I am an XJR owner and am considering an XJ(8orR). Are their any members with both an x100 Coupe and Convertible. If so, would you mind sharing a preference and why?

I really like the lines of the coupe, but am accustomed to additional airflow via a sunroof and if I understand my previous reading, a sunroof can not be fitted due to the skeleton structure of the top. So, i'd like to know what other pro's and con's that are not visually obvious.

Thank you in advance for any feedback that may come.

 

I'd previously seen a coupe with a sunroof and found this as an example:










Worth doing some research on type(s) that can be fitted if a coupe is your preference.

Graham

 

Graham,
Thank you. That's the first I've 'seen', which is very encouraging. Now to find a shop that is capable, beforehand...lol. Keeping hope alive!

Would still like to hear experienced opinions on any non-visual differences/preferences.

 

I would never fit an aftermarket sunroof to any car unless you like leaks. Factory fitted ones are bad enough, but aftermarket ones will always be a case of 'which one fits the closest'.

 

^^ What he said. Sunroof drain hoses eventually clog and if not cleared, water winds up in the cabin floor. Sunroof rubber seals eventually harden and allow water leakage into the headliner. All sunroofs, factory and aftermarket, eventually leak. I despise them and attempt to avoid them whenever possible (which is getting harder and harder to do with upscale SUVs and sedans)....

 

Not sure I grasp why anyone in CA would want a coupe when you have the weather for top down driving all year round? I have put 7 years and 70K glorious miles on mine with 95% of it top down. The only down side to it is that you need to keep the interior clean (at least if you are a bit OCD like me).

BTW - thinking of selling this one in near future. Its completely sorted and beautiful. I got the bug to get an X351 for my 5th Jaguar. Trying to resist...but if the price is right.

 

The key is to keep the drain lines clear, just like keeping leaves out of the rain gutter for a home.

1988 BMW M5, 1985 735. Both sunroof vehicles and no leaks.

 

Cali, does have great weather. However the lines of the Coupe, have a more refined appearance, IMO. In addition, added security for travels to unknown environments is of consideration (packing lightly is a struggle for someone in my home...lol).
Your ride looks well taken care of. All original? '03 or '04 (guessing from the wheels)? Those wheels and the '01 are my favorite oem's.

 

I get the need for more cargo space. Its one of my motivations for getting an X351.

I like to think of my XK8 more as restored instead of original. I've spent 7 years making this one awesome.

The Apollo wheels are my favorite too. This set is not the original set (which are also Apollos). The ones on the car now are pretty special. There is a long story about the set on the car. I still have the originals cleaned and bagged in storage.

There is a nice low mileage 99 coupe for sale near me for a reasonable price.
https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto...280460434.html

 

I chose the coupe over the ragtop for a couple of reasons. First is the added complexity ( and cost to maintain) of the top itself. Then the need to have to manually install/remove the cover top cover when the top is down. I understand that if you drive around without the cover, the inside of the top can get dirty, as well as the interior. In Vegas, the weather is usually too hot or too cold for the top down anyway- I prefer a nice cool interior when it's over 100 OAT. Also, the Coupe is rarer in the States than the convertible. Not as many imported.

 

Damn Brother... That's a nice looking car.
Have you had it resprayed?

And,,, I agree 1000% with the idea. In California no less.
OMG
I have 3 convertibles and live in the northeast.

These cars,,, if you own a 20 something year old car, IMHO, it's ONLY supposed to be fun and something different to drive. Sunroof and rag top as far as I'm concerned. If not, just get a 2020 honda or something... That's just me

 

Gorgeous indeed.

I would likely need to be surgically separated from something so pretty

 

I don't quite qualify but have an X150 XKR Coupe and a X100 XKR Convertible. If you enjoy a convertible; something like a sunroof, panoramic sunroof, clear roof section, t-tops, etc, will NOT make you as happy as having the real deal convertible. They are fun but not the same. I enjoy my coupe a ton and drive it a lot; its a tighter car by a long shot and a lot newer platform, but its not a convertible. I've had a convertible in some form or another for 15 of the 17 years I've been driving; and enjoy the feeling. So really its not about how great the coupe is vs the convertible, its about whether you want that feeling from one.

I would not go about fitting a sunroof to an XK variant car; generally a body customized item like that reduces resale and reduces market interest when selling. If you want additional external airflow, get the convertible. I will say that the X100 HVAC though is outstanding with flow and temperate changing capacity, so if you're fine with vent provided air, either coupe or convertible would be excellent in that regard; its not classic italian hvac where you get the suggestion or nuance of climate control, you get excellent HVAC.

 

I live in western Conn near the New York border. I have a '99 XK convertible. BRG and tan. It's my everyday car unless the roads are bad in the winter. My wife and I love the convertible. With the top up I find the car is really quiet for a rag top. No need to turn the radio way up. We drive all over with it. The coupes are beautiful and would have one if I wanted to use it occasionally on the track. No matter where we go, it always get compliments.
My Thoughts
Mitch

 

Nice car but no place for a surfboard Just kidding. Agree convertibles are a lot of fun out here. Please PM if you decide to sell. Have a 2000 but interested in a 2003-2006 convertible. New to the Jag world but enjoying ownership!

 

Thank you for the valuable input for consideration. Specifically, i just purchased my retirement home in Vegas last year. It was 114° nearly every weekend i was there preparing the house for rental.

 

Mitch, thank you for the input for consideration. One of my concerns, having owned convertibles in the past, is top up noise factor. Some Manufacturers get it right and others, not so much. Glad to know this won't be an issue.

 

Agreed for the reasons mentioned. I've moved on from the sunroof modification concept.

 

I own and much prefer the coupe, 2ndeagle, because I think it's much more handsome than the convertible. Although not a consideration of mine in the choice, at the time, I'm mindful and grateful for the couple's much greater body structure stiffness, for better ride and handling. A serious consideration in the mountainous terrain and crappy pavement where I live. I also gladly avoid the extra complications and maintenance issues of the drop top, as well as its sacrifice in luggage space. I have had convertibles but found relatively little joy in top-down motoring. It's best if you can fold down the windscreen, as I could on my old Land Rover 88s, or best of all like the Healey 100.

Were the X150 generation better looking, I'd prefer it for its rear hatch, stiffer alloy structure, and other improvements but I choke every time I look at its unlovable snout.

Cheers, Granville Pool
Mendocino County

 

100% Agree. Style and character, lost.