Installed my new 2006 black headlight lenses. Are these designers sadist?!
 

Started what I thought would be a quick job but quickly found out it wasn't.

Now I'm pretty good at doing some things on my car but I'm not patient on the best of days so I should have known this wouldn't go well.

WHY can't Jaguar actually give under designing something a try for once? My former volvo was so simple to remove headlights. Two simple steel tapered pins simply pulled out and slid back in like a wedge pulling the headlights into place.

But Jaguar, oh no! Three different tools to remove them. Really? And then trying to detach the washers?

Anyway, done. Only to find out my brand new lenses had some slight damage inside. When I got them they had some packing material that had gotten inside and rubbed against the interior coating but I'll live with it. I also removed the tint from the fog lights and replaced the tinted yellow markers with clear.

I like the look but I'd not do it again. 550.00 for something only I'll probably be the only one that notices.

Now I may sell my old lenses with the led drl rings I installed.

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I guess I like the direction I'm taking my car but to be honest I miss my all black aggressive menacing beast!!

I like the black headlights and clear sidemarkers. But I notice a certain cat has lept back onto the hood! lol

Meaner all black
 

I think it looked meaner all black. I'm not sure the leaper on the hood works, kind of looks like a nose wart, so much cleaner without it. I really liked your moving the logo from the hood to the grill (already put clear bra on the front of my car and don't want to mess with that otherwise I'd do the same thing).

Honestly, I miss my black wheels the most. Kinda miss those stupid vent humps too!! I'm starting to get that itch to move to a newer body style xk. I'll probably keep this one till spring and start looking then. When I look at side by side pics of my car all black and now, it was most certainly hotter all Black. Now it looks good, bit not me.
As for the leaper, it's my thing! And except for some jag enthusiasts, more people like that the best. I'd never do chrome, and if my car were any other color I'd not do it either.

Yup! I tried to leave it off but so many friends said it didn't look like my car any more and they missed it!! It's easily removed though. No hole!
Leave me something!

Also added 4.0 on the rear of car.
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I think it looks almost perfect now. If it were my car, I'd remove the leaper (sorry phil) and swap those wheels for the apollo's and paint them dorchester gray. Otherwise your car is currently like how I wanna make my car.

If you're going to sell the car, might as well trade it with mine.:icon_lol: It'd give you a nice project when it comes to the aesthetics since it needs so much to be done. It's like working with a clean sheet.

Well, gear up for one more major change.
Took my car to body shop to look at fixing some dents and scratches, and the serious issue of the front hood and fenders having crazing in the paint. I've been black waxing it but it's time to get it painted properly. By the time we finished walking around the car and listing issues, it's going to be a total respray.
Here's the major change. I think I'm going to paint car Dorchester Grey and go back to the black wheels.
I'm sick of trying to keep the black perfect, every time I turn around I see more flaws, and I've always preferred dark grey metallic cars.
Scheduled for oct 14th. Pick up two weeks later.

Gray is good! ; )

I like the Dorchester. I just had some wheels done in gloss black for another car and now I am wanting the same for my XK8. It has to go perfectly given the top color I would think.

Trademark's themselves don't have to be popular: its what they represent that matters. That leaper is your trademark.

Can't wait to see it, phil.

You swapped the entire headlight assembly right. You definitely won't be the only one who notices. It adds to an all around more aggressive car. Small things add up.

Just the lens part of the assembly. It's a separate piece of the whole headlamp. Only thing, I guess sitting in the box for two months, they must have gotten contaminated with dust inside. Not noticeable until night. I'm not pleased. They came from Gaudin but weren't sealed in plastic bag like my victory tail lamps and one had a broken tab.

I love grey vehicles. Our S-Type is grey (Quartz). Of the many Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees we've had, my favorite one was grey. It is such a forgiving color, easy to clean, and still looks clean even when it is not....

I've had one black vehicle (a 1988 Cherokee) and will never have another one due to the insane amount of time and effort required to keep it clean....

That said, think very carefully before you decide to change your paint color. As anal-retentive as you are about your XK8, the areas of your car that cannot or will not be repainted grey may very well keep you from sleeping at night. Be sure you rectify every single pro and con in your mind before you decide to pull the trigger and change your color....