https://www.volocars.com/vehicles/16818/1987-jaguar-xjs

I just wanted to share as others may appreciate the car. I love the look of these modern wheels on the XJS. The wheels appear to be off a newer Jaguar. Cannot pinpoint model the wheels came off of. I can only imagine wheel adapters were used.

 

Looks to be 'Lyra' 18x8.5" XF fitment, 5x108mm

 

It does amaze me sometimes when you see a site like this posting a car "to look its best" and they miss a small thing that lets it down. Case in point, the valve cover bolts! Pull them out and put in new, or at least clean and rattle can them! So easy to do, and such a prominent place to leave them rusty, especially when doing a closeup picture in the listing smh

 

I'm of the polar opposite opinion. Modern wheels with no "lip" just don't look right on 90% of the classic cars I've seen it done so far, especially when its all wheel and no tire. The proportions here once again are wrong to my sense of aesthetic. Notice how the rear fender arch is much more squared off than the front? That's not nearly as obvious when the void is filled with blackwall tire instead of a big, bright wheel. I've always loved the Kent wheels (having grown up and learned to drive while the XJS was in production), but this modified Jaguar deserves some (no bigger than) 16 inch Compomotive CX meshies similar to the basketweave that came a year later; for a little bling, maybe gold with machined face and a polished lip. That'd look great as well as set it back in its own time period. But each to their own - its only wheels.

 

I once thought about getting a set of wire wheels for my 96' XJS. But after viewing one with wires, and seeing several photos, I said to myself: No. While they looked....well....OK, it dawned on me that the XJS just looked one generation late for wire wheels, if you know what I mean ? LOL

 

I noticed it's advertised as a 300 hp Lt1 engine. The picture shows a 200 hp Tuned Port Injection. Then I saw the valve cover bolts.
I'm partial to the 16x7 forged lattice wheel myself, although the later machined 16" 5 spokes look decent also.

 

Just a couple thoughts...

Older cars with 15" wheels, its hard to find good speed rated tires that don't cost a fortune. I have upgraded a couple cars to 17" tires, as well made modern tires cost a whole lot less than Coker made Michelin XWX in the 14" size, and the modern tire is round, unlike some re-do tires.

I put V rated Cooper Cs5 tires on my '79 308, on aftermarket rims that sorta look like Ferrari wheels.

The cost for the wheels and 17" tires was 5/8 the cost of what Coker Michelin XWX alone would have cost. And the CS5 tires are round, even at high speed.

17" seemed like good compromise between tire availability and not looking all dubbed out

Keep your original wheels for resale purposes.

Doug

 

It IS sad that there aren't always good tire options for sports cars with smaller diameter wheels. I've got one car with 16s that I keep driving on 20 year old tires because every time I look, there's no options in stock anywhere in the original width. Probably going to have to go a step narrower. But it only ever goes back and forth to local car shows. I hadn't had it on a track since 2002 so speed rating is no longer critical. Just wish I could find the right size so it looks correct.

Back in the 80s I had a Mercury Capri RS with Michelin TRX 220/55r390 metric tires. The tread only lasted 20-25K miles and the last time I went to buy in 1991, they were already up to $175 each. That's when I put on some standard 15" wheels and $80 Mickey Thompsons. Sold that car in 93 with both sets and in 95 I saw that new owner put the TRXs back on it despite the cost. Now they make a repop lookalike wheel that takes a standard size tire. (another cool car I wish I'd kept - lost track of it tho).