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doowopfix, and philheff, Thanks for liking my XK8 E Type. I had no idea, that when I sold my E Type around 1980, for $1800, that their value would go through the roof, and way beyond what I can scrape up now.
The hood louvers came off a 30s Plymouth, and I got the 16" Dayton wire wheels with new Goodyears for $550 off of Ebay. They are beautiful, and when I put her on the lift, I am able to polish the inside of the rims also. I did need to skin a quarter inch off the outer top of the front calipers, about an inch in, and added 1 1/4" spacers to all the wheels, giving her a little wider track. I also removed those ugly front bumper over riders revealing that beautiful chrome bar in the grill. I installed a luggage rack off an XKE on the boot, and ran a strip of chrome down the top of the front fenders. I am going to do the rear seat delete, as soon as my 3 grandsons outgrow the back seat. They are 10, 8, and 6. Is that a kit, or am I going to have to rely on my very limited woodworking skills to fabricate it? Please say it is a kit!!!!!
As much as I loved my E Type, I do not miss certain aspects of her. I bought her new, and made a cross country trip with her. When it rained I got diaper rash from my seat collecting water, I was being passed by VW Beetles going up the Rockies, and knocking down a solid 5 mpg climbing up Pikes Peak. Those front louvers in the hood also introduced me to feeling what Hell must feel like, while sitting in traffic, and the dealer had already installed a larger capacity cooling system upon finding out I was driving to the Pacific.(Dunes Imports) nice guys.....
My rear brakes were all but useless with the exhaust sitting only a half inch above them, and my luggage could never be a hard sided bag, because it needed to sit behind the seats, with a lunch sack containing 2 sandwiches filling the trunk sitting on the spare tyre. I was able to use hard luggage when I had a luggage rack installed on the boot, but seeing behind me was useless at that point.
It was just one of those things. She was beautiful, but you didn't expect her to do everything well. It's kinda like expecting Sophia Vergera to change the oil on your car. You overlook a lot for a beautiful package......Thanks.....Mike
doowopfix, and philheff, Thanks for liking my XK8 E Type. I had no idea, that when I sold my E Type around 1980, for $1800, that their value would go through the roof, and way beyond what I can scrape up now.
The hood louvers came off a 30s Plymouth, and I got the 16" Dayton wire wheels with new Goodyears for $550 off of Ebay. They are beautiful, and when I put her on the lift, I am able to polish the inside of the rims also. I did need to skin a quarter inch off the outer top of the front calipers, about an inch in, and added 1 1/4" spacers to all the wheels, giving her a little wider track. I also removed those ugly front bumper over riders revealing that beautiful chrome bar in the grill. I installed a luggage rack off an XKE on the boot, and ran a strip of chrome down the top of the front fenders. I am going to do the rear seat delete, as soon as my 3 grandsons outgrow the back seat. They are 10, 8, and 6. Is that a kit, or am I going to have to rely on my very limited woodworking skills to fabricate it? Please say it is a kit!!!!!
As much as I loved my E Type, I do not miss certain aspects of her. I bought her new, and made a cross country trip with her. When it rained I got diaper rash from my seat collecting water, I was being passed by VW Beetles going up the Rockies, and knocking down a solid 5 mpg climbing up Pikes Peak. Those front louvers in the hood also introduced me to feeling what Hell must feel like, while sitting in traffic, and the dealer had already installed a larger capacity cooling system upon finding out I was driving to the Pacific.(Dunes Imports) nice guys.....
My rear brakes were all but useless with the exhaust sitting only a half inch above them, and my luggage could never be a hard sided bag, because it needed to sit behind the seats, with a lunch sack containing 2 sandwiches filling the trunk sitting on the spare tyre. I was able to use hard luggage when I had a luggage rack installed on the boot, but seeing behind me was useless at that point.
It was just one of those things. She was beautiful, but you didn't expect her to do everything well. It's kinda like expecting Sophia Vergera to change the oil on your car. You overlook a lot for a beautiful package......Thanks.....Mike
It's refreshing to hear a story like that about the E Type! Having grown up in the 1990s, people of my generation only see them in tip-top shape at shows and concours, given how expensive they are. Nothing against the concours scene, but some folks there make you feel guilty for even wanting to drive your car, for fear of getting some dirt on it!
When I eventually own one, I want to drive it and enjoy it- maybe just not in the rain!
It's refreshing to hear a story like that about the E Type! Having grown up in the 1990s, people of my generation only see them in tip-top shape at shows and concours, given how expensive they are. Nothing against the concours scene, but some folks there make you feel guilty for even wanting to drive your car, for fear of getting some dirt on it!
When I eventually own one, I want to drive it and enjoy it- maybe just not in the rain!
Concours is like a religion lol in the 80s I had a V12 E Type which I would enter in local concours, won some minor awards...did very few miles.
From my experience the judges would mock you if they found a bit of dirt you missed haha (probably in the exhaust)
The E type was (and is) a fantastic car to look at, but in reality wasn't a great driver (the V12 5.3) a magnet for the idiots(I call it 'green eye') and did 9mpg.
Today I have a XKR 2004 and yes, I enter her for the annual local concours where I won 'class winner' 2014/15.....and hopefully, 2016 LOLOL it is not a daily driver, but used on sunny weekends.
Hope this bought a smile to your face
It's funny the talk of the E-Type had me thinking of picking one up with a good body and bad mechanicals and doing what they did in Europe and putting it on an XKR platform. Apparently if you take a Series III it is an interesting project. But given I'm not driving the XKR much anymore I'm afraid it would just sit. This is truck country and even my F-Type isn't getting out as much as I'd like. I had two E's a race prepped '64 coup that was heavily modified and a '68 roadster. The '68 wasn't that fast but it was incredibly reliable and most of the work was drop dead easy (you did need to carry fuses), it was tight and while it needed new leather it really was pretty much bullet proof, didn't even overheat in Cal weather (no air). The '64 was a beast, two huge side draft Webbers, and race cams. The rear wheels had been widened and there was extensive body work to cover much wider tires. It would snap wheel spokes if you jumped on it from a standing start and topped out around 175 (might have gone faster but I wasn't that crazy). But it broke all the time mostly because it really wasn't designed for all that power and while it wasn't as scary as the Sunbeam Tiger with the detuned funny car engine (now that was a death trap) it eventually would have likely killed me. I find I don't miss them that much though I don't regret owning them.
Thanks, Matthew! Not looking it's best, on a grey and rainy day. I wouldn't normally take it out on a day like that, but being England, it didn't start out that way at all...
Thanks, Matthew! Not looking it's best, on a grey and rainy day. I wouldn't normally take it out on a day like that, but being England, it didn't start out that way at all...
I completely understand.. Certain seasons in the Midwest part of the US, especially during November and March, can see drastic changes in the weather over just a few hours.
I noticed your door handles are body-colored, which I quite like, as opposed to the bright finish on mine. Did your car come fitted with those?
(I apologize for the dismal scenery. I just traded my XK8 for the XKR a couple months ago and, being winter now, haven't gotten many photos yet)
That's a nice, shiny car! I can't wait for spring so I can get the top down; the interior is cream leather and I have a matching tonneau cover, that really finishes it off nicely.
As far as I know, the door handles are as from new. (I've only had the car since June 2014). I think that the original purchaser spent quite a lot on optional extras, including a rather good audio, that's probably better than I have in my house...
So Philrippingale's jaguar with top down should be fantastic.
