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yeah some cars look good with white letters, i just put tires on mine and the white letters were not real big and gaudy looking so i thought it might look good white letters out, after getting them on the car im not that happy with the white letters out ill probably swap them around to black letters out later on
Now to stir the pot....... It seems that if the 'leaper' causes a real controversy, what about tires with white letters plastered all over them fitted to our cars ? I would rather put pins in my eyes than see them on such a beautiful car...
I'm not that turned off by them. Someone near me had a beautiful blue HE, XJS with a late spoiler and 16" late wheels with white letter "cooper Cobras" on it and to me it worked.
I suppose it depends on the rims.
White letters would seriously detract from the beauty of my Tear Drop rims. But then my car is Black. Maybe they wouldn't SHOUT so much on a white car.
(';')
I see your lettered tires and raise you those wire wheels. HA!
I can't do either. Wires on an XK (and earlier), E-Type or Mark I / II = perfection. Anythng later or other later Jaguar saloons, and I just can't do it. Same for Nardi wheels in anything post 1967.
Most every Jaguar ever built works too well, in the design department, to mess with, especially when put in context for the year of build.
I agree that raised white letters scream 'musclecar' and 4x4 trucks. Not quite right for a "gentleman's GT".
(Even on musclecars you gotta pick the right kind of white letter tires. The ones that say "Super Sports Boss 60 Tarantula Road Hugger" look pretty dumb)
On my green XJS with the gold pinstripe on each side I would think Goodyear Eagle GTs with gold lettering would look quite well and go with the little leaper on the hood. I admit
I didn't put them on when I got my current new set but may next time if I ever wear the new ones out.
RagJag
i dont think they look awful but after getting them on the car i would prefer black letters out. i will probably swap them at some point but there stay like this for a min.
i dont think they look awful but after getting them on the car i would prefer black letters out. i will probably swap them at some point but there stay like this for a min.
This definitely has the "aura" of a leaper...
HOWEVER... a Roots supercharger blower, high up and shining through its proper hood opening would be an "acceptable escort" to those white raised letters tires negotiating the properly flaired fenders...
Or, perhaps, and less complicated, there is an alternate "acceptable escort" to white raised letters without the need for a Roots blower. Simple... a Chevy 350 under the hood with a "V8" badge next to the "XJS" badge in the back of the trunk/boot. That should do it. It would be kind of in unison with the raised white letter tires, wouldn't it?
Bottom line is that, raised white letters are fine for, say, a 1968 Chevelle or a 1970 AMX and I love'm on those cars, but the XJS exudes a different class and such wheels will only tarnish its elegance.
This, here, is just my personal opinion. While it's true that the XJS is a "sporty" car if compared to, say, an XJ or sedan of any kind, it is not necessarily a "sports" car in the manner that a Corvette is. It is, rather, a "GT", or "Gran Turismo" car and, as such, it carries a special aura of elegance and/or distinction. And I'm here walking on thin ice, so I'll say that this is why my desire to complement the significant performance mods on my own XJS with visual clues needed proper restraint, so the car's class and elegance wouldn't be disturbed (as in "look cheap"). Even when certain performance clues are obvious it was all done strictly keeping good taste in mind, and I believe that the car has never lost its XJS, British elegance. True that some may not agree with this 100% as in "Look who's talking..." but it may not necessarily imply that the line has been crossed in the manner that sixties hot rod white letters tires on an XJS would...
Forcedair1, A complete dissertation on the undesirability of raised white letters on the XJS.
It was a bit long, as JT pointed out in his usual manner. lol
The purists will never like it, but I think some modifications, although not necessarily my cup of tea - are interesting in their own right.
You know what we need to see pics of again? The fellow out west with the burgundy XJS - lowered, with a ski rack on the roof, and camaro / corvette wheels. Did a quick search but didn't see his thread.
If done correctly, with the right chunky 70s style wheels, I really think a dark colored XJS could pull off the whitewalls. I'm talking fat wheels and tires that fill the wheel wells. Probably lowered JUST a touch too, for that hint of aggressiveness. Some Aston Martins sported a similar look.
- pristine black, claret, or dark grey (dorchester, tungsten?) XJS
- meaty wheel and whitewall tire combination filling the wheel wells
- slightly lowered
I think it could turn out quite well - especially if it had the go to match the show. In particular, check the pic where the XJS is peeking out from behind the sliding driveway door. Holy cow, that could look stunning in glacier white (as I just saw LnrB pointed out earlier) with blacked out trim. Any photo shoppers here?
Let the flaming begin
Last edited by Flint Ironstag; Mar 17, 2015 at 10:37 PM.
I like the fact that Death Kitten lowered his cat, although it's a bit extreme for me.
Nix sat about an inch lower with Michelins than she does with the current tires (General Altimax HPs [which may stand for High Profile]) and handled better too.
I personally like a look that's a bit Menacing and Stealthy; like a cat that's about to Pounce.
That, along with better cornering and general handling, is why I'll go back to Michelins when (not if) I wear out my current tires which, although are "Technically" the same diameter as the Michelins, make the car sit *At Least* an inch higher with the corresponding degradation in the aforementioned cornering and general handling.
(';')
White letter tyres.
