Mad Hatter,

Good for you. It's your car. Do what you want to do regardless what people may say! Your XK8 will be a good vehicle for the next owner..... when you finally finish it. Making the car work is always the first priority.

I too got my 1999 XK8 as a "fixer-upper," as a home hobby mechanic who enjoys time in the garage. My car was a gift on condition that I restore her, and not butcher her like the XK/Viper/AM Frankenstein monster we have here.

Agree that most people's modifications are definitely for the better with modern tech available to improve things but in a subtle way. Seen great mods on this Forum like LED lights, Bluetooth, exhaust, coffee cup holders, raising the dead foot rest, flip style keys etc. Some go further and up the engine bhp, PCV oil catch cans, improved brakes, suspension upgrades, removal of exterior door rubbing strip etc but this Frankenstein's body panels and interior styling is way beyond most people's ambitions, and IMHO doesn't seem to be in the best taste. Even the paint scheme seems to confuse the car. Wasn't sure if the picture was deliberately out of focus.

BTW Mad Hatter - How's your transmission rebuild coming on?

 

I have done probably a thousand percent more to my XJ6 than any of the things you have described, and have plans to do way more.

I also want to get it painted up like a car i saw on the internet.




The transmission rebuild got completed by a local outfit that i trust to work with transmissions.
I figured that the expensive and finicky XK8 transmission wasn't the best one for me to learn on. I can get a 700r4 and a rebuild kit for a few hundred dollars and I am not out anything if I fail.

I got the XK8 running for the first time since timing chain and transmission work the other day, but ended up washing the cylinders and haven't gotten around to force feeding the cylinders some oil.