It's interesting you mentioned machining the hub to increase offset. I asked the guys at Vision Wheel about that as a last resort. They pretty much said go for it as long as you don't take too much off. But 4 or 5 mm should not be an issue. Of course the warranty would be void!!!

In my case this won't be necessary. Sticking with a 225 tire is what helped my setup work.

 

Hey Roamer, that's good news.
Please post more pics of your cat with her shoes!

Warren, thx for the info, this confirms my fear going with 245/50 R16 with my 30 mm offset in the rear (8.5J rims).
I think I will stick with 225/55 R16, even though the tyre will be slightly stretched (usually up to 8J is within tyre manufacturers' recommendations for a 225/55 R16)

 

Just got the other three mounted and went for a 20 minute drive. Extremely smooth and quiet. Got her up to 90 mph. Drove down the roughest road in my neighborhood and over some rough RR tracks (slowly). No problems thus far.

I really like the looks of the wheels.

 

Thx for the pics.
Enjoy!

 

Great Pics... Wheels really sets of the car nicely, Good Choice... Wire wheels would be ideal, but these are also a good choice.

 

Thanks. Wheels are one of those personal choices that some will like and some won't and that's fine. I like them and think they do the car justice.

These cars are incredible bargains right now. I am looking at another one!!!

 

I've been driving my new to me XJS and notice the oil pressure gauge reads at the upper end of the gauge, around 7 to 7.5 bars. Is this a concern? Car runs great.

 

You'll recall I went with 17 x 8 wheels (19 offset) and 225/55/17 tires on my XJS. I thought all seemed well until I filled the gas tank and put the spare in the trunk. The extra 120 pounds or so dropped the rear end just enough that I had tire rubbing in the rear under even mild cornering.

My options were limited: Buy new wheels with higher offset (not in the budget), machine the wheels to increase offset (probably could have got away with it), or try a smaller tire. In the end I went with a 215/55/17 tire and that solved the problem once and for all. Thankfully I had purchased the tires at Walmart and they gave a full refund even though the tires had been on the car. I bought the 215's from them also and they even mounted and balanced them for free!

Visually you really can't tell any difference and the 215's stick out approx. 4 mm further than stock. I took a long drive on a twisty road today (with the top down) and no problems even on hard cornering.

The moral of the story? I should have listened better to warrjon and others who have been down this road! Lessen learned.

In the end I love the wheels and tires and the ride is extremely smooth.

 

They look great!! Gorgeous car.

 

Thank you very much for your feedback.
This confirms how close to the limit you were.
Incidentally, I am curious to know how your 215/55/17 looks on your 8" rim: does it look slightly stretched (german look) or not? In principle the "accepted width" for a 215/55 is 7.5" maximum. Beyond that, in principle the sidewal does not work on optimum conditions. But 0.5" additional is still small...
I intend to put 225/55/16 on my 8.5" rims, which would be equivalent to your fitting wrt stretching, so please tell me (a pic would be welcome)

 

I will post some pictures tomorrow. To my eye it looks fine.

 

Roamer, your new wheels look very nice on your XJS. I am one who likes the sportier looking wheels on the XJS vs. a wire wheel look. This of course is just my personal opinion but I like anything that makes the XJS look sportier vs. more of a " old mans car ".

From the pictures you have posted of the new wheels they remind me of a Mustang GT wheel from around the early 2000's or so. Is that what they look like to you in person? I always liked the look of this type of wheel and happy to see how it looks on the XJS.

I have always liked the available black interior of the XJS. To my eye it really makes the interior wood trim visually pop. Looks like yours is in great shape and to know you have a brand new top is a real added value to the car.

Looking forward to seeing more pictures of the car when you get a chance to post.

 

Here's a couple closeup pictures of the 215's on the car. The tire sticks out about 1/4" from the wheel lip. It was actually the guys at Vision Wheel who suggested 215's to solve my problem. They felt there would be no issues with the 215 on this wheel.

 

Thanks for the comments. I "tried on" a lot of different wheels with a visualizer tool and kept coming back to these. Some of the more modern wheels looked good but they became the focal point of the car. I think these are a little more understated and blend in with the car better. You are correct that these are very similar to some of the Mustang wheels. In hindsight I would have looked for wheels with at least a 25 mm offset but it all worked out in the end.

The interior is actually LEG Warm Charcoal. It's almost black and sure does make the wood pop! It will be a little hot in the summer however.

 

Nice wheels, very reminiscent of the "bullit" wheels. Also like the delete of the side stripe, makes the car look fuller figured. Enjoy.

 

Welcome to the XJS World. I have just finished an XJS buyers guide inspired from selling XJS parts since 2005 and parting 15 of them. The buyers guide details things to expect, inspection prior to purchase and the cost of repair and replacement of many items. I am a vendor and I am listed in the advertising section of this forum, XJS Parts. Please feel free to ask any questions as I have owned my 95 since 2004.

 

link? I'm looking at another one tomorrow. Love to read your suggested pre-purchase suggestions.

 

I stopped by Central Classic Cars today to check progress on the car. They removed 4 small dings and are filling stone chips and wet sanding/polishing/buffing the entire car. It looks great and the improvement is remarkable. There are areas on the hood and rear deck where it won't come back all the way but overall I'm pleased for the price.

The car is in good company. That yellow Series II XKE is stunning and mostly all original paint.

 

Welcome to the forum, you should find a wealth of information here, as a lot of the guys/gals are very knowledgeable, they helped me when I get stuck on something.
Nice looking car and love the rim choice, not to far over the edge and style the car well

 

Thanks daverb! I just got a call today that the paint touch-up/buffing is done and the car is ready.

While at their shop I had them do an oil change. When the owner called me he said you may need to have the transmission mount looked into. He said when it was being lifted they noticed play in the transmission mount. I know the trans is supported by a spring and some play is expected. My question is how much should it move?? Anyone know?