1998 Jaguar

XJR Sedan

Automatic

SAJPN1843WC842711

Clear

Gasoline

Up for bids is my 1998 Jaguar XJR. The vehicle is finished in anthracite over black leather. There are approximately 232k kilometers on the odometer. The paint shines well but has various nicks and dings as one would expect on a 13 year old car. The body is rust free and there is no evidence of prior paint or body work. The car is shod with Avon M550 A/S tires with approximately 60% life remaining. The car has excellent service history from the local Jaguar dealership for the past 10+ years from the previous owner. All service and repairs since my ownership have been well documented. A little background information on the car: The vehicle was sold new in Toronto, to director David Cronenberg (The Fly,The Dead Zone, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch). Mr. Cronenberg kept the car one year, put approximately 1500 miles on it and sold it to the second owner. That gentleman moved to the greater Cincinnati area in 2000 and serviced the car faithfully at the local Jaguar dealership until I purchased the car in September 2010. Though the vehicle is a Canadian car it is currently registered and titled in the state of Ohio, the listed odometer reading is converted to miles and is listed as accurate. This vehicle should be emissions compliant in all 50 states. I purchased the car for $3800 in September. I road tested it, visually inspected it, and even consulted the service advisor at the dealership, getting his favorable opinion of the car. Since September I have invested $6700 into the car (at cost, as I own a service/repair facility). Shortly after purchasing the car the transmission failed. A good used, low mileage (52k) unit was installed. At that time I replaced the transmission electrical connector and serviced the transmission with fresh synthetic fluid, a new filter and pan gasket. With the transmission removed, I had the “octopus” coolant hose replaced and a new coolant reservoir installed. Once getting the vehicle running I noticed a rattle in the front end. I replaced sway bar links, tie rods, the left ball joint, upper strut mounts, front struts, and front sway bar bushings. The engine mounts were collapsed and new units were installed. When the weather turned cold a whining/howling noise developed in the engine compartment. This was diagnosed as a failing belt tensioner. The belt tensioner, serpentine belt, supercharger belt, and associated idler pulleys were replaced. Recently, the oil was changed with Pentosin synthetic, tires rotated and balanced, air filter replaced, lubrication service performed, and a new battery installed. At this point, the ABS control unit failed (a typically common failure item). Due to the outrageous replacement cost the unit was removed, disassembled, cracked solder joints repaired and the unit reinstalled. The fault codes were cleared out and the unit functions as it should. Currently, the vehicle has no warning lights on, runs incredibly strong (as 370 supercharged horses should), blows a puff of smoke on cold start but idle is silky smooth, and the transmission shifts beautifully. At this point you probably ask yourself; if this guy owns a service shop, why on earth didn’t he just have his guys look it over before buying this thing? Well, a little bit about me: The shop I own services strictly Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Though I receive constant harassment from the guys in the shop about it, I occasional stray from the three pointed star to purchase another brand (variety is the spice of life). Anyway, I knew that if I brought the car in for their inspection several things would happen. They would shame me out of buying it and probably tell me about a multitude of expensive, looming repairs. These were two things I didn’t want to hear. I had seen the car (it was beautiful), driven it (so quick), and my mind was made up, I didn’t want to be dissuaded. So now you probably wonder, after all this work, why is this guy selling the car now? The answer, I’m tired. I’ve reached my tolerance for pain and no longer want to maintain the car. Additionally, I currently feel the car, though not perfect, is well sorted and ready to be sold. A little information about these cars: The newly designed 4.0 liter V8 engines for Jaguar’s XJ and XK models have a couple of weak points. Prior to 2001 these engine had Nikiski cylinder liners. These liners were known to slip, causing severe oil loss and lack of power. This problem was exacerbated by extended service intervals and poor quality fuels. The other weak point was the design of the chain tensioners. Upon failing, they would allow the timing chains to jump time, sometimes with catastrophic results. This vehicle is fitted with the Nikiski cylinder liners. Doing some research, it seems the Nikiski has some benefits over traditional steel liners, assuming they don’t slip. My understanding is that if the liner has not slipped by this point (13 years and 143k miles), they probably never will. I attribute this to the excellent service this car has received throughout its life. The timing chain tensioners are also original to the car. Some research indicates that chain tensioner failure is far less common in the XJR than it is in the normally aspirated V8 engines. So, what’s left to be done? There’s a rattle in the rear. This has been diagnosed as worn shock bushings. I have the bushings but have not installed them on the car. These parts will be included. The headliner is beginning to sag slightly in the rear (see pic). The rear view mirror anti-dimming fluid has “clouded” the mirror glass. The bolster on the driver’s seat is worn through. The rest of the interior is very nice. The carpets are very clean, the wood is shiny (though there a few cracks in the varnish, but not flaking). The antenna mast does not extend (radio reception is still good). The driver’s door stop is broken and the mounting point, so the door does not “hold” when opened. The door hinge does prevent the door from being opened to far so that one is not in danger of damaging the door skin. Vehicle accessories function as they should (seats, keyless entry, windows, sunroof, HVAC controls, cruise control, etc.). Overall, though not perfect, I feel this vehicle is a nicely sorted example without many of the apology laden excuses one would find when looking to buy one of these cars. The majority of the heavy lifting has already been done. This vehicle represents a great opportunity to acquire a supercharged Jaguar that coddles like few other luxury cars and has the ability to out-drag all but the most powerful exotics, at a fraction of my investment. I have tried to represent the condition of this vehicle as accurately and honestly as possible. This does not mean I haven’t missed something. Please make sure any and all questions are answered to your liking prior to bidding. Remember, you are bidding to own, not the right to inspect this vehicle. Bidders with less than a 90% positive feedback rating or less than 5 feedbacks will need to contact me prior to bidding. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding!