Just got the XK8 back from the body shop (just after I finished some guy in a Toyota tried to park in my trunk and it has taken several weeks to fix the damage).
This is how the car started out:

Before 1

Before 2

Bought the car for $12K body clean and it had a one year old rebuilt tranny. Plan was to eventually drop a current LS3 or LSA engine in the car but that proved a bit too expensive given smog rules in CA and decided to wait and work on a rare 2004 XKR Portfolio (blue) instead. I'll post on that car later below are the nearly $10K of mods to the XK8. (This has been a hobby car designed to take my mind off of work, kind of a clear the mind project).

Replaced the headlights (not self-cleaning) with the aftermarket units from Adamesh. If you've never pulled the headlights from an XK8 you are in for some fun because there is a lower front bolt that is nasty to get to without pulling the bumper. Recommendation in the forum was to go in through the wheel well after pulling the wheel well liner but honestly it looks like dropping the bumper would have been easier in hindsight. Shot one post wheels and tires, shot two.

Here is a shot of the front post headlights (with added an HID kit):

Adamamesh with HID

Also did the Adamesh LED tail lights, wiring them is painful particularly since I replaced the regular bulbs they supplied with LED bulbs. Lot of resistors and they get hot.

Adamesh Tail Lights If I were to do it over again I'd have them painted locally for a better match. Adamesh did these. The bumper is from Mina Gallery.

You can see the wiring here:

Did the full speaker and AMP swap and put in a 12" sub in the trunk. Happy with everthing but the 12" sub, can hardly hear it. Shots show screen up and down in dash and you can see the graphite shifter and guage rings.

Put new leather on the seats and added aftermarket seat heaters. Put in aftermarket automatic lights as well. No real issues with the installation (used an apholstry shop for the seats).

Note the mirror failed shortly after the crash so if you get in one you may want to anticipate the center mirror failing. eBay has new replacements for $148 which I found after paying over twice that at the dealer.

I'll begin posting pictures of the XKR project in a few weeks.

For some reason I couldn't get this tool to accept pictures from the forum so re-edited and put in links. All the pictures are in this album below:

Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum - enderle's Album: XK8 Mod Project

 

Great looking Jag. Who made your new wheels? What model? Were they custom built or part of the company's stock sized inventory?

 

MRR HR6's picked them up at Wheel Works. Took about a day to come in so they are stocked locally.

HR6 Wheel - MRR Design

 

Does the sterio screan hit the gear knob as it comes out. I only ask as I regected such a unit as I thought it would catch on it?

 

Yes if the gear shift is in park. So you have to turn off the ignition, let the screen retract, then put it in park, and then pull out the key. It has a backup camera which is cool but it also makes sure the screen always is out (even if retracted you pass reverse going into park which will pop the screen). My stereo guys are convinced they can flip the switches and the stereo which would solve the problem. We'll see.

In the XKR I'm going to try and move the switches and use a double din fixed deck. The double din decks are a lot better but figuring out a nice place to put the switches will be a problem.

 

Beautiful car.

Looking at the link for the wheels they only list a 5x120mm pattern. Did you have any trouble fitting them?

 

Yes, they ordered them in my bolt pattern. One issue I did have is a little contact on a hard bump on the driver's side. Prefious owner crunched that corner and it is a little out of spec. It is just toching, so light we can't seem to figure out where but it makes a noise. All other wheels clear fine which is why I think it is left over from the body shop. I'm going to swap with the XKR over the weekend and see if it clears up, if it does it's the fender.

 

Swapped the wheels and XKR wheels work fine on the XK8 and the XK8 new wheels are working fine on the XKR so think it may have been a unique problem left over from the body shop. If you are having an allingment done on one of these older XKs make sure you get the camber kit which came out later for them otherwise they can't get the camber into spec. Pain in the butt to go back twice (I forgot with the XKR when I had it alligned and now will have to go back).

 

Nice job on car looks GREAT. What about the boot cover you did not mention that,
where did you get it, is it painted, what kind of material is made of,
is it 3 piece, does it make any noise, easy to put on and take of, what about storing it?
I was thinking about a hard boot cover for some time, but have not seen many, some in pictures never in person.
I have redone my 2001 XKR pretty extensively as well.
Here is link for mine.
I love to see what other have done and just the fact that they do some upgrading is nice to see.
You should be happy with yours very nice in deed.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...tioning-72253/

 

Yes the boot cover is from Mina Gallery, I started with the color matched for the XK8 and then went for the graphite for the XKR. I just hang it on the wall in the garage when I'm not using it. California car so once it is on for the summer it mostly stays on. Have to be careful with the graphite as it might scratch, the color matched one is covered with materail and much more robust. Really a head turner though. I'm going to do the center dash in graphite on the XKR when I swap out the nav for guages (can't get a matching dash piece) and that should tie the graphite in better.