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There are two types of 'clear' repeaters available. The first, easily found on eBay, are actually translucent white. I had them on my car for over a year:
I thought they looked ok, until I stumbled across these:
They are true crystal clear lenses and match the head- and fog light design better. The bad news is they are very, very hard to find as they are no longer in production. I bought two pairs last year for about £100, intending to keep one pair as a spare. However, I ended up parting with the second pair a few months ago for nearly £300 to a guy in London who was desperate for them.
really better the new one! i think that is by In.Pro, made in Germany.
I have had it in my last XKR
i'm going to be crazy for to find it.... can you help me?
Indeed. Been following german online site mobile.de for several years and driveable XKR's below 10k€ are becoming rare. Some even have hefty >20k€ price tags.
Well, if the prices are starting to creep up, nobody's telling that to edmunds or NADA. Values are not climbing, but depreciating like nearly every other car on the market.
I suspect very soon most cars will drop like a rock since the US is experiencing an auto bubble. That is, an increasing number of car purchasers are what lenders would categorize as "sub prime," meaning they are relying more on people with lower credit scores to buy cars.
This also does not bode well for the collector car market, which in my opinion is already facing a problem of too much interest from rich old guys and not enough from younger guys, even younger guys with money. Will see what happens but I'm not holding my breath for these cars to turn into investments.
Car values are rising. However don't buy into KBB, NADA values for these cars they don't keep in tune of these values. Besides these cars are hardly sold on the auction just as rare as buying an Aston Martin or high end exotic. A car is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay. A true enthusiast will be willing to spend on these cars.
When I first saw an XK8, I was pretty down because I had just sold my 1995 6.0 XJ-S convertible to finance my daughter's college tuition. I thought the XK8 was one of the most beautiful cars I'd ever seen, but also figured I'd never be able to afford one. Then, years later, for the hell of it, I checked the prices and was shocked and delighted to learn that they'd come down to the point that I could actually buy one. I spent the next year or so, devouring this forum and watching the ads. When I found my 2005 Carbon Fiber convertible, it was love at first sight. Some 60,000 miles later I am still crazy about my car, especially as I have had to do so little in terms of repairs. Not much more than expected maintenance. I always laugh when guys tell me Jags are unreliable. I may have to go for a coupe some day when I have a proper garage.
I don't think there is any point in focusing on potential future value. Like my house, which I bought to live in, i bought my car to drive. Anyway, ongoing maintenance and running costs may well make a mockery of any anticipated future gains, and if I want an investment I'll buy a mutual fund!
Meanwhile, like all X100 owners, i have the priviledge and pleasure of driving a supremely competent, beautifully designed and elegant work of art, whose presence on the road is like none other. That's worth more than money.
X100 XKR's cab are very rare in Sweden, so fare I have seen only seen two(2) for sale, many XK8 and six(6) E-type cab are for sale at Very high prices.
for sure, it's easy to see where Jag got the inspiration to the design of this beautiful car.
Just enjoyed reading this post. In my humble opinion it boils down to a few small subjective points of view.
You can go for either Modern or Classic.
Modern goes out of date, Classic does not. If you look at old cars on the market originality is king. So "modding" may seem a good idea at the time but keep the old parts!
Value = demand vs supply. There is a great demand for these cars and as the years pass there are less and less of these cars on the road. To buy my car in its current condition with 3 dials, Oatmeal leather (cream), Convertible in Zircon Blue I would have to pay, to replace it, three times what I initially paid for mine. So going up in value? In the UK at least 100% yes.
Style. I personally prefer the soft sophistication and refined look rather than the aggressive look. So if you want a fast looking car perhaps a Mustang or similar? Personally id get the AC Cobra if I were to go down that route. I think of the XKR X100 as a fast Gentleman's club on wheels.
frankc,
That is a beauty as are all X100s. After I lent my 2002 XKR to my son and he sideswiped a truck, I made the decision to restore my car to as new condition. Although I kept it in excellent condition, after the accident, I not only have had the body work done, but after 175,000 miles, I went ahead and did an engine rebuild, and total respray, along with a new convertible top. Next week I get it back, and I can't wait. I've missed the grand feeling you get when driving it with the top down and the wind blowing through what little hair I have left. And although my 2010 XKR coupe is a handsome terrific performer with much better handling and ride, it's just not the same. Hopefully, next weekend I'll be driving her again. This Friday, I also get my other cat back after a 4 year restoration/modification, my '72 De Tomaso Pantera, I'm drooling thinking about driving this beast now that it has twice the horsepower (it wasn't lacking quickness before, but had an offer I couldn't refuse), and an all new leather interior with new seats. Christmas comes in July, this year. Pictures of both cars next week.
GREAT picture. If I didn't already love my XKR, I would buy one based on your picture.
Is that natural or did you enhance it?
John
Thanks John, very nice of you to say so. Metallic Zircon Blue colour looks different in different lights. It can go from a washed out blue to a great reflective deep colour.
I am a bit of an amateur photographer I went for a drive one day and the light just seemed right so I jumped out the car and took the photo. Funnily enough I had a terrific sunrise this morning that would have looked great on a photo with the car but mins after I got the camera out it had gone. Maybe lucky later in the week.
Anyway thanks again for the compliment. All our cars look great, and drive great too. After all thats why we bought them.
"........This Friday, I also get my other cat back after a 4 year restoration/modification, my '72 De Tomaso Pantera, I'm drooling thinking about driving this beast now that it has twice the horsepower (it wasn't lacking quickness before, but had an offer........"
as a long time Ford enthusiast, I'm Very curious to know what you had done to increase the power 2X (substantially) of the Pantera ?? Not doubting you, but 2X takes some doing.
Zray,
When I took the car in nearly four years ago, I did so to change the carburetor to fuel injection, because if I didn't start the car every few days, it would take me unscrewing the air cleaner and dumping fuel into the secondaries. Then running back into the car and trying to turn it over. I couldn't get anyone very competent to tune the carbs. The engine in the car when I bought it about 15 years ago was not a 351Cleveland as it was originally, but probably a 302 block that had parts from a number of engines. While it was at the shop, the owner had the opportunity to buy for very little money a bored 351 C that had been custom built. He claims it is between 500 and 550hp with 550 lb/ft. of torque. Original 1972 Panteras had 310 hp/325 ft.lbs. of torque, down from the 1971 330 hp due to higher compression. The engine in my car was probably around 300hp. To increase performance (as if it needed it) we added all new big bore headers and a new exhaust, so we're probably about 250 hp up on the old motor. I have not driven it yet as there is an issue with the linkage from the shifter to the trans, but hopefully it will have been fixed by Friday. While the car was taken off the road, I replaced the poorly supportive aftermarket seats with C-4 Corvette seats, recovered in leather and diamond stitched and quilted, recovered the dash in leather with red stitching, resprayed the exterior, and added high performance cooling fans to help correct an inherent problem with all Panteras, (the desire to overheat with little provocation).With a freer flowing exhaust and an extra 250 hp, it is nearly double what it was when I bought it. Once I bought my XKR (5.0L), I found that I didn't have to take all the precautions I had to take with the Pantera to have a seriously quick car out on the street or the track. I could just hop in and drive. With the Pantera, I had to make sure the temperature outside wasn't above 80F, I had to make sure there wasn't going to be any serious traffic, etc....So I found myself never driving the Pantera any longer. If I coudn't make it a car I could at least take out on the weekends and have some fun, I didn't want to keep it. This is my attempt to make it a more driver friendly vehicle. It certainly helps that they've about doubled in price over the past 3 or 4 years so I'm close to not being under water any longer, but I've never bought a car as an investment yet. I buy them because I'm irresistably drawn to a beautiful shape and the growl of the engine, and like my X100 and my X150, the Pantera's original Tjaarda/Ghia design is just so beautiful and sensual that I still love just looking at it. I am not as fond of the wide bodied GT5 or GT5S cars though they are certainly more aggressive looking. I got to hear the engine roar last week and it is ferocious sounding. Now I just want to plant my right foot on the go pedal while I still can. Hopefully, this weekend!
Tberg, thanks for the detailed reply. It's unfortunate that carburetor tuners are in short supply, i.e. a dying breed. I wish more people cared about learning how a carb works. Once that is mastered, then success at tuning would come naturally. I was very fortunate to have learned the basics in the 1960's and got to work on many 4 and 6 carb'd motorcycles over the next 20 years. My last classics were Shelby's and HiPo Mustangs. The small block Ford engines are a natural for Weber induction, and I had a lot with them until my clutch leg played out. But the XKR has done well in helping me forget my physical limitations.
The Pantera specifically needs attention paid to engine compartment air flow. As designed there were a few flaws that just get worse as the air temp increases, just as you point out. I've had a couple of them come thru my hands in need of a little understanding, so I know how frustrated you were as an owner of a beautiful car that became unreliable.
Congratulations on getting a proper engine for it. I hope you can now put some miles on it without worry.
Just a thought on carburators. Many motorcycles are still around with carbs, specially Harleys. Maybe a bike shop could have been able to figure out how to tune the one you had in the Pantera.
Thanks.
