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I think the answer to both questions is yes.
Jags and old sports cars are always a pain.
The XKR in green would win my vote.
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next door neighbour had one. whilst I'm not sure on the condition he bought it in, it spent more time being fixed than it did being driven.
As @gassage states the answer is yes to both questions.
Any classic car is a money pit even if you don't use it as you have to store the thing properly and maintain it properly.
People who make any money on classic cares are lucky and a rarity. Yes it can be done but for the majority of owners you have to accept you own them to enjoy them rather than as an investment.
I'm not sure if it's an XK8 - I know absolutely fuck all about cars - but a friend of mine bought something very similar recently, I saw it just last weekend.
His is a 1997 model, automatic, looks a lot like that - to my eye anyway - and is kind of a Shoreline Gold colour. It cost him about £9k I think. It's in amazing condition, looks almost brand new and only has about 40,000 miles on the clock. It seemed very quiet and very fast...
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To my way of thinking, it's just old enough to be close to classic status, yet new enough to be potentially reliable.
Plus, it from the era when cars were properly made without being full of unfixable electrickery. If you know a good mechanic, then they should be able to fix it, as opposed to needing to plug in a laptop to discover which (expensive) bit has failed and has to be replaced.
Service History will be key. I always look at tyres too as a simple indicator of level of care. If it's got 4 (ideally 5) matching and decent-brand tyres, then it's been looked after. If it's got different no-name rubber on each corner, then it's been kept on the road by cheapest means possible.
I'd imagine that you'd have to properly commit to keeping it in tip-top shape, though. Another decent indicator of how well it's been looked after is the MOT history you can get here:
http://check-mot.service.gov.uk
On a run they aren't that juicy and if your sensible it will average 25mpg or so, round town they aren't as frugal. The normal aspirated one is quite quick but the XKR supercharged one is very quick .... 0 to 60 in 5 seconds sort of quick
The most reliable car I ever owned was a Jag XJR, in 6 years of owning it all I did was put petrol in it and polished it. Nothing ever went wrong and it sailed through every MOT.
The 9mpg around town was a bit of a problem though
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For that money you could buy a CLK55AMG which is German, better built and a lot more reliable. It might never be a future classic but at least it will have a future.
i saw one on the road in front of me the other day and i had forgotten what a fantastic looking car they are.
There are very few cars from my lifetime that will age well, but the XK8 (and Ferrari 355) is one
This is a serious vehicle for 4 grand!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201709089109504?onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&sort=price-asc&radius=1501&postcode=wa160az&model=XK8&advertising-location=at_cars&make=JAGUAR&page=1
I've had 1999 XKR convertible for last 14 years. 2nd car so only do low miles in it. Yes, expensive to run. Been thinking of moving it on for last 6 years but can't get anything better for the same money. But not silly expensive to run providing you don't do big miles and spend a fortune on gas and wearing bits out. Getting a good one to start with is a must. FSH is a must preferably with a low mileage. Get a Jag independent to do a check on any vehicle you think to buy. Plenty of Jag independents to service it too for sensible money rather than Jag MD. They are a peach to drive....especially the XKR with all that power. TBH you could put a 2.5L straight six in these and they would go bloody well. 400bhp V8 twin supercharging is fantastic but not really needed but it does put a smile on your face. Watch 20" wheels. Tyres are megabucks. I'd stick with 18"...don't look as good as 20" but better ride and much more sensible tyre costs. Floor plans rot where the factory jig attached. 10 yr old cars will maybe need fixing if not already done. Timing chains/water pump/ on XKR always need keeping an eye on too.
Only broke down once in 14 years and that was fuel pump dying. Luckily outside my house.
You can pick one up for £4k yes, but you may have to spend £4k on it ! Be very careful. No different to any high performance or classic car.
Very heavy car so keep eye on suspension bushes etc too.
Check out the XKEC ...usually one of the members is selling a well looked after baby....worth paying more for a sorted one with history than touching a potential money pit.
It's a beautiful thing, but given it's basically got the same dimensions as an XJ, it's pretty cramped inside (I'm 6'2, and with the seat set right there's literally no legroom for anyone behind me). Rear visibility isn't great, and even with parking sensors (audio only), it's a ballache to park. It's probably not as thirsty as you might think - could manage 36mpg at a steady 60 (dreadful round town). Finally, bear in mind it's definitely a GT, not a sports car - it's quick enough in a straight line (the XKR is very quick), but it's a barge in the corners.
I had two major issues with it:
- The cup at the bottom of the front shock had rusted to the point that it collapsed when I went (very slowly) over a speed bump. Massive bang, wheel arch now resting on off-site front tyre. That was about £750 to fix (though in fairness to other XK8s, the specialist said he'd never seen that happen before).
- Leaking rocker/valve cover (I think) started dripping oil onto the exhaust manifold (resulting in seriously alarming smoke pouring out from the bonnet). GIven that they were going to have to take part of the engine apart to replace this, I had them do the top chain tensioners at the same time. This is essential by 100k miles - the original ones were made of plastic (replacements were metal) and if they failed, your engine was lunched. With this added on, the work came to around £600, but that was with a very cheap indy (£50/hr) - they were really a classic garage where the head mechanic knew about jag engines and I knew the owner, so mates rates.
In the end, I sold it as I just didn't need a car - I only put 4k miles on it in the 2 years I owned it. So I guess I probably paid more for the repairs/maintenance than I did for petrol over that period.