Thanks Gregory!

 

Yes…. but was the process appropriate?

Firstly, the dash in my xkr is leather and perfect.
Secondly, even the leather in the ‘51 Riley was brought back from a decrepit state to a subtle (though visibly aged) panel. So I don’t buy “it can’t be restored and re affixed”. Have the dealer fix it. Or is it a proper dealer?!
Thirdly…. stay away from all of those clever marketed products that just dry out the leather, though make it shiny.

Have you bought ( edited: one) yet? What’s the holdup?

 

The re-stretching leather attempts here I've read about have failed because there is too much tension for the glue to hold. Steaming it seems to allow the leather to stretch, but it doesn't stretch uniformly creating wrinkles and deformities. I'm waiting for the seller to send me another picture of the dashboard. I'm thinking I might just glue it down as is and allow the edges to be as they are. They advertised it for 11K but they've added on a 2K "cleaning, ceiling, protectant, inspection" fee, which is ridiculous, but many used dealers seem to be doing this nowadays. They seem to be willing to negotiate this part quite a bit. (The car has dealer documented regular maintenance). They've also added an $900 doc fee and a strange and unknowable $700 "non tax" fee. After adding tag and tax it brings it up to 16K. A lot of negotiation will be in order for a purchase to happen…

 

No way is that 2007 XK Convertible worth $16K with 98K miles and a leather dashboard that has shrunken and needs to be replaced or repaired. Keep in mind that the seller is a dealer who knows every trick in the book. He's a big fish and you're a little fish. How do you think he became a big fish?

Run, don't walk, away from this dealer. There are other 2007 XK convertibles to consider.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=377484179

https://www.truecar.com/vehicle-matc...caAnKLEALw_wcB

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...onvertible-14/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...onvertible-12/

 

Thanks Stuart. I edited my comments above.

 

Exactly. I don't have car fever too much. I resist buying an older car, unseen, and there's not a lot close by. We'll see how bad he wants to move the car…

Thanks for the links!

 

That's what the button is for - instead of saying "thanks". Many knowledgeable and helpful members appreciate the tally.

 

I guess it also depends where you are located i guess ... On Long Island ( NY area ) you are typically getting fleeced with above average prices unless you want to go to certain 'shady' dealers or facebook scammers. I'm actually kicking around the idea of selling my 07 convertible ( indigo blue with navy top and camel interior ) and the stock around me is very limited, not well maintained, look rough, and/or dealers also tacking on 5k+ in fees etc to what they advertise as a very low price. Makes me pricing mine a bit of a pain when comparing to others in the area.

07 XK like mentioned above give a nice amount of power on a proven engine platform. Great car to drive ... wish I got to use mine more though but it's my weekender and sunny weather car only

 

Those prices that Stuart linked, seem extremely reasonable, considering how much car you’re getting. Seriously, you can’t find a decent Hyundai in my area, for that kind of dollars.

How much do you think yours is worth, on the private sale market?

 

Yeah many times those prices look great until you show up at some of these dealers and they have a 'price reflects 25% down payment ' , 'Cash sales will add 18% to price listed' , ' Doc Fee and Certification not included and require additional $3995 to $5995 ' , or you show up and the car looks almost nothing like the ad....

On private sale I would think around 15-18k would be reasonable... I take into account color combo, how it drives, mileage ( mine for example has 64k and I don't I've driven it 2k miles in the last 7 years I've had it ) etc... I use the same criteria for any car I look at. Some colors don't sell others do. Some folks want to hard top , some don't... Limited stock makes and willingness for some folks to travel also may contribute to someone willing to pay a little more and not purchase sight unseen.

Wish spare parts were much more available like some other cars though... Not a huge aftermarket for these causes parts to be cost prohibitive for many.

 

lack of aftermarket could also be tied into the limited production of the XK and XKR. Approximately 2-3thousand per year.

 

yep definitely the case ! But with such small numbers produced it still unfortunately doesn't see the same price appreciation as some other cars... maybe one day...

 

Keep in mind that many of the X150 suspension replacement parts are originally from Ford and are available as inexpensive aftermarket versions on RockAuto.com and other websites. They're reported in threads on this Forum.

For example, the off-white plastic glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release handle is a Ford part. I broke mine somehow and I found the exact same handle for cheap on eBay. Also, my trunk latch assembly wouldn't lock and it's a Ford part. I also found one for cheap on eBay.

​​​​​​More body, drivetrain, and interior parts are becoming available as more X150s get totalled by insurance because the repair cost exceeds the value of the vehicle.