New member - (membership pressie from Santa)

[garagedood]

After a couple of years tyre kicking and drooling ( and getting the wife on board - actually,that bit wasnt difficult) the time has come to start looking seriously for my mid life crisis - if I live to be 106 - indulgence. But which one?,and how much to pay??. an old one I can happily take my spanners to or the newest I can afford??., supercharged or not?. - got to be a convertible though!!.Hmmm, lots of questions to be answered.Hope that my new friends in JEC will help me out there. Thanks to my lads Ian and James for telling Santa that I wanted to be a member. Happy New Year everyone!!

[FELIX456]

Hi newby, and welcome.
Not sure which baby you want to take home? Test drive a sample. From the really early and antique XK120/140/150, to e-type's, XJS', XK's classic and new. Take home the one that speaks to you. My current stable houses an XJ-SC and a' classic' XKR convertible. I tried the full convertible XJS but she didn't appeal. The XKR convertibles are HOT.
Visit all the events the JEC will plan for 2010 and speak to people, we're always willing to talk about our babies. You'll find the one that's right for you, just make sure you get what really speaks to you, we'd hate to lose you for the sake of the wrong one.
Luv
Tara x

[garagedood]

Hi newby, and welcome.
Not sure which baby you want to take home? Test drive a sample. From the really early and antique XK120/140/150, to e-type's, XJS', XK's classic and new. Take home the one that speaks to you. My current stable houses an XJ-SC and a' classic' XKR convertible. I tried the full convertible XJS but she didn't appeal. The XKR convertibles are HOT.
Visit all the events the JEC will plan for 2010 and speak to people, we're always willing to talk about our babies. You'll find the one that's right for you, just make sure you get what really speaks to you, we'd hate to lose you for the sake of the wrong one.
Luv
Tara xThanks for the nice welcome Tara, I know I will have to choose carefully. It is the XKR convertible I am most drawn to.It will be a second car for me so will have to stand up to periods of not being used and will have to live outside (garage is full of tools and other stuff). Will need to make room on the drive as there is already four cars out there as it is, my passat 2.0TDi (too useful and practical to lose), my wifes Mazda MX5 and our two lads Corsas (their first cars)the boys are starting to spread their wings now so perhaps not too long - fingers crossed!!.
Take care, Vic.

[mike020150]

Welcome to the forum! There's no substitute for experience when it comes to buying second hand so why not attend a local meeting and pick the brains of members with XK8s. It really does help to have had the issues to look out for shown to you at first hand. In the meanwhile, you should be able to pick up tips by searching the bulletin board. We've had various threads about buying and what to look for. Try using the search facility to get going. Good luck. Mike.

[garagedood]

Ah well, been and gone and done it!. I might no longer be a newby JEC and forum member but I am a newby XK owner. After years of promising myself and avidly searching the forums and the internet generally for info I finally decided on which one to go for -- the nearest one to me when I had the cash and the opportunity to buy!!. Seriously though the problem with trying to source the car that suits you best is distance.With living near the Scottish border and most of the stock being "darn saff" from here the investment in time (and money) in looking for the right car can be considerable. Psychology plays a part as well, you would have to have a pretty strong resolve to have travelled 2 or 3 hundred miles, stayed in a hotel for one - maybe two nights, took SWMBO shopping (more expense) to not immediately convince yourself that the car you have travelled to view is not the absolute must have for you only to find out later that the rosey tint specs had been firmly in place and you are now kicking yourself.
Anyway my patience I think has paid off.Randomly searching the net for cars for sale up popped a 2008 XK8 Conv. in black, black leather, 32k with FJSH at a local "other marque" main dealers and only 10 miles away!!. Went and had a look when the dealership was closed to see if it was worth going when it was open (salesmen can really put you off buying a car), went back a day or two later with SWMBO to see what she thought, her response was " what is there to think about - buy it!" ( ohh I do love her) so guess what?, I did. When searching I did wonder if I would go for a later Alu bodied car bearing in mind how "achingly beautiful" ( I think it was Jeremy Clarkson wot said that)the earlier car is, but after getting over the shock of the new I am now totally in love with the lines of the 150, in my mind its kind of Jessica Biel as compared the earlier Marilyn Monroe - both gorgeous but quite different, any way I know what I mean.
I now look forward to attending club events as a pukka member and owner. I was never ashamed of the lovely little MX5 we ran for pleasure for the last few years but I now feel in a different league entirely. No need to hide at the back of rallies with the rest of the "Jap c*ap" (not my words, the words of a steward at a classic car show!).

[mike020150]

Well done! They (X150s) are superb machines and are very 'sporting' compared with other Jaguars of the past 30 years. I'm sure you'll enjoy the subtlety of its handling and ... Wait a minute, just go and drive it. The feedback through the seat of your pants will describe the car 's talents far better than my words! Enjoy your pressie. Mike.