Jaguar XK8 (X100) 1996-2002 Buyer's Guide

Here we have a brief buyer's guide to the X100 Jaguar XK8 4.0 coupe. This video is intended to provide you with a number of pointers when looking to buy an early XK8. Note the convertible and supercharged XKR will have some important differences, but most points remain relevant. This is by no means a professional or comprehensive guide, but a perhaps useful quick reference. Below we recap the main problem areas on the XK8 4.0 V8 coupe.

*Rust: sills, front floor, rear arches and rear quarters are the main problem areas. Mud accumulates in many nooks and crannies along the rear end in particular, and on bad cars rust can manifest alll along the underside. It makes sense to inspect UK cars on a lift.

*Engines: early AJ26 engines suffered from Nikasil cylinder lining erosion due to sulfur in 1990s fuels. Jaguar had to replace failed engines under warranty (replacement engines had steel cylinder liners) and a tag on the engine will confirm this. At this point if you have a Nikasil engine which still runs well, then there is not a problem as modern fuels have next to no sulfur. The main problem these days is failure of the timing chain tensioners, which were originally made from plastic. Upper timing chain tensioners tend to fail first and crack. The same fate is in store for the chain guides. If you hear clacking from the engine, it is probably the tensioiners. Do not let a seller convince you it's the hydraulic tappets. These engines do not have hydraulic tappets! Also thermostat housings were originally plastic. Replacement parts are all metal. Early water pumps were a bit weak and the throttle body can fail (replace or recondition). The engine underwent a mild upgrade in 2000 to the AJ27 before the update to the superior 4.2 V8 in 2002.

*Gearbox: The XK8 has the ZF 5HP24 automatic 5-speed transmission. These fail regularly due to the gearbox being "sealed for life". No transmission is sealed for life. These units in particular need regular fluid and filter changes. If no maintenance if carried out the box will fail sooner or later. Rebuild kits have uprated clutch material and are more durable. Make sure on the test drive that the gearbox is smooth and does not lurch. It should also be able to do a nice double kick-down. Evidence of gearbox maintenance is a big bonus. Sometimes the gear selector mechanism can fail, producing a "gearbox fault" message on the trip computer. In most instances of gearbox issues the same error message will be displayed on the trip computer.

*Brakes and suspensions: the brakes and suspension are not particularly special on the X100. Undertake the sort of checks you would on any other classic car. Note some models had electronic dampers via a system called "CATS", identified by plugs going into the top of the shock absorbers.

*Interior: generally beautiful and hard-wearing. Usually the driver's seat bolster and centre armrest wear the most. Headlinings start to droop with age but are easily replaced. Remember the handbrake is the "flyoff" type and may be confusing if you have not used one before. Test every button and toggle. Windows on the pillarless doors tuck down automatically to seal the door on opening and closing.

*Electrics: ABS and traction control warnings can be set off by a faulty ABS module, which is usually caused by dry/cracked solder joints on the control board. ABS sensors may also fail. Oftentimes strange electrical gremlins are due to low battery voltage. The X100 is very sensitive to drops in battery voltage so the first port of call for electrical problems is to check the battery (located in the boot).

There are many important things to check when buying an old XK8, but they are worth the effort thanks to the great driving experience and beautiful exterior and interior design. A good example is a better investment than a cheap project car. When you get a bad XK8 it will cost more to fix than buying a sorted car in the first place. Don't rush into buying one and don't be fooled by the good looks, think hard! Also (author's opinion), don't buy a silver XK8 as they look horrible for some reason.