Central Valley Classic Cars

A year and 4k miles after acquisition, I can say the XK8 has served me very well as an occasional commute car. Now I’m back to commuting on the train and the XK8 is for weekend adventures. It just might be time to begin the restoration process.

So Where Do We Begin?

First off, yes, I know a 1997 Jaguar XK8 coupe is not what you’d consider a classic car. The first major update to the body style happened just 2 years ago. When I first cleaned up the car a year ago, I had several people ask me if it was new (they weren’t standing close enough to see for themselves it was not). It’s barely crested the 10 year threshold and cars aren’t usually considered classics for at least 2 decades.

And, it’s fair to ask what business a 97 XK8 has being a featured project car on Central Valley Classic Cars – it’s not exactly the prototypical project you’ll find underway here in Central California, nor what you’d expect to see showcased at a local gathering of car aficionados. But, hey, it’s just what is needed: a little European elegance; not too pompous or showy, like one might accuse of an exotic or super car, but a bit more down to earth… and with ties to the XKE legacy.

Oh, and there’s this: it’s the car I have, and I really like it. With the time and resources I have at my disposal, matched against my desire to do this right, the project will probably take 10 years to complete. At which point, the “classic” moniker should be less disputable.

And Where Are We Now?

Here are some of my notes on the status of things as of today.

Repairs TODO:

• Needs to be painted: many chips, scratches; some sun damage; double sided tape cement on passenger door
• Painting consideration: bondo areas (car was likely in a non-disclosed fender bender and the passenger-side rear wheel-well arch has signs of repair work)
• Leather: driver seat bucket is warn; small tear in back seat
• Oil leak: slow/small, but annoying; have already replaced the head gaskets
• Crack in the front bumper (where a license plate holder could be mounted)
• Broken antenna mask
• Interior head liner needs to be replaced

Upgrades TODO:

• New, double pipe exhaust (improve air flow, reduced back pressure; adds 8~17bhp)
• New injection heat shield air filter (higher performance; adds 12bhp)
• Small, 2005/2006 series trunk spoiler (slight down-force increase, should reduce tail slip)
• Maybe: mesh steel grill for front air intake
• Maybe: aluminum shift bezel

Has been done:

• water pump replaced
• timing chain, tensioners and guide rails replaced
• body processor controller replaced – correcting problem caused by previous bad electrical work
• suspension joint bolted down (may need to be replace)
• 20’’ chrome aftermarket wheels replaced with stock 17’’ alloys (Lamina, from 2001 series)

Not required yet:

• Transmission replacement (previous owner replaced and it is doing well)
• But it would be nice to drop a 6 speed manual into it :-)

Icing on the cake:

• Up-size to 20” wheels (yeah, I know I already downsized, but I’d like to put Detroits or Sepangs on it)
• Lower, firmer suspension (I do like the comfortable ride, but it could be tighter)

So, What’s Up Next?

The really big thing that is needed is to have the car repainted. It had quite a few chips, nicks and scratches when I acquired it, but I get credit for quite a few more. Though my commute while living in Burlingame was never during rush hours, it still wasn’t ideal. It took me across what often felt like the worst maintained public freeway in the country (101 between SFO and SF – yes, they were working on it, but how they were working on it was part of the problem). It seemed there was always a quarter mile patch without asphalt – road just ground up and covered with loose rocks. And I often shared the road with big trucks with less than effective mud-flaps.

And life in the city is full of parallel parking. Not everyone takes parking as seriously as maybe they should. I’m cool with valuing other things in life over material possessions like cars, but a few extra seconds to be conscientious when operating a vehicle is not what I’m talking about. Ever notice that some people parallel park by waiting to hit the car behind or in front to know that they can’t get any closer? That, or similar parking shenanigans, has added the biggest chips. But I digress…

Anyway, I’m looking into paint options. I’d like to get the factory paint, which is British Racing Green based, but mixed with a deep blue to create a finish that appears to be a different color depending on the angle of your vantage. The dark green and dark blue colors are compatible to the point that the change is very subtle, not gaudy or exuberant (like those purple/pick finishes of similar effect). I don’t know what the color is, for sure (people have told me different names: Aquamarine, Emerald, Sherwood, Cayman), but from under the hood, trunk and doors I can tell it’s the factory color the car rolled out in.

My friend Bryon tells me the kind of paint job is called “a pearl” and that the paint may be pretty expensive. My father tells me the process to recreate the finish of a pearl might add to the cost. I may be open to straight British Racing Green if it is more in my price range (there’s something about British Racing Green that is just right on a Jaguar)... or I’ll have to practice more patience and wait on the paint until my budget can afford a good job with the right paint.

I also hope to be able to have the paint job “done right,” with all the badges, trim, body accessories, etc. fully removed, including the replacement of all gaskets. I’ll compare quotes for various levels of work, but this aspect I think I can be more patient about. I don’t want to throw good paint at the car poorly.

If the painting does happen, I might consider a couple of other body upgrades to happen in concert, otherwise I’ll stick to mechanical maintenance and upgrades for the foreseeable future.