Despite our discussion to keep things "practical" this year, I was thinking of getting Laurie something Jaguar. I thought the car was enough but she insists that was for Valentines Day.

So any sugestions? Feel free to hijack this for the other gender too.

 

 

Available in pink and from where?

LOL

 

I made the tragic mistake of letting my wife go along when I test-drove a local 2006 XK8 convertible not quite three weeks ago. I thought it would be an exhilarating way to spend an hour on a beautiful November morning. Unfortunately, she fell in love with the XK8 and now wants one for Christmas. Completely impractical, and we certainly do not need a fourth vehicle. Nevertheless, I'm poking around the web looking at low-mileage XK8 convertibles. If I can steal one I may pull the trigger, but I've told her not to expect anything. But if Christmas Eve rolls around and there's no pristine white XK8 convertible in our driveway with a big red bow on it, can I come eat Christmas dinner with one of you guys here? I have a feeling I'll be getting cold gruel and stale bread at our house for the foreseeable future....

 

We got a free 24lb turkey with one of those bonus points deals. Got invited to my sisters for Thanksgiving so it's up for Christmas. Bit of a hike but you are certainly welcome....if you bring beer.

Could be worse...neighbor had to get his wife a Smart Car . At least your's has better taste.

 

Thanks Jim. We got one of those free turkeys, too. It's in the garage freezer. I doubt if she'll be cooking it for Christmas dinner if there's no white XK8 convertible in the driveway....

 

Jon,

I take it your wife didn't offer up either the S-Type or Lexus as trade-bait. As a result, my guess is your Ram might be a goner.

I did some poking around myself and it looks like you'll be spending around $18-20K or so. You might want to get familiar with how to fix the hydraulic lines that raise and lower the top though. Good luck,

Mike

 

Mike,

My Ram is not going anywhere. Every household needs a truck, and I could not get my various projects done without mine....

She needs her Lexus SUV to haul our dogs in, so it probably sticks around, too....

The S-Type gets her back and forth to Tampa comfortably, economically, and safely six to eight times per year to visit her elderly parents. It would be the best candidate to sell (I refuse to trade), but it has been such a great highway cruiser that I would hate to see it go. Plus, I enjoy driving it too....

So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'm trying my best to get her to fall out of love with the XK8 convertible. I continue to attempt to scare her with the convertible top latch hydraulic hose issue (the "green shower of death" as they call it). She just blows me off and says, "You'll find a way to fix it." I point out that the tires are ridiculously expensive and probably won't last beyond 25,000 miles even with the best of care. She laughs and says, "You always do your research and find great deals on tires." I mention that she'll freeze her keister off in the winter driving a convertible, even with the top up. She replies, "It has heated seats, I'll be fine."

I'll be spending a bit more than you suggested even if I manage to steal the car, due to the fact that it only has about 25,000 miles on it. I've talked the dealership down by about two grand thus far, and we've yet to set foot on their lot (more than three hours away from us). They're trying hard to get us up there, but I'm still doing my research and trying to negotiate via phone and e-mail. So we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks....

I do not want this car. She does. I've won a few of these battles over the decades, but she is head over heels in love with the XK8 convertible now. I have a difficult task ahead of me. It may not be winnable....

 

Jon,

You're done I'm afraid. Your past successes in solving problems doomed any attempts at discouraging her. Maybe you'll get lucky and a freak snowstorm will hit and she'll forget about it.

Mike

 

All is not lost yet, Mike. I'm not above resorting to full-blown Scrooge/Grinch mode. I didn't eat very well for a few months the last time I had to resort to such a tactic a decade or so ago, but I ultimately won that battle. My only major concern now is that she'll drive one of her long chef knives through my chest while I'm sound asleep one night during the holidays....

 

There's a trial on TruTV right now about a woman who stabbed her hubby almost 200 times. The first trial got her 25 years and she's going thru a re-trial due to bad defense the first time around.
You "might" mention that to her. Otherwise, there WILL be a white convertable in your driveway..

 

Let's see.... really bad visibility... hard to know where the corners are so gonna be bumps and they're gonna cost.

I'm guessing she'll get some real jerks giving her grief when they see her in the car, too.....

OK, I'm struggling.

 

Jon,

It's time to go nuclear. Tell her the XK8 is like a supermodel on crack. REALLY high maintenance.

 

Mike,

We had that very conversation last night. This particular car had all four of its shock dampeners replaced at just over 19,000 miles due to fluid leakage. The repair was done under the factory warranty. Had it not been under warranty, it would have been a $3,500 out-of-pocket cost for the owner at that time. When I told her, she at least winced. That's a good sign....

I've definitely gained some ground in the last 24 hours. Her mother's 80th birthday is Saturday and she's completely focused on that right now. I'm hoping I can avoid any discussion about the status of my XK8 research through the weekend and beyond. If the topic stays undiscussed for a week or so, I just may be out of danger....

 

Fat chance of that happening. Women have LONG memories. The only other thing I can think of ammo is the DCCV/ACM issue. Generally the 2006 cars were pretty well developed and reliable as well. If by any chance it's a Select Edition car you might get some things fixed under warranty, but that will depend on the date first sold. You may want to check out the recall notices and TSBs for that model year.

Mike

 

So far the leaper warmer is looking like the best bet.

 

Jim you don't plan on letting the S-Type out of the garage in the winter do ya?

A suggestion: Sirius satellite radio. I have it in all my cars (Sportster 5 model). Use the direct connect kit to wire it into the antenna input behind the radio. Real easy to install. Make those trips to Watkins Glen nice with a huge selection of tunes and talk!

Those classic Jaguar logo center caps that Rick has on his S-Type would also look pretty frickin' cool on Laurie's S-Type too....