I just bought this '05 XK8, 64K miles, Houston. Wanted a British Racing Green version but couldn't find one that met my criteria anywhere near me. If I had it repainted in BRG am I hurting/helping/neutral it's potential resale value which could be never?

 

Your car and if that makes you happy then BRG it is.
As for value, lots of owners paint the cars for themselves and the car will be worth more to you in the long run. Give you a chance to get rid of any dents, replace bad light fixtures, and rubber parts. Be sure and get inside the doors, trunk lid and bonnet. Pulling the motor can be very expensive for that little bit showing, so a spray can of the same color with each piece removed and sprayed when you get to it. Not something you would pay someone else to do, could be as much as the cost of the car.

 

I don't think you need to worry much as these cars have almost no resale value.

 

could always get it wrapped BRG if you are worried about it, then remove it later

 

The cost of a proper paint job would be several times the value of the car. Go with the wrap.

 

I'm sure he's talking about when its as old as a Series 1 E-type. People repaint those all the time and change them to more popular colors. They tend to choose original colors, though. What will negatively impact the value is to do a lousy job on the paint or choose a relatively unpopular "custom" color like pepto-bismol pink. Unfortunately at today's shop rates, to do a halfway decent job here in Texas, you're probably going to spend more to change the color than you paid for the car to begin with.

While its still car show season, I suggest to attend a few shows and cruise nights and every time you see a paint job that you like, ask the owner "Would you tell me who painted your car and if you don't mind sharing, how much did it cost?" The first few will likely tell you shocking prices but as you ask more owners, you'll eventually learn to judge quality levels and run across somebody who will do an acceptable job at a reasonable rate. Also, note the language "who" not "where". I learned the hard way 30 years ago that the quality is largely determined by the guy who holds the paint gun in his hand. Its his skill at adjusting and moving the gun, maintaining correct orientation and overlap. Plus he can veto the prep work and send it back out of the booth if its not perfect. If he leaves for greener pastures, he takes the shop's reputation with him. When you visit for an estimate, be sure to meet the painter and mention the car you saw at the show so he will know what level of quality you are expecting. You can also save a bundle if you can DIY removal and reinstallation of all the lights, trim, weatherstrip, etc. Good luck.

 

Don't make a rush decision though. I understand the BRG attraction, but the white looks quite smart as well.

 

you bought it to flip it??

 

well, you have the twin to my 2005 white xk8, except yours is on the road and mine is up on jack stands.
I love the overall appearance of this body style in white. If you have it painted properly the cost will properly shock you, the time required might surprise you.
If BRG is your color I suggest you drive and enjoy what you currently have and keep an eye out for that BRG one you must have, and then pounce when you find it.
wj

 

I was quoted around $16,000 last year to respray my 09 XJ. Not even a color change. You can drive the car you have until you find the green one you want, buy it and probably save money. Wrap is nearly as expensive. The car looks great as it is. I'd leave it alone and keep looking if it's still not what you want.

 

No. just thinking some day I’ll sell it. Or maybe not. Main thing is that I love brg but I recognize that altering original color is taboo in some circles. Not that concerned now after seeing some responses.

 

Find a BRG one that you can live with, then sell your white one. Your bank account will be very grateful to you if you do so....

 

Is that because of bodywork on alluminum panels or is that damn near a top quality almost restoration paintjob?

 

Labor costs, exceptional quality = LC + many hours!
Top tier paint materials can exceed $2,000 for a paint project.
30 years ago my shop would estimate 100+ hours for our paint jobs. Our paint supplies back then were in the 600~800 range.
(importing euro paint)
wj

 

also account for the age of the car and all the plastic bits that will break being removed, the seals that will need replaced and it could be way more than one bargained for. Mine is in desperate need of a complete respray - so looking at my options as well

 

@giandanielxk8
Aluminum panels and yes professional painter, but not restoration quality. Then again maybe it was. My only requirement was that it be undetectable. I had the hood, trunk lid, right rear door painted and a touch up on the RF bumper of my Portfolio ~ $4500. White paint may not cost as much as Celestial Black or require as much prep, but still. What used to be a $3 or $4k job is now 3 to 4x that much. If you want it to look original.

He said that he had to heat the hood to 120 degrees (no idea how) to stop it from moving around. Couldn't get it flat. Now I'm not certain it is an OEM hood panel. It may have been replaced to repair deer strike damage in the past, Could be paper thin repro. Nevertheless, an expected 2k job turned into a 4k+ job.

Granted, he was referred to me by a friend whose shop does Ferrari and other classic restorations mechanically - GTM and Son, Greer, SC, https://www.gtmandson.com/gallery . But, other shops wouldn't even quote the job. They wouldn't panel paint and commented that I'd have a hard time finding anyone who would paint a whole car. Wasn't looking for a Maaco Special.

To sum up, a respray and especially a color change are far more expensive than they used to be. Alarmingly so. @wymjym said it. Materials and many hours.

 

The only time I have ever had a vehicle entirely repainted on my own dime was when I had my beloved 1974 Datsun 260Z stripped to bare metal, reprimed, and repainted its factory green color and then topped with a clearcoat in October 1978 (the Japanese metallic paints back then were prone to premature fading, and the much better-quality DuPont paint used for the restoration job held up much better). I removed all the trim, lights, lens assemblies, badges, etc. before I dropped the car off to my highly-recommended local indie paint shop just prior to me flying out on a two-week business trip. He had my car for three full weeks and did a fantastic job. It cost me a whopping $1,000 (which was a hell of a lot of money to me at that time)....