Been driving my XK8 more lately and took it to a local "cars and Dogs" little event this week. It's at a drive through Hot dog stand and become a fun distraction! Started with myself and two other friends just meeting there to have a dog and just enjoy the evening and now grown to about 50 cars or so!
I had a serious offer from a local car collector last night. And he called this morning to tell me he's not kidding.
Book value on my car is a little over 9K and he offered my 18k. He's got more money than GOD so I know he's got it. He says his wife is in love with it and he knows what I've put into it since we use several of the same guys in town.
He's in no hurry and said its a standing offer, when ever I sell.
I'm seriously thinking about it. I'm funny though, I don't think I could bare to see it in town! Always sold my cars out of town. And this one has been a labor of love. (Not to mention I've probably spent 20k on everything. Was an abused beast when I got it and all major issues done)
I know his wife, she buys our jewelry, and she's amazing. Loves cars as much as I do!
He also said he'd be open to a trade. He and my dad were good friends and really wanted our Dino Ferrari but my brother couldn't sell it locally and see it on the road. (We're very attached to our cars!)
He has an alfa I've laways liked and dangled it! What to do?!?! I'd still have my XF!

 

Just to add, this is a good man. Not a flake. Well respected and always supports any local fund raiser and charity. Like I said, an old friend of the family. Last thing he said on the phone was "I'm glad to see you boys got your father's love of cars, your father was the best of men and taught you well" (made me tear up a little tbh) if I searched for a better person to take my XK, I couldn't find one!
Although his wife was disappointed I took off the Union Jack stripes and just left the center one!

 

I would see it as an opportunity to recoup the bulk of what I had sunk into the vehicle from a guy who can afford to significantly overpay based upon book value. You may not get another opportunity to come this close to recouping your money....

Good luck with your decision....

 

I would do what you feel in your Gut. It sounds like you have a lot of sweat equity in her, and you have to balance out if she is worth selling. On the other hand, at over twice the car's value, you could get a newer one, probably needing less or no work. I find when I build a car myself, it is more difficult to sell. You almost never get what you have put in your car out of it, even though at a total investment of under $6000 on my 99 convertible I would hope I could recoup my investment, but with my mods, it would take a special buyer. Twice the value would really tip the scales for me though, but I think your buyer is insane.......Mike

 

Phil.
I say "Go For It" - it's an excellent price, I suspect you would be able to borrow it back for a brief blast if you got serious withdrawal symptoms BUT - most importantly, it's been a bit quiet on the forum since you eventually decided to paint it walnut black metallic rather than metallic black walnut, and with all that cash, you can buy another "labor of love" and we can get back to serous debate about what color to go for, and whether or not to fit polished chrome or brushed chrome wheels !!

 

Phil, having had the pleasure of seeing your car and meeting I can understand your delimma. It's a one of a kind car but I think you also enjoy the chase as much as the prize but only you can decide if you are ready to start again.

Having your labor of love appreciated and taken care of speaks volumes when trying to make this decision.

So many people do not have that choice, not to mention that's an excellent price.

Stop worrying over it, make a decision and move on. Take care my friend....

 

Hey Phil,
If nothing else, you have to feel good that it validates everything you did to customize your beautiful XK. Since I keep my cars until they eventually die and don't think I've ever sold a car, but have given away to employees old minivans etc., I'd ask myself if there was any other car that I couldn't live without, and would $18000. make a dent in pursuing and purchasing it.

Having said that, I probably couldn't part with a car that I'd put as much effort and creativity into as yours.

Good luck with your decision.
Ted
By the way, when did you add the center stripe, I don't remember seeing it in previous posts?

 

The questions to consider since it is agreed that is a very nice, real offer:

-What would you replace it with, if you want a replacement?
--Is that car/bike/whatever achievable with the sale price and what you might consider out of pocket?
-Do you need the money or space?
-If you sell, do you feel later this will be the one that got away?

Really, it looks like it's not really a situation of you needing to sell, but rather knowing this may be the best offer you get if you were contemplating it. Maybe now is time to move on to the next project! It sounds from your posts like you enjoy the modification process a lot in addition to the created finished product.

Me? I'd sell. I love cars but am not sentimental unless there are cherished memories attached to it. I have no cars that mean that much to me.

I have a 1973 Honda ST90 that means a lot to me, and there are a lot of great memories attached to it; it's been completely restored by myself and I have received excellent offers, but it's not going anywhere.

 

+1 +1 +1

All valid comments. Based on reading your posts in the past, I'd say you would get over the loss with the thrill of a new adventure personalizing the next car. The Alfa would certainly give you plenty to work on! However, another Jag is the only way since we would miss your posting the latest updates to the new cat.

 

For me it would be about the relationship. My Dad always said: "Never sell a car to a friend"
You just don't know what will happen after they buy it - what if things go really bad (transmission or something purely due to bad luck). I don't know how close you guys are but you can read between the lines. That's my only caution mate.

John

 

I've always thought the the chase was more fun than the kill, beautiful car that she is, whoever owns her you'll always be able to say "I did that!"
Sell her and know the price refects the new owners respect for your work, skill, and style.
Then start the search for a late model XKR that would benefit from your unique talent.
By the way where did you get those interesting rings around the fog lights?
Regards,

 

If you do sell....I have had Italian cars, and other than trying to get them the way you want them, before they rust away on you, I would still stick with something you don't NEED to work on every day......Maybe go back to the wire wheel days, or a classic Saloon. Fiats, Alfas, and Ferraris all rot, and make you get tetanus shots. Give yourself a chance and at least stay British, or German......Mike

 

Following your evolution of your XK8 over a couple years and the time an money you put in it convenience me that the dollars are not part of the mental evaluation.

The issues are: is it going to a good home, what am I going to do next.

Only you can answer those questions.

 

I agree with Mike, stay Britsh if replacing. They, whoever they are, say you can't be a real care guy until you've owned an Alfa. Well I had a 80's Sprint Veloce and I'm here to tell you Alfas will drive you absolutely mad. They are wonderful when they are correct but that's only about 5% of the time.

Good luck with your decision...didn't you say something about liking the new Lincoln Mark when we had lunch in May?

 

I grew up with these in the drive way. I drove both to high school when ever I ran out of gas! So I know about rust and Alfa's! My first car was a TR6 that my father took one day without telling me and 5 days later brought back a 62 black E-type! People say we were spoiled but we didn't know any other way of life with cars. My dad loved to find them. To put in perspective, I also drove a 79 Monte Carlo! Lol. Cars were cars to us, be they euro sports or american sedans. My regret car, letting my mother sell it when my father's alzhimers got bad, was the Studebaker hawk. Dad and I looked for 5 years for it. ��
The gentleman called me yesterday and talked a bit about me selling him the car and said he didn't mean to push me to sell it since he knows it's so special to me. Wow. This is really a nice guy. We talked and I said I'm seriously comtemplating it but it all happened so fast, I haven't had time to really think about it. He said for me to take my time and if I want to keep it through the rest of the year he'd love to get it as a suprise Christmas gift for his wife. He did ask if I could have the Union Jack put back on, at his expense of course, but not until closer to Christmas to throw his wife off the scent! Lol. His words!
Now, I have started thinking about what I would get to replace as most of you are correct, I love the hunt and then re-designing the new car with mods and such.
I can't deny Id love to find an F-type, pre owned, and do something to it. My XF will be paid off by the end of the year so I'll have no payments anymore and wouldn't mind F-type payments if I could find the right one and right price. Maybe add 5-8k to the 18 from the XK. I'd love to have a used F-type painted the same black walnut metallic of my XK8! And id LOVE to work on the interior and , hold on,have an exotic wood veneer in the interior!
Well, you can see it's looking more and more like I'm considering selling, especially if I can have one last fall to enjoy my XK8.
Thanks for all you guy's input. Everyone makes good arguments but it's going to end up if I can let it go. One of you said you understood the attachment to it with all the work I've done and that's probably the real issue. I took an abused almost ruined XK8, and aside from mods, literally repaired and replaced every major system under the bonnet. So who ever should end up with it will have a cherry XK8. (Oh new transmission already)

 

Oh, never mentioned that this is the man that bought my father's Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. It had been parked for 20 years, in very rough condition and he wouldn't pay less than 40k when the value in the condition it was , was probably 20k at best. He knew my father had made bad financial decesions before we found he had alzhimers, in fact he told my mother that we needed to have him tested for it because my dad wasn't the man he knew for 40 years.
My father helped this man start his textile business in the late 60's and when times got tough, my dad simply forgave the debt for the knitting machines (back then it was over 80k) he sold him. IT saved the man's business in the 70"s, later to become a multi million dollar business until China killed the hosiery business in the states. My father would never let him pay him back so I think this is his way to show how much my dad meant to him.
This couple was the first to be there when my mom passed three years ago also. So I'd say they're just plain good people. Rare these days.

 

Sorry to go on about this but it's very sentimental to me!

 

You're car is tastefully done, I can see you getting offers. How many miles are on it? If this gentleman is offering you double market value and you could use the cash, I would jump on it. If you don't need the extra cash, forget about it and enjoy the car.

 

Phil,

Jealous you had the Alfas available so early in life. I had a '73 GTV that was blast to drive. Looks like yours may have been a '74? Wheels are throwing me off. (Maybe that was an early version of your personalization itch?)

Love my blue cat, but would also love to have a GTV parked next to it. I would settle for that spider too.

 

I don't think there is a 'book value' for your car since it's so extensively and tastefully modded. You mentioned you put $20k into it. Since the guy "has more money than God", and is indebted to your family I'd tell him that you're very attached to it and that $22,500 would help you 'make up your mind'. Maybe throw in some added value - e.g. a 6-month warranty.

As an aside, if anyone wants to throw $18k at me for mine, I'll bite..