I am sort of the same mind here. When you have a car that is iconic and basically a rolling work of art, why go to the trouble of trying to change the look. There is a fine line between modest tasteful alterations and over-the-top mods that end up looking either ricer or boy-racer, especially on the higher end cars.

Again, just my opinion but the two most overrated styling items of the day are carbon fiber and those ridiculous cutesy pixie lights (made popular by Audi and then copied by everyone else). By far the stoopidest carbon fiber look is the carbon fiber hood. I swear that every time I see a car with a carbon fiber hood I first mistakenly think that the engine overheated or caught fire and caused the hood paint to peel and fade. At least that what it looks like when you see a carbon fiber hood from more than about 6' away.

Doug

 

Likewise, I already thought that the facelift from the 2003 model was already tinkering too much from Jaguar.


But to be honest I have made 2 modifications from the newer model (drive train excluded…), and those are the quad exhaust tips and hid lights, so still somehow original).


Needless to say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder which is what matters imho, and I can appreciate diversity and good quality of work, and that is what I see in the modifications shown.

 

I do think it is good that the 'purist' exists, there should be some XKs that are as they came from the factory and not drastically modified.

But I am also a beleiver in individuality, to know that someone has something exactly the same as me would just not do, I wouldn't sleep at night.

I do try to keep it tasetful and it is also very much 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'

But I also don't beleive Jaguar got it right

 

Interestingly, I very much admire your talents which is more my appreciation of your work than the actual outcome. Expertise like yours is pretty rare and respected.

I used to do lots of mods in my younger days then evolved to more of the purist (with the exception of the door guard strips on my 02 XK8, LOL). Even if I don't see myself driving it, I applaud your creative wrok.

 

XKRacer - on the picture that shows an XK8/R with modded rear end - do you still use the rear quarter panels or do you need to replace/modify those too? I noted that the exhaust has quad tips - are those just tips replacement or you replace the entire exhaust?

 

Hi Bob, you will have to be more specific, which XK are we talking about?

 

Sorry - it's this one:



It's the last picture on the album.

 

Also - do you have a side profile picture and rear quarter picture of that? It looks very clean from just that one picture, but on the other hand the rear bumper seems almost look like a vertical slab.

In my mind - the cigar/torpedo shape of the XK is what defines the car, so I am curious how significant this mod really alter/affect that basic profile.

 

Thats the 'Style Pack' rear bumper. No body modification is needed the bumper is grafted onto the original panels and the join line blended into the original bodywork.

'Nearly' all my conversions can be reversed, the only exception is the XF light conversion, which that very car is having done right now, along with a rear diffuser fitted keeping the original 5" square tail pipes.

The tips themselves are actually Jaguar items and need to be modified to fit. They are classed as an 'over tip' which basically means they are made to go straight over the top of the standard existing X150 tail pipe. You do not need to change the entire system (although I did on that particular XK) but as a minimum if you have an XK8 you will need to change the rear boxes to XKR items.

 

Well, how about a DB7 Vantage Conversion.. ;-)

 

I was asked to turn an XKR into a manual and do a DB7 Zagato body conversion but the cost was huge, needless to say it never went any further.






It does take away that 'cigar look' which is the 'E Type' look but then again (this will upset a few people) I don't like hEap Types