Having acquired most of my tools in my twenties, it's hard to just let someone else do the work. Then again, I have near $10k worth of tools and equipment, most of it mechanics tools.

Enthusiasm is never an issue. I don't see myself as enthusiastic about projects or repairs. They're just something I do. This applies to all home repair as well. As long as I'm physically capable, mentally capable, I do it. I guess it's how I was raised. Learn it - do it per my Dad. Perhaps I just don't recognize my own enthusiasm. I will spend hours in the garage and not realize how much time has passed.

Buying a lift helped these aching bones a great deal. Best $2200 I've spent in awhile. I too ditched my jack stands and replaced my creeper with a mechanics pad.

There isn't much of a need to spend time under the car anymore. Exhaust work is rarely needed and I do outsource that. Transmission flush is also rare. The rest is gravy with a lift and sort of like Ranchero, my back hurts worse sanding and staining a deck, than repairing a car.

 

I worked in the automotive industry; I know how the game works.

 

I'm 81+ and have professionals do about 98% of what needs to be done. Additionally my 13 XKR vert will be on warranty until next March when I may extend it. Lest you think I am a couch potato I play tennis (doubles) 3-4 times per week. Today was a tennis off day so I took the XKR out to the Santa Monica mountains for a 60+ mile drive in the twisties and really enjoyed it.

 

My father, may he rest in peace, died at 81 and by that point he was trying to eat his soup with a knife (and getting frustrated that it didn't work). And he was long past the age where he could get in and out of my SL500.
You're doing AWESOME in my book.

As to the OP's question... On this car, what I've done that I'd do again: replace a fuse. Replace the cabin air filter. Replace the climate seat filter. Fix the flopping-down glove compartment door.

I think that about covers it.

Now that I've stopped doing my own oil changes, I'll never go back. I'm a single-car guy - what am I going to do, put my container of used oil in the XKR's trunk and drive it back to the Jiffy Lube? Thanks, but no thanks. (And the idea that we need to make sure it's "done right"-- y'all gotta get real.) If I just want to use the Castrol Edge Extended life and bring in my own filter, I'll have my local guy change my oil. He charges me $25 in labor (plus the price of the oil). My regular jag dealer cuts me a break on labor (for a jag dealer, anyway) and charges $37.50 above the price of filter and oil to do it. But they charge me A LOT for that Castrol Edge Professional.

But I do sometimes miss the odd fun of it, and the sense of accomplishment (and $ savings). If I had a full garage and a lift, things might be different...

 

This an AARP board?

 

The real old folks club is Ferrari.

 

I feel pretty young here at 56! But the previous owner of my car was 82. He sold it because it was too hard to get in and out of for him.

 

Maybe there is some truth to the saying that Jaguars are old men's cars! Sometimes you have to get to a point financially to be able to afford a new one,
( I've still got dreams!) and sometimes you have to run through a gamut of other type cars until you realize that you value the virtues of the marque. When all those youngsters in their riced up compacts, loud muscle cars, obnoxious, loud, jacked up trucks etc are roaring by, I want to be in a quiet, comfortable, spacious, smooth, fast and beautiful Jaguar!

Sending out a shout out of respect to all the more mature members of the board. You've been involved with cars and I bet bikes, for a long time and have paid your dues. Now is the time to enjoy our hobby in any manner you see fit!

 

Well had to do it again today. My bride hit 370K miles on her 89 Volvo so I gad to do the oil/flt change . Took 1/2 hour to vacuum it out and change the filter. Good for another 5K miles.

 

You have nailed it.
I have long contemplated what precisely makes something like an all aluminum 510hp car, a car for the pipe and slippers crowd? When cars like the Bentley, Merc Saloons, BMW 6 series yachts are being sought out by young and uncultured.

I too have only recently come to the conclusion, after studying what Jaguar did to fix the problem with the Ftype. The incredible virtues offered by Jaguar require maturity and refinement, nowadays, and in most cases never happen. Virtues such as dramaless acceleration, authority, and the one Graham pointed out, progressive acceleration.

I believe at the end of the day the humourless Germans have succeeded with their clinical narrative, and made the world a little more germanic.

(I noticed on the Ftype board, with cars that cost as much as ours, with less power, they are asking how to get more wheels spin- a Canadian suggested ATF. Made me think, if I was making tires, I would make cheap tires easy to smoke, it would outsell tires that grip)

 

Here in my part of the Carolina's, most X150's I see being driven are either driven by a middle aged woman of dark skin color, or have a woman of age in the passenger seat. The latter group, from the way they both smile and wave, obviously jointly love the X150. Often you can tell a two door belongs to just or the other, that it was his or her purchase. I do not see this with the X150, it is their car that they jointly enjoy.

There is myself, and one 2010-2011 XKR convertible that I see as an exception to this.

 

Of course, then you have the XKR-S owners...

 

I stopped doing oil changes years ago after doing the simple math of time vs money. My time was worth more than what I was paying someone else. Other needs are not so cut and dry. I have three large rolling chests, both filled with mostly Snap On, one metric for the 635CSI, a girl needing constant attention, and one filled with standard for the parade of Harleys, Hybrids and hot rods that have rolled across my stage.
The third overflows with pneumatic and specialty tools.
Do I enjoy at much as I did 30 or 40 years ago? Yes. And no. I am much more cognizant now of the limited quantity of time we have. There's only so much sand in the hour glass. The Shovelhead in the garage needs an oil pump transplant, something I can do with both eyes closed and yet it will still be a full day job even without removing the cam. Maybe I'll just let it oil like an old motor should.
I've pulled the Beemer instrument cluster with my eyes closed, replaced gears and reassembled without opening them, just cause it needed to be done and I was in a rush to do it. And yet I'm still quite happy to spend a Sunday afternoon, drinking Lapsung tea, from Formosa, and setting the valves on the old Shark, mainly cause I do it much better than all but one pro I know of, and he lives 14oo miles away.
The Jag is still under warranty so there is no incentive to do more than make a call. But to be honest, I really don't want to do more than that on this car. I think it would be like dating Isabella Rossellini and having to shave her armpits.

 

I'm 52 and just finished a 400 hr restoration of a 75 TR6. I have enough old cars to keep me busy forever, and I enjoy (usually) working every night on them, sometimes all night. But it's tough on the body to stand or lie on a concrete shop floor for 5-8 hours. I've taught myself, and my XK will increase that knowledge. Sometimes it's good to take a week away from the cars and relax. Be nice to start getting better tools like a lift, etc to ease the strain as I get older. But damn I do love it! I own a printing company for livelihood and wrenching is a great escape.

 

I've enjoyed seeing how this thread has revealed much about our different places in life, though we all share a love for this beautiful car.

I just turned 35...any younger XK owners out there lurking on the forum? I have a feeling I'm the youngest on here.....

 

I'm currently 35, and will be 36 in February. I don't own one yet, but am very likely to have one by Thanksgiving. If you just hit 35, you've got me beat by a few months in the young guy competition.

When the weather is nice, I still enjoy working on my vehicles. Not major stuff, but the routine maintenance items are fun for me.

 

I'm 50. I used to enjoy working on cars. I had a '68 Camaro, '71 Chevelle and a '74 Nova that I had apart a few times. Love the small block Chevys. I had an '86 Mustang GT that I maintained myself for 28 years. I have definitely lost the enthusiasm over the past 10 years though. I have none of those cars anymore but I'll still do easy stuff like brakes, shocks, fluid changes, fuel pumps, etc. on my family member's cars when my lower back isn't acting up. I don't think I'll do much on the XK though when needed. We'll see...

I have 2 old Harley's ('77 and '93) that I still like to work on though. Go figure.

And I still like (actually love) to detail. It's therapeutic and satisfying.

 

I do too, something very rewarding in reaching perfection. And this car is a detailer's dream! not just in the curves one follows but it naturally has 'trophy' aura. The choice of materials is also ideal, there is nothing deeper than soft clear coats like ours. The hard ceramic clear coats on the German cars doesnt have that concourse 'old-timey' depth.

I have read hemp will destroy enthusiasm over time.

 

I'll tell you what destroys enthusiasm, having one one of the two jackstands holding up the front of a TR8 collapse whilst you're under it wrestling with a steering rack! I'm a mite disinclined to crawl under a vehicle any more. I am 73 now and naturally lazy anyway.

 

As a young apprentice Technician, I worked alongside a Master who was my current age at the time. He would tell me what needed to be done, instructed me on the correct procedures and tools to use, then stood back and watched. I continue to this day to be in awe of the breadth and depth of his knowledge! My regret is that I have never been successful in finding someone young to pass my knowledge on to.

Perhaps the best approach, as was suggested in a previous post, is to have someone young help with the heavy work. Their payment is knowledge, not money. The best part is you can have your vehicle worked on correctly, as you would work on it, whilst helping someone learn a trade they can use.