I like what you did and you've shown a real life example, thanks. That said, you're right, not for everyone. Got me to wondering if there is a great distance from the drivers seat to the A-Pillar in the XJ vs the XK. When I sit in the XK, I think pillar gauges would be in my face. I can't remember enough of my SV8. Suspect there's little to no difference but curious.

 

Thanks, I will say it took some adjusting for me, as everything has pros and cons. It creates a decent size blind spot to my front left. I have gotten used to it by now. I have to lean forward or to the side sometimes to make sure no one is in that blind spot from time to time when shifting lanes or making a left turn.

If there was a more practical spot to put the gauges, I would have done that instead. But for those considering this, it is something to think about. Not sure how visibility is on the XK's but this probably won't help like in my case.

 

I've gone down camiobobs ashtray route, but originally i was going to mount guages on top of the dashboard like the Lotus Anglua Ford and 2015 Scirroco etc. What stopped me is my love of keeping things looking original

pic below is scirroco then the Ford



A smooth top like above could have been fabricated. Not difficult with a good upholsterer on hand, but too classy a car to butcher like this

 

I was a little disappointed when I 1st discovered that there were no engine management gauges when I got my car. Then again I believe the designers were building a GT type car for the older set of customers so nanny gauges weren't needed. I think all they needed was dash lights to tell the owner to take it to a dealer. Think about it , no dipstick because they felt most owners wouldn't open the bonnet.

 

The big issue seems to be finding a location for the readout(s) without bodging the interior. The central vent location seems ideal, but also would hate to lose its function. I was thinking - in my idle time - about replacing the mirror in the drivers sun-visor with a throwaway or obsolete 'phone and running one of the instrument apps through it. Depends how often any of us use our visor mirror. It already has power wiring running to it and can be flipped out of the way when not being used. Mod can always be replaced if not too much damage done in the installation.

 

The XK was the last of Jaguars classic styling and design ethos. All the models after it started catering to a new consumer. Not as much a "pipe and slippers" marque which I think is a mistake on their part. That category of buyer is what made the Jag aspirational. When I was young, it was stately older folks or black men originally from the Commonwealth nations were the majority of buyers.

Today, who knows who their consumer profile is? Maybe that's better, but in the old days you knew if either two of the groups had a Jag; they were doing it!