Replacement steering wheel

[Saxon]

Hi there,

I'm about to buy my first jag - an XJ8 2000 X reg. The one I'm buying has a plain beige steering wheel but I notice some of them seem to have a rather nice part wood rimmed steering wheel. Can anyone advise how much these cost to buy and fit as I'd rather like to get mine changed?

Also the drivers seat (Ivory leather) has a scuff on the bolster - can anyone recommend a good trimmer/leather refurbisher who can re-connolise Jag seats?

Many many thanks,

Saxon

[joejag308]

Saxon welcome to the forum....you may find it easier to source a seat rather than try and find a trimmer........try Eurojag they are very good with replacement parts for late model Jags.......Joe

[daveji]

Hello Saxon
For genuine new Jaguar leather/burr walnut steering wheel the last price I was quoted.......wait for it.....£365 inc vat.
The leather part can match your existing trim.
There are lots of trim colours so it could take luck to find the right used part. Eurojag again for used Jag parts.

[Saxon]

Well, thanks for the replies - I knew it wouldn't be cheap!! I also want to replace the plastic gear knob with a wood one but hopefully that's a bit cheaper!

I guess the best option will be to find one at a breakers yard - though it wouldn't be easy. I'm looking to buy a Jaguar XJ8 2000 W reg 3.2 in Emerald Green/ivory and it's being inspected by a main dealer this morning and a blowby test is being done too just in case (though it was registered in mid 2000 anyway it is Nikasil)

When I was a boy I cut Jaguar adverts out of car magazines and put them on my wall so that 'someday' ad they ran many years ago really resonates with me.

I have loved Jaguars all my life and it's taken me until 39 to afford a secondhand one, but hopefully it's the first of many...

Happy motoring,

Jonathan

[joejag308]

Saxon you may be in luck.....a member of our region has found a place in the USA that does them and he got his (even from the US) cheaper than the UK contacts......try the usa contacts and i will try to get you the info from our member......Joe

[Brakebuster]

Saxon,

welcome,

if your interested, i have both a steering wheel, and gearknob for the XJ8, pm me off the board for pictures

but only if your interested

BB

[daveji]

Hi Saxon
With regard to your scuffed seat have a word with Gliptone.
They supply a kit to restore leather which, if their instructions are followed carefully,other members have used successfully to do the job themselves.
Website is:- http://www.liquidleather.com/ and their support and advice is first rate.

[Saxon]

Well, many many thanks for all the really helpful replies here. I have had a bit of a setback with the Jag I was planning on buying as the inspection report indicated a range of issues:

Front tyres showing some uneven wear (Advise Tracking check/adjust)
N/S Rear Window sticking
N/S front door check strap slack
Temp gauge red warning light inop
N/s front indicator lense broken
Oil Level above Max Level
Anti-Freeze leak at rear of cylinder head. (Requires further Investigation)
Front Brake discs in poor condition
Both Cam covers leaking oil, (Suspect cam cover gaskets)
Only Green key with car (No Black Key)
Rear Heater Vent Broken
Warning Triangle missing
Checked Blow By and reading 20 which is acceptable.

First I don't understand what a N/S front door check strap is or what the difference is between green and black keys for the car - all help welcome.

The vendor seems genuine and I think was as taken aback as I was about all this stuff. the car is a 2000X with 78000 miles and I have a copy of a bill from Jan this year (non-main agent) for a service at 76500 miles which included front and rear brake pads. I also have a copy of a bill from a service at 53000 miles 2 years ago when the front wheel bearings and rear shocker bushes and front brake pads were done. I believe the car was serviced by a main agent until the current owner bought it around 3 years ago. He hasn't been able to provide a bill for service at 64000 miles but says a service was done then and to be fair I think I do believe the guy.

So the question is what to do next - he has dropped the price from £5k to £4k which I thought was quite fair but does anyone have any idea how much the above might cost to put right at an independent garage. Would you buy the car?

What would be a fair price?

Brg,

Saxon

[joejag308]

If the car has no black keys walk away, and thank your lucky wotsits you did. Alot of expense there Saxon, some of it serious,but without your black keys you cant programme yourself into anything the car does basically. The green key is the Valet key which will allow you to park it up basically, but will only give you access to the passenger cabin.......thats in my humble opinion mate.......Joe

[daveji]

If the black keys are missing, not just the electronic fobs I would be extremely concerned. How any regular owner would use the car on a day to day basis with only the green key beats me! and why buy a car without the keys ?
The green valet key will not open the boot or the glovebox if locked.
None of the faults listed are critical in themselves but taken all together, with the missing black keys, says to me.......car not cared for properly.
I would walk away and look for a better one.
But then I am cautious and have a suspicious nature !!

[Brakebuster]

Saxon,

the car sounds expensive for what it is, can you tell us what specification it is ( Sovereign, Sport , Executive ( same as XJ8 )or XJ8). and is it a 3.2 or 4ltr ? Sports XJ8's only came in 3.2 ............oops, just read your other post

if its a lower spec, say XJ8 or Executive, then you dont have a lot of the refinements that come with higher spec cars, but cost the same money to buy,

i would be worried about the temperature lamp not working, and the leaking of coolant, it may be a simple pipe fix, then again it might mean the head coming off, not what you want at all

all the other problems are minor, and come from someone running the car on a budget, and not wanting/being able to spend the money to put them right, so the little problems have mounted up

keys, if you havnt got the full set of three keys ( one green) and two blip fobs, then its expensive and troublesome to get it put right ,

all in all, walk away , and find another one, there are lots and lots around at the moment, and for silly money ( cheap , i mean ),

the front door check strap is the device that stops the door from swinging out all the way, they can and do break ( from lack of servicing)
if it does break, it can damage the door and the wing, as it folds back on its self

hope some of this helps

BB ( 1999 XJ8 Sovereign 4ltr )

[Saxon]

Chaps,

Many thanks for the advice re: the car. I have spoken with Stratstone who inspected the car re: the above issues and they said:

Coolant leak - probably not heads, but a loose hose relating to the pipes going to the throttle body - the owner is sorting this out anyway via his dealer at his expense (A Jaguar specialist)
Cam cover oil leak - Stratstone believe this requires new rocker cover gaskets - owner is having these fixed at his expense.
Owner has also agreed to have new MOT prior to sale.

That leaves me with a range of more minor issues such as cracked indicators and the like. Stratstone suspect the sticking rear window requires lubrication - that's all. The biggest issue I would face would be tracking adjustment (£77+VAT at Stratstone), replacement of front brake discs in due course (£84/pair+labour) and the black key. I'm tempted to ask owner to arrange for replacement black key as a condition of sale. The owner is a Director of his own small company with operations in San Francisco as well as UK and apparently left the key in a jacket in a hotel in California in November. The hotel were unable to trace either the jacket or key.

If those were the only issues would you still buy the car -it's a 3.2 Executive - standard as far as I know apart from a newish 6CD changer (Jaguar).

Views? Out of interest how many MPG are most of you getting out of a 3.2 jag on average? I've heard everything from 17 to 26mpg quoted.

Well, you have been very informative and welcoming indeed and I am most grateful for the advice from those more experienced with the marque.

Best regards,

Saxon

[joejag308]

Saxon giving advice on the problems you relate to, depends on what funds you have to play with, in an ideal situation i personally would walk away, but if funds dictate the purchase then its a case of "yer pays yer money yer takes yer choice"........The keys are a major issue, the guy should have the nessessary information to get the keys from the main dealer,he may not want to pay the expense though. The rocker gaskets are normal maintainance,but tightening the head down to stop leaks doesnt ring true to me......but im probably more fussy than some.
I would not tell you to go ahead and buy and feel confident, but most guys in here who do their own maintainance would take it on.....Joe

[daveji]

Saxon
Sounds as if you are "negotiating well" !! If you really want the car and the outstanding issues are sorted out to your satisfaction then drive a hard bargain and then enjoy the car !! If you get it for a good price then there will be a bit left in the budget for the " nice to do" bits afterwards will there not?.
There are lots of XJ8s out there, however and another will come along if you pass up this one.
I would not accept the car without at least one (preferably two) black keys and working remote keyfobs.
MPG range is about right.
I get 17-19mpg in the worst case (stop-start around town)
24 ish local pottering about.
26-29 on a good long motorway cruise