I have the car pretty well sorted out now. Took it for a long weekend to the beach. Runs, looks and drives like I want it to...at least for a while.

So tomorrow the wife and I are off on a scenic trip from Florida to Vermont and back. Hope to get some good pics of the car along the way.

Tomorrow is also a bittersweet day as well. My beautiful 05 VDP goes to its new owner right before we leave town. I would suggest that we have a farewell race up I75 but I still think the VDP is faster than the XK8.

 

Have a great time!

I'm sure you'll get through without any issues, it is the sitting that these cars don't like.

 

Enjoy the trip.

Graham

 

Have fun and remember the pics, Vermont should be pretty right now.

 

Sounds like fun.

 

Enjoy.
Looking forward to the pics.

 

Sounds like a fun trip. Enjoy and I think you'll find the jag will like stretching its legs as well. These are drivers, not cars that like to be parked.

 

Back from the trip. The XK8 performed perfectly throughout.

About 3500 miles total. Had the top down the first 1200 miles. Then it got cooler and foggy/misty as we arrived in Vermont. After a day of that the weather turned quite nice for the rest of the week. Trip home was just the opposite with 1200 miles of rain then cleared up when we got back to Florida.

Averaged 26 mpg and 65 mph on the way home. About the same going. We took the scenic routes thru the mountains and stayed well west of DC and NYC. We touched 13 states with our route.

Scenery was awesome. We had never been in the northeast before.


Lake George, Adirondack Mountains, NY


Even when temps dropped we did not want to put the top up and spoil the view.


Ate a lot of good food.


Me and the car were like the energizer bunny. Wife not so much on the way home. :-)


Only saw 3 other XK8s during the trip.

A 4.0 silver convertible was parked at a PA gas station at about 6:30am and looked as if it had been there a while.

While stopped at another gas station in NJ we saw a salsa red coupe drive by and we waved then the driver honked his horn.

Saw a gold convertible on I81 in PA going in opposite direction.

I had so much fun driving that the wife got to be a passenger the whole way!

 

I love to see posts like this. These cars really are quite reliable, which we all need to remember sometimes when on the forum because we often read just the issues - of course. But the forum is a community too and we need these stories. Some may recall that in late August I took a similar trip in my 2004 XK8 from Florida to Massachusetts and back, and it performed flawlessly too. Thank you again for the great post!

 

these cars are awesome and just need to be driven - glad you and the wife enjoyed the trip and that the car performed flawlessly as expected

 

Sounds like a wonderful trip, damn now I want to do the Route 66 trip again...

 

Great trip and pics. It's what these cars are about. It's encouraging me to consider taking a Route 66 trip in the not to distant future.
Thanks for sharing.

 

Looks like we were thinking the same thing at the same time.

 

Wow, sounds like so much fun! I can imagine the views! Beautiful pictures!
I hope hubby and I can do this someday.

 

My wife and I are about to take off for another 2 week trip north to Vermont and back.

This time we are putting the car on the Amtrak auto train in Orlando for an overnight run to the D.C. area. Then driving from there through PA, NY and on to VT.

On the way back we are stopping in Reading PA for a day at the drag races. Then on to Mt. Airy NC and finally a couple days in Savannah GA and a couple in St. Augustine FL.

My local dealer had a promotion for a free inspection of the XK8 so I got to go put it up on the lift and check everything myself. I noticed a little wetness around the trans pan so I am having the pan and seal replaced this week before we head out.

Last time the car was awesome and that was with those old crappy Goodrich tires. I can't wait to get started this time.

Pics to follow....

 

Rothwell, have a great time and honk your horn for me in NC. Great Bar B Que in MT Airy.


Wayne