Hi everyone,
My name is Paul and live in Cheshire England. I've wanted an XF for few yrs now and plan on getting one in the next few months ( when my eldest heads off to university ) I've been seeking as much information as I can before taking the plunge, and the only thing that's holding me back is the subject of parts availability or lack of !!. Are the said parts really that hard to get in the uk?? Forgive me if I'm asking about a subject that has been covered many times. Fantastic site by the way, many thanks.

 

Hello Paul and welcome to the forum! As with any car out of production the availability of new spares will become an issue as time goes on, in particular body panels and interior trim pieces. The good news is most of the mechanicals are MB and readily available. As more and more end up at the breakers, used parts will be on hand. Several (many?) of the forum members have begun stock piling spares and very often make them available to forum members in need. Good luck with your purchase and keep us posted!

 

double post...........

 

Thank you very much for the kind welcome and the advice, the idea of stockpiling parts is a good one, maybe I should start now before i find a nice XF to throw money at ha !! Just hope I can find a good one that's been well looked after as a full service history can't really tell you about the way it's been driven and cared for. I'll no doubt have a few more questions in the near future before my purchase (can't wait !!) thanks for your time

 

hi paul welcome from a UK xfire owner as blue coupe has said oily bits wont be a problem and there seem to be a few xfires in breakers now due to being accident damaged so bolt on body parts should be ok, had mine just about a year now and love it to death, checkout the uk xfire scene below we have regular get togethers and weekends away, best of luck with your search....chris...

UK Crossfires - For owners of the Chrysler Crossfire in the UK

 

Hi chris, thanks for the welcome ! And thanks also for the advice and the link.! I'll take a look in a bit. Glad to hear your enjoying your XF ( it looks gorgeous) and I can't wait to get one myself !! The get togethers and the weekends sound right up my street so I'll look forward to meeting up with you at sometime ! I'll keep you posted on how my search is going nearer the time..Thanks again

 

Look for rust - wheel arches and bottoms of doors and boot lid on roadster. I've had no problem getting normal running spares - body parts may be another matter, but that applies to lots of more interesting cars. Good luck

 

Thanks muskrat, I'll make sure I have a good look at all the places mentioned for rust. I'll also make sure I don't let my heart rule my head and buy the first one I see, I think it will pay to take my time until I find the right car ! Thanks for your help

 

Let me give some perspective on old/limited production cars, german cars in particular, and I do consider the Xfire a German car in many respects.

I owned a 73 BMW for many years and getting certain parts was always a challenge, but never impossible.

I would call it more of a frustration, as with anything old, or limited in production, it's a matter of time and money. But usually anything could be had, it was just a case of networking for the part, living with the angst, and paying an (appropriate) price.

While driving my '73 BMW in the dead of August, in stop and go traffic, the thermal clutch on the radiator fan fails, and the car overheats big time (yea it had a thermal clutch in '73).

Next day I'm shooting white smoke out of the exhaust, with all indications that the aluminum block had cracked.

For over a month, me and my mechanic searched all over America for a rebuilt '73 3.0 CSI block, with absolutely no luck.

Eventually we find one, but it's in Germany, and it ain't a pretty picture to purchase and ship.

Bottom line, anything can be had, it's just a matter of time and money (sad to say)...

 

Have you driven one? If not I'd say try an auto as well as a manual because the manual box is not one of the best .Also the steering can be a bit vague for a sports car. Don't get me wrong I like the thing but its not perfect. Best for hurtling down dual carriageways or big A roads as quick as you like rather than small tight B roads. Mine averages about 23/25 normally and about 30 on a run - doesn't seem to matter if you boot it or not Definitely better with the roof down and behaves pretty well in the snow.

 

Thanks for your advice Kodebuster,
your right of course ! With a bit of time and patience i suppose you can source any part for any car somewhere in the world. I will now enter into XF ownership with a more positive outlook as regards hard to source bits and pieces. If it's the car I wish to drive it's a small price to pay! I will after all be part of an exclusive club and I look forward to owning an XF and enjoying it. Thanks.

 

No I've not driven one as yet muskrat but I've wanted one for a while, i like the look of them and the Sound of them. Only reason I haven't owned one as yet is due to the children (couldn't fit em in an XF ha.) But they're growing up now and the time is right for me to have the car I want. I've read quite a lot about auto vs manual and I think the auto is the one I'll go for. Thanks for your honest advice and any other advice is always welcome (I'm like a sponge at the moment haha) can't wait to have a go in one soon! I'm sure I'll love it.