Been a while since I've taken on any new projects on my XK8 so it is well over due!
I've entered my two Jaguars in our local Hickory Museum of Art "Auto Lawn" event this September which is in its fourth year and really becoming quite an impressive show! It's for all makes but they always feature a specific make or country. This year is British makes.
So I've always wanted to have this car really unique and especially the interior. I've been making small tables and trays from old damaged Louis Vuitton garment bags but I've been saving the the best pieces for my XK8.
I know some will hate it because it's a bit "hood" or "chav" for some tastes but I am trying to keep it in a more vintage feel.
I finished all the door panels and recovering my old car show trunk to look like a LV steamer trunk. Even down to the leather "belt" straps like my old E-type had. The car will go in next week to have the trim shop replace the verticle stitched seat inserts with the last of the Louis Vuitton canvas.
Overall, it really does look good and really works with the veneer color.

 

Only thing I can't decide is what to do with the Union Flag rear speaker covers. I don't have enough LV so I may wither spray them black (it would leave the flag pattern but all black) or cover in black leather to make them fade in. Although the screws will show. I do have more oatmeal leather as well.

 

Unique it certainly is, there is more bling in that car than round Mr T's neck. Though I prefer my cars stock I've got to say Phil, keep it up mate.

If you look at the car as a whole rather than the sum of its pieces, its absolutely stunning.

I agree the Union Jacks now look out of place though ghosting them would look cool.

 

phil,
It's great that your car is a springboard for creativity, I love it. Your white seats and console now seem to stand out a little too much. I think it's time to dye the leather the same color as the light camel color of the lettering of the Louis Vuittton logo. I think it would make the interior very rich looking. Your car still looks great, and I assume you never took that offer that someone made for your car. Good for you!

 

Nice, but, being familiar with Vuitton prices, perhaps it would look a bit more at home in a Bentley Continental GT. That way, the car would be worth more than the bling

 

You can always re wrap it, looks like a fun project and show. But if it's a British car show, why would you use a French brand like louis vuitton?

 

Phill, as always your taste in modifications completes a designed Jag not just modified! While commercial logo's on clothes , handbags, luggage are not to my liking I have to say your XK8 is stunning!

Good luck with the show my friend and let us know how the seats work out. IMHO the rear speaker grills do need to lose the Union Jack motif altogether as the interior has gone past that stage of design, cover them in a nice black material and get black plated screws to replace the chrome ones.

I love the body stripe now that the side panels have been removed, it really does look good, not so much trying to be "sporty" as most strips. The XK8 is a difficult car to make a stripe look good on!

 

I like the exterior. And IMO, the interior suffers from the large growlers everywhere. The LV is not my style but seems really well done, so kudos. For the speaker, I think you may want to haunt eBay or the like to get more LV.

As long as you like it, ignore everyone else and enjoy.

 

I like it, although I prefer to keep mine stock. I believe that every Jaguar is an individual work of art. "Judge not....lest you be judged".

 

I literally refinished the speaker covers right after I started this post! For now they are just sprayed black over the Union Flag fabric. The flag still shows in relief, but it's very subtle. I may use some black vinyl and cover but for now, they realky don't stand out.

I considered doing a Burburry interior but I don't like the plaid pattern and it's hard to find much in their signature vinyl. I realized the car, wile British, is a mix of the French design house but in reality, Back in the days of "strapped down luggage" Louis Vuitton was the luggage of the day and quintessential luxury, just a Jaguar was and is! So I thought it was a fitting very vintage look.

And I'm thinking about loosing the page growler on the airbag cover and replacing it with a Louis Vuitton belt buckle that looks like a commemorative name plate.

The growlers actually aren't as prominent as they seem in the photos, except for the fascia one in the photo. I do have old center cap growlers on the speaker covers but really only to hide the attachments. Oh, and the umbrella handles in the rear are shifter knobs.

As for the white being too bold now, it's actually not white but the oatmeal and isn't nearly as white as in the photo, it also ties in the matte light silver stripe really well. I'm sewing a white and black stripe with stitching to match the seats and putting a diagonal detail on the upper door card inserts.

And thanks for not ripping it apart over all! I know it's not to many's taste hbut this has been an ongoing hobby car and if any of you know me from the past several years, this too shall pass!! Lol.

On a side note, I posted it on my Facebook page and I've already had two of my design customers let me know through private message that if I ever sell it, they want first option. With most of my clients having, um, shall we say, more money than God, i didn't think about the cache the LV would have with that crowd! I guess I should have known as these are the same people that buy my small tables made from the same luggage canvas. One customer's husband even called me and begged me to consider a price before Christmas. His wife has already made the picture her screen saver and he said every hour on the hour she's asked if he's called me yet! Lol. Who knows, maybe I will sell and look for an X150 to start all over again with!
When I bought this car, it was in very abused condition so I decided to make it an ever changing project car, some things have stayed, many have changed but it's always fun!

 

How many "Pouchettes" had your wife sacrificed???

 

Burburry actually did two custom XK8's and had them on display in their London flagship store, one green, one red. One of the members here owns the green one and another member here actually did the work to upholstry the interior with the plaid. I personally love this kind of customization with project cars. I apriciate a beautiful factory flawless example but these are the cars that really catch my attention, and usually draw crowds at events. I enjoy hearing the negative as well as the positive comments! Usually, someone defends my car even before I say anything! Lol. It's all fun and people leave with something to talk about, love it or hate it!

 

Ha ha!
I used old hanging garment bags that had rotted leather and were unusable.

Here is one of the custom tables I make from the old garment bags. Each one is different, depending on what I use, a vintage table or make steel bases and such. Luckily I have an antique dealer that finds the luggage for me and we trade one piece from each bag for the bag itself. Usually they come with two more large zippered garment bags inside so there's quite a bit of vinyl to recycle. It was hard to find big enough pieces for the long door inserts but the sides of the biggest bags are just wide enough but I had to adhere it to a backing to have enough to pull to the back.
I guess even my cars become rolling example of my career. My house already has! Lol.
Oh, and no wife here! I'll let you "do the math"! Lol.

 

Hey Phil, for some reason I thought you'd moved on. Nice work as always!

 

I love what you did with the rear seat taking it out and converting into useful space. I was cleaning the other day using leather treatment and my gosh.. my feet can't even fit with the seat full forward lol.. good job!

 

I really like everything you did but was wondering about the strips. Is that a wrap or paint? Keep up the good work.

 

Stunning car, Phil.
Maybe darkening the seats to match the rest of the interior, but overall I like it.

The work you've done with the grotty old hanging bags is pretty impressive.

Mike

 

Some finished photos with a new addition to the convertible top cover.
The light leather isn't as white in person and really does look great in person.
Had it in a car show a while back and have several people wanting to buy it. Seriously considering.
One gentleman is very persistent! Bought himself a new F-type, wife was NOT happy! They saw my XK8 at show and she literally kept coming back to look at it! Was carrying a LV bag herself. Aparently she's determined to get my car!!!

 

Phil, great to see your still having fun with the XK8! Over the top as usual....

 

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a little finesse, absolutely gorgeous Phil and looks rather classy. Well done.