Well,......in about a month or so, the temps in SoCal will go up, and my Cat is going for a paint job. With a heavy heart I will do it. I don't like that she will not be "original" any more, but the 15 year old paint saw some hacks buffing it too much (guess they never heard of the clay bar, huh?), and the paint is THIN.

And now the kicker,.....since it will be a "repaint", and since she will stay with me untill one of us "kicks the bucket", I am thinking of commiting the ultimate sacrilege,......different color! Hear me out.......

I can do a "partial repaint" in the original color (roof, hood, and the trunk lid - sides are OK, and my painter swears he can "match it"),....I can do the "two tone" look (leave the sides up to the waist as they are - "Topaz/Gold", and paint the top to match the "Sable" interior pieces - the rest is "Ivory"), or I can repaint the whole thing in "Charcoal black"!

I would LOVE my Cat in black, but the Ivory/Sable interior would look out of place (I think). Since I just replaced the whole interior (just about), I don't want to replace it again in black.

The whole thinking started just now when I saw the pics of the XJR (in another post) that is black/white inside, and blue on the outside! I've been pondering the color scheme for a while, and the decision will have to be made in a month or so.

"Topaz" color was never my thing, but I LOVE the interior colors. The reason I bought the car in the color I don't care for, was a combination of price/mileage/service records. So what do you all think?

Of course, if someone already did something like this (in ANY color combination!), I would love to see some pictures.

Thanks.

 

There are plenty of black X308s with oatmeal/tan dash interiors.

It looks fine, even more inviting than the charcoal grey IMO.

I personally don't have time to search craiglsist for a black car
with that interior, but go on Autotrader, and put 98-03 cars,
specify black (don't specify interior color, too vague) and then
you will eventually find one in the specified combination.

 

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17vh...g/original.jpg

http://www.jaguar.com/content/global...K-1008x567.jpg

well the hopefully you can get a rough image of how the car will look of this pictures, if not, i can try to do some more looking, but i think the black with the ivory will look great

 

Hi Daniel, I posted about this also, repainting for a color change, everyone I know who is car smart say don't change the color it's too expensive, BUT I love the metallic grey color from Porsche and the Eleanor gray Mustangs, So it looks like a repaint is in my future too(As soon as I get the engine back together)

For your choices it's going to cost anyway so pick what you want as an ideal and do it.
When I shopped for my XJR I saw black and light colored interiors, all looked great but I wanted Platinum with Black and that what I got.

 

I always believed that "do it right the first time", is a good way to go about anything.

I am worried that if I do the 'partial repaint' in the original color, (my painter is GOOD!) I will still be able to see the difference (and I am overly **** OCD!), and it will bother the crap out of me.

If I go for a "two tone" (leaving gold on the sides, and going with Sable on the top), I will hate it for looking "ghetto" in no time at all (another repaint in short order!).

"Complete repaint" is the way to go, but if I change the color, I might hate to open the hood, and see some gold poking through (fenders, firewall, etc.). Under no circumstances I would go as far as removing the stuff from under the hood, in order to paint there (removing the stuff is even not the issue, but masking EVERYTHING, and/or breaking brittle plastic stuff, could turn into a real nightmare, real fast!).

Complete repaint in Topaz would be fast and easy (no need to pull the glass even, if you know the "wire method" in painting!)

As far as "expensive",.....first of all it's only money, you can't take it with you, and it's worth less and less every day, second,.....I will deliver the "trimless" body to the painter. I will remove everything, and the glass will be pulled by the pros. (I was in the car business for many years, and I have many contacts, and favors to call in).

Still the quandary. I wish I am a little more patient though. If I waited long enough, I could've found a low mileage cat with records, in the color I like. But I woke up one morning and decided to buy a cat that day. And I did find the best price/mileage/records combo out there (drove 2 hours one way to pick her up!), but Topaz with VDP bling looks more and more "old" to me.

Interior colors are totally different! I LOVE the interior (another reason to buy it). I was thinking about ME driving it, and seeing only the interior 99% of the time (except when I walk up to, or away from her). Sorta like a woman in a certain position (all you see is the face, and if it's ugly....)

With some more imput, we might be able to sort it out.

 

I agree with you, it's really not about the money, If it was I would not drive a Jag.
I am going to do the same thing deliver the car stripped and ready to start painting.
My underhood area is funky, its a grey color as if the body was primed but not sprayed with the panels open, or not cleared.
I was going to paint the under hood panels matt black (after masking)
I was quoted over $10K in CA to recolor, in AZ I've been quoted around $5K (for a car worth $6000) that's why my car friends say don't paint it and hence my comment on expense.

 

well as Daniel stated, it will either be him or the car that goes first, so paying 5-10k for a repaint, for a car that is 5-7k, ehhhh yea i dont see the point, but he does, but again i have a black car

 

Here's my 2 pence:

Topaz is a tough color to match, especially topaz that has been exposed to years of hard sun. Gold and silver hues are a PIA to match, even on new cars. It seems that the painter is planning to just blend in the new panels. If he is as good as you say he will be very close but due to the metallic in the paint you will see the difference.

Changing color outside only is not a good idea. You will hate it the first time you will open the door or the hood. It cheapens the car. If you are going to change color, then go all the way.

Safi had a very good point. A quality paint job in the same color will cost you at least $3k if you are going to de-trim the entire car. I don't know what you've spent on the car but estimate what you can sell it for - would $5k be a fair guess? Now, add $3k for the paint to your sale price and you are entering an entirely new level of X308s.

In your previous posts you mentioned that your heart was set on an XJR. For $8k you will be able to find a nice one - I paid under $8k for a 2001 XJR with 83k miles and full service records from Hornburg! And its Anthracite Black with chrome Asteroids, factory nav (it really sucks,but its OE option), heated rear seats and best of all - 370hp! No nikasil, no A-drum replacement, no VVt... you get the idea.

Since money is not a big deal then why jump through the hoops of painting the car you are not crazy about (I did read the part about till death do us part) and get the right car that you will not have to worry about painting for quite a while.

 

Speaking from experience - you want my advice, get the damaged panels matched and sell it for the car you really want, in the colour combo you really want.

A professional change of colour requires the stuff you don't want to do, door shuts and inner panels. The time spent getting it prepped for the booth will be prohibitive.

18ft long, 4 door saloons aren't the easiest project - etch/sealer primer after flatting the clear, flatting the sealer, high build primer coats is where the pro's get it level, base coat and clear coat then refitting will run well over what the car is worth. Materials alone cost in the region of 2k if using ICI, Max Myer, 3M or another other auto industry standard paint scheme. This is to reach a factory spec job.

If you intend to keep this car, do what you want, but it will never be what you really want and the cost will spiral if you're not controlling it. If not, it'll be a compromise, the painter will do what he can in the time he can. My car was in paint for nearly 6 months, being worked on as and when to achieve a show finish. I used Jaguar's anthracite PED from ICI (the original Jaguar paint supplier) and an auto candy with dry pearl from House of Kolor.

I put over 200 hours into my brand new bodyshell from Jaguar to get it ready for the autoclave, and it reflects that. It's far, far better than factory, purely because of the time spent. No free lunch.

If you can't do this you pay someone who can, again price will be a lot more that just a blow in.
How far do you want to go? How much are you into this car, do you really like it, would an R in your colour choice turn your head above the one you have....

Ask yourself some hard questions based on money, I know you're OK about it, but at the end of the day you'll run numbers like, 'this thing stands me at $15k, I could have bought.....(an 03 black XJR'

Sinister1 did his own car here, although it wasn't a colour change...
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...int-job-40603/

 

Sean, where does 18ft come from? 16.6 ft... I am self-conscious about limousine lengths!

Why is the forum so R-condusive? Some people value the N/A models. The high-revving
high MPG engine really has a nice character. I have had thousands worth of paint done
on a silver car and I can verify that even with fine paint quality on the subject car, a
match is next to impossible, as is blending some panels not others.

@Sean, I haven't seen the El Cheapo paintjob, but I have always wondered how
bad a Maaco job could really be if they used a paintbooth and you had done all
the prepwork yourself. It actually looks pretty good in photos.

 

Safi, Tirefriar, SeanB, you sound exactly like my friends. The color change will never be good enough. My heart goes out to Daniel, we both want updated paint and want to keep the original car, not "buy up" I wish I knew the answer

 

Thanks guys. The advices and opinions helped a lot. I think I will go with the 'partial' repaint in Topaz. Hood, trunk, and the roof will be painted, and blended in with the top of the fenders. I will also have both bumpers, and the headlights surrounds done (rock chips).

The sensible (logical) thing to do would be to do this 'partial repaint' and sell it. I completely agree. However,......I am not normal (as logical as I am). I don't sell stuff! If you would see my collection of high end watches (or guns), you would understand. I like this model. Now there are two of them in the garage, and maybe another one shows up shortly. Wife says,..."let's get rid of Bruno (S430 - The Gay Family Car)....but Bruno is sooo beautiful, and we travel so well in it". Do we "need" it? No. Will we sell it? No.

It's nice to have options, and money comes and goes anyway. We took Bruno to Dana Point last Sunday (over Ortega Hwy), and we both enjoyed the outing. Why sell it? We could've done it in one of the other vehicles, but I like to be alone in my VDP. I feel like I am in the gentleman's club, where women or "non members" are not allowed. And I don't like driving her Tabby (women are not as clean as I am!),....there is lint on the black carpet, little rocks off the shoesoles, her sttetoscope, scrubs, and hospital gadgets in the trunk, back seat.......it's her car, let her use it the way she sees it fit.

Anyway,....don't want to turn this into an essay, but The VDP Cat stays, even if the XJR shows up. I remember "Sandy" wishing for her car to be in Topaz. Maybe if a 27 year old girl likes the color,...the color doesn't make ME looking older!

 

IMO, a VDP with an Ivory interior and black exterior looks GOOD. The interior is beautiful in Ivory, and a black exterior highlights the interior when looking at the car from the outside due to the contrast. I was torn between a black VDP with ivory interior or my silver on Ivory when I was searching for my car. Both colors look good. It is hard to find a silver or black VDP with an ivory interior. I have only seen 2 silver on Ivory VDPs and only about handful of Black on Ivory VDPs.

 

I like the dark blue metallic colors in England and favored by the prime minister and royal family with ivory interiors.
I am going to set up a meeting with a painter in AZ and discuss the hows and wherefores in a color change and see what I can do to make it happen, I really want metallic Grey

 

This is the color of mine, Sapphire blue metalic, or JHE I think.
I remember when Gordon Brown resigns, all the route from Downing Street to the palace , all TV chanels broadcasting the nice dark blue X308, armoured probably.

 

@Roger, they do look really good in the grey, I went to see a car in that colour with a view to using as a daily driver, it sounded perfect, lady owner, garaged....when I got there I was gutted, it was under a tarp, it'd damaged the paint and trims, bald tires, rough interior etc. I kept thinking I can fix this, and that......made an offer - the kind that makes them suck air in through teeth...never heard back, but it was like going to rescue dog centre, where you wanted to save it from it's fate. I'm doing both E's in Dorchester grey
If you go for it let me know

@Ian, never measured them, but I've an 18' scaffold pole laying in garage that's about the length. It feels 50' long after wet sanding a few (30) times Silvers are notorious for difficulty in matching, the tints never react the same in daylight

@Dan, good call. Try and find someone with a quality paint scheme, ask them what they use. Valspar are good for example. If they do work for dealerships that's a good sign. It sounds like you get emotionally attached to cars, naming them is a giveaway. Nothing wrong with that, I like to think most Jag owners do that. My Dad's MKII is called 'Old Annie' - and it goes like a scalded cat

 

Fully bombproof and for sale at the moment - once he got out of it, he was on his flat feet, ministerial perks immediately withdrawn....

 

Only HD clip I can find, the Jaguar appears at around 3:45.
I was so surprised that the blue XJ X308 was used in 2008 by
Dominic Greene in 007, Gordon Brown in 2010, etc. (the Queen
also had one, which is for sale)

It was a 7 year old car at newest in this video!
Proud to own the correct colour, in the USA sapphire
is very rare on the X308, I have only seen one XJR in this
colour for sale in the USA, which I bought!

 

i must say the dark blue looks great

 

Daniel, fix the paint only if you are certain you will retain the car. Otherwise don't go through the troubles. In fact, it's better to sell the car with original paint. When a customer sees fresh paint the first assumption is the car has had body repair (taking "before" pics help but not much). Paint match will be a challenge.