I actually watched your older "should I buy an x308" video and it was a significant data point in my decision to get my 01 XJR. You've described the car fairly and (to my perception) perfectly...its a wonderful place to be, the feeling of driving it is like nothing else and the engine...just wows me every time. I've put 13k miles on mine since August '22 and it hasn't given me a bit of trouble. I'm in the DIY and enjoying it category. This car is near perfect for me.
I'd look for a used Jag for years but they were always poorly maintained. But 3 years ago my boss' boss sold me the 1998 XJ he inherited for a small adoption fee. It had 44k miles and the only work it needed was reasonable maintenance on a 2 decades old car. I recently serviced it costing $5k. More than the value of the car if I were to sell it, but it is such a lovely place to be. It gets a lot of looks. British racing green, biscuit interior and in amazing shape.
@@LowTechGarage They should start making these again. Exactly the 90s and 2000s model. These days they can sell these new for 80 k. They will, be in demand
@@LowTechGarage You should be an actor , you just love showing your face ...lol ! not me, the car the car! You should keep that line in mind !!!!! Thats from back to the future. Not me! , the car! The car !
I bought a '98 XJR in 2004 to be my daily driver. I said when I found a better car I'd replace it. I'm still driving the same XJR. :D Over 250k Kms, 0 seconds with the -supercharger- sport mode off, 0 critical failures. Almost 20 years and I still grin every time I jump in. I thrash it too much and probably go through perishables faster than I should, but it's never let me down. My Green Angel is my happy place.
I had a 3.2 for twenty one years. Wonderful car, but always wanted the XJR. Now have f Pace SVR. Not as smooth a ride, but astonishing performance. I would love an old X308 with the 550ps engine.
Here is the thing for me......when I was traveling a few years ago I seen an old Mercedes Benz. Gosh it must have been from the 1960s or 1970s it was not only such a beautiful car BUT it was also SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART!!! It left me feeling and thinking gosh they sure don’t make them like that anymore! They might be a big beautiful car but they aren’t a the classic masterpiece work of art they once were. You got to go back to the 60s and 70s for that! But the JAG? This XJR 308 in the late 1990s and into the OOs they still retain that old world status as a classic Work of Art!! They were to my knowledge the only car maker left still continuing to be doing that by then. These still had that masterpiece work of artness about them that other makers had lost. I believe this is one of the main things that makes these last of the old JAGS so special. They retain that thing about automobiles that’s hard to define. That’s where the love affair with the automobile came from. Among other things about them there is a PRIDE and PRESTIGE and an old world masterpiece work of art sort of status. Human beings were creating something very special and bringing it to life. Sadly it’s not really like that anymore but these are all that is left as examples of that long cherished legacy. I’m not originally a JAG fan to be honest but these ones are going to go down in history. It’s a beautiful thing! It’s a work of art! It’s a long standing cherished tradition! QUINTESSENTIAL TIMELESS ICONIC CLASSIC EXQUISITE AND IRREPLACEABLE THE IDEAL AND IDEALISTIC SEDAN AUTOMOBILE OF PLATO’S HEAVEN....brought down here for us mortals to enjoy on earth. Yeah! They took their very best stab at all that and they were proud of what they had created. In the wealthy British tradition a large 4 door automobile extremely capable and ideal for making a fast trip down to the south of France and perhaps to Italy ( for fun food and gambling ) and quickly and safely back home again and doing it in style and be back at work in the office in London on Monday morning, looking rather modest elegant understated reserved and conservative. The perfect long weekend English get away car! Just as at home on its way to the FRENCH RIVERA AS TO THE OFFICE PARKING SPACE IN METRO LONDON just in time for afternoon English tea or a strong Italian coffee! Yesss they sure don’t make them like this anymore!! And just like in the ‘Stephen King’ short story of years ago about another great foreign car with a V8 .....and a pretty cool woman behind the wheel of her little go devil ........there is also a great odometer and a clock!
That were wery understated cars. I kept and stil enjoy my dad's '94. 6.0 V12 Daimler because of before mentioned reasons. It is not the fastest car, but it can be such a hooligan on the highway. Just to let you all know who are questioning performance of real Jag. This July I had very interesting encounter with C126 560 SEC on highway between Nuremberg and Munich. Merc had alittle showoff in front of me, but Jaguar was not a joke this time. It matched performance of 560SEC with ease and on speeds between 230 and 250 km/h just had a little fun wtih it. If both cars wouldn't be top speed limited, a 6 liter V12 could be faster. So wery likely that it was realy the fastest saloon of it's time. The only drowback was that Jag burned almost a whole 80 ltrs tank of fuel on that 100 km top speed trip.
They still are very quick. I regularly surprise mustangs. And they are not electronically limited like some people say they are. I have had mine up to 171.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours! Top 3 for sure! Your attention to detail is amazing. These cars are a WORK OF ART! There isn’t really anything quite like them in a 4 door sedan before them and there won’t be anything since. I’m of the camp where I also like BMW, MERCEDES AND LEXUS. But these are special. There is nothing quite like a big JAG!
@LowTechGarage I mean there are surprises but I went ahead and replaced all those skinny plastic hoses just in case but I mean it's a Jag, it's full of surprises, I've been driving this XJR on road trips and it's my everyday so it's been great, is been bad when I don't drive it.
Hey Josh, a couple of things you could have mentioned is, if you want extra space is, get the long wheel base version like my super V8, crazy amount of leg room in the back, gives you so much extra space, the other thing is to probably buy one that has had a great service history that has had everything done including hoses and timing chains.. really looking forward to seeing you sort that head lining out. it keeps bugging me watching your vids with that hanging..... they're not that difficult to do and it'll put a smile on your face getting it done.
I picked up my Jag this year. Iv always loved this body jag the first time i got to drive on a 2001 xjr in 2001. What a car. I got a 99 Vanden plas supercharged. Got to do the job you just did to mine. Your vids are awesome and full of great detail thanks for doing all of it. Did you ever put a parts list up for all the motor parts and upgreads
Cool buddy that would be sweet. Thanks again for all you detail on the one the only classic JAG'S. From this viewer all the way up on the East Coast of Nova scotia Canada 🇨🇦 keep the goods coming.
@@LowTechGarage Just give us more exterior views of the vehicle. And have a friend, drive it, slowly, about 5 miles per hour super super slow, while you film it , exterior shows as it rolls by slow. Thank you. Also shots of opening the trunk The rear doors, etc, front doors etc
@@donnielspears305 Thats great that you like jags. Once we had to store an xjs For a mechanic who needed a spot to keep it. ,(Our backyard. ) That got me hooked. Now,,I'm interested! Lol I got to sit in that XJS. it must have been an 85 or 90..its a 2 door, as you know. And this jag is bad ass as well.
Hey Josh, great video, thanks. Ive owned lots of luxury cars: 2 Mercedes, 6 BMWs , 4 Caddys , a Porsche...I have gotten TEN TIMES the compliments on my base model 2003 XJ8 in the past two decades than all my other cars combined. People LOVE this car and actually THANK me for keeping it on the road! I think it's the leaping cat hood ornament that makes them lose their mind...The number of times people have yelled across the street: "Bond! James Bond!" makes all the maintenance and repairs worth it!
❤ love the info ,good to hear you talk about boy racers also,you're right my friend, they are idiot's and do very much endanger all of us, keep it coming my friend. 🌏👍✌
This is a very fair appraisal. I have one and although it's had some issues and has cost me a few quid lately, I still love it. I used to have a 3.2 V8 which was also nice, although nowhere near as powerful. But reputations are powerful and they have a very VERY long tail. I'm convinced that Jaguar's poor reputation comes exclusively from the period 1976 to 1980. That's almost 50 years ago. That's how important it is for a brand to protect it's reputation.
Just picked up a 1999 XJ8 L with probably not enough background video review, and happy to discover your assessment. I'm the mechanic and the car is (so far) in decent shape now that it's getting some attention. Looking forward to your videos as I dig into some of the deeper engine work. And now I'm somewhat regretting not getting the R 😅
Also the 2002/2003 models based on data seem to be the most reliable - most of the issues with the secondary timing guides and tensioners seem to have been worked out by then. Mine is the XJ with the 4.0 - superb engine, smooth delivery, and smooth transmission when serviced. I have 226,000 and I have seen examples with up to 300,000 miles on these 2002/2003 XJ8/XJR models
You sound a lot like me your style and way you do things I love jaguars I'm starting to collect them but hard to find here in Kentucky were I'm at.. excellent advice 👌 Josh. I'm like you I don't want them to get junked.
I just bought my first Jaguar X308 Vanden Plas with 46K miles that is almost mint condition for 4K. It does need some work such as a fuel pump and shock mounts. I am looking into the timing chain system to see if I need work there as well. I did not get the super charger and I did really want that but it was hard to turn this car down with the Sapphire Blue color and overall condition. It's an amazing car.
Had 5 Jag XJs. Included V12s and 2 XJRs (supercharged). I needed an LWB (family commitments) and in 2012 purchased a 2002 Sovereign 4ltre LWB which still have and currently 222,000 miles. Agree with your comments. May not have the "clout" especially at 80mph plus, but frankly not that much slower off "the line" and revs far cleaner and in a linear manner to just under 7000 RPM. Also, once the novelty of the supercharger wore off I tired of the "whine"! Also, the LWB is very versatile as a load carrier!!
NICE VIDEO! You are so right...NOTHING compares to the overall feel, look, and pride of ownership that you get from any of the Jaguar X308s. I was so lucky to find a 1-owner 2002 Vanden Plas with only 45K miles. With only about $12k invested "all-in" (with minor improvements like a new headliner), it looks like $120K! Cannot recommend these enough. The only caveat would be to buy a 2002/2003 model to be sure that the tensioners are metal, OR be sure to have documentation that an earlier year has had the original plastic tensioners replaced...because they WILL fail!
What a great video honest and concise I own a 1995 XJS Convertabe and I just love it it's the 4.0 Litre straight six I see a lot of negative posts about them I think if you love Jags you can find a happy ownership I would be very interested on your thoughts about the XJS I only recently found your channel but will be following your videos. Have a great Christmas best wishes Andy Allen.
Sold. I enjoy wrenching on my own cars. Been shopping around for a few weeks, found a couple that look decent but the time just isn't quite right to buy yet. but soon....
Out of all the cars I've owned my 1998 Jaguar XJR gets the most compliments but it also has nice wheels that compliment it well. As for maintenance cost tho you better be ready to do a lot of the labor yourself or you'll get wrecked because a lot of shops don't even want to touch it and I honestly think it has to do more with if they break things it might be weeks till they can get certain parts for it. Between the supercharger rebuild, and rebuilding/resurfacing/valve job on the heads this was about 5k just to have machine shop do these parts. This didn't even factor in the labor of stripping it all off the motor and reinstalling it after which easily could of added another 5k to the bill but this was done personally. All in all those these cars are amazing, they really aren't that difficult to work on unless it becomes an electrical gremlin because these cars have lots of electrical systems luckily I've been fortunate enough to not have to deal with those other than when the alternator went bad.
these XJ and XJRs are waaaay better and reliable than most people think and i agree with you when you say its sad to see a nice one in the scrapyard , ive personally seen too many end that way 😔
Wonderful cars! Yes it will be more expensive to maintain than a Corolla but witch big luxury car that has past 20 years of age is gonna be cheap and reliable to run? Not even the Lexus LS is trouble free and cheap to repair at that age☺️
This is so great. I have wanted to buy an xj from 1997 to 2003 for so long. I am not super mechanical. I have a few tools. I don't know if I am tripping, but it looks like some xjs have slightly different body shapes. Also I am terrified that I won't be able to keep it on the road due to parts or no mechanics will work on it. I think I will join the patreon. I would be interested in learning how to maintain it myself. I have about 20k aud to spend.
They are definitely approachable and most parts are available. Check out our other videos on the XJ especially the buyers guide. It will help you look out for common pitfalls and trims
@Low Tech Garage I really wanted to import one from Japan, but it is no go. Can't get an import permit because they were sold new here. All the models here in Australia have massive kilometres on the clock and are so expensive! I have been dreaming of this car for 15 years. It is not going to happen now though.
The 1st to do is change the battery because when my 2004 Jag XK8 went bad I couldn't open the trunk with my key so I had to go through the back seat arm rest and drill a hole so I could use a pole with a hook to grab the emergency release to open the trunk
Check out my BaT auction of my 2002 International Auto Show car. I just bought it last week and had to change out the original battery with a new OEM Jaguar (Varta) AGM battery. The only imperfection on this car is the pilot bushing for the transmission, which is leaking like a mf and is a known failure. I bought the part from MB for $16, since Jaguar wanted $900. I honestly haven't had any issue but I've never owed a used car and I'm hoping with 13K miles, the leaking transmission is my only issue. I'll ever have. Good luck with your car. I suggest anyone that buys one to buy one built after 8/01 because of the timing chain guide issue. Read the comments on the BaT auction, if you want to reach out.
Maybe one question I could ask is would the XJR supercharger cost more for insurance than a standard XJ model? I can see where an Insurance company might want to charge more for it.
I Love that You could rock up to Claridges in London in this or mine and those snobby door men/Valets would not turn their noses up at you cos it's an old car! And it looks like it belongs there! In Oz prices are getting up there, I paid 25G for my beautiful 350 V8, now they're going for 35 to 45G! For good examples But! 308s are up for even more!
Great content in this video!! Love it. I did my inspection and it needs a number of things but more importantly the U joints, struts, and Oil Pan. Starting off with a general service, plugs, coil packs and transmission service (drain and fill - no flushing). Any thoughts on transmission service considering its a "lifetime" guarantee :)
Thank you. Consider pointing the camera at the car more though, instead of yourself. We can also listen to to you whilst you drive and show us some of the dynamic attributes.
Mine had a rebuilt engine from Minneapolis jaguar and i got it for 2k brand new seals and a few other bits was stored under a tarp through the last winter other then a j gate issue pretty damn nice even at 175,000
About the prices and the amount of labor of these cars. You're correct. It is more labor extensive than basic car from same era. This applies to all of the rival cars. It is not cheaper to do E or S series mercedes or bmw 5 or 7 series from the same era. Those were the rivals to these cars. More expensive to buy when new and more expensive to wrench today than these.
A great video and I am greatful that you have such passion for Jaguars. The only downside or disappointment is the way you and most Americans pronounce the name, Jag-u-ar, not Jag-war, if you can't say Jag-u-ar then just say Jag. To call the car a Jag is perfectly acceptable abbreviation, even us Brits say Jag a lot of the time.. Thanks again for a great video, I have subscribers and will be watching many more of tour videos.
Perhaps I might try this car. I am looking for a 4.2 car, but I have no luck in finding a decent one with a good maintenance history. There was a 4.0 I saw recently with an excellent history and it’s a Vanden plas. Perhaps I might get it, I’m just worried for the timing chain tensioners. It’s a 01 car, compared to a 06 XJR with a bad history
The X350 cars are also very good, however you will need to maintain the air suspension in the 2006 car unless its been addressed. I would make sure the transmission has been serviced in the VDP and check the what you can about the tensioners to see if they are plastic or have been swapped to metal.
PS! The reason why non Jaguar specialists in Australia don't like them is Fear! I reckon they're afraid they're going to F up and they'll look bad, luckily I have a good JLR independent up in Cairns who loves all Jags, has an old XJ12 himself and has no such fear! and reasonable cost Soo Lucky!
I'm finally biting the bullet to buy an XJR as I now have the funds and can get insured. I'm excited but not head over heels as my ideal spec was black on black with Asteroid wheels, but that's rare to locate in the UK so I've settled for a 1997 black XJR with beige seats :( BUT it's the only one I can find online that's been WELL kept. I'm talking 0 rust work, and the mechanics have been upgraded. Being 1997, it means no heated seats nor cruise control. I plan on retrofitting the cruise control. I've owned two XJ8s, 3.2. Is the supercharger the only thing I need to consider as an additional part to maintain?
As @LowTechGarage says, I had a gearbox go on my 3.2. My XJR has been great though. Everybody seems to want black ones. I like my burgundy one, but I'd prefer the light blue that they did. Hope you're enjoying it
@@citizenx2422 hey bud, yes my gearboxes on both XJ8s didn't feel right. That XJR I spoke of got sold, but it worked out as I managed to find a Japanese import XJR, black on black with 19" Montreal wheels and the Brembo break upgrade.
Well, grace and pace are more than enough in that car. But it is not that spacious one could think - I am about 6'0'' (or 182 cm) high and can hardly sit in the rear seats if someone of my size is driving the car. If someone is higher, then it's better not to sit behind at all, the roof line is too low. Anyway, I like my 2001 XJR a lot and don't even think of selling it.
@@LowTechGarage and very comfortable too. I never get tired after a ride of 200-300 miles if driving my XJR. As you already said - relaxed driving style, smooth music through nice audio, Jag has it all.
Is it just me or does every Jaguar xj-series 8X Jr I have a 98 XJR but do all of them have Headliners that are falling out of them I'm looking behind you right now and that headliner is falling out every single headliner is falling out of these cars mine isn't but it's only got 17,000 miles on it
I used to have a 1971 XJ6 that had a broken clock, rusty rear wheelarches and a sagging headliner. And I had a 2001 XJ8 that had a broken clock, rusty rear wheelarches .... and a sagging headliner. Jaguar have a very flat learning curve.
I would make sure the timing is in good order and that the timing chains have not jumped a tooth. If there is a way to see the car run that would be a good idea.
XJR got an MB 5G-Tronic Transmission, able to handle over 700Hp, and got no variable valves! 5G-Tronic needs maintenance every 60.000Km! These X300/X308 XJ's are the lowest of all XJ types, but also the lowest Super Sedans ever made. Greetings!
Jaguar did make ONE XJ40 estate (or wagon). The square lines of the XJ40 lend themselves to it. It looks quite good. But they only made one. Since the X300/X308 is similar in overall styling, so there was no reason why they shouldn't have. www.jaguarheritage.com/uploads/1992-XJ40-Estate-J199TAC-1152w-x-504h-1024x448.jpg
I think 24 minutes of your face talking is not that interesting. You could do a voiceover when you show the areas or specific things you talk about more.
Normally we would consider doing this but our editing computer is down and this was 100% shot and edited on a phone. New to the phone app so I am still not sure how to accomplish that, but will aim to learn!
😂😂😂I actually purchased a 2001 xjr for 6k in immaculate conditions the past owner had the car in the garage and trust me I have his maintenance records for like years and after 12k in nonsense shop bills. I still spent 3k in suspension and brake parts all in. But I have done all of the maintenance my self, I still need to replace front suspension parts and mechanics are afraid to touch my car 🫣. Plus I still need 5 pirelli tires 🤔
@@LowTechGarageIt IS strange. My local village garage here in England have done almost everything on my XJR. Finally, there was an electrical gremlin that they couldn't fix, to do with the linear switch that kept it off the road for nine whole months. But as they are a general garage, I can't expect them to know EVERYTHING. I had to cough up to a specialist, which was expensive, but they did fix it. As I've said elsewhere in this thread, I think Jaguar's bad rap comes almost exclusively from a five year period from 1976 to 1980. Good to hear you're not scared of them.
