Nice work! All I've been doing is driving, recording and clearing trouble codes, enjoying driving Kat Kat til the weather says it is time for the Jeep.

 

Nice work Sam!!!!

 

Today I replaced the center stack vent louver assembly which had the "floppy vane" problem. Picked up a replacement on ebay for $72 which was delivered yesterday. The whole "job" took less than 5 minutes. Followed the excellent instructions at for removing the upper dash piece and then just pried out the louver assembly using the same upholstery tool. Snapped the new one in and put the wood back on -DONE!

 

Installed these badges today

 

We all probably recognize 7- no less, silencing elements effectively make our XK8 virtually silent. Add: double floor-pan layers, carpeting, 'rear seats', bonnet insulation and heat resisting firewall insulation, boot area carpeting 360/24/7, substantial door card design, the result have, to some, made the exhaust too quiet. That's me.

A vehicle well known for its exhaust note, a defining if essential character element is the Ferrari-influenced Maserati V8, say the 4.7L GranTurismo S for example. The architecture is quite similar, we are at 4.0L, prompting the desire...Could I enhance my silent running, neighborhood-friendly GT to emulate in some degree, at least make it come to life with M GTS parts...

Could I do that on the cheap? Answer is yes. I did.

We removed/deleted the middle group of silencing elements: You could do the same. Sourced on eBay: 2015 GT-S X-pipe +resonator, (stainless steel, 2" diam, integral unit). My nearby specialist cut and refitted-easily- deleting a HEAVY resonator +modest silencers aft, before the axle.

Later, we are replacing the constricting over-axle segments (ran out of time yesterday) I suggest retaining the rear silencers for certain. I'll change to double-wall tips to suggest something's different

Perfect sound, it sounds like a proper GT now. Unlike an F-Type. Not like a Maserati either.

XK X100 oem.

As new under...71k, first look was amazed.

Maserati 4.7L X-pipe, short integral resonator.
Sounds now as these should have when new. It's not an XJ, don't let it sound like one...

 

Would love to hear the exhaust! Especially if you could do a drive-by or 2! Any droning at cruising speeds? Any links to the ebay listing?

 

This in Sacramento, seems New, and complete. Same engine etc. Mine from Seattle was half$, this just for the mid-section. Very reasonable it seems. Various vendors for XK are as much as Maserati bits new. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Maserati-Qu...AAAOSw44BYPML8

I picked mine up PDX to SEA (cheaper to have it sent!), and $150 installation.

The phone pix were the first I'd done. How to do a vid...patience grasshopper. I'll go attempt some. Haven't done a 50-mile run on assessing drone. My X-pipe Supersprint rez-delete on my high-spec modded 1-series doesn't drone. Both Made in Italy; I'll go check to confirm it this afternoon!

 

TIR,
Video was a fail. On the other hand, the improved exhaust note I wouldn't change for $$$.

 

I'm finally on the real gauge mod scheme. Earlier picked up the whole dash set from Cali. Now have a perfect set to keep original, and a set to ahem, modify layered on a modification.

 

Working with my 'bargain bin find' BBS Detroits. Centers now at Anthracite color, Stainless steel hula hoops from Uk. Next step is refurbish wheel barrels.

 

I went to my local locksmith today for a couple cabinet locks for a customer and ended up ordering a key for my 01 XKR. They said no problem to make it work, looks like I'll have a spare key for Kat Kat if it works. 125.00 USD

 

Did you re-finish these yourself or had them done professionally? I have the same wheels that are gouged up from curb contact and really like what you did with yours. I imagine that doing it on your own (I assume you had to take the wheels apart) would turn out to be pretty time-consuming.

 

For us Tightwads, here's a couple of vids showing how to repair the vanes from John at "To the Garage"

 

I noticed that the vanes in the video look different than what I have in my 2004.
Mine were 2 piece and had a layer of foam between.
I needed to repair the crumbling foam so I had mine apart but it was not broken. More details about that here.
The ones in video look solid 1 piece.
Am curious what model year the version change occurred. And whether the ones that break are from one version only.

 

The assembly with the centre control wheel was only fitted to the 97.

My 98 vanes have the same foam sandwich construction as yours.

If the units are all constructed with this actuator then they're designed to fail, IMO:

 

Broke down an bought a new battery. I ended up going with an AGM type. We'll see! Definitely turns over quicker, but to be fair, my old battery was from 2013 and down to 500cca! Oh well

 

I started disassembly of the front lower suspension to address the bits deferred from last year.
The lower control arms came off without too much drama other than having to slide the rack bellows along the tie rods to gain enough clearance to get the rear bolts out.

According to TSB 204-11 the bushings should have had nylon casings, but they were steel, so I guess they must have already been replaced early in the car's life. They all seem to be in perfect condition, but I've already bought the OEM replacements and I'm in there now.

Oil and filter change done, as it's due in January. Looked very similar to what I poured in too, since it's only seen about 150 miles in this crazy year

 

Today I snapped in red center caps in all four wheels. The old green ones were looking crappy. These are on Ebay for $28/ set of 4. A tad loose so three winds of black electrical tape made them tight like OEM.


new center caps match the red tail lights, eventually will paint the calipers red as well.

 

Another day, another crispy connector tenuously held on/together by unicorn breath and RTV. Transplant in progress below.

An hour locating the right connector, a couple of days to get it here, 4 minutes to swap...


This makes 10 with no tab on this car that I have now replaced. There are only about 420 connectors on the whole car. I "look forward" to visiting them all.

 

Dale,

I swapped out one of the VVT solenoid electrical connectors in July 2018 (and still have the new one for the other side). Found them on rockauto.com. Like you, I expect to eventually have to swap out more. Where are you finding your new connectors and how are you managing to cross-reference them?