www.jec.org.uk

Can anyone with first hand experience compare the E38 to the X308?

I came from an S500 (W140) and am now looking for the next step. The S500 and 740IL are both great cars. I really enjoy the back seat space, which is something Jaguar cant compete with. The S500 was a great car to ride in. The 740 is a great car to drive.

The main reason for me moving away from the E38 is to get more power. I would love to grab an M5, but they are more money than I am able to spend. The XJR comes in at 370hp and 387lb-ft. I think that will be a noticeable increase over the 740IL that I currently have.

Many of us here will have owned steel bodied X308R models and moved on to the later aluminum X350R/358R.

Whilst we all loved the steel X308, they are now getting rather old. With that goes rot. If you find a solid example and look after it, you will be well pleased. If it is a rotter, then you will be in for massive welding costs.

Check out the prices for the later ali bodied X350R. These cars are almost immune from body shell rot and feature the more robust 4.2 V8 together with the later six speed ZF gearbox. You wont hear many moans and groans about this Jaguar model...just compliments. Like all cars, choose careful and examine closely not only the car but its full service/replacement part history...they all need vastly more attention than just plain 10k oil changes.

Only you can decide what floats your boat. Drive several X308 and X350 models and decide what you prefer.

Happy hunting.

Mike K

From time to time I post details of interesting x308 seen in my travails...

There's a Daimler Super V8 in the "Buy & Sell" forum of this board that I saw on 7th
It's from a trader but priced at £12k The advert's still current.

I've had three X308 none of which needed welding on my purchase. The 3.2L Sport had already had area around the front suspension / body done in the previous enthusiast's ownership. But as said, the X358 is the one to go for -- they're increasing in price. You can't find a decent X308 for under £4k nowadays

2001MY needed to avoid any chance of Nikasil risk to cylinder liners, ATF and filter need change, brake fluid needs water content check (anything over 3% and it's flush out and refil). Change out the temperature sender,
and MAF. They do age.

My last had a horrid fault of occasional no startup which was fuel pump and fuel filter (blocked with crud). Fuel filter's a bag in a can device that can't be accessed out of the fuel tank without dropping rear box frame and moving diff to one side Luckily found a mech in southeast London who would do it after asking several who knew of the fault and refused.