Thought I'd go a bit off topic and share a special find, one that for once it is not a pen. I preface the happy find of my "dream car" with the claims that in general I am not a car guy and am only modestly a stuff guy, my pen collection notwithstanding.
I've had a few cars over the years that I've enjoyed quite well. A Mazda Millennia S or two (sleepers back in the day IMO), and my current 8 year old, 120k miles loaded Honda Accord V6 EX coupe all have... satisfied. I used to read the car mags assiduously. Not so much these days. I do no repairs. Certainly I care about the aesthetics, ride quality, reliability and so forth, but at modest level of interest.
But, since the day it appeared, I've had an intense yen for the Jaguar XK-8. It was back around 1997; I was a couple years into my medical practice. Had my first Mazda Millennia S (in a grand dark green). Saw the reviews and photos of the XK-8 and was... stunned. Visceral sympathetic reaction. Along with its sibling Aston Martin this first coupe under Ford ownership was about the most beautiful modern car I'd ever seen. I certainly was not a Jaguar guy. I knew the standard lore--- "make sure you have 2 Jags, one for use and the other for the repairman's garage"-- though rumor had it that Ford was working wonders on the reliability front. I had seen images of a couple E-types. I knew the XJ-6 sedan (liked it) and the XJS coupe (not so much). The XK-8 seemed to have modern engineering, but the look of the E-type.
But, I wasn't going to splurge. I did grab a model (could find only the convertible, not the coupe I prefer) and for 15 years or so I've had a foot-long XK8 on my shelf.
For the last couple years I found myself grazing Ebay Motors and Autotraders. I had no intent to buy a car, certainly not a second car at time I was living primarily in Manhattan. I was, just curious... perhaps wistful. Lots of nice eye candy to see. Over time I developed a set of criteria for an imaginary purchase:
- Coupe (not convertible). <50% of production was of the coupe. I note incidentally that the supercharged 380hp version of XK8, XKR composed <50% of the coupe production. I preferred the structural rigidity of the hard top and the extra trunks space of the coupe and didn't favor the slight hassle of the convertible (which was automatic, but whose tonneau cover had to be placed by hand each time).
- Color- British Racing Green (really the only color for a Jag) or perhaps Black.
- Condition- low mileage and great condition
- Location- nearby. I didn't plan to fly to Arizona to inspect a car.
- Pre-2007 car. I liked the look of the 1997-2006 cars far more than the current XK variant
Then, this month, a dream car popped up on Ebay Motors. Year 2000 XK-R (the XK-8 with supercharged 380hp 0-60 in 5.1 second variant), the first year for XKR. Coupe. British Racing Green. Not only near home (< 90 minutes from NYC near north-east Philly at the NJ boarder), but it was in fact a mere ten minutes out of the way from my planned drive home from the Baltimore Pen Show. Oh yeah... one owner, garaged, perfect Carfax, 92 Ebay Experion rating and... 18,000 miles on it. Yes, 18,000 miles on a 12+ year old car, about 1500 miles per year, 125 miles per month all that time.
I will continue the story of this grand find after the first set of photos, to allow the images to be viewed in reasonable fashion...
Photo Set 1: Having dumped the car in my parents garage in NJ while they were in Florida all Winter, they were surprised to find it upon their return home. We did a meet and greet with the new baby Jag. Dad's always had a certain fondness for the brand, though never owned one.
As to the tale of the acquisition: As per above, I spotted the car for sale on ebay. After years of peeking at sales offerings and having never contacted a seller, as I was browsing just for fun, I found myself calling the seller. We had a nice chat. He agreed to let me meet the car and to discuss its sales; a wholesaler of autos, he noted he'd received a huge number of contacts about this XKR and did not plan to stop the auction. A day or so after I contacted him, I drove to the warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia nd met him and the car. Had a nice chat with the mechanic who had detailed it and had checked it out. While I'd been told politely that the auction likely would run (despite some offers to close it), there was a hint that deals could be made. A number mumbled in fact was a bit less than I thought I'd be willing to pay for what sounded like a nearly pristine car. I'd done research. I knew the range in which these traded. But, to grab an essentially mint car for a couple-few thousand dollars more than a well worn car with 100,000 miles on it? Ahhh. temptation.
Then... I met the car. Inside the warehouse, after a full detailing... it glowed. It probably does not speak well for me that I had frank tachycardia and weakness of of knees for a mechanical critter, but this cat was a monster. I decided it was time to buy a spare car, one which I had no place to house. I was not going to pay for a second parking spot in Manhattan, and even if I were willing to do so, to place it in a garage where attendants park-by-braille seemed suboptimal in the setting of paying a big bonus for an unhinged car.
Even though other customers reportedly had left the shop with "call me if anyone makes another offer so I can match it", my offer was... good enough.
After3 years browsing for cars I had no intention to buy, and after having never called or emailed about any of them, I found myself within about a day of spotting this car, the happy new owner of a year 2000 (12+ year old), 18,000 mile, British Racing Green, supercharged XK-R couple. Happy David indeed. Gives run for money with my finding last year the ultimate Parker Vacumatic. But, that's a tale for another day.
After placing cash deposit (I had some green left after the Baltimore Pen Show), I drove back to NYC in my trusty Honda. The next day I obtained cashier's check for the balance, took Amtrak down from Manhattan to Trenton, then took cab to the warehouse. Signed remaining papers. Took possession of the nearly new Jag. Darn thing still had new car smell.
There were risks. Old Jags even with low mileage, can have issues. I figured that besides the tensioners, the eventual inspection by Jaguar dealer would turn up couple thousand dollars in other repairs. I took my chance on this one.
Story to continue after next photo cluster:
Photo Set 2: Eye Candy. My year 2000 Jag XKR. Nearly new. My 15 year old XK-8 convertible micro model resting happily on the hood of its much larger sibling. I also liked the 18" rims, a pattern I'd not seen before on other XK I'd viewed.
So, I drove the car to my family home in NJ and left it in my parents' garage. With travel and already scheduled plans, I could not visit my new kitty for three weeks. In the meantime, I managed to get the NY registration done, had the plates in hand, called a good Jaguar dealer in NJ to schedule a top to bottom inspection. I wanted this car safe and reliable. I drove down to NJ this week and arrived a few minutes after my folks had made it back from Florida only to find the XKR occupying a space in the garage. Had some fun showing off the car and going on test drives.
Family is unfamiliar with current Jaguar models, though Dad-- again-- always had fondness for the brand. I was asked if I finally had gone crazy and splurged for a year old dealer demo car, or if the thing was maybe a 2008, after all it had so few miles on it. I was met by bit of initial disbelief when I mentioned the car was nearly 13 model years old, and had averaged about 1500 miles per year of use. After couple rides, the family comments centered on... it looks new.
Yeah, that was the kicker. The car was discounted (so to speak) 75% or more from original sales price. Yet it looked, felt... smelled... mint. That was the final cocktail that appealed to my well honed collector instincts. Used but in gem condition, for a fraction of a new item. Sounds like my approach to fountain pen collecting .
Story continues after next photo cluster:
Photo 3: Some details.
Story continues after next photo cluster:
Photo 4: More details. Service records, radio codes, perfect floor mats... all found in the trunk Incredible Alpine radio system (CD changer in trunk, no MP3 of course). Memory seats and mirrors. Heated everything. Front and rear fog lamps, wood... everywhere.
This was the sort of car that people would travel to purchase. Dealer told me (yeah, I know, go prove it) in follow up that he had numerous cranky calls about having closed the auction. So it goes. I was really content to be the new owner of this kitty.
Of course, I still had no idea what might turn up on the full Jaguar dealership inspection. I brought the car in two days ago for a full day review by the experts. The chain tensioners were replaced as planned (ouch!). I was charmed that some of the younger techs came by to chat about the car. I mentioned they see lots of Jags, so what was the big deal. Seems though not so many coupes this old in this condition turn up at their doorstep. Excellent.
But, while I expected (this being a 12 year old Jaguar) about a couple thousand dollars or more in other problems, the physical proved benign. A single $200 line repair was indicated, but all else was just grand. The tires are good a few thousand more miles (good thing. Pirellis for the Jag are not inexpensive). The engine on inspection during the tensioner exchange was described to me as being mint. Cool.
This final photo cluster (save for first shot in the driveway) was done in the hanger at the Jaguar dealership north of my home town. Shows the impact of lighting on photography. Of course, British Racing Green always has seemed to be a lighting-sensitive color. I like the indoor shots. Yes, it really is the same car.
The sixty mile round trip to the Jag dealership was a pleasure. The car hugs the road. The stereo is killer. Handling was great. Gobs of power on acceleration.
I did not seek an XK-R. I'd long been fond of the XK-8 but the upgraded supercharged engine was not on my list of must-haves even to consider turning three years of browsing for fun (and 15 years of admiring the car) into actual purchase consideration. But... the extra horses came with the car, so who am I to complain?
Photo cluster 5: Last shot of car in driveway, then shots indoors while car was being checked at a well known Jaguar dealership.
Well, my new old Jag is safely back at the family's home in NJ. Plan to use it quite a bit, though still with some gentility. Figure 3000-4000 miles/year, far more than it has received to date. I cannot get over the charm of climbing into a 12 year old car-- one I'd rather dreamed of owning for 15 years-- and having it in as-mint condition right down to smell. The car has no dings. The wheels have no curb rash. Color is great. Radio is great. Only tweak I might do is make stab at getting satellite and mp-3 inputs into the radio. Whether we replace (monster intervention on this car, it seems) the radio head unit, or try a more modest adapter to allow an external input (which would allow satellite and i-pod use)... time will tell.
I don't collect cars. Don't have urge for new car each couple years. I very likely will keep this car the rest of my life, enjoying keeping it working well, and striving to keep it in nice cosmetic shape... even while driving and enjoying it. As a long time collector, I harbor few illusions about modern items becoming collectable. Still... I'm told only a few thousand Jaguar coupes have made it to the USA since 1997 (most XK-8/XK-R have been convertible), this one is a "first year" XKR (the supercharged engine was released in the XK-8 in 2000), and this is in grand condition. Who knows... maybe someday this will at least not depreciate.
Thanks for peeking
regards
david
