Hi, fellas, longtime lurker, first time poster. I've used the board for some research and thought I'd give back with the results from the latest mod to my '97 XK8 'vert--a 1.5" drop all the way around.

I used H&R springs that cost me about $310 for the set, shipped. Finding a mechanic who would do the job was a bit of a challenge, and even those that wanted to do it either gave me some crap about needing new shocks, bushings, etc. Finally found a guy who did the job for $300. Here are the before photos:





As you can see, there's quite a gap between the wheel well and and fender with the low profiles on 18" rims. Now, the afters:





Any questions, let me know!

 

Lookin' good!

 

Nice. Looks like new paint as well. Chameleon paint?

 

Yes, from DuPont. Primarily purple, with blue, pink, green, gold, and orange mixed in, depending on the lighting.

 

Now you gotta show us pictures of your ladies, my pimp

 

Have you had it realigned since lowering? Keep an eye on negative camber which might cause wear on inside edge of tire.

 

nicely lowered, not over the top.

 

Don't mind me, but I find my XKR (which is a little higher than my XK8) to be about right... I have enough troubles grinding my front end on bad driveways...

 

Hows the actual driveability? Any rubbing of the fender in a full lock turn?

 

There's no question your car looks better, and it achieves most of the effect you get from dropping $2,500+ on new wheels and tires to close the fender gap by going up to 18-20") . I've done a spring lowering job myself using Eibach Pro Kit on a Lexus SC400. They're similar cars in appearance and 290 vs 270 hp. but what I found was that i ended up extremely disappointed in the teeth shattering ride that resulted. So that's my question to you:

How would you evaluate the ride comfort now? Will this conversion make it more likely to slosh beer out of my cup holder when going over pebbles? I'd dearly love to drop my ride and install the H&R Sport Springs 29782 (About $325 US). But I'm not prepared to pay the price of dramatically reduced ride comfort. I'm interested in what you have to say. If you didnt change the shocks, then this is a perfect comparison.

 

Also, I should mention your paint looks fabulously irreverant, I love it. The lowering and paint give this a much more spectacular look.

 

Sorry, my error, H&R springs, not H&N.

 

No, not realigned yet. The advice I got was wait a month and let it settle in, and it's only been a few weeks.

 

I've encountered zero change in driveability. No rub, no bottoming out, no grind, no issues with speed bumps, etc. If anything, I've noticed less problems than before, but perhaps that's because I mind giant potholes more now.

 

Quick note: those are 18's. Front tires are 255/35s, and the rears are 275/40s.

I've experienced zero change in driveability. The ride feels exactly the same as before--no jolts, no rubbing, nothing. I'm guessing the Lexus may be a cushier ride stock, so maybe the difference is more noticeable there. But, for me, I feel no change, and god knows the streets of Baltimore will test your suspension.

Here is where I got my springs: H R 97 05 Jaguar XK8 XKR Type QEV QDV Sport lowering Springs | eBay

 

The paint job is a damn head-turner! I get questions and looks every time I drive.

 

It's always good to do the before and after thing with photos. Good job! It looks nice lowered.

I have considered doing the same, but probably won't simply because of my own comfort level as I get in and out of the car. I'm 48, but have to deal with broken rib and herniation issues from an accident in 1997 when a truck T-boned me when I rode a bicycle. D'oh!

I'm setting up my XKR to be usable by me when I'm 75 and the lower I go, the more I grunt and groan. The 30 year old that still lives in my brain loves your lowered ride. =)

 

Destroyed a work of art!

 

Looks awesome! I wonder, can you purchase just the rear springs? I have 20 x 8" wheels on the front and 20 x 10" on the rear - the front stance looks right but the rear needs to come down an inch or two.

The paint looks great too!

 

Any news on the camber? Had mine lowered and have to shim. They say the rear can't be shimmed. Needs new control arms. WHAT?????