on eBay and craigslist, I was about to conclude that a wheel change would not be happening, unless maybe I sold the 20s first, at a premium, but they weren’t in excellent condition and I needed the XK8 operational. But just as hope faded, fortune revealed a local eBayer looking to unload a set of stock 17” wheels. Laminas, no less, my favorite of the 17s. He had upsized to stock 18s and just wanted to get the old ones out of his way.

Because the shipping on the wheels would have upped the cost quite a bit, I didn’t have a whole lot of competition for them. I won the bidding at $146.13 and arranged to pick the wheels up from the seller. brentcon01 was great and I recommend him as an eBay seller.

Shaffer’s did the swap for me and I offered them a share of the sale price for housing the 20s for me. I put them on Craigslist priced to move ($800 for the set) and had them moved out within a couple of days.

The Verdict

I drove around the Bay Area on the 20s for a month, including a trip to Santa Cruz. And have now had sufficient time to explore the 17s. Though the car handles respectably on the 17s, I must confess that it handled notably better on the 20s. The cornering was great. I have a tight turn with good visibility where I was able to push it and I could never get the car to break traction. I pushed it hard, but the limit of my driving confidence came before the edge of the performance possibilities of the vehicle. With the 17s, in the same bend, and the same effort, I can get the tail to slide out. Just slightly, mind you, but still the difference is clear.

But a plus for the 17s is ride comfort. The car on the 20s was very much at home on the smooth asphalt of Hwy 1 when trekking down the coast, but cruising up the rugged concrete of 101 in SF was rough. The whole car would shake and quiver and every piece of the interior rattled and vibrated against its adjoining pieces. It wasn’t like I felt it, like when your teeth chatter on an old, wooden roller-coaster, but I could sure hear it, and it annoyed me. I was planning to felt-tape everything in the cab, but then, suddenly, on the 17s, everything got all quite and peaceful.

Someday, I’d like to size back up to 20s with a set of Sepangs, but for now, I’m really happy with the Laminas.

The Jaguar XK8 Coupe

2007-06-20T22:00:00Z

My fascination with Jaguar dates back to stories my father would tell me of his high school friend’s XKE. Some day I’d like to own and restore a ‘61 E-Type cabrio. Through a series of fortunate events, I have, quite unexpectedly, acquired my starter Jaguar: a green 1997 XK8 coupe.

The car does not have the stats that say “good deal, safe bet”:

NOT a revised edition (includes the 1.0 mistakes in the engine and mechanics)
NOT a single owner car (I’m the 4th)
NOT been garaged (the last owner had it in a carport, don’t know before that)
NOT low miles (108k, reasonable for 10 years of driving, but few XK8 have seen so many)

From a distance, it looks pretty darn good, but you don’t have to get super close to see that this car hasn’t had the easiest 10 years of the cars that rolled out of Coventry in May of 1997. It’s got slightly more than its fair share of nicks and scratches and a couple of small body shape imperfections. There is the possibility that that the car was in a small, unreported fender-bender; Mike and John at Hills Motor have found funny things like a dent in the AC unit, like it had been pinched, and a tag missing from a surface in the trunk. But the engine seems to be in great shape which is what I was really hoping for.

With the mechanics passing the Hills Motor inspection with flying colors, I felt this was the right XK8 for the family. It should work for my occasional, non-rush hour commutes for the near term and, long term, I hope to put some effort into cleaning up the externals and amenities.

The best praise I’ve gotten for the car came from my friend Pete, an authoritative performance car expert, who said “that’s a gentleman’s car.” I didn’t tell Pete about the car before we bought it because I was afraid he, being a Porsche nut, would discourage the purchase and steer me toward a German alternative. But he approved, mostly in knowing the back-story of my interest. When I told him how much we paid, he said “woah, that’s a lot of car for the money.” I agree.