Hole in the floor - XK8
Discussion
I decided to investigate the damp passanger carpet this evening, there is water under the carpet and two rather badly rotted (not rusty:-) patches towards the end of front of the footwell. I have heard about the floors rotting on XK8s..... where abouts?
Has the A/C drain been known to leak into the passanger footwell?
Alastair
Has the A/C drain been known to leak into the passanger footwell?
Alastair
Edited by ajmac on Friday 11th September 21:21
There are 2 stengthening plates on the underside of the footwells which are used during the production system. Water gets trapped between them and rots the floors away from the outside in.
This is very common and I have done many cars
They also have a habit of going along the gearbox tunnel
Cut the lot out and replace, there are no repair panels so you have to shape and make up yourself.
On my 96 race car I had holes big enough to put your fist through.
Another of Jaguars fabulous ideas!
This is very common and I have done many cars
They also have a habit of going along the gearbox tunnel
Cut the lot out and replace, there are no repair panels so you have to shape and make up yourself.
On my 96 race car I had holes big enough to put your fist through.
Another of Jaguars fabulous ideas!
That reinforcing gusset in the tunnel is spotted to the floor on the underside, I had one XKR with the whole of one side rotted through from front to back along the seam, linking up with those triangular sections at the front of the floor which too had rotted out.The last time I posted this observation, I was accused of Jaguar Bashing !.
I would say they do a pretty good job our my help XK racer, I`m sure you agree!
I would say they do a pretty good job our my help XK racer, I`m sure you agree!
'Jaguar Bashing'! 
I like that......A lot of people don't seem to realise, just because it's a Jaguar does not mean it is built well! From my experience completely the opposite.
For every good idea they have they seem to have 2 bad ones! But this does not detract the love of these cars, so dont be put off.
This is why finding a 'GOOD' jag is important because if they are abused they will turn to S
T very quickly.
But even the most mollycoddled car will have issues in time.
If you want one of these cars to last you a lifetime, buy brand new pull it apart down to every nut and bolt, and then put it back together properly.
Then it will last you.......maybe...
I like that......A lot of people don't seem to realise, just because it's a Jaguar does not mean it is built well! From my experience completely the opposite.
For every good idea they have they seem to have 2 bad ones! But this does not detract the love of these cars, so dont be put off.
This is why finding a 'GOOD' jag is important because if they are abused they will turn to S
T very quickly.But even the most mollycoddled car will have issues in time.
If you want one of these cars to last you a lifetime, buy brand new pull it apart down to every nut and bolt, and then put it back together properly.
Then it will last you.......maybe...
Fixed. (off side next weekend)
A photo of the section removed.
Hardly invisible, but functional.
NB: Remember to unclip and shield the brake pipe and fuel lines, they are in the area. Also to waxoil the underside and the inside.... if you want.
Alastair
PS. 1st/2nd clutch pack, mine had only just started going into limp home when you pulled away.
A photo of the section removed.
Hardly invisible, but functional.
NB: Remember to unclip and shield the brake pipe and fuel lines, they are in the area. Also to waxoil the underside and the inside.... if you want.
Alastair
PS. 1st/2nd clutch pack, mine had only just started going into limp home when you pulled away.
Edited by ajmac on Saturday 12th September 22:27
A common problem to a poor design ....... mine went earlier this year 
Had a poke around when it was on the ramps and the stiffening panel desintergrated when I touched it. Some one had used it as a jacking point (before my time ) thinking it was reinforced I reckon.
Extent of damage
Work in progress
All done. Took opportunity to coat liberally with coloured hammerite to match interior ..... nearly
Check yours now folks!
Rgds
Robo
Had a poke around when it was on the ramps and the stiffening panel desintergrated when I touched it. Some one had used it as a jacking point (before my time ) thinking it was reinforced I reckon.Extent of damage
Work in progress
All done. Took opportunity to coat liberally with coloured hammerite to match interior ..... nearly
Check yours now folks!
Rgds
Robo
I love TIG welding....must admit my ali needs some practice as I dont do it enough.
I have got a MIG braiser that will MIG ali but I am not very impressed.
MIG braising stianless and steel together it does a treat without any of the flux problems you use to get.
But Im gonna sell it and buy myself a nice small TIG
Problem with MIG is you need the metal perfectly clean and that doesn't always happen hence why you get spatter and pigeon poo welding
Practice makes perfect
I have got a MIG braiser that will MIG ali but I am not very impressed.
MIG braising stianless and steel together it does a treat without any of the flux problems you use to get.
But Im gonna sell it and buy myself a nice small TIG
Problem with MIG is you need the metal perfectly clean and that doesn't always happen hence why you get spatter and pigeon poo welding
Practice makes perfect
Sorry to resurrect this old thread but I just bought a 2001 XKR and have discovered a very moist rear nearside carpet. It's been up on the ramps and the floor pans are great from the underneath but I need to get the carpets up to take a look on the inside to check the metal and to see if I can see where the leak is coming from. What's the procedure for taking up the carpets, hpefully without taking the front seat out.
Before you all race in to condemn me, look at my profile and you'll know I love my Jaguars. But, in today's world, is it any wonder that Jaguars continue to depreciate so fast when you look at problems on not-very-old cars like this? Though I hate to say it, the everyday clunker is a Panzerwagen which is showing no signs of problems after 10 years and 140,000 miles - no rot, one set of brake pads, one new aircon compressor and a couple of front springs and that's the lot - say £2,000 all in plus servicing (which incidentally is ludicrously cheap, even at the main dealers, over here). Surely the problems we see here shouldn't in this cad/cam world, even begin to arrive? An 8 year old floor rotted through? Yes, they owner surveys show they are one of the best makes, but that is newer cars. Is it too much to expect a car body to last ten years without rotting through in this day and age. Or to expect an engine to go for 250,000 miles either? For everyday car advice I talk to taxi drivers; after all, they do huge mileages and don't keep bad cars. Here at Le Mans they ditched their Mercedes en bloc a few years back and what do you see now - and they swear by them? Skodas, mostly Superbs. I don't think I've erer seen Jaguars used as taxis.
Lowdrag, I have to agree with you
Yes I love my Jag, and I know it is 10 years old with 160K on the clock, rather thrashed and no way near standard
But after the rebuild when someone wanted my side of the road, I was GobSmacked as to the rot there was in the body.
I know you get a lot of car for your money but at the end on the day they have been build to a VERRY tight budget
The accountants in their high offices pinch 5p here and another 10p there, so they were spoiling the ship for a penny worth of Tar
I would have preferred that thay had done away with some of the fancy electronics and built a car to last
Yes I love my Jag, and I know it is 10 years old with 160K on the clock, rather thrashed and no way near standard
But after the rebuild when someone wanted my side of the road, I was GobSmacked as to the rot there was in the body.
I know you get a lot of car for your money but at the end on the day they have been build to a VERRY tight budget
The accountants in their high offices pinch 5p here and another 10p there, so they were spoiling the ship for a penny worth of Tar
I would have preferred that thay had done away with some of the fancy electronics and built a car to last
RW774 said:
If you think about it , they need not be too good, otherwise we would not be in business repairing them and they would not be such good value second hand.In real terms the bodyshells are almost as bad as they were in the 70s.So look after good examples
Yeah yeah yeah Paul - you're biased. If Jaguar built cars like Mercedes (forgetting 1998/2004) you wouldn't even be in business! Wot - no bodywork problems? Wot, no electronic problems? Wot, no mechanical problems like Nicasil? Frankly Paul, I know you do a good job, but praise the Lord that Jaguar built and perhaps build cars so badly or else you would be in the dole queue like the rest of us. It is sad to say, as a Jaguar aficionado for over 30 years, that frankly I have had one new Jaguar in all those years (1996 X300) and that is all. That one new Jaguar was a heap of poo, with three windscreens in six months, wheels that rotted from day one with laquer falling off, windows that went down but not up, electronic problems et al; do I need to go on? I sold it at a £10,000 loss after less than a year and went back to a Mercedes which already was four years old, which went on for 120,000 miles, which cost me £14,000 and I sold for £6,000 and which cost me about £1,000 in non-scheduled servicing and repairs. In absolute sincerity, while I love my Jaguars to death I'll only have them as part of my collection, never as an everyday modern car. I can't afford the bills.
Denis O said:
All very interesting but how the feck do I get my carpets up???????
What the hell has that got to do with the price of cheese? 
Since this is a Jaguar, turn it upside down, use your tin opener to take off the floor pan, and replace with as many baked bean cans as necessary. Please note that bean cans are more rust resistant and have been known to last a minimum of 30 years before the beans ooze out. A longer lasting alternative would be first world war Fray Bentos corned beef cans but they didn't have carpets. Your choice.
lowdrag said:
Denis O said:
All very interesting but how the feck do I get my carpets up???????
What the hell has that got to do with the price of cheese? Since this is a Jaguar, turn it upside down, use your tin opener to take off the floor pan, and replace with as many baked bean cans as necessary. Please note that bean cans are more rust resistant and have been known to last a minimum of 30 years before the beans ooze out. A longer lasting alternative would be first world war Fray Bentos corned beef cans but they didn't have carpets. Your choice.
Remove seats.....remove centre console......remove stainless sill covers.......remove carpets......Takes someone who knows what they are doing about 1 - 2 hours depending if you can get the seat bolts out easy, they have a habit of rounding off so make sure you use a good torx bit!
Thanks Racer.
I popped into the local stealer this morning who ran a high pressure hose onto the door and confirmed it's the door seals that are shagged so new ones required. I was then told that to supply and fit the 2 door seals would be £585
It's not even a big labour charge but the parts that hike the price.
I know these are expensive cars but one of the seals is nearly £300....for a piece of rubber that's probably made somewhere in the East for around a fiver.
I did the drivers door seal on my X5 myself with the seal costing £78 and I thought that was expensive but this is just ridiculous.
Any ideas on other methods or sources for the parts would be appreciated.
I popped into the local stealer this morning who ran a high pressure hose onto the door and confirmed it's the door seals that are shagged so new ones required. I was then told that to supply and fit the 2 door seals would be £585
It's not even a big labour charge but the parts that hike the price.
I know these are expensive cars but one of the seals is nearly £300....for a piece of rubber that's probably made somewhere in the East for around a fiver.
I did the drivers door seal on my X5 myself with the seal costing £78 and I thought that was expensive but this is just ridiculous.
Any ideas on other methods or sources for the parts would be appreciated.
Edited by Denis O on Tuesday 1st December 12:14
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