As a runabout, 2004 XJ8 3.6 Sport Premium; basically interior and exterior same as the XJR, but NA 3.6 V8. Test drive included a standing start test, and pushing it through the twisties until I get the back end to move about. Surprisingly high revving V8. Its no MX5.
Strange to see a car of this age with a cassette deck
very nice
very nice
Enjoy the Magic Carpet-ride Saz
Lovely. I’m very envious. I have an XK8 of a similar age and whilst the MX5 is more fun to drive, sometimes it is nice to just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
I hope you are going to join the Jaguar Drivers Club http://www.jaguardriver.co.uk/html/
Nice Saz.
Looks quite fresh for it’s vintage. Bit like me.
“Experienced pre-loved” Jags are always epic value.
Just hope all the leccy bits etc. keep going
I’m on the lookout for a good solid oiler 3ltr V6…they come in around 4k-ish for less than 80k on the clock.
We need an “economical” Business class 747 on tyres for bucket list touring…with a bit of a dash about it.
I don’t think these shells suffer the same nasty rot issues of the Mondeos in party frocks.
Hope you enjoy.
All aluminium body, so they don’t get the chronic hidden rot seen on the X-Types and S-Types; there might be some aluminium corrosion (this one doesn’t have any as far as I can see), but that does spread like steel corrosion. The aluminium is a big cause of electrical issues; multiple earthing points that corrode through. Light body shell seems to point to surprising economy. One of the Jag mags took a £2500 4.2 V8 to the south of France, and averaged 30mpg, which is the same as what my Mk1 1.8 gets. I have found these very difficult to price up; values can range from £2000 to £8000 for similar (sounding) cars
This beast won’t fit in my garage though. Need to look at these Optimate devices, and whether they can be used outside.
nice looking Jag never owned one myself but have friends who have and always cherished them … Enjoy
Beautiful condition! Luxury at a now affordable price.
If it’s to drive your Mum and Dad around, good for you!
PS: I always find the styling of this model reminds me of the old Mk.10.
PPS: I’ve got a box of old cassettes somewhere in the attic if you want them. Whoops! Sorry, no, my brother-in-law had them for his old Land Rover,
Very nice. If you’d got one two years younger, you’d have been paying VED rates as bad as for an RX-8; they’re probably worth less as a result.
Good number plate ending MXN
MX…Not
Tidy looking motor.
That was part of the thinking. Until all this happened, I had been a 2 MX5 person. Then I ended up driving my Dad’s Focus CC, when he could no longer drive, and its painful to see him crawl into the back seat. The 10 year old Focus was gradually falling apart, even with low miles. I can see the next MOT being expensive.
But I also fancied a Jag and a V8. If I left it any longer, the cheap-to-tax ones will get thinner and thinner on the ground
I never liked the X350 when it came out, particularly from the rear. After the first year, Jaguar got rid of the chrome rear light surround, which cleaned things up a bit.
I know it was critiqued at the time for looking old fashioned, but 15 years on, when you look at 15 year old BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus, they look just plain old. The Jag looks timeless. They could probably get away with making it today.
Got a draw full of mix tapes…
Yes, very aware of that. Not sure it affects the values; the later cars are technically better.
All the same, its shocking that a 400hp XJR is £300 a year to tax.
And you can jump them
Re: the Optimate.
I use one ‘outside’ on an extension lead from the garage. I just make sure the socket end is inside the boot and so is the Optimate in the case of the MX5, then just close the boot so
all the electrical gubbins is protected from the weather.
Likewise. I use my Optimate outside in the same manner - close it inside the boot of the '5 or in the engine compartment of other cars. Only thing I fret about is whether the mains extension lead is a trip hazard and if it’s suitable for outdoor use. (Semi-seriously: I have one extension drum of “arctic grade” mains cable from a batch that was being skipped at work as UV light allegedly degrades it.) Oh, and I always drape the cable over the driver’s door mirror so I don’t forget it and drive off. 
The battery is in the boot; Jag owners are marveling over new-fangled AGM batteries. I need to figure out if there is enough give in the boot seal for a cord. Whatever battery conditioner, there seems to be options for longer leads mains to charger, or a longer lead (thinner) from charger to battery. The car will be parked pointing up a steeply sloping drive, so anything has to be trailed the ~4’ from the garage, plus the 17’ length of the car.
Duplicate - ignore
I can’t speak about the Optimate device but I use the CTEK MXS 5.0 on the Jaguar and MX5. You can get CTEK extension leads so the mains cable and charger itself stay in the garage and only the extension leads are exposed to the elements. Joins in the cable (I need 3 x 2.5m extension to get to the boot of the MX5) I usually sit on top of a wheel to keep them off the ground, but that be me being over-cautious. The main benefit is that the cable into the boot is only a thin piece of twin core, not the mains cable of the extension lead, and therefore much easier to fit under the boot seal.
A friend has a similar car at about a similar age.
I changed the nearside front brake caliper on my 2 post lift and the body was very clean underneath.
He uses it to go to the classic LeMans and is stickered to suit.