Ok I had my crossfire now for about 2 days, the interior is a mess, and as far as sourcing original parts seems to be a bridge bit far at this stage, I have not started to dismantle anything that is broken, cracked or destroyed yet, thinking what would be next steps, it seems that something might just not be able to replace and either would need to be manufactured or customised, eg, driver door pull, and this has me thinking, maybe it is good time to look at going a bit custom, make my own door panel with pull handles.

The one thing that is holding me back is that the XF might become a modern classic, I know it is hoping for much, normally classics are more worth in original condition if I understand correctly.

Thoughts on custom versus original?

PS, we were taught a butcher's version of the Queens English, thus the s instead of z.

 

Lots of info here including how to repair the door pulls.

Index of Crossfire problems and repairs - CrossfireForum - The Chrysler Crossfire and SRT6 Resource

Also use the search feature at the top R/H corner of this page.

 

Whether you believe in preserving your car in its original state or want to add some extra upgrades, the choice is ultimately yours. It's your car and your money. Making changes to the engine, suspension, and other parts of the vehicle can make it go faster, handle better, and generally perform better overall. I'm a Purist generally, but throughout the years I have modified some cars. Keep in mind restored cars may not return as much when sold as the cost of any restoration/customizing. Don't worry about the next owner.......
-CFK

 

I have a 2006 base roadster (manual transmission). It's not special to most people, but it's special to me.
My goal is to keep it as close to original as possible. I know that it won't fetch as much money as a limited or an SRT, and none of that matters to me.
I want too experience my car as if I were the original owner when it was purchased from the dealer.

As CFK said, it's your car, do what you feel is right for you.

 

I've had Freya, the 07 Limited Roadster since May. Replaced modules, tires, top, various fiddly bits and she's running fine, no trouble. I'm planning on upgrading the radio and some minor cosmetic things. She's a great daily driver, a fun road trip cruiser, and that's what matters most to me. But, when I replace the radio I will hang on to the OEM. I have all the original manuals and documents apart from the window sticker (yes, there are duplicates, I'll get around to it.) The things that collectors care about if they care about originality are easy enough to keep in storage if people want those. In the meantime, I'll keep up the maintenance and servicing and driving her a lot.

 

I like the idea of keeping it standard, my commute is 80km's one way, this morning i really appreciated the fact that it does not have satnav, no bluetooth, no connectivity except for good old fm radio, it gave me a more involved drive with less distractions.

 

Everybody is feeling this pain.

In restoring older cars, I feel that this is the only solution. If it's like original that means you accept the compromises by the manufacture or make something for your own personal comfort. What ever you do, it would be nice to share your experience back to this group. There are many gems of knowledge captured onto this forum.

I really don't think original at this age for the crossfire will have much gain over custom as a financial return. At this age of the crossfire, I think it's more of a loss for custom parts. The best example is an updated kitchen in a house. A couple buys a house and updates the kitchen, they have a choice of marble vs synth counter top. They put in marble however while it has perceived value. They will not get their money back on the marble. To me it's the same with custom car parts. While the new custom parts look nice, a wheel is still a wheel.

I bought my crossfire for 6.5K, after driving it a bit and seeing the damage done by previous owners or just use, I will end up spending about 2 to 3k getting the car to functional standard. And you know what, I am very happy to spend it. Overall I will still come out cheaper as I will be doing the labor and learning more about cars.

As other said, do what feels right for you as it's your money.

 

You know what I like about this thread? It's a positive thread.
It's not about how it's broken, it's about what we do to make our cars better and how it makes us happy doing it.
Well done everyone!

 

It depends on what you want out of the car. If you think you might sell it someday and may get more money for original, then start haunting junkyards. If you want it to be comfortable and your ride, customize away.

IMHO, I keep my cars original. I don't plan to sell them but just like them that way,

That goes for my Audi A4 and Maserati Ghibli as well.

 

Brave Man