Buying used XK or XKR
#21
Generally, for a classic car to become a pot of gold, a large set of people need to feel nostalgic about it. This way Toyota Supra is already collectible, but a much better driver's car Alfa Spider Series 3 or 4 are not.
#22
SinF,
I agree with you that a groundswell of enthusiasm for a particular model of car can make it collectible sometimes immediately such as in the case of the 2005-2006 Ford GT and the BMW Z8. Often though, it can take decades before a car reaches that collectible status, usually as a result of rarety or limited production. However, there is merit to the higher performance models as a more valuable collector car. If you consider a 1969 Camaro vs. a 1969 Camaro Z28, or a 1969 Pontiac GTO vs. a Ram Air IV Judge GTO, one version is worth about 20% of the other, though they're the same body style. But, I don't think buying an X150 XKR vs. XK will show any of the signs of collectibility anytime soon, and if that's why someone purchases one with the hopes of appreciation and a pot of gold down the road, they've made a mistake. The reason to buy is to enjoy now, future be damned. Sometimes you get lucky, my 1972 De Tomaso Pantera's value has probably doubled, maybe tripled in the last 5 years, but it never entered my mind when I purchased it a dozen years ago; I was in love with the look, the performance the sound, and it's what I could afford at the time. When I bought my 2010 XKR, I essentially stopped driving the Pantera because the XKR was just so easy to enjoy without the worries of overheating, non-starting, breakdowns, etc...So, I had to make a choice, do I sell it or make it more driveable? I was still infatuated with its look, so I decided to make it something more driveable, by changing it to fuel injection from carburation, putting more comfortable, seats, and a more luxurious interior, add extra cooling fans to prevent overheating, and put a 500+ horsepower engine in it to make it more fun. While those improvements will make for a much better car, they actually de-value its collectibility as they are not "original" to the car. Who cares?! I'll have a car that works and that I'll actually drive and enjoy. My heirs can worry about its collectibility value when I'm gone. Next up is restoring my 1968 GTO, my favorite car of all time.
I agree with you that a groundswell of enthusiasm for a particular model of car can make it collectible sometimes immediately such as in the case of the 2005-2006 Ford GT and the BMW Z8. Often though, it can take decades before a car reaches that collectible status, usually as a result of rarety or limited production. However, there is merit to the higher performance models as a more valuable collector car. If you consider a 1969 Camaro vs. a 1969 Camaro Z28, or a 1969 Pontiac GTO vs. a Ram Air IV Judge GTO, one version is worth about 20% of the other, though they're the same body style. But, I don't think buying an X150 XKR vs. XK will show any of the signs of collectibility anytime soon, and if that's why someone purchases one with the hopes of appreciation and a pot of gold down the road, they've made a mistake. The reason to buy is to enjoy now, future be damned. Sometimes you get lucky, my 1972 De Tomaso Pantera's value has probably doubled, maybe tripled in the last 5 years, but it never entered my mind when I purchased it a dozen years ago; I was in love with the look, the performance the sound, and it's what I could afford at the time. When I bought my 2010 XKR, I essentially stopped driving the Pantera because the XKR was just so easy to enjoy without the worries of overheating, non-starting, breakdowns, etc...So, I had to make a choice, do I sell it or make it more driveable? I was still infatuated with its look, so I decided to make it something more driveable, by changing it to fuel injection from carburation, putting more comfortable, seats, and a more luxurious interior, add extra cooling fans to prevent overheating, and put a 500+ horsepower engine in it to make it more fun. While those improvements will make for a much better car, they actually de-value its collectibility as they are not "original" to the car. Who cares?! I'll have a car that works and that I'll actually drive and enjoy. My heirs can worry about its collectibility value when I'm gone. Next up is restoring my 1968 GTO, my favorite car of all time.
#23
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Cee Jay (03-27-2018)
#24
I bought my liquid silver/black 2010 XKR 6 months ago with 13,000 miles on it for 34k. Had a new battery, brakes, newly powder coated OE wheels (stunning dark grey metallic), and new Pirelli tires on it. No accidents or paint work. The car is in beautiful condition inside and out. The only real flaw are some deep scratches on the pass side rocker, which can only be seen though if you know that they are there, and you need to go at least 5-6 feet from it to really see it. She's literally perfect from 6 feet away. I am the 3rd owner. The car has a great service history too. She has been a dream for the 5,000 miles that I have put on her thus far (touching wood right now). My point to this is that there are some killer deals out there if you are patient and are willing to expand your search across the entire country.
Last edited by multistrada74; 03-28-2018 at 07:48 AM.
#25
Hi all!
I enjoy reading the discussion here very much. Indeed, for the time being I have some more practical problems to deal with, ie. find me a XK/XKR in good shape...
So last week I had the opportunity to drive a 2011 XKR with 40k miles on the odo. Was a nice ride, but the the car was not perfectly taken care off by its former owners. What worried me most was the engine noise, in particular a rattle that was present both, on cold startup of the engine as well as after 15 minutes of driving. Please have a look at my linked YouTube recording, taken after 15 minutes of driving:
Is this usual XKR engine noise?
I read about issues with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) in XKRs supercharged engines that make themselves apparent by rattling noises...
Regards!
ter
I enjoy reading the discussion here very much. Indeed, for the time being I have some more practical problems to deal with, ie. find me a XK/XKR in good shape...
So last week I had the opportunity to drive a 2011 XKR with 40k miles on the odo. Was a nice ride, but the the car was not perfectly taken care off by its former owners. What worried me most was the engine noise, in particular a rattle that was present both, on cold startup of the engine as well as after 15 minutes of driving. Please have a look at my linked YouTube recording, taken after 15 minutes of driving:
Is this usual XKR engine noise?
I read about issues with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) in XKRs supercharged engines that make themselves apparent by rattling noises...
Regards!
ter
#26
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NBCat (04-08-2018)
#30
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