Hello,

We are doing a complete Concours quality frame off restoration on a 1952 XK120FHC,this car came originally with spats,will the resale value be better with the spats or wire wheels?
Thank You,Warren

Submitted by norman_weinfel… on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 00:33

Right. Wire wheel cars had brass wheel well surrounds (readily available) which took the place of the rubber ones in place with the steel-wheel/spat setup. These were then painted, though I have a photo of a black 120 FHC with unpainted brass ones that looks spectacular, if (presumably) inauthentic. The body shop which installed mine when I did the conversion was unaware of the original method and simply screwed them in with screws showing (originally, this was hidden). Not horrible, but not wonderful either. Wire wheel conversions, of course, also require sundry other changes, such as splined hubs just for starters...

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 23:23

If it had spats then the extra fittings will be there and the wing edge will be different, so you may have to have them, as to looks I think it is totally subjective. This is the car I currently have and it looks elgant, but it looks sportier with wires.

Submitted by norman_weinfel… on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 19:08

Interesting question. I just converted my XK140 DHC from spats to wires because that's what I grew up loving here in the U.S. and the spats just didn't look sexy to me on this car. My guess is that one of the big reasons I could afford the thing in the first place was because a) it had spats and steel wheels and not wires, and b) no c-heads. That said, my guess would be that in England at least, the car might well be worth more with spats, while in the States the reverse could be true. However, I think the trend is towards preferring Sir William's original conception (spats) on both sides of the pond (ditto originality, perhaps evern more so), and even I like the spats more and more each time I see them. And I also agree with the above that they look particularly nice on the coupes, the XK120 examples of which I think are really the handsomest of all the XK's. Photos of my own car from its original spats to spatless steel wheels to the current painted wires can be seen at the xkdata site @ http://www.xkdata.com/cars/detail/?car=817243.

Submitted by NE08-35179J-J on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 17:40

Yowza Warren,
IF i was in the market for a car I would want it to have whatever came with it originally.
Get a Heritage Certificate from Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. It will also tell you what options came it came with and the original color of the body and interior.
Coupes look gorgeous with spats. I know of one slightly eccentric but fun-loving owner who modified his spats so the car could have wire wheels but that's an acquired taste I'm sure.
If the example you have originally came with the same Pastel Green my MKVII has, most would tolerate a color change.
Later, Bob Lov ell