welcome! very nice R, Ijust got mine too.

 

Congratulations on the XK-R! My, that thing really is in amazing, showroom like condition. It's as if the previous owner bought it, and drove it for a year and then decided to store the car in a climate controlled garage for a decade!

 

Title: The cat in hand; the cat that got away

Hi David, there is a little more to the story of the XKR in Philadelphia than you know.

Like you I am not an exotic car person. My daily driver is a four-cylinder 2000 Toyota Camry with 158K miles. I do much of my own service, but not stuff like the new radiator just put in. It's a terrific car--if but a family sedan--with a near-perfect balance between torque, (fairly gutless) power, and gearing. Even if it has only three speeds and four cylinders, I love it just the same and just bought a dash trim kit, since I’ve recently developed a taste for wood.

Like you, I paged through the car mags in my earlier days, but, then college and a career, then a family, and then kids through college, failing business, dealing with Alzheimer's (not me)--not to mention house and hobbies--sort of tied up my attention for quite a while: decades in fact.

Like you I admired the XK from “afar.” In my ‘teens (the ’60s) my neighbor’s sister drove a burgundy XKE, which I still have pictures of. But I trained myself to not want things completely beyond my reach. And when the XJS replaced it: In my disappointment, I stopped watching Jaguar altogether (sorry).

That's how it was until two years ago. I’m leaving Sunday brunch at “The Reef” on A1A in St. Augustine. Walking out, I noticed a roadster parked there, an XK8 just waiting for me to happen by. Wow! Where was I when they built that? The lines of the front, the lines of the hood, as well as the rear haunches, clearly spoke Jaguar in the classic sense. “It is a Jag. Wow! Amazing! Oh, I hope they made a coupe." Suddenly I was no longer socking away extra cash in the door for a fire breathing 944 Turbo.


Well it took so long to get established in Florida, by the time I emptied the garage enough to pull another car in, the kitty for a cat (so to speak) got big enough for real possibilities.

Even with all that, I couldn't get serious about a Jaguar until last summer. The Realtor I’m friends with mentioned that he has one. Well, I said that I would never buy a Jaguar, since I know you need a marque-specific mechanic. And he said, "Oh for that, I go to Michael Sacks over off Beach Blvd." And with his hearty endorsement, the last real barrier to work through fell away.

Like you, David, for me, it had to be a coupe. Like you, for me (though silver, burgundy, and sapphire are great) it had to be the BR green. Like you, for me, I wanted "low mileage." Like you, for me, the first XK8 series is my favorite: with the recessed fog lights. Like you, for me: I preferred to find one close enough to go look at. Unlike you, I was, definitely very much in the hunt.

Well, I went from looking to shopping over the Christmas break when I finished building the storage rack and cleaned up the garage. Shopping for these cars requires patience and discernment. To this day there remains a green '97 coupe with 80 K miles on Autotrader. I'm sure you've seen it. I'm sure we've both paged past it dozens of times. But he will never get what he's asking.

Then it got real interesting on the last evening in February. A new listing came up on Autotrader, and I pounced: a 2000 XK8 coupe over in Tampa: green with 34K miles -- just enough to wear out the first set of tires. So, with bated breath and sweaty palms the next day I called and spoke with Tracy. "Yes, the car is still for sale." Yes, I can come see it on Saturday. And so, the day after speaking to her, I drove over to Sachs Automotive and interviewed my mechanic-to-be, Michael Sacks. He passed: no BS. I showed him the Tampa listing, and after we spoke for a while, he said: "Based on what you’ve told me, the one for you is an XKR."

Nevertheless, an 8 in hand is worth a lot full of Rs that get away. Talking to Tracy Friday night I finalized our arrival time: And I was stoked.

Picture below: Her car from the Autotrader is first picture on the left:

I have learned that the deal goes to the decisive. I see you know that too. I knew its Blue Book value, and --if the car passed my inspection--I was prepared to offer a cash down payment followed by the balance: wired. So what are the chances that another, early XK8 Coupe, with low mileage in British Racing Green, would come on the market the very same week? Absolutely zilch. However, although determined to move with speed on Tampa, due diligence dictated that I check the market one last time.

It stunned me senseless when I found just about the exact same car, as the one I was going to see the very next morning, newly listed on eBay, just waiting for me in Philadelphia. When I finally was able to move and went to tell my wife, I couldn't even speak. This one had an added bonus: It was an XKR, and what’s more, it had the extra, over-the-top bonus: roughly half the miles! My world had gone crazy. The impossible just happened. There it was. And here was I: too late at night to call the dealer, who was across the river in Delran, to find out the auction's reserve and figure out what it would take to close a deal. I had to go for a walk to regain enough composure and develop a workable strategy.

Picture below: Your car form the eBay auction second picture from the left:

Knowing full well that a Jag in hand is worth the whole parking lot of them that get away, I drove off to see Tracy in Tampa completely lost about what to do if I liked the car. I knew the value of both cars. I knew that any Jaguar I bought would need considerable extra $$$ to get it set up just right for me, and the XKR was probably going to go for a lot more than Tracy’s. But without knowing the auction’s reserve and without knowing what the dealer would take, I was completely adrift at sea.

So of course, I did the only logical thing. On our ride to Tampa, I called the dealer and got, "Leave a message." Rats, they're probably a wholesaler and not open 'till Monday. And I'll probably have to decide on the XK8 this morning knowing nothing about the XKR whose auction was ending on Tuesday.

Imagine my surprise when Sean, their Internet guy, called me right back. He gave me the reserve, and said there was enormous interest in the car -- so much so they decided not to sell it early, but would simply let the auction run. He, further, said someone was in from California looking it over, and the Jaguar Club of North America was interested as well: sounded a bit like used car salesmen talk to me. It also sounded entirely possible. You, David, know more about that end of the story better than I do.

So help me, they had set the reserve 7K below its retail market value! So, they clearly had no idea what was sitting on their lot. Still, that gave me the intel. I needed to work with Tracy in Tampa.

Of course, when we drove up, this car was drop-dead gorgeous too. Fortunately, the tires were original, so I could measure the lousy, uneven tread wear and complain the suspension was a mess. Furthermore, she had no maintenance history. So, I showed her the data about upper cam chain tensioners and made a fairly low, but fairly fair offer, which she immediately accepted. So I had my cat in hand lined up, which left me to see about the one that would be harder to get.

While, as a matter of principle, I am disinclined to break a deal made but still incomplete, nevertheless I set out to pursue XKR in Philadelphia. There would be no harm in checking. Of course that effort ended suddenly when I noticed the auction had disappeared by Sunday night.

Trust me when I tell you, David, I did not want to go through the rest of my life without knowing what happened to that XKR: the one that got away. So, on Monday morning instead of calling Sean, I called the dealership. Honest, I believe I spoke to the man who sold you your car. I asked him, "What happened to the auction?" He said they got a good offer and sold it. I asked what it went for, and he told me. I asked him who bought it. After a short pause, he said, "A doctor in New York City." Then he said "Did you bid on the auction?" And I said, "You ended it."

Of course, the only part of an auction that matters is the last 10 seconds. And, no: mine to him, was not a cranky call. I still had the Jag in hand.

David you were clearly meant to have that car. Yes, had I been able to get to Delran fast enough, I would have easily offered him what you paid. It would have been, "Here's some cash; I can wire the rest; you'll have it tomorrow." You know the drill.

But you were there, and I was here. You knew what was at stake and played your cards perfect. When your heart went flip-flop, when your knees went weak: You passed the test to own it. Here at this end, you should have heard the little noise my wife made we drove up at Tracy's. There it was -- sitting out in the shade, ready to leap.

Performance to me means control, turning and stopping. While there is no limit to the power I would like in my Jag, a NA V-8 is sufficient. Thank heavens the tires were shot, and she hadn’t replaced them. Now, I get to pick out new rubber.

With the weight biased toward the front, the normal, staggered setup warrants changing. I've ordered 9” rims for mounting on the front to complement those on the back. I'll be getting 18” Hankook v12s, 265x40 all four corners. This will give better grip on the front: better grip all around. And now I can rotate them all for even wear. I already have the under-chassis x-brace from a convertible coming in.

Next picture: x-brace off the donor car.

It will to stiffen the front end even more. I’ll also be installing Koni shocks, because, you see, I'm planning 1) driver's ed classes on a closed course, and then 2) some autocross. Later, probably lower springs and better brakes; we’ll see.

So enjoy your XK. I, personally, found out (at almost exactly the same time you did) what it feels like to own one. I go out in the garage just to stare at the thing. It has worn through the fiberglass belt on the inside front tire, so there's no driving it until the wheels come in and the tires get mounted, balanced and aligned. But she is a looker.

 

That is so cool Pking! This whole thread is such a great story. It's funny how the right car seems to seek you out. My story is a little similar. I had been looking for a BRG or Black XKR Coupe for a while and started opening up to convertibles and XK8s. I found the XKRs I wanted were either too rough to suit me or out of my price range at the time. It was tough negotiating with some of the dealers also, since I was young (I was 24 at the time) and even with my fathers presence, many didn't think I was actually serious. I had exhausted all my semi-local leads and was starting to expand my range nationwide figuring I could fly out and enjoy a nice trip home when one popped up 40 miles away. The details were all wrong (they listed the car as FWD for one) and there were no pictures since the dealer just got the car, but I knew it was green, and I knew I needed to have a look, since it was so close. The car needed a few things, but it was pretty much perfect and the dealer was willing to work with me. A month before my 25th birthday I took delivery of my baby and it's been a great journey from there.

 

Yes, I contacted them by email and they will custom make the center console and at a much better price than Arden. I think the quote was $600.

Mark

 

David, what a great story, what a great car, congratulations, she is georgeous !
What a nice history together with PKING51's story !!
You will love your car and the tremendous power of this cat.
Just have my first XKR (2005)coupe and i enjoy her everyday.

 

Great stories on both of the BRG coupes. About 3 years ago, after admiring the XK8 first series for several years, but not really thinking about getting another car (I already had 11 between my 3 kids, my wife and my small sports car collection), I was perusing ebay auction listings and came across a 2002 Carnival Red XKR with relatively low mileage that appeared to be in mint condition. It was located about 5 hours north of me in Los Angeles, and in a fit of craziness, I put a bid of a little more than $15K on it that turned out to be the highest bid but well below the reserve price. Two days after the auction ended, I received an email from the seller saying that they would accept my bid if I still wanted the car. I decided to rent a car and drive up and take a look. If it was as nice as presented, I would leave the rental car at the local Hertz location nearby, and if it wasn't, I would simply turn around and drive home. The car was beautiful, had a full dealer service history, I drove it home, and I've put 38,000+ miles on it since, hitting 100K miles this week. Being the first convertible I've ever owned and living in Los Angeles, I've had the top down nearly every day since, I've put up with all of the expected and common maladies that plague these cars, "green" hydraulic shower, abs/traction control gremlins, new bushings all arouond, supercharger rebuild...but, I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed getting behind the wheel of a car as much as this one. It's gorgeous, it's powerful, it's classy and classic, and the worthy successor to the XKE. And it was cheaper than a 5 year old Camry! It's my daily driver and I bequeathed my Buick Enclave to my wife (hated that car anyway, so much worse than my 180K mile Chrysler Pacifica). Gentleman, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your cars as I've gotten from mine.

 

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your own Jaguar Tale. Small world. Guess it would have to be a small world given the number of XK 8/R coupes extant and given the passion in play for someone to hunt down a decade old example.

I'm still not wholly sure how the deal turned out for me from a hard numbers standpoint, save of course that I'm thrilled to have the car.

The reserve was nearly a grand higher than the final bid showing when the auction was closed. I paid about $3k above that. I'd been peeking online at length, saw many fairly clean 2000-2003 XKR's asking $18-22k, noting of course that, "it is easy to ask", but of course harder to sell

But, Edmunds lists retail on a clean 18k-miles 2000 XKR coupe at $13 k (really), and I paid in the range cited above for the 2000-2003 cars, not the $13k.

What's your view of market value on these, considering gem condition and low miles? I figured I paid at high end, but if you are right that the reserve was $7k below market, then I did pretty well.

See, the thing is, and recognizing one cannot be crazy (eg. why not pay $80k new car price for a 12 year old just to secure the thing), I was willing to pay a bonus for the somewhatg intangible element of having a near new car, even if that price left the car a bit above market. I'd liked the thing for 15 years, and this one (albeit a first year "only" 12 year old XKR not XK8) to me seemed as-mint, right down to smell. Each time I climb in, I feel as if I'm in a new car. And the optimal color, coupe and so forth... While not going "crazy", i recognized I was buying into my 15 year desire to have a new-ish example of this car.

The dealer was excellent and very helpful. I have enough wry cynicism to deal with sales folk to know that good ones can sense what works with any given customer, but even so. The fellow was direct and polite. I told him point blank that while there is (of course) a defined market for used cars, that I had been fond of this since 1997 and that this one was my dream variant, and that I was willing to pay a bit extra for it. I noted I harbored no illusion about being able to "out car dealer" a car dealer. I noted that I had deposit in pocket and that I was interested. I noted that if indeed he opted to continue to run auction, I'd accept that with good (if sad) cheer, and would bid in last minute, whether I won the car at lower price, at slightly higher price, or not at all. But, I was there and I wanted the car. I made offer slightly below my max (which is fair in negotiation), and his counter was just a bit above my offer. A very friendly experience. He told me after than sale (yeah, who knows, except of course he didn't have to close the auction) that he appreciated my direct, pleasant, non snarky approach. Who knows.

The "new york doctor" thing charms me. Yeah. I'm a physician and I live in Manhattan (work out of town as pay for most docs is dismal in NYC) and spend a huge chunk of after tax income to have an apartment and park my Honda Accord. Suspect I have less spare change than many non-NY non-doctors, but hey gotta live.

Dunno if nearly keeling over with car lust and making a polite offer on site was an insightful or accidental "playing the cards right", but I'll take it either way

What do you think Market is on this car? I still wonder if I paid high or reasonably for it. After all, I paid about 50% more than than $13000 value Edmunds claims.

And, I do wonder why would a Jaguar Club be interested in the car. i can see any person perhaps wanting it, but do clubs buy cars? I believe the encounter happened, but it is odd.

I'm glad for you that you bought a good one too. Probably was more affordable than mine.

I had the final issue (besides the planned tensioner replacement) done, an oil coolant line iirc (i'm not a mechanic). Took it on its first outing since purchase, from my folks' place (where it is stored for now in central Jersey) down to a friend's home in Cherry Hill NJ. I'll comment on that in another thread.

regards

David

 

Gorgeous. Great stories. Thank you all for sharing.

Looking forward to many more stories.

Market Value - what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller in an open market.

If you willingly paid $8,000 to a willing seller, without coercion on either side, it was worth $8,000 AT THAT TIME. We can get so caught up in what it's "worth" or the "market value" and the only way to know the value for sure is to SELL it. That will reveal the true value.

My wife says she now enjoys watching me drive off to work because of the grin on my face. She says I smile more these days, even when I'm not driving my XKR. Yup, life is better with the cat. How much is that worth?

I really got a kick out of the architect yesterday. He was admiring my "new" car and making comments about how much we must be paid in our area (my boss drives a MB that was probably $100k new, but he bought it well, as I did my Jag. I told the architect he probably paid more for his Buick Enclave than I did for my Jag. "No way. You paid at least double what I paid," he insisted.

"Don't think so," I said. "How much did you pay for the Buick?"

"I know you didn't pay in the low twenties for that," he avoided directly answering.

"You're right," I replied. "I paid less than half of that." I'm not sure he believed me, but he did like my car.

However many dollars it may be worth, this car has already (5 weeks) been worth a fortune to me. It's part of my wellness program. I love driving to and from work with the top down, even at 40 degrees this morning (yes, that's Fahrenheit). I'm thinking I will have to always have an XKR (2000-2006). Especially since I discovered sport mode!

 

Title: running the numbers

Okay, David, so it looks like you are a numbers guy. Me too.

I have a printout from KBB.com (Kelley Blue Book) listing the private sale market price for a 34k miles 2000 XK8 Coupe (like Tracy’s) with nav, 18” wheels, premium sound, in Tampa, etc, etc. as:

Fair 14,419
Good 15,394
V.Good 15,644
Excellent 16,019

Tracy’s ad. listed it at 15,000. Mentioning the cam chain tensioners (~1k) and pointing out that the suspension ruined the tires (est. 1k), I offered 13,000: offer accepted with no discussion


I have another printout from KBB for a 2000 XKR Coupe with 17k miles 18” wheels etc. (your car) market price in a private sale at 21,076. I did not save the other printout: the Friday night when I saw it on eBay, I recall seeing KBB.com list it from a dealer at about 25k – maybe a little less, but the 25 stuck in my head. Dealer price would naturally be several K more than private sale and, since I intended to approach the dealer, that is the price I wanted, the Dealer price from KBB.

I suggest you not use Edmunds any more. 13k is waayyy off for a very low miles 2000 XKR coupe.

The printout I saved from the auction, dated 3/3, had the bid sitting at 16,250: reserve not met. The dealer’s Internet guy, Sean, gave me the reserve at 18k. Dealer told me it sold for 22k.

Of course in buying a used item: condition and providence is everything. For your car, the condition is “mint,” which should command a significant premium. I would love to know what the dealer paid for it. My guess is: not too very much. Otherwise he would have insisted on wringing more out of the deal. I’m guessing it wound up on the wholesale market from something like an estate where those handling the affairs really didn’t know what they had. No Jag lover would let his cat out onto the market the way that car went. So I think the dealer, as I said, got it cheap. Maybe everyone looked it up in Edmunds.

He should have set the reserve at 26k and let the auction end: probably no sale; then gone back to the high bidder with an offer splitting the difference between high bidder and his reserve. But from what happened, I think he left ~3k on the table for you.

On the down side, looks like your car (like mine) had no service history. Of course at 17k miles, how much service could it have needed? I have started the process of tracking down prior owners and dealerships that worked on mine. I’ve already discovered the radio unit was replaced in 2005 under extended warranty.

As Abby’sGuy said: after 5 weeks “this car has already been worth a fortune to me”. In my whole discussion above I said “price,” not “value.” In the case of these cars, value can be hard to measure since it encompasses much more than dollars, pounds, or euros.

Come to find out: with a Jaguar, you are offered much more than fine conveyance. It brings with it the opportunity to indulge (a little or a lot) in a whole lifestyle. I’ve joined the Jaguar Car Club of North Florida (a wonderful bunch of folks, although none of them seem to be interested in racing their cars), and this Saturday, wife & I are going to the Jaguar Concours d’Elegance near Orlando put on by the Jag club over there. It will be a recon for me: I expect to show my car there next year.

So, as for what yours is worth, I’d say its $ value is about what you paid. You can be sure the dealer thought so too.

As for why a Jaguar Car Club would be interested in it: really doubtful that was the case. I assume Sean was trying to say that one of the folk, who called him, mentioned he was in a Jaguar car club, although how that would improve his chances with the transaction I can’t imagine. People say the darndest things, and I’m just guessing here.

Yes, at 13k, my XK8 was “more affordable” than the XKR that got away. However, the way I look at it: Although I didn’t get the 25% more hp: I now have 9k to spend on service, enhancements, drivers ed and some autocross. Go ahead and look passed the transaction $$ to the many opportunities of enjoyment your beautiful beast can offer. I’m guessing you’ll be moving out to somewhere you will have it close by.

Regards,
Paul

 

I found the seller to be very gracious. We closed at a couple grand less than what you mentioned . Of course, I had to pay tax and paid in very short order to have a Jaguar dealer do the tensioners. Was not going to take chance with that issue. So there were extra costs of course. The Jag service agent noted the engine was as-mint, and graciously gave me one piece of (perfect and undamaged) plastic tensioner to take home as souvenir

 

I do appreciate all the input on my happy find. Hey, I do get "it's not about the numbers", though of course it is a little bit bout the numbers

I'm not personally concerned whether the thing was up or down 10% from optimal price and I'm not worrying about the wholesale-retail spread. Was just curious as to views about whether this was "good deal" or "crazy stretch". I like to learn.

I am thrilled with the car. Just took it on its first trip beyond the 30 miles to the dealer for the repair work. Took I-195 and the Turnpike in NJ down to Cherry Hill to visit a friend.

While I have read the thread here of late about the XK taken 100 mph, I note that while I might speed a bit here and there, I generally keep up with average traffic. On the NJ turnpike at times one can be in right lane at nearly 80mph, with cars routinely passing on the left. Have to be careful of course

So, as I flew down the highway, I had first impression of the car at speed. My current car is a very nice Honda Accord Coupe V-6 Leather. Have had Maza Millenias (Milleniae?) before that, both Miller Cycle. Torque Steer doesn't really bother me. a 5 degree twist when hitting the pedal, quickly corrected really does not corrupt the driving experience.

And, i recognize that psychology can color a driving experience. Subjectives tend to run positive when driving a car one dreamed of owning for 15 years. Still.

This thing drives nicely. With a minimum hint of vibration at idle, and on tires I'm told are good for only another 3000 miles or so, when the car hit around 70 mph, it seemed to hunker down. The steering vibration faded. Car pointed like an arrow. It felt connected to the road. On passing it was a torpedo. The thing is freshly waxed and my new microfiber duster keeps the pollen away. Glowed in the sunlight. I might be imagining it, but it seemed during that drive south that cars headed for a pass slowed down and paralleled. Haven't noticed that in the Honda.

The car fits like a glove. The cockpit is intimate but not cramped. Plenty leg room. I'm keeping the original mint floormats in trunk. Have order in to ebay's autoetc for custom extras, plush, prairie tan, with Jaguar leaper embroidered.

In 12 years it had just 1800
0 miles. Just back and forth to dealer for repair and drive home from original seller and drive to Cherry Hill put 400 miles on it this month. I might well be driving off the bonus value of its mintiness, but so it goes. Figure will do 4000 miles/year. I have real itch to take it on a long drive, maybe 500 miles down to North Carolina taking the scenic route. Idunno.

Next step I suppose is to find a North Jersey or Long Island Jaguar club and drive out some Sunday to meet fellow Jaguar nuts.

 

Last year I paid 17k for a 2003 with 37000 miles on the clock in excellent condition.

As far as value I look at it this way

I am driving this fantastic car for what my wife paid for her Civic!

Now that's value!

 

I haven't had any trouble with the relatively small trunk since I just use it around town and for weekend trips. The back seat is only good for purses and 12 packs, but I have gotten $200 worth of groceries in the truck. Admittedly that isn't a lot of food these days, but it worked.

 

Welcome to the Forum. You have a really nice car and wrote an excellent article. This Forum will help you with any problems you might have with your Jag.

I found my 03 XKR by browsing Ebay and Cars.com. I had a really nice low mileage 01 XK8 vert and was very happy with it, but I got the urge to upgrade to the XKR for some reason. Maybe it is the hood louvers or bigger supercharged engine. I wanted it all plus the 6 speed tranny and 20 inch BBS wheels. The 03 model I found had it all, plus I have always been partial to a light blue car.

I plan to keep this car and give it to my son when I get to old to drive, maybe 15 more years. I figure by that time the XKR will be worth more than it currently is and will still be a low mileage car. Of course if the Mayans are right in their prediction, we can all get in our Jags this December 21 and go out with a bang and a big smile.

Bill N
03 XKR vert

 

I just discovered this thread--congrats on your adventure and subsequent purchase!

I am a pretty firm believer in synchronicity in that most important events in my life (as well as other folks I know) were due to a fortuitous convergence of circumstances. My Jaguar find was pretty much the same. I really had not wanted to ever sell my favorite ride (1995 Corvette) but after 13 years of my wife complaining about the car, I decided to humor her and look around for a replacement in 2008. While I always admired the XK-E (when I was a kid) and similarly admired the XK8 when they came out, I never seriously considered owning a Jaguar. I knew what the sticker was on the XK8 and it was far far from my budget. Moreover, I figured that with such a high sticker these cars would still be unaffordable to me used.

So I started looking at BMW (335i) and Infiniti (G37) and calculated that either of these would be in the $45k+ range by the time you added in fees, taxes, etc. As luck would have it there was an "exotic" car dealership across the street from my office that I never really paid attention to. But walking by one day I noticed an XK8 on the lot. At the time I knew virtually nothing about these cars other than I liked the way they looked. But what stunned me was how little (relatively) the dealer was asking for the car.

That is when I started my research and discovered that how underpriced these works-of-art were on the used market. Researching brought me to the initial conclusion that I would limit my search to post-Nikasil cars and more research convinced me to concentrate on 2003 or later (cars with the 4.2 engine and the 6-speed trans). All during this time I had more than my hands full in convincing the wife that I was not nuts (a story for another day).

There was no shortage of nice 2003 or later candidates at several dealers in the SoCal area but then I saw a white 2003 XKR convertible from a local private party and a black 2003 XKR from a local reseller. Once I looked at the XKR I was convinced that I should go after those.

As it turned out I did not move fast enough for either of those cars and then stopped looking for a while. I then stumbled on a small private party for sale ad in the LA Times for a 2005 XKR with 16,000 miles. I am not even sure why I was bothering to look at the print ads since those are so archaic but it was just one of those lucky coincidences. Even luckier was the fact that the car was only a couple of miles from my house and the current owner was a collector of sorts who only drove the car 600 miles in the 18 months that he owned it (by the way--not a good thing as these vehicles like to be driven).

He had priced the car about $10K below what dealers were asking for similar vintage (the local Jaguar dealer had actually wanted to by this car) but the owner did not really care about the money, he was just looking for a good new home for the car to have.

So from going from a position of not ever expecting or seriously considering owning a car like this, I found a pristine low mileage under-priced one a couple of miles from my house and ended up with a much more fantastic vehicle for much less than lesser new vehicles I was considering. Mostly by a sequence of well-timed coincidences!

Doug

 

Picked up some new socks for Growler this month, based on recommendations here. The car still had original floor mats hiding in the trunk. Figured with the car being so old and so minty, that I'd keep them without further use. You guys have had some good threads on subject of replacement mats, so I ordered some customs up from Autoetc on ebay. Prairie Tan. Plush. Leaper in kelly green to reflect the BRG car. While the color in the flash shot seems a bit more gold than in reality, in fact the color complements the two beige tones already in the XKR. Fit is great. Quick service. No complaints. These seem at least as solid as the original mats, which lacked the leaper



regards

David

 

computer problems - please ignore or moderator, please delete?

 

Great story! Welcome to probably the best species specific forum on the web. Just so you know you are now officially diagnosed with "IJS" Incurable Jaguar Syndrome! Congratulations!